A hungry Bear...

Look who's eating rice cereal!

A Rhino Run Gone Wrong

Oh look at us...what happy, unsuspecting suckers we are. Last weekend Grant and I decided to do a 5K at the Dallas Zoo, Run for Rhinos. We got up at the lovely hour of 5am and dressed Barrett up in his Halloween costume (he's a very scary dragon, in case you weren't sure). The plan was for Grant to run the race and for me to walk Bear in his stroller and enjoy the scenery.

Mistake #1: There was a 1k that I could've done instead. I thought that distance sounded too short.

Mistake #2: We didn't find out ahead of time that the run didn't actually go through the zoo. As we crossed the starting line in the zoo's parking lot, I expected the race to head into the zoo. Instead we got a very real look at some of the more rough streets of Dallas AROUND the zoo. I started to feel worried when we passed a junkyard with an actual junkyard-dog barking at us.

Mistake #3: The dragon costume may have been a little on the hot side for October in Texas. The morning started off cool but heated up quickly, as did my son. I wasn't a mile in when I could hear whimpering coming from the jogging stroller and I had to start shedding articles of clothing.

Mistake #4: I should've turned around and headed back to the zoo. Grant passed me during the race, as he'd been running and my pace had slowed considerably due to my increasingly cranky child. Why didn't I just follow him back in? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Mistake #5: I only packed 4 pacifiers. Apparently that wasn't enough for Barrett to spit into the street.

This lead to Mistake #6: When I was out of pacifiers, I picked Barrett up and carried him to comfort him a little bit. Once he was out of the stroller, my stubborn baby decided he was NOT getting back in. As a result, I fell to the back of the back and was stuck carrying a 15-pound (crying) baby and pushing a stroller. I felt very alone, a little nervous, and a lot sweaty. We were only 1.5 miles into the 3.1 miles I needed to complete. And we were getting farther away from the zoo.

Mistake #7: I passed several policemen who were monitoring the race. I should've just asked them for help, but I figured they wouldn't drive me to the finish line without a carseat for Barrett.

Finally at less than a mile left in the race, my husband, the hero, came back to rescue me. By this point, I was crying right along with Barrett. Grant carried the wailing boy and I pushed the stroller with one hand and wiped miserable tears away with the other. Barrett became so hysterical that we actually sat in someone's front lawn to feed him while keeping our eyes on a roaming neighborhood dog. (Again, not the best part of town.) After feeding him and starting out again, the pickup truck that picks up the cones along the race route offered Barrett and I a ride. I stubbornly declined...for 30 seconds...until I couldn't take Barrett's tears any longer. We hopped in the truck and Bear quieted down immediately. He was beyond happy to look out the window and grin at passerbys. Stinker. Grant met us at the finish line where race volunteers were waiting to cheer on the final straggler at a finishing time of 1 hour, 9 minutes. Not the prouded moment of my life.

Grant and I decided that the next race will be done together. No separating the pack! But I'm doubtful that the next race will come anytime soon. In the meantime, enjoy laughing at our clueless grins and just imagine what came after these happy pictures. New parents can be such idiots.

Barrett Meets his Great-Grandparents

This past weekend, Bear took his first plane ride to Ohio to meet his only surviving great-grandparents, Grandma & Grandpa Marshall (my mom's parents). I was pleasantly surprised by helpful airport staff and friendly "co-fliers" as I braved the skies with my 4-month old. It didn't hurt that my mom flew with us and was quick to lend a hand. (Grant was in San Fran for work.) Barrett loved looking out the plane window, chatting with nearby fliers, and catching a quick nap. I could tell that those around us breathed a sigh of relief when they realized they were flying with an extremely happy baby. I did too!

Grandma & Grandpa were thrilled to meet Bear and made constant comments about what a happy, cute baby he is. (No arguments there!) They loved calling him Bear and Grandpa even gave his new buddy some extra nicknames like "Louie" and "Rambo". Grandpa & Barrett became fast friends. Bear loved when Grandpa would put him in a "baby trance" by whispering secrets into his ear. We weren't sure what Grandpa was telling Bear, but it was important enough that Bear would become very still and his eyes would widen. It was really sweet to watch.

After seeing Bear & Grandpa together, it was pretty evident whose genes my boy has inherited. Grandpa has definitely passed down his cheeks and ears to Barrett. We found an old picture of Grandpa as a boy (he's on the right) and after comparing them with my munchkin, we couldn't believe the resemblance!

Can you see the resemblance??

4 Months!

Four months! Barrett has had some big developments with his new age. Last week he started rolling over, from front to back and vice versa. I actually missed his first roll. I popped into the kitchen and when I came back into the living room, Barrett was on his belly under his gym. He is fast! Now that he is in control of his little body, tummy-time is no longer baby-torture. He actually figured out that he can flip over and watch tv on his tummy. He is truly his father's son!

Barrett has also gotten into the habit of waking me up with the loudest chatter I've heard from him yet. More than once I've woken up in the middle of the night to joyful, one-sided banter coming from the monitor. 1:45am? 4:00am? It doesn't matter what time it is! This boy will party day or night.

My swimming Bear loves his swim class. He has started to frog-kick around the pool while I hold him. He also splashes and doesn't seem to mind when I pour water over his head and face. His has a new girlfriend in class and when they lock eyes, he kicks furiously and wiggles his eyebrows.

Barrett seems to be a favorite among the ladies in the church nursery. Every Sunday when I come to pick him up, he is happily curled up with one of them. They always give me reports about my little chatterbox and how he smiled and entertained them. That boy LOVES ladies!

A trip to the pumpkin patch...

Last weekend, Barrett's Mom, Aunt Cookie, & Sug took Bear-Bear to his very first pumpkin patch. Aunt Cookie found a nearby farm that had an incredibly cute set-up and Barrett wore his first Halloween outfit! He was the most adorable baby chicken-a gift from Sug. He was a trooper!