Lewis Steps Out

At last, the moment we've all been waiting for.

Dad Squad

See? Matthew takes nice pictures too.

Lewis vs. Bob

Since it's been so hot, Lewis' outings have mainly been confined to the morning. Today, with our friend Alea, we drove over to the Reed campus to play in the grass. There was lots of clover for Lewis to frolic in. There was also a very friendly bassett hound named Bob.

Bob liked Lewis a lot, especially because Lewis had just finished eating a bran muffin and was still all sticky. Bob hung out with us for a while, and let everybody pet him.

Maybe there's a bassett hound in Lewis' future?

14 Months = 1 1/6 Years

Holy moly!
Who is this big guy?

Lewis is growing so fast these days. I went away to my MFA residency (for a mere 10 days) and when I got back he was huge. And really smart, too! He's almost walking, and he babbles a lot. Also, he's figured out our cell phones ... whether or not this is a good thing remains to be seen.

Lewis and Matthew had a lot of fun while I was gone:

Matthew took Lewis to the water park in NE Portland.

Lewis likes the fire hydrant; looks fly in his diaper.

The concrete was a little hard on his knees, but he prevailed.

He got absolutely soaking wet!

All tuckered out. What a sweet boy.

Family Photo

This is the only picture in existence of Lewis crying.
All I can say is:
Get used to it, kiddo.
We're your gene pool, and we're never going away.

13 Months

Today Lewis hit the 13-month mark. I know that every parent says this, but: I can't believe how much he's changed. He's growing up so fast.

Tomorrow: visits from Grandpa & Mammasooze, bearing new furniture, and the ukulele! We're very excited to see them again.

California Dreamin'

Grandpa Scott, world-class baby tamer. Both he and Mammasooze were very happy to see Lewis. They spoiled him completely, as grandparents are supposed to do.

Lewis drank lots of good, homemade milk (thank you Bessie!) and practiced pulling up on all the furniture. He also was very helpful around the house, rearranging my parents' library, playing with the teddy bears, and pointing at things.

When we got to the beach, however, Lewis felt a little uncertain. All that open space made him very clingy. Also he kept trying to eat the sandy gravel and throw rocks at Mammasooze. (Note to Lewis: bad move, dude!)

The Clintonia was blooming in the redwood forest. We stopped to admire its pink blooms.

Lewis got to go on lots of walks and see all the sights at Stillwater Cove. He had a great time looking at the animals, inspecting the soil, and being cuddled by everyone.

We hope we get to go back very soon! Maybe by Rachel's wedding in July, Lewis will be taking his first steps. Very exciting!