Wishing Amelia a very happy second birthday (yesterday)!
Feeling adequately rested after Simon seems to have ended his boycott on sleeping through the night. We give thanks for answered prayer and at least partial credit to Hyland’s Teething Tablets, known in our household as the magic pills or baby peyote—we don’t know what makes them work, but we’re awfully fond of them around here.
Craving Indian food, especially Tandoori Chicken, even though that’s not always my first choice from the menu. And coffee.
Knowing that Jason was right to take leftover Halloween candy to work, but still wishing we had more chocolate in the house.
Watching Doctor Who. I just finished editing a book on the British sci-fi series and had never seen an episode. It took a little while to get past the low-budget special effects (part of the series’ charm according to fans), but it’s growing on me . . . in a Marian the Librarian sort of way.
Knitting a scarf. Something about fall makes me want to (re)learn to knit—even when it’s seventy degrees out.
Enjoying Andy’s series of Charity portraits.
Looking forward to voting tomorrow, despite my continued ambivalence toward the election (Brook taught me the proper use of the word “ambivalence,” which I previously thought was more similar to, if not synonymous with, “apathy").
Praying (see previous).

The measuring stick? I threw it out. I burned it. It was made to calculate finite things, and so always gave an inaccurate reading when I tried to use it to measure life.—Jesh de Rox

I read this quote a few weeks ago on Renee’s blog, and I was reminded of it again this weekend. Yesterday, I spent a portion of the morning with a family whose youngest is a month younger than Simon, and then tonight I had a conversation after church with another mom whose latest kiddo was born while Simon was still in the NICU. Part of each conversation quite naturally turned to what the babies are learning to do these days. While it is fun simply to see how different all our kids are, how their personalities are really starting to come out, I am struck by how difficult it is, what a conscious effort it takes, to keep the inevitable comparisons from becoming more than that—whether it’s the temptation to worry that Simon’s not quite up to speed in this area or to be prideful that he’s a step ahead in that one, both are equally ugly.

And so, I gladly throw out the measuring stick and choose to simply love Simon—and the other kiddos who come my way—as much as possible.

Dear little Bub,

You are nine months old. Nine. Three-quarters of a year.

This month you got your first two teeth—the middle ones on the bottom, first the right, then the left. We had been wondering for quite some time when they were going to come, and truth be told, we were glad to finally be able to say, “We think he’s teething” and be right. It makes us feel like we know what we’re talking about, even if it’s just for a moment. You variously like either to show your teeth by smiling with a slight underbite or to hide them altogether (this usually when someone is specifically trying to see them)—you are quite adept at blocking them with your tongue or covering them with your hand to keep them your little secret. Two on the top are coming next.

Did I really say last month that you sleep six or seven hours at a stretch? Your sleeping has been less than stellar this month—we blame the aforementioned teeth for getting you off track in the first place. The upside, however, is that in our strategizing to get you sleepy at a reasonable hour each evening, we’ve hit upon a bedtime routine that relaxes us all. Snuggling you while we listen to the Innocence Mission’s album Now the Day Is Over has become a highlight of the day (of course, it’s not foolproof, and we still resort to a car ride every once in a while).

I am afraid that you are losing interest in eating solid foods—not that you were ever that into it to begin with. You have, however, taken to Cheerios with a passion, and I have a feeling that I will be carrying around little containers of them for a couple of years to come. My latest theory is that you only like food that you can pick up and feed yourself, so we’re trying to be creative and give you a few more options there.

You are, generally speaking, a good-natured, easygoing kid, but this month you have launched a one-baby campaign against getting dressed. It’s not so much that you like being naked as much as that you hate the process of getting your diaper changed or getting your clothes on. I don’t know if it’s that you just don’t have the time for it or what, but, kid, when it comes to dressing you, you are one strong, unbendable, loud, cranky baby.

This month you’ve started to do a few more things in a “big boy” sort of way, namely, you now have your baths in the tub upstairs (you LOVE to splash; it makes you laugh) and you ride in the stroller without your infant carseat. When you wear your pajamas, you look like such a big kid that I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me you were going to head downstairs to make yourself a bowl of cereal and watch Saturday morning cartoons. 

You are trying so hard to crawl, and you’re making progress every day. You either rock on your hands and knees until your little arms give out and you do a face plant, or you stretch yourself out as far as you can and try with all your might to reach for whatever object you’re after. Both of these are usually accompanied by grunts and groans, and I always think it sounds as if you trying to will yourself to move forward. Tonight you made the best progress of all—instead of moving one hand and one knee and then the other, you would move both hands and then both knees. Daddy described it well: he said you look like you were doing the butterfly. No more messing around—we have to babyproof now!

As I’ve told you hundreds of times, fall is Mama’s favorite time of year. You seem to like it too. We had lots of fun at the pumpkin patch (well, the adults did anyway) and playing in the leaves, and the beautiful fall days have allowed us to go for nice long walks. One fall activity you didn’t like (at all) was the hayrack ride with the folks from Daddy’s office—you cried the whole time. We really thought you would like that better than you did.

For your first Halloween, we dressed you up as Chewbacca (by the way, a notable exception to your no-getting-dressed rule: you donned your costume with minimal fuss and even tolerated the fur), and, oh my goodness, the cuteness was almost too much to bear. You were a hit, of course. Mommy and Daddy dressed up too, and we appreciated the fact that you weren’t yet embarrassed by us.

There are dozens and dozens of little things that I want to remember--like the way you have started to give a little giggle after every sneeze (an acceptable alternative to the little “uhhhhnnn” we used to like so well); the (sometimes loud) humming you do when you nurse; that you smile so, so, so big whenever I come around the car to fetch you from your carseat (I love it that you are so ecstatic to see me and hope it will be so for a long, long time); how you like to keep your legs up in the air when we put you down in your crib (and that you, of course, wake up as soon as you relax them); that you like to sleep with your nose pressed up against something, whether the side of your carseat or Mama’s chin; the way you laugh in anticipation when we play “Come a little rusky going beek beek beek beek”; that no matter how upset you are, you can be at least temporarily distracted by making the little orange house on your exersaucer pop up (you have to pat it back down); how you sometimes whisper when you are talking to yourself; and how you “sing along” in church. Just to name a few.

It’s such a joy to be your mom.

Mama loves you, little man.

More pictures of this month here.

So, I’ve decided I’m going to participate in NaBloPoMo: a post every day for the month of November. I did this two years ago, and it was definitely challenging. I wasn’t up for it last year, but I think I’m ready to give it a go again. I like Lindsey’s idea of having a certain kind of post for each day of the week. In fact, I have been meaning to implement a similar strategy for some time, but like Jamie, I find that even though I have lots of ideas for the blog, it’s more fun to dream them up than to follow through. In any case, it’s November (!), so here we go. (Call me crazy, but I’m going to try to post every day over at Needs More Butter as well.)

A quick history: last year the O’Donnells dressed up for Halloween as a family—Jones was a dragon, Jamie was a princess, and Bryan was a castle—and, thinking that that was the best thing ever, we decided that we would give family costumes a try next year (i.e., this year). And, for the record, Jones’s costume is unbearably cute again this year. Seriously, genius.

I found a infant Chewbacca costume on the Web and knew that it would be perfect for us (i.e., just geeky enough to entice Jason to be involved—wait, that came out wrong). So we decided to go as Han Solo and Princess Leia (and, no, I never considered the other Leia costume). We then kind of forgot about it until a month or so ago, when I started asking, “Are we really going to do costumes this year?” almost daily. We went back and forth and back and forth. We had picked up a military jacket at a thrift store that we thought might work for Han, and I found a bath robe that I thought would be good enough to suggest Leia (after all, I figured all eyes would be on the little Wookie anyway), but then we neglected to order the most essential items (a blaster for Jason and a wig for me). At one point we decided it was just too much effort and expense and had decided to ditch the costume idea altogether (except for Simon’s, which we had already purchased).

Then, for reasons he never explained, Jason decided last Saturday that we should go for it after all. We spent most of that day running around town trying to find pieces parts that would work. We ended up renting a gown for me, so I was set, but the night before Halloween when Jason tried on his costume for the first time, we thought we might have to abandon it after all. The problem was that each part of his costume—jacket, shirt, pants, boots, holster—was just a little bit off, which was no big deal except that when you put them all together the sum was WAY off, and not at all Han Solo-like. We ended up tweaking each part just enough that the overall effect was quite good in the end, I thought. The costumes certainly weren’t perfect, but we had a lot of fun.

Simon put on his scary face.

Waiting for Simon to wake up so that his daddy can introduce him to the wonders of the Italian Runza.
Finishing a project for work.
Pulling my hair out because I cannot for the life of me seem to get all my laundry folded and put away and it’s really bugging me.
Becoming utterly dejected about the election.
Revisiting sleep strategies for the wee one (though after midnight, last night was a bit better).
Thinking it’s been a while since I’ve busted out the camera.
Ditching our Halloween costumes (Simon’s will still be awesome, but we’re giving up on the family theme).
Taking stock of my kitchen supplies and wishing I could have another wedding shower. It doesn’t help that I have now ruined my only two good pots by burning rice--really, really burning the rice.
Changing into my swimsuit because Brookos is coming home, and one thing that Brook loves is hugging in swimsuits.

A few of the things that have caught my attention in the last week or so:

I woke up with this catchy little number in my head this morning. But by now it’s been replaced by this one, which, by the way, is my favorite thing I’ve seen on the Internet in a long time. (Both via my hip husband.)

I’d love to have several hours to play around on this site. Via.

I scored a 22 on this Color IQ test.. Not bad, but I could probably do better. Via.

I keep meaning to see if Barnes and Noble (Nobel?) carries this beautiful magazine.  A subscription is definitely going on my wish list. Via.

And, finally, a few things I’m filing away for my parenting future: on playing it safe, on letting go, on taking on challenges, and on keeping it real..

A big-ass mushroom.

2 teeth.
2 a.m. waking/wailing (and also 12 a.m., 1:20 a.m., 3:40 a.m.—you get the idea).
2 sleepy parents.

Dear sweet little Simon,

Today you are eight months old and there’s no more denying it: you have a superpower, the ability to make time FLY by. Fly.

One of the biggest changes this month is that you are now sleeping in your own room. What a big boy! Actually, you had no trouble making the transition at all. It was Mommy (and, surprisingly, Daddy) that had a bit of a hard time with it, but we’re getting used to it. Most nights you sleep six or seven hours straight, not that it matters since we still get up to check on you every three or four hours. You like to sleep on your tummy now, and every once in a while you get your arm stuck in a slat, but barring that, you wake up pretty smiley. It is a highlight of my day to come collect you in the morning (although I also enjoy when your daddy does it and I get those extra four minutes of sleep).

You also started swimming lessons at the Y this month. The class is for the littlest kids—six months to two years—and is intended simply to get you used to the water. We have been pleasantly surprised at how well you like it. We were a little dubious since you used to hate your baths so, so much (you’ve outgrown that bath hating by now, though). True to form, you are pretty chilled out in the water, and you look so very adorable in your swim trunks. You do splash more than most of the other kids—we think this is because you are trying to grab the water and, of course, put it in your mouth. Swim lessons are right around your morning nap time (we’re finally getting to have somewhat of a schedule!), so you are pretty crashed out by the end.

It doesn’t take much to entertain you, we’ve found. One of your favorite “toys” is a cup of ice to shake—there was one particularly cute incident with a Runza cup; we were so sad to not have had the video camera for that one. You love to scrunch paper, though you need to be closely supervised since you also love to chew on paper. And you’re starting to sit still a little longer for books, though you still have yet to really make it through them without getting distracted. Magazines are more your pace, probably because they have the added bonus of crinkly paper. Still, your feet are probably your favorite toys—which is nice since they’re always handy.

You love exploring new textures— tree bark, grass, canvas, brick, Daddy’s scruffy face, carpet. And you’ve discovered how to make noise by banging things—your spoon against the high chair tray, the wooden blinds against the window, Daddy’s keyboard (wait . . . what?). I might be sorry for letting you get in the habit of banging on whatever you want, but it’s just so cute (I’m sure this is how bad habits form).

Daddy and I are going to have to get serious about baby-proofing the house. You’re not crawling yet, but you’re getting where you want to go either by rolling there or by what looks kind of like a modified combat crawl—you fold one leg up under you like you’re going to crawl and reach your arms out straight and grab onto whatever you can grab for leverage (blanket, edge of the carpet) and then push your leg straight and pull with your arms. It takes a lot of effort, and I’m sure you’ll find real crawling significantly easier once you get the hang of it.

I still love to watch you interact with people. Often when someone is trying to entertain you, you study him—totally stonefaced—and then, just when the person is about to give up, you bust into a killer grin. Love it (not so much the suspense, but I love the smile when it comes. Totally worth the wait). Yesterday in the store, I got stopped not once but twice by people telling me how cute you are. (I had to pause and consciously respond with the socially acceptable “Thank you. I think so too.” rather than simply gushing “I know! He IS the cutest baby ever!” which was my first thought.) I think you’re actually becoming more aware of people around you—this morning I was listening to a baby reading a book (how fun!), and you stopped what you were doing and turned toward the computer with the biggest smile on your face and began flapping your arms. When I stopped the video, you went back to what you were doing before.

You are beginning to be able to clearly express preferences, whether it be turning your head away from more peas, leaning toward Mama to be held (not gonna lie, I love that), arching your back to avoid sitting, or making a hilarious face at too-spicy guacamole (sorry about that), and it’s fun to have more feedback from you. You are also starting to initiate play (like this game of peekaboo with Aunt Rhonda) and to find things funny. The other day, for example, you stopped nursing to look up at me and laugh. I have no idea what amused you, but it was so spontaneous and joyful. So delightful. And on the other end of the spectrum, you can let out such mournful cries, as I was reminded today when you woke up from your nap. You do tend to be a leeetle bit dramatic; I’m sorry to say you probably get that from me.

You are growing and changing so fast, and the more we get to know you, the more we like you. You ought to know by now that your daddy and I are crazy about you.

Mama loves you, little man.

More pictures of this month here.

My sister has begun her campaign to ensure that Simon thinks of her as Fun Aunt Rhonda, or Aunt Fun for short.

Rebecca tagged me for a meme, so here I go. Actually, truth be told, I started this entry way back when I saw it on Lindsey’s blog, but I’m a terrible procrastinator (can that be my Worst habit?).

A: Attached or Single?  Definitely attached. In the spirit of the question, married. But my first thought (ETA: referring to the fact that I am breastfeeding my son, Simon) was, “Yep, attached every two to three hours.”
B. Best Friend? Jason. And beyond that, I have amazing, amazing friends.
C: Cake or pie? Yes, please. Just a little slice of each.
D: Day of choice? Big things seem to happen for us on Wednesdays (started dating, got engaged, Simon was born, brought Simon home from the hospital). These days I look forward to Thursdays (because that’s when Burn Notice is on). But my final answer is Sundays--I love spending time with the family.
E: Essential Item? Something for Simon to chew on. Anything, really.
F: Favorite color? Orange? Green? Not necessarily together, though. My favorite color combination right now is chocolate brown and most any kind of red.
G: Gummy bears or worms? Either. Yum.
H: Hometown? I went to high school in Omaha, but my parents have since moved to Fremont (where I also went to elementary school).
I: Favorite indulgence? Spending a long, long time at a restaurant for dinner.
J: January or July? January. Don’t mind the cold as much as I hate the hot.
K: Kids? One so far.
L: Life isn’t complete without? Family, friends.
M: Marriage date? August 6, 2005
N: Number of brothers and sisters? One younger sister; and one brother-in-law and one sister-in-law.
O: Oranges or apples? Apples. 
P: Phobias? Bugs in food.
Q: Quotes? Love ‘em. Used to keep books full of them.
R: Reasons to Smile? I get to spend my days with Simon.
S: Season of choice?  Fall. By all means, fall. I don’t even care that winter follows. Fall.
T: Tag 5 People: Shelli and/or Neil, Brook, Charity, Ann, and of course, anyone who is game.
U: Unknown fact? This is becoming more of a known fact since I keep sharing it as an unknown, but anyway: I once made my dad so mad that he passed out.
V: Vegetable? Okay.
W: Worst habit? Paying bills late; starting and not finishing (projects, commitments to healthful living, etc.)
X: X-ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound, unless it is by that one horrible, horrible, wretched tech at St. Es, then SKIP IT.
Y: Your favorite food? This changes regularly. Lately, I’ve been loving tomatoes with fresh mozzerella and crusty bread.
Z: Zodiac Sign? Leo, but who cares?

For a long time (at least two years), Jason and I have been planning to paint the dining room some great shade of red. More recently, we have been dreaming about decorating our fabulous red dining room with photographs we take when we visit the O’Donnells in Japan next spring (can’t wait! can’t wait! can’t wait!).

But then I was watching an episode of Top Design, and I fell in love with this tree:

And now I kind of want one in our home. I’m thinking on the dining room’s north wall--with the bookcase, opposite the kitchen. (I am also loving the tree in the new Indigo Bridge Books down in the Haymarket). What do you (including you, Jason) think?