Bruce's First Bites

We decided to take the plunge and introduce solid food into Bruce's diet. He didn't really get it at first, but then started diving for the spoon. He laughs and talks during mealtimes. He now finds eating to be a very fun game!




Also, I finally got a few pictures of one of the baby deer I have been telling everyone about. There were 3 babies in the yard the other day - it must be the season! Here is one of them.

4 Months Old!

Here's a little update on how Bruce is doing for those of you who haven't hung out with him in a while! He is now 4 months old and we are beginning to understand other parents when they say "it goes by so fast...". He is getting big - he's almost 13 pounds as of Tuesday! He is very smiley and happy almost all the time. He has started laughing, which is the sweetest thing in the world - we will try to catch it on video to share with you! He is tall at 24 1/2 inches and every inch of him seems to be very healthy. We will be (slowly - we are in no hurry) starting to add solid food to his diet this weekend (so Daddy can partake in the fun), but just tiny bites of rice cereal at this point. He loves to be read to and has started to notice the pictures in the books. He also loves to be sung to, especially if you act out the motions! He is mostly on a schedule during the day, which he seems to like. He is at his best when his meals and sleep are predictable and routine. He has begun to notice Chloe and Willow. He watches Chloe when she is near (she loves the attention, of course) and laughs when Willow plays in the yard. He talks a lot, but in his own language so we are waiting until he learns English to find out what's going on in that adorable little head of his!

4 months old already!

Us relaxing in the yard




Jerret reading




Bruce laughing




Tummy time




Talking to his Glo-Worm




What a sweetheart!




Playing and happy

Our Busy Summer, Continued

Bruce at 3 months old

Although the summer is nearing a close, it's the best we've ever had. We didn't take any extravagant vacations or get anything exceptional done, but we had a lot of family time. Bruce got to meet cousins, aunts, uncles, another grandma, and friends. He was passed around a lot, as you can see from the pictures below. Despite Jerret's traveling for work, the time we have had with him has been full of memorable experiences.

Bruce with Great Grandma

Grammie and Bruce

Uncle Don and Jerret



Jeff and Bruce



Cindy and Bruce



Christina and Bruce



Michael and Bruce



After dinner near Evergreen Lake



Us



Bruce with Daddy



Bruce with Uncle Grant



Bruce and Mommy

Bruce is now over 3 months. He has been rolling over from front to back and clasping his hands together. He was 11 pounds, 9 ounces at 3 months, so he should be somewhere around 12 pounds now. His new passtime is sitting in the Boppy or the neglect-o-matic (swing) and watching Baby Einstein videos. I was skeptical about a 3 month old having interest in TV, but he loves them! I got him his own library card this week to put his books and DVDs on - mostly because they were filling my card up, but he needs his own anyway. He is a very calm and happy baby most of the time. He smiles a lot and is a joy to be around. His intelligence is getting the better of him lately as he has learned how to undo the velcro tabs on his cloth diaper covers and grasps the pacifier leash, but can't figure out why it keeps falling out!

Bruce getting his first library card

Big eyes!



Hugging his tag blankie



Us in the yard



Willow loves her little brother



Bruce's flirty smile



Watching Baby Mozart



After his bath



Smiley boy!

4th of July and Beyond

Bruce and some of his cousins: Micah, Faith, Dominic, and Katie

The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind of wonderful for our family. We had a chance to spend time with family from out of town, show Bruce off, and spend precious time together. On July 4th, we went to Libby's (across from Grant and Pat's) annual party. We had so much fun and great food. I was wondering how Bruce would react to the fireworks. I wasn't sure if they would startle him or if he would even notice them. It turned out that he loved them! He is facinated by bright lights, so that makes sense. He even stayed awake for the whole show!

On Saturday, we spent the day with Bruce's Aunt Sara, Uncle Nathan, and cousin John. John is 5 weeks older than Bruce so they're very close in age and activity. It was a wonderful time with delicious home-cooked food and hospitality provided by Nathan's mother, Esther. The two boys would notice each other from time to time (John more than Bruce). The day of travel made Bruce a bit fussy, but it was an overall good day for everyone.

Bruce with Aunt Sara and John with Uncle Jerret



Bruce and cousin John

Sunday was a party day at Grandma Green's. Bruce's Aunt Kimberly, Aunt Christa, and Uncle James were in town along with cousins Faith, Dominic, Katie, and Micah. We celebrated the official adoption of Faith and Dominic and my ( :0 30th) birthday.

Us



Jerret and Uncle Don fixing woodpecker holes

The Aunts and cousins filled Grammie's house for the rest of the week. My sisters and mom helped with sleep training and other issues with Bruce and he got lots of love and cuddles all around. It was such a nice time and so rare for us to be all together!

The cousins, from oldest to youngest

Kimberly helping Faith on the stilts



Playing in boxes in Grammie's yard



Grammie making Bruce smile



Bruce and I in Grammie's backyard



Katie and Bruce



Faith and Bruce



Bruce sitting up (sort of)



Micah, Christa, and Zeke



Bruce asleep in the carrier



Dominic with his squirt gun



Big smiles during Bruce's activity time

My mom and sisters took everyone to Senor Manuel for dinner on Thursday for my birthday.

Me with my sundae and sombrero

Micah trying out the sombrero

Yesterday, we celebrated my birthday as a family with lunch at the Table Mountain Inn for lunch, a long nap in the afternoon, dinner at the Chinese Restaurant at the lake, and hang out time at the lake until sunset. Unfortunately we forgot the camera and can't show you the most beautiful sunset over the lake, but what a wonderful day it was!