Tuesday, March 10, 2009

6 Months...and growing

My OH my...has it been 6 whole months? I can't believe where the time has gone. Keizer is growing so fast that I can see almost daily his progression and how much of cute little handful he is and will be. Here's where he's at:


  • He's got 2 teeth. On the bottom and through the drool he's got two teeth, big as life, coming through. He hasn't been fussy or feverish, but he knows they are there. With stealth like moves, he'll maneuver your finger into his mouth so fast you won't know what hit you. I think he does it just to let you know he's got teeth now, but either way, he's loving his new chompers. I've found he really likes to bite on the spoon that feeds him. Bite, eye contact, grin. That's the order.
  • He loves to suck his thumb, or teethe on his thumb. Is there really a difference? No pacifier for him, it's all about the dirty grimy thumb. But at least he's happy and building his immune system.
  • He can roll over, however that has ceased to be amusing since he realized he can hold his balance and sit with out anyone helping him. So really...He can sit by himself.
  • He can fall over. Yes, along with the sitting comes the falling. Sometimes it's graceful, other times it's like a car wreak. Sometimes he cries, other times he decides the ceiling isn't as all that bad (or the floor, pending direction and gravity).
  • He loves his veggies. Fruit just doesn't do it for him. Keizer will choose sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, squash...all of that before peaches, pears, applesauce, prunes, or bananas. (Yes, I am grateful).

  • He reaches for everything, whether he can get to it or not. He's a strong little guy and quite exhausting if I say so myself. He'll clear my desk in about 3.4 seconds if I'd let him.
  • He has a passion for the knob on a little coaster drawer on the coffee table next to the rocking chair in his room. He'll sit and pull it out as many times as I will push it back in.
  • He loves the guitar. Perhaps he'll be a musician, or at least have an appreciation for the musical arts (much like his daddy). Hernan will sit and strum near Keizer and he will just stare and reach and smile and fling his arms around in joy.

  • He's a talker. He'll chat and gurgle away at himself if I don't rush to his crib when he wakes up from a nap. He'll just lay there and carry on an interesting conversation with his toys.
  • He's found some fears. AKA the box tape dispenser and the hair dryer...and the jury is still out on the vacuum.
  • He got invited to a birthday party. His friend Josie Robins (6) asked her mom to call me and invite Keizer to her birthday party...so sweet.


All and all, the last 6 months have flown and Keizer just isn't so little any more, but it's fun to see him grow and accomplish new things. We're looking forward to the next 6 months! We love him so much!

Fairies

Growing up I had a passion for Fairies. There was something mystical about them, something that drew me to their quirky and adventurous aura. When dad would go on his service calls to the various places he had his penny machines or if it was a special holiday, I would often be gifted a fairy figurine or crystal or something that I could treasure.


Today fairies are everywhere, thanks for the marketing efforts of Disney and Tinkerbell. However, I like to think of myself as one of the old school fairy lovers.


I recently heard a poem that drew me back to my youth and the love that I had for the winged creature. It went like this:


I still have the mark on the end of my nose.

Footprints from the fairy's toes.

I think their speckled but,

Some say their freckled.

I had a fairy on my nose.


Such a cute poem and it makes me giggle inside like a little girl. Perhaps it's the magic or the escape of knowing something could be so small and mystifying. I don't know, but it's fun.


The attached picture is the art of my Uncle Lanny who captured so well the beauty of one fairy...the Jumper Fairy.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

My Valentine

I know that Valentine's Day was a couple of weeks ago, but I have to take a moment and write about Hernan, my Valentine, and the crazy things this boy does.

I have found that Hernan is a passionate person. In general he is one that falls hard and fast. Some things he falls maddly in love with and the blaze for it burns hot, but for a short period of time and then it dies downs (never smoldering) with the flame reappearing ever-so-often as time goes on (it's like shuffling face cards, one is on the top, but is quickly replaced by another, the origianl card is still in the deck, just not on top), while other things with Hernan burns strong and steady with dedication and loyalty. Let me explain.

The "Face Card Passions"
  • WWII. Hernan is a huge fan of the European side of WWII. He loves to talk to Vets and get their stories. He can resite Band of Brothers by heart. He loves books on the subject. He loves the guns that were used. He has boxes of figureins from the era, a trunk full of gear, and loves all sorts of memorabilia that accompanies this season of world history. But this is a passion that comes and goes, not a daily obsession.

  • The Phone. Then there is Hernan's new phone, he gets it and spends all his spare time playing with it for the first week or so and then this passion dies down...perhaps to resurface when some new feature becomes availble.

  • Futbol. Hernan loves to play soccer, the passion comes and goes, especially around World Cup every four years and Thanksgiving. He gets jazzed to know people will be playing and he'll be dedicated for a time, but the flame dies down when life gets busy.

  • Fixing old cars. Hernan loves to work on cars. He fixed up and sold an old Truck before I knew him and attempted to do the same not too long ago. When the project seemed to never have an end, he traded it in. He sold his old '72 Chevy and bought a mid '90's Honda Civic. I remember telling him, "Wait until spring to buy it, it's just going to sit in the garage all winter and you won't work on it..." He assured me that the cold weather wouldn't detour him. Guess what? He hasn't touched it all winter. I just laugh because he was so passionate about the car mid-October when he bought it, now it's March and although he searches often for the "perfect rims" on KSL, he won't touch it until probably May. Just a dim flame at the moment.

  • Guitar. February last year Hernan was determined to play the guitar. I bought him one for Valentine's Day and he proceded to buy himself an electric guitar shortly after as well. He practiced everyday and really started to sound good. He has an ear and a talent to pick musical things up quickly. It's like he has an internal rhythm. But after Keizer was born, I didn't hear the guitar any more. It was just recently that I started to hear him talking about practicing again, especially as when he plays Keizer can't do anything other than smile and giggle at him like he is his world.

  • Guns. Hernan is one of those gun nuts. He loves to make them go boom. He is a collector and shows his passion for them off and on. When one catches his fancy he does nothing but eat, sleep and drink it. It wasn't too long ago he said, "Hey, I saw this gun I like, we ought to get it." I heard him, but don't recall responding with much more than, "oh, ok..." The next day he came through the door with a box and BIG GRIN. I just laugh, let the flame burn on...

The "Constant Passions"

  • Cooking. Hernan loves to cook. He is so talented at putting whatever together and making it taste great. He wants to own a restaurant and is always throwing ideas out about what he could do. If I am cooking dinner, Hernan usually shows up to tell me how to make it better (usually appreciated, but not always). This is a passion that never dies.

  • Movies. Hernan knows more about current and upcoming movies than I could ever want to absorb. If he has a spare moment, he's watching a trailer and telling me about a movie that is coming out that doesn't even have a release date yet. This is his escape from reality, his 2.5 hours of another life, his opportunity to live in a fantasy world, I have no idea, but I know that for as long as I have known him, he has loved and adored the cinema.

  • Music. Facebook, My Space, You Tube, where ever you can search, Hernan will be there. He loves to find new artists, especially the singer-song writer type. He loves to track down their albums. He is like a little kid and gets so proud of himself when he finds a good one.

  • Me. Ok, so I have to say that even though Hernan has a billion interests and passions, I think his best choice is me. He never fails to tell me how much he loves me (flame) and loves to be a romantic. Even though I list myself with his passions, I am proud to be one on the list. He makes me blush, he makes me laugh every day, and he makes me so happy. Even though Hernan falls fast and hard for some many little things, I always know I get to share them with him, because he wouldn't be able to not talk about them.

Hernan...he's my dreamer. He has so many talents and abilities that are not easy to come by. He can recognize a face and remember a name better than I can remember my own. He is a friendly-social person. He loves to throw parties and loves to entertain. He is a motivated person that doesn't let grass grow under his feet. He's a gentleman. He's handsome, cute, and has beautiful eyes. He's MY passion. He's my Valentine.

Kitties



I have found that I have 2 extra shadows. They appear around corners, they rub against my leg, and they even crawl on top of me if I sit on the floor for just a moment.

My poor kitties, they have been so starved for love since Keizer was born. They have now succumbed to taking love and getting attention any way they can get it. Bebee is especially bad. He demands to be heard by meowing at some of the most inappropriate times. He will sit in the hall and scream out his demands, just as Keizer is trying to fall asleep...so guess who wakes up? Some have said that his meow sounds like a child...and I would have to agree. I have to take a pause on occasion to make sure the screech that I hear isn't Keizer, but in fact is truly Bebee.

Tootsie on the other hand doesn't care what you are doing, when he wants a scratch or a pet, he will take it whether you like it or not. I will be writing something on a piece of paper and he will walk over and plop down on my hand, pen and paper and start to purr. Poor little guy.

Bebee will also rip our weather stripping off the door when he is outside and wants back in.

The cats are funny and so nice to have around at the same time. I am just glad they are friends again. They seemed to hate each other for the first few months of Keizer's life. They must have felt the competition and took it out on each other. But now they sleep near each other again, lick each other, wrestle, and demonstrate on many levels how much they love one another.