Happy 6 Months!!

I can't believe that it was only 1/2 a year ago that I was giving birth to you. Where has the time gone? You just get better and better every day and I fall more and more in love with you. I couldn't stop kissing you today because it is the only way I know how to show you my love right now.

Things You Are Doing Developmentally Right Now:

* Sitting up all by yourself for many minutes at a time

* Using your hand to move your pacifier around and to chew on it since you are teething

* Getting up on all fours in the crawling position

* 'Crawling' backwards

* Eating food (rice cereal, apples, bananas and sweet potatoes to date and in that order)

* Responding to your name when it is called

Things You Are Doing that I Love Right Now:

* Laughing when you are tickled by me

* Reaching your arms upward for me when you want to be picked up

* Nursing on me, then rolling over to look around at things, then rolling back over to continue nursing

* How you wake up in the morning when you are in your crib and you just sit there cooing and playing with your feet until I come in and get you, then your face lights up and you squirm with excitement and reach up toward me to pick you up.

* You constantly grab your feet to play with them

* When we are driving in the car you will look over your shoulder and up to try and see me in the front seat

Growing Up

Just a few pics of you growing up. Your Dad bought you this Wisconsin onesie right after you were born and now you can fit into it! You look very handsome! You also are sitting up so well now. The toy you are playing with below you got for Easter and you love it. It makes music and it entertains you for quite some time. 

A Week of New Experiences for You!

In the last week you have had lots of new experiences, mostly with food. Last Sunday we gave you your first  taste of rice cereal (video to come). You liked it initially, but then you started to make faces and were unsure about it. The first two times you had it you didn't finish it either time because you started to fuss, so I took a two day hiatus on the food. Then I started it back up again and you liked it a lot more on your third try (third times the charm).

Then yesterday we upgraded you to the Baby MumMum rice rusks. I was told they might help you with your teething, so I figured I would give it a try. You did pretty well with them. You like it initially but then don't really know what to do with it once it starts to dissolve. You are still trying to get the hang of swallowing it.

I also let you sit in the grocery shopping cart this weekend when we went shopping. You LOVED that. You were so proud of yourself and acting like a perfect big boy while we shopped.

The last new experience you had this week was using the Johnny Jumper (video to come on this too). It's pretty cute to see you in it. Although you don't 'jump' per say, you do move around in it and you like to bend your legs at the knee quite a bit. You are very happy in it and I am excited to put you in it while I cook because I will be able to interact with you while I cook.

Thumb Sucker

You have officially started to suck your thumb... you started a week or so ago in order to help with your teething. I think you figured out that it is easier to just have your thumb in your mouth when trying to have something to gnaw on for your gums rather than your whole hand. Right now it is insanely cute.

Your 1st 4th of July

Before you were born Mommy and Daddy sort of started a tradition of floating the river and then spending the rest of the afternoon at Ann Morrison park BBQing, playing games, and spending time with friends until the fireworks start. We decided that we would still continue that tradition even now.

We went and picked you up a hat and some new shades (pictured below) and then we dropped you off at your Nana's for the afternoon so we could go float the river and then you she dropped you off at the park when we got done floating the river.

We met a few more people down at the park that didn't float with us, and you were the center of attention. You played with Curt and Colleen's kids Conrad and Everett and laid on the grass in the shade. You weren't awake for the fireworks, but next time hopefully you will be. It was fun though!!

Videos of Marcus

I have quite a few videos of you that I haven't posted for people to watch. So here they are. I have one more yet to come of you in the bath from last night that is absolutely adorable.


Click Here for Link of Marcus After Bathtime - 4 Months


Click Here for Link of Marcus Playing in Exersaucer - 4 Months

Click Here for Link of Marcus Eating Food for First Time - 5 Months

Your First Camping Trip

We took you on your first camping trip this weekend. I was a little nervous about how you would do with the cold at night and also how you would do sleeping on an air mattress with us, but as usual my worries were unfounded. You did a great job and I think you really enjoyed the mountain air and being outside. We went with Matt and Tina to a spot just past Featherville. You were loved on constantly and we took TONS of pictures of you. In fact I came back with over 100 pictures... I did narrow them down to about 60. Below are just a few of my favorites of you. I will put more pictures in our family blog. The highlights of the trip for you were playing in your pack n' play with the mosquito netting on it, playing cards with us (and by playing I mean being very grabby and trying to put them in your mouth), napping in the pack and play, watching the fire, and cuddling.