Giggle practice

After Grandma got Rye going on Christmas, Daddy works the giggle aspect. Daddy was making veggie omelets, so he's saying "ChoppaChoppaChoppaChop."

In other news, Rye transferred the bell toy from one hand to the other yesterday. Dexterity!

Holiday Highlights *

Rye was very excited by the shiny cup with his initials on it, from Grandpop and Sitti in Michigan. He tried to eat it right away.

Rye really loves a wee book from Nana and Granddad, The Great Dog Wash. He made quite a fuss when we put it away, so we had to read it a few times. He wanted to touch the pages and look at the pictures of the dogs, and see the kitty in the tree.

The book was so popular, Grandpa had to offer a reading as well.

The bathtub is a little smaller at Grandma and Grandpa's.

One of the year's favorite gifts: the tissue paper from the box.

Rye really went to town on some mylar paper, completely overstimulating himself until we had to take it away. Breathtaking video here.

Merry Christmas!

His eyes are changing

Rye's eyes have gradually been changing from the navy blue

he was born with, are and getting lighter. We're hoping they

end up a little hazel, but we'll see what he gets.

Baby in motion

While I was in the shower this morning, Rye rolled over by himself while Greg was playing with him! I missed it, and he won't repeat it!

I have the last laugh though—literally. Rye giggled while Greg was at work a few weeks ago, and he hasn't done it since.

Stay tuned for more breathless moments in our continuing story....

Gravity experimentation, initial phase

Rye wants so badly to sit up and hold onto things, and reach for things and be tall. In this initial stage, gravity is getting the upper hand, however.

Exhibit one: "Sitting Up"

Exhibit two: "Staying Up"

Shake-a, Shake-a

Rye works on gripping and shaking a rattle,

while fighting the gravity he does not understand.

Breathtaking video here and here.

First rainbow!

Oh, I wish we had pictures....Rye saw his first rainbow today, a big fat one in the north sky, between storms. And two days ago he followed Admiral Peary squirrel with his eyes as he dashed from tree to rooftop to powerline to tall tree to taller tree.

Today we did some Christmas shopping, and Rye spent the first part of the drive staring out the window, discovering the world speeding by. In the past he's looked at himself in his little mirror, or played with the pacifier leash or his hands...or slept. Well, today he slept, too. But first he watched the cars and gas stations and powerlines go by along Beverly Blvd.

He's getting big, too...last week he weighed 17lbs with clothes on! So he's doubled his birth weight, just about. Healthy boy!

Early language

Babies can understand and communicate quite a bit when they are little; they just can't do it with spoken language. Rye's cousin Alana used sign language, taught by her parents, and it was impressive. The ASL helped her express her needs calmly, without pitching a fit. And, man, I can not bear whining, so hopefully this will help in the long run (especially since my approach with 4th-6th grade whiners—writing your multiplication tables two times—doesn't seem like it will be effective here for quite some while).

We're all working on learning signs. Rye seems to understand some, even though he can't produce them. He has been trying to make the signs for "milk,""more," "Nuk" and "change," as in change diaper. We're also working on "ride" (ride in the sling), "bath," "help (me)," and "finished." In the meantime, Rye is working on his Urdu. Or some other alien language that he's using to practice while we all catch up with him.

This morning, he did a good job understanding the question of whether he was ready to eat, and reproducing a fair approximation of the sign "milk." Video here. (Notice that his other hand is still, so in this case he wasn't just moving his hands around. I swear!)(My kid's a genius, I swear!) Most babies don't produce their first signs until about 6-8 months old, so it's nice that he's clueing in so early.

It's true that often you can get a positive response doing pretty much anything with your hands—Rye thinks all that motion is hilarious. So sometimes it's hard to tell what's a sign or understanding, and what's him just thinking you're a total card. We try to lean toward the positive, though.

Sorry, I tried to embed the video on the blog, but after four hours of upload time, I gave up. Youtube was easier, taking only about three minutes.

Sleepy time

Rye sports his nightcap by mommy, and shows off his escape artistry....no matter what mittens we use, one finger always wiggles through.

Pulling an Uncle Fester impersonation. Look at how he's grown!

Baby accoutrements

Rye tests out the new bib mommy knitted for him,

while jingling a rattle mommy had when she was a baby.

He is starting to grab on well, now!

Rye chooses the Christmas tree

Okay, so actually he slept through the whole thing. But whatever.

We think he's going to like this season.

Rye, 3 months *

Rye is growing like crazy, and we are building up a box filled with sleepers he can't wear any more. He grabs and holds on to things a lot more, now, and wrings his hands. He sucks on his hands, and sometimes his left thumb. The pacifier still soothes him, but he doesn't want it all the time. (He only really wants it when we are in the car and I can't reach it to put it back in his mouth. In his excitement to grab things and hang onto them, he still has not always figured out that pulling on the ribbon attached to the pacifier is what takes the thing out of his mouth.) Sometimes he's able to jam a loose pacifier back into his mouth with the back of his hand. He DOES want to gnaw on soft things using the right side of his mouth, toward the back. Since he started drooling in earnest a couple of weeks ago, we think our non-teething days are numbered.

Rye giggled for the first time this week, while getting zerberts on his belly. The sound was like a peal of angel bells. It's been difficult to repeat, since he knows what zerberts are now, and they aren't as surprising.

He wakes up only 2-3 times per night, now, so we are all feeling a lot more rested than in the early days. He still smiles in his sleep and occasionally calls out with nightmares or joyful sounds.

We've been practicing baby sign language with him, even though it's a little early, and it seems as though he understands some of the signs, although he can't really reproduce them. He seems to try sometimes, though. He is getting to know "Mama," "Daddy," "Mama's milk," "Nuk/pacifier," and "change diaper." We are working on "bath," "hurt/pain," "wait," "stop," "dog," "bird," "funny," "cry," "drive/car," and "help (me)." Some of the conceptual ones will be difficult, which is why we're starting early on them. Plus, we need time to learn them ourselves.

He makes a lot of sounds in an attempt to communicate; as Anne Lamott has said, he switches from Pashto to Serbo-Croation in short babbles that consistently express emotion, even though we don't know what the hell he's trying to say. Even with their updates, Babelfish is of little use.

Rye had a lot of visitors, and a lot of firsts this month:

• First restaurant trip to Masa, a neighborhood pizza and pasta joint

• First band-aid (dang nail-clipping!)

• First giggles

• First trip to El Conquistador

• First Sunday church service (the organ totally freaked him out and Mommy had to take him outside)

• First camping and climbing trip, includes first long car ride

• First visit to Daddy's work for lunch

• First long stint sleeping, 5 hours sometimes!

• First Thanksgiving and walk along the beach

There are videos here and here that shows him just hanging out and making his swimming movements. And here's one of him in the bath (This one only will be up for a week or two, so watch it now.). No Oscar contenders, of course. Not even if I'd used a tripod.

*Pashto is the language, I discovered, while Pashtun are the people. This entry has been corrected as such.

Rye with more cousins!

With Taylor, Daddy and Alley

First Thanksgiving!

Rye checks out the family Holiday Cornhole Tournament with Aunt Margaret and Uncle Patrick.

A walk along The Strand to see the sunset and the Christmas lights on the Pier.

Grampa said grace at dinner time, sharing this poem from American poet, philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1822):

Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

Smile for the camera *

Rye loves the crocheted blanket Mr. Hummer made for him.

Rye meets his great-grandpa, Nana and Granddad

Grampa Bart is Rye's great-grandpa

Rye with Mommy, Grampa Bart, Granddad and Nana

First climbing trip!

Rye spent his first night en plein air with the Rats in Joshua Tree. He seemed to like the outdoors, and slept soundly in the cool air. He was mesmerized by the campfire! Mama's hands were full, and daddy was setting anchors, so some moments were missed by the camera—here are the highlights....

California dude.

His mittens didn't fit, so Rye wore socks since he can't manage to keep his hands under the covers. The Christmas fuzzy sleeper is a hand-me-down...too bad he'll probably grow out of it before Christmas!

Channeling James Dean.

Daddy's down jacket makes an excellent sleeping bag.

Future rope gun, perched on the rope.

Indian Cove campsite in the early morning.

More family meet-and-greet

Uncle Steve

Aunt Loretta

Playing and sleeping

Rye plays in his gym on the playmat that Grandma quilted.

Nothing like a weekend afternoon couch-nap for the boys.

...and his cousins, whom he reckons up by dozens, and his aunts...

Rye has started the long task of getting to know his family. Since he has six grandparents, one great-grandfather, two cousins, six aunts and uncles, 15 great aunts and uncles, 33 second cousins, and a whole mess of honorary aunts, uncles and cousins, it's going to take him some time to get to everybody. Here are some snippets from the last few weeks. So give three cheers, and one cheer more...

Grandpa offers a calming touch.

Grandpa prepares Rye for addressing the finer points of nuclear physics.

Grandma on Binky patrol, after getting Rye to try some yoga moves.

Uncle Mike was in town from St. Louis.

Uncle Bill stops in for lunch occasionally.

Halloween Highlights

The whole costume thing wasn't a big hit at first.

But he looked so cute in Beck's old costume.

Earlier in the day he was just a pun'kin head.

Mama knit his hat.

Pun'kin head and the Great Pumpkin.

Grandma made Alana's costume.

Cousins Ciera, Rye and Alana.

Grandma made Ciera's princess costume, too.

Baby bear got very hungry since he wasn't allowed any candy.

Happy Halloween! (Early!)

Play, Step 1

Rye is intrigued that hitting the swinging bell toy rewards him with a sweet sound! (Don't mind the hiccups.) Eventually, he gets frustrated—either he wants to do something more, or he's suddenly hungry.

Instant laundry-maker

Quiz question: How long does it take to create three loads of laundry?

Answer: Only about four seconds!

Including a 14-inch long Linda Blair-style projectile spit-up, that climbs four inches in the air and narrowly misses the protective waterproof liner on the bed.

Sleeping cuteness

For a short movie of Rye fussing around in his sleep, including an Elmer Fudd grunt, click here.

He moves around and stretches his fingers a lot.

Rye does a lot of sleep-smiling. What do you suppose he's dreaming about? Probably only one thing...

Sacked out.

Essential Mommy Gear *

*This post is occasionally updated.

I've made a list of the essential items I haven't been able to live without over the past couple of months as a new mommy. Hopefully this will help new parents who are planning for Baby, and friends who are shopping for gifts for them!

That's his name, wearin' it out...

Teresanne, a St. Pete friend who is a freelance graphic designer, set Rye up with his own logo-wear.