Fun in the New Room

It isn't finished yet, but as far as far as Iain is concerned, it may as well be. This morning, he got to wander around in there for the first time and he LOVED it. Can you tell by the grin that this boy likes nothing better than lots of room to run and play? Too cute!


As far as the house goes, we're painting this weekend (yay!) and will be working on floors and electric next week. It's coming together.

A few cute Iain stories:
When we pray for a meal, we hold hands around the table. Iain likes praying - he reaches his hands out to us and looks at the ground (what is down there, anyway? he thinks). Then after we say amen, we try to get him to say it, too. Usually he does ("mmmmen!"), but a few times, apparently Jeremy's prayers have been too short or something. When we finish, Iain says "g-na, g-na!" ("again, again!") and reaches out his hands. So we pray again. Then, he is satisfied and we can eat. :)

Today, Iain and I were driving in the van - and it was raining. Iain was watching the windshield-wipers. Every time they would go, he'd say "g-na, g-na!" and lo and behold, they'd go again! He thought it was very clever. He sure makes me laugh.

Hunsader Farms

Last weekend, we went down to visit Jeremy's parents and take Iain to Hunsader Farms, a family fall festival/fair-type thing. Iain wasn't feeling very well, but he still seemed to enjoy it, as did we all.
Pumpkin Kid:


These pictures were inspired by Noah's adorable pumpkin pictures! :)
Family Photo:
They had several bands playing throughout the day: country, bluegrass, etc. The stage in front of the stage was for the kids to dance on. I didn't think Iain would want to go up there, as it was mostly bigger kids (about four and up), and he wasn't feeling well. So we all sat down on some benches to listen. Lo and behold, Iain just walked right up to the stage, not even checking to see if I was coming with him (of course, I was!). He crawled up the steps and walked right through the twirling, jumping, dancing mass of kids. Then he stopped right in the middle, in front of the band. He didn't dance, move, or look around; he just stood and watched the band until they finished. Then he tried to climb up onto THEIR stage. What a bold little kid. :)
Iain listening to music with Grammy:
There was a pretty neat butterfly tent there, too.

All in all, we enjoyed the farm. Hopefully next year, we can go again.

Savannah Trip

Get ready for a lot of pictures...

For our third anniversary last week, we took a trip to Savannah. The little man, of course, came along. :) It was a really nice trip - relaxing to be away from the home construction for a little while. We like to stay in B&Bs, but this time we thought a hotel would give us more freedom and be easier with Iain. He really loved the hotel room, for whatever reason. He walked around and around it, carrying his box of wipes. Go figure. We also had hot waffles for breakfast every morning, thanks to the hotel's waffle-maker (which, I learned, you can't buy unless you're a place of business. Too bad. It was nice.).

Anyway, we spent the first afternoon (we got there Monday afternoon, in time for Iain's nap) wandering around looking for a fabled pizza place that Jeremy had heard might exist and might be good. Eventually we found it. It did exist and was good! But by that point, I think rocks would have tasted good. :)

My fellows at the pizza place:

Iain enjoyed walking around this little park. Savannah has tons of these squares throughout the city; they were really nice. This was one of the first times Iain had walked around outside by himself and he enjoyed looking at things and picking up acorns.

Day two: a trolley ride that we did in two shifts because the Iain wasn't cooperating. A walk through the beautiful St John the Baptist Cathedral. Back to the hotel for Iain's nap and for Jeremy to stub his toe, tempering his enjoyment of walking for the remainder of the day. Back out for the second half of the trolley ride. The railway station museum was next. It was basically an abandoned train yard and a few abandoned buildings that you walk through. Iain LOVED the fish pond - one of his favorite things about the whole trip. I think he would have jumped right in if I had let him. He liked pounding on the train, too. Everything is a drum...




Then we went out to dinner at the Pirate House, a restaurant in a building that really did use to be used by pirates. There are tunnels under the building that lead to the river. Pirates could smuggle in contraband rum or smuggle out prisoners (people who had too much to drink and woke up to find themselves on a ship sailing for the far corners of the world). Don't you think I have the cutest pirate around?


On our last day, we wandered around for most of the morning and early afternoon. Iain got to pet the carriage horses - he wasn't at all nervous. We looked at the train in the candy store. We walked down by the river and he and I split an ice cream. We wanted to go in the First African Baptist Church, which had holes cut in the floor for the slaves on the underground railroad, and which was built by the light of bonfires at night, by slaves who had worked in the fields all day. Talk about humbing! But we missed the only tour, so we headed home. It was a really nice trip.


The other news around here is that Iain has moved to one nap a day. He hasn't quite adjusted yet, so much of our morning is spent like this:
But some days we see this instead:
Or this:
And as of today, the last of the drywall is hung and waiting for its second coat of mud and tape. We've chosen the paint colors, tile for bathroom and laundry room, and have started investigating flooring. Soon the texture will go on the walls, then the paint, then we'll really be cooking! We can't wait to get this room done - and before Newby arrives!

The Upsidedown Bookworm

Iain loves books. I mean, he really loves them. The squirmy kid who can't seem to make it through a trip to the grocery store can sit for an hour if someone will read to him. Book after book after book, he'll just keep handing them to you with a winning smile and a sign-language "please." And who can resist a boy who wants to read all the time. And yes, I mean all the time. If ever I tell him no to a book (say, when I'm cooking him dinner:), he bursts into tears... temper tears. We're working on that Still, it seems almost sinful to tell a one-year-old no to reading a book.

And now, he says "again" when you get to the end of any book. We worked on that one for a while. Actually, he says, "n-ga!" but we know what he means.

When no one is reading to him, he is often reading on his own. Wait until he really learns how to read - this kid will be unstoppable.


But lest you think he's all bookworm and no wiggly boy, here's a picture of one of his tricks:
By the way, I think today is the start of him really walking. He's been toddling a few steps here and there for a while now (especially if he's bringing someone a book - no lie, that's really when he walks the most! His mind is fixed on the fun to come...), but today he really got going. He just left the couch and walked all the way to the tv. Then he left the tv and walked to a toy, and so on, all over the living room and kitchen. I think he's mobile!

One more thing: as of yesterday, Iain is 31 inches tall and weighs 20.5 lbs. That makes him in the 75th percentile for height, and the 25th for weight. Tall and skinny! You can't say I haven't been feeding this boy though - just look at all the food pictures on this blog.