Dear Vinny,
Your great-Uncle Paul and great-Aunt Ann left this morning. They were traveling through on their way home from South Carolina to Wisconsin. They were really happy to see you.
They arrived really late in the evening. We wanted to put you to bed, but you were too excited about our visitors to sleep, so you ended up staying awake until just about midnight. They both enjoyed holding you. I could see how much Uncle Paul really enjoyed you. I don't think I've ever seen him with such a big smile on his face.
In the morning, they were pretty reluctant to leave, commenting that it was you who made it so hard to leave. I told them that lots of people retire to Tennessee for its low cost of living, and that great-nephews are fantastic, but I don't think they're going to move down here. It's too bad, because I could see how much they enjoyed you and you enjoyed them.
Love,
Mommy
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Dining Excursion
Dear Vinny,
Last night you, Daddy, and I went out to dinner with my future boss and his family, and another colleague and his girlfriend. You were the life of the party.
First, you flirted with the colleague's girlfriend. We joked with him that you would charm her and win her away from him.
Then, my boss's younger son started showing a great interest in you. He kept asking me questions about you, and he really wanted to play with you. Eventually I traded seats with him so that he could be closer to you.
Then, the older son started playing with you too. You were having a great time with all this attention!
Eventually, my boss held you, and you smiled and enjoyed him a lot. Thank you for being such a good sport with Mommy's boss. That was very strategic of you!
No, I'm just joking. You are always a charming young man, and when my boss told me how wonderful he thought you were, he rose in my esteem. I'm always happy to see other people enjoying my favorite little boy too!
Love,
Mommy
Last night you, Daddy, and I went out to dinner with my future boss and his family, and another colleague and his girlfriend. You were the life of the party.
First, you flirted with the colleague's girlfriend. We joked with him that you would charm her and win her away from him.
Then, my boss's younger son started showing a great interest in you. He kept asking me questions about you, and he really wanted to play with you. Eventually I traded seats with him so that he could be closer to you.
Then, the older son started playing with you too. You were having a great time with all this attention!
Eventually, my boss held you, and you smiled and enjoyed him a lot. Thank you for being such a good sport with Mommy's boss. That was very strategic of you!
No, I'm just joking. You are always a charming young man, and when my boss told me how wonderful he thought you were, he rose in my esteem. I'm always happy to see other people enjoying my favorite little boy too!
Love,
Mommy
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Visit to Bardstown
Dear Vinny,
This past weekend, we went to Bardstown so that Mommy could go with Aunt Ginger and Aunt Rhonda to see a play. Granny and Granddad took the opportunity to come down to Bardstown to see you and your cousins. They were so happy to see you!
So were your aunts and uncles, and your cousins too. You are a very happy little boy and you really brighten up people's days. Your Uncle Johnny fed you at one point and I could tell he really enjoyed it.
You were pretty content in the car, even when we went on a sort of a wild goose chase when Daddy decided to try some remote mountain roads. I tried to keep you entertained as best I could. You really enjoyed my empty Pringles can. It had a few crumbs in it that would rattle around when you shook it.
I had surgery on my left arm this past Thursday, and I couldn't hold you for a while. I know you were pretty sad about that. But now my arm isn't as sore and I have figured out how to hold you. You like to chew on my cast when you get the chance, though.
Love,
Mommy
This past weekend, we went to Bardstown so that Mommy could go with Aunt Ginger and Aunt Rhonda to see a play. Granny and Granddad took the opportunity to come down to Bardstown to see you and your cousins. They were so happy to see you!
So were your aunts and uncles, and your cousins too. You are a very happy little boy and you really brighten up people's days. Your Uncle Johnny fed you at one point and I could tell he really enjoyed it.
You were pretty content in the car, even when we went on a sort of a wild goose chase when Daddy decided to try some remote mountain roads. I tried to keep you entertained as best I could. You really enjoyed my empty Pringles can. It had a few crumbs in it that would rattle around when you shook it.
I had surgery on my left arm this past Thursday, and I couldn't hold you for a while. I know you were pretty sad about that. But now my arm isn't as sore and I have figured out how to hold you. You like to chew on my cast when you get the chance, though.
Love,
Mommy
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Ten Months!
Dear Vinny,
You turned ten months old a week ago, while we were traveling. There have been many changes and new developments in you!
You learned how to crawl a couple of weeks ago, and you are getting better and better at it. Something you do is you crawl on one knee and on one foot, a sort of crab crawl, which is the same way that my cousin Julian crawled, according to my Aunt Barb. And it's interesting too because there are a lot of pictures where you look a lot like Julian too.
Something else you've figured out just recently is to shake your head no. Today, when Daddy was trying to look into your mouth, you shook your head back and forth vigorously. You've done that to me when I've tried to give you food but you're full.
You have been introduced to several new foods. You now love refried beans and sweet potatoes, and we've given you some cheese cubes which you seem to like as well. At first, you kind of sucked on the cheese cubes. Then, once you figured out that you should chew them, you had some trouble gaging when to swallow and you choked a little bit. But you have it figured out now.
Tonight, Daddy and I gave you some cheerios, cheese cubes, refried beans, and sweet potatoes to eat. At first we were feeding the beans and sweet potatoes to you with a spoon, but then you started trying to get the spoon away from us. So we decided to let you have the spoon and the plate of refried beans and sweet potatoes, and see what you did with it.
At first, you made a really big mess. You played in your food with your hands. But then, you stuck the bean-coated spoon in your mouth and sucked some of the delicious frijoles from it. Then you put it all together and tried to scoop food onto the spoon and feed it to yourself. You had the concave side down, but the food was thick enough that it stuck to the spoon anyhow. It was so funny to watch you!
After you were done, Daddy wiped you clean, and then I took you and changed you into a new outfit. We'll have to let you try to feed yourself again!
Love,
Mommy
You turned ten months old a week ago, while we were traveling. There have been many changes and new developments in you!
You learned how to crawl a couple of weeks ago, and you are getting better and better at it. Something you do is you crawl on one knee and on one foot, a sort of crab crawl, which is the same way that my cousin Julian crawled, according to my Aunt Barb. And it's interesting too because there are a lot of pictures where you look a lot like Julian too.
Something else you've figured out just recently is to shake your head no. Today, when Daddy was trying to look into your mouth, you shook your head back and forth vigorously. You've done that to me when I've tried to give you food but you're full.
You have been introduced to several new foods. You now love refried beans and sweet potatoes, and we've given you some cheese cubes which you seem to like as well. At first, you kind of sucked on the cheese cubes. Then, once you figured out that you should chew them, you had some trouble gaging when to swallow and you choked a little bit. But you have it figured out now.
Tonight, Daddy and I gave you some cheerios, cheese cubes, refried beans, and sweet potatoes to eat. At first we were feeding the beans and sweet potatoes to you with a spoon, but then you started trying to get the spoon away from us. So we decided to let you have the spoon and the plate of refried beans and sweet potatoes, and see what you did with it.
At first, you made a really big mess. You played in your food with your hands. But then, you stuck the bean-coated spoon in your mouth and sucked some of the delicious frijoles from it. Then you put it all together and tried to scoop food onto the spoon and feed it to yourself. You had the concave side down, but the food was thick enough that it stuck to the spoon anyhow. It was so funny to watch you!
After you were done, Daddy wiped you clean, and then I took you and changed you into a new outfit. We'll have to let you try to feed yourself again!
Love,
Mommy
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Back from the Trip!
Dear Vinny,
We got back from our trip yesterday. Aside from the riding in the car, you seemed to enjoy yourself. On our way up to the Chicago area, we stopped at Granny and Granddad's so that they could see you for a few hours. They were really happy to see you, and you were really happy to be out of the car for a while! Granny held you while Granddad, Daddy, and I had our dinner. You were pretty annoyed with us when we took you back out in the car and kept driving. We stopped just outside of Indianapolis because you were so mad, and probably hungry. Daddy fed you in the car while I went and got us a hotel room. I slept with you on one bed and Daddy slept in another. Did you know that you crawl in your sleep? I slept with one eye open all night, out of fear that you would crawl off the bed.
The next morning we moved on. You slept some in the car, but for the last hour or so you were pretty upset. When we got to the hotel, there were lots of family members already there and they were really excited to see you. But you were hungry and sleepy so Daddy took you to the room to feed you. That evening, you and I went to a Mexican restaurant with one of my graduate school classmates and her family. I had known from Tia's cooking that you liked refried beans, so I fed you some of my refried beans. What I hadn't realized was that you loved refried beans! You ate all my frijoles, and you would have eaten even more if there had been any more.
The next day was the big reunion day. You and Daddy stayed back at the hotel during the really big Patterson family reunion, but you joined us for dinner at a huge Chinese buffet. They had all kinds of food there, more than I'd ever seen at a buffet before. We gave you some white rice to eat with your hands, which you were neutral about. I noticed that they had some sweet potatoes there so I got a piece of one and mashed it up for you to try. You loved it, almost as much as you loved refried beans! So I made a mental note to get you some sweet potatoes when we got home.
You were a big hit with the family. You met all your great-aunts and -uncles on my side, and they all loved you. You also met some of my cousins and some of your second cousins. My cousins Margaret, Victoria, and Charlotte, and my cousin Glenna were crazy about you! Glenna rode in the back seat with you all the way to Urbana on Sunday.
On Monday, I gave a seminar at the university, and after my seminar, Daddy dropped you off and you joined me and my old research group for lunch. We went to a Mexican restaurant, so I was sure to order something with frijoles and once again you ate them all! You were a big with them, and also with Jodi, my former advisor's secretary.
That evening, we went to a Chinese restaurant with our friend Dave. You had some white rice which you weren't too excited about, preferring instead to reach for Daddy's food. Daddy let you have a little of his meat.
On Tuesday, we left for home. By that time we had figured out that you were much happier if somebody sat in the back seat with you, so I sat next to you while Daddy drove. On our way South, we stopped at our favorite Amish grocery, and you were intrigued by all the products they had to offer. You were also very happy when we stopped at a rest area and let you eat while we took a break from the car.
We stayed overnight in Clarksville and you had a great time crawling around the room and onto the tile floor in the bathroom. I don't think you'd ever seen a tile floor before. You were unhappy to get back in the car but you were quite pleased to be home when we finally got here.
Thanks for being such a good travel companion!
Love,
Mommy
We got back from our trip yesterday. Aside from the riding in the car, you seemed to enjoy yourself. On our way up to the Chicago area, we stopped at Granny and Granddad's so that they could see you for a few hours. They were really happy to see you, and you were really happy to be out of the car for a while! Granny held you while Granddad, Daddy, and I had our dinner. You were pretty annoyed with us when we took you back out in the car and kept driving. We stopped just outside of Indianapolis because you were so mad, and probably hungry. Daddy fed you in the car while I went and got us a hotel room. I slept with you on one bed and Daddy slept in another. Did you know that you crawl in your sleep? I slept with one eye open all night, out of fear that you would crawl off the bed.
The next morning we moved on. You slept some in the car, but for the last hour or so you were pretty upset. When we got to the hotel, there were lots of family members already there and they were really excited to see you. But you were hungry and sleepy so Daddy took you to the room to feed you. That evening, you and I went to a Mexican restaurant with one of my graduate school classmates and her family. I had known from Tia's cooking that you liked refried beans, so I fed you some of my refried beans. What I hadn't realized was that you loved refried beans! You ate all my frijoles, and you would have eaten even more if there had been any more.
The next day was the big reunion day. You and Daddy stayed back at the hotel during the really big Patterson family reunion, but you joined us for dinner at a huge Chinese buffet. They had all kinds of food there, more than I'd ever seen at a buffet before. We gave you some white rice to eat with your hands, which you were neutral about. I noticed that they had some sweet potatoes there so I got a piece of one and mashed it up for you to try. You loved it, almost as much as you loved refried beans! So I made a mental note to get you some sweet potatoes when we got home.
You were a big hit with the family. You met all your great-aunts and -uncles on my side, and they all loved you. You also met some of my cousins and some of your second cousins. My cousins Margaret, Victoria, and Charlotte, and my cousin Glenna were crazy about you! Glenna rode in the back seat with you all the way to Urbana on Sunday.
On Monday, I gave a seminar at the university, and after my seminar, Daddy dropped you off and you joined me and my old research group for lunch. We went to a Mexican restaurant, so I was sure to order something with frijoles and once again you ate them all! You were a big with them, and also with Jodi, my former advisor's secretary.
That evening, we went to a Chinese restaurant with our friend Dave. You had some white rice which you weren't too excited about, preferring instead to reach for Daddy's food. Daddy let you have a little of his meat.
On Tuesday, we left for home. By that time we had figured out that you were much happier if somebody sat in the back seat with you, so I sat next to you while Daddy drove. On our way South, we stopped at our favorite Amish grocery, and you were intrigued by all the products they had to offer. You were also very happy when we stopped at a rest area and let you eat while we took a break from the car.
We stayed overnight in Clarksville and you had a great time crawling around the room and onto the tile floor in the bathroom. I don't think you'd ever seen a tile floor before. You were unhappy to get back in the car but you were quite pleased to be home when we finally got here.
Thanks for being such a good travel companion!
Love,
Mommy
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Travel Time!
Dear Vinny,
We are all about to leave on a trip today. You have a schedule that's jam-packed with seeing family and friends. Today, we will stop in Louisville and see Granny and Granddad. I know how much Granny's looking forward to seeing her sweet baby grandson. (So is Granddad, for that matter. He's just not as vocal about it as Granny!)
Then tomorrow, we will have dinner with Mommy's classmate Boyana and her family in suburban Chicago. She has a son who is about a month older than you, as well as two older children. Then, we have Mommy's family reunion, where you will get to see Grandma and Grandpa, and also lots of other relatives of Mommy's, some of whom you have met before, others you have not. I'm hoping that your second-cousin David will be there. He is maybe a week or two younger than you, and I hope that you boys will become good friends as time goes on.
On Monday, we're going to be in Urbana, where Mommy and Daddy lived before you were born. We'll see a lot of people there, including Mommy and Daddy's friend Dave, Mommy's advisor Mike, and his assistant Jodi, and lots of Mommy's former classmates. They are all wanting to meet you too.
You have mostly traveled well. There was one trip where you screamed almost all the way home, but otherwise you haven't minded traveling in the car. Hopefully you will enjoy this trip!
Love,
Mommy
We are all about to leave on a trip today. You have a schedule that's jam-packed with seeing family and friends. Today, we will stop in Louisville and see Granny and Granddad. I know how much Granny's looking forward to seeing her sweet baby grandson. (So is Granddad, for that matter. He's just not as vocal about it as Granny!)
Then tomorrow, we will have dinner with Mommy's classmate Boyana and her family in suburban Chicago. She has a son who is about a month older than you, as well as two older children. Then, we have Mommy's family reunion, where you will get to see Grandma and Grandpa, and also lots of other relatives of Mommy's, some of whom you have met before, others you have not. I'm hoping that your second-cousin David will be there. He is maybe a week or two younger than you, and I hope that you boys will become good friends as time goes on.
On Monday, we're going to be in Urbana, where Mommy and Daddy lived before you were born. We'll see a lot of people there, including Mommy and Daddy's friend Dave, Mommy's advisor Mike, and his assistant Jodi, and lots of Mommy's former classmates. They are all wanting to meet you too.
You have mostly traveled well. There was one trip where you screamed almost all the way home, but otherwise you haven't minded traveling in the car. Hopefully you will enjoy this trip!
Love,
Mommy
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