Eight Months Old Already!

Today Michael is eight months old! Where has the time gone? He is doing so many new things now. His latest trick is to sit himself up and to rock back and forth on all fours (so close to crawling!). He's also trying to pull up on everything and get into anything! We have now lowered his crib mattress so we don't have any unplanned exits! He is quite a talker and has lots to babble about! He is also eating a variety of solids now including rice cereal, squash, carrots (yuck), sweet potatoes (yum), peas (yuck), bananas, and pears. He is also very interested in drinking out of a big boy cup, so we are working with him on that, too. Michael now has 3 teeth (the two bottom and one on top) with two more looking ready to come in. He recently had a fun visit out to Oklahoma to see family. I'll have those pictures up soon. :)

Catching up - Photos from Mother's Day

Here's our little guy all ready for his first Mother's Day.

Our church had a public baby dedication. Michael was teething, so we were nervous to bring him up on the stage.

He was a champ and even wanted to help Daddy with the mic!

Father and son - what a pair!

Mommy and son - the sweetest Mother's Day gift I could ask for!

Catching Up - Photos from 5/8

I have a spatula, and I've no idea what to do with it!

I've got you now, Dad!

I'll eat you!

With Mommy and Dangles the Monkey

I love my mommy!

Catching Up - Photos from 5/7

So far behind on posting pictures of my little guy! Here are a few from May 7th. Here he's just playing with Daddy. Notice the grip he has on Jason's hair! He (Michael) does that to me all the time and adds in a big, slobbery open-mouth kiss. He' so sweet!

This Could Be the Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

Humm... what's that?

Daddy, I want it!

It's so pretty...

It's mine!!!

I shall eat it!

I see remote control wars in our future...

Michael Meets the High Chair

This was Michael's first day in his high chair. We wanted to let him get used to it before we tried to feed him in it. He thought it was quite interesting.

I think he got a little unsettled when we snapped the tray on. He was like, what are you people doing to me?

But, all was well once we put a few toys on it for him to play with.

Wrestlin' with Daddy

Michael loves to sit on Daddy's chest. He strains to touch Daddy's face and giggles hysterically.

Having Fun at Home

Here's our boy having a fun day at home. He loves to read books with mommy. He also loved when our good friend, Missy, came by for a visit. Missy just moved to Salt Lake City to do her residency in pediatrics. We'll miss having Missy in Cincy, but we know she's going to have a great time out West!

First Babysitter

Here is Michael with his first official babysitter, Elizabeth. We had a yard sale, so we decided to have Elizabeth come to watch him so we could focus on getting rid of some junk! Elizabeth did a great job and Michael had a very fun time playing!

Cute

This cute boy has something to say and he's determined to say it!

Busted! I'm not sure what they were up to, but they sure seem surprised to see me!

Sweet Dreams

Jason caught Michael and I napping. I just loved the way he melts into me with complete disregard to the outside world. There is nothing more peaceful and sweet than a baby's contented sighs.

A Thought to Ponder on this Beautiful Day!

"Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Grab life by the mane. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion."

- Mark Batterson

Playing Hard with Daddy

Michael loves this toy! It's supposed to fit onto his swing, but he doesn't like the swing anymore - just the toy. It was one of the first toys he began to interact with and he just has the best time with it. Now that he's sitting up a little more, he can really make it go!

Blast from the Past

A friend posted some old photos on Facebook recently - talk about a blast from the past! These photos were taken in April of 2000. I was finishing up my dissertation at Tulane and had gone to Houston for a weekend trip to see some MSU buddies of mine. That's me on the far left with some really short hair! Jason and I had not started dating quite yet. Next to me is my wonderful friends Derek and Lisa. Next comes Lauri and Ernie (they were dating and that weekend was the first time I met her - such a sweet girl!) and then on the far right is my dear friend Tim (who is now married to his own Lisa). With the exception of Lauri, I met this crew freshman year when we all lived in Garner Hall on MSU campus. We had lots of fun times at State, especially our senior year! Wish we all lived closer together so our families could spend more time together!

Our Boy

These are two photos that Michael's Grandma took while she was here for his dedication. I love these two because they show two very different shades of Michael. The picture above may seem at first to be a bad shot because Michael is crying. In color, his face is bright red, so I filtered it into black and white. I love this photo because it shows Michael being comforted by Mommy. These are the moments that I know I am a mom. I can't tell where I stop and he begins - we are one in these moments and my heart breaks with his.

I love the photo below because it shows how Daddy feels about Michael - shear adoration. I love the look on Michael's face - reminds me of that saying "butter wouldn't melt in his mouth".