And How Is Adam Doing?

Even though I'm a Mom with a blog, I sometimes don't do it Mommy-blog justice. I've been getting a lot of "put pictures of Adam on the blog" comments. My answer? You try and photograph that little cretin. He is still super photogenic, and always smiles for the camera, but he is now a toddler and by definition can't sit still, so he will only pose for a millisecond and our camera just isn't up to the task.

There's so much I could say about Adam. I adore him, to put it simply. To make it more complicated, I have to say: he drives me cuckoo-crazy about 50% of the time and that number would be higher if he slept less. Apparently he likes me, but it only shows up when I want to put him down or when I need to use the bathroom. We don't see a lot of other people now that we're in Redwood City, so we've got a weird relationship. Sometimes we get sick of each other, sometimes we argue (but his rhetoric sounds suspiciously like gibberish). I like to think we're like Tom Hanks and Wilson. Unfortunately, I'm not sure who's who anymore.

He's growing up, and quite frankly, that unsettles me. Every time he does something new or I'm suddenly hit by how much he's changed, the song, "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof plays melodramatically in my head. I'm not sure I'm ok with how the world works. I know that's a pretty massive complaint, but it's true. Why does everything have to change? I'm grateful for the change that has happened in my life thus far, but I think I'd like some things to slow down. I don't want Adam to say "I hate you" to me. I don't want him to make bad decisions. What if he turns out to be a jerk or a drug addict or something? People will see him and think about all of the bad things he encompasses. They wouldn't know that his mother looks at him now and thinks her heart will burst because he is so perfect, so pure. I don't want to give that up, so I'm hoping the laws of the universe can just be sidestepped.

 Gosh.

Even though, I called him a "cretin" and possibly compared him to a volleyball earlier, I just love that little boy so much. I guess I should do him mommy blog justice and actually talk about him and not just my feelings about him.

ADAM AS OF SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2011

•  Adam officially took his first steps on July 5th, but decided shortly after that he never wanted to walk again. He is now reversing his position on the issue. It's fun to see him toddle around like he owns the place.
• He's been saying "Mama" "Dada" and "duck" for a few months now, but always sporadically and only very rarely when we prompted. Finally, he has a solid word down, "ball." 
• Adam only uses his pacifier at bedtime, and he definitely doesn't need it nor is he really attached to it. But he does have the strange ability to go into any given room and comeback with a pacifier. We have no idea where he is stashing them. 
• He thinks the word "Amen" is hilarious. 
• I can't really comment on what his favorite food is, because he hates all food. You would all feel sorry for me if you saw meal-time. I can get him to eat baby food if the TV is on and I do a Charleston-like dance after every bite. (He eats better for Jeff, for some reason, no dancing needed) He has no inclination to eat anything solid except a few goldfish and french fries. This is obviously an issue, but one I am scared to press as his weight is an problem.
• He's little, but less than he used to be. He is still drinking soy formula, at his doctor's request. I don't know what he'd be drinking if he wasn't, as he still appears to have reactions to milk. I've weaned him onto yogurt and small amounts of regular formula, so progress is being made. 
• Have I ever mentioned, Ducky, Adam's best friend? Well, I should have, because he is super in love with that thing. He goes into the bedroom and pulls it out of the crib almost every day. He likes to dive on top of it-- we call it duck diving-- like a million times a day. He also quacks at his duck, but Adam-quacks sound famously like "goy."
• His favorite shows are "The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That." and "Curious George."
• His favorite game is probably "Momster," which is the game where I pretend to be a monster. Also high up there is the game where Jeff and I take pacifiers, put them in our own mouths and spit them out at him. He also plays mean games of Catch, Peek-A-Boo and Patty-Cake.
• His favorite book right now is "Another Monster at the End of This Book," which is an unnecessary sequel to "A Monster at the End of This Book." He also loves his Toy Story bath time book.
• He likes drawers and cupboards, especially getting inside them. He also really likes taking things out of one place and putting them somewhere else. He's a good little gatherer. 
• He had his first time-out. He bit my cheek super hard. 
• He loves electronics. LOVES. He is obsessed with our computers, loves remote controls, and spends a surprising amount of the day pretending to talk on the phone.
• He is currently obsessed with garbage cans and toilets. Let's just say there's been several incidents involving Ducky.
• He can drink out of a straw quite well. I was carrying him in one arm and a Baja Blast in the other and spacing out when I heard him giggling. I then realized he had been leaning over and taking sips of my delicious, caffeinated soda. Oy.
• He cannot be contained by straps in carts and high chairs. He's just too skinny. He just wiggles out. It's a major problem, because he just wants to stand up in carts. And I really don't know what to do. I've been putting him in the big parts of carts, but I feel like I get dirty looks because you're really not supposed to do that. But I would rather have him constantly standing up in the deep section than in the high, shallow one.
• He's down to one nap a day. I'm adjusting- sort of. I feel like I watch the clock more now.
• He loves animals, but especially dogs. He loves the Humane Society and ASPCA commercials with the abused animals. He giggles at all the puppies.
• He got his first professional haircut a few days ago. He cried so hard he threw up. Apparently this is common?
• He is on a constant quest to throw things over the balcony. 

And now for the cute parts:

Ali and Adam.

With his daddy.

He's super strong.

Makes me laugh.

He's not happy about Ali reading a San Fran guide.

Helping me pack.

The only babies I know have blue eyes and brown hair.

Pre-haircut coolness.

He likes to climb into chairs.

My brother painted a picture of Adam in the style of German Expressionism. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what that exactly means.

Playing with Mom and Grandma.

His hair is all fancy.

Enjoying a good shake.

He dubs this water suitable.

Phew. This is getting exhausting. But I probably should link some videos too to be thorough. They're all super cute, so check them out.

Ok, that's enough. I feel like I just birthed my second baby. So yeah... in summary, Adam is doing well.