Three Photos of Cosmo

Cosmo gets his first taste of rice cereal...















...thinks, "So this is that solid food everyone says is so great."














And enjoys an October-like morning at the lake (today).

Three Observations from Felix

Last night, Felix was playing with his sit 'n' spin before bedtime. I tried to lure him away with the promise of milk, but he wanted to sit 'n' spin AND drink his milk, too ("you have milk on sit and spin," or words to that effect). So he sat down on the toy and balanced his milk on the steering wheel.

Felix: It is kind of like a picnic lunch.

*****

Also, seeing his Utah relatives brushing their teeth all together clearly made an impression on him.

Felix: You are brushing teeth all by yourself, just like Oscar and Wilhelmina and Uncle Sean and Auntie Kirstin.

*****

This morning he (intentionally) spilled his milk on the floor.

Keir: All right, Felix. Breakfast's over. You're going to have to clean that up.
Felix: Clean up mighty ocean.

It was a pretty big spill, all right.

Oh, Look! He Can Hear Me!

Yesterday Cosmo had his first walk in the big-boy stroller. He's still kind of slumpy in it, but he's starting to really resent the other stroller, where he lies on his back--he tries to do situps the whole way. I didn't remember the camera yesterday, but I did today. (In fact, this may have been his third ride in said stroller. Historians take note.)


Also yesterday, we ran into two older ladies and had a near-repeat of a previous encounter:

1st Lady: Is that Cosmos?
Keir: Yes, this is CosmO.
2nd Lady: OH, HOW CUTE! IS HE SLEEPING?
Keir: Yep, he's all tuckered out.
2nd Lady: HE'S SUCH A GOOD SLEEPER! HE JUST LOOKS SO COMFORTABLE! OH, LOOK! HE CAN HEAR ME! HI, COSMO!
1st Lady: HELLO, COSMOS! HI THERE, SWEETIE!
Cosmo: Waaaaah!
2nd Lady: WE SCARED HIM! OKAY, BYE BYE!
1st Lady: BYE, COSMOS!

Catch up

We were drawing with markers recently. I walked away from the table for 30 seconds and came back to this: thank goodness they are the washable variety.


Most evenings after dinner we go for a walk. Recently a favorite destination is the rocks along Lake Michigan where we feed the young seagulls.Last week Keir and Cosmo made my week by visiting me at work. We went out to lunch then enjoyed some fresh air from my office's roof-top patio.

Finally, One Photo

Okay, I'm still behind on photos, but I can do this one one-handed, at least. From today's big trip to the dollar store:

More "Elbow Song"

We've been talking up the trip to Montana and Felix is starting to get excited. This evening we were playing his favorite game, "Daddy Slam":

Keir: Felix, you'll have to show Oscar how you jump.

Felix: Have to show Oscar how to jump.

*****

At bedtime, as I was tucking him in, he asked to sing "Elbow Song," and then, out of the blue:

Felix: Sing "Elbow Song" for Oscar and Wilhelmina.

*****

And last night, when we were telling him about all the people he was going to see in Montana, he interrupted our recital:

Felix: You love Grandma Nancy.

(Remember "you" means "I" still. I'm sure he didn't mean to slight the other grandparents, but Grandma Nancy was here most recently.)

*****

I just tried to add photos, but Blogger is acting glitchy. Tomorrow!

Potluck

Yesterday Cosmo and I continued our quest for air conditioning, visiting Marya downtown and then going to the Art Institute. I think my favorite places to keep cool (other than Marya's stylish workplace) are actually the buses. Nice and cool and the scenery keeps changing. Only received one piece of unsolicited advice: we hadn't even gotten off the bus yet and a woman told me I needed to put a hat on Cosmo because of the sun. I pointed out the umbrella next to his head. She went on a riff about how great it is that some men are finally stepping up and helping out--but I'm not sure she's willing to concede any of them are qualified.

*****

Cosmo is getting so strong, and is so interested in using all his limbs, that feeding time has come to resemble a wrestling match. Actually, it's more like trying to pump up a basketball while someone is dribbling it. Getting the nipple in his mouth is no guarantee that it will stay there, even when he's hungry. And he has no idea that he's being working against me, poor guy. When he achieves a momentary victory, it's very upsetting to both of us. But I have heard that milk baths are very good for the skin....

*****

Felix seems to come home singing a new song every day. "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "I'm a Little Teapot" have been supplemented by "Yankee Doodle" and "Frere Jacque" and "The Number Rock." And, after a long period of forbidding bedtime lullabies (Keir: "Felix, would you like me to sing a song?"; Felix: "No, no, no, nony nony nony no.") he now enjoys a song or three before drifting off to sleep. Our favorite is the "Hobo Song," which he calls the "Elbow Song." "Sing elbow song!" he commands. And, amazingly, he can sing all three verses along with us.

*****

Felix's joke-telling usually involves nonsense words, some of which can reduce him to helpless laughter when said back to him. "Pitty-pow" was the first one, then "smitter-smash" and its variant, "stitter-stash." The latest is "fizzy-fuzz." I know I'm forgetting a few....

*****

I'll try to post new photos later today.