First of Many AND 9 months!

Reuben drew his first picture today. I know it's indulgent but I couldn't help scanning it.

Yesterday he turned 9 months. I'm seperated from my computer so it's hard for me to upload my pictures but Amy did a great job posting a few recent photos of the boy here.

Reuben has learned how to throw a ball, point, crawl, stand against furniture and speedily march around with a little assistance.

He babbles happily and calls me mama. We've been trying to get him to say dada but he's settled happily on baba as his second "word." I tried to console Aaron with the fact that if we lived in India he'd be saying his name. Then Reuben took to combining the two sounds, cheerfully declaring Bama, Bamama, Bama - which sounds a whole lot like Obama! Obama! Obama! so he seems to simply enjoy subjecting Aaron to mind games.

Not to let Reuben have all the drawing fun I sketched my Dad the other night.

Plant Lice

Do you know what plant lice is? I wouldn't know either but thanks to the excellent CALL IN Radio Show Making Things Grow, a SC original, I learned it's a term for aphids. I LOVE this show. I don't know who could resist the delightful dollops of SC gardening advice Rowland Alston delivers in a chipper twang.

As a friend from high school once told me about Fiona Richy, the host of "The Thistle and Shamrock", "I could turn off the lights and listen to that voice for hours." That kind of ruined the Thistle and Shamrock for me. But that's exactly what I've found myself doing and enjoying with Making Things Grow - I've had the good fortune of catching a few radio shows while feeding Reuben and it's good company. I've almost been tempted to call in a few times to comment on recent bird activity I've noticed around my parent's yard.

To my great surprise and joy when I looked up Making it Grow recently I found that it's been turned into a TV show!! And rumor has it Amanda McNulty occasionally dons seasonal garlands. I can't wait for next Tuesday night. Check it out for yerself here. You can stream video.

Pine Straw

Reuben loves pine straw. It's hilarious. I give him a strand and he's happy as can be. On our walks he's figured out how to pull it off bushes we pass. The kids got skills.

Me vs. Nature

Yesterday the highlight of my day was another porch adventure. Reuben and I were hanging out and I noticed a stag beetle - giant pincers and all. I went to brush him out of the way and he was quick enough to hook his talons into my sandal. He clamped on tight and took a defensive pose. It looked a lot like this video.

I handed Reuben to Abby and proceeded to try to pry him off with my keys. He grabbed the keys with his mandibles and pretty much wrestled them away from me. So then I got a big stick and finally got him to walk off my shoe and onto another stick. He took his own sweet time about it.

So basically I got beat up by a bug.

An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles

Today Reuben and I were sitting out on the porch and we noticed a large black bettle stuck on his back. I flipped him over and he dutifully marched in tiny circles around our feet. Reuben watched intently then started to laugh and laugh. We spent the next 15 minutes following the circuitous route of our new friend. I'm going to say friend although there was some evidence that Reuben had a strong desire to put him into his mouth. But I kept the interaction friendly.

I was surprised by how entertained Reuben was. JBS Haldane, a british genetist and evolutionary biologist is reported as saying that if there is a creator, he has an inordiante fondness for beetles. (There are more beetles species than any other species of animal - I've seen as high as 1 out of every 5 species is a beetle but that's unsubstantiated because I'm too tired to look it up right now. Robby can ask his girlfriend for me) Anyway, I suppose Reuben has a shared interest with God.

From my research the beetle we met was a Scarite or Ground beetle. Really very beautiful when you take the time to look.

A Pox Upon Us

Reuben developed a pretty serious fever a few days ago and it hasn't let up. Recently spots have popped up all over his body. It's a sad sight to see so I'll spare you and not post a picture. I think he's improving and it's just a pesky virus but it's no fun trying to wait it out. Amy said Eliza got Fifth's disease at about the same time and it had similar symptoms. Sounds right to me. Anyone else had experience with it?

I like it's name. Apparently there are five classical rash-infections: measels, rubella, scarlet fever, fourth's disease and fifth's disease. I guess whoever named them wasn't really a creative type. I'd love to name a rash disease. There'd be so many juicy choices.

In other sad news, our car, maybe out of sympathy to Reuben, has recently succumbed to ill health. I feel very grateful that I was able to catch a ride to SC with my family on Saturday instead of driving down alone with Reuben as I had originally planned. It spared me the adventure of being stuck for who knows how long in some desolate truck stop of NC - though that probably would have made an awesome blog post.

The Dark Side

Sometimes I feel like there are times in life that are like passing through the dark side of the moon. There is an unpleasant impenetrable darkness of uncertainty. But we'll come around soon enough.