The hidden halo...

Even though you can’t see it… he has it.. and it’s a BIG ONE. His halo… This is how I see him.. whether the halo is showing or not :).

(Brad was working alot in the evenings, I sent him this one morning telling him Good Morning Daddy because he wasn't getting to see Brady before he went to bed.. I love the squinty "just woke up eyes"! He is in his big boy carseat!)

The kid is learning that he has charm and just how that charm can be put to work. I am pretty sure that he bats his eyelashes at you.. He will give you the cutest lips pursing, cheeks fluffed up grin that you ever did see… then non chalantly look away as if to say.. there now leave me alone. HAHA! Kind of like if he was saying this..

OK, OK, OK… new tub.. need a picture.. will this "thinking about a smile" smile work for you?

He really has such a sweet demeanor and is gently holding things and giving sweet “leans” towards you.. He just makes me smile… I need to take a picture of the smile I get every day I walk into GiGi/Ruff’s (oh I forgot to tell you that Pappy (my dad) has taken on the name of “RUFF” by Jackson! I hope it sticks because it is unique and sooooo cute!)! That miiiiight be the greatest thing ever!

Big Boy Tub! And he loves it.. although it is yet ANOTHER one of those things that oh how you wish they would get out of that little baby bath tub so I don’t have to drape him over my arm to wash his back. AGAIN, I take it back…. I think I am going to bathe him in the “too small” newborn bath until he is 5 and take the first of the lesser evils because trying to “clean the jewels” when THIS is his new posture..

NOT HAPPENING.. You just have to hope that you get everything in the under carriage clean hahaha! He loves to splash the ENTIRE time we are in there.. dear…dear…dear… Trying to get his head back far enough to wash the shampoo out is VERY EXCITING AND FUN.. nooooooot! He literally has little floatie toys that he wants to play with and splash with the whole time! It is fun though.. and I recommend them because, well they just spell fun with their QUACKING beak.. can’t beat it! I see many a bath time battles in our future trying to get him outta there… Hmmmmm… we shall see!

The weekend of June 12th we took a trip to Pleasanton to see Jen, Curtis, Deva, Randy, and Scott…. We had a great time! It was good seeing everyone.. it’s crazy how the times have changed. We usually would have been up at 1 am when we should have given it up at 10 and gone to bed.. well now- where was I at 10? Yep, in bed… Amen! Good thing too because pops wasn’t feelin’ his bestest when we headed out. So when we got home momma had to keep working double time… all weekend! Had quite a few “firsts” on our trip though! On Sunday he officially started rolling from back to tummy as he always has, AND WE CAN NOW ADD TUMMY TO BACK to the “Been There, Done That” list! It’s funny when he does it.. he will turn back to his back and then put both arms and legs straight out like WHOA.. hold on to the carpet, I just fell! Then he will give you a huge smile like did youuuuu seeeee that! So funny! And another thing on the “scary” list because now he can move around a lot while doing his full circle rolling over! I am so scared for him to crawl! What a whooooole new world that will be! I am perfectly content with him just staying put hahaha! No rush for that at all from this momma!

The kiddo has taken on a love for fruit/ veggies.. I am going to claim that he is taking after me with that fondness. Only because I can not claim any of his outside features since he is his father’s twin.. So I will grab at the other thing whether it is true or not hahaha!

He loved the orange slice! The next day we gave him some cantaloupe in this mesh bag teether thing that we have that allows them to taste and feel the texture (and coolness) of what you put in it but they can’t get any chunks and choke, very clever.. He loves it! The other foods that he has had thus far are apples, a ham/pineapple/rice baby food (had to give him seconds on that one :) HE GETS IT FROM HIS MOOOOMMMMMMAAA!) and a chicken/rice dish! He is loving the baby food so far…. Besides this one brand that has chicken/broth and turkey/broth I haven’t received the gag face at all! Loves him some food!

Showing off his best Veggie Mustachio!

I am going to keep him far, far away from ever peeking on Brad’s plate and the lack of veggies that he eats! I am excited because I will soon be able to fill our pantry with different kinds of veggies since he can eat them with me :). He is eating solids twice a day (can’t remember if I have put that in any of my other marathon blog entries).. cereal and fruit when he gets up from his morning nap and then veggie and “meat” when we get home in the evenings. He is doing soooo good and is not spitting it back out as much.. I swear, I know I am retarded but he is a quick learner.. even if I do think he hung the moon with anything he does :).

While we were there I got this prrrecious shot of Brady and Auntie Deva taking a nap :).

Call me a horrible mom, but the lovebug is starting to love on TV and movies.. So far you can get him entertained with Finding Nemo and kiiiiind of with Monsters Inc. although I haven’t really played with that one much… I really need to start working on our DVD collection of the good Disney movies. I noticed that my favorites are on … VHS TAPES.. who would have thunk it? Now I can’t use them.. grrrr… well I guess I can go buy a player… anyways… just can’t believe that one day could we be unable to use our DVD players????? HMMM… I admire the momma’s who are strict to NO TV when they are little.. but tell you what… just put a check by my name on the chalkboard because that electronic device helps me when I am a “single” momma :).

He is getting very fascinated with lips and the many noises that they can make :)… He wants to grab at them and feel them. It’s really cute… He is becoming VERY GRABBY (word or not.. there you go)! Here he just haaad to have the camera..

I think this picture is heeeelarious! It will be on my desk soon!

GIMMEEEEE!

I just want to touch it for a second!

This was soooo worth the chase :)!

We are now having to clear the area around him of items that we do not want his precious little fingers grabbing! Dinner time.. once he sits in that chair it is like a windmill with those arms everywhere .. or like an octopus.. if there is nothing close to him on the table.. oh that is ok.. the table cloth will do haha.. Pretty soon we are going to have him sitting in the middle of the kitchen with nothing in his reach sitting by himself hahaha! The activity level is definitely “kicking up” with him! When holding him he can make your arms numb if you give him enough “holding time”! It’s twisting here and there.. if you have him chest to chest holding him.. he is half turned with his body wanting to go this way, NO THAT WAY.. no this way, NO THAT WAY. Haha! Hold on tight! He has also started this “OOOHHHHH” face, and noises! It is a face like OH SO EXCITING! And he does it allllllll the time! I love it! OH! OH! OH! OH!

He has such enthusiasm and is so happy.. He continues to make me so very happy and wanting to be that “super” mom that can bring him all the happiness in the world.

Brad had his first FATHER’S DAY! We had a family BBQ and enjoyed being around our friends and family… Here are some pics from that fun day in the sun! It was toasty out, as you will see with the pink cheeks (but it doesn't take much :)), but it was so breezy under the pavilion.. really a beautiful day!

My sweet rock of love!

This pic. rocks! Taryn loves her some fruit haha!

Is she not the most precious thing in the world! Niece, Payton!

Sydney and her "Marilyn Monroe" impression :)! Darn things will pop up on ya!

Unckie Steve! I swear he is a human pillow.. Brady loves conking out with him!

Jen and I, this pic. cracks me up.. look at how ginormous my head is next to hers haha!

Jackson eating some watamelon!! Didn't get a good shot of his face at all!.. Sorry Bubba!

Toby, Heather's husband, Smith :)

Sorry, this picture cracks me up.. and I strategically placed a star so that you can not see anything that need not be seen :). When you gotta go, you gotta go!

Auntie Ashley and Payton.. such a big girl, drinkin' out of a sippy cup!

I just noticed I got noooo pics. of my own POPS! Good night nurse.. I am getting better, most of the time I bring the camera and don't pull it out of it's case :). Apparently I still have a lot of work to do. :)

Brady got his first “sun-kissin’” but it was nothing too bad.. Just got a little pink WALKING FROM THE TRUCK TO THE PAVILION before I could even think about getting suntan lotion on him.. Poor pasty baby :)! They have a water park at the park we went to with lots of spraying “contraptions”.. it was fun.. but you never knew where the next sprinkle would be coming from!

I think Brad almost pulled out his lady scream when this water hit his back! :)

Daddy and Brady using the public bidet.. haha! (and yes, I had to look up how in the heck to spell that "toilet shower head thing" haha!)

Maybe when he is like 7 I can get him to not focus on the water and give momma a smile :)

Pullin' his spin move, this is his new "hold on tight" move.

Sprinklin' the toes..

Doing his "look off in the distance" pose..

OOOOOVER IT..

For Father’s Day, Brad got some new “threads” and lawn services 2 times a month for the rest of the year.. I just don’t know how he does it.. climbing in and out of the 140 degree attics EVERY DAY.. I think the least Brady and I could do was to make him able to not have to jump BACK in the heat to mow the yard… Hopefully he loves it!

If you haven't noticed, when I think I have a hold of how to use my camera... I am proven wrong and here comes a blurry pic.. if you haven't ALSO noticed, because they usually happen to be some of my fav's that my picture taking skills mess up, they get put to black and white as it camo's the blurriness a little haha!

Clearly a good photo shoot was not in our future :)...

We officially turned “7 months” last Monday.. why does that seem like such a big jump to me? It’s like as long as they are not more than 6 months then they are still less than half way to a year or something like that.. Now that he is 7 months I have less than half a year of my baby boy being a BABY! Like after a year he is going to be driving off to college or something hahaha... I feel kind of bad because I have no urge to have him crawling or walking, I mean I would never “hold him back” I know that it is something that he will do.... but I am A-ok with him doing it at his own pace… I don’t worry one bit. The longer he takes the younger he seems to me :). It is coming though…. I don’t think he will take long to get up and going.. He will already get in somewhat of a “crawling” posture when I am laying with him on my chest… It seems that once he grabs a hold of how to do something that he has the drive to keep going until he “conquers”… so I just don’t know what we have in our VERY near in our future… But I think it’s A LOT!!
I will conclude this now.. hope the week brings you lots of good stuff and that you get a nice looonnnng holiday weekend! XOXO.. until next time!