Foodie

Grandpa & Grandma Mac

Photos courtesy of Dina Love.

Cow Conspiracy

Once your baby is 1 year old they start drinking whole milk. I don't get this. Cow's milk is the most common allergen among babies, hard to digest, and interferes with iron absorption. So how did it become the staple of most toddlers' diets?

This isn't just an academic question. Roan has some kind of dairy intolerance, and maybe it will go away once he hits the 12 month mark, but maybe it won't. So what are our options? Soy milk doesn't seem like a good idea, and I'd rather not continue breastfeeding. Hypoallergenic formula is pricey. Hemp milk?

I put the question to Beno last night, because she speaks with authority on all topics.

Beno: I don't believe in milk.

Me: Um. What does that mean?

Beno: People weren't meant to eat so many milk products. It shouldn't be such a big part of our diet.

Me: Yeah, you're right. How did milk even get it's own spot on the food pyramid? What a coup for the Dairy Industry. And now they've got everyone feeding all the babies whole milk? That's bullshit. So many people have issues digesting it. There's got to be something better. Some amazing alternative that the Dairy Industry doesn't want us to know about.

I'm getting worked up. I love a good conspiracy. I see them everywhere.

Beno looks mildly worked up too. She's nodding her head, encouraging me. She's always been supportive of my conspiracy theories.

Beno: I love cheese as much as the next guy, but... I mean, actually I probably love cheese a lot more than the next guy.... (pause) ...you know how much I love cheese. Remember how much cheese we used to eat?

We both take a moment to reflect on cheese binges of the past. And just like that, the fires of our Dairy Revolution are smothered by so many fond memories of cheese.

Take Me To The Riot

Do you think he's trying to tell me something? Is this like when dogs bring you their leashes when they want to be walked?

First Tooth

After months of heavy drooling, Roan's first tooth finally broke through on Tuesday. I've spent the last three days trying to capture it on camera, but I've now given up. The tooth is so small, and there are too many obstacles in his mouth: his lip, his tongue, my finger, his fingers, random toys.

I like to feel the tooth a couple times a day - it feels thin and craggy and so delicate I worry he'll break it when he chomps down on all the hard household items he considers toys: the rockers on our rocking chair, metal drawer handles, his stroller.

Thank god Willa was there when it broke through - she's got something like 8 teeth and tons of experience. In fact, I think she sensed the new tooth as soon as it surfaced. Earlier that day she kept offering Roan her food, stuff like chick peas and lettuce and chicken cubes - all totally inappropriate for the toothless. I thought she was just flirting, but now I see she was trying to tell us about the tooth. She was forshadowing the foods he will chew with it.

Willa tells everyone to remain calm while Roan adjusts to the tooth

Willa phones the dentist to discuss proper dental care of the tooth.

She is so organized.

Family Photos

Photos courtesy of Dina Love.

Get Up, Stand Up

The Robot loves his bath. After 7 months of doing more or less the same stuff every day, he's catching on to the routine. Now, when I get him naked at the end of the day, I put him on the floor and let him crawl there himself. And he covers the distance from our living room to the bathroom amazingly fast, making excited baby noises all the way. His usual thing is to crawl back and forth in front of the bath, like he's pacing, or pull up onto his knees and hit the bath with one hand as if to say, "Hurry it up, Mom!"

Last night, in a feat of excitement and coordination he pulled himself all the way to standing. When I saw him I squealed, and Jay rushed in to the bathroom thinking something was wrong, and we couldn't stop laughing at the sight of our naked son trying so hard to launch himself into the tub.

What is it with this baby? He seems so hell bent on growing up. He's only been crawling for a month, and already he wants to stand? Why can't he content himself with crawling around for another 5 months? He clearly did not inherit this ambition from me. In a recent Skype session with Jay's Mum I learned that Jay walked at 9 months. Great.

I admit that in the beginning I was in a hurry. All Roan could do as a newborn was lay there and flail. Rolling over was thrilling for both of us, and I did everything I could (read: lots of tummy time) to ensure he'd be an early crawler.

But now I am ready for things to slow down. Roan is so much happier now that he is mobile, and I feel like I'm finally hitting my stride with this mothering thing. After a very rough start, we are having a lot of fun. And it's finally sinking in that he won't be a baby forever. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of his face and he doesn't even look like a baby - he looks like a little boy. And I could just cry because he's growing up right in front of me and his world will get bigger and bigger until there comes a time when he has worries and fears that I can't soothe and he'll experience disappointments that have nothing to do with me, and honestly, I don't know how I'll survive the day when I am powerless to erase all his unhappiness by just picking him up, or nursing him. It is so easy right now. He sees me and he smiles. Jay and I are his whole world. When he was brand new, I saw this as a crushing responsibility. At times it felt like a burden. But now, as he gets more and more independent, I see what an honor it is to be so important to another person, so necessary.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself here. Probably I should just focus on some more childproofing.

Roan at the Beach

Last Monday we took Roan to the beach for the very first time. He loved it. The sand, the wind, the birds, the noise from the surf, and especially the ocean. He stared and stared at the waves.

You'll notice that none of these photos have the ocean in the background; that's because every time we positioned Roan with his back to the water he turned right around and crawled like mad straight for it. If you have never seen a baby crawl through sand at full speed in a button down shirt with the ocean rolling up to meet him, well, maybe you thought your life was already full to brimming with wonder and love, but a sight like that? Makes you realize there is always room for more.

Photos courtesy of Dina Love

Shorty at the Pizza Bar

From the look on Roan's face, he was expecting pizza like everyone else, not these mashed up apples.

Seriously people, where's my pizza?!

Are you there God?

I am so misunderstood.

California

Last night we came home from a week in California. We saw tons of friends and family, celebrated my Dad's birthday, attended a wedding and a BBQ, and took Roan to the beach for the very first time. Here's a sneak peak of our time out west; I'll post more photos in the next week...

The Lyons Men

Julia and Roan

Tickle, tickle, tickle...

Julia teaches Roan how to dance

Grandpa Mac, Roan, Julia

Seth and Roan

Roan and Ruth negotiate

Grandma Mac pushes

Pure Bliss

Thank you to Cindy for taking the first three photos!