Two of the cutest guys on earth!!

Dylan and Jason posing together - 10/28/06
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Jason is still wildly enthusiastic about being Dylan's "big" cousin and Dylan is becoming more and more fascinated with watching Jason play!

I just love this picture of them posing cheek to cheek...!

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And, here is a shot of the two of them playing together...

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And, finally, here's Dylan modeling his new pirate hat!

After Dylan put his hat on, Jason ran around telling him to "swab the deck!" Too funny.

a Halloween potluck

baby picture time - 10/28/06
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Here's Dylan, as happy as can be, at today's Halloween party. He only napped for about 45 minutes with Tom earlier in the day, so I was a little worried he'd be cranky and freaked out (especially since he was a little overwhelmed at Teresa's house the other week), but he was totally fine for pretty much the entire time we stayed.

We were even lucky enough to catch him smiling before he figured out he was on a huge blanket with a whoopie cushion, a bee, a monster, a frog, a shark, a duck, the Dalai Lama, Mr. T, a couple of chili peppers, some pumpkins, Alfalfa, etc...some of who were talking or crying or fussing!

Amazingly enough, he didn't even spit up all over his outfit (guess he got all his spitting up over and done with -- on me, no less -- before we left for the party...).

Anyway, he managed to maintain his equilibrium until we decided to leave. As soon as we got home, he totally crashed out in the middle of my rendition of Dan Zanes' "Bushel and a Peck," before I had a chance to take him out of the car seat!

Incidentally, Auntie Cindy picked up his pirate outfit which is sooo much nicer than the one I was working on for him. I didn't get a great shot of the hat, but it's adorable -- has a happy skull and crossbones on it!

last Tuesday

10/24/06 - lunch with the boys
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

My work sked and the full day at work on Tuesday is continuing to work out relatively well.

Tom took Dylan to rhyme time at the library and then came downtown for lunch.

Sometimes, Dylan crashes out on the way to lunch, but he usually wakes up within 30 minutes or so, so I still have a chance to give him some lunch before they head back home again.

The week before last, Tom actually stayed downtown and I was able to nurse Dylan twice during the workday...But, this past week, they headed home and I had to pump in the shower at work! It isn't the most comfortable place, but at least it's private and we now have a comfortable supply of food for tomorrow (while I run the Silicon Valley Half Marathon), next Tuesday and beyond....

Oh, in this picture, Tom is carrying Dylan in our new mai tei BabyHawk baby carrier.

Looks good, eh?!

dinner with Eli and Rocky

10/22/06 - dinner with the cousins at Kan Zeman
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

I'm finally getting around to posting this pic! It's one of the few that I was able to get when we saw Julie and the kiddies for dinner last week.

Is it just me, or does Dylan's calf look as big as Rocky's forearm!??!!

Between Pooperman and Superman!

10/20/06 - at Teresa and Caden's house
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The mommy group Dylan and I usually attend on Friday mornings was canceled this past week, so one of the moms offered to open up her house to all of us instead.

We almost didn't make it. Dylan didn't sleep well the previous night (he got up at 5am and didn't get back to sleep until 7am) and I was pretty exhausted.

Dylan and I didn't end up getting out of bed until about 9am and I was thinking I wouldn't have time to get both of us ready! Besides that, I was worried he'd be cranky from lack of sleep (and teething).

By the time we got to the house, there were already several mommies and babies there! We found a space right at the edge of the rug next to Blythe and baby Justin (who later changed into his Superman costume) and Mariah and baby Finley (who happened to be wearing a "Pooperman" onesie!).

It turns out the boys were all born within the same week of each other. Justin (Superman) is 3 days older than Dylan and Dylan is 4 days older than Finley (Pooperman)!

It was really so much fun to hang out with all the moms and babes.

Another mom also brought materials for making baby footprint ghosts, so we also got a keepsake of Dylan's feet.

The morning started out rough, but I'm really glad we made it in the end.

sittin' pretty

10/14/06 - sitting up
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Here's Dylan sitting up on his own. His chunky little thighs give him a nice wide base for balancing. He can hold this position for a just a few seconds before he starts tipping one way or the other...!

focus

10/17/06 - the new exersaucer
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan participated in an infant development research project this afternoon where he basically had to watch the experimenter put long and short boxes over long and short cylinders!

The spin was that they were trying to teach Dylan that the short box could cover the much taller cylinder and the tall box couldn't cover the short cylinder (those wily psychologists).

They pretty much just tracked his eye movements and timed how long he paid attention to each trial (a trial = covering/uncovering of the cylinder).

Well, he didn't make it through all 10 trials because he started getting fussy (he also had gas -- I had to tell the folks that if they heard something come out from behind the screen, it was him, not me!).

All told, the session was only about 10 minutes long...you wouldn't know he had such a short attention span from this picture of him intensely focusing on his new exersaucer (and look at that drool)! But so it goes!

three cheers for the new Kozy carrier!

10/16/06 - Dylan napping in the new mei tai
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The highly-anticipated Kozy carrier arrived at our house today!

I immediately decided to take it for a test drive -- I plopped Dylan in and we went out for a short walk around the neighborhood to get a feel for how he liked it and how it felt on my shoulders and back!

So far, if this picture is any indication, he loves it! In fact, he's been sleeping for about 2 hours already (and he's still snoozing as I type!).

I was able to do a bunch of laundry and a teeny tiny bit of straightening up, too.

So far, I'm pleased as punch -- the straps are very comfy on the shoulders -- and he seems to really be napping comfortably!!!

The best part about it is being able to do things with two hands and then still be able to look down to see his little face whenever I feel like it....

SJ Rock 'n' Roll half marathon

10/08/06 - at Lola's house
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan stayed with Lola (that's grandma in Tagalog!) while Tom and I ran the SJ half marathon. He was apparently very well-behaved!

For one thing, he slept in (until 10am), and I guess he was also all smiles and giggles (apaprently also mesmerized by the boob tube) when he woke up.

Mom and Mike met Tom and me and the finish line with Dylan in tow. He didn't seem to notice we were back...until he got the munchies, anyway!

Well, the good news is that Tom and I finished the run (I finished in better time than I'd expected).

We ran together for about 5 miles and then Tom had to fall back because of his calf.

The better news is that Tom didn't seem to strain his calf to the point of injury, so he's well on his way back to full recovery. He may even run the Silicon Valley Half in a couple of weeks.

babywearing

My latest obsession, as Tom will attest to, is babywearing. I've been totally preoccupied with reading forums on wraps, mei tais, soft structured carriers, slings and the like on TheBabyWearer.com.

The trigger was Dylan seeming to have outgrown the goo-ga Peanut Shell and my continued desire to carry him around.

I have to say, I love the benefits of babywearing -- it fosters emotional, physical and intellectual development as well as strong bonds between parent and baby.

If we're to believe studies on babywearing, it also encourages greater independence in children -- and at an earlier stage.

I love knowing that Dylan is happier being carried and that I'm doing something beneficial for him. I also just love feeling his baby weight against me! There's no better feeling than that in the world...

For anyone who is interested in the benefits of babywearing and all of the carriers available out there, TheBabyWearer.com is definitely a good resource....

back to work

Dylan has been spending the past couple of Tuesdays with Tom while I've been in the office.

I was really worried that Dylan wouldn't nap since he usually nurses to get to sleep, but he was just fine and dandy! In fact, he napped longer than he does with me! I later found out (at last week's mommy group)that babies often sleep better away from mommy -- if they don't smell the breastmilk, they don't get so distracted!

So, Tom has been taking Dylan to rhyme time at the library and then coming to meet me for lunch afterwards. I nurse Dylan while Tom and I eat, and then Tom feeds him a bottle in the PM.

So far, it has been working out fairly smoothly.

I'm really happy that I don't have to worry about who Dylan is with during the day and I'm glad that Tom and Dylan get to have that bonding time...! Dylan really seems to enjoy it...I also notice that Dylan seems more independent with Tom -- he falls asleep in the car seat and he falls asleep without nursing!

Overall, it seems like being with daddy has been a really good thing for his development.

Of course, for me, I have a hard time saying bye to the two of them after lunch! But, I have to admit that being at work gives my arms a chance to rest!!!

open mouth, insert foot, and swallow....

10/09/06 - Dylan puts his foot in his mouth
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

You should have seen all the ways in which he was contorting his little body just to get his toes in his mouth!!

Then he got frustrated because his second toe was going in with the big toe and the big toe wasn't going in at the right angle, etc...!

Poor guy. But, as far as I'm concerned, it's great if he's found a new way to comfort himself...!

the Renaissance Faire

heading to the Renaissance Faire - 10/06/06
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Tom went as a bar keeper and little Dylan went as a mini-pirate (in a custom costume -- sweatpants, a white onesie and one of my bandanas wrapped around his little head, and a sash tied around his waist).

It was a pretty exciting day for Dylan. He barely slept and barely ate...he just took it all in, gnawing on his hands the entire time!

A few more pics are on flickr.

toes!

10/05/06 - what are these things at the end of my legs??
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan likes 'em!