AxelBerry (and Friends)

Photos of Axel

2010-10-16T13:50:00.001-07:00

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Grandma's visit and a future Bob the Builder

2010-10-01T21:02:00.001-07:00

Grandma was here since Tuesday, and she just left this afternoon. She and Axel had the BEST time playing together. They played chase, and they stacked blocks and put shapes through their corresponding holes. She agrees he must be very smart, btw. :) He even gave her snuggles, which he normally reserves for Brillo and me. They had lots of fun together.

One thing they had fun with was Axel's tool set, a birthday present from his daddy via his mommy. ;)

Look at that concentration!

I can't believe how adept he is at using the screw driver properly!

It takes a very steady hand!

Of course, Brillo is nonplussed...as usual.

Axel is definitely his daddy's son when it comes to his interest in tools. It is obvious to his grandmother and me that he is a very smart boy, and I think these photos and videos illustrate that. He has an enormous attention span for such a young little tyke, and his hand-eye coordination is dazzling. He sat in Brillo's bed with my mom and played with his tools for at least half an hour. Amazingly enough, here you will see him actually stick the Phillips head screw driver into the bolt and turn it. You'll also see him put the bolts through the small holes with each hand. Alas, you will see him using the saw like a wild man, also not unlike his father.

Axel's First Haircut!

2010-09-29T21:13:00.003-07:00

His long locks contributed to his "foot-loose and fancy-free" look.

I was trying to wait until Dave gets home to take Axel for his first haircut, but it was getting too out of control. His long, luscious locks were constantly in his eyes, and I didn't really like his unkempt appearance. It was cute a lot of the time, but often it just looked too long. Dave and I loved how it looked in Hawaii, with his bangs and all just long enough to look like a cute little surfer boy, so I asked Dave whether he'd mind if we cut it a bit to more closely resemble our Hawaii boy. Hair isn't a huge deal, but we were hoping that could be one "first" Dave could witness first hand.

Of course, Dave agreed, and Axel and I went with Grandma to see my stylist, Kathryn, at Armonia Skin Care in Bird Rock. I met her when she did my hair for our wedding, and I've been going to her ever since. There's nobody I'd rather have snip the virgin locks of my child than her. She did an A++ job. Oh, and she captured a sniplet [sic] of hair for his baby book, too. Take a look at the photos of our big day!

These are the photos that ultimately led to the first haircut...

My friend, Deb, thought it would be funny to put her daughter Suraya's bow in Axel's long locks.

He looks so pretty...!

He never seemed to mind the hair in his eyes.

These are photos of Axel just before his hair appointment.

Kathryn really has a way with Axel and was able to style him beautifully.

Axel was perfect during his sheering. He seemed mesmerized by the scissors and comb.

Kathryn had him sit in my lap so I could wrangle him. He sat like a little angel.

Trimming the curls in back.

Almost finished!

Here's the right side...

...and the left!
PERFECTION!

Axel and Kathryn, World's Greatest Hairstylist!

Axel

2010-09-29T21:13:00.001-07:00

Baby steps...

2010-09-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Walking down the sidewalk before the weather went from cool to hot again. Nice outfit, right???

Sorry for being a blogging dud. Woops. When you get behind, it is really hard to start again. So, I'll start with a few recents [SIC]:

Tub time this evening. We just discussed it a moment ago: Daddy has agreed we can cut his hair--but not TOO much!

Playing with a "new toy" that he discovered under the bathroom sink...

So colorful!

Trying to give Daddy his favorite ball...

Here, Daddy! Take this ball!

Daddy! I can touch you!

And....We're Home.

2010-08-20T15:57:00.001-07:00

It was really hard for us to say goodbye Tuesday night before leaving for our red eye home to San Diego. We knew we were going to miss our Kaile (and Eric and Stace), and we do. Waaa! I wish we lived closer!

Here we are on the tarmac in San Diego, following our 20-minute flight from LAX.

We had quite an uneventful flight, thank God, with Axel sleeping pretty much the entire way home! Of course, I couldn't really sleep while holding him in a sleeping position, but I did watch a terrible movie in which Queen Latifah hooks up with an older b-ball player. Soooo awful. Terrible acting, predictable plot, awful storyline.

My sweet boy on the commuter. There were empty seats, so he got to sit in his car seat and sleep. Very nice.

And here he is nodding off. He slept the whole way.

And here we are waiting for our ride, which was 20 minutes late. Thanks a lot, Terremoto. He slept all the way home to our front door. So nice.

Beach and Playground, by Bike...

2010-08-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

Our wheels.

Today, we were without a car, so we went to Kailua Beach Park and the Lanikai playground on Eric's bicycle. Kai sat on the handlebars like she does with Daddy, and Axel was in his backpack. We had a bucket on back, and a saddlebag, both full of gear. I think people thought I was nuts, and I'm sure they thought I should have been charged with child endangerment due to our lack of helmets, but it was fun. It worked.

Sand monster!

Kailua Beach Park

First, pedaled out of Lanikai to Kailua Beach, where we swam and played in the sand for awhile. Then we all loaded up onto the bike again and went down to Kalapawai Market to eat our lunch. There, Kaile decided she wanted to go to the playground, so we pedaled back to Lanikai, to the Canoe Club's park area. The playground there is awesome, with a padded floor and, most importantly, a couple of large shade trees. Axel and Kai both had a wonderful time.

Weeeeee!!!

Axel amazed me when he sat in the swing, got one push from me, and immediately and spontaneously started pumping until he was going even higher than he did with my push! What? How the heck did he know how to do that? He leaned forward and backward, in perfect cadence with the to and fro motion. Look at the video. It'll blow your mind.

How did my 1-year-old learn how to swing? I swear, he was trying to go higher!

He amazed me a second time when he climbed onto the slide and went halfway up it with no help. Watch the video; it'll show you how he went sideways to shimmy up it. So funny. He's a natural climber, and we already knew that, but I was still floored by the slide climbing. He also kept climbing from the ground to the top of the slide, via the steps; no surprise.

Climbing the slide.

Serious contemplation on the slide.

Kai slid down the slide several times with Ax in her lap. What a good cousin!

Traffic jam...

Climbing on the climby things.

Giving Hans some love.

Axel's Party With our Hawaii Friends

2010-08-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, we had a fun party with my cousin Matt and his girlfriend Kate; our friends the Go's from Alabama from when I was in 4th through 8th grades, plus Lani's son Daxton and partner Dexter; friends Allison and Fonzo; and all of us Olson's and Salisbury's. It was a grand time. Of course, Axel was tired and cranky and had to go to bed directly after cake, but it was fun, nonetheless.

We had salmon, smoked marlin and smoked ahi dips, artichoke cheese dip, sushi, shrimp, and all sorts of other pupus. It was great, but I am now at least 5 lbs heavier than when I arrived here. Dangit.

Thank you to to all our guests for a fun time, awesome birthday presents, and much merriment!

Kaile and Axel playing in an overturned ottoman before the party.

Axel and Mama Go.

From right to left: Rod (foreground), Dex, Lani, Dax, Bette, and Axel.

Eric carries in the cake while Kate cheers in the background.

Lani and me with our boys.

Axel looks thrilled to have such a large cake.

The tired little boy is ready for bed at this point. Note the goopy icing in the vicinity of the caterpillar.

I'm tired, so here are some photos.

2010-08-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

We had a good day today. We opened a couple of presents, including a T-shirt, a Slinky, and a tool set that Axel just loves. Later, we went to the beach for a short while, napped, went to the neighbor's pool, napped, had dinner, and went to bed.

Playing with his new mini Slinky.

Opening a present.

Axel showed a lot of personality this evening at dinner. He and uncle, and the rest of us, were making fart noises to try to get him to join in.

More farty sounds. He's soooo funny!

Beach Day

2010-08-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

He always heads straight into the ocean, head first.

Our amphibian, completely undaunted by a wave in his face.

Playing in the waves.

Watching the sets come in.

Surf boy.

Doing the flamenco on the beach.

This video is a pretty good illustration of Axel's gusto when it comes to the ocean. He has no fear, even though he got swamped and rolled completely under by a wave two times. He is an animal!

Axel went over and picked up Kaile's paddle on his own to play with it. I think he wants to be a paddler. He's a good little Hawaiian boy.

I think he looks like an Olson in these pics.

Maybe I think people with paddles in their hands look like my brother.

The North Shore

2010-08-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

Today, Eric, Kai, Axel, and I went to the North Shore to do a little shopping and grab a shaved ice. I wanted to see the shore and pick up a pair of Pyrameds at Surf and Sea beach shop. Pyrameds are flip flops (slippers) that are wide and built up enough to give a snow shoe effect when walking on sand. I really want them for dog beach in Coronado, where the sand can be hot and oh-so-pointy in spots. Brillo agrees it can be painful to walk on, and if they made sand slippers for dogs, I'd get him a pair...err...two pair...

After our drive North, we hit Costco on the way home, for Axel's bigger party. Then, we had a mini house party with friends Roxanne and Shane. We decided to walk off our Roxy Passion Coolers with a jaunt around Lanikai when we discovered Roxy's car had been broken into, purse and iPhone gone. Anyhow, a wonderful evening was ruined by some thugs who thought it would be fine to break a window and make off with some valuables and cause a huge inconvenience to two innocent and kind citizens. F'ers. Rot in hell, thieves.

See ya'll tomorrow...on Axel's unofficial b-day. We are planning on seeing my cousin Matt and his gf Kate, plus my best friend from middle school and her folks. Love them. Aloha.

Happy Birthday, AxelBerry! We love you!

2010-08-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Lookin' cute. All of these photos are by Kylie Cates.

The boy on his REAL first birthday. You've come a long way, baby!

Happy birthday, my little munchkin. You have made your daddy and me so happy. You have taught me so much this past year about unconditional love, patience, happiness, and joy. I love you with every fiber of my being. I'm so proud of you. Just promise to love me forever and to try not to grow up to0 fast.

I so super love you, baby boy.

Axel loves Auntie and Uncle's mini pool! We went for a dip before cake time.

Swimmy birthday boy.

Mommy and the wet birthday boy.

The birthday boy.

Two cakes. One for him to destroy, and one (the traditional Olson choc. mint chip from BR) for us to eat.

We're having a party Saturday, so he only opened one present today: a wooden car!

Mommy and the birthday boy. We miss you, Daddy!

Cake face.

Axel also got a balloon for his birthday. He loves this shark, and he walked all over with it. How cute is he?

Some beach time

2010-08-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, Kai and Ax and I walked down to the beach for a little wave action. The boy was undaunted by the wind and surf. He loved it, as usual. He ran in and out of the water like a mad man and tried to swim off on his own in search of mermaids.

Whoa! That's a big wave!

Kai enjoyed herself, too.

Hmm. I can't tell; does he like it?

Cousins on the couch.

Kaile filmed this video of Axel going in and out of the surf. His facial expressions and his little squeals are pure glee.

Here's the boy bouncing on the waves like a bobber. He loves it!

Just some pics and vids.

2010-08-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

Playing in downtown Kailua. These are the first pair of Crocs I bought him. This is also the first pair of shoes he has ever walked in. He didn't like the idea of wearing shoes until a day or two ago, but now he's pretty good in them.

Yesterday at California Pizza Kitchen. Nanananana!

Axel is enjoying watching Kaile twirl around with her pinwheel. Super mission! I don't know what that means, and I didn't ask. We went to Ala Moana Center today, and I bought him his own pinwheel. He loves it. I also bought him some polo shirts for 99 cents (!), a few toys for his impending birthday, and another pair of Crocs...because they had the Croc Bands, which I really, really wanted. They are SO adorable. I wish I'd known they made them in his size; I wouldn't have bought the others. Oh well.

New shoes! Look how cute they are!!!

2010-08-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Axel enjoyed playing in his own private lagoon.

Yesterday, we went out to the twin islands off of Kailua known as the Mokes. We got there in Eric's OC-4, or 4-man ocean canoe. Their friend Noni and her daughter Noelani went with us, so we had 3 paddlers, three kids, and me. It was a great day for Axel to make the journey, since the waves weren't bad, and it went very smoothly. Axel didn't like sitting in my lap, but he did enjoy sitting on the floor of the canoe and playing in the puddle.

At the Mokes, we set up a shade tent and met up with more friends of friends for some beach fun. We hiked around to the backside, where Eric and Kaile like to jump off the cliffs. I like to jump off the cliffs, too, but not with Axel. Ha. The little hike was fun, and Axel seemed to enjoy it.

Back at the beachy side, the tide had come up and created a little pool area that was perfect for Axel to play in. It was shallow and warm, and Ax Man had a ton of fun digging sand and playing with a new little 13-month-old buddy he met there.

Digging in the sand and water.

His new little buddy really liked the Aqua Baby.

Kai and Axel playing on the beach at high tide.

Axel and Kai in the lagoon, plus a cameo by Axel's new friend.

2010-08-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

Here in Hawaii, not unlike at home, Axel gets up pretty early. When we wake up, everybody else is still asleep, so we go for a walk around Lanikai. Here's Axel, relaxin'.

After our walk this morning, Axel spent some time playing with Kaile's dollhouse. I think he was practicing his demolition skills. I don't think he needs any more practice.

This morning, Stacey had a canoe race, and I decided to go cheer her on and experience the paddling thing. She's a member of Lanikai Canoe Club, and these were the state championships. Paddling is the state sport of Hawaii, so it was kind of a big deal. Here's her crew, getting ready to head to the starting line.

And here they are, heading out. The race went pretty well, and then she had a second race that went well, and then we headed home. During the second race, Axel and I walked around to the clothing and food booths and ate a smoothie. It was way too hot at that place, and I was actually a little worried about Axel. I kept pouring water on his head. It's late, and I'm tired, so I'll just say, "He was fine, but he wasn't thrilled with the whole experience...until I started feeding him Jamba Juice."

And they're off!!!

After the races, we walked down to the beach with the kids and Eric. We felt bad for not hanging out with Eric or Kai all day (they didn't want to go to the races, because they knew it would be hot and sweaty), so it was cool to go down to the beach as a group.

Uncle bought Axel an Aqua Baby while we were out at the races. He and Stacey know the person who invented it! It's super cool, and Axel is completely in love with it! He's so brave.

Kai, Axel, and Auntie.

Ax and Auntie and the Aqua Baby.

The Axe Man LOVING his boogie board.

Super Kai paddling her surfboard.

Getting There

2010-08-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Chillin' out in Suraya's stroller at Cosmos, before heading to the airport. He always puts his feet up. Haha.

In case you're wondering about how the flight to Hawaii with a one-year-old went...

...It was fairly uneventful!

Axel was a little squirrely on the way to LAX, and I had to work to keep him still in my lap. He was mostly quiet, though, so my seat mate and I were the only ones bothered--oh, and the guy across the aisle from me. My seat mate was very friendly, and he was a dad, so he was helpful and understanding. He was also an extreme conservative, like me, so we talked politics the whole 23-minute flight. Heh.

We didn't have long to wait at LAX before boarding the flight to HON. We had time to grab a CPK salad for me, and black beans for Ax. We also had time for Axel to do several laps around the terminal and climb on some of the seats. We topped that off with a diaper change and a teaspoon of Benadryl before boarding, and we were on our way!

We sat next to Joni and Chachi (not his real name, but I can't remember his real name), and they are parents to a 3 and 5-year-old. It's always such a relief to sit next to parents or grandparents, because they are generally very understanding of little ones and the plight of their weary parents. Joni and Chachi were awesome!

Axel and I had to walk up and down the aisles about 100 times, and I'm sure people were tired of seeing us pass by. I had a couple of bloody Mary's, so I wasn't too tired of it. He got restless, but he was quiet. We played with some toys, and we also watched some Baby Einstein. That worked for a while. Keeping him busy was a bit of a chore, but he was good.

The biggest hassle was having to carry so much crap. I hope the load will be lighter on the way home. I won't have so much formula and diapers, for one thing, and I've offloaded my gifts, for another. But I do expect we'll have a few little gifties from Axel's B-day on the way home. No biggie.

We were relieved when all of our bags arrived, especially since our backpack had been missing for about 10 minutes. We were the last to retrieve all of our stuff. Our GoGo Babies car seat stroller was awesome, by the way, and it received lots of compliments. Much easier than the stroller for security checkpoints!

Seeing Eric and Kaile at the airport was awesome, and we each got a beautiful lei. Axel wasn't thrilled when I tried to take his picture with it, but I thought it was cute.

I'll blog later about how awesome Eric and Stacey's house is. You should see the view! Wow.

Jet set baby. Boarding the commuter to LAX.

Terminal monkey. Getting ready to fly to Honolulu.

He was like this for the first 1.5 hours or so.

Watching Baby Einstein.

Driving home from the airport with Cousin Kaile. We made it!

Not loving the lei.

Aloha, Hawaii!!!

2010-08-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Kaile, Axel, and me in Lanikai.

We're in Hawaii! The house Eric and Stacey are trying to buy (short sale) is AWESOME! It's a fab place with a million-dollar view, and I know they will make it gorgeous inside if they get to buy it. It's really nice, and Axel and I are staying in our own private apartment downstairs. Pretty cool, huh? It's quiet down there, and that helps Axel nap. He's been having trouble sleeping since we arrived, but I think it's mostly because I stupidly switched bottles on him. He'd been using Dr. Brown's for colic and gas, and I thought he didn't need them anymore. I'm very lazy and decided I should switch to avoid having to wash 5 parts when I could be washing two. Big mistake! He woke up screaming several times, and it was very difficult to get him down for bed and for his naps. He usually goes down on command, but not here. Of course, the other problem is a three-hour time difference and an over-tired baby. Poor booger. Also, he has a cold that's bugging him...and he's teething. So, poor littler guy. He's napping now, though, and we're going on two hours. I hope I'm able to get him to bed sometime tonight. It's almost 8 pm at home. Yikes.

Today, Kaile stayed home from her Summer Fun program to hang out with Axel and me while her parents were at work. We went to the PX and the Commissary, and then we took a walk down to the beach to swim. Axel had so much fun! He swam like a wild man, kicking and splashing and trying to squirm away from me. He wanted to swim on his own! I even dunked his face under AND had him lay back and put his head in the water, without protest! He's awesome. When I put him on the beach, he headed straight into the crashing waves, Axelberry style. So awesome. Kaile was awesome, too, and she was a big help with Ax. Fun!

A mer-man/siren. Heh.

Look at Kaile! She's so strong!

Kai took this picture. She's very proud of herself. I'm proud of her, too! Those are the Mokes in the background.

Another great shot by Kai Kai.

Supermodel.

Walkin' Around and Clapping

2010-08-04T23:15:00.000-07:00

The other day in La Jolla.

Axel is getting super good at walking! Today, he walked all the way around the sofa without falling. He also walked through the kitchen, to the front door, past his room, through our room, and into the dining room...and he only fell a few times. This video captures most of that trip. He's awesome. He's so awesome in this one that he decided to cheer for himself! Yesterday was his first time really clapping. He likes to give high fives and touch fingers Sistine Chapel style, but he never liked clapping (and he still doesn't wave). He clapped once in Boise, but that was it--until yesterday. Now he loves to clap!

BTW...We are heading to Hawaii tomorrow! Yay! Now I'm the one clapping...

2010-08-03T20:54:00.001-07:00

My boy this morning. Look at that HAIR! I know it's too long, but it is SO CUTE!

This morning, we decided to forgo a hike up Cowles Mountain, because we decided we'd visit Grandma today. Instead, we took a "drive" down to Cosmos for a Chai. Axel is a very relaxed driver.

We had a blast at Grandma's. We had a delicious lunch, played outside by the koi pond, walked around and around, and did a little dancing. Axel remembers Grandma and really responds to her! He also really loves Petey Bird.

Axel loves his great grandmother.

Two of the most cherished people in my life: A Berry and my grandmother. They are dancing to "All That Jazz." Precious.

After Grandma's, we "drove" downtown again, this time with Suraya and Deb. While waiting for a "to-go" sushi, A Berry, walked around downtown.

He walked around A LOT!

We ate our sushi on the front porch. I bought Axel a terriyaki bowl, but he preferred my sushi!

Look, Daddy! I love sushi! (Notice the runny nose. I'm taking him in to see if they'll give him a decongestant so our flight to Hawaii Thursday doesn't kill his ears.)

Axel and Suraya played with Axel's new fountain toy during dinner.

New Wheels.

2010-08-02T21:28:00.001-07:00

Cutest driver in the world!

Got my rag top down so my hair can blow...

When we were in Boise, Axel played with his friend Sloane's Little Tikes car. I pushed him around in it for the longest time, and I think he would have sat there and let me push him for hours. It was so cool.

Sooo...when we saw the same car for sale at Babies R Us this morning, I had to buy it. Since he doesn't know what day his birthday is, we put it together and drove it around. HE LOVE IT! It's the best $60 I've ever spent. We drove it downtown (La Mesa), and we even drove it to, and into, Henry's supermarket to pick up a few items. It was really fun. Just like a stroller, only better!

Axel is a terrific driver, and he already knows how to honk the horn and fill 'er up with gas!

Fill 'er up!

I love my new car!

I can even operate the door...although I prefer to just climb through the window, Dukes of Hazard style.

Ready to take the car out of the box and put it together.

Workin' under the hood. Installing the steering wheel. Note the screwdriver he put in the steering wheel's spot.

Helping Mommy put the coup together.

Pushing the car.

A video of Ax walking. Here ya go, Daddy. As promised.

Walking, crashing, spending, and yammering.

Playing with the car, gurgling, etc.

A post for Daddy

2010-08-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

Because his daddy's computer died, we have no iChat. So, here's today's video of Axel just being Axel.

Birthday Wheels

2010-07-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

He already knows how to use it!

Axel got a birthday present in the mail yesterday from Grandma Salisbury, and since a) we will be in Hawaii for his birthday, and b) he has no clue it's his birthday or what a birthday is, I have been letting him open his presents early.

Anyway, he loves his trike bike! Thanks, Grandma!

2010-07-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

Axel and Suraya survey her neighbor's yard.

We returned from our hike Friday to discover a broken hot water heater. We didn't have any hot water when we returned from Idaho, so I figured the pilot was out. When I went outside to light it after our hike, I discovered the door to the cabinet (it is on the side of our house, outside) was off, and bent, and things seemed damp. I couldn't get the pilot to light at all. I didn't have a clue what might have happened to the heater, or who would have wanted to bust into the cabinet, and I was befuddled. And mad!

I went inside and was going to try to contact Dave when I got a call from my neighbor, Lynn, who thought I was still in Idaho. Our gardener had noticed the leak (it flooded the back yard), opened the cabinet to turn off the water, and contacted our neighbors to try to get hold of me. Whew! What a nice yard keeper I have! It's comforting to be surrounded by such dependable people.

I called the water heater manufacturer to report the problem with our 3-year-old tank, and they confirmed it was still under warranty, minus labor, and put me in touch with three local plumbers. The one I was able to reach quoted me $350, plus installation parts. Wow! I didn't know what else to do, and they were able to have me fixed up within hours.

I told my neighbor, for some reason, and she said that price was highway robbery. She called a local supplier, explained that my husband is deployed, and that I have a baby, and really played up my plight. The supplier said they had the replacement unit and would do the paperwork for me if we could come and pick it up.

Axel was napping from the hike, and I couldn't go with them to get the tank, so they went for me! Wow. Thanks, John and Catherine! They got my new tank, called their plumber/firefighter friend, and arranged to install it in the morning.

Gerry the Firefighter had the old unit out and the new one in within an hour, and he hauled off the old one. Gerry, Catherine, and John, we don't know how to thank you enough! THANK YOU!!!

IN THE MEANTIME, Friday, after the hike, we had to fend for ourselves with no hot water and nothing but a trickle of cold. I boiled water to wash bottles and dishes, and I used boiled water and a CamelBak to rig a little shower to rid myself of the filth from our hike.

That evening, Deb invited us over for dinner, and she said I could bathe Axel there. After a delicious plate of fish tacos and a romp with Ollie the Cat, we put the kids in the tub. Take a look at the pics for the whole story.

Axel rides the tortoise statue next door to Suraya's.

The babies and Ollie the Cat actually caused a crowd of adoring gawkers to gather on the sidewalk to admire the spectacle. Axel just loves kitties!

Suraya didn't know what to make of a naked...boy... What on Earth is that THING!?

Axel seemed a little shy and reserved when forced to share a bath for the first time.

Back in the privacy and security of his own "tub" tonight, Axel was able to relax and let loose again. What a CUTIE!!!

2010-07-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

At the top of Mt. Helix.

Axel and I woke up Friday thinking about Brillo. It is very strange not having him here. Everything I thought of to do when I woke up and began planning our day involved Brillo activities. Walking around the Village? No fun without Brillo. Hiking? But what about Brillo? Fiesta Island? It's a dog park, for crying out loud!

We finally settled on hiking Cowles Mountain, which can be a Brillo thing to do, but which is easier and faster without a hot dog stopping in every single spot of shade along the entire trail. SO, we decided to take advantage of our lack of a dog and hike the front side all the way to the top.

Axel sang most of the way up, and we had a grand old time, in spite of the fact that every dog we saw made us miss Brillo all the more. About half way down, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed Axel's head bobbing around. He was out cold. He woke up when I put him in his car seat, and he stayed awake in the car, but he was happy to get into bed to take his nap when we returned home. I think we'll hike it again Sunday. WE MISS YOU, BRILLO!

At the bottom of Mt Helix.

2010-07-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Axel look at our brown and orange airplane at the Boise terminal.

Well, our Boise vacation has come to an end. Axel and I returned to San Diego Thursday to get ready for our Hawaii trip and have a little down time at home. It was hard to leave Grandma and Grandpa, not to mention our sweet Brillo Dog. We miss them all so much!

The flight was a good practice run for our trip to Hawaii. Axel was very good, though not perfect. He was challenging in the sense that he was active and required entertainment and distraction. The six-hour flight to Hawaii is going to be taxing, to be sure...

Ba-bada-baaaaah, bada-ba-ba-ba-baaaaaaaaa!

2010-07-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Drum roll, please...

Tippy, tippy, tippy toe! Look at me!!! Here I go!

This evening, I decided to take Axel and Brillo out back to wind them down before bed. The neighbors were out, so we walked over there to say hi. Axel loves to climb in their great-big fountain. And when I say climb, I mean climb. It's quite a feat to go to the top of that waterfall, and Axel did it over and over again. Afterward, I decided to try and see if he would practice walking from me to Lisa or one of the girls. When we were at Marcia's earlier, he did take several steps from me to her and back. He started that a couple of weeks ago between my mom and me, but I noticed a change in his attitude today. He seemed more eager and less tentative. With my folks away at their boat, we have been doing a lot of one-hand strolling, but I suspected he needed to span the gap between two people to really get going.

Well, boy were we all in for a big surprise! I WISH I had captured it on film, because it blew us all away. I let go of him, and he ran more than 10 steps, hands straight up in the air like an orangutan, right to Lisa. It was mind bottling [sic].

I pulled out the iPhone and managed to capture some more excellent moments. The videos show one hell of a gung-ho kid! He seemed genuinely thrilled at our cheers, and he was definitely showing off for us. He's quite the ham. (Earlier today, I was photographing him stacking mac'n cheese cups, and he cried when I put the camera down. He wasn't finished hamming it up.)

Anyway, I am really excited, because I wanted him walking before our trip to Hawaii next month. Also, I think he and Brillo will become really tight once Brillo realizes how fun it is to play chase with The Boy.

Enjoy these videos of my little drunken sailor. They are priceless.

Are you KIDDING me? Wow!

Here I go! No coaxing required.

False start, with an exceptional finish.

Here I come, Mommy! I'm an orangutan!

I'm so proud of myself! I didn't even crash until Mommy grabbed my arm.

My Buddy

2010-07-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

This is the view I had this morning.

Axel was all snuggly this morning, so I brought him into bed with me...and he promptly fell asleep on my pillows (not a euphemism, haha). Brillo is an excellent snuggler, but I needed a little extra this morning, and Axel provided it. I just wished he'd provided it a little later. I was TIE-ERRD!

Today, after our morning ride/hunt, we mowed the lawn. Fun! Axel enjoyed riding in my backpack while I mowed--until I stooped under a low branch but didn't stoop low enough for Axel
s head to clear it. Bonk! Woops. After soothing him, I decided to put him in his play pen while I did the back yard, but he was having none of that. He wailed until I put him back into his happy place: the Kelty pack, securely attached to my back. It makes me think he might need a toy lawn mower for his upcoming birthday. He rather liked mowing the lawn.

After mowing and eating, it was time for a nap. Later, we did a fun little bike ride/quail hunt with Brillo, and then we packed into the car and drove to the river so the B-man could cool off. Axel made me walk all over the park with him while Brillo played with dogs, hunted butterflies, pestered children, and swam. Even here in Idaho, where the breed is a bit more common thanks to the greater preponderance of bird hunters, Brillo still garners tons of attention and inquiries. He's such a rock star.

We dropped Brillo off at home after our river fun, and Axel and I went to Fred Myers for pool toys. I wanted to buy him a kick board, because he really likes the one he used in swim class. Target is too far away, and Freddies has all sorts of stuff. Think (Mini) Target and Ace meet Albertson's. Unfortunately, they didn't have any kick boards. Fortunately, they did have a wicked-awesome sale on kids' clothes and toys. I bought several shirts and shorts for $4 each, and I bought three toys for 60% off! He loves stacking and nesting toys, so I bought two, and I could NOT pass up the hugenormous Tonka dump truck as an early birthday present. He loves scooting things across the floor, and I've been dying to get him a Tonka truck. I'll post pictures of him loving his new truck as soon as I download the big camera. He loves that thing--and it's practically bigger than he is!

Mmmm. Red Vines!

After playing outside a bit, walking all over the grassy common area, pulling the poop bags out of their housing, eating Red Vines, and getting trampled by the neighbor's dog, I'd had enough. We played inside for a while, ate, bathed, played some more, and hit the hay. Well, he hit the hay. I hit the couch. Since I'm unable to watch all my usual shows (because I record them at home and will view them later), I am once again addicted to HGTV. It was my channel of choice back when I was booby feeding the boy in the wee hours every night. I love Dear Genevieve, Design Star, Designed to Sell, Design on a Dime, Property Virgins, and Color Splash: Miami. You can get so many awesome ideas for home improvements and decorating when watching HGTV. Honey? I have some things I want to do...

The Importance of Poop.......Bags.

2010-07-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Today, the Ax Man discovered the poop bag dispenser behind my parents' house. I showed him how to pull a bag out, and now he is a bag pulling fool! By the time I finished snapping pictures of him, he had OD'd on NINE bags. That's a lot of poop-scooping capability!

Axel and Brillo and I are having fun here in Boise. Every day, we swim, ride bikes, look for quail, and go to the river. During each of these activities, minus the swim part, it is important to always be armed with a poop bag for Brillo's little...indiscretions. It seems Axel has learned how to be a responsible pet owner.

Axel is campaigning to bring awareness to the importance of picking up after your pet.

Yesterday? Fun. Today? Not so much.

2010-07-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, We went on a bike ride in the morning. Brillo, Axel, and I all had fun. Then, we went to the River and Brillo swam. Then? We had a nap. After that, we went on another bike ride. Brillo was so hot. So what did we do? We went to the river and watched him swim. We stayed a long time and had all sorts of fun.

Today, we went to the emergency veterinarian. Why? Well, last night, Brillo was chewing at his paw. Uh oh. Sure enough, he had a big fox tail (a California term), or piece of cheat grass (Idaho term) stuck between his toes, working its way into his skin. He wouldn't let me get it, of course, so I knew I would have to to go to the vet. No biggie, I thought, because my mom has a good one. He always needs sedation for stuff like that, because he WILL NOT tolerate any funny business concerning his feet. Anyway, his nails were too long (no funny business, remember?), and his anal gland needed expressing (I'm the one who won't tolerate THAT funny business).

So, the next morning, I waited until 8:00 and called the vet. Closed? OH! DUH! It's Sunday. It figures. Brillo only needs immediate attention on weekends, that way we get to pay a premium at the emergency clinic. So, we all piled into the car for a fun trip downtown.

When we got there, there was a call from a frantic woman who's dog had swallowed a whole bottle of her other dog's Phenobarbital and was unresponsive. Crap! Poor doggie! So, we didn't mind having to wait while everyone helped that patient. I still don't know if he made it. He was cool looking, like a coon hound, or something. Anyway, they finally checked him and gave me an estimate, and I had to leave him there because of how busy they were. That was around 1000, and we had arrived at 0900. When I told the tech I brought him in because he requires sedation for that sort of thing, she said, "Well, he is a Griffon." What? Are all griffs like that? "Yes, they're all a little sensitive." Well, that cleared up a big mystery for me. I couldn't fathom why Brillo was such a wuss. Now I know it's just in his blood. He's a tender little guy!

We finally got to pick him up around 1500. Axel, of course, had slept a little bit on our way home from dropping him off, which meant he had only a short nap and wouldn't go to bed once we'd arrived home. And he usually goes down again at\1530, so he missed yet another nap. As I type, he still has not gone to bed. I'm about to try to put him down again, though. Guess I'll wrap this up. Suffice it to say, yesterday was more fun than today. Brillo had better be glad he's so freaking cute...!

Yesterday's fashion show at the river.

Ridin' diirty. Well, not really.

2010-07-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

We ride bikes (bike) every day here in Boise, and the boy loves it. He's going to be an awesome cyclist, I'm sure. :) Until he is old enough for his own bike, he's diggin' the iBert.

How cute is that helmet? Seriously?

The smile says a thousand words.

My little Hell's Angel.

A sad face. He knows being back in the driveway means the ride is over.

I'm Number One!

A fish, a fish, a fishy fish...

2010-07-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

He loves the barbel float. He hangs onto it and lets us pull him around. I think we need to buy him one.

Swimmin' with Grandma.

I'm late in posting this fact, but for those who are unaware, the boys and I are in Boise visiting my parents. In August, we are going to Hawaii to see my brother and his family. While we're here, Axel is taking swimming lessons at my mom's neighborhood pool, through the local Y. I think it'll benefit him in Hawaii. Actually, the ocean there is warmer than the pool here, so I think he'll REALLY like Hawaii. He's a total fish, and the instructors say he's the best baby of his young age they've ever had. I guess most babies cling to Mommy and won't do anything that is asked of them. Axel will put his face in, kick, splash, and play. He'll let us pass him from person to person, too. He'll even lie on his back and trust me to keep him afloat. He's awesome. I think we have a future Michael Phelps on our hands...

...Of course, he might skip the Olympics and become a pool boy, instead...

He climbed into the drain by himself...and we COULD NOT keep him out.

First Steps

2010-07-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

Axel took his first real steps a few days ago, and yesterday my mom witnessed him stand up and walk three paces on his own. I haven't seen him stand up on his own yet, but I have seen him stake steps. Three days ago, he took three steps between my mom and me. We have had the hardest time catching these moments on film, but I finally captured some this morning after his swim lesson. He is a notorious flirt, and he decided to show off by walking to his swim instructor. He loves the pretty girls. In the other video, he was distracted by an apple and stood without realizing it.

The apple distraction.

The flirty show-off.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T22:00:00.001-07:00

Wearing his patriotic polo. (Daddy, that's a 3 on the sleeve!)

That's a monster in his mouth.

Axel, Brillo, and I had a very low-key 4th of July. We had a morning walk, a good morning nap, and then an afternoon walk and play time with Axel's friend Suraya and her mom, Deb. The house across the street was having a party, and kids were running around, playing in a blow-up pool, and slipping on a Slip 'n Slide. The men were cooking hot dogs, and everybody was having a wholesome, old fashioned, American good time. Deb and I played with the babies out front, drank a beer, and lived vicariously through the party goers. It was cool. And it was better than being at the party, because we didn't have to mingle and have meaningless conversations with strangers about things in which we're completely disinterested. It was a perfect 4th of July!

Happy birthday, America!

Photos and a random video

2010-07-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

Playing in his friend Suraya's "pool."

Come on in; the water's fine!

Ring, ring, ring. Hello?

Nom, nom, nom. Wearing a monkey shirt; eating a banana. How apropos.

He actually managed to bite a big chunk out of the middle of the banana peel.

Waiting for the bath (sink) to fill up this evening...

Just Axel.

BFFs...one day. This video illustrates the precarious relationship between Brillo and Axel. The boy adores his dog, and the dog does love the boy, but the dog still isn't interested in hanging out with the boy much. One day, though, they are sure to be thick as thieves...

Lil' Scoot

2010-07-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

Picking through the rocks today. (Photo not related to this posting. I just wanted a photo from today up top.)

Axel's latest fad is pushing objects around the floor while crawling. It started several weeks ago when he would just kind of go from playing with something to crawling with it. He started carying things around with him all the time, click, click, clicking down the hall with the object, picking it up and setting it down with each "step."

Eventually, that sort of carry evolved into a push, the way a lot of kids do while playing with cars. And, actually, Axel loves to push cars across the floor. He also likes to push his turtle across the floor. And he likes to push paper and cardboard across the floor. Basically, the boy pushes everything he gets his grubby little hands all across the floor.

Lately, his go-to item has been Brillo's food and water dishes. He slides those things all over the place, and I often have to go on a little Easter egg hunt for them before I can feed the poor poochie. To illustrate what I've been rambling about, I've attached three little videos. Enjoy...

Out of the kitchen and into the living room. Poor Brillo.

This is a little something we call "the double push." It's an advanced move.

In this video, Axel is really taking a stand. Heh, heh. You'll see what I mean.

For those about to ROCK!

2010-07-02T21:28:00.001-07:00

It looks like he's either just about to rock out to the White Stripes, or like he's going down a big drop on a massive roller coaster. In reality, he's sitting in his car seat, and I just happened to have caught him mid-yawn.

The other night, I put Axel to bed with damp hair...and he woke up with a perfect little rocker hairdo. It was so cute, I wish I could do it at will.

Making Daddy and Tim the Tool Man proud!

2010-06-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

This evening, we were out front and Axel decided to cruise south down the sidewalk to Wade's driveway, two houses down. That's a long way to crawl! Turns out, the lure of motor oil and manly machinery was too much for Axel to resist. I couldn't keep him away from the motorcycle and car parts and the associated repair/restoration tools, so I had to pick him up and carry him home. He then proceeded to crawl back there a second time...

Intriguing for a budding Hee-Man Woman Hater, I'm sure, but it's not the safest place for a little boy with grabby hands and an attraction to all things dangerous.

2010-06-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, Axel started getting really curious about Brillo's doggie door, which provides a portal from the dining room onto the back porch. He liked pushing the flap open, and he would often hang out in front of it and get clobbered by Brillo as the dog blindly came in from the outside. That didn't really phase the boy, though, and his curiosity intensified. Right before my mom arrived for her visit, I began to suspect the inevitable was fast approaching. Sure enough, the day after my mom left, Axel took one giant leap for babykind and suddenly found himself in a whole new world, on the porch. I had noticed him playing by the door while I was picking up around the house, and I knew he couldn't be trusted. I needed to go into the other room to work and knew better than to leave him there, so I dashed into his room to set down the laundry I had in my hands and turned to go grab him. To my (semi) surprise, he had vanished.

"Axel?" cried the mommy. No reply. I peaked through the sliding glass door, and there he was, his squirmy little body already halfway down the top step--the top step of a whole series of very steep, very scary, razor-sharp, metal-edged killer steps. "Danger Boy," as I have taken to calling him, had no fear and intended to go out into the yard to play under the pepper tree. I grabbed him, brought him inside, grabbed the camera, set him down, and managed to capture the little cat burglar ninja baby in action...

I used the door blocker for about one day, and that really pissed Brillo off, and then I gave up and just relied on vigilance to keep him out of harm's way...vigilance and scolding. I started waggling my finger at him "Babu Bat" style (Seinfeld reference, ya'll) while telling him, "No, no." He quickly got the point, and he cries every time I foil his efforts with a stern, "No, no," but he no longer goes out Brillo's door. Instead, he now, as of this morning, uses the sliding screen door, like Mommy.

Yep, I was putting dishes away, and I poked my head out of the kitchen to see what he was up to, and he was outside. The screen door was cracked open about a baby-width, and there he was, playing in Brillo's water bowl, which, by the way, was recently relocated to there from the kitchen because he who will remain unnamed kept spilling it all over the kitchen floor. Incidentally, since I have also been forced to secure all of our toilet bowls, the back porch is the ONLY place Brillo can go for a drink of water. It's really too bad the lock is broken on the screen door, because now my little Houdini has double access to the wonderful world of the backyard. I guess Danger Boy is gonna continue to keep Mommy on her toes! Witness:

Snail trail.

2010-06-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I decided Axel was old enough to use the Rody horse that Uncle and Auntie gave him for Christmas. YAY! I have been dying to inflate him and put Axel on him, and we finally got to! Axel got the hang of bouncing on him right away, and he loves to ride him and kiss him. He's awesome, because you can adjust the amount of air in him to fit your kid. For Axel's little feet to reach the floor, I let out half the air I had put into him (using Dave's compressor; yay Baby). Rody is super cute, and he's so much fun for my little cowboy! Thanks Auntie and Uncle! I guess I need to find a little sheriff's outfit for the boy, now!

Sour Puss.

2010-06-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

We met up with my childhood best friend, whom I haven't seen since the fourth grade, in Coronado today, and Axel surprised me by chowing down on a LEMON. Crazy kid didn't even make a sour face. He just happily munched the lemon, rind and all. Weirdo.

Groomer Has It...

2010-06-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

Axel is very interested in my "beauty" routines, and he loves to watch when I style my hair and brush my teeth. I always end up running the brush through his hair or letting him brush his teeth, and he just loves it. Well, I guess he was watching when I was brushing Brillo yesterday, too, because he grabbed the doggie brush and attempted to coif the pooch.

Grandma's Visit!

2010-06-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Axel's Grandma Olson was here visiting June 7-16, and we had lots of fun!

When Grandma was here, we had a lot of fun playing in the yard!

Grandma is freakishly strong, and she helped me chase Brillo around the yard while I giggled.

Grandma taught me lots of things, like how to catch and throw a ball!

And we practiced walking and balancing. I'm getting better.

I still like crawling best, but I think I might walk soon.

On Saturday, June 12th, my mommy ran in the Camp Pendleton Mud Run, so I got to tag along. Grandma and I had fun while everybody was running.

Mommy's posture is horrible in this picture, but oh well. Those are her friends, Sean and Jennifer Murphy. Jen called Mom on Thursday and asked her if she wanted to run. Sucker! Mom ran great and was very proud of herself, esp. since she hadn't been training. If you look her up in the results, use the name "Josh Hopkins." Haha.

On Sunday, we all went to Great Grandma's house in Carlsbad to have breakfast. That was fun! Afterward, we went to the Del Mar dog beach with Brillo. We all got a little wet.

As usual, I rode around on Mommy's back.

Of course, I had tons of fun playing with Grandma on the beach.

Brillo was splashing us, and it was so fun.

See how much Grandma loves me? That's the Del Mar Fair in the background. Mom says we can go when I get older.

Brillo is like a bunny rabbit.

I like to put my face in the sand. Mommy says it makes it look like I have freckles.

This is Mommy helping me walk.

Look! My hair matches Mommy's!

Sand freckles...

While Grandma was here, Daddy's good friends Russ and Andrea had a BBQ for Andrea's birthday. That was the Sunday before Grandma left. They have boy and girl twins, and they have cool toys! I got to drive Claudia's hotrod.

Here I am in Zimmer's swing, being pushed by the neighbor's sweet boy. I think his name is Christian.

Weeeee! I love G forces!!! Higher! Faster!

Here I am riding on Zimmer's fire truck. I have one of these, too. That's not Zimmer driving. That's a friend.

In the yard on Father's Day...without Daddy! Waa! Miss you!

2010-06-20T19:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! Woof! Love, Brillo

FIRST FATHER'S DAY!

2010-06-20T19:17:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! I hope you like your present! Love, Axel

Flag Day La Mesa, June 5th

2010-06-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

Flag Day in La Mesa occurred on the 5th of June, a Saturday. I'm always out of town for this down-home celebration, so I was stoked to finally get to attend. The boys and I went down to Sherri's shop, Handful of Wildflowers, to enjoy the parade and drink mimosas. It was fun to hang out with friends and see a traditional, grassroots, hometown-America parade. It had a high school band, kids in little league and soccer uniforms, people on horseback, Polynesian dancers, old cars, Shriners on mini clown cars, local politicians, proud veterans, and all sorts of floats and festivities. This was what America is all about. Patriotic flag waving, families, pride, and neighborliness.

At the parade, Axel met his future wife...perhaps. Piper is a very sweet and cute "older girl", and she taught Axel a thing or two about "first base." Daddy will be so proud.

First, the approach.

Next, lean in, and open wide.

Axel caught on quickly and started leaning in to initiate the kisses.

The head-tilt.

Going in for the kill.

One more, for luck.

Even a true ladies' man needs a break from the action to take a nap and sample a tasty beverage.

Brillo wondering why the boy is in a kennel.

Brillo looking forlorn.

Axel having a rip-roaring good time in his play pen. Note the patriotic duds and stuff.

Axel didn't care too much for the loud sirens that the police cars and fire trucks were sounding. Enough, already! Brillo and Wolfgang didn't care for them, either. They both started howling. I'd never heard Brillo howl before. So funny.

We decorated Axel's buggy for the occasion.

Brillo did have fun, despite his best efforts.

Thursday Car Show in La Mesa

2010-06-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

Axel wore his new hat, his new Axel and Hudson shirt, and his True Religion jeans to the car show. He's quite the fashion plate.

Brillo didn't have too much fun. He would have preferred a walk.

Trying out the new hat

2010-06-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

Axel's new hat arrived from OlieBollen.com yesterday. It's a little big, so I pinned it. Now, it fits like a glove. I think he likes it!

Coronado yields smiles...again.

2010-06-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

Axel and I are planning to go to Coronado this Sunday to bike around to the various open houses, if there are any. We're going with a friend of ours from La Mesa. To do that, we needed to go to Holland's Bike Shop there in Coronado to buy an iBert Safety Seat and a Specialized helmet. We did our research and decided these were the best combo for our purposes.

Axel super loves his helmet and seat. He feels like he is in command when we are biking around. And how cute is that helmet? It's one of the smallest I've come across, so it works great. We were going to wait for Axel's birthday to get the helmet and seat, but we got them early, since we need them Sunday.

When my mom was visiting last week, we went to a surf shop in Bird Rock and bought a really cool little rash guard suit for Axel. It'll protect him from the sun here and during our upcoming visit to Hawaii!

That's Brillo on the left, in the background. H was pretty glad we had to go to Coronado for Axel's bike gear. He always wants an excuse to go to the beach!

It's impossible to keep this tiny amphibian out of the water. Luckily, it was pretty warm today.

My boys love seaweed.

Giggles!

BFFs...

Bath Time!!!

2010-06-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

Axel loves his baths. If you don't believe me, just look at that smile!

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. Axel and I got busy, and then he got sick...which means I was busy. So, he is feeling better now, and I will get busy blogging. I just downloaded almost 500 images from the good camera, so I have a whole lot of photos to post and captions to write! I'll update you on everything that has happened since we met Victoria Stilwell...well...almost everything...tomorrow...

It's Me or the Dog

2010-05-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

The highlight of our Sunday was meeting Victoria Stilwell, from It's Me or the Dog. She asked to hold Axel for the photo, and she autographed a copy of her book, inscribing it to all three of us. She's my hero, because of her awesomeness at training dogs. When training Brillo, I often ask myself, "What would Victoria Do?" That usually helps me figure out most doggy obedience issues. Victoria, we love you! (Of course, I should have asked her how to keep him from eating things he shouldn't, like socks, panties, and macadamia nuts...)

Giggle Monster

2010-05-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

My boy was in a very giggly mood this evening while preparing for his bath. He's so awesome...

Brillo Update:

2010-05-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

Brillo wouldn't eat all day after throwing up several times Thursday morning, and he threw up again around midnight. He was also straining to poop. Since that's the same behavior that eventually led up to a $1000 veterinary ER bill a couple of months ago, I was concerned. The poor baby was uncomfortable and restless Thursday night, but he eventually managed to settle down and go to sleep.

He still wouldn't eat the next morning, so I decided to take him in. He did seem a bit perkier, but it was Friday, so I feared another trip to the ER if he took a turn for the worse over the weekend when my vet would be closed.

He spent the day under observation at the clinic, but by the end of the day, they hadn't witnessed any poop or puke. I picked him up with instructions to feed him a bland diet and monitor him. As soon as we got home, after a stop at Henry's to buy his chicken and cottage cheese (because I have to cook for him, since he won't eat the canned food I promised the vet to exclusively feed him), he ran into the backyard as fast as he could. Like a pet detective, I followed to see what he was going to do. He pooped, and upon inspection, I discovered a bouncy-ball-sized dark object in his poop, along with a wad of grass (which he had been eating like a fiend to try to get whatever was in him to pass). I knew immediately what the object was: a macadamia nut off my neighbor's tree. We've been unsuccessful at keeping Brillo from running over there to steal nuts ever since he discovered them last year. He shucks them, cracks them, and extracts the raw, meaty goodness out of their center. How he discovered how to do that, I'll never know. Have you ever tried to crack a mac nut? I think they're constructed of forged steal. Not. Easy.

I'd always known the day would come when he would either choke on a nut or get a hideous blockage from swallowing one. We can thank God he didn't choke, and that he was able to pass it, because that thing never would have shown up on an xray. Whew! I wonder if he'll be as eager to eat those nuts, now. Knowing him, I suspect he will...

Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark...

That's not beef jerkey...

2010-05-21T21:46:00.001-07:00

This is the scene I was treated to when I peaked my head over the couch to investigate why Axel was being so quiet.

I know it looks like my boy is having a beef jerky party...

...and he's the only one invited...

...but looks can be deceiving.

Nope. That's not beef jerkey. Those sticks are Brillo's duck and chicken "Smart Dog Snacks." I'm just glad I was able to get them away from Axel before he started chasing cats.

Still diggin' that push wagon!

2010-05-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Axel, being the adventurous son of two adult monkeys, found another creative way to play with his wagon.

As soon as I put Axel down on the floor to play in the living room this morning, he bee-lined for his new walker wagon, stood up, and tried to take off. It was up against his rocking horse and Brillo's bed, though, so he couldn't go anywhere. He was pumping his body back and forth as hard as he could, to no avail. Poor thing. I turned it around and he took off, TURNED THE CORNER, and practically ran across the room to Brillo's dog door. It was soooo cool. And when he can't walk with it, he plays with the wooden blocks I put in its little compartment. We sure do love this toy!

Some stills of the awesome new toy...

2010-05-20T21:55:00.001-07:00

He is soooo proud of himself!

He can either push, or be pushed.

If he gets a baby brother or sister, he can push him or her around. This is an heirloom toy.

Mommy, get your butt off of my wagon! You're too heavy!

Each of these images was taken at my neighbor's house. The little guy is Lynn's dog, Slugger, who also happens to be Brillo's best friend. They are 4 days apart in age.

Brillo isn't feeling well today. We went to Fiesta Island Dog Beach, and he was fine, but he puked up all his breakfast after we returned home this morning. He won't eat now, not even his favorite treats, so I'll have to keep an eye on him. Poor baby. I hope he feels better tomorrow!!!

New Favorite Toy

2010-05-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

Last week, after more than a month of trying not to, I finally broke down and ordered the HABA Walker Wagon for Axel. It cost a pretty penny, but I think it's worth every cent. Axel crawled all over it and me while I put it together, and once it was assembled, he took off like a shot. I think it will give him the confidence he needs to start walking. When you compare the first video, which documents his first attempt at using it this morning, with the later videos, captured this evening, you can already detect improvement. He's less herky-jerky after using it a handful of times. Of course, I think he's waiting to walk until my mom comes to visit in a couple of weeks. After all, he crawled AND sprouted his first teeth the last time she visited!

[IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE PLAYING THE VIDEOS, DRAG THE PROGRESS BAR A TINY BIG TO THE RIGHT AFTER YOU HIT "PLAY", AND IT SHOULD START UP. I HAD TROUBLE, MYSELF.]

Brillo overtakes the little driver in this one.

Still getting the hang of it. Either he thinks it's bumper cars, or he needs a breathalyzer...

A pint-sized case of road rage...

An almost flawless down and back.

2010-05-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

Today, Axel had fun playing with Brillo...

...and helping me do the laundry...

He had a blast playing in the laundry basket. I distinctly remember loving the laundry basket as a kid. I remember getting underneath it and using it as a fort/cage. Axel had fun putting all of his toys into the basket, and taking them out. I had trouble getting the folding done, so I gave him his own empty one to play in. He crawled in and out of there on his own.

2010-05-18T23:10:00.001-07:00

My bad. As of TODAY, Axel has been outside of me for as long as he was inside me.

2010-05-18T23:02:00.001-07:00

I just realized that, as of last Wednesday, Axel has been alive as long as I was pregnant with him. Trippy.

These are for Daddy

2010-05-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

I had these drum sticks on the floor, and The Boy came along and picked them up. These images should make his daddy very, very proud. We might have another drummer in the family!

Playing the air drums.

Wait a minute; how do these things work?

Oh, I know what to do with these things...

2010-05-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

Crawling under and through the coffee table.

He used to get stuck under here and cry for help, but now he's got it all figured out.

2010-05-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

Recently, Axel discovered the joy of using Brillo's bed as a tumbling mat. He crawls in to play whether Brillo is occupying the bed, or not.

Hill Climbing

2010-05-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

My little dirt lover has gotten really good at climbing this little dirt hill at my neighbor's house. He can go up and down it all day, with ease. He's getting very close to walking, I think. I can let go of his hands now, and he'll stand for several seconds before realizing he is doing something he thinks can't be done. I've ordered him a little push wagon from HABA, and I am anxious to see him try it out when it arrives. I think it'll give him the confidence he needs to start walking.

In this video, you will see that going down can be as tricky as going up...

2010-05-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

He's more interested in playing than in sampling the food.

Axel wore his new tie to "Taste of La Mesa" last night, at the community center. A whole lot of local restaurants came out with samples of their food, drink, and desserts. It was fun, and Axel sampled everything that involved noodles.

2010-05-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Check out those chompers! And, by the looks of that drool spigot, more are coming...

Chillin' in the front yard...

2010-05-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

My little bub in his Mr. Noah "Bruiser" necktie, by Peanut Posh. Irresistible!

2010-05-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for the summertime fun! Axel is all signed up for swim lessons in Boise in July. He can't wait to go visit Grandma and get started!

2010-05-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Dreaming of being an engineer...

2010-05-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

Mommy's little cutie.

2010-05-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Axel is pretty cozy in his daddy's arms.

2010-05-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

He's so proud of his crawling skills!

Axel crawling at warp speed in the front lawn.