Edmund Finds His "Spot"

In the past week I've made the discovery that Edmund is not afraid to walk at the indoor playground at our local mall. He seems to know intuitively that the floor is padded, not to mention all the play structures are made of foam. While he will whine at home until I give him the safety of my finger for walking, he'll simply let go and take off at the playground. It has become one of my favorite places to go with Edmund because I don't have to be quite as vigilant as I am at home. Don't get me wrong, I still hover behind him to make sure he doesn't fall, but I know if he falls he will be safe. For those of you who don't know, Edmund refuses to bend and fall on his bottom. He thinks it is hilarious to simply fall back as if in a "trust fall." This action makes me, his mother, an absolute nervous wreck. I can't simply let him go because I never know when he is going to fall back and hit his head. Trying to figure out how to get down is something Edmund is working on with his PT. Once he has mastered getting down and getting up he will be an expert walker. Edmund has made great strides in walking in just a few days. I'm not sure if it's the playground, but if it lets me "breathe" and helps Edmund feel safe we'll go there every day!

Edmund is the Big 1

Where Have You Been Hiding This Stuff?

It's hard to believe that a year ago we brought home a tiny and very sleepy, baby boy. That baby boy has turned into a 20 pound, non-stop ball of energy. And so our foray into toddlerhood truly begins. Edmund's actual birthday was Friday, June 5th. However, our Friday was about as routine as it gets. Were it not for a large bouquet of balloons that arrived that evening from Uncle Bill and Uncle Jared, you wouldn't even know there was a birthday boy in the house. Steven and I thought it best to hold off all celebrating for the big party which would ensue the next day.

Based on the RSVPs we expected quite a turnout for our little man's first birthday. I know the old birthday rule, one guest for each year of age, but a boy only turns one once. Of course, the first birthday is more about celebrating survival of the parents anyway. Thus, I wanted the people who helped make Edmund's first year such a wonderful experience to be present for the occasion. Granddad and Grandma Kay Kay traveled from VA for the big day. Grandma Pattishall, Kay Kay, and Aunt Alison came over early to help set up for the party. I never could have thrown this party without them. Edmund had a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" party based upon the book. We crafted a caterpillar from cupcakes frosted with various shades of green and red frosting. We sliced fruits and cheese for the caterpillar (and hungry guests) to dine on. Observant guests discovered that the caterpillar had even eaten holes through some of their food.

At the beginning of the party both sets of grandparents, Steven and I, and Aunt Alison all sat around watching Edmund. John and Sarah Jo, friends of ours from medical school, were the first guests to arrive. They have a three month old baby named John. Based on Edmund's reaction to Baby John, you would have thought he was Edmund's gift. Edmund kept going straight for his head. I'm hoping he was trying to give hugs, but nevertheless Edmund was told gentle hands several times. Other guests slowly trickled in. Edmund was greeted by friends from school and playgroup. As I've said before, one year old parties are playgroups with a theme. This party was no different, but fun all the same.

Eventually we decided we couldn't delay Edmund's inevitable first taste of cake any longer. We wheeled his high chair into the playroom. Edmund squirmed in the high chair wondering why he didn't see any food in front of him. Before Edmund went into meltdown mode, Steven entered the room with a cupcake topped with a lit candle. I quickly helped Edmund blow out the candle as he reached a hand out for the flame. Steven set the red frosted cupcake in front of Edmund. Edmund stuck one hand into the frosting and squished it between his fingers. He did the same with his other hand. Then he reached down, picked up the cupcake with both hands and tried to shove the whole thing in his mouth. I'm pretty sure Edmund was in heaven. He definitely likes cupcakes, but I think we'll reserve the next taste of sugar for a distant special occasion.

After cake, the children continued playing. Edmund was determined to walk where he wanted to. Unfortunately that meant Steven or I became his walking prisoners, as he is not steady enough on his own yet. My mom and dad had to leave early to drive back to VA, but we were able to wrangle Edmund back into the playroom to open gifts before they left. After posing for pictures with his very own Vanderbilt jersey from Granddad, Edmund was ready to call it a day.

The party was a big success. I heard it was the talk of the preschool the following morning. Again, thank you, thank you to all of you who helped with the party. And of course thank you all for being such an integral part of Edmund's 1st year.

Touch A Truck

Construction Worker Edmund

This post is coming nearly a month after the fact, but this particular adventure is too good not to document. The day after the farm tour, Steven and I took Edmund to an event called Touch a Truck. Edmund's Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Ed heard about the event through friends of theirs who volunteer with the Boy Scout Troop sponsoring the event. The Touch a Truck in Chapel Hill was a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital and Boy Scout Troop. As fundraisers go, this is probably the most innovative I have seen.

I didn't know quite what to expect when we arrived, but even I was in awe. Almost every kind of big truck you could imagine was open for children and their parents to explore. The Boy Scouts were on hand to give stats about each and every truck. We toured a mobile veterinary hospital, the local news truck, a Fed Ex truck, and a Harris Teeter truck. Edmund sat in an army helicopter and piloted with the assistance of a 6 year old co-pilot. Both Edmund and I tried our hands at the backhoe. Edmund, always concerned with safety, sported a very fashionable bright, yellow hard hat. I think this year the event was more exciting for Steven and I than for Edmund, but next year Edmund will be pushing his way to the front of the line to drive some trucks.

For all of you who have inquired about how Edmund's physical therapy appointment went, here is a quick rundown. The PT said that given Edmund's extreme drive to walk, we will have to work backwards. She doesn't believe we will get him to crawl before he walks. The goal is to find alternative ways to strengthen the muscles he needs for walking balance, that most babies develop through crawling. Edmund also is a little stiff on his left side, so we are to encourage him to use his left arm for reaching whenever possible. The PT got to witness Edmund's extreme dislike of tummy time today. Wouldn't it be nice to know why he hates it so so so much? Oh well. We will continue to work with the PT weekly to help our little man strengthen his muscles. Based on what she saw today, she suspects that as soon as Edmund develops his back and tummy muscles he will be up and running. We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers during this time. Edmund (and his mommy) are both a little frustrated, but finally know the goal is attainable.

Edmund Rides Again

Daddy Can I Have a Pony?

Last Saturday Edmund, Steven, and I attended the 28th annual Piedmont Farm Tour. I planned on posting about this trek much sooner, but Edmund was diagnosed with his first ear infection this past Monday. Edmund was a very crabby baby for several days, though he had good reason. Edmund's crabbiness in turn made for a slightly crabby mommy. To avoid accidentally writing about being kicked by horses and chased by wild turkeys (this did not actually occur), I decided to wait to write until Edmund was on the mend. I am happy to report that Edmund has now returned to his regular, jovial self.

Now let's head to the farms. The Farm Tour is something I've had on my "ideas for outings" list for years. Something has always prevented us from going. This year I started searching for the tour early and marked the calendar. I was determined Edmund have some face time with animals. Since I spent the majority of my summers playing on my great-grandparents Kentucky farm, it is important to me Edmund have similar experiences. He may never get to walk a goat on a leash as I did, but at least this way he can do more than simply read about farm animals in picture books. There were forty farms to choose from. Steven and I decided to tour two nearby, kid-friendly farms. Any more farms and Edmund might have faced animal overload.

We began with Maple View Farm, known for their fabulous homemade ice cream. I confess, the previous week this "no sugar for my kid" mom let her baby have a small taste of vanilla ice cream. Edmund enjoyed it, but was a bit taken aback by the cold. Maple View Farms recently opened an Agricultural Center. It is amazing. They have several rooms chock full of farm toys and games. It looks like a farm-themed preschool. Outside there is an area that houses several animals. This was my favorite part. We first stopped to show Edmund the miniature goats. I wondered if he would mistake them for dogs. They are the right size and have four legs. The goats had several ramps to climb, but as the weather approached 90 degrees the goats decided to head for the shade. We moved on to pigs, who to keep cool, rolled about in the mud, chickens, rabbits, and a llama. You read that correctly. A llama! If you know me well, you will know that I have an unexplainable fascination with llamas. I had no idea that I would have an opportunity to introduce Edmund to his very first llama. Edmund was not quite as interested as his mother. Edmund is fascinated with trucks, buses, and the like, and kept turning to see the tractor returning from its hayride. Maybe next year the llama will hold more appeal for Edmund. Edmund also took his third hay ride, but the first he stayed awake for. This was probably the longest hayride I have been on. Steven and I entertained ourselves making up stories about the cows we passed along the way. Edmund found hay to be his form of entertainment. After a sampling of some delicious chocolate milk, we decided to pack up the car and head to a new farm.

The next farm on our tour was Spence's Farm. This farm has an afterschool program for local elementary school children. The philosophy behind the farm is that children learn to be a member of a community by working the farm. The children grow a garden, ride horses, pull weeds, do pottery, collect eggs, feed animals, and even run their own farm store. Several children were on hand that Saturday to show us around the farm. They offered us fresh eggs several times. It's quite hard to turn down kids, but since we had 3 cartons of unused eggs in our refrigerator we had to pass. Steven and I first took Edmund to see the horses. I knew we had to get a picture of Edmund encountering his first horse, as my Kentucky family are true horse people. After Edmund posed for his picture we moved on to the chicken enclosure. There we saw a rooster who frequently made himself known by "cock-a-doodle-dooing". Edmund thought this was hilarious. What could be more funny than a rooster you ask? Edmund would tell you, a silly turkey that goes "gobble gobble." The day grew hotter, and since we spent so much time at Maple View Farm, we quickly looked around Spence's Farm and decided to head home. Several children were offering pony rides to visitors. I had to ask if Edmund could simply sit on a pony. "Of course." Edmund concluded his farm tour with the ultimate up-close and personal animal experience. I couldn't have planned a better way to end the day.

I am attempting to post links to Edmund's Snapfish pictures in a link on the right sidebar. Please let me know if you are able to access the pictures by leaving a comment. By the way, Edmund, Steven, and I enjoy reading the comments you all leave. We do read them.

Edmund Loves Bubbles

Edmund with His Bubbles

Last Sunday Edmund celebrated his first Easter. As was the case with his first Christmas he had no inkling as to what this whole Easter celebration entailed. Steven, Edmund, and I traveled to Virginia to see my parents for the holiday, since it had been quite some time since they had seen Edmund. While in Virginia Edmund perfected his wave, waving at anyone, (and anything), in his sight. He practiced his piano skills, all the while becoming more proficient at banging the keys to create a cacophony of noise. During our last visit to Virginia during the Christmas holidays, Edmund barely had the strength to tickle the ivories. This is definitely not the case anymore. However, I must admit Edmund is more of a “clunker” than a “tickler.” Edmund was also thrilled to see Paw Paw, my sister’s dog. Edmund has more or less ignored Paw Paw up until this point, but as you will recall, Edmund is now enamored with dogs. I’m not sure Paw Paw was as thrilled to see Edmund, but she at least tolerated him.

On Easter morning Steven and I took Edmund downstairs to see his Easter basket. Steven videotaped as Grandma Kay Kay took photo after photo. I was thrilled to see the adorable Carolina blue outfit the Easter Bunny had brought for Edmund, but Edmund could take it or leave it. He wanted to get to the good stuff. I brought the Easter basket over to the ottoman and sat down with Edmund. Since Edmund was distracted by the Easter grass, I brought it upon myself to pull out the items for him one by one. As I pulled out the first present I said “Look Edmund, bubbles.” Without hesitation, in a voice as clear as a Carolina blue sky, Edmund said “bubbles.” You may be thinking, “Tabitha, you just misheard.” But remember, Steven was videotaping this momentous event. There aren’t many parents who get their baby's first word on tape, but we have hard evidence. Of course Edmund has yet to say “bubbles” since last Sunday, but he’s already got that one mastered. Give him time. In a few weeks he’ll be following us around asking “why?”

Dogs at Duke Gardens

Dogs Are Silly

Those who know me well, know I am not the outdoorsy type. By outdoorsy I mean I don't enjoy roughing it in the woods for a week away from the luxury of indoor plumbing. When spring arrives, however, I am all about spending time outside. I love taking long strolls around the neighborhood, exploring nature, going to parks, and anything else that gets me out of the house and away from a busy, "plugged in" life. Thus, I couldn't wait for warm weather to arrive so I could spend time introducing Edmund to the wonders of the great outside world.

The past three years Steven and I have made it a tradition to visit Duke Gardens when the weather turns mild. The last few weekends have brought much rain. This weekend was sunny and clear, so we decided to head to Durham to see what was in bloom at the gardens.

Duke Gardens has several mini pagodas "hidden" along its paths. Last year I found a stuffed bunny peering out from one of the pagodas. So taken was I with this bunny that I had Steven take a picture to preserve the memory. For me, the bunny which I named "secret bunny," invoked images of the final scene from The Velveteen Rabbit, a favorite story of mine from childhood. Though improbable, I hoped the toy would be there upon our return this year. No such luck. Edmund did not get to witness "secret bunny." Perhaps next year we will have to hide a small stuffed bunny for him to find.

After spending a few minutes at "secret bunny" pagoda we commenced our walk around the gardens, stopping here and there to point out the sights to Edmund. I'm not sure what kind of reaction I expect from Edmund. He is still at the point where he takes everything in at once. Soon will be the days where he stops to examine the minutiae of life, but we're not quite there yet. I stooped to point out some large tadpoles near the edge of a pond, and Edmund's eyes wandered to some trees. I pointed out a large, goldfish. Edmund followed the swimming fish with his eyes for a few seconds, then began gazing at the dog next to us. Now Edmund was in heaven. In the last few weeks Edmund has fallen in love with the furry, four legged creatures. He has gone from ignoring dogs, to watching them briefly, to beyond smitten with them. A dog can invoke a laugh in Edmund, that no one, not even his mom or dad, is capable of. Steven's family dog Sparky, though he has little interest in Edmund, is truly Edmund's best pal. I've done little to encourage this dog infatuation, other than casually pointing out a dog when we see one. Perhaps this love of dogs is a trait inherited from me. My first word did just so happen to be "dog." For now we'll simply play to Edmund's love of dogs. An interest that causes my baby to laugh like that is worthy of further explanation.

As we continued our stroll around the gardens we became ever more aware of dogs, enthusiastically pointing them out to Edmund any time one came in view. Towards the end of our stroll three beagles happened to walk out in front of us. Edmund went into hysterics. People who passed us "oohed" and "awwed" at the "adorable laughing baby." Little did they know the dogs in front of us were producing the giggle fits coming out of our son. Eventually the dogs veered off our path. Edmund turned his head as far as he could trying to catch one more glimpse of his beloved dogs. "But mommy and daddy, why can't we go with them?" he seemed to plead. We were headed to find a nice spot to snap a few garden pictures of Edmund. We lucked out when the spot we chose had an adorable Scottie dog in Edmund's line of vision. Despite Edmund not facing the camera, because he was lovingly gazing at the dog, the pictures turned out great. Steven and I now know where we'll be spending our spring weekends. As per suggestion of Grandma Nancy, dog park here we come!

Edmund: Pirate in Training

Pirate in Training

Edmund is 10 months old! My how time flies. On Saturday Edmund attended his first baby birthday bash. His playgroup friend Logan turned 1. This birthday was the first of many to come as Edmund and his friends inch ever closer to the big one year milestone.

I can already tell Edmund is going to be a big fan of birthdays. Logan's birthday was little more than playgroup with a theme, yet somehow Edmund knew the party was quite the event. I must add that the pirate theme Logan's mom Nan put together was quite impressive. She made the most adorable invitations, t-shirts, picture frames, goody bags, and more all in keeping with the pirate theme. Nan also did a great job of making the drop-in party enjoyable for Logan, his friends, and the parents. No over the top party here. Everyone truly enjoyed themselves.

During the party Edmund enjoyed spending time with his buddies and playing with Logan's toys. Several of the dads built block towers which were promptly knocked down by the babyzillas. The kids all loved the red and black pirate balloons. Edmund hadn't seen a balloon since Valentine's Day, but he certainly hadn't forgotten how to play with one. Then there was Logan's little metal shopping cart. Once Edmund had a taste of playing with the cart, he couldn't let it go. At one point Edmund was sitting hanging onto the bottom rung of the cart. Logan came over and began pushing the handle while standing up. Edmund began moving along the floor. It somewhat reminded me of a dog being dragged along by a mop. Both boys thought this was quite amusing, as did the parents. This little scenario played out for about a minute. Logan got bored and moved on. Edmund clung to the shopping cart. Then we showed Edmund how to stand while holding the cart. Perhaps not the best idea, as Edmund refused to move from this new found position. This meant his mother had to stand behind him holding him up for what seemed like and eternity. Eventually another child wanted to play with the cart. This called for an early lesson in sharing, as up until this point Edmund really could care less if another child took his toy.

After an hour at the party Edmund showed signs of tiredness. Having witnessed Logan and his friends devour the pirate cupcakes, a sight to behold, we decided to make our exit. I hope we were able to express to Nan and her husband Scott how much fun we had at the party. Edmund certainly partied hard, as within a minute into our car ride home we looked back into the rear view mirror to see our little guy passed out in the backseat. And so the countdown to Edmund's big day has begun. Less than 2 months to go!