Waylon's First Christmas (and first cold)

Christmas started early this year with a celebration on Saturday (12/23) with the Thomas family (my mom's side) in Upland. It was very traditional with a white-elephant gift exchange and chinese food from Panda Express. I was so busy making sure that Waylon didn't tear down their Christmas tree that I forgot to take any pictures. It was very fun and great to see everyone, including my aunt Ann, who is recooping from double knee replacement.

Waylon had been snotty and drooling a lot, but I assured Aaron that it was just teething. However, when it got worse the nurse at the advice line suggested I go in to the pediatric walk-in clinic, Kids Doc. I can only imagine that hospitals in third world countrises are a lot like Kids Doc on the day before Christmas. There were sick kids everywhere, and I was certain that if Waylon wasn't sick going in there, he definitely would be sick coming out. After a two hour wait I was told that he had a cold and is teething (poor little guy!). He was pretty sick for Christmas, and his sleep habits have been messed up, but he's been quite the trooper and is on the mend.

Aaron calls himself a "C&E'er" meaning he attends church on Christmas and Easter. On Christmas Eve, Waylon and I joined Aaron for services. Here we are before going in for the childrens service, which was absolutely adorable and even involved puppets!
Waylon is excited on Christmas Eve--he cant wait to see what Santa will bring the next morning.
Aaron gets to see what its like to be an elf as he puts together Waylon's wagon from Uncle Dick and Aunt Kathy.
As you can see, Waylon was extremely spoiled this Christmas (not a surprise), but his favorite toy was the wrapping paper and boxes (also not a surprise).
Yee Haw! Waylon enjoys his new rocking horse from his crazy New Jersey relatives.
Woo Hoo--a box!!!!
Waylon helps Grandpa Ed open gifts.
Aaron was especially excited about the football from Uncle Frank. If you look closely you can see the evidence of Waylon's cold--there's a reason we've been calling him "snotty Mcgee" .
Enjoying (???) his new wagon. I think Waylon was pretty doped up on baby sudafed by this point in the day.
Cruising the neighborhood in style.
Riding off into the sunset...

Reindeer Rejects

Dont let those jingle bell collars fool you, Thelma and Louise would never make the cut for Santa's sleigh. They are very much the crazy old ladies that sometimes decide to spazz out like puppies. Thelma's list of medical ailments seems to grow by the second, and Louise's neurosis contine. That said, they are very sweet beagles and will do anything--and I truly mean anything--for a few moments of attention and a baby carrot (their favorite treat)!

Thelma (left) and Louise doing what they do best...begging.
Thelma is not deterred by the dog/baby gate, but instead uses it to stand on her hind legs for close-proximity begging. She has been known to open drawers and cabinets, and we are convinced that she is going to grow thumbs one of these days. Thanks to her antics, our kitchen is almost fully beagle proofed, which is even tougher than baby proofing.
You can see in this picture why we call Louise "the Sheriff" -- she constantly appears to be on alert. She has a really bad back and if it wasnt for the dog gates in our house, she'd kill her little back running up and down the stairs following us wherever we go. She is our little shadow and is very sweet, but can be very mean to Thelma. However, when I recently took Thelma to the vet, my sources tell me that Louise cried, whined, and barked so loudly that it sounded like she was being tortured--the entire time Thelma was gone.

TEN MONTHS OLD

OK, so this photo is actually from when Waylon was 9-months-old, but it was such a cute picture from my cousin Doug (see post below), that I just had to share. Waylon turned ten-months on Saturday (12/23). He is "high crawling" almost all of the time now, and pulls up on absolutely everything. He has actually taken a few steps while holding on to various walker objects, however, he quickly sits down and starts playing--he definitely isn't in a hurry to start walking (thank goodness!). Waylon has also found his voice and is babbling a lot ("mah mah" and "bah bah" are his favorites). I am relieved because for awhile there I was sure he was going to be the strong, silent kid overwhelmed by his overly-chatty parents. Waylon loves his beagle sisters, and especially enjoys grabbing them and trying to eat their ears. They dont enjoy his "attention" but are willing to tolerate it in hopes that Aaron or I will give them a treat

Waylon now has 8 teeth (!!!) with another on the way. He has been eating table foods for a month, and we've learned that he prefers more flavorful foods such as chicken pulled out of a taco from our favorite restaurant rather than the bland chicken and turkey we've been making at home. Waylon shares his daddy's hollow-leg, and can eat a lot for a little guy. He seems to be right on target developmentally (although I must admit we have no point of comparison). He is having increased stranger anxiety, but Aaron seems to secretly enjoy that he and I are the only ones that can console him when he gets upset. Waylon is usually so squirmy that the only time he will hug us and cuddle is when he is upset. We'll take what we can get!

More Fantastic Waylon Photos

In mid-November my cousin, Doug Miranda, took lots of beautiful photos of Waylon. I posted many of the photos right away, but he gave me the rest of the images this weekend. What a great Christmas present!!! Unfortunately, blogger wont let me post any more pics, but these will definitely give you an idea of what great photos Doug takes. Doug is a professional photographer and available for weddings and family photos (dougmiranda457@hotmail.com).

Farewell to Amber, the Nanny

Our whole family was very sad to say goodbye to Waylon's nanny, Amber last week (12/20). Due to her boyfriend's job changes, they decided to move back to Colorado. We will miss her very much. Waylon loved going to her in the mornings, making it much easier for me to return to work. After a much more difficult search this time around, we've found another nanny, Dawn Marie, who will start in the beginning of the year.

Brandi & Josh Visit

Brandi Rector and Josh Fraser came to visit Waylon and help Aaron and I get out for a rockin' night in South Orange County. Their previous visit was pretty rushed, so it was great to have them spend some time just hanging out. Since Waylon was born, Aaron and I haven't gone out too much at night. Having visitors was a great excuse to get a babysitter so we could go out for a nice dinner that didn't involve scarfing down our food to get home to put Waylon to bed. We also got to enjoy the Dana Point Christmas boat parade--exciting stuff for South OC!

Is anyone here an orthodontist?!

This is Aaron writing, the father of Waylon. I have left the blogging to Anna because if I am not working, my time in front of the computer is dedicated to managing the worst two teams in fantasy football history.
As you know, Waylon is growing on schedule. We are very proud and are continually amazed with his evolution. He is rather early in developing a set of teeth, along the lines of a Great White Shark. Alignment of his teeth is a source of concern. Anna and I have forgone a college fund in lieu of saving aggressively for braces. If Waylon's current dental alignment is any forecast, he may be joining the club of famous, gap-toothed men. Waylon, welcome to the club......

David Letterman --talk show personality
Michael Strahan - New York Giants

Waylon Davis - Future President, Society of Gap-toothed Men

Dont Fence Me In

Its only a matter of time before he starts dragging a coffee cup back and forth across the bars while singing the blues.

The Joy of Cups

Waylon tries to unlock the mysteries of the sippy cup
Testing the sippy cup handle for safety and durability
Although he hasn't mastered the sippy cup, Waylon chose to move on to the adult tumbler. He is clearly a future UCSB kid, having mastered the art of holding his cup upside down.

Two Little Elves

Jenn and Holden Fletcher came for a playdate last Sunday (12/3). Jenn calls Holden the energizer bunny--and the name definitely fits. That kid can move! Although Holden is a few hours younger than Waylon, he is much more advanced in his motor skills. They played well together and Jenn and I loved catching up. No visit would be complete without a photo session. Jenn got the boys matching Christmas outfits, and we were cracking up about how we can use the photos to embarass the boys when they are older. Ah, the joys of parenthood!

Waylon shows Holden his favorite toy, the psychedelic piano.
I love these guilty faces. They look like they are definitely up to something!
You almost feel like you're in the North Pole when you see these two little elves at play.
Teething buddies.
Jail break!!! Please note how much taller (and leaner) Holden is thanWaylon.

#1 Fan

Although we usually dont let Waylon watch TV, we made an exception for at least part of the USC v UCLA game. My mom and her husband, Tom, were here to help keep Aaron's head from exploding during the game. Although the outcome was not what Aaron wanted, Waylon let his dad know that USC was still #1 in his heart.

Pulling Up

Waylon started pulling up on things in mid-November (9 months) but was shy about doing it for the camera. What a difference a month makes, because now he is pulling up on absolutely everything--toys, the couch, his crib, and the dog gates. Of course all of this moving and pulling up comes at a price, which we learn each time Waylon bonks his head. Unfortunately, he still has no survival sense and we need to be constantly vigilant.

Finally, Waylon pulls up for the camera

Reviewing some important documents

Waylon is enjoying pulling up on the walker, but not quite walking with it Waylon is so proud to be standing up on his own
He's gotten so good at pulling up that Waylon has even tackled his version of Mt. Everest--the stairs. He's made it up 6 so far.

Thanksgiving Weekend Wrap Up

Waylon, Aaron, and I had a very relaxing Thanksgiving weekend with several fun events. I decided to roll it all into one big Thanksgiving update...

Thanksgiving Dinner

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with Davis family friends, the Brilharts, Schuberts, and Beckers. It was a big group, which is what I love about Thanksgiving. This year was definitely different with 3 kids in the mix. Dinner was earlier and we had to wrap it up quickly to get Waylon home before he completely zonked out.

Jack Schubert (2 yrs) was willing (but not happy) to share his new toy with Waylon.
Waylon flirts with an older woman (by six weeks), Alexis Schubert (10.5 months).
Aaron and I commented all day that we are so thankful to have Waylon with us this year.
Waylon's first Thanksgiving dinner included traditional turkey and sweet potatos--however his was all out of a jar. The clean up was much easier, and we think more people may start to embrace jar-only Thanksgiving feasts in the future.

A Visit From the Andersons

My college roomate, Kristi (Manion) Anderson, was in town with her husband, Mike, and adorable son, Lance (1.5 years) on Friday. We had a really great visit, and loved seeing Lance again. Last time we saw them Lance was the age that Waylon is now. It is crazy to see how quick these darn kids grow up. Now Kristi and Mike have anyother peanut on the way--Congrats!

Seeing Santa

On Sunday we met Grandpa Ed at the San Clemente "Puttin' on the Glitz" celebration where Waylon got to meet Santa for the first time.

Thank goodness that Grandpa Ed got in line early. Getting a visit with Santa had a longer line than any concert I've ever tried to attend.
Still waiting in line for Santa...
Waylon finally sees Santa! He look mortified, but surprisingly there were no tears.
Waylon asks Santa for laid-back parents, and more veggie puffs!