Zzzzzzzzz

This seems to be Hunter's latest and greatest sleeping position...

Summer is a Comin'!

With the weather warming up, we have been getting outdoors every chance we get! Here are pics of some random cuteness! Playgrounds, grass stains and fudge-cicles...all the stuff great summers are made of!

Kisses

Hunter has just started leaning forward to give and receive kisses! (When he feels like it, of course!) It is the cutest darn thing...makes my heart melt every time!

BUBBLES!! Eeeeeeeeee!

Two things are certain:

1) Hunter really digs bubbles.

2) Hunter really digs his Opa.

Another Toother!

That's right, Hunter's second tooth just broke through. It is right next to the first.

Wonder which one will be next??

Fun with Push Toys!

Lately, when Hunter wakes in the morning or after his naps, he stands up in his crib ready to greet us. He also likes to hold onto our hands and walk around the house. He is so very pleased with himself and his new skill. So, we decided it was time to convert his dual toys from sitting mode to standing/walking mode. As you can see Hunter really digs it...

What an Awesome Mother's Day!

I had the best weekend thanks to my loving husband and son. On Saturday, Ryan got up early with Hunter so I could sleep in. After Hunter's morning nap, Ryan took us to Gunpowder State Park where we enjoyed a picnic by the stream before heading off for a nice hike. Hunter completely passed out in his carrier during the hike, he looked so cute! He woke up refreshed and ready to play in the stream - I think we have a water baby on our hands! After returning home, we walked to a local restaurant for dinner - so I didn't even have to cook!! It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed every moment of it together outside!

Sunday was quite chilly, so we didn't get a second day outdoors, but we had a very nice brunch in the morning with Hanns, Pat, Scott and Jessica. Then I got to spend the rest of the day with my two favorite guys, napping and playing around the house...Life just doesn't get any better!

On top of all that, I even got a sweet card, a shirt I really wanted, and an awesome new tote to carry all of Hunter's stuff, PLUS Hunter made me a card and a framed poem with his handprints at Day Care (so sweet it made me cry)! I have the best family ever!!

Swing Me!

I SCREAM...

You Scream...We all Scream for Ice Cream!

Hunter got his first taste if Rita's frozen custard today...and boy was he a fan!! (I knew he was the one urging me there daily to get a cone during my pregnancy!)

9 Months Old!

Can you believe it?? 9 months old already? WOW! At his last appointment 2 weeks ago, Hunter weighed in at 20 lbs 15 ozs (68th percentile) and was 29 inches long (84th percentile)!

This past month, most of Hunter's energy has been spent perfecting the art of pulling himself up to a standing position, as well as walking while holding on to mom and dad. He has also started to climb up us like a little monkey when we hold him in our arms!

Hunter continues to say "ma-ma" and "da-da" and occasionally we get the impression that he actually knows what they mean! He has learned how to clap his hands and now does it whenever we say "Yay" or when he does something that makes him feel proud of himself. He is just learning how to wave "bye-bye" and also to raise his arms above his head to show that he is "SO BIG"!

Hunter is extremely playful. He loves tearing into all his toys on the floor, but mom and dad still rank #1 as his most favorite play things! His wonderful personality continues to delight us! He is truly a happy baby and spends most of his days smiling and giggling.

Though he is a great child, we have noticed that he can be quite obstinate when he wants to be. For example, he likes to put his hand in Jack's water bowl, so when we are in the kitchen he often takes off in that direction. We will say "No, yucky" and he'll stop and look at us. He'll even change directions to fake us out, and then when we turn away, he will try to get to the water bowl as fast as he can before we catch him. It's a big game, but when we say "no" he looks at us with a very serious face...he definitely knows what we mean.

Hunter still eats just about anything. We are now giving him a lot of finger foods, often including small pieces of whatever we are having for dinner. He loves to feed himself, and especially likes that he can eat the same stuff as us. In fact, if we give him something different from what we are having, he will closely inspect it and then grunt at our plates to indicate that he wants what we have instead!

Of course with all that hard play and fun comes good rest. Hunter is still logging a solid 12 hours of sleep each night and a couple good naps during the day. We haven't seen any sign of separation anxiety with him yet. He seems almost as excited to get dropped off at daycare during the week as he is when mom or dad pick him up. That helps us feel really good about having Ms. Connie to watch our little man while we're at work!!

As you can tell... LIFE IS GOOD!! We look forward to each day with Hunter and feel very lucky to have such a happy, healthy, and hungry little boy...

Here are some of our favorite photos of Hunter from this past month:

Cinco de Mayo Party!

Hunter enjoyed his first Cinco de Mayo party. Of course, they aren't as wild as they used to be... There was no dancing with the turtle this year, nor straight tequila shots, and all of the guests were gone by 8 p.m., but we enjoyed the day nonetheless...and probably enjoyed the following morning even more!