First Haircut

Some of you may be wondering if a haircut was necessary since Mikey has very little hair. But honestly the plumage forming straight up on top of his head needed to go. Mikey did great...he sat on dad's lap, admiring himself in the mirror and occassionally waving at the hair stylist. Three snips and it was done. We don't have the best picture of Mikey's new look, but if you squint you might notice the difference.

Family Pictures

Last month we went to the Rhododendron Gardens for family pictures. It rained most of the week, but we lucked out and got our pictures taken on the only sunny day. Mikey is such a little ham and smiled a lot. Just thought I'd share a few pictures with everyone.

The Pumpkin Patch

Have I mentioned that Mikey loves being outside? It's his favorite place to be. Whenever he is cranky I take him outside and his mood instantly changes. The last few weeks we've been spending quite a bit of time outside, knowing all too well it is only a matter of days before the gray and wet season descends upon us remaining this way for six months or so. I don't know how Mikey and I will survive. Guess we'll have to buy rain coats.

This last weekend we took Mikey to his first pumpkin patch. This year we even went through the corn maze. We wandered aimlessly for quite some time. By the time we made it to the end, Mikey was sound asleep. Poor boy didn't wake up until we were back home.

Aaron is actually wincing in this picture...Mikey thinks it's funny to pull his hair.

Silver Falls

Months ago we did some shopping for Mikey's things on Craigslist. At one point we purchased a travel crib. After we paid for it, the man who sold it to us pulled out a gigantic, over-sized backpack. I thought it looked ridiculous. Apparently, he did too because he said he had only used it once or twice. Aaron, however, thought it was great and instantly knew he must buy it. After months of sitting in the garage, it was finally time to use it. Two weeks ago we went to Forest Park and tried it out.

Seeing Aaron carry Mikey in the backpack reminded me of Kronk carrying Yzma in the Emporer's New Groove. Can you see the resemblance?

Aaron still thinks it's great-- it is not as hard on his back as the bjorn, and Mikey enjoys the view from his chariot. I think they also like the attention and smiles they get from other people on the trail.

Today we went on a 7 mile hike at the Silver Falls State Park where we saw several gorgeous waterfalls. The trail led us through mossy caverns behind the falls' curtains. Mikey was a good sport until the last two miles. He demanded out of the backpack and Aaron ended up carrying the boy in his arms the rest of the way.

Bear Lake

For the 4th of July we met up with my family at Bear Lake. When I was growing up it was a tradition to go there each summer. It was nice to be together with my family at a place I have fond memories. We were spoiled--plenty of delicious food (my brother and sister-in-law are amazing cooks) and lots of people willing to play with Mikey. Mikey even got to meet his cousin Esme and Great Grandparents.

Mikey meeting Esme for the first time

My darling neice and nephew

Family picture taken outside the Minnetonka Cave. Doesn't Mikey look like a ghost?

Aaron and Mikey chillin' in the hammock

Family at Bear Lake

Six Months

I can't believe our little boy is 6 months old today. Happy half-birthday, Mikey!

Helena, my sister-in-law, took some pics of Mikey this past weekend. Here are some of my favorites.

Check out those rolls of fat!

He loves sucking his big toe

The Cousins

A few weeks ago we went to Arizona to visit Aaron's family. We had a great time. It was fun to have Aaron's siblings and their families there. While visiting we took pictures of the cousins. It was challenging to get the kids looking at the camera at the same time, but we managed to get a few good shots. What a nice looking bunch.

David, Jason and Madeleine

Peek-a-Boo

One of Mikey's favorite games is peek-a-boo. Here you can hear his cute laugh.

What Happens When I Leave the House

One of the highlights of my day is watching Aaron and Mikey interact with one another. They have so much fun together. This evening I left for a church meeting and came home expecting Mikey to be sound asleep. Instead I found the boys rocking out to Michael Jackson! I'm glad Mikey has such a fun and funny dad.

Mikey is still a sweet, good natured little guy and is growing like a weed. I keep asking him to stop growing so fast, but he doesn't seem to listen. Mikey is becoming more and more fun. He squeals when we play peek-a-boo and thinks it's a blast to sit on Aaron's shoulders. I enjoy watching him discover his different body parts...he keeps himself entertained by looking at his little hands and feet. Here are Mikey's 3 month old pictures. I know, I know, I'm posting them a little late.

Company

My brother, Brian, and nephew, Eli, came to visit this past weekend from Utah. My parents were also here for a few days and we all had a fun time together. We squeezed in several outings such as going to Multnomah Falls, Saturday's Market, and Tillamook. And of course we made time to eat good food. Eating is one of Brian's favorite hobbies so we made sure he ate some delicious Lebanese cuisine and sushi. I'm not a huge fan of sushi, but I was brave enough to try eel and calamari. Brian and my dad even ate sea urchin. Ew...

One of the main reasons Brian came to visit was to meet Mikey of course. I think he and Eli approved of the little guy. Here's some pictures of Mikey with the family.

On Monday the boys went to the Children's Museum. I'm not sure who had more fun...Eli or Aaron?

He did it!

Mikey has always hated tummy time. He usually spends it with his face flat on the ground screaming. I feel like such a mean mom making him lay on his belly even though it makes him so mad. It seemed like he wasn't making any progress.

He did a huge blowout this evening. Aaron is so sweet and offered to clean the boy up. He put Mikey on his tummy to clean his back and Mikey lifted his head up. I ran into the room just in time to witness his accomplishment. What a strong boy! I love watching Mikey grow and reach different milestones. Aaron and I are proud parents.

2 Months

Can you believe this little guy is already two months old? I can't. The highlight of this week is that Mikey started smiling. I can't get enough of his smiles. Mikey is also getting so strong; he holds his head up and kicks like crazy. He has always been a loud baby and makes the cutest noises (although they aren't so cute when I'm trying to sleep). His burps could seriously be mistaken for a grown man. I take Mikey to the pediatriacian soon, so it'll be interesting to find out how much he's grown.

The Rivals

The Rivals

Having Mikey join our family has been an adjustment. Furbie, our cat, seems to be having the hardest time adjusting to our newest family member. Before Mikey was born, Furbie was one spoiled cat. Every night either Aaron or I would get up at 3:00 to let Furbie outside. Now that I'm already sleep deprived and don't want to get up any more than I have to, Furbie got the boot and sleeps outside most nights. We used to let him sleep on our bed. The poor cat was banned from our bedroom after I caught him sleeping in Mikey's bassinet.Furbie is super needy now. He sulks and whines when he sees us holding Mikey. Furbie eventually climbs on our laps and demands to be held, too.
Furbie even gets jealous when Mikey and I take naps together. The other day I found Furbie asleep on Aaron's back. Sometimes I think Furbie wishes he was a baby, too.

Bubbles and Books

Kim has pointed out that Michael is like me in a few ways. We both seem to prefer sleeping during the daytime and partying at night. We both like eating more than normal people. And we both share a love for long, warm baths. Every other night I give Michael his bath, and he never has shown the slightest fear of the water. In fact, he seems to like alternating between being held and floating.

He's too young to really smile, but he does like to stare. When it comes time to dry off, he always gives me a look that says he would rather stay in the tub.

Part of the bath-time routine is a reading afterward. Michael is very interested in things with bright colors, so he usually pays close attention to the book.

At least, until he gets too drowsy . . .