Another Tooth

Dax cut another tooth yesterday. It's on the bottom, to the right of the 2 front teeth already there. So, the chipmunk look will soon be a thing of the past.

He's a Rouse!

Dax finally showed some "Rouse" tendencies today. He devoured a ton of raspberries. This is definitely something he inherited from his mom, because one of her favorite things in the entire world is eating raspberries (especially if she just picked them from her Grandparents' farm). But, to take the "Rouse" thing one step further, he added a favorite trick usually reserved for black olives - sticking them on your fingers, then eating them. I'm so proud.

First NFL Game

We took Dax to his first NFL game, the Houston Texans vs the Indianapolis Colts. He had a great time. Dax liked watching the guys on the field (hey, Peyton Manning - it doesn't get much better than that) and the cheerleaders (big surprise). He made lots of new friends, too. He was giving out "High 5s" and showing off his Texans outfit and shoes with footballs on them. We really enjoyed watching Dax soak everything in; even if we were worn out from trying to hold a squirmy toddler for 3 hours. Dax passed out as soon as we got back to the car. :) Later, Dax experienced another "first" - his first McDonald's happy meal. It's a rite of childhood that was bound to happen sooner or later. At least he ate the apples and drank the milk.

Outside the stadium before the game


Father and son contemplating the play call


Having a great time


First McDonald's cheeseburger

The Great Escape

Yesterday, as Dax was playing quietly in the living room, I snuck back to the laundry room to start another load. While I was back there, I heard Dax knocking on the glass door that goes from the living room to the back yard. Not a big deal, but something about it sounded different, so I went to check it out. And, what do I see? It's my darling child laughing at me FROM THE OUTSIDE! He finally figured out that the doggie door isn't just for dogs anymore. He was quite pleased with himself.

Here's what I saw when I found him:



Here's a re-enactment:

Grays and Ike update

After Hurricane Ike, the Grays got their power back in 5 days. However, they did not have internet or cable for 15 days! I guess, technically, you CAN survive without internet or tv. :) Anyway, now that they are reconnected with the cyberworld, we have pictures from the hurricane. For more photos and some videos, check out their blog: http://ikedoesthegrays.blogspot.com/



view coming on to their property


downed branches by the front of their house

15 Months Old

Yesterday Dax had his 15-month check-up with Dr. Petropoulos. He is 31 inches tall (50th percentile - yay!), but only 19 lbs 12 oz (2nd percentile - boo!). She said he was doing great though, and she made some suggestions to help get more meat on this kid's bones. She also said it would be OK to leave him forward-facing in his car seat (kids are supposed to be 20 lbs before they can ride forward). Thank goodness, because he really likes it.

He got three vaccines - they are very hard on Mommy.

We also talked about some ways to encourage Dax to sleep past 5:15 in the morning (NOT Mommy's finest hour). And this morning, we tried something, and, believe it or not, it worked! We never picked him up, told him it was still time to sleep, and left the room. After 10 minutes Duane went in to comfort him and walked out again with Dax still sitting up in his crib. But, we didn't hear another peep out of him until 7:00am! It was a miracle! And, it gets better: Dax still took an hour-and-a-half morning nap! He was in a great mood after his nap, too. However, he fought his afternoon nap, so we'll see what the repercussions are. But I am hopeful.

Dax also got another haircut. I was tired of fighting with the cowlicks, so I had the stylist use clippers all over. I couldn't believe how much hair she cut off! Duane really likes the new cut, but I'm torn. It's definitely easier, but it makes Dax look older. I may have her keep it a little longer on top next time. At least we know he's ready for his debut at an Aggie game :) All he needs is a white shirt and white pants to look like a yell leader.



Yeah, we explained that you're supposed to PEEL the banana before you eat it. He is crazy about bananas. He will eat 2 in a sitting. And at every meal, he signs that he wants one. I have to hide them because if he sees them, it's all over. Speaking of signs, here are some of the signs Dax reproduces unprovoked:
banana
eat
more
please

help (sometimes gets confused with "please")

milk
water (although it looks a lot like eat)
cheese (another very popular sign)
baby
dog
elephant (comes with the required "trumpet" sound)

He'll also mimic other signs, if we show him, and he understands a few others (like "bread" and "flower"). As for speaking, his most popular words are "dada" and "all done" (sounds like "ah dah"). He will carry on a "conversation" (with either us or with the dogs) in his babble. It's really funny to see him "tell" the dogs to get out of the front room (where they're not allowed), along with a wave of his arm to banish them back to the hallway. Today he did a pretty good version of "outside", but he usually just grabs my hand and drags me to the door and bangs on it when he wants to go out to play. Which is pretty often. Luckily the weather is cooling off a bit, so it's not so painful for Mom.

Trip to San Antonio

On Wednesday the Rioses came down from Maine for a quick visit to San Antonio. The big news is that Dax weighed more than 20 pounds, so he got to ride down there facing forward. We had a great time catching up with Ron, Mikaela, Katie, Nate, and Baba & Dzedo. Dax tried really hard to keep up with Nate (who is 4 years old). Dax had his first piano recital, too. He just took right to it. We loved that he was very precise with the keys he wanted to play, and that he used the whole keyboard, not just the keys in front of him. The other amazing part of the day was that Dax refused to take his afternoon nap, but he was completely delightful, even an hour after his bedtime. The Rioses bring out the best in everyone! We hope to see them again soon!


Riding forward-facing, like a big kid!


With Katie


Trying to keep up with Nate


Our little Mozart




Having a good time with Baba


With "Aunt" Kaela


We're so happy to have "Uncle" Ron home from Iraq!