Social Butterfly

I've been looking for a playgroup to take Rowan to for a few months but was getting discouraged by all of the hoops people on the mommy boards want you jump through. So I had just laid the idea to rest until Esten and I went to Ben and Jerry's for dessert one night. There's a big fountain in the middle of the shopping plaza and we were walking around it to work off some of those calories, ha! This couple with a baby walked out of Atami, a sushi restaurant, and we started talking to them. Come to find out Jennifer knew of the Friends from La Leche League playgroup. So I took Rowan the next morning and one of the moms there invited us to another free activity called Music Makers. And then I found out about a free program at the library called Babies and Books. So we've been socializing. It's fun for both of us, Rowan gets to play with other babies and I get to talk to other moms. Rowan is an observer. The first day he stayed close to me and observed what was going on for 20 minutes or so. Then he was off, taking toys from other babies, begging other moms for their snacks and introducing himself to the group by sitting in the middle of our circle in this pose:



clapping and turning all the way around while screeching at the top of his lungs. He is the loudest baby in the group. Here is a picture of him playing with his new friends.



Unfortunately he has payed the price for his social behavior of sharing toys with his new friends, with a cold. His nose is runny and he has a little cough. So this week we're skipping our playgroups but we'll be at Babies and Books Monday morning.

Rowan learned how to clap. I've been trying for months to teach him to do it so this was a BIG deal for us. We listen to music in his room while he is playing and he has picked a favorite song. He claps at most songs, but Five Little Monkeys steals his heart. He usually stops and stares at the stereo while clapping and humming along to this one. Other songs get a periodic clap and smile. This is a video of him clapping from a week ago. Since then he has perfected the clap.

Rowan has his top, front two teeth now. It was rough but they're in. There appears to be a gap between them but we'll have to wait and see. He had his 9 month check up yesterday. He's ~ 21 pounds and ~28 inches long. I wouldn't say he likes the doctor's office so therefore the nurses do what they can to get an estimate. Can you believe he'll be 1 in a few months? I'm about 50% finished with his birthday banner and we're thinking about party plans.