Weeee!

Weekend with Grandparents

I was able to see both sets of grandparents this weekend, which made for fun times and me getting lots of attention. On Saturday, after my parents took me to the garden center (again), we met up with my Grammie and Papa at their house for a few hours. Grammie bought a baby swing that she hooked up to the playground outside, so I got to swing for a while and go down the slide a few times with my Dad. It was fun! For dinner, we went to my parent’s favorite BBQ place, Jim ‘N Nicks, where I got to eat two whole cheese biscuits all to myself! It was possibly the most fantastic tasting thing I’ve ever had in my life. Then Mom fed me some mashed potatoes with gravy (Mmmm!), mac-n-cheese (Mmmm!), mandarin oranges (Mmmm!), and a little bit of jarred stuff too. Talk about a carb overload…It’s no wonder I had plenty of energy the following day! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to have any of Mom’s brisket because it’s too chewy and my molars aren’t in yet. But the stuff I did eat was fantastic and by the time we left, I was about to pop. Man, was it good eats! And my hair was standing up on end because of all the food I had successfully mashed into it. On Sunday, I went to my Gram and Bobpy’s house for dinner and got to see them, my Uncle Todd (that guy’s crazy!) and my Aunt Lisa, my great Nana A., and my second-Uncle Judd. It was a good time and as usual, I was the center of attention. My parents also walked me over to the neighborhood playground before dinner and I got to go down the slide again with my Dad. So the weekend, although low-key, was a good one!

Baby Development: I clapped after I went down the slide with my Dad, because I enjoyed it so much. Mom and Dad don't know where I learned that from, but Dad suspects I might have copied him since he claps whenever I do something impressive!

Me and My Dad

We had a fun trip to the garden center on Sunday! I got to splash in a fountain, but Dad wouldn't let me go swiming in it...

Dress for Success

So my Dad usually dresses me for school in the morning because Mom is scrambling to get out the door to go to work (she works three 10 hour days and has to get in by 7:00!). Much to Mom’s dismay, she often picks me up from school to find me wearing an assortment of mismatched articles of clothing with clashing colors. Well, yesterday was no exception. Dad put me in grey sweatpants with yellow stripes, mustard yellow and navy socks, an olive green t-shirt that you can see me wearing in yesterday’s post and boy was Mom was mortified. I’m only one of three boys in a class full of girls and all of the girls are immaculately dressed. She was sure to tell the teachers that she was not responsible for such nonsense. But Mom wasn’t as embarrassed as me…how can the ladies take me seriously if I look like I came straight from a trailer park? As I’ve mentioned before, I already have a baby mullet right now, so I’ve got to work extra hard to make up for that. So needless to say, Mom dressed me this morning…she put me in a sharp orange, navy, and white polo with navy pants and guess what…navy socks! The orange matched my hair and I looked good…so Dad, take note…and maybe get a few pointers from my Uncle Brent… He knows what’s up…he knows how to dress for the ladies…

Speaking of ladies, I had a really funny moment at the doctor earlier this week that I forgot to mention. Mom and I were in the waiting room and two ladies were sitting with this baby in a beautiful ice blue smocked dress…or what looked like a dress. I was looking at the baby and Mom says, “See the pretty girl? Do you see the pretty girl?” Um, yeah I see her…actually mom probably repeated that three or four times and the lady just smiled. Well…then the nurse came in and called ‘Billy’ and the lady and the ‘pretty girl,’ otherwise known as Billy, got up and followed the nurse. Oops! Mom thought Billy was a frilly girl! My question to you is this…what mother would dress their boy in a romper that looks like a dress with smocking? That’s just wrong. Thankfully, my Mom knows the importance of looking cool…even if you’re only 10 months old.

Changing topics, you’ll notice me holding my little redheaded buddy, Leo, in the picture. Grammy got that for me in New York on her trip last week. Everywhere she travels, she’s going to take Leo and snap a picture of him on his adventures! Cool. But the really cool thing is my buddy has hair just like mine…red. And the hair is plastic and has a flip in the front which makes for a nice thing to chew on because it’s shaped like my sippy cup. So that’s fun.

Food is Good

I know I've been a little slack about the blogs lately...my apologies. When you live life in the fast lane, it's difficult to find a spare minute or two! As usual, I've got a lot going on and I've got many accomplishments and updates to share...

We all know I love food. That's been established. Cheese especially. I can consume a block of cheese in the matter of milliseconds. It hardly hits my plate and it's already down the pie-hole. But you know what I like almost just as much???? Raspberries!!! They totally trump bananas and I never thought that would come out of my own mouth, because we all know how much I like those! And boy are raspberries messy, which makes them that much better...they're Mom's favorite fruit too and she says it's a total sacrifice to hand over these over-priced fruits to her little shnookie (me) and not get to eat them herself. Dad tries to eat them, but Mom fusses at him because there are only a precious few per over-priced container. I can go through one in an entire sitting, if she let me, but she makes me pace myself. So we tried to buy blueberries, another favorite, but they didn't have any at the store for the third week in a row...so Mom thought we'd try these and now they will be a weekly must have on the shopping list. Mandarin oranges are also fantastic and I go nuts when mom opens the container before she feeds them to me... I've had no allergies or reactions to worry about from oranges, so Mom gave me the green light. Shovel it in, lady!

I also got to eat part of a cheese spud with real bacon from McAllister's this past weekend. BACON IS THE BOMB!!! Mom hasn't let me have meat until recently, and boy was it worth the wait! I'm also a pretty big fan of pot roast, which I tried for the first time this week too (Thanks Grammie). I can't wait to sink my teeth into a piece of steak, like a rib eye...or a New York Strip...or a Filet Mignon...or a Porterhouse...Mmmmmm....

Food is a big part of my day, as I'm sure you noticed...and I'm proud to say that I'm weighing a healthy and stout 22 L-B's (and some change, but Mom forgot how much). All my hearty eating is paying off.

On another subject, I'm mighty active these days. The food is fueling all my energy! I can crawl faster than a speeding bullet. I'm standing on my own every opportunity I get. I'm getting into everything at the house and I keep my parents on their toes! I'm talking a lot...trying to say doggie, Bella, and Bianca (See my new greyhound bib from Grammie!)...and I'm getting really good at my dance moves. I'm also waving at every stranger I pass when I'm out shopping. I get a lot of reactions out of that one. In fact, Mom and I went shopping a few days ago and a man who worked at a furniture shop thought I was so precious, he gave me the teddy bear in the store display! Now that's the power of cute!

Trip to the Botanical Gardens

Mom and I had a great day yesterday...the weather was awesome, so we took a little trip to the Botanical Gardens. Unfortunately, we realized that the entire city of Birmingham decided to go to the gardens and enjoy the nice weather also, because this week is Spring Break. We had to fight the masses to get around, but it was still a fun outing. I was a little crabby, as you can see in my pictures, because it was getting close to my afternoon nap and snack time...we only stayed for a little bit, but just enough time to see the Japanese gardens and say hello to a goose and a few carpe the color of my hair that were in the Japanese pond. The goose was very interesting to look at, and I tried to wriggle out of my Mom's hands so I could get closer to him, but she wouldn't let me down to pet him...That goose looked like he wanted me for a snack!

Then we headed home, where I took a nap...was woken up by one of the greyhounds...was soothed back to sleep by my Mom...and then woken up again by the ice cream truck man. Mom was about to take my baseball bat across the street and crack some heads. But we ended up going to Home Depot instead. All in all, it was a great day.

Got Me Lucky Charms

(You think that's crude? You should have seen it before Mom edited it!)
Okay…so maybe I’m also German…and a little French…and a little Scottish…and English…and Swedish or Swiss or Danish (We’re not really sure)…HECK, I could even be Russian for all I know (cool!), because my Papa was adopted, but I’ve got red hair and my Grammie was a McMahon and we have a little Irish on my Mom’s side too, so there was cause to celebrate my lineage! Therefore, on an important holiday such as St. Patrick’s Day, I felt it necessary to mark the occasion with a major baby development. Yesterday morning, before my Mom and I went to meet my Gram, Aunt Lisa, and Mrs. Johnson for a lovely Mexican lunch at Coquina Superior at Brookwood Mall…’cause who doesn’t like a little rancho beans and tortillas on St. Patty’s Day… I stood on my own! I was holding on to my mom’s leg and I simply let go and hovered in the air! Maybe it was my St. Patrick’s lucky charms…or the rebellious leprechaun in me that craved living on the wild side (In folklore, “Leprechauns usually take the form of men who enjoy partaking in mischief”), but I balanced for 3 whole seconds without support. I did it again last night, when Dad came home from work so he could see my impressive new skill. I also said a new word twice yesterday…”bye bye”…and I’ve been practicing my hand waves non-stop to go with it. So it was a big day…and a fun first St. Patty’s day. I’m hoping next year my parents will let me try a little green root beer to make it complete.

So I didn’t see any of me feller’ leprechauns running around at the mall yesterday, or a big pot of gold or rainbows for that matter. Maybe next year!

Copy Cat

I've got a fun game that I've started doing with my Mom. She starts out making a funny noise with her mouth...something that sounds like a baby noise I'd make. Hey, that sounds like fun! I look at her really excited and copy the exact same noise she makes. Then I bop up and down a few times waiting for the next noise. So she does it again and I copy it! I'm pretty good at this game. Dad thinks it's fun too and always joins in. So we all sit around staring at each other and making weird noises...It's the coolest game ever.

Future Baby Celebrity

Mom and I went grocery shopping today and this lady approached us and told my mom something very interesting…she said that her friend, who has a redheaded baby and lives in Los Angeles, has been approached multiple times and given business cards by random people, saying they could get her redheaded baby in movies and to give them a call. SERIOUSLY, Lady? That’s all you needed to say…I’m packing my diapers, bottles, and baby wipes and getting the heck out of town and taking a little road trip. See ya, small potatoes Alabama, Golden State, here I come! I mean, we all know I was born to be a super star and this hair has always proved fruitful in getting me plenty of attention. Mom knew since day one - even before I was born - when she saw me do a crazy high kick during the ultrasound, that I was destined for showbiz…not so much a Dancing With the Stars high kick, mind you, but a Chuck Norris or Jackie Chan karate kick! Hi-ya! So now I’m thinking that I’d better get my baby photo portfolio together and submit a few head shots to various agencies…and maybe get a manager…and a personal stylist…and a body guard or two to keep off the crazed lady fans…yeah. Then maybe I’ll write an autobiography about my rise to stardom…Heston: A Redheads Rise to Celebrity Greatness. Who wouldn’t want to read that??? New York Times best seller, right there…

On another note, I’m getting really good at several new skills I’ve recently developed. Another lady at the grocery store waved at me today and I waved back. I’ve been working on that one with my Mom and with my teachers at school. I’m also able to spit my food out of my mouth intentionally and it’s not just when I blow raspberries as I eat. I can squeeze chewed and mashed up food out of my mouth with my tongue like it’s a Play-Doh Fun Factory! It’s pretty cool, because the food extracts out of my mouth in the shape that I form my lips! Mom and Dad get really upset with me when I do that.

I have a bunch of new things I like to eat. Yogurt is awesome…mix it with a little pureed fruit and you’ve got yourself the best darn meal ever. Zwieback toast is quite tasty and I can munch on that contently for a long time. My grandpa tore off some small pieces of his French bread from dinner. That was beyond delicious and they disappeared into my mouth the minute they hit my food tray. I also got to have a yummy chicken noodle casserole that my Gram cooked last night and it was awesome…and guess what was cooked in it…CHEESE! My favorite. There have been many family members concerned about my cheese consumption and it resulting in getting me 'backed up'. After eating half a block of cubed cheese as a snack yesterday (well, maybe not that much) and a cheesy noodle-y casserole for dinner last night and I still managed to load up 3 dirty diapers today, I can assure those concerned individuals we have no problems in the poopy department, thank you very much.

Another Doctors Visit

Well, I went back to the doctor AGAIN...and this time, Mom got bad news. I have an ear infection in both ears! I've been cranky the past few days, been waking up at night several times, which I never do anymore, and Mom noticed I had a low grade fever two separate days. Mom called the doctor to voice her concerns and then Grammie noticed that I was grabbing at my ears when she babysat me on Tuesday. Those symptoms added to the fact that I'm still battling this never-ending cough & congestion, the doctor decided I'd better get a check-up just to be on the safe side. Sure enough, she found the ear infection, so I'm on a different antibiotic this time. The good news is, I've gained 1 lb. and 10 ounces since my last visit...now I'm 21 lbs. and 10 ounces, baby! The doctor commented on what a big boy I am...why yes I am, dollface, and I'm only gonna get bigger!

Progress Update: I'm moving around a lot and getting into everything. I'm also throwing tantrums hourly these days...Like swatting at my parents hands when I'm mad, pitching a fit when I want something to eat or drink, spitting my food out if it's nasty, throwing my juice cup when I'm angry, and flailing my hands and screaming demon-sounding noises when I'm really frustrated, etc. Everywhere I go, people still say what a happy smiley baby I am, but they also always ask my Mom if I have the redheaded 'temperament' to go with my hair...Mom always says I'm a sweetie, but "YES!!!" What can I say, I'm feisty!

Favorite Snack Update: CHEESE! Not just in grits or potatoes either...give it to me plain! Mom cubes them up into tiny bites and I grab fistfuls and cram them in my mouth. Beg all you want, doggies, you're not getting my cheese cubes. That's one food I won't share! And mom can't give it to me fast enough...Turns out, I am a little like my Mom after all, because Mom says she could live off cheese alone (and maybe a little red wine too). I'm also really into these organic animal crackers my Grandpa gave me...they are crumbly and I munch on them and they keep me content for an hour (so Mom and Dad love them too!)

Hair Update: Yep, it's still orange...not to worry, but I've got some pretty cute looking wispy curls coming in on the back of my head. It's still pretty sparse up front and it sort of looks like a middle aged man sporting a mullet...you know, 'business in the front, party in the back.' If only I could just grow a motorcyle cop 'stache,' I'd really look the part. But Mom thinks the curls will come in all over eventually and I'll look like a 'glowing' cherub (with an occasionally devilish personality). Cool. As long as it doesn't resemble Carrot Top! I'm also starting to twirl the hair on the back of my head, now that it's getting a little longer, just like my Dad does...it's a habit that is apparently genetic!

Enjoying the Spring Sunshine: Trips to the Zoo & 'The Ranch!'

One week after having Snow, we are enjoying sunny Spring weather in the 70’s! This weekend was gorgeous and I got to spend plenty of it outdoors, which was a welcome change from the day-in-day-out routine of being holed-up inside!

On Saturday, Mom made me keep my normal morning schedule of playtime, bathing, breakfast (3-cheese grits and a banana! Sweet!), and a nap. After I woke up, we went over to the rug place and Mom and Dad picked out another two rugs for the house, so I’d have more cushy surface area to crawl on…Yay! (Mom says: Rugs are a friggin steal right now!) So we came home, I ate my lunch, and then I took my early afternoon nap. When I got up, we went back to the rug place…AGAIN…to return one of them because it didn’t work out…and switched it for another one. By this time, I was getting antsy! Finally, Mom and Dad took me to the Zoo. We planned on going to the ranch to see Bobpy, but it was getting too late in the day to drive out to Saginaw, so we decided to save that until Sunday.

The zoo was awesome…lots of smelly & funny looking animals to gawk at, but I was actually more interested in people watching…especially the kids! When we arrived, it was PACKED and we waited in line. Mom and Dad bought season passes, so there will be many more fun trips to the zoo, since we live 2 minutes away from it. While we were in line, mom realized that it was really sunny and she didn’t bring my sunscreen…I had my ranger hat, but nothing to protect my fair red-headed skin on my arms and legs…hello, Mom!!! Mom shamelessly asked a woman in front of her if she could borrow sunscreen. The Dad standing next to the lady was a redhead like me, so they were more than willing to help a broth-a out! Thanks, dude. I owe you one.

My favorite animals at the zoo were the monkeys…they have toes like me and are crazy like me…but their bottoms are funny looking. Thankfully, mine doesn't look like that! One thing they did that I thought was cool was swing from their tails, like it was a third arm. I wish I had one of those!

Sunday, I went to church for the second time…Mom and Dad put me in the nursery…I wasn’t too crazy about that, but my Buddy from school showed up, so that was pretty cool. We hung out and had a good time checking out the pretty chicks dressed up in their frilly pink Sunday dresses. Mom dressed me up in my smooth charcoal jumper with white booties one last time before it officially gets packed away (I'm almost too big for it already!), so I'm sure I had a few admirers myself...

After church, we took the dogs to the ranch to see Bobpy and my Great Nana A. and Great uncle Scott showed up and we had a fun time. I got to feed the horses and the donkey, Jack, a few carrots and I had some myself, too (sort of...I attempted to chew it). Then I got to play in the grass and managed to sneak in a few mouthfuls of grass, leaves, dirt, and clovers. Not bad tasting! So all in all, it was a stellar weekend. I love spring and look forward to many more days outside! Mom says if the weather holds up this week, we can go to the botanical gardens…sweet!

If You're Happy And You Know It...

...Toot in your Dad's Hands! That's the song Mom's been singing since last night. Right after dinner last night, I was a mess and coated with food, so Dad went to give me a bath. I got naked (yeah! Fun times!) and Dad was carrying me to the tub. My buns were in his hands, bare cheeks and all, and I accidently let one rumble. Oops! Did I do that? My bad... Dad let out a squeal like one of the crazy greyhounds...and Mom heard it from the other room and was wondering what all the ruckus was about. It was pretty funny!!!

Snow Monkeys and Space Aliens

Yesterday, I woke up to an amazing sight...a winter wonderland of fresh powdery snow! I've sorta seen snow before...snow flurries were falling in St. Louis around Thanksgiving time went I went to visit, but it didn't stick to the trees and ground like it did here! It was so cool! Mom and Dad didn't think it would happen because the forecasts are always wrong...in fact, Mom said that the day it snows in Birmingham, "Space aliens will drop down from the skies." COOL!!! I can't wait to see that!
My parents brought out my old Halloween monkey costume and bundled me up in it...it's the warmest thing I own (and technically, it wasn't made exclusively for halloween anyway). So I was a snow monkey. I took a few pics with my Dad, but Mom wasn't wearing makeup, so she refused to take one (and is now regretting not getting a family photo that our neighbor offered to take! Boo!) I can't wait until I'm old enough to play in it...but Dad did help me build a baby snow ball to throw at
Mom, so that was cool.