he's happy and he knows it

last night for Stanley's bedtime song, scott chose "If you're happy and you know it", and of course we started with clap your hands. We never got past that verse, though, because every time we did the two claps, stan laughed and laughed. We ended up singing it for 10 or 15 minutes, and he just laid there laughing and laughing and waving his arms and kicking his feet. I think we have a hit!

Good Night

Stanley is asleep, having had a very rough day. He seemed to be in a dreamlike, annoyed state for the whole day. But he went down without complaint a couple hours ago. I hope he stays asleep, now that we're going to bed.

The Perfect Storm

The alternate title was "Worst Night...Ever" and you would have to say that with the Comic-book Guy voice. We drove last night to Boise, and Stanley slept the entire trip. It was a nice thing, because we talked and enjoyed each others' company (and the scenery! Don't forget the scenery!). But this set up a night to forget, since he was now quite awake and we were dead tired. He also had a stuffy nose, was in unfamiliar surroundings, and we didn't really have anywhere to put him except in his carseat. So, he woke up literally fifteen times during the seven or so hours that we were trying to sleep. I gave up at seven-forty-five and brought him downstairs. He's very tired, and Julie just fed him, and so maybe he'll sleep now.

At last, a friend my own size

Stanley, this is Snowman. Snowman, this is Stanley

Stan is one cute baby!

Stan was interested in this crawling, purring tiger

here, boy!

We all had a good time at Don and Jan's on sunday when we went to Jeffrey's unofficial homecoming. In these pictures, Stan is playing with my cousin Michael. 

HI, i'm having such a great time! ||  

I'm in love

I just love Stanley. I love to hold him, I love to take him places and go on walks with him, I love to play with him, I love to bathe him and dress him, I love to talk to him and sing to him, I love that he remembers me and that he likes to play with me. I love that he gets excited when Scott gets home from work, and how they play together in the evening. I love to bring him onto bed with me in the morning after scott goes to work. I love his smile and his hair and the line between his hand and his arm, and his mid-arm crease. I love his eyes and his eyelashes. I love his lamby laugh and his belly laugh. I love the way he talks to himself and to us. I love that he's learning to eat foods, and that he can do things like sitting up and rolling over. I love the way he turns on the charm when he wants me to pick him up or play with him. stan is a good baby and I'm so glad he's ours.

four things

I say four things to stan while I feed him:
1. good boy!
2. yummy yummy!
3. the name of the food (also with an exclamation point)
4. Yay!

I usually say these things in pairs, such as "banannas! Yay!" "good boy! carrots!" " Good boy! Yay!" "peas! yummy yummy!"

The only other thing I say is " are you all finished? Let's wash you up."

This is Stanley's first interaction with snow. He touched it, then looked at me with a grimace--the same grimace he has whenever anything goes in his mouth for the first time that's edible. He did eat just a little of it. Yes, I know that snow is not clean, necessarily, but he'll be eating lots of it through his youth.

Scott and Stanley, both relatively slackjawed, in the waiting room of the NICU at LDS Hospital. We were there to see Coralee and Matthew.

"But I don't want to go into the circus, Uncle Don!"

Gnawing an apple to death (when you have only gums, you gnaw things to death.)

Sometimes it takes so long to gnaw the apple, that it ferments and leaves the boy feeling funny.

After his apple binge, he usually naps.

Eating squash, by comparison, turns Stanley into a ruthless Soviet dictator. This is him telling Julie "We will crush you." I have information that leads me to believe his threats are empty, and that the Stanley regime is actually in shambles and that it will eventually implode. 

Stanley and Mom enjoy a beach experience.

This picture is included mainly because the shadow makes my bicep look extremely good. Perhaps too good? | 

Stanley and Grandpa present themselves for inspection

Stanley enjoys his chair

He likes his apples and rice cereal mix.

Julie and Stanley in San Diego at a beautiful gardens we went to, in front of a weird plant.

More gardens (with the beautiful Julie)

Stan enjoying San Diego. Or his blanket, we're not positive which.

San Diego can only be so interesting.

Scott and Stanley on the beach. Scott's about to give Stanley his first swimming lesson: don't swim if you're only six months old. That's the lesson.

No idea who those people are on the right, but if this is to scale, Stanley's drool is about the size of the lady's foot. That's a lot of drool.

It was warmer than Julie's jacket would indicate, and the sun was quite a treat. Stan seemed to enjoy himself quite a bit.