9 Months

* 19.5 lbs, 28.5 inches tall
* Knows and responds to his name
* Says "Da-Da" and "Ma-Ma" but doesn't know their meaning
* Crawls EVERYWHERE
* Pulls himself up to standing position
* Still hates getting his diaper changed
* Still wakes a few times a night to eat
* Acts shy around strangers
* Has started to show interest in the TV
* Wants to splash in Penny's water bowl (and daddy lets him do it)
* Does not know how to be gentle with Roxy
* Is super-happy when he sees any animal...especially dogs
* Has 2 teeth
* Loves to laugh
* Likes to pinch. This is really a comfort thing and he does it when breastfeeding and/or falling asleep while held

Sea Glass, Sand Dollars and other Summer Stories

The Pedersens have had a wonderful and fun filled summer visiting with family and friends. We began our adventures with a trip to Ohio for a family reunion with Dad, Janice et alia. Fun times were had by all at Great Wolf Lodge where Nicolaus went in the pool for the first time and at the Harris household where he got to know his extended family and clapped for the first time. A photographer came to the house for family portraits and we will share those once they arrive. We all participated in the backyard game of cornhole and the Pedersens will be ready for a tournament at the next gathering.

The end of July brought our first beach vacation as a family. We started out in Kitty Hawk, NC with Uncle Tim and Becky where they introduced us to the Sea Glass hunting. They are pros and their collection extensive. We will never meet their excellence unless we travel to the West Coast and find the elusive red piece! Tim and Becky left with us as we traveled via ferry first to Okracoke then to Atlantic Beach, NC to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Pedersen at the famous Place at the Beach condo. Scott, Kelly, and Becca were able to meet up with us before we left as well. Nicolaus was a real trooper at the beach. He loved the sand--squishing it in his hands and disn't even try to eat it. He favored the pool above the ocean though and even fell asleep once in his float! During Beach Week he started crawling, waved and cut his first tooth. We were so glad to share those important milestones with Hans and Jeanette. The best day of all came on our last walk/sea glass hunt on the beach when I looked down and found a whole sand dollar! I've wanted to find one forever and when I saw it I nearly cried.

Now the Pedersens are back home in Virginia wondering what the end of the Summer has to offer and are in disbelief that in a few short months Nicolaus will be turning 1 year old!

Big Boy Bath!

Since Nicolaus has no trouble at all now sitting up, we decided to move him from his baby tub to the big boy bath. He loves it! Bathtime used to be a bit of a chore but now its just another playtime. He splashes like a maniac and has such a fun time with the bubbles. We will definitely need to get a non-skid mat for the bottom though because he slips and slides a bit. A towel at the bottom of the tub will work for now. I see bath toys in our shopping future! I share just a few pictures from bathtime...nanny Judy says he looks like a Kewpie doll in the last one.

A bit of trivia...The Kewpie doll was mentioned in Anne Frank's diary. She received one on her first St Nicholas Day in hiding from Miep and Bep.

8 Months

* 17 lbs
* Knows his name

* Loves any food with Apples
* Enjoys playing with his Farm
* Claps his hands all the time
* Says "Ba-Ba-Ba" and "Da-Da-Da"
* On the verge of crawling

* Hates getting his diaper changed

* Wakes one or two times a night to eat

* Wants to "play" with the phone and remote controls

* Knows what we mean when we say "Dog" or "Cat"

Family, Friends, and Freedom

As I sit at my computer the evening before the day we celebrate our country's independence, I find myself feeling extra blessed to be living the life I do. My baby sleeps soundly in his crib upstairs, I spent the day with friends and their children, my husband is the most wonderful man in the world and I have the freedom to celebrate all these things.

As you gather with your own friends and family tomorrow, take a moment to be thankful for our country, its heroes and for what our Flag stands.

In honor of the holiday, I share a poem I wrote in 2002 on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. I was working in downtown DC only a few blocks from the Whitehouse where I often walked during lunch or after work.

September 10, 2002
8:46 pm

I walk
following the sound of a drum circle--
Three activists exercising their right as an American:
"End all War, Free Palestine, Stop Nuclear Testing!"
Their protests set in tne to a beat different
than that of my heart.
My destination rises before me
through fountains, through flowers, through trees:
The White House--
a vision that has brought many to tears, to their knees.
A home, a symbol, not just for one family, for many,
for a nation.
A mounted officer stands proudly by his horse,
offers to take a picture of a family visiting for the first time.
A news crew stands at attention,
waiting for a moment, for a story to share
with the world.

But none of these images
holds as much importance as those flashing
through my mind, flickering
just behind the surface of my eyses, ensuring
I remember
a year ago, the 11th of September
As if I could forget two planes exploding
into two towers triumphant to the sun;
As if I could forget a wound in the wall of the Pentagon;
As if I could forget a field in Pennsylvania;
As if I could forget the firefighters, fallen Heroes;
As if I could forget the Red--Hardiness and Valor;
the White--Purity and Innocence;
the Blue--Vigilance, Perseverence, and Justice;
As if I could forget I am American.

Father's Day Photo Shoot

Now that Father's Day has passed I can post the wonderful pictures Rhian took of Nicolaus and I at her farm. Being a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom for those of you who may ask) I don't have a lot of extra cash hidden in my drawers so we decided to take some nice pictures to give John on his special day. Even though Nicolaus was a little less than cooperative (it was REALLY hot and humid) they turned out great! Here is just a sampling of some of my favorites.

7 Months!

I cannot believe June has arrived and little Nicolaus is already 7 months old! He loves to growl at food he likes followed by a hefty zerbert. He ends up with more food on him than in his belly I am afraid (see photo below). Changing his diaper and getting him dressed is becoming ever so challenging as he wiggles, writhes, reaches and twists all around. Crawling hasn't happened yet, though I think he understands the mechanics but ends up only pushing himself backward and wondering how he got from point A to point B. Nicolaus was such a big boy at Nanny Judy and Grandpa Rich's wedding. We hope their photographer took some shots of our little man. He looked too cute in his blue and white gingham outfit from Auntie Rhian...even though John said he looked like a sissy. We are looking forward to our visit with Grandma and Grandpa Harris and Nicolaus cannot wait to meet his cousins Grant and Makenna who just turned 1 year old.