3 Steps

Quick update: Yes, Arlo does have a mild case of pneumonia, but do you think that stops him? Of course not! Today he decided to toddle, without any assistance, 3 little steps to grab a toy. And so it begins...

10 Months

To celebrate 10 months of life, Arlo hung out with his main squeeze, Sylvia. Look at how he's trying to impress her with his fancy standing and persimmon-holding skills. Happy 10 months little man.

Arlo's 1st Halloween

Arlo had a fabulous 1st Halloween. He was gussied up as a little boxer, which was in keeping with the shiner he inflicted upon himself whilst attempting to walk; I was some sort of scarecrow (a last minute alteration of a plan that didn't gel). Barry was disguised as a 30-something dad. We went with Arlo's Auntie Mary and Grammy to Boo at the Zoo at SFC. While the massive number of grease-paint smeared, sweating people piled on top of one another, struggling to get through the narrow zoo paths in high-80 degree weather, was a bit off-putting, Arlo truly seemed to enjoy himself. He laughed at the screeching monkeys and worked his blue-eyed charm on all the witches and fairy princesses.

He was also fascinated by the pumpkins we carved at home. He rolled them around the floor and banged his hands on them. Peeking into the pumpkin guts is fun!

Happy 9 Months!

Arlo has finally reached that big milestone--9 months. Something about it just sounds so grown up.

We had our 9 month checkup, and the boy is doing wonderfully. While he is very small in terms of weight (16 lbs 14 oz or the 4th percentile), he's on the tall side (29 inches or 50th percentile). I was concerned about his weight, but our pediatrician says not to worry; he is "the right size" for Barry and I (in case you don't know, we're not exactly giants), and according to the WHO charts, which unlike the American charts are based on exclusively breast-fed babies, he's more like the 25th percentile. You would never guess that his weight is so "low"; the kid has fat rolls for goodness sake! And, as evidenced in the image of the split-pea-covered Arlo, he does indeed eat.

The past few weeks have been filled with all kinds of fun. Walking is so close that this kid can almost taste it; at the moment, besides cruising, he can stand unassisted for almost a minute at a time and wave his hands in the air. He even bounces along to the music when Barry plays the guitar! He recognizes pictures of Barry and I and actually cried out "mamamamamama" when my sister closed her cell phone and made the picture of mommy disappear. He is just starting to sign "milk," although he seems to use it more generically for "want." Close enough. Speaking of milk, a few days ago, he actually shimmied up Barry's leg, onto the couch, and pulled up my shirt to nurse. Ummm...now that's just scary!

I'm getting a better idea of his likes and dislikes as well. Arlo loves cheerios (actually any carbs), spoons, music class, daddy playing the guitar, swinging at the park, the Mo Willems' pigeon book series, and his monster, Fredo. Arlo hates most green vegetables (too bad!), being fed by a spoon, naps, yoga (let's just say that my dream of a zen mommy-baby experience has not really come to fruition in my new yoga class), and being removed from dangerous situations. What can I say? He's a dare-devil.

1 year rapidly approaches.

Happy 9 months, Arlo.

Long time, no blog. Everything has been rather hectic here in the swamp. Arlo has decided that sleep isn't his "thing," while his mum has been teaching a full load of classes at SFC. Mary has been here to help us out on Tuesdays and Thursdays thank goodness, but it isn't easy to care for Arlo most of the time AND try to read and grade papers, prep class, and keep up with my overflowing email inbox. I'm sure it will get easier, right....

Arlo now has 4 teeth--2 on the bottom and 2 little fangs on the top. He looks just like a baby vampire (do I detect a Halloween costume?). He zooms around the room, pulling things on top of his head, and generally making a fantastic mess. He can turn the pages in a book, rock out on his toy piano, and play peekaboo like a champ. While he still isn't a huge fan of too many chunky foods, he adores organic "ohs" cereal and attempting to feed himself with a spoon (an abject failure at the moment). He is desperate to walk, so he stands and cruises around the living room. Climbing the baby gates is a new favorite activity.

Our big problem is sleep. Around 4-6 months, he was sleeping like a champ--10-12 hours at a stretch at night. Then we went on vacation, AND he started teething. Now he sleeps at the most 4 hours at a time. He wakes up, nurses, and then falls back asleep IF he is allowed to stay in our bed. The crib is his enemy. Naps are a nightmare. We thought it would just pass, but no.

So, thanks to my friend, Jessica, and my pediatrician, I just read Richard Ferber's Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems. Yes, we are Ferberizing our little man; sounds dangerous, no? Actually, we just started tonight, but it hasn't been nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be. I have to get more sleep, so I'm willing to give damn near anything a try.

Besides learning to be a better sleeper, Arlo has big plans for next week. We're starting a music class and mom and baby yoga. And so it begins...next stop Princeton.

A Visit to Our Pastoral Home

We tried to make a list of everyone he met on the trip. I won't post everyone's name for the sake of internet privacy, but there are 52 people on it.
He now has four teeth poking out, two on the top and two on the bottom (poor guy).
He is doing some unassisted standing, which is very scary. He can't wait to grow up I guess.
So, you can see his Grandma, his Uncle and his Cousin in these pictures. You can also see New Hampshire.

Crawlin and Standin

So, Arlo is in the 50th percentile for height and only the 15th for weight. His head is tiny-13th percentile. He's just a lean little guy. Nevertheless (or perhaps consequently), this kid can move! He is way, way above average in that department. Check out our crawling and standing video.