Vacation time

Rowan and I had so much fun while we were in Boise. At the zoo, Rowan actually saw and watched some of the animals. He really enjoyed the penguins. He also rode his first carousel. He wasn't so sure about that at first, but then started to get into it. After the zoo, there was a Soul Food Extravaganza in the same area as the zoo. Rowan apparently likes jumbalaya, red beans and rice and cajun chicken.

The big news is that Rowan is really walking now. He does so good. He can change direction, stop and start again and even pick something up off the floor without falling over. It's amazing how quickly he picked it up. It really seemed as if he was just waiting to see his daddy before he took off with the walking bit.

We got back to Dallas without much drama at the airports. Both flights were delayed, there was no running between gates, and it took forever to get the luggage off the plane. But Rowan was a trooper and everyone on the planes was very nice to us and let him get away with all kinds of stuff. They all think he's just the cutest thing in the world. I totally agree, of course, but I'm really glad that he doesn't really understand that yet. His head would be so huge!!

It has been so hot here in Texas. The temps are up to 100, but the heat index is something like 103. It always seems like a good idea to stay inside. We did get the pool out and Rowan got in the pool. He wasn't so sure about it, he didn't want to sit down. But today he sat down and splashed and splashed and giggled. He had a good time.

This past weekend my cousin, Mike, had a big backyard bar-b-que. There was a large mostly empty swimming pool. All the younger cousins were splashing around all over and getting rough. Rowan was fascinated. He watched for a long time. This picture is him with Brooke, a cousin. We all had a great time.

Made it home

We made it to Boise airport on time, by the skin of our teeth. We got off the plane in Denver at 7:20. Our next flight was listed as "on time" at 7:30. We were 20 gates away. All I can say is thank goodness for the moving walkways. Also, the plane boarded late. We showed up at the gate huffing and puffing, but on time. Whew!!
Rowan did great, slept the whole first flight. Was awake the entire second flight and fell asleep in the car on the way home, then slept all night until 6:30 am. Not bad for him. He was very glad to see his Daddy.
Then, last night after dinner, we had a mini, pre-birthday party for him. He ate carrot cake. Well, ate may be an exaggeration. He had it everywhere, which is what you do with birthday cake. We have a lot of it on video.
Eric got him a push-n-ride train that steers and makes all kinds of sounds. It's great, Rowan loves it and walked several steps toward it. He also got a nest of stuffed dinosaurs. He thinks it's great to lay on top of it and take power naps. While he was high on carrot cake, he was walking a lot. We'll see if he keeps it up today.
Today we're going to the zoo and a Soul Food Extravaganza in town. Should be a lot of fun. It's only going to be about 95 degrees today. :)

Somber Monkey

Rowan is moving around more and more on his feet. He prefers to hold onto something and walk along, but if it's not too far away, he'll take a few steps on his own. He's even able to take a few steps and stop and think about what else he wants to do.

Last week, Mom and I took Rowan and had some pictures taken. He was pretty stingy with the smiles, but the photographer was really good at getting the few smiles onto film. We had quite a few interesting expressions. He kept us all on our toes trying to make him smile.

I've been busy this weekend. I worked Sunday through Tuesday. Mom told me after my last blog, that maybe I shouldn't blog right after a three in a row work week :) I'm tired but it was a good few shifts. Rowan and I leave tomorrow to go to Boise. I can't wait to see Eric, it's been two months. Next time, I'll make sure that I get a break earlier in the contract. Whew!