Dad asked about the 83 degree water temperature since it seemed on the cool side to virtually everybody in the pool. Apparently it's kept at that level because if you get much warmer it faciliates the growth of all kinds of nasties. Then they have to dump in a bunch of potent chemicals, and who wants to take a super chlorine bath? Not me.
Of course in the meanwhile, the pool is a little cold when I first get in. After a while I warm up both literally and figuratively, but until then I'm pretty content to huddle up with either Mom or Dad.
I did a little bit of kicking and splashing yesterday, and I threw a few smiles out to my parents so they knew I was doing OK. We'll see how it goes tonight.
UPDATE: Did I say the water was cold? I meant frigid! I swear, my lips were turning blue in there. I looked over to some of the other kids and their lips were blue, too! This one little girl's teeth were chattering! This is supposed to be fun? I dunno, man. Dad says if I'd only start kicking and swimming a bit I'd warm right up, but I'm inclined to huddle more than swim. They're taking me back to the pool again tonight, so I guess I'll have to bear with it.
I went swimming today for the first time. At first I wasn't sure what to make of everything, and the pool seemed pretty cold even though they claimed it was 83 degrees. I guess 83 isn't that much.
After I got used to the water temperature it was easier to enjoy myself. It didn't hurt to have Mom and Dad in the water with me, though. They said we'd come again tomorrow, and I'm eager to try some new things.
I had a very interesting weekend, but first I need to talk about some weird and scary that happened on Friday. Mommy and Daddy were in the room next to mine and Mom was holding me while talking with Daddy. Then Daddy took this big wood and metal thing called a "hammer" and hit the wall. It was surreal. One of the two people I love most in the world, and he's hauling off and destroying my house! That left me pretty shaken, and I could tell Dad felt pretty badly about upsetting me because he stopped right away and came over and joined me and Mom in a group hug. Still, something strange is going on in that room next to mine, I'm sure of it.
Anyway, on to the weekend. We drove up to Portland to for a brief visit with some cousins of mine, Lucy and Noor. They are twins and were just celebrating their first birthday. We didn't stay long, but I overheard Mom and Dad promising to see everybody again soon.
Next we stopped at my godparents' Joe and Carol's house in Battle Ground. Carol's tummy is really big. Apparently she and Joe are expecting a visitor soon called "Baby Kann." Are these things related? It appears I'm being kept in the dark, but I have a sneaking suspicion that these things are related. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but I'd swear something is going on. Regardless, there was a lot of talk about this Baby Kann, so I'm looking forward to meeting him or her.
While I'm thinking of it, I wanted to say that one thing that was neat about this get-together was just how much time I got to spend with all the different people there. Mommy and Daddy were always around if I needed them, but I enjoyed hanging out with all my tall friends.
Eventually I got tired, and I fell asleep on the sofa at Joe and Carol's. The next thing I knew I was home asleep in my crib. That is so disconcerting! I let Dad know about it, and he gave me a nice backrub just for sharing.
Today, we celebrated Mom's birthday. It's not entirely clear to me what a birthday is, but I hear that I get to have one next month so it can't be all bad. We went to Grandma and Grandpa's, and Uncle Bret showed up. Then everybody went to a Mexican restaurant. They brought out some floaty thing called a "balloon" for Mom. Me? I just don't quite trust them. We took a few home, and I'm gonna keep an eye on them. It makes no sense to me that they fall up instead of down.
Like I say, interesting weekend.
Daddy is very excited because he's set up a new picture gallery for me. He says that this one is better than the old DOT MAC version for several reasons.
First, you can display an automated slideshow. That means that when you click the slideshow button, the computer will automatically move from one picture to the next without you having to click anything more.
Second, this gallery allows you to order pictures from any one of three different online photo printing services. That means if you see a picture of me that is particularly cute--and that would be most of them, right?--you can order a print of it online. Nifty, says Dad.
Third, Dad is allowed to add his long-winded text comments to any picture he sees fit. That means if he thinks an image is especially noteworthy he can rant and rave to his heart's content. Understandably, he's keen on the idea.
So check out my new Photo Gallery by clicking the link on the right side of the page. It replaces the old DOT MAC photo gallery that will be eliminated over the course of the next few days. Thanks!
UPDATE: Daddy says that he's finished moving over all the DOT MAC photo galleries and that he thinks he'll have a new photo gallery of me online this weekend. Wouldn't that be great?
I woke up crying several times last night. It's not that I wasn't tired. I sure was! I was just upset, that's all. Dad stayed with me for a long time until I felt OK again. He pointed out all the objects in the room to me. Twice. If that's not enough to bore somebody back to sleep, I don't know what is. So he eventually set me back down in my crib, rubbed my back (which I really enjoy), and the next thing I knew it was morning.
I don't know what the deal was with last night. Usually, if I wake up, I can get back to sleep within five minutes. I guess I was just feeling a little out of sorts or something. I'm sure we all have those times.
I went with Mom and Dad to Lapsit Story Time at the library today. Mom hadn't been before so I had to show her how everything worked. We even got to spend a little time in the Discovery Room, which is a total bonus since it's usually full when it's just me and Dad there. Dad was off reading a book from his childhood called "More Adventures of the Great Brain" by John D. Fitzgerald. He said it was even more touching, sweet, and funny reading it as an adult, whatever that means.
Grandma and Grandpa stopped by after we got back home from the library. I think they were happy to see me.
I don't know if anybody is curious, but here's a rough outline of my daily schedule:
8 AM: Wake up. Sometimes I will play for awhile in my crib, but usually I stretch a bit, roll over, and am ready to face the day. I will be very upset if Mom or Dad doesn't appear by the time I'm ready. I will let them know of my displeasure.
8-9:30 AM: Quick diaper and clothing change then play time. Frequently I sit in my high chair with some toys and hang out while Dad takes a shower. If he takes too long I'll be sure to yell at him to hurry up. After he's ready, we'll walk around, play with toys, and generally have a good time.
9:30-10:30 AM: Breakfast! I feast on organic barley, oatmeal, or mixed grain flakes. Let me tell you, with a little breast milk these cereals really hit the spot. I follow this up with a variety of organic fruits (apple sauce is particularly good) and vegetables. Sometimes I have a biter biscuit or banana too. I like these because I get to feed myself.
The only problem with breakfast--any of my meals, really--is the cleanup. I don't understand why Mommy and Daddy insist on wiping that rag across my face. Hands, OK. I can deal with hands. But lay off my face, people! If I didn't want food all over it I wouldn't have put it there.
10:30 AM-noon: Some days Daddy and I will go down to the library for Lapsit Story Time. I mostly watch the older kids dance around and do things, but I think I'm starting to understand how the whole thing is supposed to work. I really like looking at the fish in the tank on the way out of the library.
12:30ish: Nap time! I need my beauty rest.
2 PM: Play time and/or lunch time. I'm pretty flexible about my mid-day meal. What time Daddy feeds me usually depends on what time I wake up and what time I'm heading out to Sprague to see Mommy.
3:30 PM: Daddy drops me off with Mommy at school.
3:30-5:30 PM: Jazzercise, etc. with Mommy at Sprague.
5:30-7 PM: More play time at home.
7 PM: Dinner time!
8 PM: Bathtime! I love my bath, particuarly my ducky friends (of which there are several). As much as I enjoy this, I don't know why Mom persists in dump water over my head and shampooing my hair. She knows I dislike this. Once I can talk, I'll explain it to her.
8:30 PM: A brief spell of playtime before bed.
9 PM: Zzzzzzz...and with luck, I sleep through the night.
The Davison household has a new biped, namely me. I took four steps this evening, followed by a couple more a little later on. Mom and Dad were crazy impressed. I'm not sure why. I've been walking around by holding onto my scooter and walls and things for a few weeks now. So what if this time I didn't use a crutch?
I know a new word. It's called "clap." When Daddy says this I put my hands together and it makes him smile and laugh. That makes me happy.