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16 Months is Much Harder

…but also much more fun. I suspect that may describe parenting from here on out, because for the first time, we’re having to actually parent, not merely meet physical needs.

Last week (Wednesday, December 4, for the record), Benji started taking steps. He’d taken a few hesitating, stumbling steps before, but now he deliberately stood still, clearly cogitating hard, and then took some steps. The sunshine burst of delight on his face as he toddled along spoke volumes for how hard he’d worked to achieve that goal. Since then, it’s like this standing-and-walking thing has started really clicking. Continue Reading >>

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More Baby Science

This Tuesday, Benji got his first ever cold. On the one hand, I’m pretty amazed we made it 14 months without getting a cold before, especially since we play with other babies pretty often (although nothing like the exposure of a day care). On the other hand, I’m horrified to imagine dealing with six to 10 of these every year, which our caring-for-your-child book says is standard. Standard! Gah! Baths, steamy showers, and vaporizers are all well and good, but snot suckers, saline drops in the nose, and constant Kleenex application elicit vociferous objections. I guess crying will help get more mucus out, and that’s good, right? Continue Reading >>

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Secret Diary of Benji Ferguson: One Year

Yesterday I turned one year old, and this reminds me that some months have elapsed since I’ve had the opportunity to update this log. In times past, I would have felt some concern on account of my responsibility to report in, but now, I confess, that life — the training, the exercises, the very worldview — they all seem hazy, someone else’s dream. My life has moved on. I no longer expect to return to secret organization to report back, because Mommy and Daddy have shown me the truth. Now I have more important things to do. For example: Continue Reading >>

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Sunny-day Walk

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Going on a Sunday morning family mini-hike. There are some secret green spaces and an unofficial network of trails  through them near our house. They feel delightfully cool and shady on a hot day. Also, Benji doesn’t like wearing his hat, so this way he still gets sun protection.

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See? Grumpy face! …although he also grinds his teeth, which gives him a strangely lantern-jawed look.

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Here is Ian heroically carrying the backpack. I have strict orders not to backpack with the baby unless I want to injure my back more. So all Benji-carrying goes to someone else. This has the side-benefit of making Benji taller than me, which he finds funny (for about 30 seconds, anyway). Continue Reading >>

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Just for Fun

A while ago the Boa-Dragon (which Rachel and I found at a garage sale for $0.50) got urped up on. It happens. So I washed it, and since this was during the hot and sunny weeks we had a bit a go, I hung it on the line to dry with everything else.
Boa-Dragon Drying
Not your usual sight for laundry hanging out to dry, huh?

Here are a few pictures I took of Benji while Ian read him a story a couple weeks ago.
Reading With Daddy is Fun

"I LOVE Reading!"

Nom Nom Truck

I'm Just Cute
His mad scientist hair is starting to lay flat. I’ve known this would happen some day, but it makes me kind of sad that the crazy hair phase is ending. Yesterday after Benji’s bath, his hair actually stayed down flat, and even after sleeping on it, it’s just fluffy, not standing up straight like it has before. Aaahhh, our baby is growing up so fast…! Continue Reading >>