My big news this month is that I can truly walk now. As in, decide I want to go from this side of the room to that side and go straight there. Or see my cat Taka or Seng walking away from me and follow her right across the room. Or I see mom or Appa across the room and go to say hi. Over carpeted floors or wood floors or the deck out back, those are all good. The grass is good too, though that can be a little more uneven sometimes, but it is soft to sit or fall on. When I am out front (say, heading to the park) and on the harder stuff (mom says it is concrete), then I still hold onto mom's hand. Anyway, I am pretty sure that this definitely makes me a toddler now.
I am leaving all of that baby stuff behind (or working on it in some cases, such as slowly letting go of the habit of my bottle). Speaking of bottle, I try to say it sometimes, though for some reason mom thinks it comes out 'baa'.
In other big news, I took my very first airplane ride this month! I don't exactly understand all that goes on, but it is definitely a big production, and there are all kinds of new and interesting things to check out. Like the tray table (it goes up and down!). Or the person behind me (I can hide behind mom, then pop my head up with a big smile!). Or the ipad of the lady sitting next to us (unfortunately mom stopped this pretty quickly). Definitely an interesting event is going up and down the aisle and making a ton of new friends (especially the little and young kind, but sometimes the old kind who make fun faces). Mom had the trip logistics worked out well - carrying me in the Ergo pack on her front, the backpack carry-on on her back (with lots of new toys and food), and then a rolling suitcase in one hand and the car seat in another! Oh and the pacifier around her neck completed the ensemble. It turns out I did well going up and down in altitude and my ears didn't hurt. Overall, a success!
Mom says that the trip itself was to Oregon (flying to Portland, then driving down to Corvallis) for my great uncle Warren's 95th birthday. I hope I live to be that age someday - that would be a little under 95 TIMES my age (when you are one, math is pretty easy. I think it gets more tricky when the numbers get bigger). He was the oldest Hovland and I was the youngest Hovland at the party! It was fun to meet him and a whole bunch of my relative from my grandpa's side, most of whom I hadn't met before. I met a cousin who was just a little bit older than me, and another who was really fun and shared her dragons with me.
Oregon was where I really went from taking a few tentative steps to being able to move across the room. About a week later, I figured out how to get up on my own in the middle of a room (it is a little down-dog move, followed by a squat, and then I am up!). Mom and Appa think it is really cute. For me, it is just part of my increased freedom.
If you remember, I like to play a bunch. It is a good thing to remember to do throughout life. My new favorite things are to play around and through Karin's or mom's legs, to open and close the wood blinds in my room, and to try to crank the shade out back. A continued favorite is to hide around a post (or mom) and peak out and say hi! And of course to crawl around with mom or Appa, to play with running water in the sink, or to play with anything shiny. Sometimes little friends will come over play too. One time I even pushed my little friend around the room using the push toy (we took the blocks out so she could have a seat).
We rounded out the month with a trip up into the mountains where I got to taste a wild raspberry, crawl around some rocks, go on a pretty long hike to a remote lake (mom says we made it to Booth Lake!) in the Gore range, walk on cobblestones, hang out with some good friends (including little B), and play in some cool playgrounds.
Ayamma left Colorado (on her way back to India) this month, so I will see her in October when I get to take my first international trip!
Thank you God for this month, this day, and this moment.
I am leaving all of that baby stuff behind (or working on it in some cases, such as slowly letting go of the habit of my bottle). Speaking of bottle, I try to say it sometimes, though for some reason mom thinks it comes out 'baa'.
In other big news, I took my very first airplane ride this month! I don't exactly understand all that goes on, but it is definitely a big production, and there are all kinds of new and interesting things to check out. Like the tray table (it goes up and down!). Or the person behind me (I can hide behind mom, then pop my head up with a big smile!). Or the ipad of the lady sitting next to us (unfortunately mom stopped this pretty quickly). Definitely an interesting event is going up and down the aisle and making a ton of new friends (especially the little and young kind, but sometimes the old kind who make fun faces). Mom had the trip logistics worked out well - carrying me in the Ergo pack on her front, the backpack carry-on on her back (with lots of new toys and food), and then a rolling suitcase in one hand and the car seat in another! Oh and the pacifier around her neck completed the ensemble. It turns out I did well going up and down in altitude and my ears didn't hurt. Overall, a success!
Mom says that the trip itself was to Oregon (flying to Portland, then driving down to Corvallis) for my great uncle Warren's 95th birthday. I hope I live to be that age someday - that would be a little under 95 TIMES my age (when you are one, math is pretty easy. I think it gets more tricky when the numbers get bigger). He was the oldest Hovland and I was the youngest Hovland at the party! It was fun to meet him and a whole bunch of my relative from my grandpa's side, most of whom I hadn't met before. I met a cousin who was just a little bit older than me, and another who was really fun and shared her dragons with me.
Oregon was where I really went from taking a few tentative steps to being able to move across the room. About a week later, I figured out how to get up on my own in the middle of a room (it is a little down-dog move, followed by a squat, and then I am up!). Mom and Appa think it is really cute. For me, it is just part of my increased freedom.
If you remember, I like to play a bunch. It is a good thing to remember to do throughout life. My new favorite things are to play around and through Karin's or mom's legs, to open and close the wood blinds in my room, and to try to crank the shade out back. A continued favorite is to hide around a post (or mom) and peak out and say hi! And of course to crawl around with mom or Appa, to play with running water in the sink, or to play with anything shiny. Sometimes little friends will come over play too. One time I even pushed my little friend around the room using the push toy (we took the blocks out so she could have a seat).
We rounded out the month with a trip up into the mountains where I got to taste a wild raspberry, crawl around some rocks, go on a pretty long hike to a remote lake (mom says we made it to Booth Lake!) in the Gore range, walk on cobblestones, hang out with some good friends (including little B), and play in some cool playgrounds.
Ayamma left Colorado (on her way back to India) this month, so I will see her in October when I get to take my first international trip!
Thank you God for this month, this day, and this moment.
