A major breakthrough in Edward's world today--literally. After gallons of drool and months of gnawing on everything in sight, he has a tooth. It may be a few days (weeks?) before it's visible in photos, but I felt it this afternoon--it's definitely there.

In anticipation of his emerging set of choppers, we've been giving him a few more finger foods in addition to his diet of milk and pureed fruits and veggies. He likes to feed himself so much that even while receiving a spoonfed meal, he's rooting around on the tray for things he can pick up. He still loves the Veggie Puffs and will bypass other things on tray to get to them and shove them in his mouth by the fistful. He also seems to like grapes now that I've loosened up and realized I don't need to cut them into microscopic pieces. I seriously think I cut them so small at first that he couldn't even see them to reach out and pick them up! Overprotective? I can't deny it.

The cheese hasn't gone over too well so far-- shredded cheddar and mozzarella as well as tiny cubes of Monterey jack have been rejected with a lovely gagging noise. So subtle. I may try American, but those three are what we had on hand. I did find some little crackers that are not baby food, but are thin enough for him to gum. They are shaped like bunnies (shout out to KG in AZ!) He's getting the whole wheat variety--I know I'm a tyrant Mom. But I figure as long as I have sole discretion I might as well try to establish a taste for something relatively healthy. He'll be bombarded with kid-directed marketing soon enough and start making demands.

He is also entertaining himself (and his parents) with some new consonant babbling ("ba ba ba" "ma ma ma" etc.)

We had a pretty quiet weekend here, which was OK by us. It meant a lot of play time. Of course, we took pictures. Top to bottom: Edward humors us by wearing his tag toy as a hat (note the drool); Edward gazes across the room while standing against the ottoman; Even Edward himself is amazed that he can hold up the tag toy with one hand and keep his balance with the other gripping the ottoman.

The green Osh Kosh overalls got raves at daycare this morning, even if John was a bit skeptical. John himself favors a much more subtle color palate--anything other than khakis or jeans with a button-down shirt is a bit exotic. Maybe if we start early, Edward will have a more open mind. Then again, maybe John's fashion sense is a strong reaction against the 70s-era photos in the family albums and these photos of Ed will start the cycle all over.

We had a quiet weekend except for Saturday night when we thought another ear infection was flaring up. Edward was screaming, only comfortable rocking upright in our arms. This has previously been a sign of ear pain. So we called our friend to say we would miss her going away party (we'd been planning to attend in a split shift as the departure as well as the party came with too little advance notice for securing a babysitter) and got ready to head to the ER around 8:30. That early in the evening we thought we'd be safe from the drunks. As we were getting ready, Edward let out an enormous burp followed by some gas and was suddenly a new man--er, baby. We got him settled back in bed, waited to see if it would take, and then I headed over to the party. After an hour or so, I came home and John went. So all's well that ends well. Ed did wake up two more times in the night, but he's been fine since then so we think we're in the clear for now. Thank goodness we didn't schlep all the way to the ER only to have him burp himself to sleep!

This week's mystery: Why does Edward eat more at daycare than at home? On weekends, Ed usually nurses between 9 and 9:30 a.m. and then takes a nap for about an hour. When he wakes up he doesn't demand another meal until noon or later. At daycare, he eats at about that same time, sleeps at some point in the morning for 20-30 minutes, and then has a second bottle between 11 and 11:45 or so. I thought maybe I could leave a larger volume bottle for his first meal and that would carry him through the morning, but he didn't finish it. Might keep trying this approach, though I cringe at the thought of sending milk down the drain given how hard I work to produce it!

Another potential remedy will be introducing a third "solid" meal at midday. I'm hoping to make this a meal of finger foods (rather than another spoonfed meal) so I've been introducing some different items that he can pick up. Blog readers saw how the watermelon went over like a lead balloon last week. Today we tried "veggie puffs" and he loved those. Still, it's hard to see how anyone, even a baby, could get full on air-puffed pieces. I am also thinking of trying some cheese shreds this week. But just one new thing every three days or so to ensure he doesn't have a bad reaction. It all seems so bland, but I guess you can't be too cautious.

We have been reminded that it has been several days since the last photo was posted here, so first let us apologize for being remiss in our duties. It has been a busy week coming out of the holiday weekend. Edward had the chance to visit his Grandma and Grandpa Kenyon and Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Askren. He had a lot of fun with all of them, and I think it's safe to safe they with him. Here he plays with Great Grandpa, while to the left he shows Great Grandma just how big he's getting. He's a handful!

He also took the time to laze about with me while I took it easy doing some reading for work (really). It isn't often that he is content to lay around and not be moving, so we take advantage when we can.

All of that play can make a fella dirty, so baths are a necessity. About the only time Edward still feels small is when he balls himself up while we dry him off after one. Here he has contorted himself to allow for some slobber application on his freshly cleaned foot.

That is probably putting the cart before the horse, because one key reason Edward needs to bathe frequently is his habit of trying to wear as much food as he eats during mealtime. Mary decided to experiment with some fresh watermelon this week, cutting some into tiny pieces to give to Ed. As you can tell, it's an acquired taste. It got easier once she introduced Cheerios to the mix, combining the two for an odd dessert.

Finally, here's some video of playtime from tonight. Ed is growing quite adept at pulling himself up to standing position, and we anticipate (fear?) that he'll soon be much more mobile. Otherwise, it's getting easier and easier to coax a laugh from him (until he gets tired and/or bored and goes the other direction, as you'll see here).

Edward is ready for the Hawks home opener tomorrow. Well, ready to watch, anyway (or listen, as the game is, controversially, not available on local cable!) He clearly has a ways to go in learning to throw, rather than eat, the ball!

Actually, it's not even the first Iowa football game of his young life, since he was with us for the Outback Bowl in January. None of us remember much of it though, as that was back when we were feeding him every two hours around the clock. Forgive us if that whole month was a blur!

We've had a couple of chilly mornings this week--hooray for fall! I do love this time of year, even if some people find it depressing to anticipate the cold months. I welcome the return of jeans and fleece. Edward is well stocked in that department thanks to his cousin as well as some forward-thinking friends, who gave gifts at birth that he's just now growing into. We tried yesterday to capture the darling fleece jacket stitched by our friend Vickie but ended up with mostly just socks (from neighbors Bill and Tania.) Those were a huge hit at daycare--people came from other classrooms while on break to take a look! This morning we managed to get an upright look at the jacket before heading out the door to work and daycare.

Hope everyone has a restful long weekend! We will visit Ed's grandparents and great-grandparents. Fun for all!

As promised, here is some video of Edward playing Friday and Saturday. He's had a pretty good three-day birthday weekend extravaganza... Well, actually, it's much like his other weekends, with his parents playing with him nearly the entire time he's awake. He definitely is becoming more playful and interactive, and that makes the days awfully fun.

We got the pictures but didn't manage to squeeze in a blog post on Edward's eight-month birthday. It was Friday night and I couldn't face any more leftovers and was all tapped out on creative ideas for cooking so we decided to go out for Mexican food. Edward sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time. Earlier this week he sat in the grocery cart. In both cases, I was glad for the safety belt as he is very wiggly and the seats are big enough to accommodate a much larger child so there was a lot of room for slipping. But he did fine. At the restaurant he liked to play with the spoons we weren't using. He dropped two on the floor and then we had to shift to his own toys. He dropped the rings on the floor before I got smart and hooked one end of the rings to the seat belt and the other to his teething book so it would not fall. He was going through toys too quickly. He would have had them all on the floor before our meal even arrived! A good solution. He was happy while we ate and we all made it home in time for his bedtime, followed soon thereafter by ours!

At eight months, Edward is so much fun. He reacts to seeing us--always excitement even if we've just stepped out of sight for a moment. He plays and babbles and blows lots of raspberries, even when Grandpa isn't around (ha ha.) Actually, I think it must have something to do with impending teeth. He has been blowing and spitting for all he's worth this last week, soaking bibs and shirts.

In addition to these photos (the top one is afternoon and the bottom one is morning--in pajamas that were a gift at birth that seemed HUGE at the time!) we took some video of playtime, but we spent a lot of time trying to capture one of his best moves, so now John needs to do some editing before it's ready to post. Stay tuned.

Ed likes to play with blankets. He laughs when I put it over both our heads. Then he pulls it off, which as you may guess is fabulous for the hair (not something he needs to worry about!) However, he doesn't seem to realize that there might be more than one way to get the blanket off his head. He knows how to reach up and pull it forward, so even if lifting from the front and pulling back would expose his face faster, he still pulls forward until the whole blanket passes over his head and into his lap. And, let's face it, then back to his mouth!





For the strong-of-stomach, here's a shot of tonight's dinner--a combo jar of spinach and carrots. If Ed could talk, he might echo his older cousins' lament, "Mommy, this is not my favorite!" He eats it, but not eagerly. He needs intermittent relief in the form of the fruit course to keep him going. Tonight he got particularly frisky, sucking on his fingers while still holding some spinach in his mouth, leading to gooey spinach to squish in his fingers and rub all over his face up to his eyebrows.


And the NEAN (Never Enough for Aunt Nora) shot of the day

John recently noted that it really seems like Edward is actually playing with the toys we give him. He explores every angle with his fingers and mouth. When we stack the blocks, he knocks them down with his hands or feet. He's discovering details like fringe on the giraffe he's playing with here and manipulating it with his fingers. We've had gorgeous weather the last few days so after naptime we've been taking the blanket out to the yard to play outside. It never takes him long to realize he can pull the blanket back to reveal the fascinating grass underneath. He pulls it up by the fistful and tries to put it in his mouth. Luckily John doesn't use any chemicals on it, but still, I watch closely to interrupt the progress from ground to mouth.

He's sleeping better now that the meds have taken effect for the ear infection. However, this morning he woke up coughing at about 5 a.m. and never really got back to sleep. Not sure if that was what prompted his first nap of the day, but it sure was cute. I had just given him his cereal and banana and was working on my own bowl of cereal when I looked up to see him like this.

Well, he's getting impatient with my computer time, so I'll sign off with one last photo of the red pants that were part of this week's fabulous package of hand-me-downs from his cousin Sean courtesy of my amazing sister-in-law Diana. Ed will be well-dressed at least 'til his birthday in these duds!

Someday I will use guilt to my advantage with Edward, but for today, the guilt is all mine. Saturday night he woke up screaming at about 10:30. He would not take the pacifier and nursing only soothed him momentarily. Then back to screaming. In the past this has meant one thing--ear infection. We gave him Tylenol and called the 24-hour nurse advice line to see if there was any way to resolve this without a trip to the emergency room. Unfortunately we do not have an urgent care clinic in the area so on weekends and after hours the ER is the only option. In a college town, the ER on a Saturday toward midnight is not fit for man or beast, and certainly not for a baby!

It took a long time on hold but I finally talked to a nurse who listened to all the things we'd done (Tylenol, rocking, holding upright, warm compress) as well as Edward's behavior pattern (normally a solid sleeper--only wakes up screaming with an ear infection, which has happened twice before) and seemed convinced that the ear was the problem. She decided to page the doctor on call to see what could be done without coming to the ER. But when the doctor called back there was no negotiating--she could not, would not provide any medicine without seeing him. I understand this, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating at midnight with a screaming kid.

John had an inspiration to put Edward in his carseat and rock him that way. Eureka! He fell asleep so we left him in the carseat in our bedroom and went back to bed hoping for an hour or two. We got four, which was an unexpected treat. At 4 a.m. he woke up, but soon settled back to sleep propped up on John's arm in our bed. We made it until about 6:45 that way, though Edward was pretty restless and I got kicked in the head several times. Not restorative sleep, but better than wide awake.

On Sunday he seemed better and we even got him to take a 2+-hour nap laying in his crib, so we started to think maybe we were wrong about the ear. Maybe it was mouth pain? Oh, the drool in this kid! We went back and forth about the wisdom of a daytime ER trip on Sunday but since he did not seem uncomfortable we decided against it, vowing to kick ourselves if we had another midnight screamfest. There was no kicking. Edward slept through the night with one or two coughing fits and one 4 a.m. meal.

He was cheerful this morning and ate breakfast as usual. We felt we'd made the right choice, but I decided to call the doctor once the office opened to see if he could just get checked to be sure. They got us in by 10:45 a.m. The doctor looked in the left ear, which is where his other two infections have been. There was quite a bit of wax, so she said she thought it looked red (i.e. infected) but couldn't be sure. Then she looked in the right ear. "Woah!" she exclaimed. "That's not just red, it's bulging and opaque."

Stab me right in the heart with the guilt knife! He could have started getting better a full 36 hours sooner if we'd gone in on Saturday night. Well, given how long we might have languished in the ER waiting room, maybe only 34 or 35, but still.

So now he's back on the antibiotics, which have worked quickly the last two times so we'll hope for the same this time. Now that he's had three ear infections in the first eight months of life, all in the summer, there is cause for concern about this becoming a pattern. We will have to follow up with our doctor in a month so she can see how the healing is progressing. Then a few weeks after that he'll have his regular 9-month well-baby check so they can look again. By then we'll be into October and heading into the worst part of the year for colds, which of course are the precursor to ear infections. But by then he'll be spending even more time upright than he is now, so maybe that will help keep things drained.

I can't stand to see him in pain and be powerless to fix it. But I also can't stand the thought of him having surgery--even as simple a procedure as placing ear tubes. We are very lucky to have immediate access to such great medical care, but I really hope we won't need it.

We were all a bit slow today thanks to a lack of sleep. Mary and I (and Ed, of course) went to the home of our friends Tom and Erin for dinner with the two of them and our friends John and Nicole. Ed's friend Eva was already asleep when we got there, but Ed hung on until about 8 p.m., when he laid down to sleep for the evening. We had dinner and then sat around a fire outside. It was so nice to catch up and enjoy a nice cool night, that we didn't realize it had gotten to be pretty late (for us, that is). We got home just before midnight, put Ed to bed, and hit the sack. Ed had other plans, however, waking up about every hour. Suffice to say we didn't get much sleep.

Luckily, we had a visit planned with Grandma and Grandpa Kenyon, who perked us up and played with Ed while we lounged. Ed and his grandpa had a good heart-to-heart talk about the need to get more sleep, so we'll see how well that works tonight.

We had a good BBQ lunch, and then sat at the table talking. Edward decided he wanted to help clean up, and grabbed a napkin to wipe up the table, and his mouth... and then decided to crumple the napkin, try to eat the napkin and eventually discard the napkin. This was all captured on video, of course, which you can watch below. He and I also played "Rocketman" (which is pretty self-explanatory when you see it), which is captured in part two of the video double feature.

Ed, while getting more comfortable with it, is still not a big fan of posing for the camera, and he let me know that with this serious expression after I captured the napkin incident.

We were in Evanston this weekend for the funeral of Mary's Grandma Ganey. It was a bittersweet opportunity to see family and friends again after having been back just a few weeks ago for a visit. Everyone remarked about how big Edward is getting, reminding us that the incremental changes we see on a daily or weekly basis are compounded for those who don't see him as often.

We do know Edward is getting bigger, the evidence being the way his clothes fit. His 6-9 month clothes are getting tighter even though he's barely halfway into his eighth month. The biggest shock, however, came when he tried on some swimming trunks Mary bought for him last week. Knowing we would be staying at a hotel with a pool, we decided it was time for Ed's first swim. The smallest trunks she could find on the end-of-summer sale rack ($3) were 18 month size. They're a bit long (as is the style, thankfully), but the waist fits just fine. This makes me wonder what size he'll need when he really is 18 months old. Regardless, with his floppy hat, sunglasses and new trunks, Ed was ready to go.

We took him down to the pool and I carried him in. The water wasn't real warm, but not too cold either. Ed seemed a bit puzzled throughout the entire ordeal, but never seemed scared or upset. Mary climbed in after us and we took turns carrying him around the pool, keeping his head and shoulders above water. He seemed content to put his trust in Dad and Mom to keep him safe, and occasionally seemed to actually enjoy himself by splashing around a bit. It was probably just enough like bathtime that it didn't seem to foreign to him.

Apparently a clarification is in order. My mom admitted to me last night that Edward actually ate his first Cheerios while she was watching him earlier this month. I don't know why she thought it had to be a secret, but I'm sure he'll have more "don't tell mom" moments with his grandparents (both sets) in the years ahead!

Anyway, unless my mom also gave him meat on that babysitting gig, tonight Edward officially left vegetarianism in the dust (sorry Bridget!) He ate a baby food combo of sweet potatoes and chicken. John thought this sounded terribly suspect so he decided to taste a bite first to be sure it was OK. I know, I couldn't believe it either! But I guess it wasn't too bad because he started feeding it to Edward, who ate the whole 4 oz. jar.

Today's mail brought yet another request from our insurance company to complete a survey regarding one of Edward's recent doctor visits. I think they're sending one after every appointment. Or maybe it's just May and June since residents are finishing their years and need evaluation. Regardless, it takes too much time so I've ignored them. Today I decided to give it to Edward so he could provide his own feedback. Needless to say, we will not be returning this by mail.

And here's one more for the adoring masses (i.e. Aunt Nora). Clearly he's tired of being cooped up in the house with his parents as we slog our way through Heatwave 2006. I was outside for a grand total of one hour this weekend--from 7:30 to 8:30 Sunday morning tying up the bountiful tomato vines in my garden. Ed only stayed out 'til 8, sitting in his stroller playing with toys, but then John took him back to the cool comfort of our air conditioned house. Another scorcher tomorrow, but then Wednesday is supposed to bring rain and relief!

Edward ate his first two Cheerios today. I was having them for breakfast and he needed entertainment while I ate so I put three on his tray. He didn't quite know what to make of them so I picked one up and put it close to his mouth. He took it from me and put it in his mouth where he proceeded to "gum" it for about three minutes. A friend of mine noted that we'd all be skinny if we ate that way! He made some funny faces while rolling it around in his mouth, but eventually it must have gotten soggy enough to go down and he took a second one. We were on our way to work and daycare, so not much time for further experimentation. We'll see how he progresses in this area. Some teeth would help, but so far, nothing to show.

It's a good thing there's no such thing as Edward photo overkill, because, after a record-setting five-picture post last night, here comes one more photo. This is Edward's seven-month picture, taken this morning before he headed off to daycare. It's amazing how big he's getting, even compared with his six-month and five-month photos. He's sitting up like a champ -- there's no need for one of us to be just out of frame to catch him as he slides down the couch cushions anymore -- and it's a lot easier these days to catch a smile, too.

We've been trying to stay cool here at the Kenyon household these past couple of weeks, as the heat, humidity and dew point all conspired to make things seem quite tropical. We passed the time in a number of different ways. Edward, with a lot of help from Mom, reads Moo, Baa, La La La.

Here Edward keeps cool with some water from his new sippy cup. He hasn't quite mastered this -- he doesn't know to tip it up so the water actually comes out, but the spout has proven to be a tasty new chewable toy. Once he figures this out, it will probably be more fun for him and messy for us. The doctor suggested taking the no-spill valve out until he gets the hang of it, which means it's free-flowing when upside down. Because the bottom has proven as appealing to chew as the top, this will mean frequent spills. It's only water for now, so we'll just have a soggy Edward.

As mentioned last week, Ed has a new "breathable bumper" on his crib. He's found ways to make that fun, too. I laid him down for a second on Saturday while taking out a dirty diaper. In the moment I was away, he rolled from his back to his front, and found himself lodged up against the side of the crib. I came back into the room and called his name. His head popped up to reveal a pair of eyes over the top of the pad. I pulled it down to reveal him giggling. He was more than happy to reprise this for the camera a moment later.

For recreation he took a piggyback ride around the house with me (note his ingenioius use of hair as a handle) and, once the heat broke over the weekend, went swinging in our neighborhood park (after donning his soon-to-be too small hat and a good dose of sunscreen) with Mary. All told, it was a good full week.

The only real news to report is that we got our car back last weekend after it suffered another minor relapse while we drove back from Davenport weekend before last. They had installed a "black box" which recorded the problem, and we hope the fix will do the trick. We'd kind of like to get back to the "worry-free" part of having a new car.

Ed has started to roll around a lot in his crib, so he's not always sleeping on his back. This is him napping today. This particular nap ended when he wound up on his stomach pressed up against the side of the crib and couldn't manage to roll himself back. We added the white "breathable bumper" after he woke himself up that way several times over the weekend. I guess it would be a rude awakening to roll over and suddenly have your face pressed against a wood rail. Without the bumper he also was getting his arms and legs "caught" in the slats. They weren't really stuck, but he couldn't figure that out on his own.

We never had bumper pads because of the cautions of the risk for SIDS. This is a very thin layer that is easy to breathe through. When I looked online to see if I could find a product like this, I found many parent comments like: "I bought this after I heard by baby cry in the night and found her with her head pressed into the corner of the bumper pad." Glad we never bothered with what is essentially a decorative item. We didn't spend a moment of the pregnancy considering "nursery decor" so it just never came up. After Ed arrived, we ordered a crib, mattress, and sheets and that seemed enough.

The new thing around the Kenyon household is sitting up on our own. While Mary and I usually have no trouble with the task, Edward's skills in that arena are a work in progress. He seems to get better with each passing day, able to spend more time upright than tilting or falling. As you can tell from this photo, he doesn't think this is any big deal. He was sitting up for several seconds at a time tonight, though as the video below will show, there is little warning when he's had enough and is ready to go down.

He is still very enamored of his toes, grabbing them any chance he gets. When he's sitting up, that can lead to a falling forward that leaves him curled up in a ball with his face meeting his feet. He doesn't seem to mind the pose, though it doesn't look very comfortable. Here he's in a better position for optimal toe-grabbing. That's an instantaneous reaction when we put him on his changing table. Once his back hits the pad, his legs fly up into the air and he grabs on. That helps when powdering him, but it's not the easiest pose when one is trying to actually put the diaper on him.

We can tell that Edward is getting bigger, because it is becoming increasingly difficult to get some of his onesies over his head when putting them on or taking them off. Lucky for us, he's pretty tolerant of the process.

For video evidence of his ever-growing sitting skills, click below.

Edward sailed through his six-month check-up this afternoon. He weighs almost 18 pounds (45th percentile) and is 26 1/4 inches long (35th percentile.) He is doing all the things his doctor expects of a boy his age--smiling, laughing, rolling over, grabbing, moving objects from one hand to the other (with a stop in the middle for the mouth of course!) He's eating and sleeping well (except for our recent run of 2 a.m. wake-ups.) No new instructions, really, other than to watch him grow and be ready to childproof the house when he becomes mobile. He screamed when he got his shots (but who wouldn't?) but he calmed down pretty quickly.

Probably the most interesting tidbit is that he does have an ear infection after all. Same ear as before--left side. Our doctor said it's not uncommon that it would look fine on Monday and be infected now. Virus leads to fluid in ears leads to infection and just one day can make a difference. That explains last night's screaming fits, I guess, but I wish we'd been able to start recovery on Monday rather than waiting until today. Let's hope this is the answer--John and I really need some sleep! The hand, foot and mouth disease isn't getting any worse--that is, no more visible spots on his hands and feet, none in his mouth, and the original spots are starting to blister over. So I guess we can check that one off on the list of childhood illnesses. I'm sure many more await.

The car did not have such an easy diagnosis. In fact after running it through a battery of tests that took a full page to enumerate, the Mazda folks report that there is nothing wrong with it. They have no explanation for Saturday's break-down, except possibly that we got some bad gas. On the one hand it's nice to know that our brand-new car is fine, but on the other hand, we're a little gunshy about getting back on the open road with nothing "fixed." John drove it around this afternoon and couldn't replicate the problem. Let's just hope it was a fluke. For future reference though, don't buy gas at the Citgo on Ingersoll in Des Moines!

This week also marked Edward's first professional portraits--preserving the memories of his six-month self for the ages. We joined the "smile saver" club (or some similar goofy name) at Sears, which has a few ongoing benefits (like no sitting fee for two years) and also some that change from month to month. This month's promotion allowed you to buy a CD with all the images plus copyright ownership for a fraction of the normal price. So we did that, which allows us to post a few favorites here.

Edward does not have an ear infection, but does have a virus called Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Clicking on the link will bring you to a CDC information sheet about the disease. It's apparently very common in babies and young children, especially in the summer months. So far he only has a few spots on his hands and feet and nothing in his mouth. It's not serious unless he gets sores in his mouth that make him not want to eat. That plus the diarrhea associated with the virus (which he's had this weekend, but we didn't connect to the other symptoms) can lead to dehydration. So we'll just have to be sure he has plenty of wet diapers and lots of his usual slobbering. He has his six-month check-up on Wednesday afternoon so they'll be able to follow up then to be sure he's on the road to recovery.

They didn't say why this would interrupt sleep, so the pattern of the last few nights where he's waking up and rejecting being put back in his crib after eating may be unrelated. We'll see. We had him sleep in his carseat last night and he did pretty well, sleeping from about 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. After I fed him he was wide awake and playing with his feet. This was not so cute at 2 a.m. We brought him to bed with us (which is very unusual for us--we're not subscribers to the "family bed" theory) and he eventually fell asleep until about 5:30 a.m. Needless to say, his parents are longing for his old habit of sleeping through from 7:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.!

A few weeks back some friends who live across the street told us they had a baby "exer-saucer" in their attic that they'd be happy to pass on to us since their kids have long since grown out of it. Edward has used one at daycare a couple of times and he's been working hard to stand up when we're holding him so we thought that might be a nice step up from his playmat for entertainment. Plus, we think he might be getting another ear infection (or the last one didn't fully go away) because he's been fussy at night--waking up whenever we try to lay him down. The doctor said that when babies have ear infections the pressure is greater when they're laying down so that would be consistent with his pattern the last couple of days. What better time for some upright entertainment? Looks like a good decision so far!

We'll have to call the doctor in the morning and go in for an ear check. I hope we can get this knocked down. I really hate seeing him in pain and I've heard horror stories about the endless ear infection--ugh!

Other than that, we had a nice visit with the extended Kenyon family yesterday in Des Moines at John's cousin's 40th birthday party. It was great to see everyone and for them to be able to meet Edward in person after following his news and photos on this blog. We had some car trouble on the way home--in our NEW car no less. Just when I was thinking it was so nice not to have to worry about breakdowns since we made the decision to upgrade to a station wagon. We think it might be a fuel injection problem, but of course our combined knowledge of the inner workings of the automobile would be a lot shorter than our average blog post so we really don't know what's wrong with it. We managed to limp home though and we'll take it in tomorrow for a diagnosis. Ed and the car then can mend together.