Videos!

Daddy finally figured out how to get the videos from his camera up to the internet without losing too much quality, so here are a bunch of new clips of the G-man in action. (Also, the two videos in the "Latest Acting Gigs" post below are better quality now.)

Making Indian noises


Laughing in his high chair


Learning to walk!!!


His first family Christmas in Wimberley (with the Kayes)


Pushing his truck and lawn mower around

Yankees or Southerners???

It's been a while since my last post, but boy have we been busy! Right now we are in Frederick, Maryland looking for our new home!!! Well, at least our new home for the next year. We flew in this afternoon and had a pleasant flight. G loved closing the window and playing with the lights, and he even got to take a long walk up and down the aisle with his daddy! It wasn't too bad, but Gabriel was such a wiggle worm! Our 10 hour flight from London when Gabriel was 2 1/2 months was a million times easier than this 3 hour flight with a 9 1/2 month old. He was restless, excited, and sleepy, but the people sitting around us said he did really great and wasn't too noisy. I hope they were telling the truth!

Anyway, we flew into Dulles (Washington D.C.) and drove through Leesburg to Frederick. It's a great drive, and lovely. There's still a bit of snow on the ground, so it made all the Christmas lights look so romantic and Christmasey as the sun went down behind the hills on the horizon. There were lots of old farmhouses and stills everywhere, and tons of old barns... the Boones know I looove old barns (remember the Washington/U-haul trip and the hunt for the perfect barn???). I saw many antique shops, although Jake refused to stop :( and even a great Farmers' Market. I can't wait to visit there! Leesburg had a huge outlet mall that I MUST visit :).

It was dark by the time we got to Frederick, so I didn't get to see much today, but we are close to a little area with lots of shops and restaurants, but it's set up like a cozy little village. We had dinner at Macaroni Grill and Gabriel had so much fun playing with the crayons and paper on the table. I thought about saving his artwork, but he drooled, spilled food, and tore it up before I could save it. Oh, well. By the time we finished dinner, it was late and Gabriel was ready for bed. Jake and I got a Tiramsu to go, then we came home and got G ready for bed. It was then that we realized that the only spoons we had were baby spoons. So, we had a romantic dessert and hot chocolate... borrowing Gabriel's spoons. It was fun, but silly! Anyway, I want to go back tomorrow to look at the shops -- especially a shop called My Organic Market... the sign says MOM, with an apple for the O. Sound familiar, Mom??? She spells hers with a heart for the O, and I've always loved that!

Here ia a picture of Gabriel in his new coat, mittens and cozy little hat! Oh, this is the first time for him to see snow!!! Yea!

In other news, we took a weekend trip to Wimberley to see my mom and step-dad. G had a fab time, and he made himself at home with Gramma and Pops. We went to see the Christmas lights at the Yule Walk at the Emily Ann Theater. I highly recommend it! Gabriel loved the xylophone section, he got to see Santa and Mrs. Claus, and he loved all the lights. Jake and Gramma roasted hot dogs while Gabriel helped me roast marshmallows on his first campfire. Gabriel even got to taste his first marshmallow... he's a BIG fan, but he'd better not expect many more until he's a bit bigger! We even got to hear the Dripping Strings, a bunch of kids playing violins/fiddles. They were great!

The next day, Gramma took Gabriel and me to downtown Wimberley for a bit of shopping. If you haven't been, you have to go. There are all kinds of shops with antiques, new stuff, and everything in between. I fell in love with a cozy shop in an old house (I forget the name), and Gabriel loved the handmade swings. He even cried when we had to leave!

I haven't posted in so long I have forgotten some of the new things Gabriel has learned. He recently learned the "P" sound, so we have a lot of that going on, as well as the occasional "H" sound. They often alternate, and it is so cute to watch his little lips pucker! He gives tons of kisses and cuddles now, and loves to wave at anyone who will smile at him. Swimming pool day is still his favorite day of the week, and now he loves to sit on the side and jump into the water to me. He doesn't care if he goes under or not, as long as he gets to jump in! What else? Well, he loves to play standing up. He even lets go and walks a few steps sometimes, especially when he's excited. He's gonna be walking any day now!

It's late and I am sooooo sleepy. It's 11pm local time, so it's way past my bedtime. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we search for a new home up here. And as for the title of the post, can anyone tell me if we'll be Yankees or Southerners once we move here??? Nobody seems to agree. Not even the people that live here!

Asleep with his favorite sippy cup

Playin' in a box with Daddy

Peekin' out of a box at Mama

The first present he's ever opened (Thank you Hall Family!!! Whoop!)

Afternoon nap with Mommy

Gangsta G

Playing with his cousin, Aubrey at Grandma Gasaway's house.

Checking In

I can't believe November is halfway over already! It has gone by so fast. Before we know it, it'll be Christmas!!! We are just enjoying this nice cool weather. Gabriel loves his time outside, so we spend a lot of time playing in the yard, swinging on the swing, and looking at the leaves and flowers. He's not fond of crawling in the grass though. It's like watching a cat that has tape stuck on its feet; Gabriel will pick up one hand and hold it up high, looking for somewhere to put it (preferably not in the grass), then he'll reluctantly put it down and pick up a foot and hold it up high. It's really cute, but drives Gabriel crazy!

Gabriel is growing in leaps and bounds. He crawls sooooo fast. He can now stand up with support, even if it's just a wall or a curtain. He "cruises" all over the house, which means he's had a couple bruises and scrapes from his new talent. He's getting much more stable and adventurous, and I just know he'll be walking any day now. He can take a couple steps, but only if he is going toward Mama or Daddy and is really excited!

Okay, I have to say that he has learned the cutest trick ever. He's learned how to make Indian noises! As soon as we start to pat his little lips, he opens his mouth and says "Ahhhhh." It's great, and I can't get enough of it. We took a video with the camcorder, but apparently our computer is too old to transfer the video and get a good picture (that's why the videos below are grainy). Jake says we need a new computer, but I've convinced him to wait until after the move. If we are somewhere with a better computer, we'll put the videos up. It may take awhile, but I'll do my best to get it done eventually :(.

Another new thing he's learned is to say "hey." He just says it for fun, not knowing what it means, but it is so great to walk in the room and hear this tiny person say "heyyyy."

As an update about the sleep situation, it's getting better and better. He now sleeps about 8 - 9 hours, then I feed him at 5 a.m. and he'll usually sleep another hour. It's so much better than before, but it's been a long process. Hopefully it'll be easier whenever we get around to having another baby.

That's all for now. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Holidays

Halloween is over, and now I am ready for Christmas!!! Okay, I guess I should at least pretend to celebrate Thanksgiving. Christmastime is my favorite, although I have to admit that I enjoy a good Christmas carol anytime of the year (to Jake's chagrin). Before I get into it full swing, I'll be sure to introduce Gabriel to the joys of Thanksgiving baking. He's a great helper, and I love to see what kinds of messes he can make!

Speaking of Halloween, we had a nice, peaceful Halloween at home. We trick-or-treated next door, and we passed out a few pumpkin cupcakes to a few lucky friends. We even had two trick-or-treaters. That sounds like not many, but sometimes we don't have any here! We were delighted, and those two got as much of our candy as they wanted. Hope they like peanut butter candy! Just so you know, we think Gabriel is the cutest cowboy we have ever seen. We hope you agree!


Most of you know that we'll be moving up to Frederick, Maryland sometime in the near future, so it will be interesting to see where we'll actually be when Christmas does finally come around. As long as I have a tree with lights and ornaments and can listen to Christmas music, I can handle anything! We are really excited about the move, but we are just ready to find out when things will happen. We'll let everyone know as soon as we have more information.

As for Gabriel news, he is growing in leaps and bounds. He took his first step today! He doesn't like to pick up his feet unless he's holding our hands, but he finally decided to try it out. He immediately grabbed for mama, but there was definitely a step he took all by himself. He'll be running around soon, so I am just trying to enjoy this time of limited mobility. He is crawling around everywhere now, but he's slow enough that I can keep up with him and still wash the dishes or do a bit of cleaning. Once he's on his feet, I'll have to figure out a new method of madness!

And to update you on the sleeping thing, it comes and goes. He usually sleeps 6 - 8 hours (usually right at 7), but occasionally wakes at 6 hours and cries until we pick him up, even if that is two hours!!! I don't like it, but that is what my doctor said to do. Hopefully it'll get better with time. He's learned to stand up in his crib, so now it sometimes takes a bit longer for him to get to sleep. Last night he fell asleep immediately, but it took an hour tonight. His crying is a mad cry, not a hunger or hurt cry, so I know he's okay. But I still hate to listen to him so sad and not be able to comfort him. It's a choice between comforting him or getting sleep and being able to function. I'd rather be a better mommy during the day than spoil him at night.

That's all for now. Here are some great pumpkin pictures to help you get in the Thanksgiving spirit!

A Little Lapse

Sorry for the delay, everybody. I've been a little under the weather, so I've been procrastinating my duties here on the blog. And what a time to get sick! We have quite a few things to mention and some pictures to post.

The most exciting thing (to me) is that Gabriel said his first word!!! He said 'Mama' and used it to get my attention. I don't think he understands that I am the Mama he's talking about, but he does know that if he uses it I get way excited and he often gets to get out of his walker or out of his highchair. He has said 'boom' many times before, but Mama is the first word he's actually used. Yay for Mama!

Other exciting moments include a couple today! He finally got his first haircut. He did really well with Mama doing the cutting and Daddy doing the distracting. We hit a snag when Gabriel decided that he could not live without holding the comb for me, but we managed to get the job done. The other exciting moment happened just afterward: he was crawling around on his mat, and suddenly he was sitting up. We almost missed it! I'm not sure Gabriel understood how it happened, but he can now officially go from crawling to sitting. Whoa baby!












Hmmm, it seems like he's done a few other amazing feats this week, but it's been a bit of a blur. He has started eating non-pureed foods, and it's a ton of fun. He likes to hold the food, and sometimes it even ends up in his mouth. So far he's had toast, Cheerios, banana bits, mango bits, mushy carrots, salmon flakes, chicken bits, and graham crackers. He really likes to eat things that Jake and I are eating, and now he can finally taste a few things. I can't believe that he's already starting to eat like a big boy. Here he is after a particularly exciting supper! Yes, he does have spinach everywhere and mango under his eye.


Another big moment: we let Gabriel stay in the nursery during church last week!!! He usually sleeps through the service, so we have just kept him with us in the past. He's starting to get very vocal now, so we thought the time was right to let him play with the other kiddoes. We go to Second Baptist in Houston, and the nursery there is great. They even give the parents pagers, so if your baby has any problems you'll know to come back to the nursery right away. Gabriel did really well, although it was a little traumatic for his mother. I have never heard less of a sermon before! Jake said it was good, but I was too busy worrying about G! Gabriel got to go on a buggy ride with a bunch of babies, so I am sure he loved that. He doesn't get to play with other kids often, so we hope to take him again very soon.

He also got to ride on a big kid swing all by himself! He loved it, and we spent forever just swinging and giggling! The final exciting moment this past week or so is that Gabriel finally got a walker. It has been so great... for both of us! He likes to be on his feet, but I can't hold his hands all day long. The walker is a great compromise. He can follow me all over the house, and I can play with him while I do a little housework.

As an update for the Cry It Out experiment, I would say that it worked. Gabriel still does not need a lot of sleep, and it seems like he really only needs seven or eight hours at night. That is way better than we were getting before, so I am happy. It was very hard, and we went a few nights without much sleep, but it's getting better. It's kinda hard to judge since I've been sick, and the medicine I'm taking zonks Gabriel out, too, so the real test will be this week. On the downside, Gabriel has been extra clingy and wants to be within a foot or two of me at all times! He's dealing with a little separation anxiety now, which wasn't as much of a problem before. And I'm not crazy that every night starts with a few tears, so I hope that goes away. He often only cries five minutes at bedtime, but I would rather it be more peaceful. I have to admit that CIO is not for everyone, but it is awfully nice to have more rest and be more cheerful for my little family!

I think that's about all for now. Time to hit the hay. I hope you enjoy the little pictures of our big boy!

Gabriel's Latest Acting Gigs

In the Austin County Fair Parade:


Swimming:

Double Dose

Okay, so I've already posted something today, but I thought I'd add a few pictures and a few notes to encourage anybody that is going through what I am right now. I'll start from the beginning...

Gabriel is the best baby ever. I am so lucky. He is soooo easy and happy! He eats well, naps well, hardly ever cries. He is patient in restaurants. He loves a ride in the pram/stroller. He looooooves going outside, but is happy to play with his toys indoors as well. He's slow to warm up to some people, but once you're in his good books, he's ready to play! He loves to take baths, loves to be tickled, and is just all around a happy little fellow.

Unfortunately, although he naps well and goes to sleep easily, he wakes up a lot. We are trying to let him learn to fall back asleep using the Cry It Out method. That totally goes against what we have done so far. We are supporters of Attachment Parenting, and it has worked for everything else except his nighttime sleeping patterns. It was okay for a while, but now I am sleepy. And groggy. And some days I can only plan from one nap to another.

He's been able to fall asleep alone before, but this last bout of bronchitis messed us up (not to mention a move 6 time zones away...) and so we have tried a few different approaches. Okay, so close to 10. None have worked. Not even the Ferber method, which is a cry it out method. It only made him mad. So, we had a chat with our pediatrician, and now we've gone cold turkey with Cry It Out, and boy do I feel awful!

He's crying right now, and to make matters worse, he's being really sweet. He's learned to clap, and he often claps when he wants attention. I peeked in to check on him, and he had stopped crying, but he had his feet propped up and was clapping and clapping. Oh, it hurt my heart!!! 10 minutes later he was sound asleep, but my heart can still hear him clapping!!! I think we'll only CIO at bedtime for the next few nights, but we'll do it all night long starting on Thursday, when he is 8 months old. He has a new crib, a new bumper, and the timing is right. Keep me in your prayers... I'm sure Gabriel will survive just fine, but I'm not sure if I can handle the pressure!!! For anyone trying the CIO method, this webpage has helped to encourage me. I still recommend trying no-cry (or only a little crying) methods first, and then talking to your doctor before jumping in to a cold-turkey CIO method, but every child is different! I've added a picture of him clapping... :(


On more exciting notes, Gabriel is now a carnivore!!! We went to dinner with Jake's Granny and Papa at Pop's on the Square, here in Bellville. I had salmon, so I let G try some. He liked it, as well as the potatoes. Today he had Chicken Devine, which I made from a baby cookbook that Jake's Aunt Rosie sent us. The food in there is great, and I even stole a nibble :). Gabriel almost liked it, but he's not sure of the new consistancy yet. I mixed in some rice cereal, and convinced him to eat quite a bit. He'd still prefer to eat peaches, bananas, and melons at every meal!

Our meateater and his messy mouth

Helping Mommy make beans and cornbread

Learning about Pop's moustache

First time in the high chair I used when I was a baby

Chillin' like a villian with Gramma Alice and the yoga ball

A happy baby!

Yee-haw!

Gabriel is officially a cowboy!!! This past weekend was the Austin County Fair, and on Thursday we got to ride in the parade... on a mule-drawn covered wagon. We have close friends that own the mules and the wagon, and they were pulling it in the parade for Monk Realty here in town. So, they invited us, and the rest is history. Gabriel really liked petting the mules. He did really well during the parade, but the last 5 minutes was about all he could take. He gave me a big hug, laid his little cheek on my shoulder, then slept for over half an hour. How he could sleep with all the noise of the people, animals, trucks, tractors, sirens, etc. is beyond me!!!

Our friends came over for lunch (they're Gramma Becky and Papaw Gary to Gabriel) and then we took to the fairgrounds. Gabriel loved all the animals, especially the baby ducks. He liked the pigs, but I was too afraid he'd get bitten to let him pet the pigs! This boy has no fear of animals. I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad one. Give him a toy animal that moves or makes noise, and it will scare him silly. The real thing is just exciting and fun. Go figure!

Today we had a big storm come through, complete with wind, thunder, and lots of rain. Gabriel and I took a long afternoon nap, and I just curled up under a blanket with him and enjoyed the weather. Rainy Fall days are the best days for naps!!! Gabriel was dying to get outdoors, so I finally let him go out. He quickly changed his mind about that, but it was so cute to see him put his hand out to catch the raindrops and give me an excited but confused look! I think he would have loved going out in the rain if it hadn't gotten a little chilly. Yea for Fall!

Well, enough puttering. Time to get to some housework. Jake should be bringing home new pictures, so I'll add them tomorrow.

Happy October!!!

A new month and a new experience... Gabriel is sick for the first time :(. He has a little bronchitis, but he's already healing. I never realized how scary a high fever can be until my own little baby had one. I just prayed and prayed for it to go away! And now that it's finally gone, but I still find myself checking his little forehead to make sure. The timing was perfect, as we just found a pediatrician and already had a well-visit planned. I guess God is in the details!



On a lighter note, the weather has been so brisk in the mornings and evenings that I just can't help but spend some time outdoors. The only problem with that is that once we go out, Gabriel doesn't want to come back in! That's fine with me. I finally have someone to spend time outside with while Jake is at work. We pick up pecans, sit on the swing, chase grasshoppers, and water or look at all the flowers. In the mornings we jog and play at the park, and in the evening we check the mail and look at the withered leaves in the front yard. Gabriel loves every minute!

I just have to tell you, if you want a CD/Book to help your child learn French, we have the one for you! It's made by a company called KIDZUP and is called Comptines: picotines, rigolotes, ratatouilles, and we bought it from Petite Librarie online. It's lovely, and Jake and I love it as much as Gabriel! It is full of stories and rhymes set to music, and the voices are just wonderful. We also listen to Spanish CDs about Cri-Cri, which are equally wonderful. They are songs and stories about a little cricket, and Jake and I enjoy it immensely. I have a new French book and CD that I'll try out tomorrow, so I'll let you know what I think of it as well. [The new book is great... Jake likes it even better than the other one but I am undecided. It's called Mon imagier de l'alphabet, and the CD is beautiful as well. The artwork really could be in a gallery. We love it, and so does Gabriel!] Jake and I really want Gabriel to grow up with a foundation in English, Spanish and French so that as he gets older it will be easier for him to learn to speak fluently if the opportunity arises. I've read that the brain sorts out what sounds it needs by the time a baby is 9 months old. If you can make other languages a part of a baby's daily sounds, it is supposed to make it easier for the child to pronounce words in those languages correctly later on. We'll see... I guess he's our little experiment!

It's late, and everyone is in bed but me!!! I'll add a little picture of our little sick baby in the morning. Boy is he pathetic and cute. He just wants to be held all the time. He'll grab a little handful of my hair to twiddle, then he'll sit there and moan with his cheek against my chest. Talk about a sad little baby! Only a few days left of the medicine, and I hope to see a happy Gabriel again. Keep him in your prayers!

Surf's Up!

Gabriel had his first visit to the beach this past weekend!!! He loved watching the waves at Surfside Beach on the Gulf Coast here in Texas. The weather was perfect for a day at the coast, but we just stayed for a short visit before meeting my Grampy and dad for lunch. I took some pictures, but we have to wait for them to be developed. I'll add them to the post later. Sorry.. we're not quite all digital yet!

This past weekend, Gabriel's fourth tooth finally showed up. Gabriel was a little wiggley and fussy, but he handles new teeth very well. He wakes up a bit more in the night, but with a little cuddling (and sometimes chewing), he goes right back to sleep. Yea!

In exciting developments, Gabriel is just on the verge of crawling. He'll do a little crawling on the bed, but I think the carpet hurts his little knees. He definitely likes to push up onto his hands and knees to rock or reach for a toy, but he would rather inch worm from place to place when he needs to travel. He's so cute! And how 'bout a round of applause? Gabriel just learned to clap, and anytime he wants attention he starts clapping. We get excited and clap with him, so it has turned into a fun game for all of us!

Every week I try and teach Gabriel something totally new and exciting. Sometimes it's baking bread or cookies, other times we just experiment with new textures. I'm going to start adding a picture or two each week of our new experience, both to show all of you what he's learning and to document it for myself! I hope you enjoy the pictures this week of Gabriel playing with water in different containers and learning about what a water hose does!!!

Following in Daddy's Footsteps...

...With his first laptop! Djojie and family came for a visit and brought Gabriel the perfect present: "My First Computer!" Djojie works with Jake, and they first got to know each other in Africa (Equatorial Guinea). Now they're both here in Houston, working on the same project again. Gabriel loves his computer, although it frustrates him a bit. He loves to close it, but he hasn't figured out how to open it up. We'll keep practicing!

Djojie and his son, Joshua, went with Jake and his dad to the Aggie game last weekend. As Djojie is from Manila (the Philippines), this was his first football game! His wife, Ann, as well as their one year old, Maryann, came with Gabriel and me to College Station. We had a very nice time, and I hope we can all be good friends now that we have all finally met!!! I do have to mention that Gabriel had his first kiss from our exotic foreign visitor. Maryann and Gabriel were fast friends, and both love to give kisses. Uh-oh... we're in trouble already!

In Gabriel news, he now officially has three teeth and a fourth is just getting ready to make an appearance. He's getting very verbal, and he's on the verge of saying 'mama.' He can say 'mmma' but hasn't added that second syllable yet. He likes saying 'abu' and 'aboom,' but we aren't sure what they mean quite yet. He definitely knows what a bath and a kiss are, as those are two of his favorite things! His most recent acheivements are learning how to turn off the lights with a lightswitch and turning on and off the closet light with a pull string. He is so proud of himself!

Other than that, we just spend our time walking around the house with Gabriel, as he loves to practice walking. The weather is so nice in the mornings that we often go jogging with the jogging stroller. If Gabriel can stay awake, he is fascinated with all the birds, clouds, trees and squirrels we see on our jog. He doesn't know what to think about the horses and goats, but he wants to touch them and find out! I can't wait to see what he thinks when he finally has his first ride on a horse!

Gig 'Em Aggies!

Gabriel is practicing for Maroon Out already! As Jake was going to the game last week, we decided to tag along to College Station and have lunch with friends and family at Freebird's. If you haven't been there, they make the best burritos anywhere, and Jake and I ate a ton of them when we were going to A&M.

As for baby news, Gabriel is growing in leaps and bounds. He can play sitting up by himself, he has learned to tilt his head to the side -- left only, of course -- and he is extremely impressed with feet. His new thing is rubbing his feet together, which is especially exciting when he has shoes on and can make lots of noise! He looks like a little cricket! We listen to a children's Spanish CD with stories and songs about a cricket (Cri-Cri), so it's very appropriate! Gabriel's face just lights up with excitement when we turn on Cri-Cri!!!

Gramma and Pops came for a quick visit yesterday, and I think they brought magic fairy dust. Gabriel started babbling just before they left, and he hasn't stopped. He is making so many new noises all of the sudden, and is sooooo proud of himself. Thanks for the fairy dust! He is hilarious, but talks as if we should understand him. It's great, and I can't wait until he finally says his first real word!

I hope all is well with everyone. I am sorry I took so long to post, but Gabriel is teething again, and not falling asleep very easily. He is just about to have a third tooth, and a fourth one is not too far behind. He was eyeing our burritos at Freebirds... we had to tell him that just because he has 2 1/2 teeth, it doesn't mean he's ready for humongous burritos!

BritBoons

Back in April when we still lived in London, Angie and I took Gabriel to see where his Boon ancestors lived before they immigrated to America in 1828. (There was no 'e' on the end of our surname before my great grandfather.) It's a little town called Appledore, not too far from the coast in Kent, England. A member of the local historical society showed us around and pointed out houses that the Boons owned or leased from about 1700 to 1830.

Below is a map of all the houses, with the pictures placed exactly where we took them. You can zoom, scroll, and click on the pictures in the map below, click here to see a larger version of the map, click here to view the full-size pictures in the online album, or download the Google Earth file here.



Angie's ancestors through her mother are from England as well, but we didn't even think to look for them while we were there. Guess we'll have to go back someday!

Blogging Buddies

Speaking of buddies, Gabriel has a new buddy! His name is Baby Bear (it says so on his tummy), and he was a gift from Gramma Alice and Pops, who we went to visit in Wimberley, Texas last weekend. Gabriel loves his new little friend, and his little face just lights up when Baby Bear comes out to play. The hill country was beautiful, and Jake and I had a blast going jogging and walking in the great outdoors. We had such a relaxing weekend that it was hard to come back to the real world of working and cleaning house! Unfortunately, Gabriel isn't sleeping well in his travel chair/bed anymore, so I guess it's time to start shopping for a pack 'n play. Any advice anybody???

Now for the real reason for the post: blogging buddies. Along the right column, I've added a list of blogs I like to peek at from time to time. I'd like to especially mention The Edney Family's Tuesday Tips. Anitra has taught me a ton of little hints and shortcuts, and I just discovered her blog last week! She is an old friend from Camp Balcones Springs. I really have so much respect for her and the example she sets for kids and peers alike, although I do have to admit that I mooned her once -- sorry Anitra... it was totally Michelle P's crazy influence!!!

Speaking of Michelle, her Travels of a Lost Texan are great to read about. She always has neat stories of people she's met up in D.C.

I found Sarah Johnson Online while researching on the internet, and I really like her articles. She is described as "a London-based journalist, a mother of four children and also a birth doula and birth educator. She is writing a book for Christian parents called The Christian Parents' Toolkit."

The other blogs are of good friends and lots of baby pictures. Erich has some pretty Colorado pictures that totally make me want to go camping and hiking!!! I am way jealous, so hopefully we can do some camping with Gabriel when the weather gets a little cooler.

That's all for today. Thanks for all the pictures, advice, and stories, fellow bloggers! Have a great week, and stay clear of Hurricane Dean!!!

Cookie Monster

We had a surprise waiting for Jake when he got home the other day: cookies!!! Gabriel helped me make a batch of cookies (Cinnamon-Chip Oatmeal Nut, one of our favorites) for the first time ever! He loved putting his hands in the batter, and it was such fun to chew on the silicone spatula. No, I didn't let him taste any yet... he'll have to wait a year or two for that. He enjoyed it so much that he started to cry when it was over -- until he realized that he got to play in the sink! I had to strip him down and rinse him off from head to toe to get all the cookie dough off!


Here's a funny photo of Gabriel brushing his barely-there teeth. It's a new favorite hobby, and we have to pry the toothbrush out of his hands at bedtime!