So much to do...

Keeping up with cadets and Sean has made a weekly blog a lucky monthly blog...so many activities and so little time to get it on the page!


He's standing and cruising on his own, so shoe selection actually matters! Without good grippers, he's sliding along the wood floors. We went through his Chuck Taylor's in about two weeks--little boy feet grow pretty quick!








Beyond shoes and walking, we were all over the place this month! Home football games, tailgates, parties, and somewhere in there, school! The temps dropped enough that we actually started wearing pants! Bath time is turning out to be more and more fun too!

I'm a big kid now

As school as started for the cadets, Sean looks like he's ready to go! Pulling up, cruising, feeding himself...all signs of a little boy and not a baby boy.

Sean, for a Saturday morning breakfast, is having toast and scrambled eggs! He's a big fan of finger foods so what an easy way to get whole wheat and protein first thing in the morning!








He pulls up on anything vertical and will move along the edge. He can climb stairs and, according to his daycare, can use a handrail to walk back down!!!





He plays with toys--in ways they were meant for and other ways too! He loves to figure things out, how they move, how they could move, and even how they taste.




At the end of the day, his favorite place is wherever Mom and Dad are. We spend a lot of time in Mom's arms, watching Dad do stuff, and chasing Koby around...

Swimming with a friend

As the temperatures rose this summer, we broke out Sean's pool so he and Eliza Rayfield could cool off and play in the water a little bit. Grand total, they were out maybe 20 minutes, but they had a blast...

Tour de Great-Grandma

How lucky can a little boy be? In the span of four weeks, Sean met not one...







not two....









but THREE great-grandmas!






First, I met Great-Grandma Hanley after a short road trip to Rochester! I also met my great-aunt Pat and uncle Adolph and see the coolest clock shop! While showing G-G Hanley my backwards scoot, I unfortunately found myself under the couch...and what did my Mom do? Take a picture, that's what!





But she took a few other fun one's, so I'll forgive her. I was able to show off how I can pull myself to my feet...





Next stop: TEXAS!!!



To ring in Independence Day, I flew down to Dallas (my second time on a plane) and spent three days with A LOT of people. Mom says that was most of my family down there, but there's still more people to see! The first stop was G-G Gant's house. As soon as I came in, she smiled and said, "that's my baby!" She was so happy to see me. I looked around and wish I could move on my own to explore!

Then I was able to show off that since going to Rochester, not only can I pull up on my feet, but with a little help, I can walk too! Grandma Powell seemed to really enjoy that part! I met cousins, and second cousins, and maybe cousins once removed, but Granddad Powell just calls all of them: FAMILY!

An Army Brat??

Sean has an obsession...you would think it would be a favorite toy, his bottle, or even Mommy! For a while, we thought it was Koby.

Every time Koby would decide to come see what the fuss was about, Sean's eyes would fix on him.






It was only after closer inspection that we discovered what truly got his attention: dog tags!






He's not trying to grab Koby's long, floppy ears but is trying to get his hands on those shiny, noisy, perfectly sized tags! So, Sean will have his own set before too long. I just hope he'll be interested in them!




Something tells me that it's not just dog tags; it's KOBY'S DOG TAGS!

Summertime is here!

Happy Memorial Day! What a wonderful way to start off the summer than by taking time off to remember those who fought for the freedom to...barbeque, gather with friends, and not worry. Of course Sean doesn't understand the full meaning of this day yet, but he definitely gets summer fun. The fact that Mommy and Dad are home for three days, not two. The smell of ribs on the grill (a scent that had him doing cartwheels while I was pregnant), the taste of cornbread, and lazy afternoon naps! Let freedom ring...








I spent a good part of this holiday showing off the "Sean Scoot" and Dad caught it for you to see:

Photo Contest?

We love the fact that Sean is in our lives. With each new day I am in awe of how much love one small child can bring. I really wish I could know what he is thinking, but part of the fun is just watching as he learns about the world around him. He is at such an expressive age, where joy and laughter are pure, sadness is shortlived, and nothing is better than being with other people... maybe he's teaching me about life!

Because of this unique time in his life and the plan to keep this blog up, I have become a crazy shutterbug. I have snapped well over 1500 photos since Sean arrived. Now, many of them are fuzzy, cut off part of his precious face, etc, but that still leaves an impressive number! I have posted some on Facebook and here, but many of them are special because of the moment they were taken.Kris came home one afternoon to play with Sean on the floor--this photo would not win any contest, but I can remember the whole scene in my head and on film...









This is will be one of my most cherised moments and photos because of the event, not just that beautiful face! That said, here are a few contest worthy shots...

Adventures in almost can's...

Having reached the significant milestone of being six months old, Sean has been trying a few other things lately. We have made the initial start of rice cereal (though still more milk than cereal) and that "almost" works. He's hit or miss on interest, hit or miss on swallowing, and hit or miss as to whether he and I will be wearing more than he eats. But its ok; after all, the experts say food isn't supposed to really be a part of his diet yet, we are really just tasting. We might venture into sweet potatoes this week, but then again, maybe not.

We reached another fantastic skill that he can clearly do: rolling from back to front. Doesn't sound all that challenging since he's been able to go from front to back for several weeks--but try it! It is actually harder to go back-to-front than front-to-back...who would have thought it! This is clearly in the "can" realm...




One thing Sean does that everyone is still mesmerized to watch is "feeding" himself. Ever since he realized he could touch a bottle with both hands, he's been a little helper. Sean and I went out to a restaurant with a friend and her 10 month old and both watched as Sean just tipped his bottle back and fed himself.



Given this shot in the arm, I introduced the sippy "cup". It is a great hybrid really between the sippy cup and a bottle in that it has the traditional sippy shape, but the top is soft like a bottle nipple. It also comes with removeable handles, so now he can really get the fingers in on the grip! So here's to the "almost's", the "can's", and the "we'll get to it when we want to's"

Just to see you smile

Yes, it has been over three weeks since our last update, and though I haven't had time to post, we've managed to squeeze out time to keep track of our favorite munchkin! The fact that Sean will smile at all sorts of things makes it even more fun to get a smile from him....








He smiles when he sits, stands, lays on his back, is held overhead, you name it, he smiles! What Mommy and Dad wouldn't try to get that grin...












But really it comes down to maximizing the time we have had off from work (not a lot) to spend it with our favorite person. He loves to sit up these days,









but he hasn't forgotten a few of his favorite moves either...








More to follow...our big boy is six months old!