Reeeeeeeeeach....
Chocolate chips are a good toy. The bag is so crunchy.
AH!
(I am now going to attempt to upload a video...don't hold your breath though. When it comes to video, I have no idea what I'm doing.)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunshine!
Today was beautiful! The weatherman had said it was coming, so I'd planned on taking Sutton and Diesel for a walk all week. (Another thing I couldn't have done if Axl was still around.) But, as it turned out, Adam needed me to stay home and wait for a package to be delivered that needed to be signed for, and of course it didn't come til the end of the day. So we had to settle for hanging out in the backyard. (Photos taken with a P&S camera...)
Static
Daddy sure found it funny the other night to rub Sutton's head on the couch pillows to create one sweet hairdo.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Life with Axl
This is my last planned post about Axl...I've had this it sitting in my drafts for several days, and I decided to publish it today since this is the 1 week anniversary of his passing.
I didn't really realize it til he was gone, but Axl played a part in pretty much everything I do around here. It makes it hard to be at home because everywhere I turn, the reminders of his absence are just staring me in the face.
Axl was supposed to be Adam's dog.
That's not how things turned out.
Adam came home from student teaching one day and told me that we needed to get a Doberman. I thought he was crazy. Dobermans are vicious and mean. Adam typically gets his way, so about a month after we were married, we went to a breeder to pick out our pup.
Out of all the puppies, I chose Axl. I chose him because whenever I picked him up, he would put his little paws on either side of my neck like he was giving me a hug.
Axl screamed the whole way home. We even got stopped by a train and he just wouldn't stop making that awful noise.
"Adam's dog" became my shadow. He followed me everywhere I went and was always curious about what I was doing. Diesel has always been a bit more independent than Axl was, and that was actually preferable at times. Imagine a Doberman always under your feet. Not the most ideal. But now I miss it.
I thought I'd write out some of the ways I keep remembering him, the things about my daily life that remind me of Axl, and things I no longer have to worry about doing now that my shadow is gone.
Our 2009 Christmas card photo.
-Axl was afraid of trash bags. So any time I'd replace the trash bag in our kitchen or the trash bag in the diaper pail, he'd always make a beeline for our bedroom to hide out.
-Our bathroom is long and skinny, and he never mastered "reverse" mode. This made for some interesting/hilarious moments since he was too big to turn around in the skinny bathroom.
-When we would be downstairs watching TV, sometimes Axl would be slow to make it down to join us (the warmth and comfort of our bed was apparently better than human company). We'd hear a thud from upstairs as he'd jump down from our bed upstairs and finally decide to come hang out with us. Then the clip, clip, clip of his nails as he walked across our hardwood floor to the stairs.
-Axl LOVED having his ears rubbed. He'd groan in delight because he just couldn't handle it. We've discovered that Sutton loves having his ears rubbed too (minus the groaning). Every time I rub Sutton's ears, I always think about how that was something that was totally Axl. He would even just lay there sometimes while Diesel would lick inside his ears...even that would make him groan, which was so funny.
-Axl and Diesel were best friends. They were an odd couple, but they did most everything together. They had their quarrels and fought like an old married couple, but I'm so sad for Diesel now that his friend and brother is gone. He's handling it pretty well, but he's being clingier than normal, so I know he's feeling it.
Helping us tell our parents the gender of our baby.
Cuddling with Dad.
Playing together in the backyard.
Halloween costumes.
-Axl, being the shadow that he was, just had to be a part of everything. He always had to smell everything we brought home. He had to stand watch any time the front door was open. He hung out in the kitchen when we cooked dinner. He sniffed our mail. He was everywhere.
Making sure this package was suitable to be opened.
Helping to hand out Halloween candy.
-He really had to check out Sutton when we brought him home from the hospital. That thing was staying around...he had to make sure it was okay.
Their first meeting.
"We good here? Okay, good. Just checking."
-I talk with my hands. Axl always loved that because it meant moving shadows for him to chase.
"AHHHHHHHH!!! A LIGHT!!!!!"
-Axl loooooved watching shows that had squeaky noises. Bolt was his favorite movie. Anytime a squeak or noise would be on the TV, he'd whip around, look at the screen, and cock his head with his ears up. If it was on-going, he'd go up to the TV and nudge the speakers with his nose.
-He always helped with laundry. I now have a dog-free bed to fold laundry on, which isn't nearly as fun.
-I'm gonna miss this thing that he used to do where he'd bury his face under his paw. Sometimes he'd look up at us out of the corner of his eye without moving his head as if saying "Leave. Me. Alone."
-He wasn't super fond of Sutton, but I'm sure they would've become buds and Axl would've been his protector. It's hard to think that'll never happen.
-Axl was a huge fan of naps. Our nap times are a little more lonely now. Though Sutton makes a darn good replacement.
Life with Axl was fun, sometimes annoying, and always hilarious. We'll love and miss our big dopey Axl always.
I didn't really realize it til he was gone, but Axl played a part in pretty much everything I do around here. It makes it hard to be at home because everywhere I turn, the reminders of his absence are just staring me in the face.
Axl was supposed to be Adam's dog.
That's not how things turned out.
Adam came home from student teaching one day and told me that we needed to get a Doberman. I thought he was crazy. Dobermans are vicious and mean. Adam typically gets his way, so about a month after we were married, we went to a breeder to pick out our pup.
Out of all the puppies, I chose Axl. I chose him because whenever I picked him up, he would put his little paws on either side of my neck like he was giving me a hug.
Baby Axl.
Axl screamed the whole way home. We even got stopped by a train and he just wouldn't stop making that awful noise.
"Adam's dog" became my shadow. He followed me everywhere I went and was always curious about what I was doing. Diesel has always been a bit more independent than Axl was, and that was actually preferable at times. Imagine a Doberman always under your feet. Not the most ideal. But now I miss it.
I thought I'd write out some of the ways I keep remembering him, the things about my daily life that remind me of Axl, and things I no longer have to worry about doing now that my shadow is gone.
Chewing on a rawhide.
-Axl was the perfect dumpster-diving height. His long nose was made to root through a trash can. Now when I throw food away, I don't have to cover it up with paper or other things to keep him from digging through the trash.
-We hardly ever have to refill the dog's water bowl. At meal times, I only have to measure out food for one dog.
-When I wash the sheets on our bed, I used to have to cover the bed with a blanket while the sheets were in the washer because I didn't want Axl getting our mattress all dirty (and him NOT laying on the bed wasn't an option). I don't have to worry about that anymore.
His favorite spot in our bed - Adam's side.
-He used to howl during the short time between when he heard our car pull in the driveway and before we could get the front door unlocked, he just couldn't hardly stand the wait for us to get inside. I miss that howl.
-Every morning when Adam would get out of bed to get ready for work, Axl would take his place in bed, next to me, under the covers, almost instantly. We would spoon. I miss the spooning with my giant dog. That side of the bed just remains empty now.
-When he would hear someone at the door, there was always a scramble of legs and paws on the hardwood floor while he tried to get some traction as he ran to see who it was. It was a loud and funny sound.
-Whenever we'd be coming up the stairs from the basement, he would always have to beat us to the top, and I'd always run my hand along his back as he passed me because he was the perfect petting height without having to bend over.
Our 2009 Christmas card photo.
-Diesel's obsessed with playing fetch inside the house with his toys. It gets old real fast. Axl was really good at butting in, stealing Diesel's toy, and taking it somewhere to chew on it, which meant that we (thankfully) never had to play fetch with Diesel for long. There's no one here to relieve me of that constant game now.
-Axl was afraid of trash bags. So any time I'd replace the trash bag in our kitchen or the trash bag in the diaper pail, he'd always make a beeline for our bedroom to hide out.
-Our bathroom is long and skinny, and he never mastered "reverse" mode. This made for some interesting/hilarious moments since he was too big to turn around in the skinny bathroom.
-When we would be downstairs watching TV, sometimes Axl would be slow to make it down to join us (the warmth and comfort of our bed was apparently better than human company). We'd hear a thud from upstairs as he'd jump down from our bed upstairs and finally decide to come hang out with us. Then the clip, clip, clip of his nails as he walked across our hardwood floor to the stairs.
What a charmed life he had. :)
-Axl LOVED having his ears rubbed. He'd groan in delight because he just couldn't handle it. We've discovered that Sutton loves having his ears rubbed too (minus the groaning). Every time I rub Sutton's ears, I always think about how that was something that was totally Axl. He would even just lay there sometimes while Diesel would lick inside his ears...even that would make him groan, which was so funny.
-Axl and Diesel were best friends. They were an odd couple, but they did most everything together. They had their quarrels and fought like an old married couple, but I'm so sad for Diesel now that his friend and brother is gone. He's handling it pretty well, but he's being clingier than normal, so I know he's feeling it.
-Axl, being the shadow that he was, just had to be a part of everything. He always had to smell everything we brought home. He had to stand watch any time the front door was open. He hung out in the kitchen when we cooked dinner. He sniffed our mail. He was everywhere.
Making sure this package was suitable to be opened.
Helping to hand out Halloween candy.
-He really had to check out Sutton when we brought him home from the hospital. That thing was staying around...he had to make sure it was okay.
-I talk with my hands. Axl always loved that because it meant moving shadows for him to chase.
"AHHHHHHHH!!! A LIGHT!!!!!"
-Axl loooooved watching shows that had squeaky noises. Bolt was his favorite movie. Anytime a squeak or noise would be on the TV, he'd whip around, look at the screen, and cock his head with his ears up. If it was on-going, he'd go up to the TV and nudge the speakers with his nose.
-He always helped with laundry. I now have a dog-free bed to fold laundry on, which isn't nearly as fun.
-I'm gonna miss this thing that he used to do where he'd bury his face under his paw. Sometimes he'd look up at us out of the corner of his eye without moving his head as if saying "Leave. Me. Alone."
-He wasn't super fond of Sutton, but I'm sure they would've become buds and Axl would've been his protector. It's hard to think that'll never happen.
-Axl was a huge fan of naps. Our nap times are a little more lonely now. Though Sutton makes a darn good replacement.
Life with Axl was fun, sometimes annoying, and always hilarious. We'll love and miss our big dopey Axl always.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Welcome Austin Dean!
Last Thursday (January 21st), my good friend Audra had her second little boy! She announced her pregnancy right at the end of mine (what?!) and it seems like it just flew by. She had a great labor and delivery experience. After her first, Reid, weighed 10 lbs at birth, this one was a piece of cake, coming in at 7 lbs 14 ounces. Austin is healthy and happy and home now with Audra and Justin and big brother Reid. We were able to go visit him the same day he was born, and I took a few photos.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sutton { Seven Months }
On a much happier note...Sutton, you're 7 months old today! Our precious time with you is just flying by and...dare I say it...we're now on the downhill slope to ONE YEAR OLD. GASP!! I love you sweet baby boy!
*I always find you in odd positions in the morning. You're either completely sideways in your crib, or turned with your head at the wrong end, or you've gotten your arms completely out of your swaddle blanket. We finally purchased crib bumpers this week because your Daddy once found you with both arms and legs sticking through the crib slats after a nap.
*Lots of times you wake up from night time or a nap, and you don't cry. I either hear you grunting because you're trying to push yourself up, or I hear you scratching your sheets with your fingernails. You're kinda a weirdo.
*But often Diesel is done with you before you're done with him.
*You wear size 3 diapers, though we've had several leaks lately, so maybe we should go up a size. You wear size 9 month clothes. I bought you a size 36-48 month hat this week and it's too small. Sometimes I just don't know how to buy for you.
*You're into the grabbing phase. If we set you somewhere, you immediately grab everything in site and knock it over. Your favorite thing is when I'm getting ready in the morning and you get to sit on the bathroom counter in the Bumbo. You first knock over my bright red bottle of hairspray, then you go for the makeup bag. This morning, you got an empty conditioner bottle and my round brush before you went for the makeup.
*You get so confused by the mirror. You look at me, then you look at me in the mirror, and you just go back and forth.
*You jump CONSTANTLY. Even if whatever position you're in isn't conducive to jumping. Like last night, your Daddy was laying on his stomach on the couch, and I laid you on your stomach on his back. You started lunging repeatedly, trying to jump. You're so funny.
*You love being tickled and getting kisses on your face and neck.
*You love it when we get right your face and yell "SUTTTOOOOOOOOOOOON!"
*You're getting more hair! I combed it this week for the first time.
*You sweat. A lot.
*You love to babble, and sometimes we go back and forth and have conversations about nothing.
*One of your more annoying new things...when we're holding you like cradle style like a little baby, you like to straighten your entire body, especially when you're mad. No fun.
*You like to "clap" by patting your hand onto ours over and over. Sometimes you do it on your knee.
*Sometimes you are only happy if Mom or Dad is holding you. We've reached that stage.
And here's our monthly comparison!
Yesterday, I decided he might like a ride in the laundry basket. He didn't really notice or care. Maybe soon he'll enjoy it.
For his monthly photo, I tried to get him to lay back like normal:
But he was being ornery as usual (can't you tell from that grin) and wanted to sit up like a big boy, so that's what we did!
It seems like you've done a lot of growing up this month! Sutton, at 7 months:
*You're sitting up! We still have to be careful where we set you because you tumble over pretty easy, but you're getting a lot better. I still haven't ventured to put you in the seat of a grocery cart, but we'll need to try soon because...
*You're 1 lb away from outgrowing your infant carseat. I weighed you last night and you're a little over 21 lbs and our carseat goes to 22 lbs. We also met a 2 year old this month who weighs 22 lbs. So you're as big as a tiny 2 year old. At 7 months. Oh my. I love my big baby, and you give me a workout, which is great. :)
*You roll over! Finally (on January 9th)! You took a little longer than most, but you're there now, and you're good at it. The first time took forever, with lots of coaxing, but after that, you were good to go. At first, you could only go from your back to your stomach, and you could only roll to your left. But you're now able to go from stomach to back, and you can roll on both sides.
*You've discovered your hands. Wow is that funny. You'll be going along and all of a sudden, you'll catch a glimpse of your hand and you'll get distracted and stare at it and move it all around like it's this alien limb that's not attached to your body.
*You've discovered your hands. Wow is that funny. You'll be going along and all of a sudden, you'll catch a glimpse of your hand and you'll get distracted and stare at it and move it all around like it's this alien limb that's not attached to your body.
*I always find you in odd positions in the morning. You're either completely sideways in your crib, or turned with your head at the wrong end, or you've gotten your arms completely out of your swaddle blanket. We finally purchased crib bumpers this week because your Daddy once found you with both arms and legs sticking through the crib slats after a nap.
*Lots of times you wake up from night time or a nap, and you don't cry. I either hear you grunting because you're trying to push yourself up, or I hear you scratching your sheets with your fingernails. You're kinda a weirdo.
*But...you've become a whinier kid than you used to be. You're still not too bad at home, but you're a pill at daycare. You cry unless you're being held there, and that ain't gonna work!
*You've developed the most hilarious fake sad face. I don't know how to describe it. It's like you screw your face up so your eyes are closed and your mouth is stretched completely out almost like a smile, but then you do your fake cry. I'll have to get a picture of it sometime. Sometimes I just let you fake cry for awhile because that face is so darn cute.
*You and Diesel are becoming good friends. He was always better with you than Axl. So that's a good thing. You love watching him and laugh when he plays with us. You like to pet him and are pretty good at not pulling his hair or ears (at least usually). He lets you pet him and likes to lick your hands and face.
*But often Diesel is done with you before you're done with him.
*You wear size 3 diapers, though we've had several leaks lately, so maybe we should go up a size. You wear size 9 month clothes. I bought you a size 36-48 month hat this week and it's too small. Sometimes I just don't know how to buy for you.
*You're into the grabbing phase. If we set you somewhere, you immediately grab everything in site and knock it over. Your favorite thing is when I'm getting ready in the morning and you get to sit on the bathroom counter in the Bumbo. You first knock over my bright red bottle of hairspray, then you go for the makeup bag. This morning, you got an empty conditioner bottle and my round brush before you went for the makeup.
"What? I wasn't doing anything."
*You get so confused by the mirror. You look at me, then you look at me in the mirror, and you just go back and forth.
*You looooove paper. It's the greatest invention ever. On most of your toys, you find the tags and play with them instead of the actual toy. When we're grocery shopping, I let you play with my list because it keeps you happier than your toys.
*You're SO cute.
*We hadn't done much with baby food since Christmas, but I decided that I needed to start feeding it to you consistently. So this morning, we tried squash, green beans, and bananas. I've decided that even if you make that face like it's-so-awful-and-why-are-you-torturing-me, that doesn't mean you don't like it, it just means that you're not used to it. Because you swallowed some, and were even opening your mouth for me. Though, then you'd close your mouth on the spoon and blow, making baby food fly back at me. So that was fun.
It's hard to take photos of the funny faces when I'm the one doing the feeding AND the picture taking. :)
*You jump CONSTANTLY. Even if whatever position you're in isn't conducive to jumping. Like last night, your Daddy was laying on his stomach on the couch, and I laid you on your stomach on his back. You started lunging repeatedly, trying to jump. You're so funny.
*You love being tickled and getting kisses on your face and neck.
*You love it when we get right your face and yell "SUTTTOOOOOOOOOOOON!"
*You're getting more hair! I combed it this week for the first time.
*You sweat. A lot.
*You love to babble, and sometimes we go back and forth and have conversations about nothing.
*One of your more annoying new things...when we're holding you like cradle style like a little baby, you like to straighten your entire body, especially when you're mad. No fun.
*You like to "clap" by patting your hand onto ours over and over. Sometimes you do it on your knee.
*Sometimes you are only happy if Mom or Dad is holding you. We've reached that stage.
And here's our monthly comparison!
Yesterday, I decided he might like a ride in the laundry basket. He didn't really notice or care. Maybe soon he'll enjoy it.
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