First Trip to the Zoo

I've been waiting for quite a while to take my baby boy to the zoo for the first time. I knew he wouldn't really get it, but he gets excited and makes his funny little noises and "o" face over almost anything. So it's nice to pretend he's actually interested in the same thing I am! I waited until it was nice fall weather, and my mom and I set out with the babe the day after Thanksgiving while all the crazies were shopping (side note: we used to be those crazies).

I got this crazy feeling part of the way through, "why the heck do I have my baby in a place where little more than chicken-wire is separating him from being something's lunch?!" But it was fun! We spent considerable time with the goats since they wouldn't hurt him, and I was going to take pictures of us inside the barn with the sheep (AND THEIR GIANT EYES THAT FREAK ME OUT), but pigeons started pooping on other people in their about the time I was going to start snapping so we high-tailed it out of there.





















The zoo trip pictures make me happy, but alas, I am sad tonight. My little man got his first real injury. I was going through the clothes in his dresser trying to pack away all the things he has outgrown. Big Anthony was in charge of little Anthony. OY. He's a typical Dad, much more lax than crazy-overprotective-mom. He was playing with baby near death-trap table that I can't stand anyway, and then the world stopped. I came into the room with more clothes, and the baby decided to let go of the table (he'd been standing holding on to it) so he could crawl towards me. He fell face first into the hard table, so hard that his face bounced back off of it, and the WORST look of shock I have ever seen crossed his face. Then he fell back (seemingly in slow motion) to the ground. Oh my God, my heart stopped. I know this sounds over-dramatic to someone who doesn't have a baby, but I was devastated. I scooped him up right about the time the shock wore off and he just started to wail. I saw blood pouring out of his mouth and a fat lip. We ran into the bathroom, and he left a bloody hand print on the bathroom door. I was trying to look in his mouth and check out his teeth (I noticed today that tooth #5 broke through), but they were obscured by the blood that was now getting on our clothes and his hands :( SADDEST DAY EVER. We both cried. I'm going to have nightmares about this.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Dad! I'm sorry we can't see you since we live a little too far down the road :) but we're thinking about you today. Can't wait to see you in December!

The baby and I decided to make you a little sign for your birthday, and he couldn't exactly get the whole holding-up-the-sign-thing down. This is what he did instead...















WE LOVE YOU!!!

Anthony 11 Months

Dear Anthony,

I'm terribly sorry for not getting around to writing your 10-month letter. I hope you'll forgive your busy mama. Due to my slip, we'll talk about your last 2 months. My, how things have changed! Your babbling occasionally sounds like real words, and sometimes you accidentally get a word out like "hi" or "yeah"...or maybe we'd just like to believe that!

Your balance is getting really good. You stand for significant periods of time unaided, but when it comes to taking that first step you would prefer to stick your butt out and let yourself collapse to the floor. That's fine with us, we're not sure if we're ready to chase you yet. You also crawl on all fours way more than you slither now. Of course that's mainly because you have pants on more often now that it's turning colder. The floor used to hurt your knees so you'd slither unless we were upstairs on the carpet. It's all cute no matter what so we love to watch you do it!

We're working on high-fiving and waving, but neither one is that developed. You seem to understand comedic timing and laugh at my jokes a lot (thanks!). We have the best time hanging out all day, and you get really sad when I leave to go to take photos. I pretty much take you everywhere else with me except work, and you love being my buddy. I treasure these days so much where you want to be with me constantly. I know one day you'll be more independent, maybe have more in common with your dad, have friends, or just think I'm plain "uncool". Now is the time for me to soak you all in!

Your top teeth are out! Your top left tooth made its appearance several days before the right one, but I think the right one has just broken through the skin now. I've been calling you all sorts of funny tooth-names because your top teeth were pushing the gums out so far before actually punching through that it was pretty comical!

You try to eat anything and everything that I'm eating. It's cute, but it sure does cut back on how much I can eat! I have to give you a bite every couple seconds or you start raising heck about it. You often get 3 bites to one of mine. But it does force me to eat extra healthy so that's good!

You still make all of your crazy baby sounds, like the whistling sound, the crazy fast-breathing noise, and the sound that makes other people think you're gasping for your last breath of air. I love it, and I try to memorize the way they all sound (since you don't like to do them on video camera).

I love you so so so so much!

Your mom

P.S. You had your first big-kid swing experience today, and you LOVED it!