Backyardigans

The weather was so nice this weekend that I took Nathan to our neighborhood playground on Saturday. And now that he is able to walk, it was a much different experience than sitting in the stroller and watching other kids climbing and jumping around.

At first, Nathan was overly cautious & clingy. He finally sat down and played with the mulch, then got courage to stand by this small platform that is so low to the ground that it's at Nathan's waistline when he stands. He then was having a blast throwing his leg over the corner of the platform and letting his foot reach the ground on the other side. He was doing this over
and over, lots of smiles and giggles....until he fell and got scared. Of course, I held him and patted him on the back telling him he was o.k. When the sobs subsided and the tears dried, suddenly all fear and hesitation were completely gone. Nathan started walking around, exploring the whole playground area whereas moment's earlier we were pretty stationary in our little spot. Now... I was in constant motion, walking behind him, pulling sticks out of his hands as explored. What happened to being able to just sit and watch him play inches away? That only lasted 15 minutes! Sadly I don't have any pictures from our playground experience.

But Sunday afternoon was also nice so we headed to the backyard and these are the pictures we took:


This picture is just for perspective on how small Nathan is in wide open spaces!

A Loser's Penance

Anytime men--strangers or friends--are grouped together, men turn to sports. It's the universal language of most men and wagering a sports related contest is a way for naturally agressive men to compete in a non- aggressive manner.

I say this to explain that in March, Greg entered a NCAA Basketball Bracket contest. March Madness is a great time for men to measure each other's knowledge and make foolish bets based on what they think they know. The penance for the bracket losers? Wear a mustache for one week. I present to you, Greg with a Hitler-esque Mustache, minus the gotee.

Better luck next time Greg!

Baby's Cranky Side EXPOSED!

Fourteen month old Nathan Hull emotionally broke down in front of the paparazzi during a routine photo shoot. Demanding that his privacy be respected, all charges were dropped following a diaper change and a nap.

One Big Step!

The time has come where Nathan is able to let go of what he's holding for support and walk away. He's a little wobbly and unsteady but he's able to take a good 10-15 steps completely unaware of what he's doing. He's 14 months and I'm experiencing those often heard motherly sentiments "...I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by..." It's a strange combination of mixed emotions. There's a sense of pride and joy that your child is growing and learning but there is also a sense of melancholy...he isn't going to be a 'baby' much longer. I guess I've joined the ranks of Motherhood! Here is Nathan walking:



Nathan is also very intrigued by the telephone. He has watched Greg & I on the phone, seen us hold it up to our head and talk. So Nathan plays on the phone and pretends he's talking. But when he holds the phone up, he's actually holding the phone behind his head above his back. I don't think he realizes we are holding the phone up to our ears or he doesn't know where his ears are! You can get a glimpse in this video:



This last video is intriguing. Nathan likes to take my travel size mouse from my laptop and hold it up to his head. It's the same motion he uses when he's 'talking' on the phone. You'll see him hold the mouse up behind his head as if he has the 'phone' up to his ear. I 'think' he thinks it's a phone but I'm not sure why!