Off to the Beach…

… New house waiting for us when we return!

I have no pictures to post. We have been crazy packing up the house and spending time with Andrew’s cousin Eva, who visited us from Boulder. It was awesome having her, and I don’t think we stopped laughing for 3 hours straight two nights ago talking politics and watching YouTube videos.

Today we close on our house, tomorrow morning (the goal is 3am, but with how Milo is in his carseat, we might just decide to go earlier) we leave for Sunset Beach, NC for a family reunion in honor of my grandfather’s 80th birthday last Valentine’s day. I’m so excited for Milo to get to meet all my cousin’s kids, who are all about the same age. And, of course… the beach! The ocean! I am looking forward to a nice long swim.

But before we go, let me tell you what Milo has been up to.

Tasting: He likes to try new foods, especially if they have fallen off his high chair. Which, by the way, he hates to be confined to. He has taken a lesson from Cousin Reina and now hates to eat anything that he can’t pick up himself. Milo also enjoys taking a sippy cup in each hand, water in one, milk in the other, and tasting from each, back and forth. Milk, water. Water, milk. Very interesting.

Climbing: Especially the couch. Yes, he is too short, but he has figured out that he can reach it if he steps on something thick, like his little case of car books. So now the case is Milo’s “step.” He is so pleased with himself when he climbs up by himself that he giggles or claps when he makes it.

Defying: It is clear he understands “no,” and now it makes him very mad to hear the word. Especially if he is trying to pull the leaves off of my herb garden, or eat the dog’s food, or swing from an electrical cord.

Fighting: Bathtime, that is. This kid no longer enjoys a nice warm bath, no matter how many fun toys are in the tub with him. Not even a wind-up swimming man toy that moves its arms and legs to swim the length of the tub makes Milo happy! Milo is downright scary in the tub. He flips and arches his back, and cries, and has no fear of going under water during the whole ordeal, which means he almost does several times throughout the ordeal. So don’t blame me if his ears aren’t as clean as they should be. Aside from strapping him into some sort of contraption, I haven’t figured it all out quite yet.

Sharing: His Cheerios, his toys, a stick on the ground, a kiss-bite combo, you name it, Milo shares it. Milo loves giving. He especially likes to feed Mom and Dad various morsels of food from his high chair. The other day at the park, I caught him “sharing” some dirt with a little girl. He opened his palm above hers to deliver a wonderful handful of rocks, grit, dirt, and grass which he had selected for her just moments before. He also picks up one toy after another, handing each one to me before going back for the next. He especially likes to hear an enthusiastic “thank you!” so make sure you don’t forget your manners.

Magnets: New favorite toys are refrigerator magnets. He will carry these around for hours, pausing to turn them over and over in his little hands. He also likes to discover what they stick to.

Causing: … the lights to go on and off, on and off. The fan to turn on and off, on and off. The door to open, close, open, close, the tambourine to shake, the bell to ring, the toilet to flush, the stroller to roll, the chair to fall, the safety gate to collapse, the food to smash, the dog to chase. You name it, Milo causes it.

All fun and exciting new activities, as you can see. We are busy, busy, busy. Mainly trying to keep our baby alive long enough to reach the next stage of life.

Stay tuned for pictures from the beach in about a week!