March 2009

This is me.  I'm 6 months old now.

March 31st Update: What a month! Austin turned six months old on the 11th, and celebrated with a number of big firsts. He tasted his first solid food, rice cereal (this doesn't count the carrot and apple that Nana let him chomp on when he was first teething) on the 13th. He tried to suckle the first mouthful, and then immediately understood that he should eat like Daddy by chewing up and down. This month he has enjoyed pears, apples, broccoli, sweet potato, parsnip, and zucchini. He is a good eater and has liked everything so far. Another big first is that he went for breakfast with Grandpa, which is a weekend routine that Andrew remembers from being a boy. Austin was well behaved and adored by all the people in the restaurant. All month he has been practicing standing! He is able to push his little legs up, with a little support balancing his upper body. He is so proud of himself and always looks towards us with a big smile when he does it. On the 14th, we felt the first little tip of his bottom left tooth. During the next week, both his bottom teeth pushed their way in to the world and he now has two cute little partial teeth. His cheeks have been red, he hasn't complained at all, and we think the top ones are starting to come too. Boy, can he chomp! On the 17th, Austin went to U of T to participate in a language development study. He had to sit on Mommy's lap and respond to lights and sounds. Mommy couldn't hear what he was hearing, since she had to wear massive headphones, but the scientists said that he was laughing at the sounds and that he provided them with some good data. He earned a certificate stating he is now a Junior Scientist. On the 26th, we took him to the park and put him in the baby swing. He was very tired and not really in the mood, but ended up loving it, and Mommy and Daddy took over a hundred pictures. We have been working on improving Austin's eczema on an ongoing basis this month. Nana and Papa have both done a lot of research, and we saw a naturopath as well as our family doctor. The best treatment so far has been lots of long baths with tons of moisturizer. His skin has gone from bumpy and scaly to almost perfectly smooth over the month. You will see the difference in the pictures where his head is all cut up. Finally, Austin is a big talker, just like his Daddy was. He is constantly going on "da-da-da-da-da…" even when he is by himself in his crib. Andrew even saw him doing this in his sleep once.

I built this neat fort from these cushions

Hey, Dad, when I'm bigger I'm going to take a picture 
of you on YOUR potty and put it on the web too.

I love yellow things

I have two kitties too, just like in this book

First Rice Cereal.  Mom thinks I ate it all but Dad helped too.

Wow, that was hard work...

...but empty at last...

...always feels good to have my laundry done.

First sweet potato...

...is this safe to eat?

Laying around with Bella

Flying high in my Jolly Jumper

Give me that...

...I didn't mean on the head!

I always let The Bellinator beat me up because I'm bigger than her

Hmmmm. Bella is missing some parts...

Going underwater is FUN!!!

I get hand-washed in the sink right now..

...but when I'm bigger, will I go in the dishwasher?

Daddy with his Daddy and Mommy

I have to keep my eye on Great Grandma or she'll start kissing me again

Cousin Kayla and Uncle Frank

Great grandma sure looks interesting

Oh oh.  Now what?  Not some more kissing...

...now it's Aunt Gloria this time.

You may laugh now, Uncle Ryan, but wait until I get more teeth...

Look, Aunt Robin, look and see.  See Spot run.  Run Spot! Run!  Oh oh.  No Spot, no.  Run Balzac, run!

Why do they keep flashing that thing at me?

I'm tired from playing in the park with Daddy but we had FUN

I bet they won't do this to Great Grandma when SHE starts teething...

Preparing for blastoff

Dad raises me high onto the launch pad

I love pulling G's!

Wheeee!

requesting permission to land...

That was fun!

That's Nana's friend Joy