Cruisin'

For the past 2 weeks Hunter has been cruising around (with assistance). He loves to pull himself up, and then he reaches for us to take his hands so he can walk around. Now that he knows he can do this, he doesn't seem to want to sit anymore at all!

At last...

we finally got a picture of Hunter's one and only tooth!

Belly Berries...

Ferrous in a Box

Weeee!

I don't know which is better...the big smile on Hunter's face or the sheer panic on Jack the Cat's.

I STAND!

Hunter is so proud of himself; he can finally pull himself up to standing with no assistance!

First Easter

Hunter decided that, since another holiday was coming, it would be the perfect time to get sick again. In addition to a snotty nose and high temperature, he also threw a slight sinus/ear infection into the mix. Needless to say, he was not a happy camper on Friday and Saturday. Poor guy was so miserable, it was pathetic...he just wanted to cling to Mom and Dad and fussed about everything else. Luckily, after 24 hours of tylenol and antibiotics he was feeling a bit more like himself come Easter Sunday. He still wasn't 100% (was sleeping more and eating less) but did have a little more energy and was giving smiles and giggles once again. He thoroughly enjoyed his visits from family and friends, as well as the Easter baskets and gifts bestowed upon him. As you can see, the weather was absolutely perfect for an afternoon in the backyard!

8 Months Old!

Another month has come and gone so quickly...

Hunter is rapidly changing from an infant to a toddler. While he now weighs 21 lbs 7 oz, this change is not solely based on his size, it has a lot to do with his development and personality. This month he learned to crawl (well his version of a crawl anyway), started babbling "ma-ma", got his 1st tooth, and found "the family jewels" while in the bath tub.

Hunter has also developed certain preferences and is not shy about communicating them. He is a child who knows his own mind! Having said that, he is still a complete pleasure. He now flirts and plays shy, gives coy looks and smiles, and has basically become our daily entertainment. He is extremely playful and often engages Mom and Dad with lots of giggles, rolling around, and by tapping on us with his hands. He continues to go absolutely berserk when he sees Jack the Cat, and if he's on the floor will promptly chase after him, squealing and squawking the whole way.

Hunter has been trying very hard to pull himself up to a standing position lately, but is not yet able to accomplish it on his own. However, once we help him to stand up, he likes very much to stay that way and explore things from that viewpoint.

Hunter is still eating a variety of food that we prepare for him and is venturing into those that have more varying texture these days. He remains a "good eater", but is sometimes picky about HOW we feed him. That is, if he looks at our food and sees that it is different from his, he will refuse to eat his own food until we pretend that it is coming from our plates/bowls. It is the most bizarre thing!

Bathtime is also becoming much more fun now. Hunter splashes water all over the place on a nightly basis, often soaking Mom and Dad. He is starting to enjoy his bath toys, as well.

Basically, all is well here with the family and we can't wait to see what Hunter has in store for us next!!

UP!

A mixture of determination and frustration...he wants to stand up so badly!

Chompers are in!

Hunter cut his first tooth today!! It's one of his lower central incisors. Ryan and I have been keeping an eye on that area over the last few weeks because we had noticed the gum was getting whiter and whiter just below the surface; then today it finally broke through!

We are very proud parents...this is another big milestone for our little sweetheart!