My Little Boy

It keeps hitting me in waves how much Connor is not a baby anymore.  Patrick and I both felt like he woke up Saturday as a different person.  He really tries to engage us and communicate.  He learns new words every day.  And he is constantly, constantly, seeking to assert his will and independence.  He has started giving us commands, which are kind of hilarious, but sometimes I'm at a loss at how to communicate to him that I can't do everything he wants me to, when he wants me to do it.  His newest command is "up."  We are constantly being told "up," which usually means to pick him up, but sometimes means down or just move.  It's really funny to go into his room in the morning and be told "UP!"

Connor feeding pigeons at St. Stephen's Green.

He also has been letting us know when he wants us to sing to him.  He learned on the trip to Ireland that if he tells his Happaw "e i o" then Happaw and sometimes Uncle Kevin would sing "Old MacDonald" to him.  Since we've gotten home, he's also learned that if he starts saying random letters, Patrick and I would sing him the "ABCs."

Connor in the cedar moss at Glendalough.

Sometime on the trip he learned how to give kisses.  Now if we ask him for them and make a "mmmmuah" sound he will usually give us one, and sometimes multiple.  He also will give them to us without prompting, totally of his own volition, though those times are rare.

Connor with one of Rita's dog's, Buster.  You can see the start of his impetigo.

Our poor little buddy got something else new while we were in Ireland: impetigo.  It's not very serious, but the worst is on his face and it looks pretty yucky.  It started developing last Monday and that Friday, when we were back in the country, I took him to the doctor and got him some antibiotic cream.  It seems to be clearing up okay, but I wish it would do better.  He has it on his hands too, and they don't really seem to be improving.  I'll keep watching it though.

Connor at the beach on Achill Island.

Since Connor couldn't breast-feed on the trip all the time like he does at home, he started eating a lot of snacks.  He still likes apples a lot and will eat any bread given to him, but he also likes freeze-dried strawberries and goldfish crackers as well as freeze-dried yogurt drops.  He will also sometimes eat meat, especially out of my sandwiches.  It's still not a significant amount of his daily calories, but he's headed in the right direction!