Sleep, Sweet Son

As we write, The Dude has been napping - in his crib - for two hours. This is HUGE. We've been slowly working toward the whole scheduled napping thing, and just two weeks ago we couldn't even set him down and hope that he would sleep for 20 minutes, let alone an hour.
Yesterday, Papa became The Nap Master and put him down at 8:30 am and he slept until 10 am. Today, same thing... he went down at 9am and is still asleep here at 11:03 am.
He's such a happier baby when he has good naps, and seems to sleep better throughout the night too.

So sleep on, dear Dude. We'll be here when you wake up.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Hold on to your hats, folks... The Dude is ready for take off. In the last week, he has come up with something new every day to surprise and amaze us.
For example, he has started waving to people when they wave at him. It's very deliberate - no coincidence there. His chubby little hand waving all around... ugh, so cute.
He also started making these clicking noises with his tongue (which we are trying oh so hard to get on video), and he is SO proud. He contorts his little mouth all funny and makes the noise over and over, and looks at you for you to do it in return.
And last, but not least, he has started to master the art of yoga. Or at least assume the positions (just like someone else we know). He has figured out that he can move, but gets so frustrated when he doesn't go anywhere. Every now and then, he'll get his knees under him and rock back and forth, but again, complains that he can't. get. over. there.

Too cute for words.....

Under The Weather

Despite the sunny, warm temperatures we've been having, The Dude is under the weather. He officially has his first cold. Snarfely nose, sore throat... the works.
But, as can be expected, he is handling it with Dude-like style. Taking it all in stride. The Dude abides.
We'll be back soon with more (un-sick) Adventures of The Dude....

Word to Your Momma

How can Momma not be so smitten?

Thank you Dude for coming into our lives and oozing Dudeness. We love you.

7 months (+ 1 day)

We feel like we've been watching one of those time-lapse videos where the hands on the clock spin around and around, super fast... you know the one...

Our Little Dude is not so little anymore. He is changing so much every day. For instance, yesterday he figured out how to shake his head back and forth (like he is saying "no"), and now it is his favorite thing to do, EVER. He is sitting up, pretty well... he still needs the occasional Mama interference from the floor, but he's getting it. Most days he can roll both ways (front to back & back to front), and he's practicing getting up onto his knees, but only in his crib - at night.

He still loves food, and has so far eaten sweet potatoes, apples, carrots, peas, pears, and the beloved prunes. Oh, how he loves the prunes. The hands start moving fast from side to side whenever he realizes it's time to eat. Ah, just like his Mama.

Our hearts melt whenever he smiles, which he does often. He is really a happy Dude. Just recently he started giving "kisses", which means slobbering all over your face and chewing on your nose... now THAT gets us every time.

Over the Rockies - Part 2

Looking back over The Dude's recent adventures, we realized that we never told the complete story of our trip to Colorado. We left out the whole second half! Must have been all that altitude, but we could have sworn that we wrote a long soliloquy about how we left Colorado Springs and drove up to Boulder (in the beautiful snow!), went to Gram's cute little apartment, had the best Mexican food EVER and introduced The Dude to so many new family members his head was spinning! It was definitely a chock full 2 1/2 days.
A few highlights from the second half:
-Gram holding and squeezing Owen for the first time.
Needless to say, she LOVED him.

-The Mini Reunion at Kevin & Sam's place (Thanks guys!) where Owen was introduced to cousins, Great Aunts, and Great Great Aunts - oh, AND Jules. Whom we will not soon forget... we have a feeling that he will teach The Dude a few things in life. Like, How to Rock!

-Walking the mall on Pearl Street. We got to introduce The Dude to all the wondrous places where his Papa and his Auntie hung out in college, take in the glorious sunshine and again eat the BEST Mexican food ever.

All in all, it was a really nice trip. It was good for all of us to get a change of scenery, reconnect with where we (Papa) came from, and prove to ourselves that we've got a pretty good thing going here with our little family.