my first guest blogger

dear josh,

it's been a pleasure visiting you this weekend. i especially enjoyed all the playtime and, thankfully only wet, diaper changes. you were the perfect host, though i would have appreciated it if you had shared your prunes with me. sometimes even a girl needs a little bowel motivation, too.

your mom is making me feel guilty as i sit here blogging while she changes your dirty butt, but i'm not letting that stop me. when you're older i'll teach you how to ignore her, too.

the accomodations were lovely, even with the changing table in my guest room. luckily the odors stayed inside the garbage can. the view from my room was breathtaking, especially on the rainy and foggy days, and the complimentary moisturizer (the constant drool) really did take years off my skin.

it was nice meeting your older sister, shadow - otherwise known as the dog. she's a little smellier than you, but not all the time. i think in a couple of years i'll have to introduce you to my friend, beano. i think i'll send your mom some in the mail, but it'll be anonymous, so don't rat me out.

i'm sure sorry your dad was sick over the weekend, but glad i could help out whilst he was quarantined to the loft. he's new to your mom and my friendship, and our way of lovingly knocking each other down each chance we get. hopefully i'll have more time and a travel budget (?) to break him of the cringing. he needn't worry about us. we lasted fifteen years so far, i think we'll make it.

it's time for us to begin your nightly routine - because, yes, the world (or at least this house) does revolve around you. and that's ok, because you're the cutest thing on all fours, and now the cutest thing on flickr.

i love you, kid, and your mom, dad, and shadow, too.

(more lotion. does it ever stop with her?)

love,
aunt step

ps - your mom wanted a picture of us together, but since they all turned out crazy (my fault - definitely not yours, you're quite photogenic), she'll have to settle for this. we'll make it a little less em-bare-ass-ing for you. oh my, i crack myself up. crack - get it???

G-Daddy is in the House

My grandpa Malone, a.k.a. G-Daddy, came for a visit last night. Today he took Mom and I to the Austin Zoo. Its was our first of many trips to come. The zoo is actually a rescue and rehabilitation center for animals. For example, one of the lions there is from a drug bust in Plano. I didn't know lions were dealing, man.

We saw lions, tigers, and bears - oh my. Really, just one bear. Lots of birds, a peacock, turtles, and monkeys. There were some pigs, goats, and a llama. The llama drooled more than I do. An Austrailan family was also visiting the zoo. I smiled at them and they cheered. They must have never seen a blue eyed Austinite outside of a cage before. Speaking of eyes, see where I get'em?! It was a lot of fun, but next time, we need to bring my Jeep stroller, the terrain was a little rugged...but heck, I wasn't walking anyway.

The Downside of Napping

Bedhead!

The evidence demands a verdict.....

5 reasons why Mom and Tsh must be twins....

1. They both have adorable babies (and humble)
2. They both can't stand it when the aforementioned babies are nuts and whiny and crazy all day, and then are God's perfect happy little angel when Dad gets home.
3. They both are entirely different people when they find 1 hour to do a craft, or other accomplishment during the day (or 15 minutes to take a shower -- or 5 minutes to brush their teeth).
   
4. They both like Project Runway and are just a little bit ashamed of that.
   
5. They both have such amazing faith, hope, and trust in God that fills some of us around them with awe.
   

Tggd by Tsh

Four jobs I've had:

1. Son
2. Baby
3. Fuss-monkey
4. Being cute is a full time job

Four movies I can watch over and over:

1. What's a movie?

Because of that.... four movies Dad can watch over and over since Mom can never remember movies, so its really like she's always watching them for the first time:

1. Tin Cup
   
2. Cool Hand Luke
3. Schindler's List
4. The Right Stuff
   

Four places I've lived:

1. Dad's testes and Mom's ovary -- at the same time (Whoa -- blows your mind doesn't it....)
   
2. Amniotic Sac
3. Uterus
4. Austin, Texas

Four TV Shows that I Love:

1. Mom doesn't let me watch TV
   
2. The Simpsons (OK, so Dad does....)
3. House (he's such a jerk -- its awesome)
   
4. Football

Four places that I've vacationed:

1. Seton
   
2. Backseat of the car
3. The Hurley's bedroom next to the computer tower -- that fan knocks me out cold.
   
4. Dick Nichols Park
   

Four of my favorite dishes:

1. The right one
2. The left one
3. Rice cereal
4. A second helping of the right one. And the left one.
   

Four sites Mom and Dad visit daily:

1. Treadmarks
2. i am unfinished
3. Chrafty Kids
4. PUCT
   

Four places Mom and Dad would rather I be right now:

1. Asleep
2. Asleep
3. Asleep
4. Asleep

Four bloggers I'm tagging:

1. Aunt Steph
2. Landry's mom
   
3. Dad's friend Jenn
4. Eh -- I'm a baby, I can't count to four. Besides, this averages out Tsh so she doesn't get sued.
   

A Spoon-Full of Rice Cereal Makes the Zantac Go Down...

Today is my 5 month birthday. Although apparently, that gets you nothing. Turns out you only celebrate every 12th month. Weird.

Actually, that's not true. I got more medicine today. Whoo-hoo. Turns out there has been an internal rebellion in Joshnonia (aka reflux), and Joshnonia's arsenal was no longer sufficient to keep the rebellion at bay. So Mom took me to the doctor today, and they upped my medicine -- mostly because I have upped my chunkage to 16 pounds 13 ounces. By the way, I prefer the term "husky". So everyone please pray that the upped Zantac will help with my screaming fits and pain. Since it was raining today, I did sleep most of the day. Mom and Dad continue to give praise for the easing of the Central Texas drought, since a rainy day is apparently the only way I sleep during the day.

So every morning after we wake up, Mom takes me downstairs, puts me in my seat, gives me an empty bowl and spoon, and then proceeds to eat her breakfast right in front me. The key part of that sentence is "empty". So first I stared intently at her as she ate. Nothing. Then I started drooling profusely. Zilch. Then I started gnawing at my hands on the spoon -- that's right, the empty spoon that goes with the empty bowl. Bupkis. Then I started reaching for and grabbing her food -- bananas, bagels, you name it. Zip. Every day. Nada.

But today, my hero Dad came home and made me some rice cereal. That's right. Today was Josh's first official solid food day. Actually, the doc today said that might help the reflux. But I don't care, 'cause it was good stuff. Dad said it tasted like something called cardboard, but I was too busy slurping it down to listen. Yuuuuuuuuuum!



So prior to today, I've just been hanging out with the ladies all this week. Yesterday, we went to the park with the Gowins. On Monday, Mom and I went to the playgroup, and it was me and four girls. Yeah baby! Josh likes those odds.

We're going to watch the Super Bowl at the Gowins. I still don't understand why we don't have a HDTV Projector that makes a 100 inch TV on the wall like they do, but Mom keeps saying I'll understand later. We watched LSU destroy Miami in the Peach bowl, Texas beat USC in the Rose Bowl there, so it is clearly the lucky spot to watch football. With that, the lucky onesie, and Dad keeping his cursed Terrible Towel safely on the top shelf of the closet, Josh can guarantee a victory for the Steelers. Boo-yah!