updates

Jack is now mobile. I had previously said that Shannon crawled 10 days shy of six months. It was actually 10 days shy of seven months, because it was September. Anyway, Shannon went straight from non-mobility to full left-right crawling. Jack is doing an army-crawl (for a couple weeks now), and he is really fast. It is so funny to watch him. He pulls and leads with his left elbow and follows up with the right hand. Oh, and he hasn't had any stranger-fear lately. It was really just that one Sunday. So, it was either just a very short phase, or (more likely) he wasn't feeling well.

Jack also had his six-month check this past Monday. He weighs 18 pounds, 12 ounces (50%-75%) and is 28 inches long (90%).

Here's a little treasure for his mother. When I come home on the days that I work, as soon as he sees me, he responds with such urgency. Last night, he was sitting happily in his high chair. He was looking up at Sean, who was trying to gesture that I had arrived home. He had a big grin on his face. As soon as he caught sight of me, he started rocking back and forth in his chair, arms outstretched, and whimpering/half-crying like it had been years since we last saw each other. (Although, I suppose in his short little life, 12 hours is like years.) Then, he gets in my arms and just smashes his face into mine, trying to get as close as possible, with a little sigh like the world is now set to right.

Shannon's reaction is a little different. It makes me laugh, because he is so excited when he greets papa, mama, grandpa, and grandma. But, after the initial, "Mama's home!!" he immediately moves on. Most of the time, he's not even that interested in a hug. When I come home on Tuesdays & Thursdays, he rejoices in my homecoming, then moves directly to requesting supper.

Shannon's vocabulary is growing and growing. It's so fun to begin to hear the things that go on in his head. Recently, I started getting books on CD from the library. He loves to listen to them. And, I taught him how to change the CD, so he loves doing that too. I've also been letting him listen to one at the beginning of his nap and bedtime. It makes him pretty quiet most of the time. Like last night, for example. After I read stories to him, he rolled onto his side and laid quietly while The Princess and the Pea got started.

Well, I'm planning to make a Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. I think this will be my third turkey, and I've done it a little differently every year. My first year, I just did a pepper/molasses rub under the skin. Last year I did the same rub and a brine (not in that order). This year, I'm doing Martha Stewart's roasted brined turkey. I'm trying some more unusual sides (a broccoli/parmesan/garlic puree & mashed sweet potatoes w/ coconut milk, pure maple syrup, and Thai curry). We'll also have a cornbread & sausage stuffing. For dessert, I'm making gingerbread cheesecake. My parents and my brother and his family will be joining us. We'll see how it all turns out.

Here's a news flash: It's snowing!! And, it's accumulating, although, only on the grass.