the gobbler.

mercer and company are getting ready to see family and friends for thanksgiving. this blog will be inactive for the next few days while we eat, drink, and get merry.

we've changed formulas and mercer is becoming much more regular than before. for those who don't know, mercer had a lot of problems when he was a very young cub. days and days would go by without anything "passing" and mom and pop always worried. mercer never showed any signs of discomfort until it was time to take care of business. now that we switched from similac to nestle good start, things have been - how should we say - running smoothly. sorry to be so revealing, but hey, this is mercer's diary as well as his blog. it's been a pretty important part of his life so far (unfortunately) and we'd like to document his improvements! mom and pop think everything is back on track now. we also think that the introduction of mango, spinach, squash, and the like have helped out quite a bit, too.

on that delicious note, happy thanksgiving from team leonowicz. mercer is looking forward to sitting at the table with all the grown-ups and eating some squash.

mercerMusic:
chris walla - "sing again"

sleep tight...

early to bed, late to rise.

for the past week or so, mercer has been getting tired a little bit earlier each night. on top of that, he's been wanting to sleep late every morning. he'll wake up at his normal time, talk, and rustle around a little bit in his crib. but then he can go right back to sleep, which is odd for him. the same goes for if we have to get him up for day care. we can change his diaper and dress him, but he'll fall right back asleep on pop's chest if you let him! so tonight we're trying to put him to bed a little bit earlier so our growing boy can get some more sleep. we'll see how it works. we'll keep you posted, of course.

the latest poll is over! most of you thought we should keep mercer's hair short when it decides to grow back. letting it grow wasn't far behind and a few jokesters even voted for the mullet. we'll see what his hair looks like when it really starts coming in, but I think I can guarantee there will be no mullet.

mercer saw his first snow this morning. another of mercer's many firsts.

mercerMusic:
the arcade fire with bruce springsteen - "keep the car running"

at home with mercer.

mercer spent a playful and fun weekend baking holiday cookies with MeMa, aunt becky, and aunt jen. they made congo squares, peanut butter surprises, chocolate chip-raisin-walnut oatmeals, cranberry-orange oatmeals, chocolate pretzel bark, and a few more. pop spent the weekend in pennsylvania with jeff, brian, scott, and his wife rachel. he's still sore from an intense session of wallball, but he'll live; much fun was had by all.

mercer was a treat all weekend and well-behaved for his guests. he was so excited when dad got home, too. they played for a long time until mercer realized he was hungry and started to whine a little bit. after a snack, mercer took a long nap. he was then snuggle-tag-teamed by mom and pop at 7 to ensure that he would be awake for his nightly ritual. he was startled at first, but smiles, giggles, and snuggling ensued.

on another note, mercer is now seven months old! a new kodak gallery will be sent out shortly. stay tuned for the cuteness.

mercerMusic:
st. vincent - "these days" (cover)

sleep tight...

session player.

each night, after pop is finished bathing the little juice box, he lifts him up from his tub chair, kisses him on his wet, clean face, and says, "good shower session, buddy." who knows how it started, but it's become part of mercer's nightly routine since he was 1 month old. it's not really a shower, but it sounds good, and mercer smiles every time he hears it.

anyway, mom returned from her business trip somewhat unscathed; there is still a little matter to resolve regarding enterprise rent-a-car, but that's another story. pop fixed up some turkey burgers with french fries to eat while mercer played with his chewing toys and soccer ball. he has really taken to the soft soccer ball. he giggles every time he sees it spin around and loves shoving it in his face.

if this post seemed somewhat disjointed, it's because we're all pretty tired here at camp leonowicz. we're going to hit the sack. sleep tight...

one fine mercer.

mercer was absolutely perfect for pop today. he ate all of the food he was supposed to eat, slept when daddy put him down, and played during playtime. no fuss, no crying, no messes. when mommy got home, we all went out to pick up a rental car that mommy needs for work tomorrow. she's going on a trip to albany, so mercer needs to spend an extra day in day care this week. no matter, because next week, he's only in the Big House for one day. mercer can't wait for thanksgiving.

after we picked up the car (a nissan pathfinder!), pop got a haircut, and then the gang went to a favorite pizza joint. everyone stuffed their faces, including mercer, who chomped down sweet potatoes and corn. we can't wait until mercer can eat pizza and all sorts of good things. it'll be here before we know it.

now mercer is getting his nightly rubdown and snack. sweet dreams, big guy.

mercerMusic:
sondre lerche and regina spektor - "hell no"

blood on my hands (and shirt).

well, mercer was very excited and happy when we picked him up from day care today. that doesn't usually happen. he must have gotten a good amount of sleep. he didn't really nap when we took him home, but he's tired now (7:45) so we're starting the process a little earlier. he did a lot of playing on one of grandma's quilts tonight, including some moves that looked like he was either trying to push himself to sit up, or crawl; we're not sure which. we both think he'll be doing one of those things by the end of the week. it's strange how it just clicks in his head: "well, time to sit up on my own, now."

pop has cut mercer's fingernails dozens of times, but last night was the first time he drew blood. it was on his thumbnail. mercer didn't feel a thing or cry, but dad still felt horrible. he took a good slice of skin off and during playtime, mercer got some blood on daddy's nice white shirt. babies heal (and forget) pretty quickly, so we're all OK; well, maybe not the shirt.

mercerMusic:
small sins - "it keeps me on my toes"
small sins - "stay" (slow version)
small sins - "what your baby's been doin"

keep voting and sleep tight...

the best part of waking up...

...is mercer in your bed! yes, babies sometimes wake up during the night. however, we've been lucky that mercer prefers to sleep through the night (on his belly, arms tucked underneath, head to the side, butt in the air) like a normal person. he is also a great alarm clock, as he wakes us up at the perfect time each morning. he leaves just enough time for us to lift him out of the crib and bring him into bed for serious cuddling and playtime before we all have to get ready for the day. i think he knows just how to time it. getting mercer's first giggles of the day going is pop's favorite part of the morning.

mercerMusic:
the little ones - "face the facts"
the little ones - "lovers who uncover"

sleep tight!