Dill Pickle

Here is Linus chewing on a pickle and waving to our neighbor, Mark. Mark invited us over yesterday afternoon for the family cookout they were having to celebrate Phillip's confirmation. Mark cans his own pickles and Linus took mine from me and walked around chewing on it for a while. Sue got out an old toy shopping cart and Linus pushed his sippy cup around in it. The weather was gorgeous and my daffodils bloomed. Linus would like to be outside every minute. We go out a couple of times a day.

Car Seat Promotion

We've promoted Linus to riding in a forward facing car seat. We kept him rear facing as long at the instruction manual recommended and then turned the seat around because he reached the height restriction. He enjoys looking out the front window (we have him in the center) and when we are waiting for a train to pass, I play peekaboo with him from the front. Now and then he giggles about something as we are driving around, but I have no idea what is striking his fancy.

Bubble Frenzy

Here is a picture of Linus chasing after bubbles on our deck. It was challenging for me to blow bubbles and take the picture at the same time. It was rather windy that day so the bubbles blew away and none stuck around for Linus to pop them. The weather is supposed to improve this weekend and I look forward to another bubble experience.

Tommorow we are attending the first birthday party for James, Linus' second play date buddy. Then all three babies will have had their milestone properly feted and they can be on their way to all sorts of toddlerhood adventures.

Spring Time Pursuits

It was chilly and windy out yesterday, so we didn't play outside too long, but Linus still managed to burn off some energy. We played ball, I blew bubbles for him to chase, and he picked his very first dandelion. He also poked around at his first anthill, which is what he is doing in this picture.

Linus is turning into a little person more and more. He gives me the greatest hugs. He gives them with such enthusiasm and today he gave me about a dozen in around five minutes. He must have sensed I needed them.

The best way to describe my packing is that it is Linus-driven extreme multi-tasking. This morning for example: he took me into the living room. While he played, I pulled the plastic and tape off of the windows in preparation for the window washer this weekend. Oh, wait, now we are going into Matthew's office. He explores and I pack two boxes of books. Uh oh! He's stuck behind some things. After I execute a rescue, Linus takes us back into the living room. I finish another window while holding Linus. Then I start sorting bags of baby clothes into those I can sell to a resell shop and those to go to Goodwill. Linus gleefully assists by shoving clothes into bags. Not necessarily the ones I intended. Then he runs off with some of the clothes and I find tiny size 3-month pants in his blocks basket and a 3 month onesie in Matthew's office. Upstairs I tackle our bedroom windows and the top of Matthew's dresser while Linus walks around with my Shakespeare action figure, sans feather pen and book, which are choking hazzards. Then I spy Shakespeare in the trash and I talk to Linus about that not being such a good place for the Bard. After this, we head back downstairs to read books and then Linus decides it is fun to cover my face with his new sun hat.

Big Event

A week and a half ago we took Linus to the Big Event for Little Kids with Linda and Johanna. Linus was overwhelmed much of the time by the kids running around, the music, and so many things to see. He got up the courage to pet two gentle service dogs. He saw baby animals, such as chicks and calves. He looked worried when a kid goat kept bleating.

Linus gets very excited when we encounter dogs on our walks. Near us live two mean sounding German shepherds that bark in a very aggressive way. They are behind a fence, so we are safe when we walk by, but I carry Linus near there and we hurry past. Other neighbors just got a new puppy that is really cute. Linus squealed last night when he saw it. From the library I got him a board book with photos of animals and their mommies. He talks to the dogs in it.

Matthew should be getting pretty close to Denver around now. We miss him. These few weeks will seem awfully long when it comes to us being apart. In terms of me getting the house packed and ready for the market, the time will fly by much too quickly.

Hooray for Morning

This is a picture of Linus one morning last week. He ran around his crib excitedly squealing. This is in contrast to how he has been feeling lately. He is taking such very long naps and is only his normal self about 25% of the time. If he is teething, I wish the tooth would hurry up. If it isn't teething that is plaguing him, then what is?

The movers I selected brought some boxes, packing tape, and paper. Linus will be surprised to see it when he gets up from his nap. I'm getting things ready for Matthew's going away party on Sunday. I can't believe he'll be leaving in a few days and I'll be a single parent.

So Big!

Here is Linus playing So Big during a meal. He ended up with bits of food in his hair. It is my fault that he plays this while eating, because I taught it to him while he was in the high chair.

He is still teething and rather fussy; although, I did manage to get us through the grocery store without him getting upset. He had a meltdown when we got home. Nothing seems to help very much.

Political Activist in the Making

Last Thursday there was a state budget hearing at the National Railroad Museum here in Green Bay. Linus and I went so I could register support for two budget items: extending domestic partner benefits to state employees and providing $17 million to clean PCB's out of the sediment in the tributaries to the Great Lakes. Our friend Jessica was there all day. She works for the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Institute and was handing out granola bars to conservationists who were waiting a very long time to get to speak before the 20 legislators. We brought her a latte, registered my opinions in writing, and visited with some Democrats. Here Linus is posing with Jessica. He attracted a lot of attention. He was the youngest person there.

The last of the three movers have come through and I've met with the last of three realtors. Linus has struggled with sharing me with these people. He is used to having my undivided attention. He's been a trouper, but now appears to be teething more. He slept a lot yesterday and didn't eat any of his dinner. We gave him Tylenol and Ora Gel, but neither helped much. He ate well at breakfast, but isn't fully himself today. He has needed lots of snuggling from mama.

Breaking News: A Tooth!

Yes, Linus' first tooth has poked through. Matthew discovered it last night and it wasn't there yesterday morning. He was in more pain this morning and very upset about it, but is jolly once again this afternoon and more of the tooth is showing. It is the left maxillary lateral incisor (I looked this up so I knew what to call it). We are very excited about this big development.

It has been a crazy and stressful week with us informing friends that we are moving away and I've been scheduling movers, realtors, a handy man, a window and gutter washer, etc. Plus, I'm planning Matthew's going away party for the 22nd.

For a few weeks now Linus has been clingy with me when Matthew is around. The last two mornings he cried when Matthew left for work, and today he cried when the realtor left. I don't even think I'm going to choose her to sell our house, but I guess Linus liked her. I guess he just doesn't like to say goodbye to anyone right now.

No Tears

Linus has his 12-month check up yesterday and when he received his immunizations he didn't cry at all. I was so surprised. He also didn't cry when he had blood drawn for tests. Linus is 31 inches tall and 22.5 pounds. He is still in the 90th percentile for height and 50th for weight. Dr. Gast said all was going well, except that we should wean him from his pacifier. He pretty much only uses it when he sleeps or takes Johanna's from her. Even so, Dr. Gast said we should end the use of it. We're still deciding how we want to go about this.

Here is Linus with Dr. Gast, who saw me through my pregnancy, assisted during the C-Section, and has been Linus' doctor for the first year of his life. We took pictures because we are moving to Denver and will have to find a new doctor. I'll miss him. He wears nice sweaters, our senses of humor click, and his eyes sparkled as he smiled at me when we first heard Linus' heartbeat.

Baby's Second Easter

We couldn't help but reflect on how different this Easter was from last year, when Linus was only two weeks old. This year he ran excitedly to his Easter basket to discover a stuffed bunny, book, and bunny grahams. We let him have an Easter egg in his high chair and he quickly cracked open an end and started pulling the egg apart. We had a nice dinner together, followed with pink cupcakes. I made some mini ones for Linus. He snarfed three down.

Games Babies Play

So Linus turns one and he suddenly has new skills! He plays "So Big" with me. I ask, "How big is Linus?" and he puts his arms up high and I say, "So big!" I tried doing this with him a couple of months ago and he didn't play along. I tried it yesterday out of the blue and he got it. Another skill is clapping. He started clapping a few months ago, but he only did it for about a week and then ceased. Yesterday he started clapping again. This morning the Cleveland Pops was playing a zippy tune on Public Radio and he danced by bobbing up and down, walking a bit while clapping, stopping and bobbing, then walking and clapping again. It was the cutest thing to see.

One photo is of his after-dinner clapping last night and the other is of him enjoying his birthday waffle.

Crabby Pants

Linus was so very crabby yesterday. He kept getting frustrated about things, like my not letting him get into old paint in the basement that I didn't even know was there until he discovered it. He also got crabby when I wouldn't assist him in getting into the kitchen drawers that are too high for him to reach and contain dangerous things such as matches and knives. I know, I'm such a mean mother.

Here is a picture from last week when it was warm enough to play outside, unlike this week. Linus likes to have me help him walk up and down the decorative bridge in our back yard. I have to be careful walking alongside of it because the bulbs I planted last fall are coming up and I didn't have the foresight to realize I'd be helping Linus play on the bridge.

Birthday Kisses

I'm not the only one to give Linus a birthday kiss. Johanna planted one on Linus at his party. That was a really sweet moment and I'm glad Alex got a photo of it.

So today is the big day: my baby is one. Each time I look at the clock, I remember what I was doing at that time on this day last year. Right now Matthew and I were listening to Public Radio and playing a game in between my very manageable contractions. I had already been in labor eight hours. I was excited and feeling good about things. As we all know, my labor got more complicated; but, near the very end of April 3, we had our Baby Linus.

Getting Linus is the best thing that ever happened to me. This kid warms my heart when he takes my finger into his little hand and pulls me along for his adventures. He has started giving me sweet hugs and now and then a goofy kiss. His eyes light up when he sees me in the morning. He's the one I worry about when he is sick, I research for in library books and online, and I miss when I go to the grocery store alone. He's my Linus, the best baby in the whole wide world.

This morning was a bit hectic because we opened presents, ate waffles, and took Linus' 12-month photo on the settee before Matthew had to rush off to work. Then Linus and I went to vote in the spring election. The grandmotherly poll workers oohed and ahhed at how cute Linus is and they gushed when they heard it is his birthday. He beamed at them and then tucked his face into my shoulder in that cute way that babies do. Just now I ran down to answer the door and our neighbor was there with a present for Linus. She remembered his birthday! How sweet.

1st Birthday Party

We had a blast with Linus' birthday party yesterday. We were surrounded by family and friends. We ate lunch together in our living room and Linus was grinning as he looked around the room at the guests, the streamers, and the presents. He enjoyed his lemon cake topped with lemon cream cheese frosting and he had some vanilla ice cream, too. When we measured Linus on the growth chart I made for him, he came in at 29 and a half inches. Then we helped Linus open his wonderful birthday presents. Last night after dinner he was going from toy to toy and walking around with the little cars from Grandpa. When we went to bed, I couldn't fall asleep right away because I was thinking over all the great parts of the day. I'm happy we were able to give Linus a fun birthday party.

We celebrate again tomorrow on his actual birthday with waffles for breakfast.

We have Alex to thank for so many great photos of the party.