So Begins Summer...

Yeah, so let's play catch up! I haven't posted in a while, so here's the scoop.

May 24--we got to attend a preview opening of Lorikeet Landing at the Little Rock Zoo. It is an awesome new exhibit where visitors can interact with and feed their 26 lorikeets. Joseph seemed intrigued by the bright colored, swiftly moving birds. But, he seems to watch anything that moves these days. We also enjoyed a BBQ dinner and free train rides.

Next came a busy Memorial Day weekend. We headed to south Arkansas this 3 day weekend to see the folks. Joseph had a great time although he was fussy due to lack of sleep. Again, we hit 6 of the 7 grandparents and numerous other extended family members! He and Uncle Mark were big buddies and he enjoyed all the various animals he encountered, including ducks, geese, deer, squirrels and one lonely kitty.

Finally home again, but still staying busy. We took a visit to one of the neighborhood parks and enjoyed the swings, slides, merry-go-round, and see-saws. What fun! Again, Joseph's favorite was watching the people, with most of them being in the pool.

Today was out and about to do some shopping and relaxing around the house. Coming up this week, we've got Grandma Mae coming to stay with us and getting ready to start our new daycare on June 11th. Should be fun!

And, finally, Joseph...standing on the furniture. Well, his furniture

8 Months!!

Wow...here we are at 8 months old! It's been fun so far! Joseph is meeting milestones like crazy. He's loving every bite of food he gets, which now includes yogurt--yummy! A big mistake was letting him eat off mom's plate, because now he thinks he can share whatever she is having! He's also started pulling up to stand while holding onto something. He likes to stand at his exersaucer, sneak a look at whoever is standing behind him, then fall down. He loves being picked up to start the game all over again. His crawl is getting him where he wants to go, and he's taking unsteady steps when helped out by mom or dad. He and Uncle Mark really hit it off over the weekend, and now we've got a 3 day weekend coming up to enjoy some more family time!

An Experienced Palate

Joseph had his first taste of international food (not counting refried beans) this weekend. Uncle Mark is in town for the Greek Food Festival, and Joseph enjoyed a taste of hummus, pita bread, and some steak (from dad's "steak in a pita"). He seemed to enjoy all of it. He was reaching for mom's calimari, but isn't allowed any of that yet. Everyone had a great time, and enjoyed all the excellent food and people watching! Sorry no pictures!

Just a swingin'

Happy Mothers' Day to all! Joseph was a tired little boy by the time Sunday rolled around! He was home sick with mom on Friday, but recovered pretty well over the course of the weekend. Thanks to dad's hard work, he got to try out his new swing in the backyard on Sunday. As you can tell from the picture, it was a huge hit! He seemed like he could sit there for hours as long as someone was pushing him.

Grandparents (Pattersons) were here this weekend, and he always enjoys someone else to wear out! Mom and Dad just poop out too quickly for the little crawler these days. He's also big into standing and holding onto toys. A visit to the zoo on Sunday was fun, with a short nap in the backpack carrier and a walk under the water mist to cool everyone off from the sun.

Looking forward to the Greek Food Festival this weekend! Well, mom and dad are, not sure if Joseph is aware of what's coming! Not sure if he's ready for a gyros yet! Have a great day!

On the Move...

Look who is taking off! He got into that position all by himself. We can't keep that boy still anymore. He is constantly moving. Toys are fun for Joseph but not as exciting as the laptop, newspaper or VCR.

Speaking of moving, Joseph will soon be moving to a new daycare situation. I finally have a spot in the coveted daycare at ACH. I also found out that we will have a spot soon at another facility. All this, and we found out our current babysitter is planning a move to Saline County! Now, the question is, which one do I pick?? I'm planning tours and lots of questions over the next week. He's done so well where he is at, that it makes me nervous and anxious when considering a move. Oh well. I guess we'll have to say goodbye to Logan, Peyton, Allie & Gavin, along with Miss Amy. But, our little charmer will do fine where ever he's at.

Here's a shot of Joseph on the move with Dad...He really seems to like our new backpack carrier, and has done a good bit of traveling in it so far. It's great for trips to the zoo, farmer's market, Big Dam Bridge, or just around the neighborhood. We're hoping to do some hiking when Jon gets his endurance built up!

Whew...

Good Morning! The onslaught of grandparents is over, for now at least! In the last 6 days, Joseph saw 6 of his 7 grandparents! I think that is a record! He's getting more active with crawling and has really been in a great mood for the last several days. He has also learned that he likes to stand up at the ottoman in the living room and chew on magazines. We have found 3 baby bunnies in our back yard, and they should be thankful that he's not old enough yet to pursue them, but if they are still around next year, watch out!

He's also getting better with his pincer grasp, which is such a plus where Cheerios are concerned! We've learned that Cheerios and spoons to play with will last him through almost any meal. He's more interested in what we are eating everyday, and you can't sneak a bite of anything around him. He's also doing great with a sippy cup, and last Wednesday took a drink of water by straw from my cup! That's skills right there, being able to drink from a straw at 7 months! He's a cutie!