"Wild Women Do..."

I am getting more and more devious as the weeks go on as evidenced by the look above, and I am not ashamed to admit it; in fact, I don't even try to hide it. If I'm not cruising around the house in my walker or on my new car, I am trying to crawl or roll to whatever it is I want. No one can stop me now! I get the idea of crawling, but my legs just won't do what I tell them to. I'm not worried though; I should have this crawling thing down in no time. Mom can no longer leave me alone for even a minute as I have started trying to climb on everything. This mobile thing is fun! I can bang on the coffee table and ottoman whenever I want, and I can reach almost anything I like; even if, I'm not supposed to. My toys have become mere instruments in my climbing glory. The danger is only part of the thrill and doesn't deter me in the least. On Saturday morning, on Dad's watch nonetheless, I tried to go from the sitting position to the crawling position but landed on top of one of my not-so-soft toys. My attempt resulted in my very first bruise, and it's right in the middle of my forehead. I'm sure everyone thinks that I am being horribly abused, which I may use to my advantage once I can talk. Pretty much the only times I'm not trying to crawl, roll, or climb is when I am sleeping and when Mom and I are out running. I am officially turning into a wild woman, and not even Opie is safe anymore. By the way, thank you for my cute, pink outfit, Grandma Kendig.

Besides spending most of my days trying to gain mobility, I have been keeping busy in other ways as well. Mom and I went to Athens on Friday to bid farewell to my Godmother, Kate. I am really going to miss her, but she got an awesome job in Lafayette, Louisiana, so she and JP are moving this week. I am sure that she is going to love her new job and her new house, and I take comfort in knowing that I am still going to see her on holidays. I hope the move goes smoothly, Godmom. This weekend was pretty laid back. Mom went out for Ms. Allyson's pre-birthday celebration on Friday, so I got some quality Dad-time, which was much needed after all of his traveling. Mom, Dad, and I worked on our tans at the pool over the weekend and did a little shopping at the mall. I even helped Dad read the newspaper on Sunday. Gotta keep up with the current events, don't'cha know! I read that Michael Jackson died, and after watching some of his music videos with Mom, I know that we lost a musical genius. I even started my new routine of eating dinner at the same time as the rents because I am all grown up; last night I had hamburger, peas, baked beans, and the one thing I could not get enough of - french fries! Dad had to have a little talk with me about table etiquette after I passed a little loud gas and very obviously took a potty break during dinner. Like he has any business telling me about etiquette; when ya gotta go, ya gotta go. Tonight is chicken, guacamole, cheese, and flour tortilla; the big time has begun! Not to worry, all of the meat and most of the veggies are organic, no growth hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides for me. Overall, it was a pretty quiet weekend, which is good because I hear that this upcoming weekend is going to be crazy with our annual 4th of July party. Fireworks - we'll see what I think about those.

I am working on perfecting the art of waving bye-bye. I have pretty much got it down, and I feel that it is important to wave goodbye to everything, including the fridge, the door, the wall, and Opie; I don't want anyone or anything to feel left out. On a side note, I realize that I appear to have a wicked unibrow in the following video, but I assure you that I do not. Whenever I strain, like when I am trying to crawl, the space between my eyebrows gets red, which is so embarrassing! Bye-bye for now.

I have the best Daddy in the world, and bubbles are the bomb!

This weekend was a celebration of my favorite person, Dad. Mom and I had to make it really special because Dad is really special. We got up early, of course, and let Dad sleep in; when he was ready to get up, we made him Eggs Benedict for breakfast and gave him his presents. I got him a book about Dadisms, and Mom and I jointly got him a new electric smoker. To go along with the smoker, Mom and I went to Whole Foods and got an entire fish with the head and all to cook - Yuck! I like Whole Foods; I got to try a bunch of samples, and Mom bought me a mango, some apricots, some Tofu, and some cottage cheese. I really like Tofu, as long as it is dusted with wheat germ. Anyways, back to Father's Day, Dad really like his breakfast and his gifts. We ran a few errands and then went down to the pool. Later in the evening, Dad smoked the fish, and we just hung around the house. I know that Dad had a really good day, and he totally deserved it for how hard he works and what a good Daddy he is. Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Monday was errands day. like always, and I experienced being outside in my first big thunderstorm. It was scary! Mom by accidentally stole Publix's umbrella, but she took it back - Mom, what a rebel. Tuesday's moms/babies lunch was at Lindsi and Jackson's house this week. Mom and I both wore our shirts with the shoulder ties; we like to coordinate. Selena and Jackson had a great time hanging out together on the the play mat, and Ms. Lindsi blew bubbles for Luke and me. The bubbles were so neat, and they kept popping on my face, which I thought was pretty funny. I made sure to close my eyes whenever the bubbles came near, just in case. I pretended to crawl for a few minutes and then spit Tofu across Lindsi's table. It was a great play date.

Yesterday was a busy day. Luke and Ms. Allison came over for some pool time, and Ms. Allison brought white grape juice popsicles. It was my first experience with a popsicle, and it was awesome. My lips were red and numb, but I could not get enough. Thank you, Ms. Allison. I was so excited to have Luke over during lunch that I figured out how to stand up in my high chair so that I could watch him play; now, I won't sit down in my high chair. Everyday brings a new talent. Aunt Stephanie and Grandma Purnell came over for dinner, and the day got even better because Aunt Stephanie brought me ice cream. It was divine; I didn't make a peep for at least 10 minutes, and I kept my mouth wide open for each perfect bite. Thank you, Aunt Stephanie, for playing with me and trying to help me crawl, as well as bringing me ice cream. The excitement didn't stop there; Grandma brought my very own little car. I can ride on it or walk with it; I'll stick with the riding for now. Aunt Stephanie read me a bedtime story and stayed the night so that we could play all morning long. So far, this has been a great week! Now, I just need Dad to come back from his trip, and all will be perfect. Hurry up, Friday.





















For those who are interested, here is a sneak peak at my upcoming workout video.

Working Hard!

Boy, this week has been exhausting! Mom's been running me all over town trying to get things done, and I have had my work cut out for me. Mom and I have been running every morning with the awesome jogging stroller that Grandma Purnell got for us. I must say that jogging is quite strenuous, at least from my point of view, i.e. inside the comforts of my stroller equipped with horn and padded restraints. I love jogging, or anything that involves being outside, and I like it even better when we get home, and I get to eat a cookie while Mom does weights. I try to shout words of encouragement at her in between bites. Mom and I have also run tons of errands this week, mostly involving her decision to return to work or not. We visited a couple of day cares yesterday, and, thank goodness, I think that Mom and Dad have decided not to send me away during the day. Rumor has it that Mom is going to stick around to take care of me full time for another year. Hooray! (With her it's much easier to get my way, I suspect.) For one of our specific errands, I escorted Mom to the dermatologist. I added my own touch to the office by ripping up the bizarre paper on the exam table and leaving behind a few puffs, in case any of the nurses got hungry. Yesterday, we went by Dad's new office, which is super professional and extremely nice. While I was there, I helped Dad type up some documents, or drooled and banged on the keyboard - you say tomato; I say tomahto - whatever. I even got to use Dad's kiosk; although, it is kind of hard to get my eyes checked when everyone is distracting me. By the way, Dad calls me Munch now, which is short for Munchkin. Oh, the beginning of many nicknames I am sure. After such a crazy week, I am ready to head down to the pool and relax for the rest of the afternoon.











A Few Side Notes:

• I can now make it all the way across the living room by getting onto my stomach, then turning onto my side, and hurling myself a couple of inches when I roll back onto my stomach. Mom keeps trying to get me to crawl, but I think that this approach is just as effective. I never did follow the "rules". Mom and Dad are sure that I will be crawling soon because I have perfected the stance and mastered the art of scooting myself backwards.
• I have turned into quite a happy baby, and I laugh all the time, especially when dad is around. I was never worried about my disposition, but apparently, Mom and Dad were. I still refuse to smile at strangers no matter what antics they try, and there have been some crazies who will try anything. You can't be too careful nowadays.
• As I said in the last blog, I am into everything now. The world is full of exciting and intriguing things. Nothing in the house is safe, especially the giraffe in the hallway, which has almost come with me in my walker several times.
• Now, for the most exciting bit of news, I have moved on to finger foods! I get little bits of fruit in the morning, with my beloved yogurt, of course; lunch meat, cheese, and a bagel for lunch; and chicken, some sort of cut up veggie, and rice for dinner. The menu is kind of predictable right now because Mom is easing me in to the finger foods. Cheese is one of my new favorites; I prefer the orange kind, but I haven't given up my wheat cookies and puffs yet. The best part is that anything I don't want, I can just feed to Opie, and he likes EVERYTHING. Finger foods are WAY better than that pureed crud - sorry, Mom.
  

Overall, life is good, and I wish everyone an awesome, sunny weekend!

Cruisin' Through Life with a Famous Dad

First and foremost, I must share the exciting news: My Dad is famous! I actually got to watch him on TV last week as if he were Mickey Mouse or Special Agent Oso; although, CNBC isn't quite as funny, and there was no hot dog dance at the end. Anyways, Dad and his start up company, SoloHealth, were featured as the new movement in self-service health care during the Tech Effects segment of Street Signs. It was a national broadcast and a really big deal. I am so proud of my Daddy! I do miss him a lot now that he is traveling every week; he always knows how to make me laugh.

This weekend was another nice, relaxing weekend. I caught up on my entertainment news by reading the People magazine that Grandma brought, and then I ripped that silly magazine to shreads. I caught up on some TV watching as Mom tried to get me to play my piano. Nothing can stop me though; after a few minutes of jamming and singing, I just watched TV over the piano. We went swimming on Saturday and Sunday; my tan is really starting to look nice. Lucas, Allison, and Ben even went with us to the pool on Sunday. Lucas is so good to me; he always brings something for me to play with, like his Nerf ball for the pool. I also cruised around the house in my walker all weekend. I have got this whole walker-thing down; now, I just have to figure out how to turn around because I am not sure Mom likes my shouts when I get stuck in a corner. You've gotta let your voice be heard, which I have NO problem doing. It was a lovely weekend spending time with the rents.

Yesterday was playgroup day, and we hosted it our house, so everyone got to come and play with my toys. Selena even woke up and played for a bit! Jackson has been awake the last couple of times, and he is really starting to get the hang of this whole playgroup deal. I think Lucas had a really good time looking through all of my toys and pushing things up and down the hallway. The highlight of the day was when I got in the walker, and Lucas got behind and pushed me around the house. It was so funny when we rammed into walls. We had a blast! There is never a dull moment with Luke. I was so tuckered out when everyone left that I could barely stay awake to eat my bottle; don't worry though; I mustered up the energy to get through it before passing out. That is definitely the sign of a good afternoon.

I have become extremely talkative over the last couple of weeks; however, volume is not one of my concerns, so my talking is more like shouting most of the time. I like to just ramble on to myself or anyone who will listen; I just wish people could understand what I am saying because I am saying some pretty profound things here, people, which you can try to decipher from the video below. I am also having a little problem with spitting; it has gone from blowing raspberries to straight spitting. I think it is kind of funny, and it is a great way to show my indignation at anything and everything. Yesterday, Mom got mad at me for my spitting ways during dinner, especially after I spit at a few people during playgroup, so she punished me with a little tap, and I completely lost it. It was awful; Mom isn't supposed to get mad at me. I am still crying on the inside. Good luck, Mom; my stubbornness isn't going away anytime soon, and I am STUBBORN! It's a good thing I am so cute. I also rolled off of the ottoman the other day; even though, Mom had a hold of my foot. It was terrible; as Mom comforted me and checked to make sure that I was okay, I cried hysterically until she gave me the equivalent of a baby rice cake. Yum! I may have to take another tumble off of the ottoman just to get another rice cake. I've got the art of manipulation down pat. I am really making Mom work now because I am so active, and I am into everything; I bet she can't wait until I can actually crawl or walk. Watch out everyone!

Watch out world!

I am free at last - only within the confinements of a walker but mobile, nonetheless! Yesterday at playgroup, Lucas and Mrs. Allison brought a walker for me to borrow, and I have now had my first taste of real independence. Mom, being Mom, taped my first few minutes in the walker, and although it was a little confusing at first, I figured it out pretty quickly, being a genius and all. Today, I got all the way down the hallway and into the kitchen. Walls have become my new enemies, and I just hope that Dad has some paint to take care of my little run-ins, or Mom may have heart failure. Other than that, this thing is awesome! I have a horn to tell people to get out of my way, and I can even play a little tune while I cruise. Thank you so much, Wheeler fam! You have made my week; here's a little cheese for you - try to ignore the Opie tail.

By the way, Dad gets funnier and funnier. Yesterday, I laughed harder than I have ever laughed before; Mom was holding me on the bed, and Dad kept running from one side of the bed to the other trying to scare me. It was sooooo funny; I was laughing and squealing at the top of my lungs before he even got all the way around the bed. My sides still hurt!

Surprise Grandma!

This weekend was crazy! Friday was the calm before the storm. Dad stayed home, and we helped Mom get the house ready for Grandma's surprise birthday party. I even found a little time to play with Dad and Opie, as well as Mom's sunglasses. Everything Opie does is hilarious; he is my favorite source of entertainment right now. I even got a little story time with Daddy before bed.

I'm glad I relaxed on Friday because Saturday was wild! Mom, Dad, Aunt Stephanie, and Aunt Mallory threw Grandma a surprise 60th birthday at our house. So many people came to help celebrate her milestone birthday. It started out really funny because when Grandma got here, everyone was waiting in the backyard to surprise her, but she carried in all of these toys that she had gotten for me, and she wanted to show me everything. We kept telling her to take Baxter outside, but she didn't get the hint. When she finally did go outside, she was so surprised. All of her friends yelled, "Surprise!". It was awesome. We had tons of food and a Cosmopolitan bar to go along with the theme of Linda's turning the big 6-0, let's celebrate with a Cosmo. Mom and Aunt Mallory put balloons and streamers all over the yard; Dad and I actually picked the balloons up earlier that afternoon, and we had to drop them off at the house before getting the cake because I did not like them floating around me in the backseat. Inconvenience is not my thing. I was able to stay up long enough to watch Mom, Aunt Mallory, and Aunt Stephanie give a really nice speech for the champagne toast to Grandma, but I had to go to bed before the cutting of the cake and the singing of Happy Birthday, about which I am still upset. I miss all of the good stuff. Grandma got lots of nice gifts, and the party went on well into the night. Grandma even stayed up partying until 4 a.m.! I would never have made it. All in all I think the party was a great success! Grandma seemed to be really surprised, and she seemed to have a great time. Thanks to everyone for coming up for her party, and Happy Birthday, again, Grandma! We hope it was the best birthday since your 40th.

The fun didn't even stop on Sunday. Mrs. Lisa and Mr. Monroe came up and went to the pool with Grandma, Aunt Mallory, Sebastian, Mom, Dad, and me. I got to try out my new raft, which works much better than the last one. I swam for an hour or so, but I was so tired from Saturday that Grandma had to take me back home to have a 30 minute nap, which was the only nap I took all day yesterday! When I woke up, Mrs. Sharon was at our house; she had to bring Grandma's purse back because she accidentally took it home on Saturday night - the sign of a great party. Then everyone came back from the pool, and we all hung out into the evening. By 7:00, I was wiped out! I took a bath and headed straight to bed. That was one heck of a weekend! Here's to a much more relaxing, slow-paced week. Oh, and good luck on CNBC this morning, Daddy. You are going to be famous - way cool!