Books!!!

Once again it's been a few weeks and a lot has changed...

Meet our even more dynamic, more talkative, and more interactive little guy. He is too fun.

Now listen here...

We were thrilled to have Jim's sister, Christine, visit us for a whole week! She came to us for her "vacation" before starting pharmaceutical school in late August (which is now). Here's hoping she's willing to come back during future school vacations. It was wonderful to have her here and Ian and I enjoyed having another person around during Jim's longgg days in internal medicine.

During her stay I was hit hard by Lymes disease symptoms and I finally went into the doctor after a second wave of symptoms hit me pretty hard. After some blood results, it turns out I did get Lymes. It was my third time... sheesh.

We tried to make the most of her time here by going to Floyd for most of a day. We went Chatteau Morrisette for her first wine tasting experience, Dogtown Pizza for some awesome earth-oven pizza, and then to the Floyd Jamboree!! I took absolutely no pictures. So lame.

 

On Jim's day off we made the most of the cold, rainy day by getting Swiss fondue ingredients and enjoying our favorite horrible weather meal. We'd never had it in August before... but hey... why not? She loved it.

Other than that we made hummus & pesto, read, chatted, went to the park with Ian when the weather permitted, and stayed hunkered down inside since it rained ALL.WEEK.LONG. We hope for better weather next time!! Please come again :)

Ian's climbing everything these days! He can climb onto the couch, the chairs, the ottoman. He tries to climb up the windows, up onto the bed, out of the tub, you name it!!! Jim often says, "He's his mama's child."

Leif is still fascinating to Ian. He follows Leif around with his mouth open, laughing and squealing. He also understands that Leif might like things that he hands him, such as sticks and, in this picture, an actual leaf. Fitting... Leif might want a leaf. Smart boy. Man's best friend at it's finest. This friendship only has room to grow :)

Notice the squat. This is new!

Thanks for the blocks, Koskers!

Lately he enjoys putting things into containers and taking them back out. Every container gets dumped, too. He, himself, likes to get into containers and spaces that will allow him to sit in or on them.

He also loves to put his ear to the ground and just listen (at least that's what we think he's doing!).

Perhaps the most exciting thing has been his love for READING!! He will get into moods of just wanting to read book after book after book. He calls them "boo" (using the short u sound) and he wants to sit nice and close, turning the pages when he wants. It is so much fun.

Sometimes he's ready for a new book before you finish the first one and you can to watch out because those books sometimes come flying at your head!! One time I was sure I'd have a bruise. That's what I get for continuing to read the first book and not paying attention!!


Best of all have been the moments when I have caught him reading to himself. All of a sudden I'll realize that the house is quiet and that I haven't heard him banging or babbling to himself. This makes my heart stop and I quickly move to see what he's doing. Terror dissipates when I find him sitting and flipping the pages of a board book back and forth, but mostly forward through the book. Joy at it's finest. He's learning to enjoy the thrill of escaping into a book.


Ian isn't quick to want to be put into the high chair or put down. Lately, he's content to either cuddle or be held. He does love to play and wrestle, knock down block towers, or explore new items on his own, it just takes him some time to decide he wants to be put down to do those things.

In order to get him into the high chair, a few enticing food items have to be placed on his tray. Raisins seem to be the reining snack these days, but he also really continues to enjoy broccoli, green beans, potatoes, bananas, bread, and any and all meats. He's quite the carnivore. He continues to breastfeed throughout the day, always before he goes down for a nap or bed and sometimes just for comfort or getting topped-off. I'm going to follow his lead for weaning.

At the playground he loves to climb the stairs and swing on the swings. Recently he discovered the "lily pad" stairs, which is what I call them because I don't know what else they should be called!! They are like a massive puzzle for Ian. He likes to try multiple ways to climb up them, squat on them, and reach with his feeler foot to the next one. What fun it is to watch him!!

One time there was a puddle at the top of one of the slides. Ian went for it and patted it with his hands, crawled away, then crawled speedily toward it, turned around, backed down the slide in one foul swoop and landed on his feet at the bottom. He turned to me with a stunned face and then smiled. That kid.

Yum. Garlic?
Not so much.

He also seems to really know his way around this playground. Once I said, "Would you like to go on the swings?" As soon as I said the word, he turned and looked toward the swings, then started crawling that direction. It's pretty far from the playground to the swing, but he crawled the whole way there and then sat with his arms stretched upward toward the swing, begging to be put into it!!

Ian's been into all sorts of different toys. This pie tin, for example, was a hit for days! Oh, the sounds it made!!

He says, "ba" for ball, "Puh-puh" for "Papa," "Mahmah" for Mama (normally when he's upset), "Ma" for more (food, water, etc.), "da" or "puh" for Leif, and "yea" for yes (sometimes). The "yea" is hard to believe, but it does normally come as an answer to a question such as, "Would you like to brush your teeth?", "Would you like to nurse?", "Can I hold you?", and other common things you ask an infant.

Diaper changes have gotten easier and getting him dressed is actually really fun! If he's on his changing pad, then he normally knows that it's time to change his diaper and he waits it out while talking to you. There have been a few times when he really didn't want to be wiped, but he's content most of the time. BUT, when it comes to dressing, I have found a new tactic (which follows the RIE approach)!!! When I put his arm in his sleeve, I say "Where is Ian's hand?" He grins, expectantly, as he reaches for my face and I kiss his hand. Repeat the other hand and his feet. LOVE it.

The next few pictures are ones I could not leave out. Ian has started to make all sorts of faces when he's frustrated, sad, or just to try them out.

Where's the baby pudge?

Uh oh...

How can you resist my face when I do this?

You can? Really? Well, fine.

What about this one?

Or this one?

Alright, alright... I'll just be content.

Ian really loves to climb into things or sit on top of things. This little red bin normally houses his kitchen toys, but Ian is quick to empty the bin and then use this as a stepping stool, of sorts. We're in trouble when he really starts using it to get things out of his reach... right now it's just a fun activity on its own.

Ian has not started walking yet, but he stands for short periods of time and easily transfers himself from furniture to wall to furniture and walks along with them. His balance is incredible to us, even at the top of the couch!!

"Um. It wasn't me."

 Last minute, Papa had the chance to go on a hike with us!! We went to our favorite place, The Cascades, and Ian rode in the Kelty backpack. The falls were super busy, so we went up to the Upper Cascades and enjoyed complete privacy and solo time by the creek. Ian took a nap in the backpack and then joined us in playing with Leif by the creek. This month has been really hard with limited time as a family, so this time was super precious to all of us.

All adventured out.

During residency, we live for days like these....

Ian's personality is certainly coming out more and more every day. We are loving the daring, adventurous, determined, thoughtful, goofball he's becoming.

Love this shot of him reaching for Jim, who's mowing the lawn.
He watched him the entire time he mowed the front yard, calling to him, waving, and reaching after him.
Jim, of course, waved back :)

Oh those baby blues... 

Ian Forrester, it's almost September. It's hard to believe you've been with us for almost a year. The joy you daily bring to our lives is nothing we could have fathomed this time last year. We are so in love. We hope you will always know how loved you are.