Levi, coming soon to a 5K near you

We've adapted the style of photo blogs recently, which are entertaining to say the least with Tim's captions. However, I must confess that somehow in the past couple of weeks we've completely failed to take photos. I tried to grab some yesterday but Levi kept crawling toward me and grabbing at the lens.

There have been a few major changes in our lives recently. Levi has been practicing standing without holding onto anything, and now seems to understand the concept of walking - we dashed around Lowe's today with me holding his hands and he taking big leaping steps. He might be running before he gets to walking...

However, my life seems to have gone into the opposite direction. I lost my job this past week unexpectedly, via  some staffing changes from a new editor. I've been, well, devastated. Both the jobs responsibilities and flexibility were a great fit for me, and I so loved being able to write full-time. So, in the meantime, I'll be staying home and taking care of the little man while I look for another job. For those wondering, I will be looking for something full-time, though when our family is bigger I might go part-time. I love the regular schedule of going to work and living a professional life matched with my family life.

But back to Levi :) I can't remember if I've posted that we've discovered he does not have a milk allergy! At his one-year appointment, his doctor said that if I've been eating cheese, ice cream and the like and feeding Levi, and he's had no reaction of any sort, then he's not likely to be allergic. So we've been having milk every day with every meal, and eating up yogurt, which he loves, and cheese sticks, and of course the cupcakes for his birthday. He does not like ice cream at all though -- he insists on trying it whenever I'm eating it but puckers his mouth because its cold whenever I let him try any. Ah well, more for me.

He came out in about the 10th percentile for weight, at 18.9 pounds, just under the 50th percentile for height at 29 inches. No worries about his weight, he's just a skinny man who started crawling right around the time he started to get meat on his bones.

Levi's also become quite the babbler. He has entire conversations with himself and I wish I knew what he was saying :) He also plays catch with himself. He throws his little plastic balls, they bounce a little ways away and then he crawls over to get them. He also has started to climb up on things - the hearth (and not know how to get down), and the first step at the bottom of the stairs. Oy.

Also, as the humidity thickens, his hair gets curlier and curlier. Though he looks like Tim, he's got my brother, Patrick's, little blond curls :)

Caaaaaaaaake*

What? Why is everyone smiling at me like that?

What the...? What are you doing?

Guys. Seriously. What is happening?

Oh.

Oh, I see.

Mom, let me... uh... see that a minute...

I'm just gonna see if...

MOWLF!

What? Now why is everyone smiling at me...

*Or, if you are Brynne Condon, "Taaaaaate"

Photos courtesy of Krista Casler

Levi's Second Year Begins

Yesterday was the first day of Levi's second year.  We're very proud of our little guy and what he's accomplished so far :)

Holly thinks he's starting to look more like a little boy and less like a baby.  I sort of agree... except I think he's beginning to look more like an old man with his pot-belly, skinny legs, and no butt whatsoever.  If we gave him a Hawaiian shirt and some Isotoners, people would think he was just an old midget.  At a retirement party, perhaps.*  His elderly physique is never more on display than when he's standing, which he does very often these days, we're happy to report.  Most of this standing is demonstrated at the new activity table that Grandma, Grumpy, and Auntie Sam got him for his birthday.

As you can tell from our gape-mouthed expressions, this is a VERY exciting table

Though Levi's party got rained out and postponed until this weekend, he still had a blast (as usual) with Holly's parents and sister in town.  We opened presents, went to market, went out to lunch, Levi flirted with the waitresses.  Pretty standard fare.  Levi has still not yet officially said any words, but I think if he could talk he would tell us he had a great birthday and a great first year.  Here are his memoirs, in caption-form:

Hey, everybody!  Thanks for readin' my birthday blog!

What's this in my hand, you ask?  Oh, just some developmental flash cards I got from daycare.  I'm right on track!
At least I think I am... I wish I could figure out how to eat these tasty-looking cards.

Speaking of eating... I could go for a snack right now....  Wait, what were we talking about again?

Ah, yes.  Reflecting on my lifetime achievements and gazing off in wonderment at what is yet to come.

Great things, I'm sure!  I love life!  Carpe Diem!

Mmmm... carpe.  My favorite.

*Hat-tip to Kara Prahl