First Christmas

Isaac's first Christmas included excitement here at home and at his Grandma Anne and Grandpa Gene's house in a very chilly Nebraska. The festivities started with his first Santa Clause encounter. Most Tuesdays we attend a story hour for the three and under set at the local library (cleverly named "Book Babies"). Santa visited Book Babies in mid December, reading us all a story then kindly having his picture taken with about 40 book babies, approximately 1/3 of whom were more than a little bit scared. While Santa read us The Night Before Christmas, Isaac kept his arm tightly around my neck, but by the time the line to meet Santa had dwindled down to the last few kids, Isaac seemed ready to try out his lap. While not exactly exuberant about the experience, he did at least find Santa interesting.

"Are you sure about this one, Mom?"

Next was his first Christmas present, a package from Grandma Jenny. Isaac would like Grandma Jenny to know that he misses her lots and lots and can't wait to see her in Arizona in February. The weather is very cold here, and he hopes the sun is shining at her house.

Opening his package from Grandma Jenny, Anthony, and Vanessa

Christmas in Nebraska, which lasted from 12/21 -12/28, included lots of time with Grandma and Grandpa, and a ridiculously fun weekend with Uncle Justin and his girlfriend Becca. The beginning of our week was pretty quiet, with Isaac spending a lot of time happily pulling the books off the bottom shelf of Grandma's bookcase, exploring at Grandma's office, and going for coffee with Grandpa and his buddies at the local cafe. By the end of Christmas Day, however, he was so overly-amped I had to take him downstairs at 11:30pm to prove to him that nothing exciting was happening without him. His sleep schedule (and with Isaac I always use the term "schedule" pretty loosely anyway) didn't recover for about a week. I don't have any pictures of Christmas morning to post yet (but I'll get some some soon, I promise). For now just know that there was lots of paper (and Isaac LOVES paper), a giant--and already much loved--copy of Goodnight, Gorilla, and some very exciting bilingual maracas (exciting enough to distract him from all the paper--and Isaac LOVES paper).

Tolerating our near-constant need to dress him up and take his photo

Merry Holidays!

Snowflake With Style Holiday

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First Thanksgiving

Isaac spent his first Thanksgiving at (Great) Aunt Connie and (Great) Uncle Pete’s house. Both Cousin Eric and Cousin Jill where there, and the food was amazing. Isaac wore his special Thanksgiving shirt (the shirt I’d been pining for since I first saw it last Thanksgiving when I was pregnant). We actually do call him “Turkey,” so it turned out to be very appropriate. Isaac napped through the first part of the meal. While he was sleeping, Pete’s brother Jeff and dad Dick arrived. When Isaac woke up and joined us at the table, he got the chance to meet both of them for the first time. He was delighted to meet Dick, but Jeff, who has a full beard and a booming laugh, was another story. For a while, Isaac just sat in Ricci’s lap, looking at Jeff warily. But then he burst into tears. Jeff took it well, and by the end of the evening Isaac even started to warm to him a little, but only from a safe distance. We will mostly likely not be introducing him to Santa Clause this year. Not only did he have his first interaction with a bearded man, he had his first taste of pumpkin pie, which he loved. He also loved Pete and Connie—enough that he even stayed home with them twice during the weekend, once so Ricci and I could go to a movie, and once so we could go to the mall. He didn’t even seem to notice when we left, though he was pretty happy to see us when we came back, but in a “Hey! Look who’s here!” kind of way, not the crying, blotchy-faced, “Where have you been?” kind of way he’s treated other babysitters in the past couple months. (Sorry Karen!) When we got back to our house and he demanded to be carried around at all times, we realized the full extent of the kind of attention he’d been getting. For about three days he wanted to be held and walked around. Sitting in the rocking chair was barely tolerated, and putting him down on the floor started a full-scale revolt. He’s back to his old self, scooting all over the place, and we’re now looking forward to his first Christmas.

In his Thanksgiving outfit.
He can sit up, but I had to tip him off balance into the pillow to get a shot of the shirt...

With his buddy Uncle Pete

Enjoying what continues to be his favorite food, pureed
sweet potatoes from a jar (even after trying pumpkin pie).

Happy Reunion

As I've mentioned, Ricci's clinical rotations for PA school have kept him away from Isaac much more than either of them would like. For his last six week rotation, Ricci was home with us from Saturday morning to Monday morning. Last week, that rotation finished, and Ricci surprised us Friday with his early return. When he walked in the door Isaac was crying because he was mad at me for changing his diaper and putting on his PJs (I know--I'm awful). When his dad walked in, however, his demeanor changed completely, and he practically jumped out of my arms and into Ricci's. Isaac then continued his "Welcome Home" by attempting to eat Ricci's face. Ricci's current rotation is here in town and some version of this happy scenario is repeated almost daily.

To quote some famous Wild Things, "[I]'ll eat you up [I] love you so."

Isaac telling Dad about his week.

Isaac making sure Mom has also noticed that Dad is home.

Happy Halloween

Because this was one of the only Halloweens that Ricci and I would be able to choose Isaac's costume, he went as Yoda. For someone who wasn't even old enough to really trick or treat, he had a lot of social engagements including a party at our housing complex, the Bootacular on the University campus, and a baby Halloween party hosted by one of the mom's I know for story hour. By the final party, he'd had enough of the robe (which was just way too big) and, in what amounted to a blue track suit, looked a little bit like Yoda retired to Florida.

Yoda and Dad

At the Bootacular with Little Red Riding Hood (Claire) and a ghost (Douglas).


A happy Red Riding Hood and a smiling Yoda


Yoda-Retired-to-Florida

Months 6 and 7

Isaac is now 7 1/2 months old. He continues to be a pretty big guy, weighing in at 21 pounds and measuring 28 inches at his 6 month check up on October 4th. We're not sure exactly how big he is now, but he seems to have grown even more in the past three weeks. Currently, his hobbies include rolling over on the changing table, chewing on his mommy's face and, most recently, attempting to remove his own socks. His favorite toys are, in order, Mommy's phone, the TV remote (and don't try to trick him with the DVD remote--he wants the one that changes the channel), and his jumper. While sweet potatoes are still his favorite solid, we've added lots more foods in the past weeks, and he's learning to drink from a cup. He gets more water on himself than in his mouth, but that's partly because he loves drinking out of a cup so much he gets too excited to really do it. He scoots like a champ and pushes up on all fours to rock back and forth, so he'll hopefully be crawling soon.

Ricci is out of town during the week for his current clinical rotation for PA school. Since we only have him home on the weekends, Saturday and Sunday are pretty exciting days for Isaac. After 12 weeks of away rotations, I'm looking forward to getting to see the kind of excitement Ricci inspires in Isaac at the end of every day rather than just on the computer screen via skype or on the weekends. We feel like a pretty lucky little family and our favorite times are when we're all three together.

Isaac after scooting himself backwards under the couch.
While he'd like to go under head first, he can't. His noggin is too big.

Going nuts in his jumper (and also trying on the headpiece to his Yoda Halloween costume).

Eating Peas.

Nebraska

Six weeks went much faster and was much busier than I had anticipated. The following are some highlights of our time in Nebraska that haven't yet made the blog...

Grandma
Isaac and Grandma Anne are the picture of mutual adoration. Isaac looked forward to smiling at her when he got up in the morning, sitting on the front porch with her and watching the trucks go by, and lunging for whatever necklace she happened to be wearing.


Grandpa
Part of our purpose in coming to Nebraska for these six weeks was to give me the chance to work on my dissertation while my dad watched Isaac. Almost every morning, Grandpa took Isaac on a 5 mile walk around my hometown. Pretty much everyone in town knows Isaac and enjoyed seeing a softer side of Mr. Burton. On mornings when they didn't walk, Isaac was a little confused and usually spent a least a little bit of time looking around for Grandpa. I'm not sure what either of them will do with their mornings when we get home.




Uncle Justin!
Nearly all time with Uncle Justin requires an exclamation point. Isaac LOVES Uncle Justin. And Uncle Justin tosses him in the air, holds him upside down, and flies him around the house. It was Justin who taught Isaac the anticipation inherent in counting to three, since counting to three with Justin almost always means you're about to be shot straight up in the air.



Burton Family Gathering
The last weekend in August, my dad's family had a reunion in Western Nebraska. Isaac enjoyed being passed among my dad's brother and sisters, falling instantly and madly in love with my cousin's daughters, viewing the polar bear at Olie's Big Game Bar and Grill, and generally entertaining everyone.



Great Grandma
During our stay, Isaac was able to visit with my mom's mom a few different times. Whenever Great Grandma leaned in for a smile, she was almost always rewarded with a smile in return which pretty much delighted her every time.


Babysitting
Isaac helped my mom and me babysit my cousin Cassie's two kids while she, her husband, and her parents were away at a wedding. Much hilarity ensued.


Baldwin Family Gathering
The Baldwin family gathered at our house on September 12 and Isaac got his first full fledge taste of the people, the noise, and the general hilarity that are part of Baldwin family gatherings. We look forward to many such gatherings in the future. A mini version with my mom and my aunt Betty will take place in Salt Lake City at my aunt Connie's house in just a couple of weeks.