9 months, full term in life

This week we really just settled down after our weekend whirlwind in Boston.   We had a Friday filled with Doctor appointments and my little Mino turned 9 months old on Saturday!
There is a great program that I heard about that checks infants eyes for any significant problems when they are 6-12 months old called InfantSee.  Anyway, we went and Mino got cleared and is WNL (within normal limits for those who are not dental charters)

 After the eye doctor we went to the Travel Clinic to make sure he didn't need anything special for our trip to Argentina, and he got out scott free there with no shots.  After we got home Mino practiced standing in his crib and gave me heart failure and motivation to lower him on down so he can start up on his Olympic gymnast career early by flipping out and landing on his oversized noggin.  He is so close to crawling but just kinda stops before.  However, when he is standing, which is constantly, he is starting to take steps so I think he is going to walk before crawling.

 And we hung out with Uncle Otis.  Otis who once attacked a mailman is so gentle with the baby, who does not return that same sentiment.  His favorite thing to do is pull Otis' tail and examine the clumps of fur on his sticky little hands.

 He is getting to be too mobile for these photo shoots to work out very well, maybe Benadryl is in order for 10 months.  He tried eating the bear. . .

 Examining the 9 . .

 Hamming it up for the camera . . . .

 Ripping up the 9 . . . .

 Then focusing on grass.  Not his mother who is dodging dog poops to get the perfect angle to capture his cute little mug.

 And to cap off the evening we went for a cookout with my cowokers.  AT is prego with twins so Mino gave her a run for her money.  All in all it was a fun night.

Boston in the Summah

So we had several big firsts as of late, first time found standing in daycare (last Thursday) first airplane ride (from MSP to MKE) first time in BOSTON! Woot!  Mino was fabulous on the plane.   There (of course) wasn't an open seat on the plane but we did manage to snag a window seat so we had a little space to hang out.  Mino was concerned about his safety and read that safety brochure from cover to cover.  It is possible.  It is all pictures.  I had heard that it is important to have him sucking for take-off and landing and I know that until I was 12 my ears KILLED me during take off and landing so I slipped him a boob and he promptly passed out for the entire flight.

We had a nice long layover in Milwaukee so we found an open terminal and set up shop so he could get his little wiggle and move on to try to wear him out. 

The second leg we had window again and he slept the first half and played nicely with the lady next to us for the second half.  Auntie Chill and Uncle Aaron met us at the airport and our Boston adventure began.  We just took it easy the first evening (after Erin drove up from lil' Rhody and Em came over from Aahhhlington)  and I promptly made Auntie Sarah and Uncle Aaron babysit so I could go out to the Esplenade to celebrate Lexi's birthday and have fun with my friends.

The next day we hit the road to Rockport and Mino's first taste of seawater.

Auntie Chill felt horrible that she gave Mino a rock to play with but he loved it! 

Soojin and her wee ones came to visit and he got to meet little Elise and they compared hair styling tips. 

He went to his first lobster shack (and big Momma had her first lobster since Grandpa's funeral.)  I was told that lobster is at an all time low price so I would be a fool to not have it.  I opted for the lobster roll and was shocked at the lack of mayo and celery, it was just lobstah meat on a roll.  But it was good. Mino liked it later in the day.

And posed in his first Delta Magna Delta photo (not a full one, missing Tinjor and M1S)

The next day he got to see Uncle John again and it was a world of difference from the last time.  John was completely at ease and could not wait to slap the baby on his chest and walk around Hangover style.

Unfortunately we have the Ergo carrier and not the Bjorn so we made do.

Auntie Em and Auntie Chill acted as body guards to protect the boys from the throngs of women who thought it was just too cute!

A very special lady also enjoyed her time with Mino. She wished it was Portos but made do - Thanks for the picture Em!

The next day we made it down to downtown because the whole time I lived in Boston I was so annoyed walking by the Make Way For Duckling statues and the throngs of women and their bajillion children blocking the path that I had be be one of them now that I had a child to block the road with.

Auntie Chill again was his personal bodyguard because it was pretty darn cute.

Then we made our way over to see the Swan Boats and enjoy the shade that the Public Garden has to offer as it was hot as balls.

It was so good to be back in the old Condo and I realized that the sink was the perfect size and shape to bathe the little bugger.

And no trip to Boston could be complete without a pit stop at Doyles.  Mino can't have Sam Adams yet, but as Uncle Aaron says, in 16 years when it is legal it will be a Sam Adams

Up Nort

We went up for a re-do of Memorial Day weekend and boy did it work!  We left after work on Friday

trying to avoid the crazy city heat and made it just in time for an amazing lightning storm just to the north of Townsend and my recent life's dream was realized because I got a picture of a lightning bolt! 

Anyway, Martin wasn't sick this time and the weather was fabulous so we spent a lot of time down at the lake swimming and playing in the water.

Portos, the daintly dog that he is, wanted to ensure his safety and avoid the UV Rays by lounging in the shade rather than the direct sunlight

Mino had his fabulous get up to avoid the rays.

But once in the shade and later in the day his little pale body was ready to be exposed to the world!

We got to take in two beautiful sunsets from the porch.

PFunk and Otis got to play together.

And Mino drove us around on the Jetski!  (Not, but I really considered it )

Happy 4th Little Mino!

Disclaimer - if baby booties are not your thing go to a different web site as this is the post that Mino will kill me for in the future.  Oh well, I have ten or eleven years until that part comes. It has been hot hot hot here which means lots of time cooling off in the water - be it the little pool in the back yard or the big pool for swimming lessons or bath time.  We also celebrated the 4th, went to a state park, and just chilled out at home enjoying our central air.

 We were thinking about having a BBQ with my coworkers to celebrate the fourth but as we watched forecasts and the high creeped from 92 up to 101 we decided that sitting around a hot grill may not be so fun and sitting outside may not be too enjoyable.    So we, the family of three, hung out inside and cheesy mom attempted a photo op but failed with the focus.

Benjamin has been trying to pull himself up now, but only when in a body of water which makes me think that he is just too much of a chunker to do it without lesser gravity.  In the tub and in the pool he tries to climb up you to get to a standing position.  Today, he got sidetracked on the way there and we got this amazing pose.  We were just going to sit out for a bit then decided it was too hot so put him in sans poo protector.

He has fun just sitting outside the pool as well

And is always happy surrounding the pool so we managed to get some cute pictures.  Again, baby booty!  Considering how quick these first few months have gone it seems to me that it is going to be a blink of the eye before it is really inappropriate for me to see his naked toosh so I have to enjoy now.

Last weekend I was itching for an adventure so packed up the hubby, dog and baby and headed out to Banning State Park forgetting that this is Minnesota and it is summer which means the Mosquito rules the forest and no one can compete with it as top dog.  We tried.  Fail.  We used the back pack that my parents used for me as a wee one after a less than successful attempt with the Ergo on the back and it worked!

Notice the lack of Minos head in the second one.  He fell asleep!  Great! He was so relaxed and comfortable.  NOT!  Remember how I mentioned a heat wave, well when he awoke he was soaked and all the sunscreen pooled on his arms and then he probably rubbed it right in his eyes because he was an angry baby until we got him out of his carrier after the hike. 
I think we'd try again maybe in cooler weather.

This week for swimming lessons I got in the pool.  It is fun but as of yet I don't think it is worth the money I paid, I could have just brought him to open swim as we aren't really learning anything or doing anything other than holding them and walking through the water.

Mino has been fighting sleep like whoa.  He does not want to miss out on anything and as a result gets a little crack baby personality.  This video isn't quite to that level of frenzy, but is close. 

And in closing, cute Mino pictures!!