Ahh...Austin!

We took a trip to Austin for the Memorial Day weekend to see some great family friends & meet up with Uncle Kevin, Grandpa & Nana. We hadn't been to Austin since before Drew was born, so we had fun showing Drew off to everyone!

We also got to see some good friends that moved from FW to Austin this winter. Our boys are only 1 1/2 months apart in age & so we got an updated picture of the proud dad's with their sons; the first was from the hospital when Jack was born!


We got to see Uncle Kevin's potential new home, from the outside. I'm not sure Drew liked it!


We also got our first true pool experience. Drew seemed to really like it. He wasn't real excited about his hat at first, but if we just sat it on top, instead of pulling it down, he tolerated it pretty well.


To our Austin friends reading this that we didn't get to see on this visit, we were sad to miss you, but the weekend just passed so quickly - we'll have to catch you next time, which hopefully won't be so long next time!

9 Months!

Goodness gracious, where has the time gone? Drew is already 9 months old - unbelievable! I think this month the overall theme has been joy - he is such a source of joy for us especially, but he loves to share it with anyone who crosses his path! The kid's smile absolutely lights up the room & he loves to laugh and SQUEAL and SHRIEK with delight!

All of this joy that he has stored up in him is coming out in all sorts of new ways. One of our most favorite things has been a new facial expression he has discovered - it never fails to crack us up. (See more below for a full video if you'd like!) He has also started to at random lift his hands & arms full above his head and smile and/or scream with delight. We have no idea what causes him to do this, but again, no complaints here, we are just so happy to be a part of it. Unfortunately it's been next to impossible to catch on camera because again, we have no idea how to get him to do it, it's completely random as far as we can tell! He is also babbling a TON lately: ga-ga & ba-ba are the favorites, but heard a ma-ma sound the other day! And another silly thing I've started to notice is that he finds diaper changes quite funny - he just seems to get a kick out of it sometimes - who knows?! The kid is a trip!


He is certainly on the move more these days as well. Still not officially crawling, though certainly "squirming" more and more to get to what he wants. (For the video on that, see below as well!) When that doesn't work, he figures out a way to get there with a combination of rolling, squirming and turning around on his belly, so if he really wants it, he finds a way to getting to it. He has begun to pull up on things a little more if given the opportunity and motivation...we know it's all just around the corner when our world as we know it will again turn upside down once he really gets to moving around! He also likes to "help" get out of the car seat, stroller, or high chair - once we come in for the buckle, he's got his arms up and out of the straps and he's ready to go - smart little kid he is - that, and completely ready to play! He's a true squirmy one as well - diaper changes, while funny, can be quite challenging now that he likes to roll around, even on to his stomach at times on the changing table. Burping is also quite the task - he's certainly on the look out for what he can grab & play with - he frequently turns himself completely around a few times in my arms while I'm trying to get out one silly little burp!

Let's see, other random things...his favorite part of Daddy is his nose & shirt buttons, and his favorite part of Mommy is her hair - this we know because more often than not, these are the first things he grabs for the minute we pick him up! He is still enjoying discovering new textures - lately, it's been the floor - I've caught him several times sticking his tongue out to "discover" the carpet or floor mat. He is starting to like playing with his stuffed animals and toys more lately - he seems to get a kick out of their faces; almost as if they are his friends.


One huge answer to prayer is that he is finally eating quicker and staying awake while nursing. It was a long 8 months of nursing him for at least 45 minutes every time he ate, nudging him along to stay awake. Well, we seem to have overcome that for the majority of the time & he's now a speed-eater, relatively speaking, and is awake & even playful while he's eating. This is a huge deal, making the whole thing not seem so much like work - YEAH! Thank you God! He is eating more and more solids as well - we are adding new foods as quick as we can (the "4 day rule" is a real bummer). He's added nectarines, flavored yogurts (his favorite!), asparagus, raspberries, strawberries, egg yolk, cottage cheese & veggie puffs to his menu. We keep working on different consistencies & more self-feeding with finger foods and he's doing great with it. Every now & then he "helps" with his spoon.


We are exploring the outside world a little bit more every week it seems. We had our first visit to the park, and have been able to play outside in the backyard a few times when the weather's been just right. We enjoyed the Tent Service at St. Paul & even got our first pictures taken with the bluebonnets. (See pics below)


Last but not least, here are this month's stats. A little bit surprising since Dr. Worsley gave us a head's up that he would probably drop in his percentiles by 9 months, but we've seen a bit of the opposite - not a huge jump up, but certainly not down. Granted, these are based on our 'home measurement', so they aren't quite as precise perhaps, but still, I'm impressed! Height: 29.5 in. (90%), Weight: 20 lb. (45%), Head Circumf.: 45 cm. (45%).