DSC00932, originally uploaded by baggermanpc.

Here's another photo my Dad sent me of Cormac. So, he's a couple months younger here. But how cute is he? He's got a little more hair right now, but that's about it.

He has been toddling around the house for days saying, incessantly, "Mama. MA-MA! MAAAAAMAAAAAAA! Mooommmmmyyyyy!" And then pointing to various things he can't have. And he's calling everyone Mommy, including Santos the dog. (Whom he also calls Mom-tos or dog-tos.)

I just got these photos from my Dad--last October, we went up to Kalamazoo to visit him, my grandparents, and my aunt's family. It's so great to have the boys spend time with my grandparents, whom I so fondly remember visiting when I was a kid.

We spent the entire afternoon at their apartment. At one point, my grandpa got a call. He said, "I'm going to have to call you back, because there is something very special happening right now. There are grandchildren--and great grandchildren here! In fact, they're all over the floor."

DSC_0040, originally uploaded by lisabagg.

This is Cormac with his buddy, Colin. Cormac and Colin share more than just the first two letters of their names. These guys are together four days a week with our wonderful nanny, Eva.

Don't they look like they're the same age? Actually, Colin is six months younger than Cormac. Which makes him a hoss because Cormac is pretty beefy himself.

rocket, originally uploaded by lisabagg.

"Mom, if there's a Burger King, is there also a Taco King?"

"When I grow up, I'm going to invent a kind of cake that, when you eat it, you can speak all languages. But it won't be chocolate so dogs can eat it and speak all languages too."

[His teacher told me he said this to a classmate at lunchtime.] "Jameson, I'm curious. Why do you like dramatic play so much?"

"Mommy, my heart is so large that I can love lots of people. But your name is right in the middle where it is the warmest. And so is Daddy's, Cormac's, and Santos's."

rt-IMGP0658.jpg, originally uploaded by Daddy Shawn.

Because if they looked like Danny DeVito, you would never get up with them at five in the morning. You'd probably just get a puppy instead.

*Although Cormac once did look like Wallace Shawn.

IMGP0136.JPG, originally uploaded by Daddy Shawn.

Lately, it's been Finn who's been getting all the blog glory. But rest assured that Cormac is every bit as amazing as his big brother. This kid is a force of nature—from the time he gets up in the morning, he never stops moving. He's like a 25-lb. cannonball, hurling throughout the house. (And yes, sometimes destroying everything in his path.)

You should see how fast this guy moves now. (I'll happily race my baby against yours any day.) He eats with absolute gusto and seems to have the most hilarious sense of humor. He loves to play peek-a-boo, makes faces at everyone, and laughs this hearty, deep-voiced laugh.

He's really into big kids and what they're doing. We went to a friend's house last weekend, and he toddled after all of them, following them from room to room, laughing all the way, even when it was an hour after his bedtime. When we pick up Finn from school at the end of the day, he toddles around the room, hugging all the kids.

This kid LOVES dogs. Although no one would call Santos a "good" dog (he's always eating the weirdest things that dogs shouldn't eat, and stealing food off the counter), he is absolutely the best family dog that we could ask for. He follows Cormac everywhere (and yes, it is probably because he is frequently coated with food, but still). Cormac pats him, lays on him, "shakes" his paws, and Santos is totally game for it. Cormac loves him so much that he cries when Santos goes outside. He stands against the door with his nose pressed to the class, calling for "dog-dog" to come back.

He's got a lot of words now. In addition to "dog-dog" (which has also expanded to mean cats, birds, and pretty much any animal), he says "mama" (which truthfully, also kind of means "person who gets me stuff", as he sometimes calls Daddy or his nanny Eva "Mama"), bruh-bruh for brother, dada for Daddy, meelk for milk, bobo for pacifier, NO!!! for no. He also shakes his head "no" when he means yes, which is pretty hilarious. I'll bring out some blueberries from the fridge and he'll start shaking his head no, vigorously, when what he means is yes! Bring on the blueberries!

Cormac has also started getting jealous when I hug Finn, and tries to peel him off me and wheedle his way in there. And oh my goodness, does this kid have opinions on stuff. Dogs, food, books, an other kids go in the good column. Shoes, hats, and being told no go firmly into the do-not-like column.

Basically, Cormac is a big personality in a little (but growing rapidly) body. My lovable, exhausting, little chunk. (But after carrying him around all this time, I've got some great biceps!)

blueprint, originally uploaded by lisabagg.

Every day, Finn brings home a bunch of drawings and worksheets from school, and we go through everything together. When I asked him if this was a drawing of our house, he said, no. That this is actually a "blueprint" for the house where he will live with his future wife, Ruby. (Ruby is one of the little girls in his class, who is absolutely charming and adorable. Mama approves.)

He went on to give me the details about their home. First of all, Ruby and Finn will have both a cat and a dog, and they're going to be friends, because they're going to get them at the same time. They will have a big toy room, and a huge craft room where they can make projects. Instead of having stairs, they will have a slide.

And, as a final touch, it appears that this house will be furnished predominantly with items from infomercials. (Which is probably more of an indictment of how much TV he's been watching this Winter.) In the bathroom, they'll have the Touch & Brush, for the kitchen they'll have the Big Top Cupcake* kit, and all the closets will have the Hanger Cascader. ("Mom, it will increase our closet space... instantly!") The doors will even have the Twin Draft Guard to keep out all those pesky drafts.

A natural romantic, Finn alternately cuts out pictures of flowers and candy, pasting them to paper, and gives them to me, or saves them for Ruby. (He's too shy to share them with her yet.) His teacher told me, "He's really going to be the best boyfriend, someday." Have you seen Modern Family? He's totally Manny. I keep expecting him to ask me to buy him some cologne.

It's very sweet, this idyllic life Finn has imagined, with friendly animals, no wasted toothpaste, and ample closet space. He told me (and I quote) "Don't worry, Mommy. I'll give you our address so you can come visit."

* If there is one thing America does not need, it is a way to make gigantic cupcakes.

logos, originally uploaded by lisabagg.

So, I go to pick up Finn the other day from school. I don't see him at first, and his teacher tells me, "He's in the back, making logos."

Sure enough, he's sitting there with a box of different shapes, meticulously making a bunch of logos for different companies. He points out to the different logos on the table, and tells me that they are: (clockwise, from the left):

* A logo for a company of Daddy and Finnie
* A logo for a dog company
* A logo for a "sea" company (I think that's a turtle")
* A logo for a vampire company (see the green fangs?)

I guarantee he's the only kid in school designing logos.

retouch-hero.jpg, originally uploaded by Daddy Shawn.

I have been wayyyyy too busy with work. But this photo should hold you over until I have some time to write.

Dragon Tales from lisa hazen on Vimeo.

brothers, originally uploaded by lisabagg.

Here are Finn and Cormac, snuggled up with me, watching Phineas and Ferb this morning before school. Now that Cormac is mobile, he's officially a contender. These two now play together all the time. And by "play together," I mean that Cormac comes in and generally destroys whatever Finn is playing with right in front of him.

Finn—with steam coming out of his ears—will yell "COOORRRMMMACCC!" With this kind of response, Cormac figures he was quite a hit. So in his enthusiasm, he usually tackles Finn, pulling his hair for good measure. This is where I usually need to step in. Because Finn knows that no matter how annoying a baby can be, it's never OK to tackle them back.

But these two really do love each other. Cormac positively wants to BE Finn. He must do whatever he is doing. Taking a bath? Mind if he joins you? Eating? Don't mind if he has a bite, too. Putting on a hat? Quick! Someone get Cormac a hat!

And as for Finn, you can tell that he is flattered being the center of Cormac's universe. He has told me that he is a "baby expert." (He also claims to be a dog expert if you're looking for one.) But he does seem to know exactly what book Cormac wants to read, which binky will make him stop crying, and which toy he wants to hurl across the room. He's always asking me earnestly, "He loves me best, right Mama? RIGHT?!?" But he also says, "I can't wait until Cormac is a Daddy, so he can go get his own house."

IMG_0393, originally uploaded by lisabagg.

So, you already know Cormac started walking. This change has sparked something new in my sweet baby. This child has discovered free will, and thinks that everything in his sights should be his. And ohhhh does he get angry when you take stuff away from him and remove him from various baby-unfriendly situations.

Here he is, lunging for the camera, Sean Penn-style, as I try to take a photo of his cute little post-bath hairdo. He doesn't seem to understand that babies don't use iPhones.