Fearless

That's Rudy -- fearless.  He is unbelievable.  Since last week when he started to pull up on things, he is unstoppable.  He attempts to pull up on everything and every day he is more successful.  I bought him a new toy last week to practice with before he became such a pro.  He loves it.  He will spend 10-15-20 minutes standing by it.  When he pushes certain buttons, music plays and things light up.  He gets the biggest grin.  He even starts "dancing" -- basically bouncing his legs and smiling.

He pulled himself up on our glass door, every couch, ottoman, dishwasher, etc that he can get his hands on.

He won't even sit in the bath.  The last few nights I have to basically keep one arm around him (its slippery and I don't want him falling in the bath tub!) and one arm cleaning him.  Getting a diaper or clothes on him is unreal.  I can't believe how difficult it can be!  This morning I set my step stool I use in my closet in front of the trunk in our room.  The stool is light and I didn't want him to end up pushing it around and falling, so I thought the trunk would keep it in one place.  That worked, except he decided to crawl up the step stool and on to the trunk...grunting and huffing and puffing the whole time.  He sure works hard!  His nights are much more restless.  Before if he woke up, he would stir but settle down and fall back asleep.  Now he wakes up and his first move is to stand up -- can't exactly drift back to sleep standing up in your crib.  Has made for some very tired days for this mama!

Last week I took Rudy to Brookhills to visit Grandpa Ballweg.  He works some Sundays and we wanted to get out of the house for a bit.  Rudy did really well.  He stood up (of course) to the bar and played with his toys and yelled at Grandpa.  

Here he is sitting on the air vent.  I have no idea how he discovered it or how he ends up always finding it when the air is on, but it cracks him up.  He gets so excited (if you can't tell by his arms that are barely visible because he is flapping them so fast).  

He sees no obstacle or barrier.  He thinks if he sees it, he can go to it.  As John says, "the quickest way from point A to point B is a straight line"...even if that straight line means crawling under his activity gym to get to a pair of shoes.  He is worse that Rufus when it comes to our shoes.  I have to worry more about our baby chewing them up than our puppy!

Oh and how could I almost forget...I had a minor freak-out last week and was convinced I was a negligent mother.  We have been pretty busy so I hadn't gotten around to reading the "7th month" chapter in my "What to Expect..." book.  I usually read it at the start of each month.  The chapter starts out with a list of things:  "By seven months, your baby...should be able to:" followed by, "...will probably be able to:" next, "...may possibly be able to:" and finally, "...may even be able to."  First item on the list of "should be able to" is "feed self a cracker" --- say whaaaaaaat?!?!  A cracker????  Are you kidding me?!?!  Rudy has only had baby food, nothing resembling solid food, let alone a cracker!  John's face was priceless when I told him what I had read and said, "He has two teeth...how is that even going to work?!"  All the items on the entire list he could do or had done everything (which is probably the first time that has happened)...except #1 on the easy list.  So I did what I do and talked to a couple moms at work (I guess that's one good thing about being a working mom).  Turns out, I was definitely behind.  Oops!  But good thing I asked because I was about ready to hand over a saltine.  Turns out Gerber makes all kinds of options for "crawlers" to eat, which is the Gerber stage he is in.  And, doing what I do, I stocked our cabinet full with almost all of those options!  Here is he with his first cookie.  

In the end, it made an absolute mess.  But he was so curious and occupied by it.  I don't know how much he actually swallowed, but instead chewed on (which makes it almost immediately dissolve), and let it run down his arms, cover his face, and high chair.  We are going to have to get used to messy fingers! 

I am so terrified of him choking.  I think that's why I held off for so long or didn't even consider giving him anything solid.  But he has to learn and I have to relax.  I just stay really close by when he's eating his "snacks."   

Rufus may start to come around to Rudy, after all...especially now that he has food to drop for him :)

We have had several visitors the last week.  Lindsay Strawn came all the way from California to meet Mr. Ru.  Her mom came with and it was so great to visit with them.  Levi and his mom and dad have come by  while they are on walks (definitely going to miss having them so close!) and its so fun to try and get Rudy and Levi to interact.  They did smile at each other a couple times (which is pretty awesome because Levi is still pretty little).  I can't wait for them to start playing together!!  Grandpa and Grandma Ballweg, the Greats came over, too.  They had a nice visit -- two people with glasses at one time, Rudy must have thought he hit the jackpot on visitors!  He sure loves pulling off glasses!  

Considering how many people come to visit Rudy and how sociable he is with everyone, I didn't think it would be a big deal to let Rudy sit and play with a couple of the nurses during my chiropractor appointment (which is about 15 minutes, at most).  I've been going to this doctor for several weeks now, so when they offered to hang out with him when I was having a hard time scheduling the appointment around John and mine's schedules, I figured it would be easier than having LeeAnn or my mom come watch him.  I was wrong!  I had no idea how attached Rudy was.  He was not having it at all!!  Red face, real tears.  Long story, short, I had to sit with him on my stomach while the doctor adjusted my neck and standing in front of the table (thankfully it is low and Rudy loves to stand!), while he did my back.  Then when we were done and I was holding him, he was alllll smiles, giggles, funny faces for them.  Ornery.

So why the chiropractor?  With the amount of back pain I had when I was pregnant with Rudy and then the problems I had with the epidural, a nurse at the hospital suggested I see a chiropractor.  So far, I'm glad I did!  From the x-rays he did I have "curvature" in my lower back (which is where the worst of the pain was and why the epidural might not have worked like it should) and I also have degeneration in my neck (thanks to my awful posture that I am making a huge effort to improve).  Anyway, he is doing adjustments to get things all straightened back out and in the meantime, helping me out with some other things that I had no idea were related to my back.  I am very hopeful this will all help with the next pregnancy and delivery...whenever that is!

Just a couple more pictures...Rudy swiped the remote from Dad and was pretty happy about it...

Me and Rudy (in what I swear I ordered was a boys shirt but as John pointed out, looks like it might be for girls...sorry baby!)

Happy baby

And Rudy and Jorja out on their first dinner date together

We have a big weekend ahead of us!...We did our final walkthrough of the new house tonight and close tomorrow morning at 8:30 am.  I thought the last several months have been busy... its just all beginning!  Anyone interested in checking it out tomorrow, John will be there all day and Sunday (and every other day after that probably!) -- come on by!

And lastly for tonight, I'd like to ask everyone to say a little prayer for heaven's new angel.  John's grandmother (LeeAnn's mom), Eileen Favero, passed away early Monday morning.  We went to a ceremony for her this morning at the cemetery.  She is in a better place now with God and it brings peace to her family to know she is no longer suffering.  Rudy has another guardian angel keeping an eye out for him...