Miller is 10 months old

Dear Miller,

It's been so long since I've written you an update! You probably haven't noticed, but ever since you started crawling a couple months ago I haven't had much free time. Yes, it's different with two of you who can move.

The changes in you over the last few months have been unbelievable. Really, it's like you're a completely different child. First you got your two bottom teeth right around 8 months, one followed by the other only a day or two later. A few weeks went by and then you got your two top teeth, one followed by the other only a day or two later (I'm sensing a pattern).

You also started rocking the army crawl around 8 months and got to where you could really motor from one end of the room to the other super fast. A few weeks ago you took up the "normal" crawl on your hands and knees (rather than your elbows and thighs) and now that's all we see. Of course, I should have prefaced all of this by saying that we anticipate you to be walking within a matter of weeks, if not days. You just started standing on your own for several seconds! I'm sure first steps are just around the corner. ...God help me.

Recently you've also learned how to wave while saying "hi" (but you haven't done it for a few days now) and you learned how to sign "more" last week. You're still ticklish and laugh like crazy a lot-- the most whenever your sister makes funny faces or sounds for you.

Your favorite things right now are climbing up Grammie's stairs, playing with any breakable non-toy item in the house, trying repeatedly to open the kitchen cabinet with the cleaning supplies (I got new latches today, thank God), trying to stick your hands in the toilet, and eating graham crackers. Seriously, I think you'd be happy to eat nothing but graham crackers for a very long time. You still have a sweet tooth and don't want vegetables unless they're in the Gerber Chicken Noodle Dinner. You love that stuff so I buy tons of it. You've also started eating bits of grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken and fresh fruit but it's always a crap shoot as to whether you'll really like it that day.

One thing you hate: getting your diaper changed. Actually, it's not getting your diaper changed that bothers you but the sitting still long enough to get your diaper changed. Pure torture! I'm pretty sure I'm in store for a pretty active little boy.

Another thing that changes every day: you just seem to get cuter and cuter and sweeter and sweeter! How exactly do you do that? I really could just eat you up. I'm sorry if you find it annoying that I still gnaw on you a bit every now and then. I can't help it.

You're such a good little man and I'm so excited to see you learning so many new things and being so proud of yourself. I love, love, love you-- more than anything.

All my heart,
Mommy

O Canada

Here are a few photos from our trip to Whistler last month. It was a trip Gary won at work and you can tell from the last picture how excited he and Chris were when getting their awards at the big final banquet.

This is a mama bear with her two cubs on the golf course...

Whistler village is all pedestrian and looks like a new European village.
Inside the Peak to Peak Gondola that links two mountaintops.

I scream, you scream

Since we were in Whistler over Father's Day, we finally celebrated with Gary last week by taking him to the Austin Land and Cattle Company for dinner and then out for the finest dessert at Dairy Queen.

I love my family and I love these photos. :-)

Tiny Dancer

Grammie found out that the Austin symphony has been playing on Sunday evenings outside the Long Center this summer and has taken Emmylou three times now. We sit out on the lawn and picnic and Emmylou dances with the other kids.
Her favorite part? There are these ballerinas who dance to the music at the bottom of the hill. Emmylou is always in complete awe of them and is never too shy to go up and talk to them. They taught her how to do "ballet arms" and then Emmylou took it upon herself to show them her awesome moves.