All good (and a Halloween preview)

We're just back from the doctor, and everything is great. They were able to tell from initial tests that the heart murmur is harmless, so they didn't need to do the test requiring sedation. Not that Sidamo doesn't seem sedated anyway—the adventure of it all (plus being off food and liquid since last night) wiped him out completely and he's now down for an early nap.

This weekend we went to Boo at the Zoo with Lisa, Chris, Scarlett, Grandpa and Dianne. It was such fun! We thought Sidamo was a goldfish, but someone else called him a koi, so we're going with that. Nothing wrong with a little upclassing! Scarlett was a cute and fluffy chicken. I had to wonder what the animals at the zoo thought about all these little bits of prey tapping at their windows. A special sort of torture, I'm sure.

He actually was less put out by the ensemble than he looks here.

Poor Scarlett was a little embarrassed by the whole thing at first, but she got more comfortable in her chicken skin as the day went on.

Sidamo and Uncle Chris checking out a vintage fire truck.

Dianne, Grandpa and Sidamo learning about the big-horn sheep.

The Bell boys.

Good thoughts for Sid

We're heading to Children's Hospital in about half an hour so Sidamo can have his heart murmur checked out. We're not terribly concerned, but our doctors wanted us to do this test as a precaution. My only worry is about the sedation—I just hate the idea of such strong drugs in his tiny little body—so if you could send some good vibes his way today, we'd all appreciate it.

I'll update later when we know the results.

The Mommy Blogaries

The Denver Post just published this article about the popularity—and profitability—of mommy blogs. If I had known revenue was a possibility, maybe I wouldn't have been such a slacker about posting for the past few weeks.

Truth is I've been procrastinating blogging only as much as I've been procrastinating everything else lately—work, laundry, vacuuming. One thing I hadn't anticipated about mommying was just how hard it would be to shift gears during Sidamo-free times (nap times and when he's at his friend Max's house) and devote myself fully to other things. I sometimes find myself staring at a blank page, and the only words I can piece together are "moo," "baa," and "la la la." Not quite on target for the magazines I work for. Plus, if I'm going to go down Jayson Blair–style, it's going to be for plagiarizing someone a little loftier than Sandra Boynton.

Now, for updates: Sidamo is doing wonderfully. For the past few weeks, he's been reliably calling me Mama—or, should I say, "MAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Other new words and phrases include down, towel, toy, cow, hold hands (more like "ha hay," and he wants to do it constantly—two hands, not just one), tofu (bofu), and the list goes on. His favorite word remains no, and he uses it frequently—sometimes in song, sometimes in prose, but always with a lot of feeling.

And what post would be complete without some completely adorable photos?

Sidamo out to breakfast with Daddy, Grandpa, Great Grandma, Aunt Lisa and cousin Scarlett. If it weren't for those pesky eggs, he would have made it into the Clean-Plate Club.

First ride on the Amish rocking horse given to him by Pop Pop and Carol Lee.

Cousins

Crazy week, so I'll keep this short and full of photos.

Sidamo met his cousins George and Catherine (as well as their parents, my sister Meaghan and her husband Andrew) last weekend. All the cousins seem quite fond of each other.

All the cousins at the pumpkin patch

The kid with a kid. I'm glad to have another person in my corner in the fight to convince Greg (and the city of Denver) to allow me to have a goat.

Catherine and Sidamo molesting/feeding the stingrays at the Denver Aquarium

Also at the aquarium, Catherine and Sidamo checking out an overhead display.

All three cousins at the zoo. Poor Sidamo spent the whole time there requesting kangaroos ("Roo? Roo? Roo?"—nope, it never gets old), and when we finally saw them they were all asleep in the distance.

We had a wonderful weekend, and it made us wish we all lived closer together, but we'll all see each other again in December when Greg, Sidamo and I head to New York for Aunt Margie's annual fish dinner.

Anniversary in Aspen

Greg, Sidamo, and I went to Aspen this weekend to celebrate our (minus Sid) fourth anniversary. It was our first time away with Sidamo, and he did great. We did learn that vacations are a lot different with a toddler in tow—instead of sleeping in, lingering over meals at quiet restaurants, and enjoying the after-dinner scene, we spent much of our time discovering the town's many playgrounds and searching out eateries with high-chairs and easy exits in case of meltdowns. But aside from that adjustment—and the stomach bug that kept me company for the duration of the trip—the mini-vacation was a success. Here's some proof.

Sidamo's first time in a pool. He did pretty well considering it was around 60 degrees outside and the pool wasn't nearly as heated as we would have liked. A few hours after this photo was taken, the pool was drained and remained empty for the rest of our stay. Should we take a hint?

Sidamo at the Maroon Bells.

The whole fam dam.

My funny-face boys.