Happy Father's Day! Edward is celebrating with a nap at the moment. John may be joining in the fun soon. It's too hot for much else around here. We're hoping the forecast is correct in calling for a break in the heat tomorrow or Tuesday.

This funny photo is from yesterday. I'm not sure what elicited this cheesey grin from Edward--he's never hammed it up for the camera before. We don't even say "Smile!" when we take pictures. Just one of the many things that leave us wondering.

Yesterday we took out Edward's wading pool for the first time. John had a bit of a challenge blowing it up, but he got the job done and we set the pool in the sun so the water would warm during naptime. The spot we picked was one I've been watching and knew that by late afternoon it would be shaded. After his nap and snack, we got him all suited up and took him out, only to realize that the semi-overcast afternoon had turned into a dark, stormy sky. He was in the water for about 10 minutes before we heard thunder. He got out on his own and started walking around leaving wet footprints, but then it started raining so we had to scoop him up in the towel and head inside. A lot of effort for a short activity. We'll try again today and see what happens.

Ed's vocabulary is expanding, but context is extremely important in figuring out what he's saying. If he's outside and says "Buh, buh!" and points, it usually means he sees a bird. Inside it more often means "ball." He can also say "Nah-na" in the morning for Banana, but his patience wears thin as his belly rumbles awaiting breakfast. He'll also mimic quite a bit. John taught him to stand in front of the fan and say "Ahhh!" in a sigh of relief. They may next move on to the prolonged "AHHH" to listen as the fan distorts the voice.

He also uses "More"--the sign and the word-- for things other than food, though it's still an important communication tool when eating. And speaking of eating, check out his latest skill--the fork. He kind of started doing this before we went on vacation, but we didn't want to hassle with taking along Ed-sized utensils so abandoned it for that week. But he picked up where he left off once we got home. He can't always spear what he wants--hasn't quite figured out the necessary angles--but he loves to pick up his own fork and bite off whatever awaits. Wish I could say this reduces the mealtime mess, but it is not to be. He's also learned to turn his head away in an attempt to "hide" when he sees us coming to wipe him up.

If you're feeling overheated wherever you are this afternoon, think cool thoughts and watch this splashy video:

Taking a vacation is apparently not an acceptable excuse for a blog hiatus. For her birthday today, my sister requested only one thing: update the blog!

We had a great time and the trip went more smoothly than we had a right to expect. With one glaring exception, Ed was a champion road tripper. My brother's wedding (east of Pittsburgh--about a 12 hour drive!) was a great occasion to have the whole family together--a rarity these days as we now officially number 19. Most of the siblings and cousins were able to stay in a house adjacent to the inn where the wedding reception was held, so that was definitely an experience in togetherness! The kids really had a good time playing together and the adults did too...after the kiddie bedtimes!

After the wedding we took a few extra days coming home, stopping one night/day in Cleveland and three nights in Three Rivers, MI, where we stayed in a rustic cabin on a small lake. At both the wedding inn and the lake cabin we could not get cell phone reception so we really felt like we were able to unplug and unwind. We were definitely ready to come home after a week though and glad we planned it so we arrived home Thursday leaving a few more days off before heading back to work on Monday.

Edward used the occasion of his second wedding reception in as many months to show off some of his latest dance moves:


He also cemented his status as band groupie by walking right up to the band as they began setting up and watching every move. They appreciated his attention so much they gave him the tambourine to try out. He liked it, but got a bit too creative in his method.

(Side note: we have taken Ed to two of the free, outdoor concerts downtown this summer and both times he walked right up to the stage to get up close and personal with the band!)

Edward also spent the wedding weekend basking in the attention of his adoring cousin Colleen. She's such a big Ed fan that she even sent him a letter as part of a first grade lesson this spring. She and her sisters and cousin were lovely as the flower girls and ring bearers at the wedding. After the ceremony, Ed and Sean helped the girls pick up the flower petals in the aisle and then had a tremendous amount of fun throwing them over the back of the pew and making Colleen pick them up again to start the game all over.

Colleen is so cute and charming she even got John out on the dance floor, but to avoid the dissolution of my marriage I'll refrain from posting photographic evidence.

After leaving the wedding festivities late Sunday afternoon, we drove only as far as Cleveland (about three hours) and stopped for the night. John has always wanted to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and it's unlikely we'll be in the area again anytime soon, so we built it into the itinerary. While he did that on Monday, Ed and I went to the Cleveland Zoo, where he was a boy after his grandma's own heart--a fan of the giraffes. Much to my chagrin, we was also fascinated by the flamingos, as they came right up to the fence separating their area from the humans. Luckily, flamingos are flightless or we'd have been in a world of hurt, and you might have read a dateline Cleveland AP item headlined "Terrified Mother Flees Flamingos, Leaves Toddler To Fend For Self." He also liked the elephants and anything else large enough to see from a distance. He couldn't focus too much on the smaller animals, even monkeys crawling around on a big rock.

After driving through a driving rainstorm that included several "Hail Mary" moments of near-blind following the hazard lights of the car ahead, we arrived in Michigan for three days of "nothing." No schedule, no plans, just see where the day takes us. Ed continued his animal adventures there with the resident ducks and cats. There was also a petting zoo in the town where he discovered how funny it is to stick your finger in a goat's nose. Not so funny for the goat, but for the boy, hilarious. He also got a big kick out of the bird room. I abstained, leaving John to explore that with him. As you can see, it was a bit chilly there--sweatshirt weather. No complaints though--we had packed our jeans and sweatshirts and had no need to be hot!

All in all, it was a great trip, but we're happy to be home. I would not recommend 25+ hours in the car with a toddler over the course of a week, but if you can break it up in to small chunks and get him to sleep while you drive (which Ed did about 80 percent of the time) it can be done. Next year though, I think we'll look for somewhere a little closer to home!

We had a fun and tiring Memorial Day weekend, with a trip to see Ed's great-grandparents in Chariton and a lot of outdoor play.

Ed and Great-grandpa Askren played a bit on Saturday during our visit. We had a big meeting room for our small gathering, which meant Edward had the chance to do a lot of walking and get in a lot of laps. He appreciated the extra space!

On Sunday, we went downtown to play on the big playground equipment they have next to the library. At one point, Edward noticed the fountain that's just down the pedestrian mall from the play area. He wandered over, fearlessly, and started toward the water. Mary took off his shoes and socks and rolled up his pantlegs and he sallied forth. We caught this photo with her cell phone, capturing the moment when he stuck his hand into the spray to make a nice wet mess for everyone. He really enjoyed it, and I'm sure we'll be back as the temperatures climb this summer.

Today we spent at home, catching time outside between short rain showers. Edward is getting more bold about venturing around the yard these days, taking time to stop and, well, he didn't smell the flowers, but he did try to pluck their petals off. Either way, his expression here isn't really indicative of his overall attitude toward the peonies.

Wednesday was Edward's first full day at daycare, and he seemed to do OK. His teacher told me this morning when I dropped him off that he had napped better than the other kids (that's my boy) and that he seemed happy and content all day despite the schedule change. Then, she showed me photographic proof. Ed was out on the playground playing with the other kids, but had come over to the window to see what was happening inside. He began to make faces, and they caught a couple with their camera. In the second one he's pressing his face against the glass.

I worried about him spending the bulk of his day away from home, but he seemed no worse for wear. We're glad we have the luxury of only having him there for half days, but it's nice to know he has fun there so when the need arises we know he has a safe place to be.

Edward is getting much better about wearing his hat. So good in fact that he now will find one laying around and attempt to put it on his head. He has achieved varying degrees of success. On Sunday afternoon, he tried a new variation on the theme.











John notes that it is a major concession to vanity that he allows these to be posted. I said he's got nothing on me, given the video of my reaction to Ed's first steps that I allowed to be made public.

This was a rare moment of tranquility as Edward has spent the last few days welcoming four molars. I think he'll like them in the long run, but for now, they're nothing but trouble. His other teeth came in just two at a time, either top or bottom on both sides. We've dosed him with Tylenol and allowed some extra pacifier time (usually this is reserved only for bed) as well as more frequent flopping on a parent while watching Thomas the Tank Engine. This time it's a quadruple whammy. While I don't like to see him sad or in pain, there are no words for my gratitude that this is happening now and not during our long car trip to Joe's wedding next week!

Maybe when he feels better he'll want to try another encounter with the sprinkler, as shown here. He wasn't too sure about it, when I turned it on on a hot afternoon last week. It didn't help when I accidentally soaked him while trying to adjust the height of the spray. He likes water in his "bubble cup" and in his bath though, so I think he'll figure this out.

Our thoughts today are with the entire Sepersky family as they mourn the loss of a great man, who was father, grandfather, husband, son and much more. I've only known him as long as he's been my sister's father-in-law, but I know how much he meant to his entire family and a large circle of friends. And I know mere words will never be sufficient to express the tragedy of a life cut short. My mom says, "It had better be a slow day in heaven when I get there. I've got a long list of questions I want answered." And we add another.

Happy Mother's Day to all. I know it has been a happy one here. We had a gorgeous weekend and spent lots of time outside. We started out Saturday morning with the third-annual Preeclampsia Foundation Walk-a-thon in Davenport. I gave a speech at the beginning of the walk. It's posted on Will's blog. Edward liked the playground better than the walk itself, but he didn't object too strongly to the stroller, especially when he was being handed bits of granola bar or his juice cup!

These photos are from today, when he was attempting to build on his climbing skills by adding the challenge of doing so while holding the cup. He was somewhat successful, though efficiency was totally lost in the equation. He could not be persuaded to let me hold the cup while he climbed and then come back for a drink when he came down the slide. Oh well--not the first or last time he simply has to do something his own way. He's much better these days about keeping his hat on so I'm glad not to have that ongoing battle. In fact, sometimes he'll find it and put it on himself when we're playing inside.

Late last week Edward demonstrated a new skill that we found hilarious so we'll share it with you in this video. No explanation for where he got the idea to do this.

Edward enjoyed himself at his first wedding this weekend. My cousin was a dazzling bride and we were so happy to be there to celebrate! Edward particularly enjoyed the mostaccioli from the buffet. I took a spoonful on my plate, but never got to try it because he devoured it as fast as I could hand it over! This was after his Teddy Graham appetizer, which he enjoyed from his perch under the high chair. Who knows why that was so fun, but it kept him occupied and quiet, so we weren't in a position to question.

In other feeding news, Ed wasn't cooperating with John's attempt to feed him applesauce this evening. This is one of his favorite foods and we knew he was hungry, so we decided to indulge his need for independence and let him take over the spoon. He was much happier, though considerably less efficient. It's a work in progress. As I prepped this video, it occurred to me that it was almost exactly a year ago that Edward had his first spoon meal. What a long journey in such a short time!



And finally tonight, we ask for your prayers for my brother-in-law's family. His dad is extremely ill with complications from a lung infection. Many of the reports we're getting are transporting us back to Will's bedside, where we watched, as they do now, his oxygen saturation, blood pressure, lung x-rays and edema and listened to doctor's assurances that they were doing their best to help him. It's so hard to believe that a previously vigorous 53-year-old could now be facing such similar challenges.

Edward continues to innovate when it comes to play, creating things that don't seem like they would be much fun to anyone else, but which entertain him endlessly. The latest game involves taking animal toys from a train set he got from Grandma and Grandpa Kenyon, dropping them over the arm of our chair in the living room, running around to the seat to grab them, and then doing it all over again. The video below captures this, as well as Edward giving his Mom a puzzle piece, seemingly giving her some instructions about what to do with it, and then expressing delight that she agreed to comply.

He also discovered how fun it was to dump all of the blocks out of his wagon and then sit on it and try (in vain as yet) to push himself around the room. It was more fun to play hide and seek with Mom around the edges of the wagon, and then have Mom push him back and forth across the floor.

Here is Edward at 16 months. He's clearly pleased with himself. His parents can't share his joie d'vivre this evening.

Two inches of rain since 3 p.m. yesterday. More expected tonight and tomorrow. Our backyard is saturated and apparently, so is the ground beneath our house. We are the proud and beleaguered owners of a new six-gallon wet/dry vacuum. John went to the basement for another reason after dinner and discovered the water. It wasn't deep, but it was spreading so he went to work moving/rescuing various items and mopping up what he could. At quarter to eight, after giving Ed a bath and putting him to bed, I went to see what I could do. The hardware store down the street closes at 8 so we decided not to gamble on things getting worse overnight. I dashed out for the equipment while John kept mopping and wringing and dumping the 5-gallon bucket out in the alley.

Ed's new rainy day toy is much more fun. This is something he got for his birthday but we'd stored it away since he was just overflowing with new things back in December. I had a feeling we'd need a little diversion sometime and this week was the time. The living room feels quite small when it's filled with Edward Energy! He wasn't sure what to make of this at first since it was singing the Alphabet Song to him, but he figured out how he could make other noises and then he noticed that it came with 25(!) animal pieces to carry around and deposit around the room. Or, in this case, to bang on the metal folding chair for the delightful noise it produced.

Today's other news was a clean bill of health at his 15-month well-baby check. Yes it was a month late, but who's counting. All we know is that he is continuing on his mid-range weight and supersize head trajectory. After the results come back from lab tests, we may be able to stop the iron supplement, which would be nice. It's not a big deal, but just another thing to keep track of, as we have been giving him the medicine three times a day. We're supposed to give it with juice because the vitamin C helps with absorption so a little bedtime sippy cup has become part of the routine. We may keep that even when we lose the medicine, since it's clearly part of how he unwinds.

No new video lately, but if you need a fix, I highly recommend checking out Ed's cousin Katherine who really knows how to bust a move. She's got rhythm!

Yesterday's WalkAmerica in Iowa City could not have been more perfect. It was sunny and warm, with a light breeze to keep the sweat at bay as we trudged up the hills (yes, we do have hills in Iowa!) Many friends joined us to walk the six miles in memory of Will, in honor of Edward and in support of the important work of the March of Dimes. We have so much to be thankful for, and the love and support of our family and friends tops the list.

This is Edward just after the walk. Does he look tired to you? Riding in a stroller can really sap a guy! Not just riding in a stroller, but riding and snacking on the various treats at the water stations along the route. Edward apparently loves chewy granola bars with chocolate chips. He also managed to drink a little water from his sippy cup without soaking himself. Good thing because he had several layers to soak through. That could have gotten uncomfortable and heavy. I didn't really know how to dress him for the walk. I knew we'd be warm enough from the exertion, but wasn't sure what he'd need. He ended up shedding a couple of layers toward the end as the day grew warmer.

It was just as warm today so we tried a new look--shorts! For most of the day he had shoes on outside, but here was a brief barefoot interlude. He's engaged in a new favorite outdoor activity. We started with a jar of bubbles on Friday afternoon. He loved the wand, but didn't care too much about the bubbles I blew for him. He just wanted to dip and dip and dip the wand. It made quite a sticky mess. So today I wised up and gave him the wand with a jar of water. That was fully satisfactory, and as a bonus this jar mouth was wide enough that he could stuff his whole hand in and watch the overflow. It was loads of fun.

Some rain this evening brought some cooler temperatures and we're not expecting to wear shorts again this week. This is actually fine with me. I'm not at all prepared for true summer. My summer clothes are still in storage so I've been wearing whatever comes out of the bin when I reach in and tug on a t-shirt, which is why I cropped myself out of this picture! I'll savor the breezes though--love having the windows open. Except when the neighbor decides that 1 a.m. is the best time to drag race his motorcycle. What a scourge of a vehicle!

This is the result of allowing Ed a sippy cup in the car. Now, you might think, "A sippy cup is spill-proof. How could he get so wet?" Well, he has figured a way around this feature. That is, the spill-proof quality only applies to the liquid while it is in the cup. Once you have sucked it out of the cup and into your mouth, all bets are off. Swallowing is optional!

I know he is a sloppy drinker, but I had no idea this was what he was perpetrating in the backseat this afternoon. He was cranky, I passed him the cup, he was quiet. Luckily it was only water and we were on our way home anyway. I actually don't think he was crying about being wet. It was more about the fact that I pushed our afternoon outing a bit too long, and he was ready for dinner. A quick change to dry clothes and then a quick reheat of some leftover chili solved this problem. John came home in the middle of this drama and said he'd take us out for dinner. Ed finished his first dinner at home and then had his Teddy Graham dessert while we had sandwiches and fries. Actually he had the grahams while we waited for our meals. Once he saw the fries, he demanded that we share. When he saw John dipping his in ketchup he was intrigued. So John dipped one and then handed it to him. Ed put it in his mouth a bit tentatively, sucked for a bit without letting go and then pulled it back out for another dip in the ketchup. And another generation is introduced to the all-American condiment. Uncle Joe will be so proud!

Here are some photos of Edward's new favorite kitchen activity. The box of lids is forgotten as this new territory is explored. We must be careful as the weather warms and he goes around barefoot though. One of these to the toe and we could have a repeat of Uncle Joe's babyhood severed toe incident. These are way heavier than a jar of Skippy!











Speaking of Uncle Joe's digits, we recalled that story ane many others from his childhood as we shared "The Joe WE know" with his fiancee, Brenda, at a luncheon in her honor this weekend in Evanston. We had a great time and are so excited to welcome her to the family. She unfortunately had a crash course in life with a baby however, as we were all staying at my parents' house and Ed chose to start his days even earlier than usual--pre 6 a.m. That's just not good for anyone--even the earlybird himself! He was so tired Saturday morning that he fell asleep again by 7:30--this time laying on Gram. He was so comfy he settled in for a good two hours (and she wasn't complaining!) That meant his first afternoon sans nap. In fact, while all the women were at the luncheon, the men were home with the kids (Ed and his two cousins), none of whom napped! They all survived, though everyone was pretty worn out. It wasn't warm enough for a park visit. That's a long afternoon of togetherness.

Later that evening, Ed had fun rediscovering an old favorite--the exersaucer. We put ours away several months ago when he became mobile and wasn't interested in confined play anymore. However, this weekend, he discovered a whole new use--climbing toy! You can see the mixed results in this series of photos. Note the steadying parental hands, ensuring that the saucer didn't tip as he climbed.

We had a happy Easter with a visit to Grandma and Grandpa Kenyon in Des Moines. The Easter Bunny found us there with lots of treats for all! Edward is well-equipped for summer fun with his bucket, shovel and watering can. Also a new favorite book, "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb," which is the first (of many to come we presume) that he demands encores of after each nightly reading. We get to the end and he turns it over to the beginning and starts bouncing to the anticipated rhythm. "Dum ditty dum ditty dum dum dum!"
He needed some help to bust open his eggs to reveal the hidden treats (Teddy Grahams), but knew just what to do when they spilled out on the table.
This was on "Easter Eve"--clearly he spent too much time slobbering over the eggs and not enough practicing how to open them. These didn't have any treats though, so little incentive. He climbed into this box on his own and then giggled as John pushed him around the room in it. We thought he and his cousin might have a face off in the two boxes the next day, but they didn't seem to pay too much attention to each other except to steal each other's toys.

Oh, we also discovered that Grandpa needs to brush up on his "patty-cake." There were several improvised lyrics, but you can see Ed didn't mind.

Edward has been steadily increasing the number of body parts he can identify. Thus far he's found his head, tongue, ears, eyes, nose and belly. Tonight, when Mary was getting him ready for bed, he took a moment to admire his own girth. Anyone who would like to contribute to his future therapy bills, please e-mail me.

As you can tell from recent posts, Edward has been constantly on the move and usually offering some sort of running commentary in the process. What follows is a multi-part video that captures just a small portion of his day today.

1) Edward walks from the living room to the kitchen, climbs a stepstool, climbs down and then climbs into a cardboard box.
2) Edward plays hide-and-seek around the stepstool.
3) Edward chatters a bit as Mary and I get ready for dinner.
4) Edward laughs wildly because he thinks he's pushing himself and his highchair across the room by pushing his feet up against my knees.

It's a very long video, and I put the laughter at the end. Hope it's worth the wait.

Here you see Edward today demonstrating his rediscovered walking skills that have kept him very busy and made him very tired. We had a cold snap over the weekend that sent us in search of indoor play, which included two trips to the mall. On Friday he was in danger of being run over as he crawled around at the Children's Museum (unfortunately located at the mall), but by Sunday he'd found his sea legs again and toddled all around the mall's soft toy play area. Then after he'd had enough of the toys he climbed up the two steps to get out into the open mall walkway and just started walking along like it was no big deal. I kept him corralled toward the side so he wouldn't slow down the actual customers. I hate the mall, especially when I'm trying to get in, get my shopping done and get out and I get stuck behind some slow walker, or worse, three or four slow walkers abreast that you can't get around! I did not want to cause such stress in others, but anything to keep him entertained this weekend was worth the effort.

You might think from the short sleeves in the picture above and in the previous post from last week that spring has fully arrived here in Iowa. You would be wrong. These were his daycare spare clothes left there last week when it was warm and sunny. This morning as we were leaving the house we were pelted by snow flurries. We're not supposed to see 50 again until next week. Then again, some might consider that the definition of an Iowa spring. Oh well. We'll just appreciate the real thing even more when it finally gets here. Meanwhile the daffodils are shivering and the tulip leaves have shrivelled.

The Children's Museum has great potential, but we'll try to go at a less crowded time in the future. This was our first visit after friends had said their kids of similar age enjoyed it. It was "Free Family Night" with lots of family activities at the mall, including free admission to the museum so it was very crowded. Luckily we discovered a little play kitchen kind of tucked in a corner and hid there for a little while. Edward really liked the farm room--maybe I'll have a helper for my garden this year? It was a cute set up, with little holes that the kids could "plant" the plastic vegetables in. Edward was more interested in dumping the vegetables out of the wheelbarrow.

It's funny how Edward started walking a few weeks ago and then gave it up and went back to crawling. It was like he didn't trust himself on two legs. I wonder if he'll always be that cautious-ha! But ever since Sunday he's been walking all over, and even turning around midstream or bending over to pick things up. John also has him working on kicking the ball (which continues his pattern of "lefty" behavior--he uses the left foot.) I am amused by this since John's not a big soccer fan. But anything that keeps Edward active also makes him tired. He's been sleeping like...well...a baby lately!

We're working on getting some video of Edward's latest verbal skills. It's all still gibberish, but he's so emphatic about it, we just know he's trying to tell us something. Stay tuned...