Seven Months Old!

Miles was seven months old over a week ago and he's never been more charming! He's eating his solids and will even try a new one every week or so; he's sleeping at night, he's napping like a dream, and we've never had more smiles, laughs, and effusions of physical joy. He just started "dancing" which is really just bobbing rhythmically when he's sitting or on his tummy, but which looks totally rad. He's not crawling yet, and we're perfectly happy with that :-)





We're just emerging from about ten days, with a few breaks, of being snowed in. This last couple of snowstorms bought us a clean week and then some off of school. This was exciting in an end-of-the-world sort of way, but Jon was relieved to go back today. Here's us trying to make sense of our backyard:

Snow Day!

The third major snow (as in, Tuesday night's, NOT the one going on right now) found Mummy possessed of a desire to play like a child. With my child. Maybe it's the Wii fit credits giving me an energy boost... Here are the results:








Here's a couple of shots of my snow-penguin. I eventually decided to use the foam beak, though the carrot gave it a cool kiwi-bird look. Visibility over distance is an important consideration in snow sculpturing :-)

Miles and the Museum

Miles visited his fourth museum last Sunday. He's been to:

The American History Museum
The Natural History Museum (Smithsonian)
The National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum
The Walter's Gallery in Baltimore

We're finding museums to be a great fit for Miles right now, since we can enjoy them while holding him, he can enjoy color, sound, and people-watching, and we can all enjoy very kid-friendly facilities- even in more grown-up types of museums. Oh, one more thing: museums are frequently free. Just a plug for anyone with a kid who is bummed because it's so much harder to go to movies, concerts and plays...
Oh, and don't forget: pet store=FREE ZOO.

Here's Miles and Papa soaking up the atmosphere at the American Art Museum:

The Graduate

Miles graduated from Sleep Academy this week! We did a three-day intensive course in which we employed the "Cry-it-Out" strategy that many consider to be borderline child abuse. I had Views against this method, myself, feeling that it would teach my child that the Universe was indifferent to him and basically untrustworthy. I had no philosophical conversion, but my pediatrician assured me that at six months, Miles is too young to connect our not appearing when he summons us to any intention on our part. Three events this past week brought me to readiness for this ordeal.
1. Monday night (as in, 1/4). Miles was put down at 9pm. He got up at: 10:15, 10:50, 12, 12:50, 3:30, and 5:30. This isn't such an anomaly, either; he'd been averaging 3-4 wake-ups recently and I had as many excuses for him as there were nights. Which leads me to
2. Pediatrician Visit. (Stats below) Our wonderful Pediatrician shot through the last of my excuses by informing me that Miles' ear infection was GONE and that if he was having gas, he'd probably be experiencing it during the day, as well. She advised Sleep Rehab :-)
3. A personal anecdote from a friend and like-minded Mom of a 5-month old who recently let her son cry himself out and as a result, he is now sleeping THROUGH THE NIGHT. I could feel myself SALIVATING.

On Friday night, Miles treated us to two hours of almost non-stop crying, and I thought (and still think) that my child could out-cry any baby on the planet. And I almost climbed in and cried along with him. And I almost gave up. And then, about nine o'clock: SILENCE.

It's only gotten better. Saturday we had 30 minutes of crying; Sunday, 40 (relapse due to lack of naps and exhaustion) and Monday, 12. Today, Tuesday, was a record at only 9 minutes of crying before silence fell. And the required feedings are falling later and later, so that Sunday night, he officially SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT! (that is, 9 until 5:45. Don't think WE got 8 hours of sleep, calm down now).

This has been one heck of a weary march for Papa and me, so you'll excuse us if we're excessively over the moon excited about our son's sleep progress.... and maybe have been a bit single-minded and unavailable. It'll pay off for more people than for us.

Sorry for the novel. (excited!). Check out: Solid Foods are now a regular feature!

Sitting up is a way of life!

And six-month stats: 27.5 inches (Yes I know he was also 27 inches at 4 months. They re-measured 4 times this month so there must have been Human Error. Or Miles is a Leprechaun. Or reality is fluid, not static. Or all three). 90-95% for height.
Weight: 16lbs 5oz (50%). Sliding into 6-9 month clothes (good heavens!). Time is FLYING.

In Praise of Snow

This is not specifically a Christmas entry, and I don't have time to rhapsodize as I would like, but I would just like to say how blessed and marvelous it was to be back where it SNOWS! It snowed maybe an inch or so every day we were there (except Christmas, obnoxiously). I'd like to dispel the rumor that snow is cold. Snow is so much warmer than not snow! The two days that our flat in MD was blanketed in snow were the warmest the inside of that place has been since winter began. Snow generally does not occur on the coldest days, in my experience, and it comes down like the grace of God to transform the ugliest landscape. And I've missed it. And this little dollop that remains is MOCKING me.

So, we're back in Maryland, and pretty much used to it now. :-) Miles has survived a very unpleasant ear infection, Lissa's working again, and we're slipping back into routines. One new routine to learn, however, will be Operation Big Boy Sleep, which commences tonight. Miles has been WRETCHED at sleeping, sometimes waking every hour (if you want to know what wretched means) and Change must come. Wish us luck!

Soon to come: six month statistics

Christmas part III: Cousins

Another marvelous part of this Christmas was the fact that our family holiday rotation lined up (at least partially) with those of the Nickoloffs and Cornells (that is, Leah and Matthew and Joel and Bri). That is to say, for at least a few days, our time in Rochester overlapped and we were able to enjoy each other's company, socialize our kids and, of course, take pictures.
Leah and Matthew came over on Monday to exchange gifts, greetings and hugs:




Notice the twin Sophies... Miles has gotten so much gnawing milage out of her that we had to bestow one on Abby.

A few days later, we got to spend a few hours with Joel and Bri (and Isaac) as well as Leah, Matthew and Abby. I've got more pictures of this than I can reasonably publish, so I'll do my best to be selective.
Oh! First, I have to comment about this one. Abby is taking her first crawling "steps." I caught this, official Abby first (right Leah?):


The babies were awesome, but by the time we got around for photos... just not in the mood.
However, behold the fabulous shot of Bri with her ski bum Poohster... so classic!

I would just like to say that, missing in this family shot is Buddy and Aiden. We would SO LOVE to see them home, in NY, sometime soon. It's been a very long time and it was one of the sad undertones to this visit home that Buddy and his son have not been able to come home and don't have the prospect of coming home for a long time. Prayers that this can be altered would be appreciated. We miss you Buddy! There are holes in this picture!

Christmas Part II: Generations

Christmas vacation gave us the opportunity to intoduce Miles to all four of his great-grandparents on his mother's side. First, the tide took us to St. Catharine's, ON (yes, Canada) to see my father's parents, Miles' great-grandparents Revell. Grandma got to spend a bit more time with him than Grandpa did, but Miles and Grandpa Revell were introduced and were quite pleased to meet one another. Below are some records of the encounter with Grandma:




Just few days later we had the pleasure of visiting Grandma and Grandpa Cornell. They put us up for the night and were able to observe, cuddle and play with their youngest great-grandson:


Later that night, Miles gave us some of his best smiles and laughs in a bout of insomnia he was having around 10:30 (No, Miles does not sleep "though the night." Not even close. Yes, it's a sore subject). Check out his giggles for Papa (these noises Papa was making, by the way, were funny JUST that one night. Never again have they fetched more than a rather condescending smile):