Austen Famous Rodey

Sadly, we arrived an hour after the start and missed the egg hunt. Apparently egg hunts are usually a mad house with bigger kids dominating the scene, but Austen would've been happy with one little egg.

We were pleased to discover the best petting zoo we've been to. The animals were healthy and you could walk right up to them, pet them, brush them and feed them. All for free. Thanks, Township of Old Bridge.


Austen sees the chicks and immediately starts making chicken sounds: "ba bak bak bak." They seemed to be her favorite.


"Quack Quack"


Brushing the goat. He/She was very friendly.






Wow! Austen fed the goat!


Finally face to face with a sheep. Austen loves to make "Baaaaa" sounds.








"Austen had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb ..."


Mama loved this cute little bunny but Austen wasn't interested.


The world's biggest chalk board. Austen went wild. She loves drawing now that she's 1 1/2.





There was also a jumpy house [Sorry, no pictures] that looked like a merry go round. Austen was intrepid as usual and joined the big kids for some jumping fun.

At the craft table, Austen tried some egg painting and easter bonnet decorating, but she was getting fussy, so Mama and Dada took her for lunch at a total dive Mexican place.

Austen always enjoys her class at Music Together with Keira. She loves dancing, walking around, playing with the instruments, interacting with other kids and occasionally sitting with Mama and Dada.

Today, she was sporting her new skyblue Columbia sweatshirt.

Most recently, Austen decorated a frame and made wrapping paper for Dada's birthday gift. She goes to art class every Friday afternoon.

Austen thought it might be more fun to wear her food rather than eating it. Then, she tried to blame the mess on the food-in-hair monster but he used his invisibility powers so Mama and Dada couldn't see him.

Grandpa Rodey came to babysit while Mama and Dada took the train to Manhattan to see a play. Mama loved the feeling of being in the city again and didn't realize how much she'd missed it. It was great to spend an evening alone with Dada and wonderful to come home to a happily sleeping Austen.

Helping celebrate Mama and Dada's birthdays, Austen took Mama and Dada out to lunch.

For Dada's birthday, we went to Panera.




For Mama's birthday, we went to her favorite restaurant -- Tinga.




And then we had some yummy cake at home.

While at the park this evening, celebrating Dada's birthday, Austen ended almost every slide proclaiming "Seva!" as if rating the fun she was having. Austen clearly has a favorite number: Seven.

A few days ago, she started counting along to Sesame Street, Mama and Dada. She listens as we count up to six and then blurts out "Seva! Eight! Ten!" skipping past nine. Throughout the day, she continues to yell seven.

After filling up on the slide, she ran to the nearby basketball court as the boys were wrapping up their game. She burst on to the court flailing her arms, almost as if she was trying to say "I'm open!. Pass the ball to me." Amused, the teens let her hold their basketball while they packed up for the night.

Dada enjoyed the birthday activities (sandwiches and yogurt at Panera), cards (a beach-themed card from Austen), and gifts (fog-free shaving mirror and swim lessons with Austen) but he loved hanging with Mama & baby the most.

Austen now enjoys lollipops, chocolate and cookies. Here she is at our regular Monday lunch with friends.

but often there's a long delay before she says, "Boo!"

"Baby!" Julia Rose


"Peekaboo!"

Austen got to meet and greet her cousins, Jeffrey, Jonathan, Grace, Julia, Chase and Liza.

Playing with Jonathan and Jeffrey at their house on the Famous Farm:











"Oooo!" It's a guinea pig.

On Saturday evening, we went to dinner with Auntie Janet at McGerks in Bel Air, MD. Auntie Janet always bring discontinued library books for Austen.


Jumping at Chase's 2nd Birthday Party (where we also hung out with Liza):





Crawling in and crawling out. Repeat.

On Sunday Austen dropped in on the nursery class at Emory, where she was related to half the students. Mama played play dough with Grace and Jonathan while Dada helped the kids (including Abby) put glitter on their art projects.



Jonathan Becker in the striped shirt. Abby West next to him.


With Grace Underwood.


When we visited Grandma Judi's grave, Mama did well. She thought about all the Famouses buried at the Emory graveyard, all the way back to the 18th century, and felt a strong sense of history. But on the ride home, Mama got very depressed as she started thinking about how much things had changed since Grandma Judi passed away.


Playing with cows at Grandpa Earl's house.


Sitting on the "dangerous" yellow chair, watching TV (sports) with Grandpa.

Grandpa Earl took Austen for a ride in his new camouflaged golf cart, riding up and down the hills, over streams and frightening the cows. Grandpa also set up a toddler swing for Austen and took her for a long walk. She loved exploring the farm and rooming free -- Just watch out for the electric fence! Those Famous kids have a tradition of crashing into it. Ask Uncle Tod about his scar.

We tried to keep our spirits up on this very sad day (the second anniversary Grandma Judi's death) by paying tribute to Austen's Punjabi heritage and the love of music she got from her Grandma Judi.




Mama got out all the instruments and Austen enjoyed the special treat of playing with the sticks.


Mama and Austen had a lot of fun.


Mama used Indian gowns as decoration, along with orange and green from the Indian flag.


The kids (including Riley and Austen) danced to Bhangra in the media room.


The boys dressed up too. But the little girls really shined. Mama handed out bindis and sparkly bracelets.





Mama cooked up a storm -- and friends brought Indian food. We had Chicken Tikka, Basmati Rice with Peas, Aloo Pronti, Candied Fennel Seeds, Spicy Lentil Snack, Milky Indian Sweets, Samosas, Nan, Cardemon Cookies, Mango Lassi, and Cholay.



We're so honored. Baby Theo made his debut.


Here Austen is sharing. Hooray!


A Sikh singing Bhangra on the TV.


A table covered with stickers means it's time for a craft project.






Ryan works on the craft project. Notice his name on the Bhangra shaker.


A big mess after craft time is over.


Sticker fun in the TV room.


Although Indian dance, food and music were the order of the day, the kids still took the time to play with all the toys.

Dada took Austen for her eighteen month check up today. We waited and waited and waited to be seen (almost an hour), probably because there were so many sick kids in the "sick waiting area" and this was a last-minute rescheduled appointment, but Austen was entertained looking out of the window at cars, reading magazines, climbing on chairs and greeting new kids as they entered.

Once we went into the doctor's office, things changed quickly. As is par for the course, Austen immediately became upset and cried. Dada smirked at the nurse's futile but well-intentioned attempts to distract Austen. Refusing to sit on the scale, the nurse weighed Dada and Austen, then held Austen (kicking and screaming), while Dada weighed himself. After some simple math, the results were in: ~23 lbs.

Next was her height check. No chance in Austen standing still so we laid her down on the table. The nurse quickly made a pen mark above her head, then we attempted to hold her down flat and mark at the bottom of her feet. The nurse measured the distance between the marks and came up with 32" although there was too much squirming for that to be very accurate.

After the nurse left, Austen calmed down a little but still clearly wanted to leave the room. Shortly afterwards, the doctor entered and the screams started up again. The nurse and Dada had to restrain Austen while lying down (yes, it takes at least two people to hold her down) while the doctor checked her ears, throat, etc.

Finally, after that torturous 10 minutes, Mama came in and rescued Austen and after a meeting with the doctor to review the details, took Austen to a scheduled Saint Patrick's Day playdate (but that's another blog entry).

While watching one of her videos on the computer, Austen identified herself and Chacha, saying "Babee" and "Chacha."

well, almost!

Austen can now WALK up and down steps with ease. She loves to climb. Today at Chuck E Cheese, she climbed in and out of almost every ride and tried to climb onto the snow mobile while it was occupied by a little boy who was none too please. Watching the older kids play basketball (at the park and at Chuck E Cheese) fascinates her. Maybe it's her game? Right now she just manages to steal the ball once in a while. Her increasing height must be helping her with climbing. The last time we went to a play area, she wasn't as good at climbing into rides on her own.

Mommy knows it's time to go when Austen starts running away when given a command (such as "Stay in the toddler area."). When Mommy threatens a Time Out, Austen shakes her head and says, "NO," I don't want Time Out. For the most part Austen gets along well with older kids, but she sometimes takes advantage of little ones. It's undeniable that she shows a preference for older boys, who seem to fascinate her most. What does it all mean? Who knows? What's for certain is that she's assertive and gregarious and prefers to initiate contact with others (rather than have them approach her) -- thus her preference for people like Grandpa Earl.

Taking advantage of the semi-good weather, we decided to visit the local zoo. Austen loves animals so the slight chill in the air didn't bother her at all, as she oooohh'd and ahhh'd at animals, big and small.



Couldn't believe our eyes when way up over our head, up in the trees, were two black bears, chewing on leaves.


Austen enjoyed the animals, especially the farm animals such as horses, chickens, goats and sheep. When we saw some exotic birds -- peacocks and cranes -- she proceeded to talk to them with enthusiastic peeps.




She was bundled against the cold except for her cheeks which were exposed. Afterward, they turned bright red, along with her nose.


The cougars didn't look so happy as they paced in their cage. Mama says they were the most beautiful as she wondered about them escaping and unleashing their rage.

People still comment on her "beautiful eyes and eyelashes" although now only parents of older kids call her a "baby."



It seems Austen has been eighteen months old for a while now, although she just officially turned 1 1/2. Most of her friends are older but she fits right in and seems to be the same age. Her vocabulary and understanding of English is amazing. Her vocal chords, mouth movements and pronunciation are a work in progress. But when she speaks, it's always with emphasis; her most common expressions are exclaimations, "Ooo!," "Yea!," "Uh oh!," "This!" "Buh Bye!" "Hi!" "There she is!" "No!" and the numerous animal sounds she loves to repeat (such as deep-voiced "Quack Quack!" "Moo!" "Rarr!" "Meooow" "Woof woof woof!") If you ask her what sound an animal makes that she doesn't know, she often responds with some made up sound such as a coughing sound for a giraffe.

Although she has a lot of potential lung power, thus far she excells most at the physical (over the verbal). She can walk UP and DOWN a slide at My Gym, like a three-year-old. She can climb up monkey bars, as well as hang on them. She climbs on and off of Mama and Dada's high bed with ease. She can climb onto dining chairs and then onto the dining table. On the trampoline, she gets lots of wicked air. On the balance beam, she exhibits caution, moves slow and never falls, except for her awkward "dismount."

At eighteen mouths, Austen loves to draw with crayons and her magnetic doodlers (large one at home and travel size for car rides). She also likes painting, stamping, using stickers and stacking blocks.

She's thinned out quite a bit (loosing most of her baby fat) but she stores extra emergency weight in her cheeks.

Several times a week, she sleeps through the night, but often she gets up once or twice for soothing and a few sips of watered-down milk.

Austen still naps in her swing although she's pretty much outgrown it. [Record video] Note the dangling legs. Fortunately, at night she sleeps in her crib.

Top Thirteen Quirky Facts You Probably Don't Know About Austen:

1. On a good day, she says "Oooo" at least 200 times at everything that pleases her.

2. When a song ends, she claps and yells "Yea!"

3. She can play by herself for over an hour, especially if a Baby Einstein video is playing in the background.

4. She eats some type of berries and ham practically everyday. Only occasionally will she let someone spoonfeed her (e.g. yogurt cups for breakfast on the weekend with Dada).

5. Austen gives Mama and Dada kisses and hugs everyday (although Dada's sure he gets less).

6. When she wants to be read to, she finds a book, walks up to Mama or Dada, turns around and backs into Mama's or Dada's lap, butt first.

7. Austen loves to run, jump and dive around in just her diapers on Dada and Mama's bed (especially when she's changing into PJs for bedtime). She becomes giddy with joy when Dada puts on the music and lets her jump around, dancing on the bed.

8. She'll randomly poke you in the face and identify your facial features -- "eyes! head! mouth! ear! nose! chin!"

9. Austen starts dancing to cheesy music in pop-up audio books.

10. If you leave them out, Austen will find your shoes and walk around holding them while saying "Shoes!" Then, she'll try to wear them and sometimes get upset when they don't properly fit her little feet.

11. Austen rarely just walks. Mostly she struts, prances, sashays and runs.

12. The best way to get Austen to do something is to convince her that SHE wants to do it. Forcing her hand is very difficult.

13. Austen now plays ball. Sometimes Mama and Dada make her the monkey in the middle and she has to chase after it. She can also kick, throw and almost catch a beach ball. Her dream is to join the guys on the basketball court.




With Riley


Clapping, dancing and trying (very hard) to share at Music Together class

Austen now says "No" regularly to communicate when she doesn't want to do something ... like take a nap or eat. Fortunately, her "No" is gentle and sweet sounding, unlike her crying. :)

Austen can now do all her animal puzzles and she can successfully shape sort squares, stars, circles, triangles, rectangles, pentagons, octagons, diamonds and ovals. Mommy will have to find some more advanced puzzles.

At around 6am Austen decided she wanted to get up early but Mommy and Daddy refused to let her out of her crib. She threw a fit and then climbed up the side rails and jumped out.

Climbing is now one of her favorite activities. Thanks, My Gym. Mommy tries to take Austen to as many play classes and play dates as possible.

What does Austen eat for lunch? Look closely on the table and you'll find:
-ham & cheese sandwhich
-lettuce (from Dada's sandwhich)
-lemon slice (from Mama's drink)
-piece of chicken (from Dada's sandwhich)
-sliced apple
-cup of ice
-organic yogurt in a squeeze-tube container

Is Mama having a Jessica Simpson moment? (Notice the package of tuna on the floor. Austen likes to play with it.)

Whenever we go to Menlo Park Mall, Austen never misses her chance to stomp the monkeys. It's a game projected on the floor that responds to foot steps. "Mean monkeys" move around and Austen jumps on 'em.