Daffodils!!

So yesterday after "work" Jill sent me off with her camera so Keller and I could stop by a place where there were thousands and thousands of daffodils that had been planted way back when...So Keller and I drove through the beautiful countryside of the Litchfield Hills and came upon our destination.  While many of the daffodils were just past there prime, there were just as many in full bloom.  What a beautiful rocky hillside blanketed with daffodils!  So glad we stopped!

Okay, okay, so these are tulips on the roadside that I plopped Keller down in front of...poor kid.  All he wanted to do was take a nap on the drive home, which he eventually was able to do!!

Amidst the hot spell this week, we had success in putting Keller to bed swaddle-free, with success!!  He had been escaping more and more with either hands out or legs out or both so I had begun putting it on a little looser anyhow.  It's been since Sunday night, although last night he was up for some reason...I probably made it worse by going in and checking on him (partly because he had an illegal blanket around him and partly because, well, because...)  Also, now that he is a swaddle-free sleeper, he ROLLS OVER onto his belly!  Holy Cow!  Only took the kid close to 7 months--I wonder how much of an impact the swaddle had on his rolling?  Though I know that some swaddled babies roll sooner anyway...well whatever the reason, I'm proud of my little boy:)  He even napped on his belly yesterday!  Also in terms of napping, he's getting so much better at it.  I've been putting him in a crib (his, Cali's, or Chase's) and he'll crank a bit and fall fast asleep (generally holding onto his toes;)  The standard is now closer to 40 minutes and a couple days back he slept for 2 hours!!  Unheard of!!...poor Chase was waiting so patiently because I told him we'd go outside when Keller woke up expecting a 30 minute power nap...

At the moment, Keller is asleep in his crib (I have the day off;)...45 minutes sleeping already...Bo is enjoying the new back deck Trav built for him...birds are chirping and I sit at the kitchen table with my cup of tea, catching up on my blog!  Life is good!  (and as soon as Keller is up and fed we have a million and one errands to run!)

All Good

We've been a busy family here over the past couple of weeks...but I sure have enjoyed my beautifully sunny and warm weekend!  Let's see...last weekend was Cali's christening up in Cornwall (which I haven't emailed anyone the pictures of yet...maybe today...just busy and don't want to spend time fiddling around with the computer so much...so apparently I've prioritized my blog update for my computer time at the moment.  Travis has been busily working on replacing the back stairs/deck to our house.  Hopefully that will be done today.  I already bought a new door mat and some flowers to add the finishing touches, well except for the stain part--that will be easy though.  I've been making the hour drive up to my sister's in Goshen with Keller Monday through Thursday so to not have to get up and go on Friday was really nice.  We slept a little late (7:15 as opposed to my 5:45 wake-up time on "work days") had a nice breakfast of crepes, found a great little walking trail/rails to trails deal nearby and alongside a river that BoBo got to swim in, and then met Trav's mom in Newtown to look at a house which is on a great piece of property and in move-in condition, but too small for the money.  Yesterday we looked at another, much cheaper house in Bethel that needed a lot of "cosmetic" work  and updating of kitchen and baths (and porch and yard...) but at the price we'd have the money to do that, but I wasn't feelin' it.  It's fun to be looking and to be in no rush, just to be aware of what's out there.  I'm comfortable in my current home and neighborhood and convenience of where I live for now---I don't want to mess with that by us biting off more than we can chew.  We still need to get "pre-qualified" though, just in case the right house comes along at the right price...

Keller is at such a fun little age right now.  As I read on a friend's blog, as long as he's not hungry or tired, he's all smiles!  He's quite the chatterbox, too and is trying so hard to reach out for things while sitting that are just out of reach.  I stand watching and cheering him on to figure out how to go from sitting to being on all fours, but so far, all he's been able to pull off is a "kerplunk"--good thing he has his daddy's hard head!  Now that he's spending more time barefoot, he's figured out how to scoot a little on hardwood floors and linoleum while sitting up and when he's on his belly, he still only scoots backwards.  He still has big cheeks and big chunky thighs to kiss, too;)  He makes me so happy to even just think about!

As for watching 3 kids up at my sister's, it's going well:)  We've developed a bit of a routine, mostly scheduled around Chase's existing schedule of lunch and napping and contingent upon baby nap times too, which are less predictable.  I was definitely achey after the first few days since I was sometimes carrying two babies up or down stairs.  I have since figured out other ways of doing things such as transporting two babies which generally entails making two trips.  I just worry that god-forbid I slip or something--I'd be useless holding two babies, so unless I HAVE to, it's one baby at a time:)   Keller has loved hanging out with his cousins--he watches his big cousin Chase and gets a kick out of his silliness.  Chase is a ham himself and does plenty of entertaining both his baby sister and Keller.  The babies both just look at each other in a fascinated way.  Keller likes to try and steal Cali's sock or bink at any chance he gets:)  We're looking forward to the nice weather now so we can get outside a bit more.  Just pushing the double stroller up Jill's rocky driveway will be a good workout for me!

I still have yet to report on my lovely Easter weekend and date with Trav...maybe next time!

The backwards scoot under the cabinet...

Chase and Samantha "Goin' to the chapel" where Cali's christening was.

6 Months Already!!

There's the big guy, holding his favorite carrot and sucking that bottom lip:)  The standard photo shoot was quick this time given Keller's crankiness...I took the pics first thing in the morning before he had eaten...but you get the idea:)  And I must quote, "There were 10 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over, so they all rolled over (except for Keller)..."  This kid refuses to use rolling to his advantage...it's only ever a total accident and happens oh so rarely, but alas, he's up to all other good kinds of stuff...

Such as scooting around on his belly on the kitchen floor.  He generally goes backwards but scoots nonetheless.  The other day he was sitting in the kitchen and did a sitting scoot over to a kitchen chair which he found quite interesting.  He tried really hard to stand.  He was pulling the chairs back and forth from underneath, himself sliding under, too.  Trav and I watched worriedly...won't be long at all before he's up and at'em.  I bought cabinet locks for the important cabinets today and really need to do at least the basic childproofing soon (now).  

Keller loves getting rides in his Radio Flyer...usually he just sits and I pull him around, but now that he's a half-a-year-old he wanted to try standing and holding on...look at those chub-a-lubs!!
And we got the official clearance from the doc to start real food.  He was practicing with a spoon already so he knew to open up, but was a little surprised that something was on it this time;)  We started with only a little bit yesterday which is all he was up for, and today his expressions were so cute and there was the classic "in the mouth/out of the mouth" disgusted face thing going on--too cute.  So we'll continue with just cereal this week and then start introducing other yummies...Doc said to start with fruit, though I've read that people like to start with veggies so kids develop a better taste for veggies and don't only want to eat the sweet fruits...not quite sure what we'll end up doing.

Doc's stats weigh Keller in at 18 lbs. 6 oz. which is in the 75th percentile and his height is in the 25th percentile.  So all was good on that front.  He's been doing better and better with sleeping through the night and being able to go to sleep himself when he does wake in the night.  Naps still clock in at 30 minutes on average..though he is better about being in his crib for them.

Below is Keller's newest funny-face...he scrunches his nose and makes dragon-breathing noises...I remember his cousin Chase used to do the same thing...funny little developmental thing!

That's half of a year!  How the time has flown by!! 

It Makes Me Smile...

...when I'm driving and can hear my little boy's mmmmamamamama mbababababa-ing coming from the back seat of the car.  I look in the rearview mirror and there he is, eating Monkey's foot or talking to his bink which he has no interest in sucking:)

Mr. Grab

Yup, you're looking at him...you can see the guilt written all over his face...you should have seen the relief on Bo's face when he realized he wasn't in trouble this time.  I guess my picture should be up there, too, just as guilty, if not more, for not being aware of my child's lengthening limbs and grab and hold capabilities while holding him.