Back to the Beach!

Hunter returned to Ocean City with his mommy this past weekend. Mom was a little nervous about the 3 hour drive alone with him, but he was an angel...as usual!

During this trip, Hunter got to visit with "Granny", his great grandmother. He also got to meet his grandfather,"Pop", for the first time and spent some quality time in his arms.

In addition, Hunter had a party thrown in his honor by his Mom Mom, where he was introduced to several of her friends and co-workers. He was a big hit and enjoyed being the center of attention - passed around from arm to arm and doted on by everyone. Meanwhile, his mommy enjoyed all the yummy food Ms. Caroline made for the party! Everything was superb!

It was a full weekend filled with fun activities and Hunter seemed to enjoy every moment, but he was also happy to return home and see his daddy's familiar smiling face and sleep in his own crib.

"I've Got Something to Say!"

At 6 weeks old, Hunter has been finding his voice more and more each day. He loves watching Mommy and Daddy's mouths when they make funny noises and talk to him.

Here is a little dialogue caught on video!

Zonked!

When Hunter is tired he can sleep anywhere and in almost any position. The other day he was sleeping just like this, completely passed out.

It reminded me of this similar picture, taken when he was just 4 days old. Though our little guy has grown so much during these last 7 weeks, it's nice to see that some things haven't changed!!

Working for a Living

Today was a big day, Hunter got to visit dad at work for the first time. While Ryan was taking care of business, Hunter took care of a little business of his own and the desk was quickly turned into a make-shift changing table! The highlight of the day was that Ryan got to show off Hunter to everyone he works with. As much as this happens, Hunter doesn't seem to mind being the center of attention and getting passed around to many arms in a short period of time. Suffice it to say, he was a hit!!! Everyone at BPRU hopes he comes back to visit again soon; Mom and Dad just want to make sure it's not as a research volunteer...

E-A-G-L-E-S , Go Eagles!

Football season has officially begun! Hunter geared up in a Philadelphia Eagles' onesie (his favorite team) and headed to DuClaw's, a nearby bar/restaurant, to cheer them on with Dad and Uncle Scott. The excitement proved to be too much and, unfortunately, Hunter passed out before the end of the game!

Consequently, the Eagles beat the Carolina Panthers 38 to 10.

Hand-Eye Coordination Underway

Hunter was in his activity gym during playtime today. In the past, he has looked around at the items hanging above him, but didn't show any real interest beyond that and was easily bored. Today, I spun the rattle attached to a hanging elephant and it startled him a little bit, so I did it again to familiarize him with the noise. After doing this a few times, he started pumping his arms and legs in excitement. Then he stared at the rattle in concentration and started batting at it himself, so determined to hit it.

Check it out!

Two Year Wedding Anniversary

Today, Ryan and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. Hard to believe we have been together for 9 years and married for 2 already. Ryan surprised me when he returned from work with a bouquet of beautiful white roses. I made us a delicious dinner of seasoned beef tenderloin with roasted carrots and potatoes, and we opened a special bottle of red wine that Ryan bought for us when he was in New Zealand five years ago. We had been saving it for a special occasion and decided this was it!

Though Hunter seems to be going through a growth spurt and is now eating more often than usual, he was a very good boy and sat with us at the dinner table contently until we were finished. After putting him down, Ryan and I spent some quality time snuggling and talking about just how lucky and blessed we are in life. It was a wonderful evening.

We are also looking forward to Saturday evening when Opa and Mimi plan to watch Hunter while Ryan and I go out to dinner for a second celebration of our anniversary! :o)

His Smiles Brighten Our Days

Hunter has been giving us more and more big toothless grins everyday! Lately he greets Ryan and I with a smile when we get him from a nap or first thing in the morning, but he will also give them to us when we play together.
Today, after feeding him, I was rocking and singing to him (getting ready to put him down for his nap) and for the longest time he just looked up at me smiling. (Probably making fun of my singing). Then he let out one of those sweet little sighs of contentment and kept right on smiling. My heart just melted!

Here are some pictures of our sunshine to brighten your day!

Clean As A Whistle

Hunter is finally starting to enjoy his bath time. He doesn't cry or fuss anymore at all, and he even allows us to dip the back of his head underwater to wet his hair. Pretty soon, I'm sure he will be splashing around and giggling when he's in the water.

I couldn't resist posting these few pictures of him freshly bathed...he just looks too cute!

Hunter Meets More Relatives

Pop-pop and JoAnn (a.k.a. Grannie J) hosted a cookout so Hunter could finally meet his Great Grand Aunt Faye and Uncle Jerry, Grand Aunt Becky and Uncle Calvin, and Grand Aunt Kathy and Uncle LeRoy. His Mom-Mom also made the trip from Ocean City, as she didn't want to miss spending extra time with him. We had a wonderful visit with everyone and Hunter didn't mind being passed from arm to arm one bit.

Hunter seemed especially fascinated by my Uncle Lee, and even gave him one of his precious smiles. Perhaps Hunter thought he was looking at a larger version of himself; same amount of hair and the maturity level is about the same, too!