Snugglebunnies

Here are a few of Owen and Leo at the end of July.  They are both excellent snugglers.  Owen is so gentle with Leo that Leo is unconcerned even as Owen's arm is draped over his mouth.  Leo loves looking at Owen and has started grabbing at Owen's face, trying to touch him.  

When the timing works out, both Leo and I get in bed with Owen and enjoy a bedtime book, the three of us.  That's the good stuff.

Smiles All Around

Aunt Heba and Uncle Ed have occasion to come to Charleston with some regularity, and we love getting to see them when they pass through town.  Here, Owen and Heba give the camera the good stuff...

Love you guys...

Evening Time

Just a run-of-the-mill evening at our house, after dinner, before bed.

First, some drawing:

Portraits by Bill from L to R are as follows: Leo, Bruno, Owen, Dada, Mama, Boo:

Then, some wrestling:

 

Then some resting:

Favorite books these days are Richard Scarry's Favorite Bedtime Stories, Dr. Seuss' ABCs, and the Curious George Dictionary.

**

Today, Wednesday, August 24, was Owen's first day at ECDC (the Early Childhood Development Center at the College of Charleston).  I have linked to the ECDC blog over in the right-hand column - they post school activities and happenings about once a week.  Click here to go directly to their photos of the first day!

Granddaddy

We're still trying to figure out who Leo looks like.  In the beginning, I thought he looked like Owen, but not so much anymore.  In the past few weeks, the person I have been catching glimpses of is my Granddaddy Mark.  

Grandaddy would have turned 94 this month (August 5), and, while I haven't seen him since I was 19, I know he would love the socks off his two great grandsons.

I just showed this picture to Bill, and he said, "You look like him!  You and Polly have his eyes."  (Can you believe this picture?  On a whim, I just typed Mark Wheless into Google while writing this, and it came up.  He was the General Manager of the Students' Supply Store at N.C. State, and this photo is in their archives.  I can't stop looking at it...)

I miss him so much.  And I love getting to see him in Leo's face.

Aunt Jean!

Aunt Jean came to visit us in July, and we did what we always do when we're together: talk, play, eat, drink, crack jokes, and enjoy the comfort and pleasure of old and true friends.  

Owen is head over heels crazy about Aunt Jean and insisted that she read him his bedtime story every night (you are the "it" person if you are selected for such an honor).  Leo had only had a brief time with Aunt Jean when we were in Chapel Hill in May, so they got to spend some quality time together.

We also called upon our adventuresome spirits and made a beach outing (Bill was at work) with a toddler, an infant, and a dark, foreboding sky.  (We gambled and won: it only started raining as we were getting in the car to leave anyway...)

We miss you, Aunt Jean!  Come back soon.

Coloring

While coloring one day, the following project ensued: rip all of the paper off the crayons and then line the newly improved, naked crayons up in an orderly, methodical fashion:

Offer to share in the fun along the way:

(His parents' CD collection is alphabetized for chrissakes - he can't help it.)

Fourth Trimester

They say that the first three months of life are really like the "fourth trimester" - the extra three months that babies need to fully make the transition from womb to world.  Here at the conclusion of our fourth trimester, Leo has settled, and we've settled as a family.

During these first months, Leo did not just "pull up a chair" and sit quietly in the back of the meeting.  He definitely was very vocal and very present from the start.  We've had challenges that we did not have with Owen: lots of spitting up, very fussy periods, short stretches of sleep.  As Bill noted early on, he doesn't really cry, it's more like yelling.  If he wants to go down for a nap, he starts vocalizing in his loudest possible voice, "AHHHHH AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHAAAAAAA."  I really respect and admire this about Leo.  In fact, I LOVE him even more for it.  He might be our second son and a little brother, but he will get his fair share of the pie, damn it.  He WILL be heard and attended to.

And the smiles!  Oh my god, the SMILES!!  They are amazing.  Like a giant flood light filling up the whole room.  (I don't catch any in the session presented below - he was at the tail end of his awake time and started zoning out toward the end - but smile photos coming soon...)  There has been more than one occasion when I'm dead tired, spit up all in my hair, and he flashes me one of his open-mouthed grins, and I can't help but crack up...

There are some sweet ones of Owen and Leo here as well.  Owen is a spectacular big brother...

More Handmade Treasures from Uncle Kenneth

In July, another surprise package arrived in the mail from Uncle Kenneth.  The last one came in April 2010 (click here to see those pictures - Owen looks so young!).  This time it was addressed to both Owen and Leo.  Inside were two toys with a special note attached to each.

Here was the gift for Owen: 
The note said, "To Owen: This truck is stained with food dye and finished with butcher block sealer to make it look old."And here is the gift for Leo:
The note said, "To Leo: This rattler is made of hard wood so no splinters and finished with walnut cooking oil and wax.  You can put it in your mouth and it won't harm you.  To clean, use soap and warm water.  Enjoy."
How amazing are these gifts?!?  Such skilled craftsmanship!  Such loving effort!  Such extraordinary treasures!

Uncle Kenneth, we are delighted and grateful.  Thank you.  Hugs from us all!  xoxo

Rhapsody in Green

Here's Leo at the beginning of July, just shy of 3 months old:

"Excuse me, which way to the gun show?"

Leo is still doing lots of good baby stretching...

...and is redoubling his efforts to try to fit both hands in his mouth.

I know I'm biased, but is this child beautiful or what?