we finally have pictures!

Over the weekend, we went to an easter egg hunt at the church that Todd & I have been visiting. (Don't think I've blogged about church yet - but we've been going to a contemporary service at a church up on the square... it's very casual... not at all traditional (sometimes a little over the top as one of our neighbors describes) overall we like it more than some of the others we've visited.

They have an annual egg hunt at the home of one of the church members. They throw HUNDREDS of empty plastic eggs in the yard and in the bushes and flower beds. The kids gather the eggs then turn them in for a goodie bag with candy and stuff in them. M's too little for that -- and I asked if he could, instead, hang onto his two plastic eggs (one in each hand). THIS was his real prize! (FYI - it was 46 degrees during the egg hunt.... hence the wool coat and cords!)

What's new in the first photo? NO ONE is holding him up... he's standing on his own!

I had to take Mercer to the doc today b/c of an "unusual" diaper rash. He'll be fine... but I noticed something interesting as he was laying on the doctor's table with his screaming mouth wide open: he's got at least 3 teeth coming through in the top of his mouth! We had no idea. We think 2 are molar-style teeth. We thought that he's been a little fussy off and on the past couple of weeks. We attributed it to a change in his feeding schedule. (Once he turned 12 months old, we've been weaning him off the bottle a bit and introducing more solid foods. Also, we've been switching over from formula to organic whole milk.)

I know that there's lots to blog about (my work conference went really well last week. Long days, but a good show -- I came away inspired which is hard to do now that I've been to 6 or 8 of these conferences.) We had an architect - Ed Mazria - speak on the 2030 challenge -- attaining carbon neutrality in buildings by the year 2030. http://www.architecture2030.org/ . He talked about job creation as well as the ideas that he's given to the president regarding the stimulus package. It was interesting. I attended a couple of building science sessions by a guy who's funny, crude, and brilliant (http://www.buildingscience.com/) And I moderated a session on the Living Building Challenge -- no net energy use / no net water use / good use of resources / etc. Only 1 building is following the challenge right now in the country and there are 7 more on the books. It's pretty much the standard for the greenest of green buildings. http://www.cascadiagbc.org/lbc ) GREAT STUFF. The day after the conference, I attended an all-day training on green roof design. It was a good week for me, as I love learning new stuff.

Todd's work is taking a major turn. He is changing jobs. We felt 99% sure that when his project in Asheville ended in a couple of months that he would be laid off. He heard about an opportunity from his former mentor / friend... and went for an interview last Monday. A few days later - he was offered the position. The next day he turned in notice. He really didn't have a choice. It's the only way to offer our family some stability in the coming year. He didn't dislike his current place of employment... and of course wishes them well. It's a little scary out there right now. ( 2/3rds of his company has been laid off in the past year... and Todd says that 40% of AIA members (professional, licensed architects) are currently unemployed. He heard that stat may be as much as 60% including interns and unlicensed architects that are currently unemployed in Atlanta. We didn't quite hit that point of panic, but we have been discussing the "what if" with our financial advisor. We can't go crazy. He really didn't get a raise, so we're still on economy mode, but it's definitely reassuring.

He's on his way to Asheville for his last trip. Ironically, I will be heading there in a couple of days to teach a class on the same day he's coming home. We definitely had good times there and LOVE LOVE LOVE that city. I hope that we can continue to visit it ever year or two like we used to. It's one of our favorite places!

I should go for now... it's getting late... but I should report a few other things that little M is doing. Says "oof" when he sees a dog. He can take 2 or 3 steps together now. He is getting good at putting objects inside of other objects now. Also - he now really likes to give us a book to read to him (and re-read and re-read and re-read... we know this is only the beginning of that!)

Have a great week. c

yesterday, Mercer turned 13 months old. today, he...

... legitimately took his first step! (Daycare told us a month or more ago that he took a few steps, but we knew that wasn't true. Maybe someone was holding him / they let go / he stumbled?!)

Today (so far) he's taken ONE STEP twice. He has been gaining balance for the past week or two -- and is definitely able to stand on his own now. Over this past weekend, he looked like he was contemplating taking a step... he would stand on his own and look like he wanted to move so he'd lean and hesitate.

Not today! He picked up his foot, moved it, and promptly fell on his bum (the first time). About an hour later, he did the same thing, but we were in his room in front of the mirror on his closet door. He saw himself in the mirror and wanted to get over there. He took a step towards the mirror and leaned the rest of the way 'til he was touching his own hands in his reflection.

I think that counts... right?

I'm glad I was at home today to see this! (I am normally not home on a Tuesday, but my office holds a green-building conference every year - which is this week on Wednesday / Thursday. I swapped days with daycare. Yay!)

I think our world is about to be rocked just a little bit more now! We will definitely get some pictures up over the weekend (maybe even some video).

PS - over the weekend, something funny happened. We were at a neighbor boy's birthday party. Mercer dove right into the pit of balls they had set up in the back yard. Later, indoors, he crawled over the kid's presents to get to something he wanted. (He's definitely becoming a little guy!) But - at the end of the party, a little girl (Glady, 3 1/2 years old) went to give him a kiss. He gives kisses back now... but he comes at you with a wide open (drool-covered) mouth. And, so, he gave Glady an open-mouth kiss -- which shocked her as well as her parents!

good times~

things that are cute on a baby, but...

things that are cute on a baby, but... aren't so cute on adults.
(Have I posted this yet? I've been compiling a list in my head)

1 - a big burp after finishing a bottle
2 - little toots in the middle of the night
3 - double chins
4 - wrist "chub"
5 - Buddha belly
6 - snoring
7 - peeing in the tub
8 - the bulge in your pants b/c of a bulky diaper (bubble butt)
9 - bad hair days
10 - toes (go on - stare at your toes or at someone else's toes to see if you think that's a fair statement!)

I'm sure there are others. Please post a comment if you have more to add!

Todd's working late again tonight. I'm kinda bored. I went for a really long leisurely walk yesterday after work. I went for shorter (but brisk) walk late tonight, but did get to spend a lot of time outdoors this afternoon while the weather was nice. Mercer and I "played" at a neighbor's house / with their grand-daughters who are 3 +/- and 11 months this afternoon. He was showing off for the girls and pushing his walking wagon back and forth... strutting his stuff in front of them. : - )

He's mastered a new skill: standing for a few seconds (to a minute or so) by himself w/out holding onto anything. He's getting more balance.

A few other random things that Mercer has going on:
He popped out his 8th tooth late last week. 4 on top. 4 on bottom.
Also - he now says "Ka" when he sees a car drive by our street.
And, he's trying to self-feed some. It's messy, but it's cute b/c he giggles when he actually gets the spoon in his mouth. (he uses his left hand most of the time to eat (and to pick stuff up). Todd's thinking already: Lefty Pitcher?!)

I should go. I need to work for awhile still to try to get my hours in for the day.

3 posts in 3 days!!!!

Got some good news...

Todd took his test earlier today and PASSED. Yay!

He is now a LEED Accredited Professional. (The LEED program is a Green Building Program that has taken off like wild-fire in the commercial building industry. He's actually working on a proposal for a LEED project, so this is great timing and will hopefully help out in getting the project.)

Also - Mercer's rash looks much better today... the bumps are still there, but much smaller and not red anymore. Here's a photo from yesterday.

He never had to go into the doc's office on Friday since the bumps looked a little better than they did on Thursday. In talking with the nurse, she really thought he had a reaction to the MMR shot from a couple of weeks ago. The information sheet that comes with the immunization says that 1 in 6 kids will get a fever / 1 in 20 kids will get a rash within 7 - 12 days. I've been following Dr. Sears "alternate" vaccination schedule... and on his website he's upset that you cannot separate the 3 immunizations out anymore. Mercer's been a pretty resilient little guy and this one definitely got to him. It's kind of scary!

(Well, we're not 100% sure that the break-out all over his face and "trunk" (stomach, chest, back) is related to the immunization. We're not ruling out reaction to raspberries, but we'll take a break / let him eat neutral foods for awhile and try again later.)

Little guy is down for a long nap. Have a great weekend.

I had to share this email...

I know I blogged yesterday, but..... I just got this email today from Mercer's birthmother:


Hey there,
I got your page in the mail with the card. i did enjoy my time out there. It was nice being able to see mercer again. Also seeing you and todd too. I had a lot of fun while i was out there. i am very thankful that you and Todd allowed me to come out and spend time with you guys and to be there for Mercer first birthday. Its really good to see that he is doing well. He has grown a lot. I think he will always be bigger then most kids his age. You and Todd are doing a really good job with him. I could tell when I was out there that he was well taken care of. That makes me feel a lot better. It was hard going back home when i left atlanta. I didnt want to leave but i know you guys are doing wonderful with Mercer. Thank You for keeping me updated and allowing me to come out and spend time with you guys. That really meant alot to me. I hope you all are doing well. Talk to you soon.


Danielle

Sorry - no new pictures yet

We had a ton of pics from his first birthday, so I hope that will hold "Mercer's public" for awhile! Todd and I have both been pretty busy lately -- he has a big proposal he's working on at work and he's studying for a test every night. I'm holding down the fort for the most part and have also been working a fair amount.

Last night, my company had their annual fund-raiser dinner. It was at the aquarium - and - it's SO COOL to sit / have dinner / catch a glimpse of the huge, graceful whale sharks swim by the big viewing window! The food was good - local / organic "farm-to-talbe" 5 course meal with 5 "local celebrity" chefs each preparing a course. This year, we didn't have a wine vendor, so the wine wasn't as flowing as in years past, but there were still "tastings" that were paired with each course. We had a speaker from Central American Progress who talked about business, the economy, up-and-coming industries, and a shift in the work force to these new industries. ie: There are 1,000,000 construction workers who have lost their jobs since the recession started in Nov / Dec 2007. There is, however, a need to work and expand the labor force in the clean energy / green building industry... he showed a schematic of a wind turbine and images showed folks installing it with the tools that they are accustomed to using from their experience in the construction industry. He showed young adults in South Bronx learning to install green roofs. He talked about government incentives for power companies and how (in the past) they had no choice but to buy coal and nuclear power... [those were subsidised and they're businesses - so they choose the lowest cost]. He talked about how it's up to gov't to subsdise clean energy sources.

He also talked about obligations that folks without jobs have to their families and how "greening" of their homes is not a part of the equation when they're concerned about putting food on their table. That's what they're hoping to change so it can become a part of the dialogue in the American famiy structure. It was pretty interesting.

We were allowed to bring our spouses this year (b/c we didn't sell the event out like we normally do), so Todd came with and Mercer hung out with 2 different sets of neighbors. The "first shift" hung out with him / played / swung with him on the porch while he took a little cat nap. They had a nice time. The "second shift" played a little with him (and their children did too)... but they had the pleasure of putting him down to bed in a pack-and-play I took up earlier. Both sets of neighbors said he was great and a pleasure to be around. It was a relief to know he was in great hands!

Mercer had some bumps on his face when I took him to daycare this morning... I thought they were due to a reaction to food... so far, we've noticed that he broke out a little when giving him peaches and mangos. I was thinking the same would be true for raspberries b/c he's had those the past few days. But - when I got to daycare tonight... most of the bumps are redder... and they're on his belly and back. I am wondering too if his vaccinations he had a couple of weeks ago is causing this rash. (The Mumps / Measles / Rubella (MMR) warning says that within 1 - 2 weeks of the shot he could have fever or rash. He has a rash for sure, but - of course - acts great otherwise. I will take him to his doc tomorrow to see what they say. I had started to take him to a children's clinic tonight, but got there and found out that there was a 2 1/2 hour wait... and at 8:45 pm when I was taking him...the idea of sitting there 'til close to 11 pm was just not appealing! I'll blog what it's all about later when we find out more.

One other (random) thing that I thought was pretty fascinating about the Aquarium and Ga Tech's Center for Music Technology: they have a program called "accessible aquarium" in which they're adding sound to the aquarium experience to help the visually impaired. Check out: http://gtcmt.coa.gatech.edu/?p=634

we celebrate our 11 year anniversary today!

We didn't do anything too fancy today, but we had a nice one~

Well, I got to do something fancy... I had a hot stone massage earlier in the day -- courtesy of a gift card from Christmas 07 that I hadn't used... I'm really glad (now) that I hung onto it for so long! It was nice to use it after the busy last couple of weeks we had.

I was actually able to "zone out" all of the chatter in my head... and go to a nice, peaceful place. I went to a house that we looked at several years ago on a river up in the mountains. Oh - how we wanted that house! (And, apparently, I still do!) I know there's no way possible, but it was really nice to be sitting / chilling on the back deck (in my head) overlooking the creek that runs directly behind the house. Mercer was looking under rocks and digging up worms! At times, I imagined him and a friend running through some trails in the nearby woods... and at times, I imagined him playing with his (future) little sister skipping rocks in the creek.

Yes - we plan to adopt again (as mentioned in a previous post). Earlier this week, I was actually approached by one of Mercer's day-care teachers about it. She said that she was pregnant and planning to talk to us to see if we would be willing to adopt the baby -- however -- she lost the baby a month ago. Wow. We felt bad for her loss (which she didn't seem too upset by because of the tough decision ahead of her). We feel lucky to be having these conversations with people!

I'm really digressing... back to the anniversary...

We ended up going for a long walk (at least 3 miles) along a river at a nearby recreation area because the weather was so nice. Mercer rode in the stroller for the most part, but at the end when he got really squirmy, we let him out and "walked" with him. He actually went pretty far holding onto my fingers! Afterwards, we ran some errands, then went to dinner at a restaurant we like (one we used to patronize a lot before Mercer) called Flying Biscuit. They have sort of "hippie / trendy" food, but is pretty casual. We had a yummy meal and came home in time to put Mercer down to bed.

Todd and I both have a SWANK dinner coming up this week, though, so we didn't miss out tonight by any means! My office has a fundraiser every year and they've invited spouses to come (perhaps we didn't sell enough tickets / but have already paid for the food?) A 5-course organic meal with a wine pairing for each course... and during the meal, an inspirational speaker about sustainability. Looking forward to it!

I guess the only other thing that happened since the last post, we FINALLY finished our wills. Our financial advisor stayed on us 'til we did it... we always have homework with him. It's a pain sometimes, but really good to keep us focused. We wouldn't be as far along with being "responsible" adults without his guidance! He's really kicked us into financial shape -- which right now is a good thing. Todd's job is pretty uncertain in the coming months, but it's nice to know we have someone to talk to / help us plan and get through this if it does come down to him losing his job.

It's been such a busy few weeks, that it's really nice to now be able to relax. Yes, I'm really glad I held onto that gift certificate and cashed it in today! Tomorrow, we are going to go to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. We were going to go today, but didn't have time after Mercer's nap. We'll get an earlier start / go check out the blown-glass exhibit in the orchid house... in a couple of months, they have a big exhibit of Henry Moore sculptures. I think we'll join b/c as Mercer's able to walk (any day now, right?) he will SO be into the children's garden area. Check out their website if you get a chance.... it's fun b/c they have music to go along with the different links. http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

I hope that all of you have a nice, relaxing week ahead. Good night.