Edmund the Comedian
One night last week I went into Edmund's room and sat down in the rocking chair while Steven finished putting Edmund in his pajamas. When he was done, Steven handed Edmund to me. Edmund studied my face intently for half a minute. I thought he was going to cry, perhaps because he wasn't accustomed to seeing "glasses mommy" at night. To my surprise Edmund didn't cry, but quickly reached his hand up and yanked my glasses off my face. Edmund looked intently at "no glasses mommy" for a few seconds and began to laugh hysterically. I took my glasses from Edmund and quickly put them back on, since without my glasses Edmund was simply a blob. Edmund stopped laughing, and again with a quick motion yanked off my glasses. If Edmund was capable, I'm sure he would have been on the floor rolling with laughter. I let this exchange go on a few more times before putting it to a halt.
Although it wound him up a little more than I would have liked before he went to bed, I saw this "glasses on-off" game as a cognitive milestone. For the first time Edmund laughed at something he caused, and not simply his mommy or daddy saying "ah to to to to to."
Mama Bear, Daddy Bear, and Baby Bear
Edmund went to school wearing his "so cute it's scary" outfit. He is definitely "so cute", but it's scary that he's almost too big for the outfit. We're glad he was able to get one last wear out of it on Halloween. It was the perfect outfit for school and one my co-teacher was happy about. She 
had quite a time trying to change the diaper of Edmund's "giant pumpkin" classmate, so was relieved to find that Edmund had on a functional, yet holiday appropriate outfit.
This morning Edmund's preschool held a mini fall festival. Edmund and his classmates enjoyed sitting in the laps of teachers while listening to the toddlers sing fall songs. They also loved watching the older children jump in piles of raked leaves. It is hard to believe that next year Edmund will be jumping in leaves with the best of them, since currently he doesn't even possess the muscle control to sit unassisted. After the exciting morning the day continued on like any other, that is, until daddy returned home.
When Steven arrived home we packed a well-rested and well-fed Edmund into his carseat and headed to the Chapel Hill Bible Church's Fall Festival. When we arrived at the festival we put Edmund in the bear costume his Aunt Becca sent him. The costume was perfect for a chilly night, not to mention a big hit. People cou
ldn't tell at first there was a baby hiding behind the fuzzy bear hat. When people finally saw Edmund they gave a chuckle and commented on how cute he was. Of course I wouldn't expect anything less. As we entered the festival Edmund dutifully delivered the bag of candy required for admission. His mommy and daddy took advantage of the food the candy got us. Edmund didn't seem to mind that we ate his share, as he had yummy bear paws to chew on. After eating we walked around and looked at the games Edmund can participate in next year. His mommy and daddy would have loved to participate in the games, though we may have looked strange playing games intended for preschoolers. After taking a hayride around the parking lot, Edmund showed signs of fading fast. Edmund had as an eventful Halloween as any four month old could hope for, but all good things must come to an end. We took our little bear home to hibernate, until next Halloween that is!
Mommy and Edmund at Ganyard Hill Farm
We first visited the animal pen full of goats, pigs, and chickens. Edmund got up close and personal with a goat who was making an inquiry as to whether or not Edmund had food 
to share. Edmund ignored this encounter in favor of chewing on the Baby Bjorn. He is in the "everything goes in the mouth" phase. Next we made our way to the small cotton field. I picked some cotton and held it up for Edmund to feel. Edmund grabbed the piece of cotton and clutched it in his fist. He is also in the "if I can grab it, I'll take it" phase. I tried to make this a learning experience by rubbing the soft cotton on his face. Again he found chewing on his Baby Bjorn of more interest. Oh well!
Every year Steven and I venture deep into the corn maze to find corn to feed to the animals. This year I didn't venture, as I had Edmund with me. Steven went on a mini search and found a few ears. Unfortunately when we shucked the corn they only had a few kernels each. I'm afraid the animals wouldn't have been pleased with such minuscule meals, so we left the corn on the ground. I'm sure the older children found plenty of corn to give the animals their fill. After making our way through the maze we boarded a hay ride. Edmund stayed awake for the first half of the ride, but despite the bumpiness of the ride managed to fall asleep before we completed our circle.
With a sleepy Edmund in tow it was finally time to pick out our pumpkins. In past years we hav
e picked our pumpkins straight from the vine, but this year there were few to be found. We settled for choosing prepicked pumpkins, though hopefully next year Edmund can have a true pumpkin picking experience. This year he didn't even contribute an opinion as to which pumpkin would be best. He was out cold! We decided to go with daddy, mommy, and baby sized pumpkins. Next week we plan to carve our pumpkins. We may even let Edmund feel the slimy pumpkin guts--that is if he promises not to put them in his mouth!
Edmund is 1/3 of a year old
Last night Steven was talking on the phone with Nancy (Edmund's Chapel Hill grandmother). The two of them were making arrangements for Edmund's visit with Aunt Sharon. I was holding Edmund facing Steven as I finished dinner. About a minute into the phone conversation Edmund started "talking" more pronouncedly than I had heard before. He made a series of dramatic "ahh, ooh, ahhs." After a minute of this Steven told Nancy that Edmund wanted to talk to her and put the phone up to Edmund's mouth. As soon as he brought the phone near Edmund, Edmund went silent. So Steven took the phone back and continued his conversation with Nancy. Again Edmund started emphatically making his "ahhs and oohs.". Steven eventually finished his call and said his good-byes to his mom. When he ended the conversation Edmund, too, stopped "talking." It was then that Steven and I realized Edmund believed he'd been having a pleasant chat with his daddy. Fortunately for him he has yet to realize his father was having a conversation with someone else.
Edmund Playing with His School Friend
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). I have even toyed with the idea of writing a book about my love/hate relationship with NAEYC, but that's a story for another day. I selfishly hoped I would miss out on the NAEYC accreditation while on maternity leave, but I had no such luck. I wouldn't call myself a work-aholic, but I do strive to do my best when it comes to work. Shortly before Edmund's birth, however, I made a promise to myself that I would stop working outside of school hours. I assumed my director would be especially pleased with this, especially since she is often on my case about the amount of work I do outside of school. Unfortunately it appears I have returned to my old ways. This is not because I wanted to however, but because now the director is asking us to put in outside school hours to get ready for NAEYC. If we pass we will be offered a bonus, but I'd rather have the time with Edmund. At least I know the end will come sometime in late October.
Now that I've blown off some steam about NAEYC, it's time for the important topic--Edmund! Edmund is quickly acquiring 
new skills. There are days I'll think to myself "when did he learn to do that." For one, he has now mastered the art of sucking on his hands. You will recall that when he discovered his hands he would often end up hitting himself in the face. He now steadies his hands with ease. Once steadied, he brings his hands to his mouth and begins merrily sucking on them. He is also showing signs that he may forgo the pacifier for his thumb. Future postings will reveal his final choice. Edmund also prefers his hands to toys. I'll offer him a toy and he'll drop it in favor of bringing his hands together and waving them in front of his face. One day I decided to try this action to see what the appeal was, but I'm afraid it did not have the same mystifying effect on me that it has on Edmund.
Edmund is also consistently grasping toys when they are offered. He can even use two hands to manipulate his toys, and you guessed it, bring them to his mouth. At school I try to get pictures of Edmund playing with a toy, but by the time I have the camera ready he already has the toy to his mouth. I should also take the ti
me to describe Edmund's favorite activity at school. He absolutely loves the kick gym. The toy has a foot pedal that the baby must kick in order to get the overhead toys to spin and play music. Edmund gets so excited and kicks so vigorously it's hard not to laugh. My description can't do it justice. I hope to get a video before he outgrows the toy, which unfortunately will be in the not too distant future. The babies all seem to lose interest once they can sit up. But for now I simply wonder if Edmund thinks I bring him to school simply to kick the kick gym. When I look at how focused and engaged he is while at the kick gym I picture him as a little baby worker who must carefully time each kick in order to be productive at his baby job.
On Sunday Edmund will be 4 months old! Everyone says "the time goes by too quickly," and I have to say that "everyone" is right. I love watching my baby grow into a little boy, but wish his babyhood wasn't so fleeting. While my job can be exhausting at times, I have to remember how fortunate I am to be with my baby everyday. I will be present for all his milestones and it can't get better than that!
Edmund was the talk of the school in this outfit from his Great Uncles
Edmund Has Tummy Time with a Classmate
Edmund in His Going to School Outfit
(he peed on it before the end of the day)
So far Edmund has been quite the wonderful pupil. He is a happy little guy. It is only his third day, but to this point he has yet to let out a full blown cry. I wish the other babies would follow his example. I am not jumping up and down over his easy going nature at school just yet, however. It could be that he is simply taking everything in right now to one day drop his bomb of fury. Seeing as he has always been an easy going baby, he probably will remain happy. Pray that he does! Unfortunately a happy baby in childcare is a catch-22. It means he is the child everyone loves, but is often ignored because he doesn't demand attention. I try my best to talk with him about everything that is going on while I play with and tend to other babies, so he knows he is not forgotten. I have heard working moms say that they treasure time with their children so much more than they would otherwise. Even though Edmund is with me at work I feel the same way about our time together. Our afternoons have become very special. Afternoons and evenings are now a time to cuddle. So I will bid you all farewell for the evening as I go lavish my son with love and kisses.
Edmund the Comedian
