The Homegrown Baby at 8 1/2 months

I am perfect, fabulous, amazing, and absolutely adorable, or so everyone seems to think. I am crawling around the world and it is just delightful. I can find my mommy no matter where she is hiding in the house.

I had a lovely summer full of adventures with my family. My Amma Starr was here all the way from India and we spent lots of lovely time together. She is so sweet to me and makes my mommy keep everything so clean. We went on a trip to Big Bear with my Tia Mari and had a great time. The first thing momma did when we arrived was

take blankets and pillows from all over the house to build me a "nest" on the living room floor. Momma has figured out that the best way to play with me is to give me good space and then make a comfortable place for her to be with me. I'm not one of those babies you can hold on a lap for a long time, even then I was on the move and I couldn't even crawl yet. But I liked to roll around, rock on my knees, and swim my way along.

While in Big Bear with our family, I got my first tooth - actually teeth my two

bottom teeth came in at the same time. Tia Mari taught me to play a drum and bought me my own little jimmbe. We had such a nice time. We swam, and ate, and then ate again. I love food. I love fruit, cheese, vegetables, breads and cereals, but not that silly baby rice cereal - puh! it has no flavor whatsoever.

After Big Bear we flew home and celebrated Daddy's Birthday. We rode the steam train and had dinner with Great Grandma Bevy. It was a very nice day.


Then a few days later we flew back to L.A. because I was going to be Tia Mari's birthday present. Momma couldn't put me in a package but I looked really cute anyway. We had a lovely beach party and I ate lots of sand and swam in the Ocean -a bit - it was cold.

Then after only a couple of days we flew Austin, Texas for a site walk through and more meetings for Daddy's next big show, The Human Race. Momma was cranky when we arrived because we couldn't get a room with a king size bed so we were all going to have to squeeze into a queen. I think all the beds are giant but momma learned while we were in Big Bear that more space is really necessary when I'm around. She says I take up a lot of room even though I'm really quiet little. But daddy made it better. The first thing he d

id when we got into our room was rearrange everything so that the bed was against the wall, all the pillows lined it, and we had both our nest and mom wouldn't have to worry about me falling off the bed, which really means she can squish me without being concerned.

Austin was a little bit too hot but I didn't really mind. I liked hanging out with Uncle Ron and Sarah Shansky, strolling in my car seat stroller downtown through balmy evenings was quiet nice. The bats were amazing too, did you know Austin is famous for its bats. They fly out in a giant twist from under a bridge every evening. I had such a good time and after napping all day during our meetings, I didn't feel like going to sleep at night. Poor mamma whined to daddy, "tell her all the other babies in Austin are asleep," it was 11:30 at night so it was probably true.

After Austin, we went straight to L.A. for another meeting. I got to spend the morning with Tia Mari and Amma Starr walking on Venice Beach. Poor Mom and Dad were worn out. Finally, we flew home. If I was getting milage credits for my flights, I would almost have a free one by now. But I'm just a lap baby so the best I can hope for is having someone fun to play with while I fly - or maybe a magazine to eat.

Momma got me a baby potty and I learned to use it right away. My goodness they made such a fuss - that is all my momma could talk about for days.

Amma Starr came back up for L.A. - she had to get ready to go wahhhhh! But then my Great Grandma Helene came to visit too. I love having the whole family around, so I was sad when they all left.

But we were on the move. Momma started school and left me for the very first time on Monday, August 21st. She was concerned and I could tell because for the few days before that day she wouldn't put me down. I had been her mini me for seven months and before that I had been part of her, detaching was going to be hard. We spent the night at Great Grandma's in Walnut Creek because the staff development meeting that she needed to go to was nearby. Then on the first morning, as she was about to leave, she heard a crash and a bang and wail. I had fallen off of my potty into the kitty's litter box. It was my first big fall. I wasn't hurt so bad but I was pissed. I screamed as she put me in the sink and with poor daddy's help washed the litter off my face and hands. She was late to her first meeting.

School started, and Daddy's biggest show yet was the weekend after the first week of school. So while they moved and talked a mile a minute, I just played with my toys and practiced crawling. I had my first babysitter who was not a member of the family. Spring - she was great, she cooked me yummy food and fed my momma too.

Then it was back to L.A. for the Human Race. I was so excited that I bounced and bounced for the whole plane ride down. Momma had gone straight from school to the airport so she was pretty pooped but I had napped all day so I was ready to run the race myself!

The first thing I did when we got to the hotel was learn to crawl - Friday, August 29th. I loved the soft, firm, carpet with lots of traction, I could MOVE for the first time. I spent the weekend crawling all over the production trailer. I had a great time. On show night, I stayed up to 3 AM. I had a great time.

Since then things have settle down. Grandma Ellen and Grandpa David moved to town so now on the two days a week that momma works, I get grandma care - the best kind. She takes me to swimming and baby gym once a week. Crawling has basically been a great way to get to places where I can pull myself up to standing. I am getting really good at standing now, I can balance on my own two feet for longer each day. I can't wait to walk. I also clapped my hands for the first time a couple of days ago and when I'm cranky and want my mamma, I cry maa maa maa maa maa which sounds like mamma. Yesterday, when grandma Ellen said Bye Bye, I said buby buby back which they thought sounded like bye bye.

Bye Bye for now. I'll be back after a fun weekend bluegrass and lots of good friends.

a little like mamma.