Short video of Ray walking. Enjoy
September 2004 Archives
Ray turned ONE on September 7 and had a grand old time with his Grandma Kathi and the neighborhood kids (video forthcoming). He received a Radio Flyer tricycle and some new shoes from Kathi, a big "Play Farm" toy from mom and dad, some books and toys from the neighbors, and some geneorous gifts from his other relatives (thanks everyone!).
He's taking multiple steps now (7 is his record) and has increased his vocabulary of signs to about 15. He recently learned "poop," which will be very handy when potty-training time comes. The only problem is that it's pretty close to "banana" ... and Ray loves banana.
Daddy is still on active nighttime duty. Ray's harder to put down to sleep than before, but things are going better at night -- he's sleeping up to 7 hours at a stretch now. We think separation anxiety may be kicking in. Amy is grateful for the uninterrupted sleep and Jim's ... dealing with it.
Take a look in the Gallery for some birthday photos of the boy (password required)
Ray spent some time as a beachcomber the day before his birthday.
Take a look at the Gallery [password required]
In preparation for the big Oh-One on Tuesday, Ray got his first haircut the other day.
We have an edited (but still long) video for your pleasure.
High Quality: Ray's First Haircut (QuickTime video) (36 MB)
Low Quality: Ray's First Haircut (Windows Media) (6.7 MB)
A couple months ago, I predicted that Ray would take his first steps before his first birthday, and the little guy proved me right! Last night (the 1st) at about 4:00pm, he took an unaided step toward Amy, who promptly called me (since I was on the bus home and missed it). Later on, I was able to get him to do it again. Just one small step, but we all know how important that is for mankind!
He's also signing "music" and "toy" now, after only about a day of "training." Oh, and he signed "bath" the other day despite the fact Amy had only shown it to him one other time about a month before. Utterly amazing....
After last Wednesday's successful daytime experiment in which Jim was able to get Ray down for 2 naps all by himself, we've extended it into the nighttime and are now 5 nights into "Seven Nights of Daddy." Amy is sleeping down the guest room and Jim is in charge of the boy. The first night wasn't so great; Ray woke up every hour or so starting at 9:30. But he allowed Jim to settle him easily each time. Things have gotten progressively better. Last night, he slept from 7:30 until 2:30 -- an unprecendented 7 hours! He was up-and-down for the next hour or so until Jim finally called Amy in for reinforcements (and milk). But progress has been made!!
