Check Ups, Milestones and Partytime!

Hello Friends! 

Our hybrid baby is now 9 months old! We cannot believe what a big boy he is- little evidence remains of the infant we thought we would have around for a while.  He is a tall, babbling, smiling, belly-laughing, standing, cruising, toothed, opinionated little boy. 




I. Check up: 


We went to see Dr. H for a 9 month check up.  She still calls him Baby Hercules, and was delighted with his animation and his fast hands.  He swiped her otoscope and tongue depressor, and didn't utter a peep when she had to prick his thumb to take some blood.  This is to test for anemia; the iron stores he was born with are significantly depleted at about this age.  All is well in that regard, he still nurses and happily eats all manner of table food.  This week he tried kiwi fruit and Daddy's homemade Thai yellow curry for the first time, thumbs up to both. 


Here are the numbers: 

Weight: 21 lbs, 2 ozs (75%)

Height: 30 inches (97%)

Noggin: 48.5 cm (100%)


He has leaned out a bit, no doubt due to the level of physical activity he engages in every waking moment.  Busy busy is our Baby Bunting.  He creates a remarkable amount of noise when he crawls around the house.  It does not sound like one baby, but rather two or three hefty toddlers. 



Our nanny L put him in the box. As evidenced above, he thought it was fab. Also, note fauxhawk hair-do. Also L's work. 


He has begun to point to things, and say "dat!".  He adores his Daddy, and when he sees him or hears him in his office he says very clearly "Dahdahdah", while I am the recipient of a single, screechy "Ma!!" first thing in the morning if I am too slow on the uptake when he wants to nurse. 


II. Partytime! 


September was a very full month, with lots of parties and socializing. 


Firstly, our friend Pilar and I hosted a wedding shower for Mepher.  You will have to take my word for it when I tell you it was lovely, and a good time was had by all (except for Tucker the Golden Retriever, who watched with increasing horror as we moved his bed and toy basket, and rearranged almost every stick of furniture in the house).  Many photos were taken, but not with my camera.  Pilar's house is gorgeous, and it was a glorious, quintessentially California afternoon.  Everyone mingled and visited, and Bunting was passed from person to person, delighted with the attention and goings on. 


Auntie Amanda came down from Seattle for a few weeks; she and Bunting get along like peas and carrots. 



Meanwhile, our canine friend Logan (whose human is Auntie Jen) turned One. He had to have a birthday party, of course, complete with doggie safe mini-birthday cake: 



The party was at a park near our house that has a large, nicely appointed dog park.  Two sections, one for little dogs and one for big dogs.  Bunting loved sitting on the bench and watching the dogs frolic; in turn, the dogs love licking Bunting's toes.  He must smell and taste delicious, for every dog we meet simply cannot stay away from his feet. 


Auntie Jen is from Hawaii, and recently returned from a trip home bearing gifts for Bunting, so of course he had to wear his new shirt to Logan's party: 



III. Wedding Shower, Part Deux, and Milestones!!


When we were in L.A. for Mepher's SoCal wedding shower (more on that in a moment) Bunting decided that it was time to stand unassisted.  One moment he was cruising along the coffee table, then suddenly-- hands free!!   JKH was sitting across from him, and we gaped at each other for a moment, in disbelief.  "Did you see that!?!?!"  


The video below provides just a brief glimpse of solo standing, but gives an excellent illustration of how powerfully this boy wants to be vertical: 



Gone are the days when he would pull himself to a standing position and then not know how to get down.  Up and down, up and down all day long. Side note: I recently found Mepher's baby book.  Guess how old she was when she stood solo for the first time?  9.5 months.  How old was Bunting?  9.5 months.  Freaky!  Side side note: Mepher took her first steps at 10.5 months old.  Aaaack!!!

Enjoy it while it lasts, ima gonna be walking soon. 


While in L.A. he also sprouted his 8th tooth (the fourth one on the bottom, he is now balanced, four on top and four on bottom). This combined with us sharing a room resulted in a largely sleepless night for me, which I did not deal well with.  He was absolutely furious that I was in the same room, but not picking him up IMMEDIATELY!  He made it clear that he found the service to be severely lacking. Bunting has been sleeping through the night for many months, I am a wuss and a crankpot when it comes to being up in the middle of the night. I agonized so much over moving him into his own room way back when.  Well- it turns out sharing a room with him is hell.  


Thank god for sisters!  Mepher came and fetched Mister Fusspot Whinypants at 6:00am, she and her FMIL (future Mother in Law) and Bunting schmoozed and visited and had a nice leisurely breakfast while I slept for another hour and a half. Man, that extra 90 minutes of sleep was a game changer.  Hallelujah! 

I am an angel always and have no idea why you are lying to these nice people. 


We flew to L.A. for a wedding shower hosted by good friends of Mepher's in-laws to be. 
Bunting loved the airplane, lots of interesting things to look at, and as always-- he and Mepher make their own fun. 


I love to bounce! 


The shower was beautiful. The weather was warm, L.A. was in the throes of a heat wave when we were there, the day after we departed it was 113 degrees.  It was wonderful to meet so many friends and relatives who in many cases have known and loved Josh since before he was born, and are so very excited about the wedding. They adore Mepher (so they have good taste as well!) and were of course smitten with Bunting, who is something of a sneak preview of potential coming attractions, as it were.  


I got a chance to properly visit with Josh's parents, who graciously hosted us at their home.  They are wonderful people, funny and warm, and we are so excited to welcome them into our family. 

Four Horns and a Horn to be 


As we were preparing to depart, Bunting was staring out of the window intently.  Windows are one of his favorite things nowadays, so no big surprise.  



He was patting the window and babbling, so I peeked outside. 

He had made a new friend.  This fellow waved enthusiastically until it was time to depart.
Airport tableau: 

Neither is a fan of waiting at airports


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As the wedding draws nigh, the excitement and anticipation are slowly building to a giddiness inducing level.  I am so very happy for my sister, she deserves every drop of happiness that this life has to offer, and I am so delighted that we are big fans of her future husband.  This is not always the case, especially when siblings are as close as we are. Plus, FRK and I eloped, this is the first wedding I have been a part of. 


Concurrently, my general state of subsonic sadness has recently morphed into brief but acute bouts of overwhelming grief and mourning for those who will not be there. Sometimes I feel like it is all just too much- but then I see this sweet face, and I feel like I can breathe again and my heart once again fills to the very brim and then some. My cup doth runneth over. 

It's On Like Donkey Kong

Greetings, friends of Bunting. 
It's been a shamefully long time, has it not? 
"Where have you BEEN!?" you demand to know. 
"Why have we not been updated on the adventures of our favorite hybrid baby?!" 


One guess, gentle readers. One guess. 



This is how it is nowadays around Casa De Bunting. Or should I say Casa de Bunting, Y Los Padres Muy Cansados. For you non-native Californians who don't have Spanglish running through your veins: The House Where Bunting and His Very Tired Parents Live, also known as House Where One Energetic Boy Child Careens Through Life With Unmitigated Glee and A Total Lack Of Caution Whilst His Parents Reevaluate Their Position On Leashes For Children. 

Why yes- while scrounging through the 'to be shredded' file I got my sleeve stuck, and simply crawled out of it. That doesn't happen to you?

Life is joyful and busy 'round these parts. Several very exciting developments have occurred since we last visited. 

Hey there. Come here often?

 

I. Standing

About 2 weeks ago, FRK decided that we URGENTLY needed to lower the crib mattress.

So we did. And not a moment too soon, for we went to fetch him from his nap, and lo and behold

Now he just wants to be vertical. All. The. Time. 

 

At storytime, taken by our nanny L

The look on his face when he pulls himself up that last inch and locks his knees; it is absolutely priceless.  Sheer glee and accomplishment and pride and orneriness. 

Verticality has really broadened his horizons, there is so much more stuff to investigate that he didn't notice before. He riffles through our bookcases, recycling, handbags...left to his own devices it looks like our house was tossed by Mafia henchmen. 

Look at that giant noggin and those yummy feet. 

II. Cuttlefish

Bunting began 'swim lessons', and his level is called Cuttlefish. Which we love. Cuttlefish are very smart and clever. 

Great documentary. 

Our little Cuttlefish was- dare I say it- yes, I think I will. This is the Bunting Chronicles, we are allowed to be partisan. 

Our boy was the star of the class. Singing songs, practicing kicks, 'big arms'- our boy loved them all. As did most of the babies (with the exception of one little boy, who shrieked the entire time). What set our boy apart are his dunking skills. He is the valedictorian of dunking. Proof: 

Daddy is so very proud, let me tell you. 

III. More Herbie

Our canine friend Herbie has been staying with us once again while Jill (his human) is vacationing in Vietnam.  The last time he came to visit Bunting didn't seem very interested, but this time he is quite intrigued by our little furry friend. Herbie is a very good dog; he is friendly, but gives the baby a wide berth. Bunting has largely forsaken 'talking' in favor of dramatic gross motor development, but when Herbert is around he babbles non-stop at him. We love having a dog in the house, but wouldn't dream of adding a dog to our family at this point; having Herbie visit for 3 weeks is the best of both worlds. 

Isn't this a lovely photo? 

Bunting loves his Gigi, and boy oh boy does she love him. 

He thinks his Mamaji is hilarious. See for yourself: 

 

Yet another milestone- his first birthday party goody bag: 

Admiring the handsome baby in the mirror: 

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The other day Gigi was over for dinner; she is a big Al Pacino fan, but had never seen Carlito's Way (Which is a great movie. And Gigi talks to the screen, which is fantastic. "Don't do it, he is a no good bastard!"). 

The genesis of Bunting really begins with this movie. FRK and I met in the 8th grade at Fisher Junior High, 'dated' for one summer when we were 15, but then he went back to Virginia, and we didn't see each other for some time. One fateful day in 1993 we went to see a movie together, ended up holding hands during the film (scandalous!) and the rest, as they say, is history.

And so we pay homage to the movie which started it all:

And now we rest. 

Commando

Not this Commando: 

But this. 
Behold, the debut of "Bunting Adds the Commando Army Crawl to His Repertoire of Locomotion Styles"



When speed is of the essence, Upside Down Inchworm is still the crawling style of choice. I don't have footage of this speedier version of the Inchworm, because I am usually too busy sprinting over to confiscate whatever contraband he is hustling toward to fetch the camcorder. 


The speed of his skills acquisition has reached dizzying, impressive, horrifying levels.  Every 24 hours that elapses brings with it a new accomplishment. Every 24 hours FRK and I must debrief and recalibrate what we can and cannot do with this boy. 

To Wit: 


Places we can safely leave him unsupervised- 
1. His Crib
2. Command Center
3. Changing Table
4. Bumbo
5. The middle of the floor 


In the time it took me to compose this update, several locales were crossed of the list. 


Changing table: He flips over, even when strapped in, and then wiggles out of the belt. This maneuver takes about 9 seconds.

Bunny snuggle time, back before he took to flinging himself off of high surfaces

The Bumbo: Our boy is top heavy, on account of the giant noggin.  He has figured out how to rock back and forth, and then, leading with his head, he flings his body forward, tipping the Bumbo over and crashing onto his face (which does not faze him one bit). He then commando crawls towards freedom (or more often, towards a precipice of some sort), with the Bumbo still attached to his bum. It's a bit Jeff Goldblum from "The Fly". 

Bye bye Bumbo table time

Hello crazy daredevil stuntbaby nonsense

The middle of the floor: No need to explain that one. 

he loves shoes

Bunting trifecta: 1) escaped the living room, 2) shoehorn, 3) Mama's shoe

As children- and to a lesser degree to this day- my sister and I were night and day in terms of personality. I needed, and continue to need, a fair amount of alone time. My sister was/is horrified by the prospect of being alone and without company, without something to do. I enjoyed sitting and quietly reading, with our cat as company; Mepher invented activities such as "I bet I can do 100 cartwheels in a row", "I wonder what it would be like to ride my tricycle off of the carport" and "Hey! Let's spin in circles until we are so dizzy we fall down, then once we recover, let's do it again!"  


Our childhood can be summed up like so: Sue Ann sits in a chair, reading a book. Mepher watches, trying to be as patient and quiet as she can be. After about 3 minutes, she can bear it no longer, and begins to inch over toward her sister. Sue Ann shoots her a "don't you even think about it" look. After about 5 more minutes, Mepher has reached her breaking point: with tears in her throat, she wails "Can we PLEASE dooooooooooo something! This is so boring!" 


If there was a soundtrack of my life as a sister it would be: Can We Please Do Something: Reading is So Boring, Volumes I and II.


From the day he was born, Bunting has resembled Mepher quite a bit, and as it turns out, it is not limited to looks. 

Bunting is just like her as a baby; uber social, always happy, and a non-stop bundle of energy and motion. This is a source of both great joy and consternation to me. 

Let's DO something!!!!

I know that firstborns (especially when sibs are almost 5 years apart) sometimes struggle with the birth of a sibling, resenting the fact that they have been de-throned, and adult attention diverted.  I requested a sibling, a sister very specifically, and was deeply gratified when (in my 4.5 year old opinion) my request was granted. Watching my sister laugh and play with my baby boy is an indescribably magical thing. At the same time, watching the two of them gleefully carry on is exhausting. FRK and I are already plotting activities to channel Bunting's energy in the future. Both Grandpa Tom and Uncle Josh are water polo guys, and have designs on introducing Bunting to the sport. It's a nice rigorous activity- definitely on the list.  Soccer, too. Lots of running. 

FRK and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary on July 3rd.  Bunting spent the day with Mepher at her place in San Francisco, and we spent the afternoon in the city.  We visited the California Academy of Sciences for the first time (fantastic), ate 'stinky tofu' at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants (don't knock it 'til you've tried it), walked around North Beach. It was a lovely day...I love that man so much. I worried a lot about how having a baby would change our relationship. We have been a couple for almost 17 years, we have known each other since 1988 (It's very cool that we have known each other far longer than we have not. I know; kinda ridiculous and juvenile, kinda awesome). Introducing another person into our duo was a little scary. 


So the upside of waiting 16 years to have a child is that we were so very ready. We are now a trio. And it is amazing. This man, whom I have known since he was a 13 year-old smart-ass at Fisher Junior High is now the father of my child. And what a father he is. 

I come home from work, and this is what I see. Sweet mercy. 

Our canine friend Herbie (aka Herbert or The Pres) came to stay with us, whilst his human (our friend Jill) was visiting family in Oregon.  The Pres is a very well behaved fellow, and he loves our back yard, it is a terrier wonderland, what with the ubiquity of squirrels and blue jays and things to investigate.  Herbie and Bunting found one another moderately interesting.  It was so nice to have a dog in the house again; we miss having a furry friend in the mix. 

wiped out by a long day of napping on the couch and harassing squirrels

We spent the night at Elkhorn with Grandpa T (Mamaji was in Seattle, visiting Amanda), and he and Bunting got some good bonding time in. 

Bunting tried Grandpa's famous salmon for the first time- two thumbs up

Bunting loved the cows this time 

Fellas hanging out and planning projects with power tools

First hay bale encounter

While Mamaji was in Seattle she purchased this adorable "Wheely Bug" for Bunting, and he just loves it. A bee for our little busy bee. 

He continues to try new foods with gusto. He has added to his repertoire salmon, turkey, parsnips, plums, spinach, avocado, raspberries, blueberries (huge hit), oranges, mango, sticky rice, bean thread noodles, Greek yogurt, Thai green curry (Daddy thought this a great idea, Mommy not so much, but it turned out that he: A) LOVED IT, and B) was no worse for the wear), potatoes. All were given a thumbs up. He loves eating actual little chunks of food, he is definitely wearying of the smooth purees. 


He took his inaugural spin in a shopping cart while at Costco. 

Every time we passed by a table handing out samples of food he would screech and lunge, giving all passerby the impression that he was desperately, ravenously hungry. Indeed, one of our fellow Costco shoppers felt compelled to inform me that "Bless his heart, that child is hongry!" That is not a typo. Pronounced like that, with emphasis. HAWWWWWWN-gree.  Because you know- he looks like a kid that is not fed on a regular basis. Well, suffice it to say that despite that fact that he had just nursed and was so full that I could actually hear milk sloshing in his stomach, in short order he was happily nibbling on bits of Ritz cracker and garbanzo bean, fished out of a tiny cup of soup. Though I did wait for him to be quiet before I offered him his spoils, much to our new friend's confusion. "That baby is WAITIN' for you!". I explained to her that I didn't want to respond to him shrieking, thus reinforcing the yelling thing (Applied Behavior Analysis!), and she of course just looked at me like I was not only the type of person who would starve her kid, but was maybe just plain crazy. Can't win 'em all.


He definitely recognizes individuals now, and when he sees one of his tribe, he rewards them with a big, squinty eyed smile.  He loves his Gigi, and grins when he sees her; the feeling is definitely mutual. 

He has a special smile for his Mama, which has never been captured on camera, for she is far too occupied smothering him with kisses to remember to grab it. 

Every day we declare that we can't imagine loving him more than we do at that very moment, only to be proven wrong the very next day. Becoming parents has opened up a chamber in our hearts that we didn't even know existed. 

Day One