5 Months: Fashion Shoot

The weather has taken a turn for the crisp and invigorating here lately, and as a result Silvan has been wearing more and more clothes. It started with socks, but soon he was wearing pants and little hoodies and cute little footie-pajamas. Jd and I are, naturally, thrilled.

Babies apparently enjoy a significantly expanded fashion universe and are allowed - even encouraged - to really push the envelope. Here Silvan is sporting a plush pink one-piece body suit. What adult could pull that off?

Normally, I get to pick out Silvan's outfit for the day. I get up early and make sure the front room is nice and warm. Then I put together everything I'll need to get Silvan ready for the day: a new diaper and diaper cover, baby wipes, his baby lotions, a blanket for him to lay on, and a new outfit. Finally, I lift him out of bed (unless he's nursing) and carry him out to the front room. I change his diaper, put on his little outfit, and sit with him by the fire for a few minutes.

This morning ritual of ours is very peaceful and meditative, and none of us make a big fuss about it. Sometimes, though, we change his clothes in the evenings just for kicks. These are much more festive events - we go through all his clothes and pick out a cute new outfit. We have a couch in the front room with a white blanket on it that makes a wonderful backdrop for our little fashion shoots. Jd and I will both get our cameras out and snap away for minutes at a time. Silvan seems to appreciate the attention.

In addition to new clothes, Silvan has been getting more and more involved with toys. For Silvan, toys are primarily for chewing on. He has a significant collection of stuffed bears, caterpillars, goblins, and a single stuffed robot.



Of course, it isn't all photo ops and stuffed toys for Silvan. He has a quiet, sensitive side that you can most often glimpse at about 8:00 in the morning. At this time of day - after his breakfast, a fresh diaper and a new outfit - he likes to sit quietly and stare into space.
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19 Weeks: Eating!

This was a really exciting week because Silvan started eating solid foods for the first time. I had been noticing him watching very closely while we eat, and he had been nursing constantly the past couple weeks-- even during the night, which has not been his habit. My folks, along with a couple mama buddies of mine, convinced us that the time is right to try solid foods for Silvan.

We started out with some teething biscuits (the hippie organic kind, of course). I offered one to Silvan and he immediately grabbed it and put it in his mouth, as if he had been waiting for me to offer him a biscuit for weeks! When he found that he could eat it, he began kicking his arms and legs and squealing with delight.
We sat him in his high chair and gave him rice cereal a few days later. Another easy success! Silvan had no trouble eating from a spoon, and soon insisted on holding the spoon himself (he's not great at aiming for his mouth, however). He can eat a serving of rice cereal in no time flat.

The goat shed is now finished. It will be a nice warm winter home for goats, chickens, sheep dogs, and cats. It smells pleasantly of cedar and hay inside, and we are very happy with it. Now comes the difficult work of herding the chickens into it. Silvan and I work on herding chickens each afternoon; he rides in the backpack. We like to hang out together this way.
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Silvan at 18 weeks

This week, my folks visited again to spend some more time with Silvan. We dressed Silvan up as a little pumpkin for his first Halloween, and took him to his music class with my mother. He had a great time, as he always does, and looked fabulous.

Silvan learned to hold and play with his rattle this week. He looks somewhat foreboding with it. We are still vacillating on whether to give him the pop rocks his Grandma Zink sent him.
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17 Weeks: Greencastle visit

This week, Silvan and I made a trip out to the cabin and farm I've been slowly building in Greencastle. My buddy Susan met us out there, and we sat in the clover and drank a beer while Silvan slept in his sling. Silvan really likes the cabin and the woods. We intend to move to the cabin permanently in a couple years. It is a beautiful place, the same now as it was when my Great-great-great-great Grandparents lived on this land.

This week we finished framing and roofing the goat shed. It is coming along, and we are looking into our goats for the Spring! Silvan has been so patient through our building, playing quietly in his Old Macdonald chair and chewing on his green bean toy. He is such a pleasure to have around.

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16 Weeks: Silvan's Wiccanning

The weekend after Silvan's 16 week birthday, we met up with some family and friends at Lothlorien Nature Sanctuary to hold a Wiccanning Ceremony for Silvan. This was an opportunity for us to formally introduce Silvan to our spiritual community. He looked beautiful in the Zink family Christening gown.

Our friends made a circle around the maypole in the lightning shrine, and lit candles to symbolize their commitment to supporting Silvan's spiritual growth, wherever it may take him. Lots of heartfelt wishes were extended, and bright ribbons were wrapped around the maypole while Silvan and I sat at its base, accompanied by drum and didgeridoo. We broke out the homebrew mead and talked late into the hazy afternoon while leaves swirled down from the woods.
Bruce's sister Faith came down from Cincinnati in time to partake of a big communal meal in the Long Hall. She and Silvan had some good laughs together.

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