Birthday Boy

Birthday Boy
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

ALL OF DESI'S BIRTHDAY LOOT!

What a treat the whole day was! Hailey and Heidi had come the night before and we were set to par-tay! They each came with many little gifts and he opened presents all day long -- thinking that perhaps we’d overwhelm him all at once and also that if we spread them out he might come to understand the concept of presents and begin to anticipate or at least identify the colorful packages with excitement. Neither. He didn’t even really understand that he could freely rip the wrapping paper (!) I thought he’d at least dig that. Well, to come, to come.

We feasted on pork loin with caramelized onions and a yummy beet avocado salad (all expertly prepared by Hailey.) I thought I would make a cake for DPJ and found a recipe that totally appealed to me with no sugar: a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. A remedial introduction to cake as he’s been a complete natural foods eater. The cake came out quite dense and heavy, the frosting tart. He pulled some faces and gave some cursory attempts at eating then dismissed it all overboard. No one else attempted to eat any. I just threw out 98% of it 2 nights ago. Oh well.

Birthday Montage

thistastesfunny!
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Tasting his Birthday cake -- the face says it all.

mypoopbook!
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

A gift from Grammy Simkins -- a book all about animal poop. Obviously he loved it!

birthdayboy
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Our Gift

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Baby Contemplations

We are nearing one year since Desmond came to us and marked our lives so wonderfully, so profoundly. I am grateful every day for the studied decision we made to have our child(ren). In many ways, it makes me feel more a part of human history, creation, God's family -- to create and connect and love your baby and realize that you are just continuing the miracle. I think it is one of Gods greatest gifts and I love Him for it!

I've borne this lovely child who has marked me through and through. I love him more that I thought possible -- my boundaries stretched. Other stretch marks, the ones on my lower stomach, hips and thighs, never did turn to silvery lines. They stayed violet and jagged, but I don't care. They are real. I was broken open. I should have some sign to remember, some minor strip that shows the inner shift, my techtonics, I was solid, before my baby. Now I'm subject to earthquakes.

--Louis Erdrich, novelist

I keep thinking about all the moments we have with DPJ and how the context will alter over the years; this past year it was shifting nearly weekly, certainly monthly. Last night, as I bent down with paper towel and windex in hand to clean away the casualties of his dinner, I thought that I might miss this particular part of our eating regimine but became overwhelmed with the wealth of our experience to come.

Office Debut

Office Debut
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Last night was the Ambassadors' Ball so I stayed a bit late and Desi got to help me for a bit on the computer. It wasn't long before he was ready to go home and began crying quite loudly (!) when we finally left everyone in the General Assembly building approached us eager to meet the baby who was making all the noise! eeeeks!!

Cozy in Mommy's Seat

Cozy in Mommys Seat
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

First contact with a Computer!

First contact with a Computer!
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Dressed Up

Dressed Up
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Dipping into our 18month size clothes I found this slick suit for Sunday. He looks so handsome! It was Stake Conference on the 14th when this picture was taken. We arrived there a little early and he had fun cruising&rolling around the floor of the Cultural Hall-- never realized those floors were so dirty!!

Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Mild about Eating

A change in attitude -- fickle about food!!![10/11/04]

Mild about Eating
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

More Cheese Please!

More Cheese Please!
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

At this point -- a few nights
ago -- he was happily eating cheese. However, last night he tossed all
varieties (cheddar, swiss,mozarella & havarti with dill!) overboard.
Defeat! Especially for a girl with such high food ideals(well, you know, in
theory) and high hopes for a
garden-variety-indiscriminant-brussel-sprout-lover kind of eater!!

My Favorite New Walking Toy

My Favorite New Walking Toy
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

A super buy from craigslist.com (I'm addicted!) inspired by Desi pushing empty boxes around. This walker plays music to his bumbling and stumbling steps and other reactive features. He loves it!

Rearing a Reader

Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

I've always thought that a rainy afternoon is best spent indoors, in flannels, with bread in the oven, cuddled up with a good book. Desi seemed instinctively today to feel the same and spent about 20 minutes with his Noah's Ark book. He was reading it upsidedown, rightsideup, sitting, standing, walking... it was the cutest thing. I had to take pictures. :) We keep books all over the apartment for him and it seems the only thing now that he's interested in because we still have only baby-plush toys.

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WALKING!!
Our man may have stopped short at the White House steps today but Desmond Jones is gaining ground fast!
Nathan just called me, his voice clear and upbeat, "Desmond just took eight steps across the room!!" No warning that this was developing with such speed. He has been confidently pushing his walker up and down the hallway and cruising around with the support of furniture or walls. Over the past few weeks he has tentatively taken a step here and there, always falling after one. I've only seen him take 2 consecutive steps twice. Today, Nate said they were in the bedroom and he was going after a peice from the stereo remote (the removable panel to the batteries) and he simply walked. The word rings in my mind with such wonder...my baby simply walked. I do hope he'll have the energy tonight to demonstrate. What a THRILL!

Walking shots!

Day of Walking Shots(See attached file: handinhandwithdad.JPG)

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Payson Park -- Inwood, New York

November 1, 2004 -- Payson Park, Inwood New York
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

More and more exposure to other little people. We joined the Brien boys,
from left, Oliver and Porter (who is a month younger than Desi) and the
Addams boy, Jonathan (who is a month older) for an afternoon in the park.
They loved paying in the leaves! Once Desi moved beyond tasting each one,
he crawled through them gleefully and, with my help, walked through big
piles kicking leaves into the air. Ahhhh.... lovely fall days. I've actually been missing Philadelphia quite a bit -- there is something about
the Autumn that evokes our neighborhood in East Falls with all those grand
old houses and neighborly streets and of course centercity... my first
urban environment. :::sigh::: I realize I'm creating the same sort of
longing memories for Desi, perhaps not so much yet but it will all
accumulate with each season and tradition.

November 1, 2004 -- Payson Park, Inwood New York
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

From left: Oliver Brien, Porter Brien, Jonathan Addams (JD), and Desmond Jones (DJ)