6 months old!
Holden was 6 months old on Thursday and had his check up on Friday.  He is now 19lbs and 4 oz and 27 1/2 inches... a big but well proportioned boy.
He also has a double ear infection (one in each ear), which was a surprise to all of us.  He has had a persistent cold, but has generally been his very happy baby self.  Since he is a baby in day care, we honestly did not think twice about the runny nose or mild cough.  There were no signs that he had an infection- no fussiness, ear pulling, fever, etc.  I guess if he is going to be sick this is pretty easy on us- although I am not sure how I will be able to tell if he is feeling better!
This is only the second time in my parenting career that I have had to deal with an ear infection and is very different in circumstances from the first.  Mariel was about 8 or 9 months old and it was the first weekend that she and I were officially living in our house in Richmond- we had just come from staying with Carl and Adella in North Carolina at the end of the semester.  We got there on Friday, I think, and were up all night with her on Saturday night.  I remember just holding her in my bed as she cried, wondering why the minutes were taking so long to tick by until the morning.  We had not set up any doctors in Richmond and with no experience in dealing with such an inconsolable baby we went to the ER at around 6 Sunday morning.  The attending doctors seemed quite disappointed with just how ordinary of an ear infection she had and sent us home with antibiotics.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that I have another 5 years to go until my next ear infection!

Happy Halloween

and Holden's First Plane Flight

My parents came to visit for Halloween and got a taste of what it is like on Clark Street.  The only downside of my mother being present for Halloween was the Winnie the Pooh outfit that I was expected to wear... and the subsequent pictures on Facebook.  I had students coming in to class the next day chuckling over them.  The lesson they took from class that day: your parents are never finished embarassing you!

Mariel was Belle, Noella was a ballerina, and Holden was a hippo.  By the end of our very short trick or treating spree (about 5 houses) Mr Holden was a very tired and angry hippo, so he missed the rest of the night.  We had our usual fire out front to greet the 200+ trick or treaters who came by with their jokes.  I should mention that we don't even live on the "busy" block of Clark- the one where there are actual lines to get up on front porches, a cotton candy machine, and other excitement. 

My two favorite jokes of the year:

What do you call a fish with two knees?

A TWO KNEE fish.

and

What is a rabbit's favorite restaurant?

IHOP

The next weekend Holden and I headed to Alexandria, Virginia for a quick getaway with some of my dear friends from graduate school.  They are four bright, interesting, and fabulous women who I truly wish I could spend much more time with- harder now that we live scattered across the country.  It was a wonderful, relaxing, and much needed getaway.  It was also Holden's first plane flight, and he did very well.  He slept most of the time in my arms and when he was awake was captivated by the arm rest.  The only frustrating part of the journey for him was that I refused to let him lick said arm rest... but luckily I had other toys that he could play with, too!