Moments of Clarity

It is difficult to take pictures of Josh recently. He is a man of action so most shots are a blur. I was able to capture these two pictures this weekend while my parents were visiting.

Sir Smiley

Kip is a super smiley baby. Strangers stop us to comment on our happy one. Amazing considering the months of blood curling screaming he endured. He checked out at his 6 month exam and weighed 16 pounds. For the trivia buffs, he is the same length, 2 ounces lighter, and has a slightly smaller head (1 cm less) as Josh at the same age. It amazes me to see how similar they are physically.

Kip is rolling now. Not just back and forth, but continuous rolling so that he can travel across a room. Today Josh found him under a chair. Kip already seems to be the adventurous type, so we might need to step up our baby proofing soon.

Write Your Own Caption

What is that slice of beefcake talking about? Is he describing what it feels like to hold a beating heart in his hands? Is he lecturing on how to select ripe produce at the grocery store? I guess we could read the article, but making our own caption would be more fun. Give it a try!

the boys

here's a pic of the boys doing boy stuff today (on Kip's 6 month birthday)

You're how old?

Yesterday, a Walmart employee stopped me at the store and asked about Josh and Kip. She was a petite woman and also has two kids of similar age. At the end of our conversation she said, "Can I ask you a question?" Um, sure. She asked if anyone ever asks me if I am old enough to have two kids. Yes, yes, and yes! I told her about the window repairman who came by this week who asked me if I ran a home daycare and about being carded when I buy beer with both kids in tow. She seemed relieved that she isn't the only one with this "issue." I assured her that we'll be happy to look younger than we are when we have grandkids. It was an unexpected but enjoyable moment in the day.

Speaking of looking your age, this kid is looking older lately. It seemingly happened overnight. I'm not sure if I should ask him to mow the lawn or think of reasons why he can't borrow the car tonight. It is crazy!

the monkey goes bananas

Kip has been grabbing food out of my hands recently, so I've been letting him have a taste of some softer foods. Even if he does not actually eat it, the experience of touching and playing with the food is valuable. (Right, Marti?) Josh isn't a fan of Kip's exploration. He can't be within sight of Kip when he is this messy. Hopefully Josh will accept the temporary mess soon so he can stop eating backwards at the table.

The kid is crazy for bananas. You should think twice about eating a banana within his arms' reach. Seriously.

Before & After

Josh has been growing his hair out because he likes it "long and crazy." CRAZY is more accurate! The bed head that we comb through each morning is crazy, too!

Last night Josh wanted his hair to be spiky for Bible study. It took a lot of product to get his long hair to stay up. I joked that he needed some Aqua Net.

Seizing the potential opportunity to have Josh willingly cut his hair, I helped him look online at boy hairstyles so that he could show me what he wanted his hair to look like. The verdict: spiky. I explained that spiky meant that it needed to be shorter so he needed to prioritize long v.s. spiky. Spiky won. Check out the new do.



He loves it - especially putting the hairspray in all by himself. This afternoon he's been running to the mirror to make sure his hair is still spiky. He'll randomly ask me, "Mom, is it still spiky?" Pretty funny.

Kip Update

Kip has had a really good week. Instead of treating Kip for specific food intolerances, the DOM is treating Kip for the essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals that we all need to have a healthy immune system and basic body functions. The theory being that you can't really diagnose a specific food allergy until your body is operating as it should. Last Tuesday, he was treated for "Vitamin C."

I didn't really realize this until this Tuesday, but Kip became interested in food last week - and not just any foods, but fruits, which are high in Vitamin C. I know he is developmentally at a stage where foods can become interesting, but it is curious that he was totally turned off by me offering him food just to hold and now he is grabbing fruit out of my hands. Last Thursday, he grabbed by arm while I was eating a banana, brought the banana (in my hand) to his face, and sucked on the banana. On Sunday, I offered him a piece of dried pear at church and he has been sucking on dried pears everyday since. It is curious at the very least.

Kip seems to be doing better all around - he's sleeping in longer stretches at night, he's not refusing to nurse or fussing while he's nursing very often, he's in a smaller diaper size as his diapers don't seem to contain dynamite anymore, and he just seems happier. I even ate an egg this week and he didn't have more dirty diapers than a normal day. The proof is in the pudding, if ya know what I mean.

I tried some chicken today. It's too early to tell if he's reacting, but I'm really hopeful that he will not. Maybe it is maturity, maybe it is his treatments, maybe it is something else, but I feel lighter already with the progress he is making. Please pray that it continues.

and exhale...

Sine Die. The end of the 2009 Texas Legislative Session. It is finally here! Well, it will be at midnight tonight. More importantly, it's here and we are all still alive, recognize one another, and willingly give each other hugs and affection. Amazing. God is gracious.

Yesterday, Brian was called into to work (not a shock since he's been working 6-7 days a week for awhile now) to discuss a bill with a senator, so he brought along the whole family. Josh was so excited to go inside the Capital. He has expressed interest in the Capital for quite awhile, especially the pointy part on top, but seemed even more fascinated by it once inside. "It is soooooooo big!" I guess being drawn to the Capital is in his DNA. In the picture, they are looking up in the center of the building.

We visited some old and new faces and surprised one of my girlfriends who is the chief of staff for one of the representatives. Part of her rep's office is an old vault. Pretty cool. The most common question for Josh was, "Do you miss your dad?" It seemed that all the parents there were eager to talk about the kids they had waiting for them at home. Very sweet.

So, we made it! This is the first session where the Governor's bill signing deadline (June 21st) impacts our lives a bit, but the hard part is behind us. I'm not sure I'll be able to stop smiling for at least a week! Brian is back! Dad is home! Well, he will be back after a few naps.