We just got back from the pediatrician’s office.  Quinn is at the beginning of ear infection #5…in 5 months.  We were looking at his chart and we’ve been to the doctor every Friday at the end of the month for the past few months- we’re in a pattern.  And not a good pattern.  Hopefully our visit to the ENT at the end of July will help us figure out what to do next.  But, as usual, the mighty Quinn is showing no signs of being sick.  I would say it’s good that he has the whole weekend to rest, but you try getting a mobile 9 month old to rest…it’s an impossible task! 

This is usually my view when I look down:

I would say it’s one of the best views in the world!

We have baseboard electric heaters in our house and Quinn recently started putting his hands and feet in them. Even though they aren’t hot right now, I’m afraid he is going to cut himself. So I started say “no” to him when he puts his hands in. I try to use my stern voice (which is kind of a joke in itself!) The first few times he laughed at me and then he started to understand that I meant business. And then he gave me a pathetic little face.

Of course after giving me those eyes, I had to scoop him up and tickle him to make him laugh again. How am I ever going to discipline him when he looks at me like that?!?

Quinn has never met a camera that he doesn’t love. As soon as he sees the camera, he puts on a big ol’ smile and hams it up. Here’s proof that he really does pose for the camera:

He also loves to look at pictures of himself. My cousin made this awesome shadowbox with 2 pictures of Quinn when he was a newborn. It’s on the shelf in our living room and whenever we walk in the room, the first place he looks at and points to is the shadowbox. If I put it on the floor, Quinn stares at it, talks to it, points to the pictures, and tries to make out with it. What can I say, the boy loves himself. But who can blame him- he’s so adorable that it’s impossible not to be completely infatuated!

checking himself out

kissing his pictures

“Quinn is our little daredevil! We think his profession will be a stunt man when he grows up! He pulls himself up on anything he can grab. If you are ever in the baby room when he is here, you can hear him laughing away. He is so pleasant and we love his company. He is one of a kind, and we will be so sad when he leaves, but we still have a lot of time with him!” (I think the leaving part means when he moves up to the one-year-old room.)

He sure is one of a kind!

Quinn had a great extended weekend. He got to be spoiled spend time with both sets of grandparents. Ryan and I went down to DC for the night on Saturday for a wedding and my parents (Gram and Grandpop to Quinn) came out and babysat him. They said he was great and I know they loved spending time with him, even if they looked exhausted when we got home on Sunday! And then on Monday Ryan and Quinn played hooky and stayed home to spend time with Ryan’s parents (Meme and Grandpa to Quinn) who were in town for the day. They met me for lunch, tested out the new baby pool, and played.

Quinn with his Meme and Grandpa

At the end of the weekend, Quinn went about his normal evening activities- playing in the kitchen and eating dinner.

I’m not going to brag or anything, but notice how Quinn wrote “mom” on the fridge with his magnets. Yeah, it was totally Quinn and not me at all.

Here is Quinn showing everyone why he gets a bath every night before bed. Now that he is eating some foods with his fingers (in this case it was a beloved spinach pancake), he usually leaves the high chair with more food on his face, in his hair and stuck on his clothes than he actually has in his belly. Sometimes pieces of his dinner fall out of his clothes or my clothes later in the night. That’s why it’s good to have a dog that follows you around- Fenway always cleans up after us! Yummy.

We’ve figured out that Ryan and I can actually sit down, eat dinner and clean up afterwards if we put the kitchen on lockdown (meaning gates up in all doorways) and give Quinn free range to crawl all around. This includes crawling under, on, and around the kitchen table, opening and closing drawers and cabinets, pulling tupperware and plastic cutting boards out of drawers and chasing Fenway in circles. By the time dinner is over, the kitchen looks like a tornado has come through (Tornado Quinn, that is) but that’s OK because everyone is well fed and happy. Except maybe Fenway who, by this time, has endured a good half hour of Quinn chasing him, trying to pull the tags off his collar, and whacking him on the head with the plastic spoon that we’ve given Quinn to keep him occupied.

Here is a picture of our kitchen after dinner tonight- Fenway is tired, Ryan is doing the dishes , and Quinn is trying to open the oven door. He couldn’t reach so he ended up pulling both kitchen towels onto the floor and whipping them around Fenway’s head.

On Father’s Day, Ryan wanted to grill out so we had our friends over for some food and drinks. They have a 2.5 year old who loves Fenway and calls Quinn “Baby Kin”. So cute. It was a perfect Father’s Day event- good food, good friends and the cutest boys ever.

This is Brycen and his son Asher. I have a feeling when Quinn is 2.5 years old, Ryan is going to have the same exasperated look on his face while chasing Quinn around.

Quinn giving Ryan a father’s day kiss.

Fenway showing off his new haircut and fully enjoying all the attention.

Quinn is thinking about how to steal Fenway’s ball.

Asher and Fenway peeking at the dogs in the neighbors yard.

Quinn had his 9 month well baby checkup today. No shots today, just a heel prick to check his blood for iron (he’s good.) He weighs 20 lbs., 2 oz. (a little below 50th percentile) and 28.5 inches (a little above the 50th percentile). Poor guy still has fluid in his ears, but at least it’s not infected. We have an appointment at the end of July with a pediatric ENT to discuss tubes.

On a health related note, there is an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in Quinn’s daycare, specifically in the infant room. It’s such a disgusting name for the virus and for some reason it reminds me of a horse. I think because if I say “hand, foot” quickly it makes me think of the word “hoof”. Anyway…it’s highly contagious and spreads through saliva and once a child has it the virus can remain in their saliva for up to 3 weeks. Quinn is one of two babies in the room who has not yet been infected. So cross your fingers and knock on wood that Quinn remains healthy!

I mentioned before that Quinn loves the fan in our family room. It’s fair to say that he is completely infatuated with it. The minute we walk in the room he looks to see if the fan is on. If it is, he raises his hand in the air and starts talking “a da da a ga a.” I think that translates into “I love you, fan.” The other day he laid on the floor staring up at the fan for a good five minutes, with his bear by his side (which is his other newfound love.) And for those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of spending time with Quinn, it’s important to know that Quinn does not lay on his back EVER, not even when he is sleeping, nor does he sit still for five minutes at a time EVER. Good thing he had Bear to keep him company!