At it again

We're back at the Fairgrounds again this weekend. He's a party animal, that Bug of mine. Good ole Louisiana boy loves a festival!

Only a few

Life is just to hectic right now to pull together our annual Jazzfest crawfish boil. We did boil up a few bugs and sat in the yard for a bit Wednesday night.

We're hoping things slow down a bit soon so we can have a proper boil.

14 months

Motor skills:

• You are a walker, and a runner. I am trying to avoid encouraging games of chase but it is so stinkin' cute to see your expression and listen to you squeal as you take off. I am sure I will pay for this later.
• You're trying to eat with utensils. You're able to stab bits of food with a tiny fork and the novelty of this means you are putting more food in your mouth.
• You still haven't figured out how to stand up from a sitting position without pulling up. You usually pout until I walk over and offer my leg because you're pretty determined to not crawl anymore.
• You're figuring out how to slide off the bed and furniture. You're totally comfortable wriggling out of my arms and sliding down, but I am not so comfortable with letting you get off the furniture unassisted yet.

A favorite pose of yours. Pick me up, Mom!

Vocabulary:

• You hand me stuff or point to stuff and say "Dee." I wonder if it is "Please."
• You love clicking your tongue.
• You have figured out how to make the "t" sound and this provides lots of entertainment.
• You understand commands.
• You can point to your belly and ears when asked where they are and you sometimes point to them to let us know just where you want a tickley kiss.
• You can tell me what a dog, cow, and cat say. You were "barking" all the time but that has worn off the last week or so.
• You go on and on and on, talking about something. What is it that you're saying? You are so expressive and I wish I knew how to respond.

Chatting away

Diet:

• You love Reese's peanut butter eggs. Of course, right?
• You've also been eating half of a pb&j for lunch lately. Grape jelly, please, or you ain't eating it.
  
• Grilled cheese is gaining popularity.
• You usually get about 20 oz whole milk a day, sometimes more and sometimes less. I am not really offering you any other liquids to ensure that you're getting enough milk and keeping your calorie consumption high, but I imagine with the summer heat you'll be getting more water and maybe even some juice.
• You really like the paneed chicken at Jazzfest!

Likes:

• Dancing! I cannot tell you how much it makes me smile to look at you a jiggling away in your carseat when the radio is going.
• You spend a lot of time looking at books. Barnyard Dance is your favorite because it has a nice rhythm and you always start bouncing when we read it together. You "read" to yourself.
• Hiding. Oh my. This may become a problem, but for now your favorite place to hide is behind my back. You slowly creep around and show your face and die with laughter when we make eye contact.
• Playing ball. You like tossing everything just to see what happens. You will toss the ball back and forth for quite a while with Dada.
• Hugs. You give everyone hugs, accompanied by an "Awwwwww." A mama sitting near us at Jazzfest commented that she was missing her 13 month old and you walked over to her and gave her a hug. You did the same thing to a teary little girl and patted her on the back. And for some reason you've started patting people on the head...just like you do the dogs. You're very affectionate.
  

Sleeping:

• 7 to 7 each night, but the last week you seem to only be sleeping for 11 hours at a time rather than 12. And I do find it makes a difference in your temperament.
• Napping for 2-3 hours each day, usually between 1-4pm.
• You really like your bed. I've attempted to take a nap with you or lure into more sleep by snuggling in our bed, but you really want to be in your own bed. You aren't even really interested in being rocked to sleep anymore. You get fidgety and I can tell you just can't get comfortable. As soon as I put you in your crib you are content.

A favorite sleeping position

Personality:

• Easy going
• Loving
• Smiley
• All around happy guy. We got lots of comments at Jazzfest from people around us about what a easy going guy you are.
  

Dislikes:

• Getting dressed
• Wearing shoes. you got your first pair of "real" shoes....brown Stride Rite sandals, size 4.5.
• Being told "No." You huff, and tell me "no" and usually go in for another attempt or two or three. Determined.
  

Thinking

Appearance:

• Thin. We know that, right?
• Fair complexion with pink cheeks just about all the time.
• Long lashes. These are my favorite and you get lots of compliments on them.
• Thick feet.
  
• Brown eyes
• Your hair is looking reddish to me. Some days it looks blonde and some days a bit darker, light brown perhaps.
• 2 new molars bring your pearly white count up to 12.
  

Oh, Freddie. You are so much fun. We are enjoying each day with you. May we never forget these days or take them for granted.

First Sunday

Yesterday was a day for sunglasses. Today it was a hat and sunscreen, but other than that, it was more of the same.


Freddie did have his first snowball...strawberry. He's hooked.


We are wiped out. A few days of rest (in between trying to keep the house clean for showings) before we get to do it again.


Great first weekend. Jazzfest Freddie hung in like a champ.

First Saturday

• Later start
• Overcast
• Windy

• Crabcake
• Sweet potato pone (A first taste for me, and quite yummy.)
• Brownie for the Buggers

• Blog Stalkers (Nice to meet you, Stephanie!)
• Crab cake
• Cochon de Lait

• Beers! (It was just that kind of day.)
• Sun peeking out in the late afternoon
  
• Sunglasses

• Hugs from the Buggers for everyone: other Mamas, little girls pouting, The Daddy
• Fried gator
• Gentilly Stage

• Papas Grows Funk
• Bonerama
• Stuffed artichoke (Bug liked this!)
  

• Acura Stage
  
• The funky Meters
• Simon and Garfunkel

• Clapping
• Dancing
  
• Rubber boots

• New sandals
• No nap
• Soggy track
  

• Dancing
• Giggling
• Ready for more
  

First Friday

Jazzfest 2010 is here! Rain has been predicted for the weekend but that wouldn't keep me from my soft shell crab!


Charlie managed to get a few pictures of me at my best.



Freddie was content to people watch and really wanted nothing to do with any of the Jazzfest fare. We'll try to appease his palette again on Saturday.


When the sprinkle started we set up in the Blues Tent to see Little Freddie King. And ended up hanging out in there for hours. It was all good though.


Freddie was entertained.



Finally the rain let up and we were able to catch a little of Dr. John.

Dancing with my Buggers.

And we hung around for a bit of the Black Crowes but when the rain started up again we decided to call it a day.


Wondering what the rest of the weekend holds! It's great to be in New Orleans.

Bye bye

I took this photo in late October,
but it has been on my mind every day since then.

Those are hubcaps hanging on a pole next to a really, really large pothole on Napoleon Avenue a few blocks from our house. The pothole is so large in fact that it's tough to call it a pothole, although it had nothing on the pothole around the corner where someone had propped a sign over it that read "New Orleans Mystery Cave."

So just as the f-bomb is about to fly out of your mouth because your car has just taken a dive and bottomed out on the poorly maintained streets that your grossly unfair property taxes fund you glance up and can't help but smile and be thankful for neighbors who go that extra mile to help you keep track of run away hubcaps.

That is really a one of the many metaphors for much of life here in NOLA. It's the best I can do to explain to people why we bitch and moan and never ever consider leaving. And it's this that brings tears to my eyes each day as Freddie and I walk through our neighborhood knowing that our time here is not forever.

We're moving. Charlie's graduating. We've known this time was coming. It's the next part of our adventure, right? I've been trying to convince myself that there is life outside of the south. Although Ms. Carol has already let me know that life outside the south is going to mean fresh seafood is hard to come by and SEC football ain't on the tube. Already sounding like a pretty miserable existence, eh?

Carrying the boy

I got a new baby carrier. I loved the BabyBjorn and definely got my moneys worth. Freddie just got to be too heavy and it was becoming uncomfortable for the both of us. The ERGObaby came recommended by a few friends and some even commented they liked it better than the Bjorn.


The weight of the baby is on your hips, where a Bjorn ditributes the baby's weight on your back. It does make carrying heavier loads and bigger babies easier. I've also heard it is better for the baby because the baby is in a natural sitting position.

I like it, but I don't like it better than the Bjorn though. The main reason for that is a baby cannot face forward in the ERGO the way they can in the Bjorn. Freddie likes to cuddle with me but he really, really liked being carried around while facing forward in the Bjorn.

I am yet to try out the hip and back carry. I cannot imagine getting him on my back by myself, but I've learned I am capable of amazing things these days.

Perfect for taking a walk to and being
fed chocolate milkshake from Creole Creamery!

I got the "sport" model because it has a bit larger waistband and should straps so I thought it'd fit Charlie better but it doesn't have the front pouch/pocket. I'm kinda wishing I had gone with the regular model so I could have the pocket to toss my phone and keys into.

I like having a baby carrier again. We've been on a few walks to the grocery, drugstore, and just around the neighborhood with it. It is just easier than the stroller sometimes and leaves my hands free to take the pooches along.

Perfectly Normal

Dr. J just phoned to say the sweat test results were normal. Everything looks "perfectly normal" so he's just a little peanut of a guy.

Yippee!

A good afternoon

This afternoon we walked over to Laurence Square. It is a tiny playground with a large field just a few blocks from our house. I've never taken Freddie there because it is often crawling with big kids as the school across the street brings classes over to play. But getting out of the house today before lunchtime sounded like a great idea.


We stopped in at the bakery and picked up a snack...a raisin roll, olive bread, and perrier. Perfect for these two carb feinds!


There were just a few kids playing and Freddie acted like a teenager, ignoring me unless he was wanting another bite of food!

Here I am, Mom! Do you have a bite ready for me?

Looking at his back did give me the chance to see his potential curls. I've been waiting for those curls so I am very happy so see a bit of a flip here and there.


He actually ate just about the entire raisin roll himself, complete with raisins. I was very surprised that he didn't pull the raisins out of his mouth, but I think he was in too much of a hurry to get back over to the other kids.


I think next week will involve more of the same.

Dada's Away

Bath time isn't as fun, that's for sure. It's lonely in that big tub, and Mama doesn't turn on the jets when instructed to do so.


After 14 nights of baths tonight is the first one without tears.


No one's on the bike.

Mama seems to be taking lots more walks, just to get out of the house.


Everyone goes to bed right at 7.00, Buggers, Mama, and the dogs.


It's hard work keeping up with things without the Daddy.