Massive Update

For this long-overdue, oft-requested, massive update, I thought it best to make use of a bulleted list.

But first: a flashback...just one, despite that at this point I owe 2 others. When you read what Markus has been up, you'll see why those others have gone missing indefinitely.















This was the "real French breakfast" I ordered in our hotel just one day. I just wanted to see what they'd send. For the record: coffee with milk, orange juice, plain yogurt, honey, breads (croissants, rolls, etc.), butter, and various fruit jams. I ate the yogurt with honey and one roll with butter, drank the coffee and juice, then gave the rest of the bread to my sister and stuffed all the jams into my suitcase. :)















Raph and I are on the cruise on the Seine. What a great way to see the sights on our first full day in Paris! From there we could see:















Notre Dame,




















The Eiffel Tower, and















this here winged something-or-other on a tower.

Also, there was:














entertainment! And,















WINE!! There was actually a full luncheon, but let's face it. Only the wine was photographed!

I highly recommend Bateaux Parisiens to anyone visiting Paris.

And now, onto Markus, the reason anyone ever reads this blog! Bullets:

• Markus now has 6 teeth! Two more have grown in since his 9 month checkup on 8/22. They're the teeth to the sides of the bottom 2 in the middle. Not sure what they're called. Markus has interesting behavior patterns when he's teething. A lot of screaming in lieu of crying. Wakefulness at night (needs more comforting and rocking in the middle of the night). Not the biggest fan of being spoon-fed (requires a lot more time and patience as he continually bites the spoon).
• Markus is a crawling machine! He learned to crawl within a few days of his 9 month appt., at which we had told his doctor that he was just army crawling (pulling himself along on his belly with his arms). Now he's FAST. He can get across a room faster than I can (almost).
  
• Markus cruises along the furniture! He's been pulling himself up to stand for over a month. Now he is no longer content with staying in one place. He has gained the confidence to put his feet flat on the floor (he used to be on his tippy-toes!). He holds onto the coffee table and cruises all along it, the holds on with one hand while reaching for the couch, and shifts between the two. I've even observed him letting go with both hands for one second of free-standing! This baby is on his way to walking on his own, for sure!
• Markus is going to be 1! We've begun planning Markus's first birthday party. This is a huge milestone and we can't wait to celebrate!
• Markus likes to clap! Markus's babcia, Raph's mom, taught him a little clapping song, and now all we have to do is sing the song and Markus will clap. There is a video, but I don't know how to add the video to this post. I've asked Raph for a little tech support, when he gets a chance.

I think that's all for now. Any questions? :)