Music Man

I don't know when it started Aidan, but you've got some music in your heart and a song to sing. You've always been pretty fascinated with music (having your favorites), and certain songs (that we have to listen to over and over again), and instruments (you like to play my guitar and the big bass and LOVE to drum). I remember that zaideco music was the only thing that would calm you during those witching hours when you were an infant. You've loved trying to sing "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" for a while. But something recently just clicked on in your brain, turning into a full fledged music man!

We've been working on singing for a while, learning crucial songs like "Let it Be" and "I'm a Little Tea Pot."
You love the Beatles (whom you call the "Beatle-bees"), and love singing duets.

 But, imagine your mother's and my surprise when you recently just started singing whole songs solo! You rock out to the ABCs whenever you get a chance, but you also serenade yourself with some Beatle-bees too! Your Mom was quick enough to catch you in action!

Oh, and that awesome backbeat...oh yeah, that's drumming.

You LOVE drumming. In fact, I'd say you're obsessed with it. It all started with the Muppets, because we all know that Animal can lay down a killer beat. Some old favorite songs of yours have been heavy on the drums: Muppet's Bohemian Rhapsody, Man or Muppet and Rainbow Connection (from the newer movie). You love to drum at the appropriate parts, and/or run out to let us know "drum! drum! drum!"

Recently though, Aunt Rebekka and your Daddy have been bringing out your inner Ringo. We made a CD for Mimi's 70th birthday party, and you LOVE to listen to the songs. One song, which you named "Bekka sing" or "Bekka drum" really gets you going on a drum trip.

And this practice happens just about every time we get in the car. You're getting REALLY good at drumming, which is part rhythm keeping, part looking awesome. I think you've nailed both components of an awesome drummer.

So, yeah, you love to drum! Drumming is one of your favorite musical activities (aside from singing, maybe). And recently you've gotten a few chances to drum on real drums at the Children's museum (in a fireman hat, and in an African drum circle)

You also play a pretty mean trumpet, dance to the music, and play DJ too:

You're working on the words, though really we're already very impressed with how many words to songs you've picked up just from listening:

Drumming, singing, guitars, dancing, clapping, trumpets, Beatle-bees and Nursery Rhymes: you've got the music in you, young man. Your Mom and I can't wait to see how you continue to, as you say, "Rockout!"

What Big Boys Do: the 6-month difference

Well, somehow Labor Day passed and now it's mid-September! I may have been neglecting this journal, but I promise you, I haven't been neglecting you, Aidan!

You are so much fun to play with and feed and hang out with. It's so rewarding to bathe you and get peed on and change poopy diapers. It's also nice when your Mommy does those things too. Except you only seem to pee on me. We need to talk about that.

But anyway, man, so much has been happening! We finally got in your 6 month pictures and they are, of course, adorable and, yes, kind of funny too. You're going to kill us for some of these when you get older; but that's one of the perks of being a parent. But they were also really eye-opening to see photographic evidence of what a cute little kid you've grown into. You're not a newborn anymore!

7 days on white:

6 months on white:

7 days (in a basket):

6 months (not in a basket):

A few-week-old feet:

6-month-old Feet (both in Daddy's hands, for your reference):

1-ish-month old Family shot:6-month-old family shot:

I even got in on the photo-taking action too:

8-weeks old in the blue chair:

6-months old in the blue chair:

So, it's now been proven that you're now a big boy. Or at least a bigger boy than you were when you first arrived on the scene.

And what do big boys do?

Well, big boys eat in their high chairs! (Which just so happened to be the same high chairs that their daddy's ate in as boys).

Yeah, you don't look too thrilled to be in the chair. But your attitude toward the chair actually got worse. And so we stopped using it altogether until we figured out that you were probably uncomfortable, so we stuffed the Bumbo chair in that sucker and now you LOVE the high chair! Well, you love eating, anyway! Most days - especially now that you're eating big boy food for breakfast and dinner- you scarf down your food. Except when it's liquified "country dinner." You hated country dinner. Every bite looked like this:But, hey, that's what big boys do: They express their opinions! And, boy are you expressing yourself. You definitely have opinions about things like...

Rice Cereal made with water is 'meh.'

But rice cereal made with breast milk is AWESOME! (that's what you say, we don't eat it).

So, it's a game of hit-or-miss trying to feed you, with all these preferences, but, you're definitely not starving.

Big Boys are crafty too. They figure out quite quickly how the suction-cup toy sticks to the high-chair tray.They also figure out quite quickly that delicious food dropped on the high-chair tray is still delicious if they "finger paint" around in it for a while and then suck on their fingers (mmm carrot tomatoe puree never tasted so 'earned!')

Big boys also get their chompers brushed (and boy do you LOVE eating that flouride-free toothpaste.) ("it says 'nontoxic'...that's a plus!)

Big boys also know how to look cool:They know how to BE cool:

And even how to be cool while sleeping!

See? Big boys even DREAM of crawling...and they practice during the day too:

But, they also know how to just relax with their friends...and kick their feet up and enjoy the ride