Wayyyyyy overdue Baby Update

I have been failing -- FAILING -- utterly in turning this blog into an all-baby-all-the-time love fest.  I'm too busy feeding, changing, holding, feeding, holding -- did I mention holding? -- and of course gazing at, the baby to do any actual blogging about him.  So here you go, a Baby Update Photodump!  Beginning with...

2 months old (October)

It's all in the wrist.

Daniel demonstrates proper yogurt-eating technique.

Note how clean the hand WITH the spoon is.

(And yes, I gave him a bath afterward!)

Provides Literally Minutes Of Entertainment!!

Hmm, I wonder who found the Land's End catalogue?

Who, me?

Yay!  I love crinkly paper!

For Cousin Libby

I can do it, too!



Copious amounts of drool are required.

He makes this noise when he is tired/wet/bored/awake/happy.

Gratuitous Boy Cuteness

Egad, I've got a lot of cute stuff to sort through! I just uploaded a month's worth of pictures and videos -- and a very eventful month it was. But until I climb out from under the Laundry Pile Monster, here is but one gratuitously cute baby video to tide you over until I have time to post again. (Say a little prayer for me, if you will -- I'm on retreat this weekend.)




Grandpa Mike should be proud. Only 4 months old and already playing his thumb! Such talent there is in our family.

September Photodump

Just some random cuteness, mostly of ma boyz.

Brothers hangin'.

Yes, archery is an essential aspect of a well-rounded education, in addition to catechism and good penmanship.

Mini-portraits of the Whirling Dervish and the Michelin Baby.


So much for mental stimulation...

The very hungry babypillar.

Ooo, 'cary face!

More posts coming down the pipeline!

My Bookends

Hello, interwebz! No, we're not dead yet. Nor have we melted after the record heat this summer. (although we came close) Life just slows to a crawl after you have a baby, especially when your other 3 babies (and tremendously supportive and long-suffering husband) still need things like food and clean clothing. So blogging tends to be low on the priorities list.

But... this post is a well-deserved tribute to my eldest. Miriam is such a good helper. I honestly don't know what I'd do without her. I DO know that my job would be a lot harder than it already is.

For one thing, she is an expert at getting him to fall asleep.

Exhibit A:

(just look at that tub! It's as if he had been poured into his diaper and had forgotten to say when.)

Exhibit B:

just plain awwwww

and Exhibit C:

There's nothing more soporific than holding a sleeping baby. :)

Once again we're reminded that the greatest gift you can give your children is another sibling.

The Face of Perfection

Or maybe I'm just an eensie wee bit biased.


...Mmmm, nah, he IS perfect.

Daniel is six weeks old today. That means he is officially not a newborn any more. He's quickly growing out of the "brand new model" look -- his legs don't look like chicken legs any more as he develops the Thighs of Thunder TM, his skin is becoming more like porcelain every day, he's growing yet another chin, and his chub folds are multiplying rapidly. I can already see the beginnings of knuckle dimples.

And speaking of dimples, he SMILES! (The real money shot is about 1:30 in. -- I just couldn't bear to edit any more out!)




He just loves being held. He can tolerate being alone for maybe 5 minutes tops before he starts on his really cute "Where did everybody go?" fake cry. Even when he gets worked up to the semi-hysterical point, he calms down the second he is picked up. Mr. Pickles and I were commenting last night on how satisfying that is -- to have a baby be so contented in your arms -- knowing that simply your presence makes them feel happy and safe. There was a time when I would feel resentful that I had to hold a needy baby ALL DAY LONG and couldn't get ANYTHING done. But now I consider it a privilege to be able to hold a baby all day long -- knowing that this stage is going to pass allll too quickly, and that the other stuff which is much less important will eventually get done someday (that's what older children are for!). Even now Joseph doesn't want to snuggle much -- he's certainly not a baby any more. *sniff*

But he LOVES being a big brother!

Mama's boys

I'm still wrapping my mind around the fact that I'm a mother of sons -- sonS, plural. Boys are such foreign creatures. But I look forward to learning more about them! :)

Best Present Ever.

Happy Birthday to me,

Happy Birthday to me,

Happy Birthday dear Mommy,

Happy Birthday to me!

About the Boy

A girl once heard Mr. Pickles and me talking about Joseph and asked, "Why do you call him 'The Boy'?" (This particular girl has 3 younger brothers.) We looked at each other, until that moment not realizing how much we really did use that moniker, and said, "Because he IS 'THE' boy!" After raising two girls this far, there are just some things about Joseph that stand out.

Like the fact that he likes to play with Polly Pockets too... by running over them with his giant truck.

Or that he already knows how to make gun-shooting noises ("b'chew, b'chew," with lots of spit of course), and turn any handy household object, like a turkey baster, into a weapon.

Or that he mastered the concept of a bow and arrow very quickly, and will use anything stretchy like a slingshot.

Or his fascination with wheels, and things that make loud noises.

Or that he will take any stick or other long object, hit another smaller, rounder object with it, and proclaim, "Hockeyyyyyy!"

You know, it's the little things that add up. He's just... different. He's louder, he's more willful, he likes throwing things, he can't sit still or be quiet at church. And yet he's not obnoxious or a spaz; he can quietly watch the gerbils moving around, or sit still to focus completely on a book (usually about cars), or spend a long time figuring out how something works. But it's amazing to see how differently he's wired -- it's been so refreshing having him. :)

Something that surprised me, although considering personalities I suppose it shouldn't have, was how well he and Katie play together! She has an amazing imagination and is always coming up with play ideas, plus her energy level is matched by Joseph's, so they are always hanging out together. Of course it often degenerates into wrestling matches over some coveted toy -- but most of the time they're off playing together (or getting into mischief together). Their latest favorite pastime is turning on the clock radio in our room, climbing onto the bed using my footstool, and dancing around until they fall over in a giggling heap. Not so good for our down comforter, but good for fostering brotherly love. :) I'm glad they have each other -- it's a good partnership for them (and for me) during the week when I'm concentrating on Miriam's schooling. It's so true that the greatest gift you can give to your children is a sibling.

There are a few things that Joseph does have to put up with, being the first son after two girls.

Like finding himself dressed in their clothes.


Or having to accessorize with pink and purple.


But thankfully (for Daddy's sake) he always returns to more masculine pursuits.

Like playing with his "fwains."


I'm soaking up the moments with him now, when he's still willing to cuddle in my lap, and a kiss will fix any owie. It's only just begun to hit me that he won't be my little boy for long -- sooner than I care to admit he will be a man and I will have to stand by and watch as he launches into the great, wide world to slay dragons and rescue fair damsels.

But for now, he's mine. And he's the sweetest thing on God's green earth.

Jo vs. the Kitties

Jo-jo got lots and lots of lessons in being kind to animals during our vacation. He got to meet and play with (read: torment) lots of extremely patient and well-behaved kitties belonging to various family members (who I hope will still speak to us).

Here he is making friends with the friendliest of the lot, one belonging to my cousin Emily.


I suspect the cat had never met a small person before, and didn't know what to expect.

The other cat was wise, though, and kept out of sight, only viewing the small intruder through safety glass.
(Their names escape me now, but they were really cool African names. Sorry, only so much room in the gray matter!)


Then we visited my brother's place, and set him loose on their cats. They're the ones who just had the baby boy, so I told them this will be a good experience for their cats, to know what to expect. :) Isis was amazingly long-suffering.

Hm, what does this thing do?

Simply Fascinating!

Mmm-wah! I love kitties!

Hey, how come the kitty doesn't like my hugses?

Bastet wasn't having any. She spent our entire visit on top of the fridge. Most of the time she was actually squished under the cupboards.

Joseph pretty much left this kitty alone. (WHY would anyone put this at the end of a dark hallway? I'd give myself a heart attack every time I walked down it at night!)

Finally, this is my parents' cat, Mau.

Mau is actually Egyptian for "cat," in addition to being the sound she makes. Mau is a very polite, unobtrusive kitty. The last time we were here, she spend the entire time hiding in my parent's bedroom, and nearly starved herself rather than come out to the kitchen where all the PEOPLE were. This visit, however, she consented to acknowledge our existence, and even allowed us the privilege of offering her an occasional scritch. (I found her happy spot at the base of her tail.) She figured Joseph out pretty quick -- she learned that she could keep a couple steps ahead of him without too much effort, and so the two of them would slowly follow each other around in figure eights around the coffee table and entry way, Joseph chortling the whole time. I wish I'd thought to take a video! It was pretty funny to watch.

When Mau tired of leading Jo-jo on a merry dance, she would retreat to her safe place on my parents' bed, above -- she figured out that even if he walked all around the bed, he couldn't reach the middle of it. So she would plant herself right in the very middle of it and watch him from under one half-closed eye. Jo didn't like that too well. :)

He just loves animals -- our gerbils, relatives' cats, neighborhood dogs -- I'm hoping we'll be able to continue keeping pets throughout our kids' childhoods. NO dogs until the kids are able to help take care of it though -- I've got enough babies to watch over right now! :)

Note to new parents of boys

When your sweet baby boy goes off to a room to play by himself,

and you hear him making happy banging noises,

and then all of a sudden it gets quiet,

very quiet,

SUSPICIOUSLY quiet,



Go Check On Him.


Run, don't walk.

...and bring your camera, just in case.

Jo-jo vs. The Lemon

I love how he laughs at himself -- he knows what he's doing to himself but just can't help it!

Feast Your Eyes...

on this delicious bit of yumminess!

Joseph wearing his Grandpa Mike's romper -- probably handmade (and certainly hand-mended!) by his great-grandmother.


Maybe he's going to be a chef when he grows up.

Mm, stick-in-a-cup! Tasty!

The collar may be frillier than allowed for boys these days, but I think it's so charming!

It makes it hard to believe that one day he's going to grow up into a surly teenager who thinks I'm as dumb as a rock.


He's looking at a dog. He loves doggies.

Just to balance out all the sweetness, here's a shot of testosterone:

boy with a stick

Why are you looking at me like that Mommy?

EVERYBODY knows that sticks are for waving and yelling!!

Coming in for the kill...

Raaaaarrrrr!! Eat mama's face!

I love my boy. He's so scrumptious!

Isn't this the picture of motherhood? You love them and want to hold onto them forever, but they're always looking ahead to see what's coming next.

I'm enjoying it while it lasts.