Ten Months!

How BIG does this boy look?!?

"There's a belly button under there somewhere."

"Wha'sdat?"

Giving Zeb's creepy old monkey CPR.

If you think it's weird that Finn's playing with an ox hoof, that's because it IS weird. It's a mate  (pronounced mah-TAY) cup that Zeb brought back from his travels in Uruguay.

To give you an update on our boy, Finn:

-- has eight teeth!

-- likes to dance (bounce).

-- barks like our dogs (while bouncing up and down for some reason).

-- stands up by himself for a couple of seconds at a time, gets freaked out, and slooowly lowers himself onto the floor.

-- shakes his finger at me when I get on to him (which is a habit we will be breaking).

-- is a speed demon. Non-stop, this one.

-- eats pretty much anything you put on his tray, and then feeds Franklin the rest.

-- loves to pull ornaments off the Christmas tree.

-- says "Daddy," "Mama" (when he wants a bottle), "Nananana," "Heeeey!," "Bah-bah" (for "bye-bye), "wha'sdat?" (mostly while pointing at the light or fan), "dat," and "dis."

There's just so much going on in that little brain of his. It's clear that he's learning (and listening) everyday. He mimics sounds and pitches almost identically. Which means... Mama's learning to watch her mouth. :)

Bowling Pin Onesie by Margaret!

Abroad

I'm thankful that I know what Venice smells like and what cold, wet jeans feel like above water-logged wellies. I'm thankful for warm espresso in November.

I'm thankful that I had warm wool coats with hoods and knitted toboggan hats when I lived in New York. I'm thankful that our apartment was always warm and inviting. I'm thankful that the smell of hot chocolate and the sounds of friends were not strangers to us there.

I'm thankful to know what the Isle of Skye looks like on a sunny November day -- the kind of day that lets you take off your jacket and feel the freedom of just a t-shirt and a cardigan. I'm thankful that I have seen miles of beauty in the lochs and glens.

I'm thankful that I have eaten gelato on a cold December day in Siena, Italy. I'm thankful that I have walked its hills and alleys, if only for one day.

I'm thankful for travel. The smells, the tastes, the cold and the warmth. And the friends. I'm so, so thankful for the friends that accompany these travel memories.