The Dude's 1st July 4th

A children's story "book" based on The Dude's first 4th of July:

 



 

Getting ready to walk out the door with my new hat from Grandma and Grandpa V.

 

 

Got to the park and picked out a picnic table

 

 

Getting ready to go on our 1st hike of the day before lunch

 

 

Love "hanging out" in my backpack seat

 

 

Playing football while I wait for the food to cook

 

 

Mom blowing bubbles and I'm popping them

 

 

Hike #2 - Post Lunch

 

 

All this hiking and playing wears a dude out

 

 

After we got home we decided to go swimming

 

 

There's only 1 way to get in the pool

 

 

I feel like a real swimmer in my innertube

 

 

Drying off in the sun with Dad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.