Stairway to Nowhere

We are continually reminded how much we need to keep an eye on The Dude.  I was watching him playing in the mancave last week and saw him eyeing the stairs.  He decided to go for it.  As you'll see in the video, he gets up a few stairs and he starts to sit down....which is when I decide to go in for the save (i.e. make sure he doesn't fall). 

He is doing new things at a rapid pace now.  It's fun to watch him grow and discover new skills.

Around Corners

If I need 2 minutes to finish an e-mail, I can now just put a Puff on each corner of our ottoman.  Owen will get to his feet and go all the way around the ottoman.  It only took him a couple of days to master getting around the corners. 

Master of Disaster

If occupations were figured out by the time a child was 1, Owen's occupation would be the guy who demolishes skyscrapers or old casinos with dynamite.

If I try to stack blocks.....he stops whatever he is doing (even if he is crawling the other way) and has to come over and knock them over.  Every time!

(I am using it to my advantage, however.  If he is starting to crawl into another room or if I just don't want to use the energy to get up and pick him up....all I have to do is just start stacking blocks.  He will come back.  Guaranteed.)

Being Daring - Stacking blocks right in front of him

 

 

A little further away....with the same result

Keep the Pantry Door Closed!!

Depending on how you look at this photo, Owen's expression can change from "cute" to "devilish".  (Fitting on both accounts.)

11 Months

One month away from being 1 year old.  We decided to take his 11 month picture in the Thomas the Train chair that Emily's friend Jodi got for him. 

We were expecting to have to take a picture similar to his 10 month pictures where he was only focused on taking that sticker off of his chest......but we out smarted him (for once).  Em put the sticker on and we immediately distracted him from anything we possibly could do for him to forget about the sticker.  It worked.  We were able to take a few pictures of him without having to hold his hands down (or up....like the 10 month photos). 

Hope you enjoy.

I love it when he puts his arm(s) on the arm rest of chairs.

It makes him seem like a big boy.

 

"OK, Mom's acting crazy behind Dad.  Should I be smiling?"

 

"I'm very comfortable in my Thomas the Train chair, but why is Mom acting so weird?"

 

 

Bribing to Walk

The Dude has basically pulled himself up and started standing as well as started to crawl in the same week.  He could've crawled for months now but he was perfectly content getting around doing the military crawl. 

So, he doesn't get stagnant and content in his new developments I started "bribing" him with Puffs to get him to start walking a little.  He loves it and is starting to pull himself up more on things...hoping that there is a Puff waiting for him when he gets his head over the ottoman.

I will stand him up beside something like the ottoman downstairs and I'll place a Puff out of his reach so he'll have to sidestep (or as we call it.....walk) to the Puff.  Then we'll place one the other way.  We'll give him a couple easy one now and then that he doesn't have to work for to keep him motivated.  Here are a couple of videos:

View from the Front

 

View from the Rear

 

View from both Front & Back

 

With a Little Coaching

 

 

He'll be walking in no time.

 

Maracas

Whether it is pounding on the ottoman, hitting his high chair tray, or shaking some maracas, The Dude does just about everything in full force.

 

 

Standing

.....and a week later, he is pulling himself up on anything and everything and standing.

(Interesting sidenote:  Em told me that while she was doing her hair or doing her makeup in the bathroom, Owen was in the bathroom playing and he pulled himself up to the toilet and dropped his toy in.  We need to watch him a little closer....I guess.)

Getting Past the Barrier

In our sunken living room, there is about a 6" little ledge (which is why it is a "sunken" living room) that used to make for a nice little barrier for Owen to play in.  He could play with his toys very peacefully there while I was in the kitchen and I knew he wasn't going to get very far. 

However last week, he started seeing that little ledge as his personal mission to conquer.  He would play for a little bit and inevitably turn around and try to get over that ledge. 

He sees his mission

 

Trying to get his legs under himself to push himself over

 

Not quite yet

 

 

Then.....it happened.  I was sitting on the loveseat watching him, and all of a sudden, he does the same thing as before...only he made it.  I couldn't get my camera phone fast enough.  I actually grabbed him and placed him back on the ground and hoped he'd do it again.

 

 

Got his legs under him

 

Pushing off

 

Easy as Pie

 

 



 

 

More Random Photos

1st Time at a Mexican Restaurant

 

Cleveland Browns Family

 

Dad & The Dude

 

Em saw the previous pic and wanted her own from that angle

 

Just Another Happy Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Lake

Over Memorial Day weekend, we took an extended weekend to a resort at Green Lake, WI.  We had a great time, but I don't think our neighbors did.....at least while The Dude was trying to nap.

Owen was fantastic while we went to different restaurants, shopped, or went swimming at the hotel pool.  But when it came to his nap time....that was a different story.  That little guy usually feels tired and we take him to his room.  He sees his crib and he actually leans away from you toward his crib.  As soon as he hits his mattress, he is asleep in less than 30 seconds. 

That is not the same experience we had in Green Lake.  That little guy would get tired, we took him back to our room and with a make-shift baby monitor (Em called my cell from her cell and left her phone in the room so we could listen on my phone) we would listen to him cry....and cry.....and cry. 

Every nap was the same.  He eventually would wear himself out and go to sleep, but it took much more than normal. 

Anyway, here are a few pictures from our trip there:

Playing on the Jungle Gym

 

Getting ready to slide down the slide

 

Doesn't get much more fun than this...(for Emily)

 

In the Pool with Mom

 

So Tall

 

Similar Torture Techniques have been used at Guatanamo Bay