Hi Grandma… Thank you for sending me Christmas presents!

I love all the buttons on the crawl ball… that toy has really captured my interest! I am wearing the cozy fleece vest and pants often b/c they’re ideal for running up and down the docks (kidding, I’m not running quite yet). All the clothes fit perfectly (good timing, as I was running out). Daddy put the train set up on the ledge above my changing table, out-of-reach but within my range of vision when it’s changing time, or when I’m sitting in my own chair. Mommy’s been eating the shortbread, which she says is still her favorite after all these years. Daddy calls my brown sweater an old man’s smoking jacket, but he loves it. 

I wish we were together for Christmas, but I know you’re coming to visit me in March, which is just around the corner. I’ve changed so much since October when you last saw me. I can tap dance, and I do a special wave like Princess Diana did. But mine’s better because I wave my hand with my thumb still in my mouth. I always have something in my mouth… I suck on anyone’s thumb, not just mine. The bigger the better, really, so I prefer mom’s and grandpa’s thumbs. I even enjoy sucking on my own big toe. And when grandpa sits on the couch above me while I’m on the floor, I attack his sock, and tongue it like a lizard. I’m still not crawling, but I’m fine-tuning my sitting skills. I wobble occassionally, but I can correct myself in any direction except when I fall backwards (and then I go Bonk!).

I’m eating anything at all now, but my favorite is Turkey Vegetable Dinner. I can’t understand why you adults only eat this at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m using a sippy cup for water now… pretty soon I’ll be drinking out of a wine glass! I can hold my bottle all by myself, so mommy and daddy just need to make my bottle and then roll over and konk out again, as I’m quite capable. I’m talking all the time now, and I especially love to practice my vowels and consonents first thing in the morning or when I’m just about to nod off. I yell Whooo! Ahrrr! Rawr!  

I’ve almost mastered my standing skills, and if I have something to hang onto, I can bounce! I can even laugh like a little boy if you amuse or tickle me!

I visited Santa this week, but he was a creepy, scowl-faced man. It will be a snowy day in Santa Cruz before I’ll fly his sled. He was not jolly so I did not smile…  which says a lot about my judgment of his character. Because normally, I smile at everybody.

On Christmas Eve, we went to the beach to listen to the Ukelele club. They sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, which was a lovely song. I also enjoy Little Drummer Boy when mommy sings it while tapping on my belly.

At sunset, Auntie Judy and her gorgeous girls brought champagne to the boat. We had a big feast on Christmas day in grandpa’s trailer, and I ate ice cream. 

Dad’s home renovation is really coming along nicely! I have mixed feelings about leaving the boat and moving into a house… I love the big bathtub and can imagine myself splashing around in there. My bedroom is so cozy and I’ll enjoy the hardwood floor and space for crawling. I’ll miss being the monkey in the middle between mommy and daddy, each ready to shake up a bottle in a jiffy. I’ll miss snuggling into mommy to avoid the drops of condensation from the hatch, and I’ll miss the bright morning sun beams shining down on me. And I hope we can still go on dinghy rides b/c my life vest finally fits me. Daddy carries me around in it by the neck handle like I’m a kitten. And I’ll miss the ukulele on Saturday mornings, and all the joyful harbor sounds.

I went to the doctor for my six month check-up and shots this week…  I’m now 27 ” tall and 18 1/2 lbs (68th percentiles for both). Mom has finally stopped worrying about my head circumfrence (now at the 15th percentile… compared to 5th percentile at 4 months). I’m doing most of the things I’m expected to do at this age: blowing bubbles, babbling, and coordinating my eyes and hands. I still don’t roll over very well, and I need support when sitting. No teeth yet, just the pain that comes first.

Everyone tells me I’m quite handsome, with my big eyes and rosy cheeks. I smell sweet and love my bath… and my rubber ducky. Grandma’s been bathing me every day in the sink of her trailer. She scrubs my hair, which is now curly and brown! My skin is like butter, after all the time she’s spent washing me with organic soaps. 

All Thanksgiving week, I ate Vegetable Turkey Dinner… I can polish off 2-3 whole containers of solid food now each day. I also love my fruits, especially pears and bananas. I had two fancy American dinners this week. At Auntie Judy’s house, she even made maple leaf placemats so I’d feel a little Canadian too. Auntie Judy made a birthday pumpkin pie for me with six candles because I turned 6 months old. At Grandma’s trailer, I ate mashed potatoes and cranberries off daddy’s fork.

I’m not quite reading… mostly just chewing on books. But mommy surrounds me with books so I get the idea of it.

Grandpa’s pretty confident with me now… he feeds me and rocks me to sleep. We also have a lot of laughs… I squeal with laughter every time Grandpa yells “KABOOM!”

I’m still not crawling. Daddy’s afraid I’m not much of an athlete, and that I might have peaked 3 months ago. And yet I’ve learned a little jig this week… I stomp my feet on demand.

Halloween is my new favorite holiday (note that I’ve never experienced Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter… or Labor Day, which is Burning Man weekend ;-)) Anyway, mommy expected me to be over-stimulated and stressed out with all the costumes, but actually I was laughing and having fun the whole time… I take after daddy. What does it even mean to be over-stimulated? Impossible!

Santa Cruz closes its streets for Halloween, so all the creatures, monsters, and characters walk right down the middle of the road. I hung out with mommy and daddy and observed the whole thing from a patio where we drank wine.

I was puzzled by the number of Waldos everywhere. Geez, get an identity!

And when that got old, we went to the Cypress Room, where my favorite bar maid was dressed up as Amy Winehouse.

See the teeth and spikes of the Rudosaurus Rex?

At the end of the day, I hung up my tail, exhausted but happy!

Hi Auntie Helen and Auntie Annie. Grandma’s been looking forward to visiting with all of you! Sounds like you’re going to have a blast in Mexico… I’ve been to Mexico once, but I was only 7 weeks in mommy’s tummy, so I don’t remember much. I sailed there in the Baha Ha Ha… mommy was feeling kinda sick and didn’t know if it was from me or the waves. Here we are in Cabo San Lucas:

Anyway, have a wonderful time together. I wish I could meet you Auntie Annie and Uncle Henry. Come see me in California any time!

Anyway, mommy wanted to show you some pics of me now. Here’s one of me doing “tummy time.” Daddy puts me on my belly every morning to strengthen my back body,  but I just squirm there… sticking my butt in the air and squishing my face into the bed. Quite frustrating. I cannot coordinate my limbs well enough to crawl. I spin on my belly or inch my way backwards, but there’s definitely no forward momentum.

Here’s me sitting in my Bumbo chair. They sit me up to eat my cereal and peas and carrots. That’s it for solid food so far (none of it is actually solid).

I’m a pro at standing. My hips wobble a bit like I’m hula hooping, but I get the basic idea. And give me a break if I wobble a bit… I live on a boat!

Uncle Bob took us sailing this weekend to take advantage of Indian summer! We sailed from Santa Cruz to Capitola, and then we were shuttled to the beach so we could hit the wine bar. I wasn’t scared at all, and didn’t cry once… I guess wine has a sedative effect.

Mom and I are still spending a lot of time walking around the marina on weekends because it’s still so nice out! This really is the best time of year in California. Daddy says the harbor is like the Serengeti with all the spotted seals and exotic birds. Here we are walking… look closely and you’ll see our boat across the harbor!

We strolled around the Live Oak Farmers’ Market on Sunday. I’ve never seen so many vibrant and colorful fruits, veggies, and flowers. Mommy was scoping out the carrots, peas, apples, green beans, and sweet potatos because she’s getting antsy to feed me solids. She’s dusting off the Magic Bullet with me in mind. Organic baby food… how very Santa Cruz!

Although mom’s excited to introduce me to a variety of foods, so far I’ve only eaten rice cereal. Chewing is such a novel sensation! Daddy bought me 6 spoons of my very own, all different colors to catch my attention. Notice the girly bib though… not sure what he was thinking.

During the week, Daddy and I are spending a lot of time renovating the house. We’re planning to move in this winter, and then rent it out during the summers. I’m very patient with Daddy as he shovels loads in and out of our truck at the dump (called Buena Vista Landfill)! Here I am helping him pick out materials at Home Depot (tiny picture of a wee little baby!).

Mommy went swimming in Harrison Lake (freezing!) while daddy and I drank on the beach. 20-Mile Bay was a special place for them before they had me. They spent many, many weekends boating, camping, 4-wheeling, and partying there. It’s a giant, glacier-fed lake with pretty little islands and coves, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

Wreck Beach was definitely a highlight… we rented a giant umbrella and people-watched. After we huffed and puffed up the stairs, mommy and daddy couldn’t walk for days, their calves hurt so badly! We are terribly out of shape.

Back in Santa Cruz, mommy and I soaked up the sun on the deck of the boat… relishing the final days before her return to work. Now we’re just spending weekends together, but we make the most of them! Mommy walks me at least 6 miles a day, either in my stroller or the Baby Bjorn. I don’t cry if she keeps moving!

I finally met Lovely Auntie Leti during her visit from St. Kitts. We all hung out at the beach, and then Jeff and daddy caught dozens of sardines for dinner. The harbor was so full of them that when we’d we lay in bed at night, we’d hear the torpedos of pelicans feasting!

Sorry it’s been so long since my last blog post! I went to Summerland to visit Grandma and Grandpa Roemer, who have no internet access. Then we were on a roadtrip back to Santa Cruz to get mommy back to work on time. And since she’s been back, I keep telling her what I want to say on my blog, but she’s not typing it in for me!

So, here goes:

Summerland was lovely… Grandpa and Grandma were tickled to meet me, and they spent all their time rocking, feeding, and bathing me. Let’s just say that the two Rudolphs got along famously.

I love my cousins Tammi and Alexa because they really entertain me. The adults always want to put me to sleep, but my cousins like to chat and play. Watching them swing on the swing-set, capture ladybugs, romp in the sprinkler, and read stories made me want a sibling. Especially since they seem so kind and loving to each other… But mommy’s holding out and telling me that I just need to make some friends 😉 Anyway, I sure loved watching their antics…

We spent a lot of time at the beach too, chillin’ with the family: 

We also spent a bit of time at our property near Mt. Baker. Daddy built bonfires and rocked me in the hammock.

The five weeks we spent in Canada visiting family was really precious… everyone loves me and we’re one happy family 🙂 xoxo

This week I met lots of aunties, uncles, and cousins.

On Saturday night we went to a pig roast at uncle Devin’s and auntie Wendy’s house.  It was an actual PIG on a spit, with ears and feet!! Too bad I’m not on solids yet 😉 

Their yard is so fabulous… It’s lit up like a magical kingdom and I made friends with the dog and the bats. I wish mommy and daddy had a super garden oasis like theirs.

You can see that all my aunties took good care of me and protected me from the crazy lightning storms that night.

Aunties Darcy, Rebecca, and Kara

I was so comfy on Auntie Rebecca’s lap that I went limp like mommy’s hair.

This weekend was Auntie Kara’s birthday party, and I met uncle Rob and auntie Darcy. We went boating from North Vancouver to Stanley Park and Coal Harbor…  what a view of the city! Now I understand why mommy and daddy miss it so much. It was fun meeting my new friend Liam, my intellectual equal (adults are so silly!).

I also met daddy’s auntie Irene and uncle Larry, who somehow knew exactly what I wanted: a bouncer! I’ve been in it ever since, because why would you leave a vibrating seat!? The only time I leave my bouncer is to have my diaper changed because it shakes the poo right out of me.

 Cousin Courtney is so beautiful… I wish I had a nice picture of the two of us together! Here’s uncle Brad and cousin Cam, on daddy’s side.

 Cam is super cool… he’s so athletic on a snowboard or a bike. If only we lived closer to my cousins…

We took Grandma to our property at campers’ paradise and had a bonfire. I wore my furry coat with ears that auntie Lisa bought me. I lounged in our hammock in the woods, looking like a baby bear cub.