TJ and Melissa

Hello?

No, we didn't go on extended vacation around here.  We've just been pretty busy.  Work has been, well, work.  We're ramping up for the holidays by doing endless rehearsals.  Lately we've been working 12 hour days. 

Logan's birthday went by without much fanfare.  We were TDY during his birthday.  Initially we had brought him and Thess with us, but the hotel we were put up in was dreadful.  A true roach motel.  After one night we sent Thess and Logan back on the train.  Thess and all of her Filipino friends and family here gave Logan a great party and took pictures for us.  Then I baked Logan a cake when we got back and did our own little birthday for him with me and TJ.  No, we didn't get him any presents.  He's one for crying out loud.  He gets new stuff all the time.  He'll be fine, I promise. 

In the past month, Logan has grown taller, smarter and more independant.  He can almost walk on his own.  Actually, we're positive he can if he would just try to do it on his own.  He'll take about four steps on his own before he kneels down and gives up.  Not because he can't do it, but because he won't.  Stubborn.  He's now sleeping for longer stretches in his crib without any helps from either of us.  When we put him in there, he'll cry for about 15 minutes and sleep for about 4 hours at a time.  Big improvement.  He just doesn't like sleeping alone I guess.  Again.  Stubborn little guy.  He has also started nodding yes and shaking his head no when you ask him simple questions.  He also is very good at saying no in a variety of ways.  (What?  A toddler saying no?  Can't be!)  He can say, "Nahnahnahnah." or "Uh-uh." Or the good old whine with headshake.  He also has his little sign language for no more or no, which is waving his hands, palms down almost crossing in front of him.  If he wants something lately, he brings it to us to open and give him.  He can put the lid on and off from all tupperware or tin that holds his food. 

Dear Logan

Congratulations! You've made it to your first birthday with us as your parents.  In the past year, remarkably you didn't end up in the ER because we dropped you or neglected you, we didn't have to call poison control, and we didn't make the 6 o'clock news.  The past year might be a bit of a blur, so let me recap for you. Despite being in the care of two people who have no idea what they’re doing, you appear to be a happy, healthy, sweet, energetic, little boy. 

How can it be that you've been a part of our family for a year already? It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant with you, feeling your big feet round house kicking me in my ribs.  We were so anxious for your birth. For about a month, I had prelabor.  Scary since your daddy wasn't even in the same country as us until a few days before you were born. You were born after 31 hours, yes, hours of labor via c-section.  After all of the hard work it took to bring you into the world, you'd think I would sleep a bit, but I didn't.  I was awake for over 12 more hours just getting to know you.  Honestly, I was a little afraid that I would be one of those mothers who couldn't instantly bond with their baby.  Especially since we had to get you out with a last minute c-section.  Thankfully, it wasn't the case.  You knew who I was instantly.  Holding you in my arms felt natural, normal, like we had been together this way for ever.  Nursing you was a breeze.  No learning curve or awkwardness.  Again, it came like second nature.  Most of your baby-hood has been this way.  Your father and I doing what we felt was natural or felt right.  You've made most things pretty easy.  With the exception of a few biggies.  Like sleep.  And eating solids.  And wearing shoes.  You are a stubborn little man.  I'm sure you get that from me.  And some from your dad, I'm sure.   

The moment you were born is the moment that the mother in me was born.  I have been a daughter, woman and wife for a while now, but this whole mom thing is rather new to me.  I was a little scared when we found out you were going to be a boy.  I wasn't so sure I could be a mom to a boy.  What do you do with a boy?  Girls?  I know girls.  I'm a girl.  But boys?  Daddy has laid some ground rules like no painting your toenails and no dressing you up in frilly dresses or bows.  (Honestly? Boys clothes just aren't as cute.  But I've been good and not put you in any girl clothes or anything.)  I've learned that you do everything the same as you would a girl.  You love boys the same, you teach them the same, you discipline the same.  Sounds easy, but it isn't. On more then one occasion, I know I've said, "I don't know?!!  What do you want from me?! What am I supposed to do?!"  Thanks for your patience.  Being a first time mom can be a bit hard.  Honestly, you learn as you go.  I've read dozens of books on how to be a mom.  Literally dozens.  You've seen them.  They're under the coffee table and you chew on them and spill stuff on them.  Yep, those.  They give a good foundation and guideline as to where you might start from.  But they aren't going to give you all the answers.  They don't tell you why your kid will only sleep as long as someone is within an arms length of him.  Why he will say several words, at the right time, in reference to the right thing for weeks, and then never or very seldom use the word again. Or why he won't eat off from a spoon, but will shove literally anything in his mouth as long as his little pudgy fingers are putting it there.  What gets us through these things?  The knowledge that it won't last forever.  You change more and more LITERALLY every day.  Every day you do something new.  Last week alone you discovered several cool things you could do with your mouth.  You started with plucking your bottom lip with your finger making a "blulp blulp blulp" noise.  You then learned  that you could stick your tongue out and blow raspberries.  A variation on that was blowing raspberries with just your lips.  You also liked to reach up and pluck our bottom lips to make the noise.  All of that, just last week.  You have the ability to do anything if you put your mind to it.  Seriously.  And I know you can and will.  I don't know how you muster the gumption up to try again after failing at something as often as you do, but you do get back up.  You keep trying until you get it right.  If you get knocked on your ass by that damn baby swing, you let out a yell, get mad and try again grinning while showing that fricken swing whose boss.

Every day that goes by I'm more and more in love with you.  I love you in a way that I've never loved anyone before.  I know your daddy feels the exact same way.  We love you in a way that is different from how we love our moms and dads.  It's different from how we love each other.  It's different from how we love our siblings.  We love you special.  And in that specialness we realize, although probably much too late in our lives, that our mommies and daddies love us that way too.  Being a parent clears up a lot of things that we once thought were unjust or unfair or just didn't make sense on our parent's part.  We understand more of what went on and why things happened the way the did when we were growing up.  Our moms and dads were figuring things out on their own as well.  They were doing the best they could and making decisions and enforcing rules or standards they thought were right.  And from what I can tell, they mostly were right.  I know now that you won't understand half of the things that your daddy and I do until you have children of your own.  Sad, but true.  I know you won't really love me the way that I love you.  And that's okay.  As long as you know that your daddy and I love you more then anything in the world.  We're doing the best we can to make sure that you are a confident, caring, successful, balanced, secure, Godly man. 

In the past year you've made us laugh, cry, hold our breaths, smile so hard that our cheeks hurt, melted our hearts, held our hands, filled us with emense joy and pride.  I love that you love rubber ducks, your "rockstar" face, love chasing the cats, tickles, flirting with every Asian girl that goes by, hate clothes and love to be naked, love Good Night Moon, insist on saying goodnight to everything outside of your bedroom window before you go to sleep and then check outside the second you wake up. You love all music, and love your daddy's stupid goofy faces.  I love that you LOVE chocolate.  I was afraid you might not since I couldn't stand it when I was pregnant with you.  I secretly adore being your favorite person and smile on the inside when you choose me over your daddy or Miss Thess. I love it when you laugh.  That is the BEST sound in the entire world.  It has to be the most infectious, amazing sound in the whole world.  You are so smart that it constantly astounds me.  You say things that I've never taught you.  Like last week when you pointed into the bathtub, waving your hands around in it like you are splashing and exclaimed, "Water!" "Water!".  How did you do that?  You do stuff like that all the time.  And think nothing of it.  I love your open mouth kisses.  I love how you share.  I love how when you don't like a food you get the most disgusted look on your face, stick your little pink tongue out and scrape it with your fingers crying and screaming "uuuuggggggghhhhhccckkkk!!!" the whole time.  Hilarious.  I love snuggling with you.  You bury your little nose into my neck and hold me tight.  If we're sitting on the couch watching TV (I know, I'm a bad momma for that) I love how you run your little fingers over my skin and put your arm around me.  I love how you smell.  I love the little sigh you do when you fall sleep.  I love how you bop and tap and clap TO THE BEAT of almost every song you hear. I love that you seem to prefer rock and roll to other kinds of music.  I thought babies were supposed to like classical music or something.  Shows how much I know.

For your birthday we aren't getting you any presents.  I know, I know.  But seriously?  I buy you stuff all the fricken time.  After seeing how much fun you had with the one balloon I got for my birthday last month, Daddy and I are going to get a bunch of balloons, helium and regular blow-um-up-um kind and let you go crazy.  I'm also baking you a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  Miss Hannah is lending me a little 4-in cake pan so you can have your very own cake to demolish and squish between your fingers like you like to do.  Daddy and I found a "1" candle and Daddy found candles that spell "Happy Birthday" at the local bakery.  You have no idea how to blow yet, so I think Daddy is going to help you with that.  I'm going to make a regular sized cake in addition so we can actually eat it too.  Also, we technically aren't going to celebrate your birthday on your actual birthday because we are going to be out of town for your birthday.  It kills me.  But that's life.  You will be with us in Daejon for the week while we perform a show.  Boo.  Sorry little guy.  It's not exactly what I had in mind for your First Birthday.  Stupid Army.

Thank you for sharing this last year with us.  Thank you for choosing us to be your mommy and daddy.  Don't tell Daddy, but really you are my most favoritest person in the whole world. You are the song in my heart that never stops playing.

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Heart.  I love you.

Compromise

Ha!  I win!  We took a family outting to the COEX mall this past weekend.  Last week a friend gave me some hand me down Air Jordans her son had grown out of for Logan to wear.  Thess got them on him once.  When TJ and I tried he screamed like they were too small.  We have tried so many pairs of shoes.  While at the COEX we decided to go on the search for shoes.  We went to a few stores and tried several different styles.  Logan either screamed or kicked the shoes right off.  Until we went to a shoe store that reminds me of PayLess.  It is like a whole sale type place.  We tried on LOTS and LOTS of shoes.  Our last resort was a pair of Crocs.  They are canvas slip on shoes with an elastic ankle. 

If you've never seen or worn Crocs, they have this gel sole that is supposed to feel like a pillow.  I've never tried them because I think they are hideous.  The canvas little thing isn't so bad, honestly.  Moreover, Logan seems to be okay with these.  He doesn't really try and pull or kick them off.  He will leave them on his feet.  He doesn't scream, cry or throw a tantrum when we put them on his feet.  Also, I don't feel like a horrible parent anymore, pushing my kid around in the stroller barefoot.  In case you are wondering, the Croc shoe size he is in right now is 4/5.  But I'm pretty sure he'll be out of them by Christmas.  He's growing like a weed. 

I totally love these shoes. 

Interjection

Pppfffffftt.  Why won't the kid wear:

A.) HATS
B.) SHOES

Seriously. Why.

He totally used to LOVE wearing his blue hat.  Now?  He laughs as we try to get him to wear anything on his head.  Baseball hats, keep your head warm type hats.  Nothing.  He won't wear it.

Shoes.  Now, he's never been a big fan of shoes.  But we have officially crammed his pudgy little feet into his favorite (favorite may be a bit strong of a word) shoes for the very last time since they are now waaaaayyy too small.  Winter is fastly approaching and shoes must be worn without a temper tantrum and tears.  Hell, I'd be happy if he would just leave the suckers on his feet.  The screams and tears? I can deal with that. 

CHILD?!  YOU WILL WEAR A HAT AND SHOES, SO HELP ME GOD. 

                                                                          AND

                                                                          YOU

                                                                          WILL

                                                                          LIKE

                                                                           IT.

Autumn in Seoul

This week the temperatures finally dropped from the 90s down into the low 70s.  It is a welcomed break!  The humidity has also gone away, leaving the air nice and crisp.  The air conditioner hasn't been on, which means our electric bill might be out of the red as well.  I don't think that this winter will be as mild as the past couple winters have been.  I'm guessing that it will be bitterly cold like it was when we first got to Korea.  We've been able to break out Logan's cold weather clothing which has been waiting, waiting, waiting for the temps to drop.  I bought it all mostly last winter after it went on sale at the end of the season. 

What have we been doing lately?  Work. Seriously, lots of work.  We're going away again on the 14th for a week like we did in September, doing a marching show.  Thess and Logan are going to join us like before as well.  We will be performing 11 shows in 6 days, so about 2 shows a day compared to the one a day we did at the last festival.  Busy busy busy.  We'll be gone for Logan's 1st birthday.  Bummer.  But we'll do a little something when we get back.  Last week Logan grabbed a handful of TJ's chocolate donut when he wasn't looking.  He loved it!  So I bought chocolate cake mix and chocolate frosting to bake Logan his birthday cake.  We got a little "1" candle to go on top.  Logan has all the toys and clothes he can handle, so we aren't really going to get him any special presents or anything. 

Logan hasn't broke any more teeth through, so for now we have eight.  But he's getting a mild fever again, so we think he's going to sprout a couple more.  He's babbling a lot more this past week.  He can mimic most sounds he hears and it seems like he repeats them in the correct context.  For example, he had his poop face on so I asked him if he pooped. He looked at me and said, "Oop." I repeated my question and he said a couple more times, "Oop. Oop."  Logan will parrot stuff or he will just say something very close to a word and light up if you interpret what he really is trying to say.  As a blessing and a curse, his pointing has become his primary means of communication.  Instead of asking or saying what he wants or is interested in, he'll point and grunt.  I guess its easier then remembering all those silly words he used to use.  Grrr.  But he is pointing to all kinds of things, showing us everything in his little world that brings him joy or makes him curious.  He has gotten more bold when he plays with Oscar.  He teases him with string, or the wrapper to his string cheese.  They chase the same balls, go after the same piece of something shiny.  It is really cute.  Logan doesn't cry the instant that Oscar nicks him with his sharp little claws either.  Not that we're letting him get the heck scratched out of him.  Oscar is really good about being gentle with Logan, so bitty scratches are few and far between.  Logan also is getting braver and braver about trying things he wouldn't try before.  I'm amazed at how he will dust himself off and try again if he tumbles or falls.  It's like he thinks, "Oh yeah?  Knock me on my ass?  Humph.  We'll see about that.  I CAN DO THIS!" And he does.  The only time that I see him really get freaked out is when he falls and is on his back.  He slams his little palms down onto the floor and stiffens up.  Like a turtle who gets flipped onto his back, Logan thinks that he is stuck like that or something.  You just go over, sit him up and give him an attaboy.  He's fine. 

Also, he has begun to throw a little tantrum if he doesn't get his way.  Luckily, he responds most of the time to a stern, "Knock it off." or even just saying his name and giving him the momma evil eye.  It doesn't work for TJ, but if I give Logan the look and say his name all serious like, he'll pretty much stop in his tracks.  This week he's also started to understand when he's gotten caught.  Logan will crawl at the speed of light away from TJ or me when we're picking up toys or putting dishes in the sink.  When we chase after him and catch him about to do something wrong, he gives us a little look.  As we pick him up, he says, "Uh-oh!"  So cute.  It's hard to be mad at him. He says uh-oh when he throws something from his bumbo and it crashes to the floor. 

Next week I'll email some more pictures to you guys.  In the meantime, you can always look at the Flickr feed for more pictures.

Eight is GREAT

Today Logan broke through his eighth tooth! It makes it an even four on top and four on bottom.  We can see that his two eye teeth are going to pop through on top sometime soon, making it six on top and four on bottom within the next month. 

Chompers

So, you know that fifth tooth that sort of kinda was there?  Well, it's all the way in as of two week ago, Wednesday-ish.  Very nice and white and toothy like.  Its on the left.  What is that called, an eye tooth?  Two days after that, the one on the right popped through as well.  Now we have four teeth on top ladies and gentlemen. And! as if that isn't enough.  As of Monday, a third tooth on the bottom has sprung up.  It is on the left of his two center bottom teeth. Those new teeth? They are sharp.  They aren't all the way in.  They didn't bleed.  Thank GOD.  Meh.  The ear infection is gone despite Thess forget to give him his meds several times.  Gerrrr.  We had to take Logan back to the doctor this morning because he has a cough and a fever at 102. Clingy and whiny is he.  The band had a cold all last week and I think he got it.  Poor little guy.  I ended up with a middle ear thing in both of my ears sending me to the doctor as well.  My doctor was not so nice and not so great at his job.  I got some sucky ear drops and some decongestant in hopes that they would get rid of the fluid in there.  No such luck.  I'm just hoping that I don't go deaf or something. TJ had a wicked nasty stomach flu on our last two days in Wonju.  Puking and the rest.  We actually took him to the doctor while we were gone and he got two bags of IV pushed into him for dehydration.  Poor big guy.  Today he is finally started to feel a little better.  He was able to eat food and not expel it from his body one way or another.  Logan's doctor says that he just has a cold, no ear infection or anything and to keep pushing fluids and getting him lots of rest.

A friend of mine, Stacey, who has been here for 4 years with us has decided to move back to the States.  She stopped by to say farewell to all of us, and she brought coffee because it was on the weekend, in the morning.  (She's considerate and thoughtful like that.) It was very sad saying good bye to a friend who has been around to see us through so much.  I'm going to miss her and hope that the job she landed is AWESOME and that she is very, very happy.  Her job(s) here have left her  with much to be desired.  She worked with me at my secretary job.  Her job was difficult, the work included very long hours and very short deadlines. Stacey then got out of the Army and took a civilian job at the Public Affairs Office writing for the newspaper and stuff.  She rocked at that.  But the job wasn't what she was hoping it would be.  Great friend, bad luck with jobs.   (Location, location, location) Good luck, Stacey!  We'll be in touch.

We bought Logan some new toys.  Yes.  I know.  Anyway.  One is this push-walker thing that he holds onto and it is supposed to help him go from cruising to walking.  It is a blaringly bright yellow lion.  It plays music.  It laughs.  (I'm convinced that they use the Simpson's Krusty the Clown's laugh.) It growls, but think like a 7 year old boy growling, not like Mufassah from the Lion King.  Cute as heck.  He walks behind it and grrrrsss with it when we ask him what a lion says.  Funny to us, but maybe not to anyone else is a play on words with the lion and Logan's name.  Korean's have a hard time distinguishing between Rs and Ls because in their language, it is the same.  So Logan's name? (Logan Ryan) is Rogan Lion if they repeat it back to you.  Very very Funny.  So that's what we've been calling this new lion.  Rogan Lion. 

Also Logan hit another growth spurt this past week.  When we took him to the doctor for his ear infection three weeks ago, he weighed in at 19.6 lbs and was 27.8 inches tall.  Today?  He was 21.9 lbs and was 29 inches tall.  Woot!  Grow, Logan grow!!  He looks much taller in the legs.  Everyday he gets closer and closer to walking on his own.  He'll stand on his own without pulling up on something or without help.  He'll take a couple unassisted steps between two close objects like the couch and coffee table.  Sooo close.  They are more like dumps then steps, so we aren't officially counting them.  It isn't consistent either.  Still.  Any day now. 

4-10 September, we went away, on TDY, to a place south of here called Wonju.  We participated in the Wonju International Military Band Tattoo. I was in costume, a BRIGHT pink poodle skirt and played the part of Sandra Dee from Grease singing Summer Nights.  It was really fun.  TJ marched his euph like a pro despite puking everywhere before and after the last show on Tuesday.  He's a professional all the way.  I'll have pictures up and maybe, someday, a video of our performance on Vimeo.  We stayed at a golf resort about 30 minutes outside of Wonju.  TJ loved this because there was a Jack Nicklas Golf Course on site. (I guess that makes it super elite or something. What ev'.)  By sheer LUCK TJ got to play the front 9 for FREE with the course pro and some other dude.  They paid for him.  HA!  Lucky.  No pictures because of the type of course it was.  Sad.  I know.  He shot 4 over par and was very psyched about it.  Also at the resort was a very nice indoor pool.  We took Logan swimming for the first time.  Honestly?  For the first 15 minutes or so, he was FREAKING OUT.  He didn't like it at all.  Then?  He put his hand in a little and splashed a little.  TJ played peekaboo going under and out of the water and that was enough for Logan.  He was hooked.  We swam and swam and swam around that pool.  Logan tried to eat the water, he dunked his face in it.  Actually, we couldn't get him to stop doing those two things.  Inadvertently he'd eventually swallow some water and cough a bit.  Ick.  The water was pretty warm, but still not tropical or anything.  After about 45 minutes, Logan was doing a chin quiver of a shiver and we had to pull him out.  He wasn't happy about that at all.  So we went back the next day for another hour of swimming around the pool.  Now, when I say swim, Logan didn't actually swim.  We held him and swished around the pool.  He had no concept of kicking or floating.  He did paddle his arms a little, though.  He loved being held up by his tummy and "swimming" on his own.  He also loved splashing and blowing bubbles.  It was sooooooo cute.  Pictures forth coming.  So we stayed in a suite, Thess in one bedroom, Logan and me in another bedroom.  TJ slept on an air mattress in the living room because he snores like a beast and wakes Logan up.  No biggie.  It was cooler in the living room anyway.  The air conditioning wasn't exactly working and there was a big sliding door that opened up onto a balcony that kept TJ sorta cool.  The family had a blast and Thess seemed to enjoy herself as well.  Logan did fine away from home and loved going out for walks around the resort and flirting with a new set of people. 

A quick shout out to Gramma Jeri.  It was her 29th (or is it her 30th?) Birthday on the 11th.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRAMMA!

What have we been up to? Not much.  Logan has three teeth coming in, and it looks like they're being stubborn about it.  One has sort of broke through, but not really.  He's being a champ about it to be honest.  There isn't as much drama about it like when his two top teeth came in.  The three that are slowly emerging are on top so I'm thinking that they will still be more trouble then when his bottom two came in.  (You can't tell me that in this picture Logan's hair doesn't look pretty blond....)

Our 7th anniversary was yesterday.  TJ had a picnic planned.  It poured cats and dogs outside.  We were supposed to spend hours, and I mean HOURS at a spa near by our house getting all mudded up and massaged.  That didn't happen.  What did we do instead you may ask?  Well, our friends Mari and Jason have a GIANT rotwieler named Grunt.  Mari and Jason are back home in the US on vacation. Our friend Erik is watching their dog while they are away.  About a month ago I took Mari, Jason and Grunt to the vet on post.  Grunt was limping and had a swollen ankle, and the doctor diagnosed him with bone cancer and didn't give Grunt much longer to live.  This weekend Erik felt that Grunt wasn't doing so well.  After talking with Jason on the phone, they decided that Grunt needed to go to the vet ASAP.  That meant yesterday morning.  (Boo, No spa for us.)  TJ and I decided it was more important to take a sick pup to the vet to have more blood work done and get stronger puppy pain pills.  Sad stuff. (Not us missing the spa!  The sick puppy!)  Jason is catching the next flight to Korea, cutting his vacation short.  Grunt is his LIFE. 

Logan had a fever of 102.7 on Sunday.  He's digging in that same ear.  We drove on Sunday to the ER on post, and there was a 3 hour wait.  No WAY.  We continued our Baby Tylenol/Baby Motrin cocktail and waited until Monday morning at 07:30 to call the Pediatrician for an appointment.  They couldn't get us in until 1:30 or 3:30.  We picked 3:30 thinking that despite the rain, we could at least do the spa.  Nope.  At 09:30 Erik called about Grunt.  TJ and I took the dog to the vet and then went to the VinoFlower restaurant across the street from our house for lunch.  Thess was watching Logan.  We got home at 1:30 and let Thess go home.  Logan saw the doctor and it was confirmed that the little guy has an ear infection.  Tubes were mentioned, but not recommended YET.  But based on how wonky Logan's right ear canal is, it might be needed down the road.  I guess from what the doctor said, it is considered "within the normal range" but "looks significantly different" from his left ear.  It is more narrow and more straight rather then open and slanted downward.  Also the doctor complains about it being difficult to see into and that the kid has a lot of wax hidden back in there.  (I keep the outside and behind it squeaky clean and that was noted.) The doctor thought that with time, as almost all kids do, the ear will eventually develop a more slanty position and will open up.  That's how baby's ears do.  They start straight and thin, and as they get to be toddlers, they open and slant.  So great.  The doctor said that Logan will have to get something like six ear infections before tubes are really truly discussed.  Right now we are on TWO.  So no worries. I'm kinda wondering why he talked about tubes in the first place.  Maybe to get us prepared.  I don't know.  Personally I think he likes to freak out new parents.  Last time I took Logan, he went on and on about how weird Logan's right ear was, making think my kid was a deformed freak or something. "So he has a mis-shapped ear?  Is it deformed? Will it pose any problems as far as health or hearing goes?"  "Oh, don't worry.  It is considered within normal range." Surrrrreee....  And now he talks about tubes.  Hmmmm..... 

The first week of September TJ and I are performing in a Tattoo Marching Show with the band.  It is a week long thing in a town about 4 hours south of here.  We are taking Logan and Thess with us.  That could be great, or it could be very bad.  We're obviously hoping for great. 

Happy Birthday

Hotness

Last summer our air conditioning did the same thing: crapped out just as it is getting hotter then heck outside.  We are sweaty.  And heat rashy.  And cranky because we are getting three teeth that are stubborn and taking their sweeeeeeet time coming in.  The air conditioner?  Logan is even mad at it.  He has stopped smiling at it and saying, "AIR!!" Now he just grunts at it. 

This week Logan added a few more words to his ever expanding vocabulary.  He can say, "Harlie" (Charlie), Cody, "GerGer" (Oscar).  No news on why he hasn't bothered saying Lucy since he knows she is not the same cat as Oscar.  Logan will crawl up to Oscar and Lucy when they are having their hissing/growling/howling matches in the hall.  He crawls right up and imitates them by squeeling loud, then growling softly and hissing at them, causing the cats to go running in opposite directions.  Nice.

I told you that I would post some pictures of our bathroom remodel.  Well, I only have the befores, no afters yet. 

As you can see, a cat or maybe cats, decided they wanted to check out the handy work of our contractor. 

I caught one of them actually walking around, so there is no denying that at least one of them went in there. 

TJ is out and about this week driving bus almost everyday for the next two weeks.  He is training another bus driver so that he can get a break or two in there.  It can be very exhausting driving for hours on end to go do a gig that is exhausting anyway, then turning around and driving everyone home.  He is a trooper and my hero for the amount of work he does and for how much effort he puts into doing a great job at that.  We were hoping to get away for a family vacation in country over a long weekend, but it just doesn't seem to be happening with how hectic our schedule has gotten.  We are even working over our 7 year wedding anniversary next week.  Bummer.  Honestly, we haven't been together to celebrate our anniversary in almost what, 4 years?  Yeah.  The last time we really truly celebrated was in 2004.  Geesh. 

This week Logan has also started his first steps to walking.  He has moved on from pulling himself up next to furniture.  He has moved on from simply cruising along that furniture.  He is now moving from piece to piece if they are next to each other like an end table at the edge of the couch or he'll turn around and go from the love seat to the coffee table behind him.  He'll go all the way around the extended foot rest on the couch and try and crawl up onto the couch.  Logan can also, with help of course, crawl backward off the foot rest off the couch back onto the floor.  Once in a while he'll be playing at the coffee table and grab something with both hands leaving him free standing BY HIMSELF.  All is good until he realizes that he is just, you know, STANDING, and he'll sit down or grab the table.  Silly boy.  He also is getting a kick out of letting go and free falling when he is standing.  He likes to toss himself and see how he can catch himself.  He quickly twists and lands on all fours or onto his bum.  He rarely truly fall falls.  He has thrown himself backwards while sitting on the bed for a long time because he likes to feel the bounce and I'm sure it's soft and safe.   For the first time he did it in the bathtub too.  I sit in the big bathtub with him and he likes to stand up holding onto the edge and throw one of his many, MANY rubber ducks over the edge.  He exclaims something, usually "UCKY!" (ducky) or Duuck and points at it.  Once he gets bored with this, he then likes to forcefully sit down so he splashes big.  He loves sitting and splashing in the tub as well.  Well, until he gets more then he wants to in his face.  We keep saying we're going to take him to the pool but it has been just too darn hot to load him up in the car and take him over the weekend. 

Maybe while TJ is gone alot this week I can figure out how to upload some more videos of Logan.  No promises.  But I'll TRY.