Weeks 15, 16, 17 (Nov 5 - Nov 25)

More time has passed than I would like since our last blog but I have trouble getting time on the internet.  This wasn't a good period for photo taking either, I'm sad to report.

I'l begin with an event that I so wish came with photographs.  Aldo and I joined Heather at the TERC presentation of Green Fire; the documentary about Aldo's namesake, Aldo Leopold.  That evening turned out to be a storm event so it was not without its challenges making it.  But once we were there Auntie Heather whisked Aldo into her arms and bounced him in her arms for over an hour.  He was a good boy for her and I was able to (greatly) enjoy the movie.

On Sunday the 10th, Aldo began teething, which is 2 months earlier than the norm; oh joy.  It's been rough.  Aldo gets through each day with a smile but you can tell that the pain gets to him; he knoshes on his knuckles, grunts and moans, begs for a human finger to chomp on and insists on being held at all times.  Oh, and the drooling! 

His teething treatment regimen has not been great.  I applied Orajel to his gums on that first Monday and this seemed to only irritate him; so no more Orajel.  I've tried teething rings, cold or otherwise, but they are either too big, too difficult for young Aldo to hold, or are simply not to his liking.  Yesterday I gave him a baby dose of baby ibuprofin and he took a nice one-hour solo nap afterward.  Ibuprofin is not a perfect solution but the temporary relief seems to have made a broader improvement as he is napping solo right now, sans ibuprofin.  He's still needing to sleep on or with me to get through the night but I very much appreciate to again be able to put him down a little during the day.

The wonderful image below was taken from a Commons Beach, Tahoe City park bench while I was nursing Aldo.  The day was cold - cold enough to see your breath - but the sun was warm on our skin with no breeze to cause a chill.  It was a lovely experience.  (An experience necessitated by my snow tires being put on the car.)

I've taken to walking around in Lake Forest, where my condo is situated, with Aldo as it is a quick way to get out into nature during the shoulder season.  I purchased a wonderful pair of slip-on boots for the occassion (Bogs - look them up!).  So here is a picture looking back toward the condos from within the meadow. 

With Gpa Mitch's considerable help I was able to purchase a new, used car.  Mitch helped me find it, drove me to the dealer in San Jose, and drove it to Tahoe so that I could drive the previous car to Tahoe - Thanks!),   This is a 2008 Subaru Outback.  It's not the top model but it does come with both heated seats and windwhield wipers.  Add-ons are Syrius radio and a nice tow package (hmmm!).  It feels like I'm driving a rental car. 

Gpa Mitch steals the show with a new Aldo trick - Gma reports that Aldo holds out his arms to be picked up by Gpa.  Now, he did a an imitation of this for Gma and I, but you had to squint your eyes to see it.  Here is Gpa Mitch cracking himself up...Aldo wearing a hat the way John Wayne would wear a hat; a large bill to hide his face from the sun.

  "Hey," says Aldo, being rudely awakened from a nap.  "Who turned on the bright lights?"  Sorry Aldo, but the photo didn't work if your face was in the shade.  I got a nice full face shot in the shade, but sans Lake.  Happy Thanksgiving day - 53 degrees and no wind.  Which reminds me, the day before was a windy, spitting-rain day and we went out in it.  Aldo loved it!

 

  Last photo.  The Friday after Thanksgiving Aldo and I walked to town to spend the day. We were out 5 hours, and it was pure bliss.  Aldo got in 3 30-minute naps and I got in about 8 miles of walking.  The best was joining Auntie Heather and Uncle Johnny along with the dogs for a jaunt on the Rim Trail above Tahoe City. 

Week 13, 14 (Oct 22 - Nov 4)

Aldo has passed the 3-months-old mark and he's an alert and happy little baby.  He's been practicing tummy time along with sitting up, standing up and falling over as you will see from the pictures that follow.  These past two weeks were my return to work at my 30-hour per week schedule.  The first week was especially tough because, with the (beautiful) snow, I wasn't able to make it to Sacramento and so lost my Gma sitter for Monday and Tuesday and, though I was meeting Aldo's new sitter, she wasn't working yet.  The second week was much better but I still have some kinks to work out.  All in all, I think the new schedule should work out nicely.

 The nap only lasted 10 minutes but Aldo put himself to sleep sucking on the beak of his owl lovey.  Very sweet.

 

 We had a nice hike on the 5 Lakes Trail in Alpine, the day before the snow arrived.  We are wearing our matching hats from Tina which, similar to the blanket she made us, have bunny hair.

The snow arrived.

And Aldo got bundled in his Gumby outfit, on loan from Clare.  We cleaned the snow off the Subaru together.

OK, I love this series.  Aldo starts as a propped up baby on the left side of the couch.  He topples over, on purpose, and then wiggle-worms his way across the couch to reach the other side.  He had help, of course, but this was all his idea.  I put my hands at his feet as a push board for his wiggles.  He usually cries with frustration when we do this, but smiles at my glee when it is over and asks to do it all over again.  He's only allowed to do this two or three times because it is not easy on me to vocalize encouragement to a crying baby.

 

 

Henry the Hippo, Aldo's best friend.

 

Happy Halloween from Tahoe!  This was my (and Aldo's) first event at the Rideout Community Center on the West Shore.  Very exciting. 

Ummm, Aldo was practicing his topple over after I propped him against the hay stack.  Oops.  Nobody got hurt.

  Aldo's new hat from cousin Claudia, made by hand.  Too cute!

Gpa Mitch was entertaining Aldo in the backyard in his wheelbarrel (there are many more toys for Aldo to grow into at the Folsom grandparents house, oh joy).

It looks like a portrait from a studio but it's just from the condo on the couch.  What a handsome guy.

This is what Aldo sees when he looks up from his changing pad.  He stares and smiles at the butterflies quite a bit.  (Thanks Sari)