Ca marche!

Sawyer started taking steps about three weeks ago--we finally got a good video of it!

For posterity...or something

This is the stack of books that I read for the phd exams. Ok, ok, so I didn't read every single one cover to cover, but probably 75%...it was actually a more impressive looking pile when they were strewn about, but I promised Chris I'd tidy up and take most of them back to the library...

Wedding antics

We went to a friend's wedding this weekend and Sawyer was the ideal guest: he sat in the back row blowing raspberries all through the ceremony, and then happily played in the floor while mom and dad ate dinner. If anyone is planning a wedding soon, by the way, we really liked this: each table had a dance assigned to it, and the people seated at that table had to do said dance on the dance floor in front of everyone before being allowed to advance to the buffet line. This was an amusing sight to see (people over 80 gettin' krump), and helped pass the time while waiting to eat. We had to do the Roger Rabbit, by the way.

Rocket Ship

We scored this sweet, retro Radio Flyer rocket ship at a garage sale recently. S-dog is still too small to sit on it facing forward. It has buttons and sound effects and says things like "Blast Off" in a robot voice.

Family Weekend

Having recently finished the blasted, cursed, most wretched PHD exams, you can imagine that I was easily convinced to spend a family weekend in the company of my three favorite people: Chris, Sawyer and Stella. So here are some pics of our hike on Saturday--we climed to Horsetooth Rock.






The boys pose at the trailhead. I call them boys even though Sawyer's wearing a girly hat.

Several miles later we finally get a glimpse of our destination!











Maman and baby stop for a breather.
















Everyone relaxes, top-side.
















Sawyer hunkers down for a rest. It's hard work being carried around in a soft pocket all afternoon.





















A few from the top looking west

A new caption has been suggested for this picture:


"BRRAAIIIINS!"

Trying to keep up...

Well, no new posts for awhile because I've been working on my final PHD written exam--orals are coming up in September, so you won't be hearing from me much until this painful right of passage is behind me. Everything is great here, otherwise. Sawyer is at this fabulously fun stage--he just cruises all over the house grunting and shrieking (cuter than it sounds), and is all smiles. He's mama-ing and dada-ing and is a total lover.






















Sawyer confronts the image of his doppelganger--let's hope it won't haunt him.



















He had his nine month appointment recently, and we received the order to fatten him up. This is no easy charge, because he only really caught the spirit of food a week and a half ago. Until then he either wouldn't open his mouth, or would pull the food out with his hand and smear it in his hair and on his face. But, magically, about ten days ago, he just...GOT IT. And now when you put him in his high chair, he automatically leans forward with his mouth open, like a baby bird. So we've been mixing his foodstuffs with whole fat ricotta, olive oil, almond butter, etc. I wish I were a baby; I find his food delicious. Here he is enjoying his sweet potatoes.

...and his beets. Beets can't be beat. You can see he still has the hand in the mouth problem...