Mimi's Birthday

Hunter enjoyed an evening at Mimi and Opa's house tonight with them, as well as Uncle Scott and Jessica, while we celebrated Mimi's birthday with a Chicken Parmigiana Dinner, Apple Jewish Cake and gifts, of course! As usual, Hunter stole the spotlight, but Mimi didn't seem to mind too much...

Mom and Dad are right...

baby tootsies are YUMMY!!

What in the heck is this thing??

There are so many new inventions for babies these days! One that I thought was pretty cool is a mesh feeder. It looks like a giant pacifier but instead of a nipple at the end, it has a mesh pouch that you can fill with soft foods. The baby can gum, suck, and chew them safely without the risk of choking.

Here is a video of the first time I presented it to Hunter, filled with softened apple slices. Needless to say he had no idea how to use it, and I wasn't too far behind him! But, as with all food, he quickly got the hang of it!!

Mouths are FUN!

The number of funny things I can do with my mouth are endless! Check out the latest!

Yabba Dabba Do!!

Hunter is finally tall enough for his Jumperoo, which he received as a Christmas gift from Pop-pop and Granny J. He definitely has fun in there when he plays with the activities set around him. Occasionally, Hunter reaches for things that are out of his grasp and when that happens the Jumperoo quickly transforms into a baby torture device, and makes me laugh hysterically! (Call me a mean mom, I don't care.) Hunter gets his little feet going like Fred Flintstone, it just cracks me up! Who knows - maybe he'll grow up to be a long distance runner because of this toy!?

First Snowboarding Trip

Hunter and I joined Ryan for a long weekend in Breckenridge, Colorado while he attended a work-related conference. Mom-mom was sweet enough to come along with us and look after Hunter so Ryan and I could ride together. While we were on the slopes, Hunter enjoyed playing, reading, and snoozing with Mom-mom in front of the fireplace. He also got to watch the football playoffs with Daddy, while the gals enjoyed a spa day! Our friends, Shane and Rachel, who live in Fort Collins, stopped by to visit with us and Hunter squealed with excitement when he met his new friend Ben who is only 6 months older than he! When Ryan was in meetings, Hunter explored the town of Breckenridge with Mom-mom and I on foot (or rather strapped to his Mommy's chest, while she was on foot). It is a cute little ski town and Hunter couldn't seem to get enough; he kept turning his head from side to side as if trying to see it all at once. Eventually this tuckered him out and he fell asleep, but woke up later when he thought his Mommy had shopped in enough stores and it was time to head back to the room and eat.

We returned to MD without Ryan, as he had to stay several more days for his conference. This was the longest stretch of time that Hunter and his Dad have been apart and they missed each other a ton! One evening, I even caught Hunter making his Dad a sign to express his feelings, which we emailed to Ryan that night.

Our trip, while short, seems to have brought our "sons" closer...meaning Jack and Hunter. Prior to our visit west, it was a known fact around our house that Jack forbade Hunter to touch him, much to Hunter's chagrin. However, since our return, I have gotten photographic evidence that Jack missed Hunter immensely! Of course, Jack also thinks that he can sleep on my bed now too...perhaps he is trying to take Ryan's place??

Below are some videos of Ryan and I riding...ignore the part where I slide out like a loser!

Avocados, Green Beans and Pears...Oh My!

Hunter mastered the art of eating rice cereal and oatmeal rather quickly. So, about a week after he turned 5 months old, we decided to graduate him to some easily digested fruits and vegetables. The first thing he tried was an avocado. It definitely took him by surprise and he made all kinds of funny "icky" faces. In fact, he even gagged, but once he got the hang of it he decided it wasn't so bad. Since then, Hunter has tried apples, pears, sweet potatoes, green beans, and soy beans. He doesn't seem to dislike anything so far...no real shock there!

Look What I Can Do!

Hunter is doing an awesome job of sitting up on his own these days. He still tends to jerk backward and fall when he gets really excited by something, but other than that he has been balancing himself very well! He is also enjoying the new view of his world and all the toys in it!

5 Months Old!

Our little guy is another month older...WOW! I think we say this every month, but man the time is flying!

Though he's a pretty mellow baby, Hunter is developing a BIG personality. We love hearing him squeal and laugh when we make funny faces or do something that surprises and delights him. He has learned to entertain himself, which surprises us because it seems like we never leave him alone!! Nonetheless, he plays well with his toys in his high chair and exersaucer when we are occupied in the kitchen making dinner, but he'll look up every once in awhile to check on us. When he wants our attention he'll yell or squeal at us and when we make eye contact he'll smile and go back to playing. So cute!! We often hear him talking to himself in the mornings or blowing raspberries in his crib when he first wakes up, rather than crying out for us. Of course, as soon as he sees us over the top of his crib, we get the biggest smile of the day!

Hunter is learning very quickly to sit up on his own. In fact, even these last few days he has improved immensely. He still loses his balance occasionally and falls to his side or on his back so we can't leave him to it alone or without pillows around him, but for the most part he can balance pretty well on his own for several minutes at a time.

He is still a great sleeper, sleeping between 8-11 straight hours every night. He has recently started making some new noises with his mouth and imitates our mouth movements without sound, as well. Though we still haven't heard a ma-ma or da-da come out of his mouth yet. The other day I got him to imitate me making a kissy face, which was really cute...we'll have to continue to work on that one so he doesn't forget it!

Hunter is also taking a special interest in Jack the Cat these days. When he sees him, he focuses all of his attention on him and reaches for him, no matter how far away he may be. He will also squeal at Jack to try and get his attention and beckon him over. Of course, Jack generally acts totally disinterested, but sometimes he'll walk close enough to Hunter and allow his tail to graze his face. Hunter is not quick enough to grab it....yet! I think Jack will get a big surprise one day soon though!!

Hunter is still exploring the world through his mouth and continues to eat with gusto. In addition, to the breastmilk he inhales regularly, he has rice cereal or baby oatmeal at least 2 times a day. In fact, it has gotten to the point where he stops whatever he is doing when Ryan and I are eating. He can be in the middle of playing with his favorite toy and he will just drop it and stare at us while we eat. If he is close enough, he will grab at our food, too. It almost makes us feel guilty! We can start introducing him to vegetables and fruits next month, so we are bound to get some funny expressions from him then!

Here are some of our favorite pictures from this past month!

The Sweetest Sound in the World

Almost a year ago, on January 7, 2009, Ryan and I heard Hunter's heartbeat for the very first time and it was indeed the sweetest, most amazing sound we had ever heard! For weeks, we walked around the house imitating that noise. Whoosh-whoosh, Whoosh-whoosh...

Now, there is another sound that we look forward to daily, and find ourselves doing the silliest things to provoke it...