Little Gardener

Matthew worked much of the weekend for the Container Gardening Contest. This is a new event for the Garden. Linus and I went out fairly early on Saturday to see the entries before it got too hot. The first picture is of the winner for both its category and the People's Choice. Yes, it is a watermelon plant! The second picture is of my favorite entry, which won first place in its category. The prize was $500. Matthew got to join us for a bit and he carried Linus around to show him some plants. I think Linus' favorite container garden was one planted in a small Radio Flyer wagon and it had a little fairy in it.

Last night Linus helped me mow the front yard. He sat in his bouncy seat watching me, the traffic, and the big tree. I took a break and we discussed removing the yew bushes and putting in a cottage garden. When I asked him if we should plant crocuses in honor of him, he got excited. When I asked if we should buy the bulbs from Brent and Becky's Bulbs, he smiled.

After dinner we all went outside and layed on the deck, looking up into the maple tree. Our neighbors came over to share cucumbers from their garden and show us their duckling. Sue got it from her brother and will keep him for a few weeks before taking him back out to the farm. So very cute! It was fun to watch it run after her back to their house.

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Little Assistant

Linus is such a good little assistant. He went to the roofing place with me and helped me select shingles for the garage roof that we are having replaced. I never knew shingles came in so many colors. They didn't have a match to our house, so I just went with black. Linus charmed the office person with his cute face peeking out from under his sun hat.

Last night Linus and I attended the classical concert at the Garden while Matthew worked. We sat by the tree that Linus liked so much last week. He kicked his legs very excitedly when he was looking up at it over our heads. He had a meltdown at bedtime. I'm not sure if he was just overstimulated or if something else was troubling him.

I'm scrubbing up the high chair that is a hand-me-down from Brandon. Won't be long and Linus will be using it. Matthew's brother and sister-in-law may be visiting in September and their little Wesley will be one, so he'll certainly use the high chair.

Not much planned for the weekend. Matthew has to work and it will be dastardly hot.

Play Date

Linus and Johanna were very cute together. It was fun to get them together during the day when they were more themselves. Johanna liked watching Linus, very intently. I'm not sure what he did that she liked, but every now and then she'd smile while watching him. Linus had fun chewing on her toy crab and butterfly. He got really excited when Alex, Johanna's dad, played the ukelele and then the mandolin. Linus smiled and laughed, talked, kicked his legs, and was so attentive. I enjoyed watching him have so much fun.

Alex made a wonderful lunch of a homemade pizza with cilantro pesto, black beans, tomato, and a bit of cheese. What a great combination! Linda and I had fun talking about babies and watching the two of them interact.

Here's a photo of Linus grabbing Johanna's blankie. She was nice and shared it with him; although, at one point she kicked him. Linus looks huge next to Johanna. He is two and a half weeks older than her. She takes after her mother and is small.

Linus Lullaby

Here are the words to the lullaby Brandon created for Linus. Sing it to the tune of Happy Birthday, but in a lullaby way:

Baby Linus in the sky,
Baby Linus in the sky,
Baby Linus in the sky,
Baby Linus in the sky.

Baby Linus is a cloud,
Baby Linus is a cloud,
Baby Linus is a cloud,
Baby Linus is a cloud.

Brandon sang it with a soft, sweet little boy voice.

(Photo: Linus checking out Brandon and his Tonka truck)

Report Card

Linus gets a gold star today for his tummy time performance. He held his head up high for quite a while without complaining about it. Hooray for Linus!

Linus will be four months old next week, which means he can start eating rice cereal. I'm resistant to the idea of feeding him food because it means he's growing up. On the other hand, I'm ready for the adventures we'll have in feeding him. Linus has inherited beautiful silverware: one is a spoon and cup with his grandfather's name engraved on them, and the other is a spoon and fork set with his father's name engraved on them. For Linus, Matthew and I selected a bunny spoon and cup from Mariposa. The handles on the cup are bunnies. We will have them engraved with Linus' name and birthdate. I admit that this is an extravagance, but he is our pride and joy.

Linus has a playdate at noon with Johanna. I'll report on that tomorrow. I'm sure I'll have some cute stories.

Storm

We had a very strong thunderstorm betweeen 4 and 5 yesterday. For a bit of it Linus and I looked out our front door at it, but then the wind really picked up and we closed up the door and stayed away from windows. Lots of tree limbs are down in town, but our trees are okay.

We got to tour the exquisite gardens of Deb Freeman. She is a volunteer at the Garden and had Garden staff over for a goodbye party for one of the staff. Linus and I also got to attend. She enjoyed holding Linus, which gave us a chance to eat the great feta and tomato spread, and produce from her garden, including purple cauliflower.

We overslept this morning because Linus slept in. Matthew woke up at 7:10 and had to hurry to get ready for work. Linus didn't wake up until around 8:15. I think we'll have to start using our alarm clock again. We haven't used it for a few months because Linus always got us up.

Here is a photo of Brandon feeding Linus when we first arrived. Linus cried because he was hungry and Brandon ran up to his room to get his lovey for Linus. So sweet. We asked Brandon if he wanted to feed Linus and he was excited to do so.

Meeting Brandon

We had a great weekend in Madison and enjoyed seeing family and friends. It was fun to see Brandon and Linus interact. Brandon was a very nice cousin and shared his room with Linus. He also introduced Linus to Tonka trucks, marbles, and Legos. Linus had his very first wagon ride. He sat in Brandon's lap and Brandon held on to him. Brandon made up a song for Linus and sang it to him very sweetly. Stephanie and Brian were great hosts and fed us well. They had everyone over for brunch yesterday and we all ate outside on Stephanie's wonderful new patio.

At APT we saw Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker and Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. Both were really well done. We were rained on repeatedly during the first show, but the rain stopped for our picnic. It started raining again before the second show, but stopped about 15 minutes before the show started. We saw a double rainbow!

(Photo: Linus at the beginning of the trip, excited to be going on his first road trip.)

First Concert

We took Linus to the jazz concert at the Botanical Garden last night. We had a great time picnicking. Linus was a lot of fun. He gave each of the garden employees a smile, which pleased them to no end. Linus was propped up on Matthew's legs and Linus liked looking at the nearby tree. When the wind blew through the leaves, Linus would laugh and get excited, which I captured in the first picture. When I had him on my lap facing out, he would get excited when people walked by on the nearby path. After the concert, a couple that had been sitting behind us came up and told me how much they enjoyed watching Linus and that it made the evening for them.

I won't be blogging for a couple of days because as you all know, we'll be in Madison. Three cheers for APT! Three cheers for seeing everyone!

Tired Baby

I guess we wore Linus out yesterday. I took him to Appleton to see Kristin for lunch and shopping at the Ben Franklin Craft's going out of business sale. Linus ate at 5:15, went to sleep for the night at around 7:15, and woke up this morning around
6:15. That is a long time to go without eating. He must have been really tired. Shopping was a challenge because Linus needed a couple of trips out to the car for diapering and feeding, but he really did quite well. I got a pattern to make him a cute stuffed lion for Christmas. It was a fun day. Kristin is a great cook!

Busy today doing things around the house since we'll be gone for a few days to Madison/APT. Looking forward to our weekend getaway.

Evening Walk

Last night when we went for a walk, we put the stroller up in the sitting position. We weren't sure how Linus would do with that, but he gets fussy in the reclined position in it and Matthew ends up carrying him. We kept an eye on him to make sure his head wasn't flopping around. He did great. He looked around while peacefully sucking his fingers. It was a very pleasant evening for a walk.

We didn't make it to story time. Linus was napping when it was time for us to leave. We'll try in September or go to one at the library.

Linus has been very interested in my plush Shakespeare doll. He looks at him a lot. I have to keep a close eye on Linus with this particular doll because he has felt pieces he could pick off and try to eat. I joked with Matthew that Linus will think Shakespeare is a family member since we have so many dolls, busts, etc. of him. Perhaps Linus won't be a Shakespeare-phobe when he has to read him for school!

(Photo: Last week at Kavarna)

Book Eater

The little fabric book I got for Linus last week is a big hit. We took it along to my doctor appointment yesterday and he was content sitting in the stroller and chewing on the book. He also "talked" to both the lab tech and the doctor. Such a friendly, chatty baby. He didn't fuss in the car or at the office.

The hot weather has receded and it felt so nice to be outside with Linus today. We gave Matthew a nice send off when he left for work. I helped Linus wave as Matthew drove away. In a bit we will be heading out for Linus' first story time at the children's bookstore. This one is geared for babies up to age one. I'm curious how he'll react to the whole experience. I'll fill you in tomorrow.

(Photo: Linus with his new table toy.)

Bakery

Doesn't it look like Linus is demanding some of our doughnuts? In reality he was excited about us talking to him. Last night at dinner, though, he grabbed at Matthew's plate twice. I had to hurry and wipe the tomato sauce off of his hand before he put it in his mouth. During and after dinner he was quite fussy and none of my tricks worked to calm him down. Then I took him outside to watch Matthew mow the lawn and that worked. He watched Matthew for about 45 minutes. That got us to bedtime. I changed him, fed him, and tucked him in, all by around 9. Then I read a chapter of the new Anne Tyler novel and went to sleep. We are surviving the heat by staying in by the AC and using the ceiling fans. Temperatures should moderate tomorrow. Now I'm just hoping for reasonable weather for Saturday when we go to American Players Theatre (APT). I suspect Stephanie is counting down the days to when we come down. She will be looking after Linus while we are at APT.

Saturday Update

My friend Kristin stopped by to visit yesterday so Linus had someone new to drool on. Linus also received a package in the mail from his grandparents: a delightful toy with so many little activities to help him develop his eye-hand coordination, his understanding of cause and effect and object permanence, etc. Plus, it is just plain fun! When we put it in front of him the first time, he spun the "spinning clover" and promptly drooled on it. That means he likes it.

It is too hot for mowing the lawn. I might go buy two new toilet seats and install them. Otherwise, nothing is on the agenda for today. Which is how it should be on a hot Saturday in July. We'll just sit around playing with the baby and drinking lemonade.

(Photo: Linus at the craft store)

Hot Summer Day

Linus wasn't as excited about the craft store as I expected him to be. He was sleepy and a bit fussy. He did seem to be more interested in the fabric than the yarn. Maybe he'll be a costume designer for American Players Theatre one day! We also took him to Butterfly Books, our independent children's book seller, and he got a little fabric book with a cuff to attach it to his stroller or his wrist. It got really, really hot here and I turned the air conditioning on at 4 when I couldn't take it anymore. One problem with the AC is that the thermostat never turns it off, so it froze us out in the night. I don't know what is wrong with it since the thermostat works just fine for the furnace. Fortunately, we only turn the AC on once in a while. I didn't get to craft with Lyz last night after dinner as planned because Linus had a melt down and wouldn't calm down for Matthew. I watched Lyz scrapbook and made suggestions while holding Linus.

They say it will be near 95 degrees today, so we will lay low here at home. Have a good weekend everyone!

(Photo: Linus playing with one of his blocks for the first time. He tried to put it in his mouth.)

Flaxen Hair Retraction

I take it back. I don't think Linus will be blonde. His hair is actually light brown. It it longer and easier to see the color and it is more brown than blonde. His eyes are still blue, though.

Linus is having fun hanging out with me and Lyz. We are taking him to his first craft store today. Last night we had a great dinner at Kavarna and Linus grabbed the handle of Matthew's hot chocolate mug. While downtown, we ran into my nurse from the first 12 hours I was at the hospital in labor. It was fun to see her and her baby, a little dog. She said maybe she'd see me in a few years. I laughed and said, "We'll see! It was hard going the first time."

(Photo: Linus in the carrier that he does not like, even when I tell him that babies around the globe like being carried like that.)

Drool Master

Linus is very slobbery these days, in a charming sort of way. He loves sucking on his fingers, my night gown, his rattle, etc. If you put anything near his face, he moves his mouth toward it. It cracks me up. Last night we sat out on the deck together and he peacefully gazed at the maple tree while taking turns sucking on his hand, my finger, or the toy keys. When we went inside a half hour later his outfit was very wet around the neckline from all that drool.

While sitting there I spied a little green plastic soldier on the deck. The previous kids to live here played a lot on the deck and I think some toys fell down the hole that is where the deck was built around the tree. There has been a chipmunk hanging out there and I think it brought up the soldier. Little toys resurface periodically in the flower beds and I've been saving them as little treasures from the previous family.

(Photo: Linus helping Matthew prune the lilacs on Saturday.)

First Friend

Linus made his first friend. She is Johanna, the daughter of Linda and Alex, who own Kavarna. She was born about two weeks after Linus, so Linda and I compared notes throughout our pregnancies when I'd go in for quiche. They had us to their house for dinner last night. Alex made a delicious meal and a former Kavarna employee was in town from Chicago and joined us for dinner. It was fun to see him. Linus doesn't have a baby swing, so I was excited for him to try out Johanna's. He zonked right out in the the thing. Matthew and I kept thinking we heard an ice cream truck, but it was the music from the swing. (Think the truck comes down our street a lot?)

Yes, it is kind of funny to dine at your restauranteur's house. At least I knew I'd like what they served!

Linus is super snuggly this morning. I can't stop hugging him.

Good Morning

Around 8 yesterday I heard Linus playing in his crib. I took the camera with me because I wanted to capture the smile that I was sure to receive. Isn't this beautiful? What a great way to start each day. He spent some time outside with Matthew, helping him prune the lilacs. Linus knows how to live life: work a bit then take a nap. Play a bit, then take a nap. I think adults would be much less cranky if they lived their lives this way.

All Smiles

Linus was all smiles this morning and charmed all the staff at the rheumatologist's office. He was talking and smiling up a storm. The nurse was trying to stay focused on taking my blood pressure and such while Linus was smiling and talking to her. When I was talking to the doctor, Linus got a bit fussy, so I took him out of the stroller and had him on my lap. He was very content just looking at the doctor. At the pharmacy he enjoyed looking at all the neat things like glassware, bottles of beverages, newspapers, etc. Now he's napping because all of that wore him out!

Here's a picture of him doing what he does a lot: chewing and sucking on his hands. We can't help but wonder if he is in early stages of teething because he doesn't just suck on our fingers anymore; he gnaws on them.

Google

If one googles "Linus," they'll get references to three Linuses: Linus Torvald, one of the creators of Linux; Linus Pauling, the scientist; and Linus Van Pelt, of Peanuts fame. What an interesting group our little Linus joins.

First Pez

I was sorting through some boxes that were never unpacked when we moved into our house over a year ago and discovered a Spiderman Pez. I was getting ready to throw it away and then realized it was a good size for Linus to hold; hence, his first Pez experience. The first thing he did was insert Spiderman's head into his mouth.

We had a peaceful and relaxing Independence Day at home. Linus seemed to enjoy my telling of the Revolutionary War and the US becoming a nation. He smiled anyway. He had a hard time staying asleep in the first part of the night and wanted to be held. The only thing I can think of is that all of the fireworks exploding in the neighborhood were unsettling to him. I reassured him this morning that we do not live in Iraq.

Ceiling Fans

Linus LOVES ceiling fans! It started a few weeks ago when he began staring at the one in our bedroom in the morning after I fed him. He even smiled at it. He was checking out the ceiling fans at the Reader's Loft and Missy, the manager, said her son did the same thing when he was a baby.

Yesterday I heard him wake up from napping in the guest room. When I peeked in on him I found him interacting with the fan. He was smiling, making talking sounds, and wiggling around excitedly. I ran to get the camera and got some great shots.

3 Months Old

Linus is three months old today. We took his photos on the settee again to go with the two and one month photos. He was a good sport about it. Later in the day I was walking around with him and he grabbed at my face, in particular, my mouth. That was the first time he has done that. He has looked like he wanted to or was going to, but his hands didn't reach my face before. His eye-hand coordination is noticeably developing, but is still pretty sketchy. It was so wonderful to have him purposely reach out to touch me.

He is improving at tummy time, but still doesn't like it very much. He held his head up for a good while this morning while on his little gym.

He is developing different sounding cries. The one he gave me a bit ago clearly meant, "I'm tired." I walked around with him and within a minute or two he was asleep. He is napping right now. I usually blog during his first morning nap and eat breakfast if I didn't eat it before Matthew left for work.