Movin' and a-groovin'

So Travis is getting more mobile, and starting to get into everything he can get his hands on!!  Unfortunately, the word 'no' doesn't have meaning yet, but it's likely to be his first word. As I watch him scoot around, and pull the cord on the lamp for the third time, I think, "wait a minute, I was the GOOD kid! I don't deserve this!" Guess I should blame Ken! He was probably just as bad. Just recently, I was taking some photos to send to his Pappaw, and Travis decided to launch himself right off the couch. Luckily, he launched himself right into my lap!

He's been crankier than normal, refusing to eat or relax for bed, so I took him to the Dr. yesterday. Turns out, he has two ear infections so he's now on anti-biotics. The pediatrician recommended giving him Advil as well, though it hasn't slowed him down any! I'll be glad when he doesn't cry every time I put him down or walk away.

He's also beginning to talk more. He has a high-pitched sing-song voice that he uses to talk to himself when he wakes up in his crib, but isn't ready to eat yet. He can say da-da, though it's much like ga-ga, and i-yi-yi; it doesn't hold any meaning for him yet. I keep trying to get him to say 'ma-ma' or 'pa-pa' but so far, nothing.

He has finally decided to enjoy taking a bath, though he still hates getting water in his face, and holds his breath when I have to wash his hair. He's such a cutie.

Bastrop Photo Shoot

I just wanted to share some early photos from our photo shoot last week. Our friend, Ashley, took them, and did an amazing job! She might get tired of me asking to take more photos of us every 6 months!! :-)

Here a just a few of the photos in case you haven't seen them on Facebook already. Leave us a comment: which one is YOUR favorite?

Heartbreaker

Fun with Papa

Stroll in the Park

Grumpster in Downtown Bastrop

Mama and Travis - My Personal Favorite!

Hanging with Papa

A tea lover's dream

IngenuiTEA teapot from thinkgeek.com

This is not one of those annoying product placement ads like you see on Bones or Castle, this really is the coolest thing. Ken found it, and got it for me for Christmas. It's a 1-cup tea infuser. You put loose tea leaves inside, pour in hot water, let it steep, put it over a tea cup, and there's an ingenious little system on the bottom that drains the tea, but keeps the tea leaves enclosed. If you're a tea lover like me, this thing is awesome. It's great when you don't want to heat up a whole pot of water for just a cup or two of tea.

Anyways, I've been using it more, and realized that I'm getting low on loose tea, which I was shopping for, but then decided to take a break and share this with y'all.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Travis Marlin Scooter-Butt

Travis has been trying so hard to crawl; the best he's managed is a scoot/army crawl. Here's a video showing him moving with the proper motivation: Mama's phone. It won't be long before he's crawling!

Les Miserables

Last night, Mom called and said, "Les Mis is on PBS, if I record it, will you want to watch it while you're here?"

"Do pigs like mud? Do cows moo? Will cockroaches survive an apocalypse?," I responded. (Just kidding, I don't talk to my mom like that -- I said "sure!")

After we got off the phone, I cruised on over to PBS -- sure enough, The 25th anniversary concert was on. I'd missed my favorite part, the first act, but I love the whole show, and Ken was kind enough not to tease me (much). He has laughed at me many times for having multiple favorites, so I've gotten in the habit of saying "...one of my favorite authors, books, teas..." However, I can safely say that although I've seen some amazing musicals, Les Mis is far and away my favorite.

I can't believe it's been around for 25 years. I first saw it over 15 years ago in Tucson with my friend Terry's boyfriend, Johnny. Yeah, that sounds weird. Let me 'splain: the three of us had been to several musicals together, part of Terry's attempt to civilize me. That night, Terry happened to be sick or out of town or something, so she asked Johnny to take me instead. From the first chord, I was enthralled. Since then, I've seen it twice more on stage: once here in Austin, and once in London, which I still consider one of the highlights of my life (thanks, Ken!). I also own the 10th anniversary DVD, and I used to own the CD set, but I listened to it so much that it got scratched up and started skipping. That's OK, though, because I could probably sing the whole thing on my own. So, yeah, I love this musical.

Though it has many depths, layers, and other characters, I continue to be moved by the story of Jean Valjean and his relationship with God. He chooses to accept God's redemptive grace and lives a life helping others even though he is an escaped convict. He's contrasted by Javert, the police inspector who is always trying to recapture him. Javert has a narrow and legalistic view of God - seeing only His law and wrath. There is no room in Javert's world view for grace and forgiveness. He lives a sad and lonely life. Valjean makes mistakes, but understands God's love and life-changing power. He knows that God changes our hearts, and though he can't make up for the wrong he's done, he can move forward and be a force for good, living in God's love. It is a beautiful story, told in a deeply moving way. It never fails to uplift me, and remind me of God's grace.

Someday, I should read the book, but until then, I'll be enjoying the music - I highly encourage you to check it out.

6-month Photo Shoot and the Outdoors

As I sit down to write, I can hear Mr. T talking to himself in his crib. Soon, his chatter will turn into whining, then crying, and hopefully after that will be the silence of sleep. I know he's tired, he hasn't napped all day, but he refuses to sleep. We've had a busy day, and he's still wound up. This morning, a friend of ours came out to take some photos of us. She's always loved photography, and is learning about turning her passion into a business. I am happy to have someone else behind the camera besides me, so this works for us both. She does a great job, even photographing something as difficult as a baby, especially one who gets tired and cranky and stops looking where he should be looking!

First, we took some shots in the house, then we decided to head outside. We ended up in downtown Bastrop, by the courthouse, and finally, took a stroll down by the river. Travis was a trooper; it's true, he loves getting his picture taken, but after not having a nap, and being overwhelmed by the newness of the outdoor sites, he still did well. Luckily, Travis is so photogenic! I am excited to see how they turn out. I admire my friend for following her passion. I have been trying to find my passion for years; perhaps my problem is that I have too many passions -- sewing, tech writing, baking, reading, embroidery. How do you make a living doing just one thing?

I had forgotten how quaint and sweet Bastrop is. I forget because I'm always running into Austin, but one thing that I want to do is take Travis outdoors more often. We get a little stir crazy in the house every day. Bastrop is perfect! There are sweet little shops, a nice park next to a river, and people just waiting to coo over my little man. It's hard for me to do things alone, but the truth is, I'm a loner. I LIKE to be alone. At first, that may sound like a contradiction. Though I like to be alone, I don't like to do things alone. I like to have a purpose. Aimlessly wandering is difficult for me. However, aimless wandering can be fun. And, with Travis, I'm no longer alone.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.
~John Muir

Next week promises to be busy with several planned trips into Austin, and our MOMS club play date, but I have a renewed desire to visit the outdoors with Travis. Especially with the coming of spring. Spring is my favorite time of year, when God blesses the earth and brings renewal and hope through blooming flowers, bright, sunny days, and grass waving gently in the breeze.