Last Friday when I went to pick up Alex, his teacher asked me if I can bring some finger foods for Alex because Alex seemed very interested in other babies’ snacks. So we tested out a sweet potato flavor finger food last Sunday. Alex likes it! Yesterday after we came back from the follow-up doctor appointment, I gave him Yum-Yum rice crackers Vivian gave to us. Alex ate two bags. He is not very good at sending foods to his mouth yet, but he is eager to learn.

Since Alex woke up 3 to 4 times at night last week, we went to see his doctor yesterday to see if he still has ear infection. Fortunately,  he is infection free! With a wet diaper, he weighted 21 pounds 10 oz. The doctor said it might be the time not to rock him to sleep anymore. Last night, we put him in the crib, he cried out for 30 mins, and finally gave in and felt asleep by himself.  Alex, dad and mom hate to hear you cry. Every time I saw any tear on his face, my heart is broken. Dad said we are doing the things good for you and everyone. You slept through last night without any cry and gave me a big smile this morning when I went to check you. I think Dad is right! Sleep tight every night, my sweet pie!

昨天奶奶说易峰晚上睡不好，可能是耳朵的还有炎症，去带易峰又去查了查耳朵，听了听肺部，一切都很正常。 大夫说要锻炼易峰独立入睡，昨天晚上易峰当然不高兴了，大哭了半个小时，把我心疼坏了，那滋味可真不好受。但他昨晚就喂了两次，没哭没闹，一晚上睡得很好。

上礼拜托儿所的老师说易峰很馋手指饼干，礼拜天就给他买了一桶，他还真爱吃，不过浪费也很多。还得多练练怎么往嘴里送，他经常是为了吃一个小小的饼干，恨不得把整个手都塞在嘴里。经常吃了一会儿手就粘乎乎，脏兮兮的。

Bates Nut Farm is a San Diego county institution–they have a great selection of nuts and other dry goods–and our family has traditionally made a drive up there around this time of year to see the pumpkin patch. We took Alex for his first trip to Bates Nut Farm on Sunday.

周日我们一行10个人去了一个以坚果和南瓜著名的农场。两个礼拜后就是万圣节了，在美国传统上家家都会雕刻南瓜，小朋友们会提着南瓜灯到各家讨糖吃。所以小朋友们最喜欢这个节日，大人们都很担心小孩子吃了太多的糖，巧克力什么的。

头天晚上我没有睡好，易峰每个一两个小时就会突然大哭，过去拍拍他就好了，但整个晚上就跟他折腾了。早上易峰6点就开始要玩了，还好，8点洗了个澡，他就又呼呼大睡到９点半。所以易峰一天都精神特好，心情更是好得一塌糊涂，收到爷爷奶奶的一再表扬。

这是我们刚到农场。瞧，易峰戴着妈妈的帽子，穿着“资产阶级小皮鞋”，多调皮呀。

Here’s Michelle and Alex in the parking lot. For some reason, Alex has been sticking out his tongue quite a bit over the last few days. This might turn into a theme in these photos.

Also, notice the cool loafers that Uncle Andres got Alex for Easter.

我一直很喜欢和易峰顶门门，但他其实还不太明白这顶门门有什么好玩的。现在你跟他讲顶门门，他大概知道你要干嘛。 今天易峰就和叔叔顶门门了。

Michelle has been teaching Alex “ding men men”, which is a nicer Chinese version of a head butt. Uncle Jeff has apparently been taking Chinese lessons… he had the ritual down when Alex tried it with him.

我们很高兴Ｅｒｉｃ，Ｖｉｖｉａｎ，　ａｎｄ　Ｏｌｉｖｉａ能和我们一起去农场。每次看到可爱的OLIVIA，我都会情不自禁的想抱抱她。抱在怀里，男孩和 女孩的感觉就是很不一样。易峰总是转来转去，没一个消停的时候，OLIVA就很乖巧的倚着大人，安安静静地听你讲话。

“我就让ｅｒｉｃ叔叔抱我，咋啦？”
Our friends Eric, Vivian, and Olivia came to Bates Nut Farm with us. Eric handled showing Alex some of the animals in the Bates Nut Farm zoo. Alex has also been doing a strange chin-jutting-out move with his jaw when he’s not sticking his tongue out, which you can see in this photo. Maybe it’s related to teething?

Alex has also commandeered mom’s hat here. Most baby hats aren’t big enough to fit him these days.

不知道为什么他那天老是吐舌头，嘴巴做怪样子。但也着实可爱。

Here we are outside the donkey enclosure. Notice the tongue.

“嗨，我是OLIVIA!…天这么热，大家辛苦了。”

Olivia is saying hi. She’s waving like a pro!

“妈妈，给我买个包包吧，我很喜欢的。。”
Aunt Phet took Alex through the little art show they had on the farm, and they found a purse made out of a gourd that Alex really liked.

Maybe next year, son.

About this time, the batteries in the camera gave out. Luckily, I had two sets of “precharged rechargeables” that I’d bought all ready to go. Unluckily, I bought them from Radio Shack and neglected to consider how much Radio Shack sucks… both sets were dead. Thank you, Radio Shack. So now we go to camera phone shots.

“妈妈，等回家我们把南瓜炖炖再吃吧，现在不忙吃。”
Alex and mom found a perfect little baby-sized pumpkin in the pumpkin patch. I think Alex is trying to feed the pumpkin to mom here.

易峰坐在大南瓜上。

Here’s Alex with his pumpkin, and a slightly larger specimen that we found. Bates Nut Farm is a great place to find giant pumpkins!

We didn’t end up getting a pumpkin, because we’re going on a cruise later this month and don’t get back until Halloween. If we carved a jack o’lantern before we left it’d probably be moldy and bug-ridden and gross when we got back so we’ll probably just bust out some pumpkin carving action at the last minute again this year.

Hola amigos. I know it’s been a long time since I rapped at ya, but Alex has been fighting through a couple of ear infections and three courses of antibiotics recently, and it’s been a challenge!

He’s been having trouble sleeping soundly some nights, and he’s gone through periods where he wasn’t keeping much of what he ate down. So then he’s hungry, and that makes him cranky, and … with the frequent awakening at night, we’re all a bit tired lately.

We think we’ve got the latest ear infection on the run, though, and he’s been feeling better and better this week. He’s talking a lot, he’s doing a mean Army Ranger-style low-profile crawl, and he loves to visit Grandma and Grandpa at the farm.

He’s also moving up a classroom at daycare on Monday, because he digs hanging with the sophisticated older kids.