Quack Quack! (Happy Halloween!)

It's the Great Pumpkin...

Just in case you can't tell, the fourth pumpkin is me, Matthew. I am the Great Pumpkin. Mommy guest directed this video. I got this sweet disguise from Cousin Marcy. Tomorrow, from what everyone is informing me, is Halloween. Apparently, I'm supposed to dress up in a disguise, go to my neighbor's houses, and demand a trick and/or treat. I have no idea why I'm supposed to do this, but I'll go along with it anyway. Actually, I think I'll just do a dress rehearsal this year and ride around in my wagon...no bothering the neighbors. I can't eat treats anyway. As far as my disguise, or costume, is concerned for my first Halloween... you'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see it. Yes, that means I will be posting an exclusive, action-packed, not-to-be-missed, weekend blog. Don't miss it!

And guess what? I get to stay home with Mommy today! Daddy is unavailable. I believe I overheard him saying that he was going to the local OTB with my savings in order to increase my savings. He's such a good Daddy. Gammy was going to watch me but my "little" cousin's and Aunt L. could have, but unlikely, passed on the swine flu to her. She's not sick or anything, and I don't feel like going into detail about the very small probability that she could have contracted it from my fellow rug-rats or aunt who don't have it either. We're just playing it safe. So hang up the phone, family. There's no need to make any panicky phone calls.

So don't forget to tune in tomorrow for another exciting episode of Little D! Have a happy and pseudo scary Halloween, and...

Have a great weekend!

Close Encounters of the Canine Kind

Two weeks ago, Daddy, Onyx, and I were hiking at a county field and forest preserve. We've been there many times. It's a great place to let Onyx off his leash so that he can run and investigate smells. The video below is from over a month ago. I'm showing it to help you visualize the setting. It also, in a very open-minded way, serves as a pre-reenactment, if you will, of an encounter we had on that day two weeks ago. The story of this encounter follows the video.

Back to two weeks ago (or forward...I'm getting confused). Anyway, we had walked a couple of minutes into the woods when Daddy noticed a big dog-like creature running away from us. We chose to walk in the opposite direction when suddenly we noticed another dog-like creature crossing our path ahead and then out of sight. Daddy said it was a wolf (yeah right, Daddy) or a coyote. 'Wolf' did sound more dangerous and therefore exciting. That's when we decided to let Onyx walk ahead of us even though he did not yet see anything. Unsuspecting Onyx soon stopped and sniffed around, looked up, pointed (like dogs do), and began barking. That's when we noticed it: a coyote. Onyx barked and barked while the hair on his back stood up. Daddy took pictures with his camera phone. In return of the barks, the coyote raised his head towards the sky and barked small, muffled barks. Finally, when Mr. Camera Man came to his senses, we walked away and back to the car. We were safe at last. The pictures on the camera phone reveal little difference from 30 yards away between tree leaves and brush and a coyote head.

We did a little research on coyotes in our area. About a hundred years ago in southern Canada, coyotes and wolves made babies that eventually migrated south. The descendants of these babies have been studied to show a genetic link between coyotes and wolves. That's why these coyotes are larger than normal. So Daddy may not be completely wrong about the whole wolf thing. It was a big coyote, seemingly larger than our 90 pound black Labrador retriever.

What made me write about this now? Why didn't I tell you as soon as it happened? I don't know, but Onyx's encounter from this morning reminded me of the whole thing. I was in my high chair eating breakfast when I heard Onyx barking outside. Daddy put my spoon down and went to let Onyx in. As he was doing this I heard other dog barks and then some yelping. The coyotes found Onyx! That was also Daddy's first thought when he first glanced at two big dog-like creatures cornering Onyx against the house and attacking him. It sounded awful. Then Daddy noticed a big harness on each dog and a disgruntled damsel in the road yelling at and apologizing for her dogs. Daddy grabbed the drool-backed Onyx and brought him inside. We heard the lady yell, "Nice to meet you!" followed by Daddy slamming the door. Onyx walked in, head low, tail between his legs, his body quivering, and immediately laid down in the kitchen. If anyone knows Onyx they realize that he is more of a lover than a fighter (kind of like me). We worried about Onyx for about 30 seconds. That's how long it took for him to snap out of it and begin his usual routine of begging for our breakfast and wanting to play fetch. He's fine now.

So I have to be prepared if any of this happens again. I will sleep and build my strength. I'll also wear these camouflage pants so that no dog or coyote-wolf will be able to see me.

I can't wait to get back to the field and forest preserve to find that coyo...wait...Daddy just informed me that Mommy won't let us go back there. Blasted! Foiled again!

Mr. Unpredictable

That is I, Mr. Unpredictable. Why am I unpredictable? Because Mommy and Daddy say that I am. I kind of have to agree. Several weeks ago, I was sleeping through the night. Then I started getting up progressively early. A few nights after that I began waking up every three hours. The last few nights I woke up once, but at around 2:45 AM, demanding to be fed. Last night I woke up at midnight and I was not a happy camper. Mommy comforted me back to sleep in a very short time and I slept another eight hours. Mommy and Daddy will accept that kind of night. They try hard to keep everything the same: the bedtime routine, the feedings, room temperature, super-absorbent diapers, etc. To make matters seem worse, other mommy's are always telling my Mommy, in what I imagine to be annoying, high pitched, know-it-all nasal voices, something like, "Oh, my five month old daughter takes two naps of three hours each and sleeps twelve hours at night without a peep. She just loves her sleep- goes to bed at 7:30." 7:30! Can you imagine? I'm just getting warmed up then. Daddy has also been trying to figure out my nap situation for weeks if not months. I don't blame him. I generally take two naps a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Without rhyme or reason, one nap, deemed "successful," lasts anywhere from one to two hours. The other lasts about a half hour and I wake up crying. Yesterday, I took two naps in excess of two hours each. I woke up from each in a great mood. This is funny to me because I don't know why I can't follow a regular routine. I have other unpredictable, ever-changing characteristics but I think they come with the whole, "new baby territory," thing. I won't mention them because I don't want to bore you with any more details. I posted some pictures below to make up for the boring details that I did write. That's probably why you came here anyway- to "see" me. They are from this morning and not necessarily unpredictable. I just thought you might enjoy them.

Teleportation

My trip to Connecticut reminded me to update Matthew's Mileage Spreadsheet. The numbers are staggering. Of trips over an hour one way, I have ridden in the car approximately 8,211 miles. Let me break this number down for you. As I am not quite eight months old, I average over 1,000 miles a month. Again, this does not include errands or small day trips. 8,211 miles is roughly one-third the distance around the equator. At this rate, I will have completed the equivalent of one trip around the earth around the time of my second birthday. I've spent almost 6 of my 231 days in the car.

You probably just think that I sleep the whole time that I'm in the car. You're partially right. From the time I was a newborn I fell asleep instantly in the car and woke upon arrival. It was like teleporting. I'd get in my car seat and suddenly I was somewhere else. Now, however, I'm not sleeping the entire ride, particularly if I'm hungry or not sleepy. I'll look out the window and talk with Mommy and Daddy, but for the most part I have to say that riding in the car is boring. Let's view this from my perspective. I, and everything around me that I can see, is the universe. I am of course at the center of that universe. I have no concept of distance from beyond what I can see (this does not include peekaboo). So why do people get in their cars and sit for hours at a time just to change the scenery. I can have someone walk me out the front door to do that!

Maybe it would be better time spent if Mommy and Daddy just let me drive. I'm really good at making different noises with this new steering wheel. I know I'm capable.

Back to the Weekday Grind

What a weekend! We went to Connecticut to attend a baby shower held on Sunday, but it seemed like I had my own baby shower on Saturday. I received so much attention and loot that I could not disappoint my audience with some good, goofy smiles and laughs. First, Daddy gave me some blocks he bought the night before. Then, Great Uncle R. and Great Aunt S. O. brought over a steering wheel that makes all kinds of noises and has flashing lights. Daddy says I'll enjoy it for a long time but the noise will get to everyone else in just a few days. Too bad, Daddy and everyone else.

Then Great Aunt S. S. came over with large bags full of toys and clothes. In one bag was a basketball hoop to help me work on my game. The other bags contained a rain coat, some fancy, warm boots, and some other sweet-looking clothes to enhance my dapperness. She really outdid herself. I mean, Mommy outdoes herself when shopping for babies but this was impressive.

All of this entertaining and playing can exhaust a little boy. After my nighttime bath, I donned my robe and fell asleep on Gramp. Saturday was in the books.

But, the best part of the weekend was the mutual entertainment between myself and Greatest and Great. We exchanged some wonderful smiles and chuckles. Greatest also helped Mommy feed me lunch and Great built a nice, cozy fire for me to admire. Great and Great Aunt S. S. think I'm quite advanced. I believe they're a little biased but I'm not going to argue, especially if the toys keep on coming. Thank you Greatest and Great for hosting such a wonderful weekend. The only problem I had with the whole thing was leaving. It's back to reality and routine now. The video below is from this morning when Mommy is leaving for work.

After she left, I looked around and realized that it was just me, Daddy, and Onyx again. Talk about slowing down the pace! Oh well, I figured I'd just accept the situation and eat my pear and mango breakfast, play a little bit, and catch up on some sleep. When Mommy comes home then maybe the party can pick back up again.

My Balls

This weekend we are traveling to Connecticut for Cousin Expecting's baby shower. This is my fourth or fifth (I can't keep track) baby shower. I should be about 9 or 10 months old when my new little cousin decides to join the world. I can't wait. Anyway, Daddy says I can stop going to these showers when I'm not a baby myself anymore. As he explains it, I'll be older and therefore less cute and girls don't want regular boys at their showers. This is supposed to be a good thing for me. I'll take his word for it. Then again there's something nice and wonderful about a bunch of women coddling over me. I should probably take advantage of this while I can. I also get to stay with and see Greatest and Great this weekend. So warn the neighbors and clear the floors because Rollin' Matthew is rollin' into town!

Now if you'll excuse me I'd like to go play with my balls.

And exactly which 'balls' did you think I was referring to?

Have a great weekend!

Separation Anxiety

The two words every mommy dreads to hear: separation anxiety. Let me put this in the simplest terms possible (translation below).

Separation anxiety is when I realize that I am alone and do not want to be. I know that Mommy is "somewhere" but not with me. This may happen at 4 AM, like it has the last two nights. Just when Mommy and Daddy were getting used to all of us sleeping through the night I had to achieve grasping the early stages of this amazing cognitive concept. If separation anxiety is the reason then it's just beginning. If it's not the reason then I'm probably just teething and hungry, my tummy demanding a pre-pre-breakfast meal. Let's assume the former. According to one baby book, separation anxiety "usually peaks between ten and eighteen months and then fades during the last half of the second year." I'm not even eight months yet and I'm just starting this developmental stage. So I may have two more years of this and it's going to get worse? I did not sign up for this. I'll assume, Mommy, that you did. See you at 4 AM!

Is This My Real Daddy?

Seriously, don't you see the resemblance? I know it's hard to see my blue eyes in these pictures, but the eyes, belly, and cheeks look very similar. My thighs are much larger, though. Perhaps I am the result of The Pillsbury Doughboy and Mrs. Michelin Man.

I read your comment from yesterday, Great Uncle Ostie. I'm glad you could join in the on the fun. Maybe you can get a hamster to replace that rubber band in your computer so that you can view my videos. Daddy and I actually looked at your blog yesterday and noticed that you started up again on an older one. We checked it out. You're right, I suddenly became hungry and started drooling while looking at the mammary glands in your postings. Oh, and don't worry about your voice. It is a little startling when you're not used to it. But before you know it I'll be that pesky little great nephew constantly seeking your attention. And if you bring some of those ladies from your blog then I'll truly be your little buddy.

Raspberries anyone?

Wade's Song

I cannot always be full of smiles and laughs, raspberries and coos. There are times that even I can be a little fussy. I realize that you may not believe me, but it's true. After all, I'm still a baby. I'm sure Biography or MTV or someone will someday have a behind-the-glory-scenes look at my once-in-a-while fussiness as a baby. They'll find it was probably just typical but it will sell nevertheless. But hey, you would be fussy too if you only had nine hours of sleep, have an hour or so before your next nap, your mommy just left for work, you just spit up all over yourself, and your daddy is forcing food down you while you're trying to utilize your diaper.

I have to acknowledge that after breakfast Daddy let me roll around on the hardwood and bang my rattle. This cheered me up. Most likely I'll get fussy again at least once or twice throughout the day. I may even have a good cry. Perhaps this explains Little Cousin Wade's true feelings in a song he sang to me on our way to New York City. The song has two lines. The second line is sang much quieter than the first:

Matthew, I love you so much;

But sometimes I don't.

And there you have it: innocent truth. He doesn't understand, especially when I was smaller, why I cry to communicate ("Mommy, Matthew's such a cwiya (crier)"). He is only three, though. Either way, I'm sure I'll have an appropriate song for him once I can communicate at his level.

Eskimo Matthew

Despite the fact that I still look a little ridiculous, this new outdoor outfit certainly keeps me warm. It's so warm that I came close to overheating during the photo shoot. Daddy and I tested it outside immediately after. Thirty-four degrees is nothing I can't handle now. Not that I could actually physically handle anything in this thing, much less move. This outfit is like its own restraining device. I can't even roll over in it. The most I can manage is to slightly move my head from side-to-side. I'm going to stick with it and not complain, however. There's room to grow (particularly in the hip area) and I'm planning on getting bigger and stronger. I will adapt, although I may be allergic to the fluffy hair in the hood because I had a good sneeze after we put the outfit on.


Let's change the subject, shall we? So even though I'm eating "real people food" I still have to drink from the bottle (or cup) in order to fulfill my daily nourishment requirement. After a breakfast of mushed banana and oatmeal this morning, Daddy and I sat down for my bottle. I haven't watched myself eat in months- I'm still fascinating. As you can see from the video I still tend to get very sleepy while eating but I don't really eat to fall asleep anymore. I make my caretakers work harder than that. I'll also look out the window, play with my hands, and tug on my ear. If you listen carefully, you'll hear that Daddy accidentally pulled my finger at the 1 minute and 14 second mark.

"Mama"

I've always thought speaking and language would be easy. When I realized that people communicated with each other to get things I figured I'd join right in. I believed that I would learn language and speak it on demand as if the process were as simple as: "P...p...p...please pass the apples and milk," or, "Th...Th...Th...Theory of Relativity." You know, simple little sentences to express want and need and concepts such as those. It turns out that it takes more than that and a lot of practice and dedication. I have to work on making my sounds, listen to them, and repeat until I get them right. Daddy drills me throughout the day to say 'Da-Da' and very rarely 'Ma-Ma.' I can get the 'da' out but my main focus is the 'ma' sound for, you guessed it: Mommy. I was able to put 'ma' and 'ma' together a few times over the past week or so. The following clips are from this morning:

I like to say, "Mama," when she is not present but I wish to see her. That's when I speak it the clearest. It is my first word- no doubt about it. I would have it no other way. I am working on, "Onyx," but it comes out more as a short 'o' sound. Whenever I see him I say it. I'll work on you later, Daddy.

Tonight Mommy is throwing a small party for her friends. She demanded that Daddy and I clean up the house and make dinner and "not rest until we do." I believe that's what she said, anyway. I'm planning on being the main course of entertainment so I will nap immediately following the writing of this post. Daddy can do the work. I'm going to need my energy. It's not so easy being the cute, center of attention, but it does have its perks.

Have a great weekend!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Look at me! I feel and look ridiculous. Get me outside before I melt! I guess this whole thing is necessary. When I woke up this morning and looked outside the grass was frozen. It's getting colder and colder every day. Now I have to wear this outfit if we go outside. People will think I'm wearing extra-thick PJ's. Mommy and Daddy say I need to have my feet covered and inaccessible (to me). I think I may know why this is. Yesterday, Daddy, Onyx and I went for a hike. Daddy said it was 38 degrees (whatever that means) and that he had to keep me warm. He held my hands while I flopped around in my front carrier. Anyway, sometimes my socks don't stay on. Either I gum them off with my mouth or they spontaneously fall off.

We don't even try gloves anymore: they have no chance of staying on. Well, needless to say, there is now a free pair of little red socks somewhere on a trail at the county park. I wish my camera crew was there to see Daddy huddled over me trying to hold both of my feet with one hand and my hands with his other. Of course you must think I was cold and miserable. This was not the case. The cold did not bother me. I was talking and smiling, yelling at Onyx, and flapping my arms and legs around. Daddy was not amused by the flapping as he kept looking around to make sure no one noticed that he was allowing his baby's hands and feet exposure to the elements. It was a good time.

Books

Hello there! It's book reading-eating time. I apologize for the length of the video but if you are taking the time to read my blog then you probably don't have any pressing matters that you must attend. I have a lot of books. Most of them I'm not quite ready for but I will grow into them. A sample of some of my favorites are in the video above. As evidenced in said video, Fuzzy Yellow Duckling is probably the best. Great Aunt Joie got this one for me. The back of the book says its "Tactile fun for toddlers!" It should read, "Tactile fun for Matthew!" I just love the fuzziness coming out of the book. Best of all, a guy named Matthew wrote it- so who wouldn't love this book? Sure, the other books are fun to listen to or gnaw on but some are, as I mentioned, a little over my head. For instance, Dr. Seuss sounds great, but what does this mean and can you read this at any normal speed (from Fox in Socks)?

Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew. While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew. Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze. Freezy trees made these trees' cheese freeze. That's what made these three free fleas sneeze.

See what I mean? I think Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings will suffice for now, thank you.

Real Men Use Pink Pacifiers

Here I am with my new pink pacifier. Isn't it lovely? I'm not too dependent on pacifiers and rarely use one. Sometimes, though, they do help to calm me down if I'm overly tired and cranky. For that reason, and since Daddy forgot to bring one this past weekend, I needed a new one. So Daddy went to the store and found three packages of my preferred pacifier. The problem was, as he saw it, was that they were all pink. There's no question that it's a girl's pacifier. Nevertheless, Daddy broke down and bought a pack. I don't see any problem with it. In fact, Mommy thinks it's funny because it bothers Daddy. It did serve its purpose in NYC on one occasion. No one stared and laughed or said, "oh, what a sweet little girl baby she is," or anything like that.

Speaking of NYC, I have to admit that my production staff were not keeping up with their duties of video and picture taking. My agent is having a fit. Regardless, you'll just have to picture my experience in your mind. First, let me start with the fact that Daddy prepared my bottles for Saturday, had them in the cooler and in the car, but forgot (again!) to bring them on the train. This presented a challenge for Mommy and I. I must say that Grand Central Station doesn't accommodate a mother and her baby very well when that baby is hungry. I feel I deserve my own private feeding room. So we got the ball rolling with that debacle. When we arrived in the city Mommy, Daddy and I split up from the group, took the subway, and went to a bowling alley for a baby shower. Yeah that's right: bowling alley and baby shower are in the same sentence. There's a perfect explanation for it but again I'll let you use your imagination. We met our group (my "Little" Cousin's, Aunt Leslie and Nanna) back at Rockefeller Center. The rest of Saturday is kind of a blur. We went a few more places and ended up at a big toy store where I fell asleep. Silly me- of all places to fall asleep! Sunday we went to the zoo. Unfortunately, even The Bronx Zoo was unable to admit Little Cousin Wade as one of its attractions. We had fun anyway. Aunt Bethy joined us and I believe took a bunch of pictures of me. I'd share some of those pictures with you but apparently Aunt Bethy is not answering her text messages.

When we got home on Sunday Gramp had my first pumpkin waiting for me. Then Mommy dressed me in a pumpkin outfit I received from Cousin Marcy. Again, all of this is very bizarre but I'll go along with it for their amusement.

It's good to be home again. I was excited to see my cribroom again and I slept great last night. For now I think I'll cozy up in my crib with my pink pacifier and take my morning nap. Goodnap.

Seven Months

Today I am 7 months old. Actually, I'm 7 months and 1 day. Because I'm not a weekend blogger you're just going to have to accept that this picture is a day old and that I'm already well on my way to my eighth month. I contemplated a weekend post for yesterday but I could not fit it into my busy schedule. I spent the weekend in New York City. On Saturday I visited NBC (see the picture below). They're interested in offering me my own show. I told them they couldn't afford me and that I'm usually asleep during prime time anyway, but thanked them for the offer. I'm sure they'll follow up with my agent.

The rest of the day we walked around the entire city aimlessly and ran into other people and strollers with my stroller. We also rode on a bunch of trains. One train broke down and we had to get on another. These were my first train rides but I think I need a break from them. On Sunday we went to The Bronx Zoo. My favorite part of the zoo was watching the monkeys. I like their style. The zoo was fun but I was a little tired by the end of it. Apparently I wasn't alone. At precisely 3:40 PM a little girl visiting the zoo let out a growing, fussy cry. Before you knew it thousands of children and babies around the zoo followed in a collective cry of crankiness. Parents, realizing the consequences of a full day at the zoo without naps and proper nutrition for their children, began making a mad dash toward the exits. What did I do at this time? I was sleeping. The dashing woke me up in which case I joined in the chorus of crying. Mommy made me feel better and we successfully made it to the car despite the dash of neglectful parents, their children, and the jostling of the strollers. The one hour nap on the drive home was quite rejuvenating.

Stuck

Mommy threw me in a pile of leaves and now look at me- I'm stuck! What is the meaning of this? Why would these leaves fall from the trees and why would Daddy then put them all in a pile? Furthermore, why am I in the pile? Onyx was no help. He's just as confused as I am. It seems that as my level of learning and observation increases so apparently does the level of bizarreness in the world. Oh well, at least the leaves are soft. Perhaps some day I will run and jump into a pile. That sounds like a lot more fun.

Have a great weekend!

Spike

Do you like my spiky hair? Mommy styled it last night after my bath. She said that it wouldn't last into the morning but here I am still nice and spiked. Daddy says I'll need to wear a hat if we go out into public. Then again, I'm not sure if that's what Daddy said because he's lost his voice. So now Mommy has left for work and I'm stuck with having to talk with mute Daddy and Onyx and you through this video camera and the Internet. You'll talk to me, won't you? You're going to have to speak up because I can't hear you. So now what will I do today? There will be no songs, no "how big is Matthew?", no books, and no "your food will be ready in just another minute, Matthew." I'll just have to bide my time until Mommy gets home- she always has something to say. Maybe I could use the peace and quiet. In fact, I've been up since 5:45 AM and I'm exhausted. Daddy just put me in my crib for giraffe watching while he gets us ready to take a walk outside. The giraffes are still fascinating to me. They just go round and round and round. And that mesmerizing, lullaby music makes my eyes heavy. I can't keep up. I'm too tired. Let me just close my eyes for one minute, Daddy. I'll see if I can't get some bed head to cover this spike and then we can go outsi...[sleep].

head, shoulders, THIGHS, knees and toes

I've decided to give you a closer look at some of my major body components and briefly describe their features and/or functions. I got the idea from Mommy who last night started singing what is now one of my favorite new songs.

Head: blond/strawberry blond/multi-tonal blond hair (it depends on the lighting and who's looking and describing); significantly sized forehead encasing significantly advanced brain; mosquito bite; big blue eyes for "wowing" the ladies; above average size ears for supersonic hearing; chubby, pinching cheeks; tongue-sticking-out smile; cute-as-a-button chin.
Shoulders: attach my arms which attach my fascinating hands; future function TBD.

THIGHS: largest, most impressive of all components; source of my extra energy and action powers; genetic link to baby Mommy's thighs (although significantly smaller than hers were- this is not a joke even though mine are now larger than present day Mommy's); includes nooks and crannies for storage of writing utensils, dog hair, toys, smaller children, etc.

Knees: to date all that is known is they will provide future stabilization for crawling; oh, and they get stuck between crib slats.

Toes (piggies): make excellent teething device; useful in describing comical pig actions/destinations.

Now sing with me: "head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes..." I hope that this little catchy tune remains in your head the rest of the day and when you lay your head down to go to sleep.

Gettin' Into Stuff

Lock the doors and windows, hide the breakables, latch the cabinets, put the baby gates up, and get your running shoes on- Matthew's getting into stuff. What can I get into? Well, I can roll where I want to and if I can reach it then I can get into it. The bookshelf is one thing. The other day I was able to pull Daddy's lab manual out. Another fun thing to do is to untie the shoe of an unsuspecting passerby. If it has a lace, string or rope I'll pull on it. This makes it easy to get to Mommy's camera. And let's say I want to watch Baby Einstein. I'll just open the TV cabinet to where the DVDs are. It's really that simple. Then again, just because I can open the cabinet doesn't mean I get to watch something. In the video I open the cabinet from a seated position even though I can get it open from my belly.

It looks like Mommy and Daddy have their work cut out for them. They'll be rearranging furniture and returning to the baby store to buy baby safety equipment and more restraining devices. This is only the beginning: wait until I actually start crawling; better yet: walking!

Where's Matthew?

I love to play peek-a-boo, especially when I do the hiding. All I have to do is take a blanket or, in this case, my PJ's and cover my face. Suddenly, like magic, Mommy and Daddy can't see me. They ask, "Where's Matthew?" Then I reveal myself and Mommy and Daddy breathe a sigh of relief and then laugh. I don't quite know how I do it, but little do Mommy and Daddy know that I haven't really gone anywhere. When I'm able then someday I will explain object permanence to them. For now I'm having too much fun entertaining.

This past weekend I went apple picking with my "little" cousins. It was a beautiful day and I had a lot of fun. I went on a hay ride and tasted an apple for the first time. I can't exactly eat apples but I can sure wrap my gums, lips and tongue into a previously bitten bite. The juice from the apple is delicious. They should sell it because I would drink it.

Here's a picture of Cousin Wade feeding me an apple. Please don't read into any possible metaphorical symbolism. I assure you that it was purely innocent and good.

Birthday Suit for Aunt Leslie

Today is my sweet Aunt Leslie's birthday. Happy birthday, Aunt Leslie! Above is a picture I found of you and I from the day I was born. I apologize, but my production staff had to modify the picture. It's for security reasons particularly since you are a prominent public figure (5th grade teacher). You can't have pictures of you embracing a little stud muffin like myself floating around on the Internet. It's too scandalous. Anyway, I won't give away your age on the blog. We'll just say that you're not quite 485 months older than me. That's a lot of months! I'm not even 7 months old yet. And did you realize that you're 14,976 days old? Probably not. What the heck did you do all of that time? I'm sure you're glad that they stop marking your age in days and months like they still do for me. And you can rest assure that you don't look a day over 12,410 days. Enjoy your birthday, Aunt Leslie, and since there isn't a full moon for two more days you can enjoy this one now:

Have a great weekend!

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

...Come again some other day; Matthew and Onyx want to play; Seriously, it's been raining since Sunday; Come again some other day.

No one warned me of this. I did not get the memo. Something strange is going on. While on a hike in the woods with Daddy and Onyx last week I noticed things falling from the sky. They were very colorful and were beginning to cover the ground. Daddy said they were leaves from the trees. I had to inform him that leaves are green. It's also colder than it was. I miss hanging out in just a diaper. When we step outside it's like a cold slap in the face. It's miserable. Just look at my face in the video...miserable. I want to play outside. I like the 'Rain, Rain' song that Mommy sings but I really could use some sun and a sunshine song. My rain coat doesn't even fit yet. Couldn't this week of rain have waited until next year when the coat will fit? Instead of hiking in the woods yesterday we went "hiking" at the library and mall. It wasn't at all the same. I'm sure the rain will stop sometime, though, and I can't imagine that it will get any colder than this. Daddy mentioned something about snow and that where we live we get about 120 inches of it every year. He added that on the day I was born we had sun, clouds, rain and snow. I'm not sure what this snow is but it sounds warm and inviting. It will be a nice change.