Cruising

Today's other news is that Peter has decided to learn about cruising. He's been pulling himself up to a standing position (on the edge of the tub, the edge of a couch, the edge of a chair, the toilet) for a week or so, and he's now taking a few (one or two) steps sideways while holding onto the same piece of furniture. Tonight, he tried to switch from a chair to his exersaucer, which really wasn't stable enough, and he crash-landed on his bottom. Then he got right back up and started to go in the other direction. He was determined to learn how to get around on his feet tonight. We're just a step ahead of him, and finally got the baby gates installed yesterday at the foot of the stairs (about a week after he showed Ron how to climb up the first few stairs) and in the doorless doorway between the dining room and the kitchen. Thank heavens for the playroom with its two doors. We love this house.

Bap

Peter stopped saying "bap" today. For the past few days, it was his favorite word. I appreciated the significance: /b/ and /p/ are a voiced/unvoiced pair with the same point of articulation. I don't know if that's what interested him, but I bet it was. He had been saying "bab" for a few days before that. It usually went like this:
Daddy: Say "da-da, da-da," Peter.
Peter: Bap.
Daddy: "Da-da."
Peter: Bap. Bap. Bap.
Daddy: Say "ma-ma" then. "Ma-ma." That's mama.
(Points at me.)
Peter: Bap. Bap.

He's a very good conversationalist, and has begun to understand turn-taking in speech. But if "bap" meant anything, it wasn't clear to me. I suggested the day before yesterday that it meant "wookie" (like Chewbacca). Peter replied "Bap."

It really was his theme for a while. A few nights ago, Ron said that he was in coaxing Peter back to sleep. Peter's eyes were shut, and he was just about snoozing, then he muttered, "bap...bap...Bap, bap, bap. Bap."

Today, though, it's "mamma."

Missed this one somehow

Peter's latest portrait
Originally uploaded by pkellyspurles.

I don't this one got blogged. It was taken almost two months ago, and the blue sleeper doesn't fit anymore, and Peter now has three little fingernail scratches on his left cheek, but otherwise it's him. I don't think he'd sit quite so quietly now, though. This day he was quite excited to be in the rocking chair, and sat stiffly and carefully.

Another view of "our" park (from Photo Fiddler, again)

Soft November Evening
Originally uploaded by photo fiddler.

Our walk to and from work is seven minutes long or so, depending on how often you turn to admire the scenery. It's been pretty cold these last few days, though, and so we've been walking through town more often than not. Sackville is still a pedestrian town with lots of street life (rare in New Brunswick, I think) and it reminds me sometimes of fieldwork in Marrakesh, when I'd sometimes plan a circuitous but faster route that involved less chatting with friends along the way. Ron says that if you stay at Bridge St Cafe long enough (about two hours, I think) eventually everyone will pass through.

Boardwalk Through Birches

Boardwalk Through Birches
Originally uploaded by photo fiddler.

Photo Fiddler's lovely picture of the waterfowl park near our house. Aaahhh.

Family portrait, Christmas 2005

Santa paid a visit to Sackville's Midnight Madness evening on November 19, and Peter (and I) had a chance to sit on his knee. I think Peter recognized the jolly old elf, who had been warned at suppertime not to go overboard with the ho-ho-ho's. Both Peter and Santa were big hits with the shoppers.

Peter's skunk costume, Halloween 2005

Peter's skunk costume, Halloween 2005
Originally uploaded by pkellyspurles.

Halloween, 6:30 pm. Ron and Peter visited our neighbors while I stayed home to greet the trick-or-treaters.

At the airport

At the airport
Originally uploaded by pkellyspurles.

Ron (accompanied by a licensed pilot) took a short flight on his 40th birthday last month. He taxied, took off, and flew for a bit. The pilot landed, which I guess is the hard (ha!) part. They flew from Moncton to Sackville and back. Our Flickr account (click on this picture) has an aerial view of Sackville that almost shows our house (we'd be under the wing, a block in from the water). Anyone who really doesn't know just how small our little college town in will find the photo enlightening. It really is small. [Nov 22: I wanted to add that the plane Ron went up in was like the little one on the right, though not that one itself. He said later that the cockpit was smaller than the inside of our Mazda Protege.]

Two teeth

Two teeth
Originally uploaded by pkellyspurles.

At eight months, Peter now has two teeth. He tried them out on my finger yesterday, and they work quite well.

Faster and faster, and Ron on TV

Peter's crawling like it's old hat these days: fast forward, and (since Ron forgot the undershirt one day last week) with his tummy up off the ground. He's still enjoying trying to walk, but usually content to hold someone's hands while he does it. For a few days last week his proper and rational-looking babysteps were exchanged for goose-steps that were much, much too big, but he's back to babysteps again today.

Mum and Dad babysat yesterday so that we could go to Halifax for the closing of Ron's play. They say that one of the news programs ran a clip about the play, as well as a bit of an interview with Ron. Peter was facing the other way when that came on, and he whirled around when he heard daddy's voice. Dad says he obviously recognized Ron on tv, and was so entertaining that they missed the story all together. The play went well, and got two standing ovations.