Changing colors and a 6 month archive

I love his eyes. I have boring brown eyes and have always been mesmerized by those with blue or green eyes. Oliver Finn has always has always had stark steel blue eyes. My Mother has blue eyes, but now I can see some of Johns green eyes in him. The mix is quite intriguing.


Below are a handful of pictures from the past 6 months

Play!

Our boy loves to laugh. His sense of humor is so sweet and sincere. We can only hope that the Audley sense of humor will enable him to laugh at himself him when he is old enough to realize how many jokes are on him.

Walk in the rain

Why should we stay home just because it’s raining? The streets were quiet and we three went into town with our roo pouch and an umbrella and enjoyed a lovely afternoon of window shopping, lunch at a little Italian bistro, some time in the bookstore, you know all the things other people say they can’t do with a baby.....

I have always loved the rain. The smell of rain in the desert is something that I will never forget. My friend Su talks about the smell of rain on hot pavement in the summer and I have fond memories of that smell when I would stand naked on my balcony in Manhattan eating popsicles in the middle of a muggy August night.

Strawberry Picking

Our new friends suggested we meet them at the strawberry patch. We typically do what we can to make sure that Clara is impressed by The Boy. But, by the time he was done, the name Dracula would have suited him better. I hope this becomes a tradition for our families. We have such a good time in their company.

Crossed for Comfort

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

John is one of those rare men who can casually cross legs, even while wearing a kilt and be entirely comfortable and incredibly attractive while doing so.

One of the many mannerisms I never realized could be an innate reflex is crossing ones legs. The Boy, since his first month of life, has always chosen to cross his feet when he is settled into a comfortable spot. Whenever we’re curled into the chair with a good book (you know, the kind with only pictures) or in his car seat, he always crosses one foot over the other.  

                  

Father's Day

Not for previous lack of desire, but today was The Boy’s first day out on the water in a boat. Would he get sea sick? Would he be stir crazy with no fresh ground to cover after an hour or so? 

Nope, he found that the waves suited him quite well. He fell fast asleep. In fact, waves are so soothing to him that when we were bobbing around in the water down at the beach the other day, he fell asleep while he was swimming! I wondered what people were thinking when I carried a limp infant body out of the water.  

Sink Your Teeth

Our boy has never eaten baby food sold in a jar. We’ve made every meal for him from scratch, cooked up right along side our own meals. So far, we haven’t come across a meal that he hasn’t liked. Be we know what his favorites are - White Nectarines. 

I’m so impressed with how he handles his food, we’ve never needed a bib. (unless he’s eating watermelon, but that’s a challenge ever for adults) White nectarines are the first thing he has ever really requested, and by that I mean he squeals when we roll by them in the grocery store. He insists on snacking on one while we shop.

4th of July

The Boy got to play with his cousin this weekend. Aunti C and cousin Willa joined us for a few morning strolls through the town square, where we found the perfect his and hers star spangled sunglasses!

Everyone had to have their turn on the tractor. No, not the adult size John Deere.....GranDaddy doesn’t share that with anyone!

                      

Good color

There’s just something about the color of his eyes and his hair and his skin that is breathtaking today.

Charming Gardener

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;

they are the charming gardeners who make our

souls blossom.”  - Marcel Proust

He helps himself to the tomatoes in the garden. I’ve taught him to pick the sweet yellow ones instead of the sour green ones and he will eat 2 dozen at a time! I love that he knows to eat fresh food from the garden. He crawls over to the swiss chard or celery and rips off a stalk he uses to floss his teeth (he just chews and then spits it out after a few minutes), he nibbles on carrots, and forgets that he doesn’t like radishes every time. 

We spend hours in the yard, watching the dog, twirling leaves between our fingers, blowing bubbles, swinging from the apple tree, sharing snacks. I have always loved our property, but I’ve never enjoyed it as much as I have these past few months. I can’t imagine our boy having to grow up in an apartment building of a busy city. Don’t get me wrong, I have spent more time living in Manhattan than I have lived in Maine and really Really enjoyed it. It’s just different.

Yesterday I missed the photo opportunity of the week when he was munching on one end of the chard and the chicken was pecking at the other end. He is always so generous with his food, just ask the dog. A friend of ours gave us a new term for crumbs on the floor beneath a highchair - “Tod Litter”

Chickens

John received a new batch of chickens for his birthday this year. Two blondes, two black, and one red. I will save the tasteless political satire that inspired their names for those of you who are brave enough to ask in person....

The Boy is very pleased. He learned to say “Bawk Bawk” the first day. Their coop is viewable from the window next to his changing table, so we have conversations about chickens whenever I change his diaper. I wonder what association will be formed from this habit?