9 Month Well Check

We went to the pediatrician today for this busy guy's 9 month check-up.

Here's how he's growing:

Height - 26½" - 5^th percentile

Weight - 17lbs 5oz - 7^th percentile

Head Circumference - 46cm - 78^th percentile

It's an optical illusion: he doesn't look as small as he is, right? 

I love my tiny guy so much but hopefully he'll get growing soon.

p.s. When I went to get him out of the car at home he had a Band-Aid in his mouth and I found a soggy cotton ball nearby.  Both were securely on his heel--and dry--when we left the doctor...gross.

p.p.s The other moms at the doctor's office all thought Clark was a girl, despite being dressed in boy clothes.

Start of Summer

We kicked off Summer yesterday with a Memorial Day BBQ in Baytown hosted by Amy & Mark. The best part was dining outdoors--a luxury we don't experience at our house for lack of a patio.

Blame it on Ike

I ate a mango last week and it bit me back. I love mangoes and I've eaten plenty in my life, but quite suddenly my skin finds them disagreeable. My lips usually blister up but this last reaction looks like I rubbed a handful of poison ivy all over my face. My cheek is swollen and bumpy, my neck and chin are crimson, and it's all been itching like crazy. As you can see, fortunately (or unfortunately?) it doesn't look nearly as bad as it feels:. 

The internet tells me that mango sap contains the same chemical as poison ivy, hence the similar reaction. I believe I must've been sensitized to it after my run-in with poison ivy while doing Hurricane Ike cleanup a few years ago. (Clearly, I had no idea what poison ivy looks like.) In this instance, the malady looked as bad as it felt and lasted for almost 2 weeks:

For now I'm avoiding mangoes. sigh. delicious tantalizing mangoes.  I will miss them, but appreciate not wanting to take a palm sander to my face even more.

Funny Face

Mr. Clark has been pulling funny faces this week by sucking in his lips. The look is enhanced, of course, when he makes accompanying bug eyes.

Why Dads are More Fun

Why is it that no matter how ridiculous moms can be that dads are just more fun? I'm doing a study to find out. So far the findings are:

1. They let you play with the best toys

2. They teach you cool stuff

3. They let you get into trouble...just a little.