School Days

Patterson Pearl started school a couple of weeks back. As you can imagine, we had a bit of a rocky start*. She cried, I cried. I cried, I cried!!! Here's a couple of pictures I took on her first day. She posed for the camera like a top model until I reminded her that she would be staying at school for the day. Then, she gave me the cutest worry-wart look (bottom photo).

Now, several weeks later, school is going great! She's got a wonderful team of teachers who really seem to like her a lot. And, she likes them too! She even claps at the mention of school (you go Patty!). She's still going only two days each week, but in the fall we plan to start her on a full time schedule.

*Regarding the "rocky start" I mentioned earlier, it was mostly parental error. Matt and I sort of forgot how much sleep she actually needs and we weren't getting her in bed early enough. As a result, she seemed to experience lots of anxiety throughout the day - rookie mistake! So to all the new parents out there, remember to adjust your little one's sleep schedule before sending them off to school!!

Political Misconduct

Because of my growing belief in misconduct at the polls, I had gone back and forth on whether or not to vote early. I thought, somehow, voting on Election Day would reduce the risk that my vote would be tampered with. But after hearing reports of lengthy lines even during early voting and surveying my friends, I decided voting before the November 4 deadline would be the only option. Matt and I were better than anxious to get to our polling site on Friday and were prepared to go the distance. We'd wait in line until our votes had been cast. Luckily, we were finished in 25 minutes flat. No sweat.

We took Patterson with us and though she obviously didn’t understand what was going on, I thought it would be a great introduction to the political process – something sentimental for her to look back on when she’s old enough to mark her own chad. She felt differently. As soon as we got in line, she turned into the hulk! She pulled on the stanchions, yanked the shirt of the man in front of us, screamed in our faces, threw her pacifier across the room and socked me in the eye (a couple of times). Saying that I was embarrassed would be an enormous understatement.

Here’s to hoping Patty’s was the only misconduct taking place at the polls!

Fair Fun

Matt and I are crazy about the State Fair of Texas! It's one of the things we look forward to most in the fall. And, yes, we've been known to visit more than once each season during the Fair's three-week stretch. It's a bit out of character for me since, let's face it, we all know the State Fair is "germ central." But for some reason, I just love the atmosphere...and...the Texas Honey Bread...and...the people watching...and...the smoked corn...and...the ice cold root beer...and the Desperado Tacos...okay, I think you get it!

Patty objected to our attendance last year so we weren't able to visit Big Tex, but she made up for it this year! It was a steamy first State Fair experience, but she was ready. She shared a corny dog with her dad and people-watched like a champ! She even demanded we take her out of her stroller so that she could walk around - unassisted, no doubt! Lucky for us, we attended on opening day before the crowd reached it's peak.

The picture to the left is of Patty and Mattie kicking off fall at the State Fair.

Proper Planning

Less than one month to go until Patty's first birthday. I cannot believe nearly a whole year has passed already. Even more amazing is the amount of growth that Patterson has experienced. As I was thinking about how she's changed since we brought her home (which really seems like yesterday), it occurred to me that I've changed a lot too. In only one year, Patty has already made me live a little better.

For instance, anyone who knows me knows that I'm big on planning. I am constantly making lists and outlining how things will get accomplished. Whether at work or home, I'm guaranteed to have on my person, a list of "whats and hows." I've even been known to throw in a few timelines for a little fun! Hanging out with Patty hasn't stopped me from making my lists - and checking them twice - but it has taught me to be a bit more flexible. I'm learning that it's no big deal when things aren't completed exactly according to my plan. No need to get my stomach in knots - just try to enjoy the ride (or, be sure to have a contingency plan - just kidding).

I have also developed an improved awareness of others. I don't mean to paint a false picture because I've always noticed and appreciated the efforts of people around me. But lately, I've been more interested in the paths that have lead to their success or failure. I, like the rest of you, have been captivated by the political and Olympic coverage over the past several weeks. No matter your political views, I'm sure that we can all agree that we've seen some pretty jaw-dropping performances over the past several months, right?!?! I've wondered over and over again what paths led to the making of a Michelle Obama or Michael Phelps or Lo Lo Jones. They, no doubt, had obstacles to overcome just like the rest of us. So, what set them apart from the non-success stories? I'm convinced it's more than destiny!

As I sent out the invitations for Patty's first birthday celebration, I got excited thinking about all the future celebrations that we will experience together over the years. My plan for her is no different than that of other mothers. I want to set her on a path to accomplish more than anyone thinks she's capable of and help some folks along the way.

Walker, Texas Walker

A couple of years back when I worked for the American Heart Association’s National Center, my department participated in the Heart Walk. This particular year, we had what I thought was a pretty clever team name - “Walker, Texas Walker” a play on “Walker, Texas Ranger.” Get it? Maybe you had to be there...

Anyway, I’m happy to announce that Matt and I have our very own Texas Walker! Yep, Patty’s walking!! She started last weekend and is now up to about six quick steps in a row before she proudly takes a seat and claps for herself. I can hardly believe how quickly this kid is growing up!

To my Gran’s horror, we decided to let her learn to walk sans shoes. We did some research and learned that babies learn better when their bare feet can grip the surface and they aren’t bogged down with those big, high-top walking shoes! And, they’re so unattractive! I’ve yet to find a cute pair!

From System of a Down to Strauss (and most things in between)

Matt and I have a pretty eclectic taste in music; we love all types - everything from Blind Melon to Beyonce. In fact, the only genre we both find intolerable is Country! Neither of us has ever been a fan of classical music either (although, working for the opera wore me down a bit and I did begin to develop a slight taste for it). Having Patty has really encouraged us to add classical music to our already diverse mix since we don’t want to limit her exposure based on our preferences (except for Country – I have to draw a small line somewhere!). Besides, it’s pretty relaxing and really seems to calm her down when she’s being a grouch.

We make it a point to play a mix of R&B, alternative, classical, pop, rap, folk, etc. during Patty’s bath time, while riding in the car, cleaning the house, playing and so on. She seems to be developing a taste for music because she now dances when a song she likes comes on. She even dances when I sing (this makes my day because it’s pretty rare that anyone finds joy in my singing)! Her favorite song from my voice box is “Weenie Man” which was taught to me by my very own Aunt Gwen! I know I’ve made this claim before about other actions of Patty’s, but her dance moves are the cutest. Hands down. Okay, so she really only has two moves, but they’re solid folks!

I haven’t been quick enough to get footage yet, but as soon as I have some, you know I’ll share.

Choppers!!

About three weekends ago, an 8 1/2 month old Patty had two firsts: her first two teeth finally came in and she was sick for the very first time. She began gnawing on her hands at 4 months old and, naturally, Matt and I thought she was getting teeth early. Now, four months later, she has the most fabulous Pearly whites! Against the will of their owner, we're brushing them daily. Ironically, now that she's sporting two new teeth, I haven't been able to get a good picture of her smiling! I've been chasing a perfect "new teeth" photo for weeks!

Fabulous First Fourth!

Patterson's first Independence Day celebration was perfect! On any given night, she's usually cranky by 7:30 PM and asleep by 8:30 PM - you could set your watch to it! But on Thursday night, she stayed up until 10 PM, which was perfect because fireworks were getting started a day early in our neighborhood. We took her outside and she stared in amazement at the light show for a couple of seconds, then a car drove by and it was much more interesting than those silly, spectacular fireworks!

Matt and I ended up staying awake until 3:30 AM getting ready for our July 4th cookout. (We seemed to have forgotten that we are almost 30, but our bodies hadn't - we definitely paid for it the next day when Patty woke us up at 7:30.) We celebrated with Matt's family and Patty had a great time soaking up attention and jumping from Grandpa to Auntie Christy to cousin Seth to Uncle Marlon to Dad to Auntie Alex, and so forth. She followed my mother-in-law around the house most of the day, cruising right past me - the woman who birthed her! Once, she even cried to get to Grandma! Can you believe this kid? (see Grandma and Patty, top photo)

The next day, Patty and I went with my brother, Ryan, shopping for his trip to Florida. By Sunday afternoon, Patty was pooped! The photo to the right (bottom) says it all!

“Goodbye World”

My Gran has always been a huge baseball fan. For reasons I’m not aware of, her favorite teams are the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. It’s so funny to watch her watching the games because she really gets into them. I don’t follow baseball and am not familiar with all the ins and outs of the game, but if you’ve ever watched baseball with my Gran, you know that you don’t need to know anything about it in order to keep up. You just need to listen for a couple key words:

1. “Sapheaded Cogy” – “Sapheaded (adjective) Cogy (noun)” indicates that someone made a major mistake. If these words ever left my Gran’s mouth, I knew things weren’t looking good for her team.

2. “Goodbye World” – When Gran yelled “Goodbye World,” it meant that something brilliant had happend. Someone had really “knocked one out of the park.”

On Thursday, June 12, Patty had a “goodbye world” moment. Up until this point, she had only been able to say “Da Da” (a LOT) and “Ma Ma” (on occasion). But when I got home from work that day, Matt informed me that Patterson was now able to say “bye-bye” AND perform a wave to go with it! While he was explaining this new development, I was thinking “yeah right, man.”

When I got home the next day, she was playing in her play saucer. I "chatted" with her for a sec and then left the room to get changed. When I came back, she looked right at me and said “bye-bye” and waved at me!! In case you, too, need proof, click on the following link to view video of Patty knocking one of her first words out of the park! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOC8VjToD7o

Popeye has graduated

Patty had never been a big fan of “tummy time.” We’d get her to play on her tummy for about 45 seconds, and then she was done. I mean screaming done! Once she mastered rolling over, she enjoyed being on her stomach much more. She quickly graduated from lying on her tummy, to pretending to fly (sometimes screaming in frustration), to scooting backwards, to dragging her body around with her arms! To be honest, when I first noticed this dragging situation, I was concerned. I asked Matt if he thought something was wrong with her legs since she wasn’t using them to get around. He said “no, but she’s going to look like Popeye if she doesn’t start crawling soon.” ( Jeez, dad! Can you believe we are in charge of managing every aspect of someone’s development? Me neither!) So, Popeye dragged herself around for about a week and a half, and then over Memorial Weekend, she went for it! She finally started crawling! She’s gotten pretty fast and her favorite things to do are chase Bassey around the room and find the smallest little piece of anything to put in her mouth. Matt tells me that when he gets home from work and Patty’s grandma leaves for the day, Patty chases her to the door and waits for her to come back in!

Up next, WALKING!!