Andrew is Walking...well, almost

Yesterday Andrew took his first steps on his own. He is still a bit unsteady, and has fallen many times. Thankfully he has learned how to fall without hurting himself. He can catch himself with his arms and he rolls to the side. It is too funny. His first step on his own was when he was holding onto the coffee table and let go to walk toward Micah who was sitting on the couch. Then later Micah and I sat on the floor and took turns having Andrew walk to us. He was able to take up to four steps on his own without us touching him.
Later in the evening my mom and dad came over to drop off their van for us to use. Of course we had to show Grandma and Grandpa our new skill. And Andrew was able to take a few steps and walk to Grandma.
No pictures yet, I kept trying to get some video, but every time I tried was when he would fall or he would try to get the camera. I will keep trying. I'm sure he will be getting better each day, which makes me excited and nervous at the same time. When he gets more mobile he will be able to get into more trouble, and be more active. I'm not looking forward to that.

Little Friends

This last week we got to spend some time with other babies who are close to Andrew's age. Jack is only three weeks older than Andy, and Hannah is exactly a week younger. It is always fun to see Andrew with Jack and Hannah since they are so close in age. They are doing a lot of the same things, and yet they are each so different and have their own individual personalities. They are all so adorable!

Mommy's Food

Andrew is getting to the stage where he wants to eat what we are eating, and refusing to eat his pureed baby food. The other morning I had torn up some little pieces of toast and put them on his high chair. I had the other half of the toast on a paper towel on the kitchen table. While I was getting my breakfast ready Andrew had snatched the paper towel and pulled it onto the high chair. He was eating the half of the piece of toast just like he sees mommy eat her toast. It was too funny!
Then this morning I was eating a muffin, and I gave him little pieces. I put the other half on his tray to see what he would do. Of course he picked it right up and started taking bites.

Saturday in Leavenworth

This weekend Micah was in a relay race in Wenatchee, so on our way there we stopped in Leavenworth for lunch. We went there for our honeymoon and haven't had a chance to go back since then. It was fun walking around the streets lined with cute Bavarian style buildings. And Micah was excited about having sausage and sauerkraut for lunch. Then we ended our time there with some gingerbread from the Gingerbread Factory.

Caged In

Our friend Becky gave us their baby gate. We got it at the perfect time because Andrew is starting to explore more and more. And he is so interested in the stairs and wants to go down them. Now we can feel okay about the stairs.

Little Paper Eater

Andrew loves to eat paper. I don't know why, but whenever he sees paper he wants to eat it and chew on it. So I wasn't too surprised this morning when I got out of the shower and found him like this.

Tea Party

Last week we went to tea at the Queen Mary with my mom and aunt Lynette. We had so much fun. Even Andrew had fun, he loved trying the tea too. It was a nice time for us to just chat and enjoy all of the goodies.

Going to the Park

When the weather was nice last weekend we went to the little park that is by my mom and dad's house. Andrew and Grandma had fun exploring and playing.

Happy Easter! He is Risen!!!

We had a wonderful Easter. In the morning we gave Andrew his Easter basket and then headed off to church. The rest of the day was spent over at my parents' house where we had a fabulous meal with my dad's side of the family. It was a great day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and to spend time with family.

Trip to North Dakota

A couple of weeks ago we flew out to Fargo, ND to spend some time with Micah's family. We had a nice, long weekend together. This was the first time we got to see our new niece, Violet. She is now 5 months old. It was fun to try and get Andrew and Violet to play together. I think they will have more fun together when everyone comes to Seattle in July.
It was also neat to be able to spend some time with Micah's grandpa. He is so good with Andrew, and Andrew loves watching him play his harmonica.

First Bike Ride

Last weekend we went to a charity auction for Step by Step (a non-profit that a close friend works for that helps low income moms.) We ended up bidding on some items, and won them! One of the things we got was a jogging stroller/bike cart. We got it at a great price, and Micah was so excited to be able to take Andrew on some bike rides.
He was so excited that he had to try it out. So he hitched it up and took Andrew for a spin (or actually 10) around the block. It was great because Andrew did not take a great nap, so he was able to take a short nap in the little cart while Micah was going around the neighborhood. When it gets to be nicer outside we are going to all go out for a ride together.

Cute Random Pictures

Here are some fun pictures of Andrew from the last couple of weeks.

Fun in the Tub

Andrew is so much fun in the bathtub. He loves to get baths. Now when we have finished getting him all clean we let him play for a couple of minutes. One of my friends gave us some bath toys, and Andrew loves them! Of course he puts everything in his mouth, so the bath toys are no different. He also likes to splash in the water.

First Tooth!

Last week Andrew had his first tooth break through. It is the one on the bottom left. Hopefully you can see it in the picture. We have been waiting and waiting for him to get his first tooth. We have friends that have babies around Andrew's age and they have had some teeth for a little while now. So we were wondering when Andrew would get his. Although, now that he has it we have to be careful if he gets our finger in his mouth. We have had him bite down a little too hard, and with that little tooth it sure can hurt. But now it means it is easier for him to eat solid foods.

My Studly Husband

Yesterday Micah went on the Chilly Hilly bike ride around Bainbridge Island. It was a 33 mile ride that goes up and down A LOT of hills. He had lots of fun, and even said it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. And he said he saw some dads with their kids either on a tandem bike or hauling them behind them. Maybe Andy will get to go on a bike ride with Daddy in a couple of years.

New Foods

Now that Andrew is nearing 8 months he has gotten to try some new and exciting foods. He has had Multigrain Cheerios and mangoes so far, soon he will get to try yogurt, cheese and chicken. On Friday I got together with my friend Lyndsay and we made two chicken dinners (one with peaches and one with applesauce). Andy will get to try some chicken tomorrow, I'm curious to see what he thinks about it. He has loved the Cheerios since he gets to pick them up and feed himself. It is fun to watch since his dexterity isn't all there yet. He ends up getting most of the Cheerios in the highchair rather than in his mouth, but he sure has fun trying.
It was fun to hang out with Lyndsay and the boys. Jack and Andy are getting so big. They even played on the floor together while we were making some of their food. Well, they didn't really play "together", it was more Jack taking things from Andy and Andy watching Jack and smiling at him. But it was fun to watch them interact.

The Lion King

On Thursday we celebrated Christmas and Valentine's Day. Micah got me tickets to the Lion King for Christmas, and it was finally our show date. Before the show we went to a crepe restaurant for lunch. I love crepes, and we finally found a good crepe place in Seattle. It is the Crepe Cafe and Wine Bar, and they have yummy crepes. We had a nice lunch, and then headed to the show. The Lion King is amazing. The costumes are so incredibly fabulous. I kept wishing Andrew was old enough to go, there were lots of kids there. It was a nice day for me and Micah to spend some alone time together and do some fun stuff.

Andrew Update

Andrew has been doing some new things lately, and it is so much fun to watch. Here are some of the things he is doing:
1. When he sees our cat, Leo, he makes a sound and it is the same sound each time, and he only uses it when he sees Leo. It is kind of a little growl.
2. He scoots around on his tummy, but doesn't go forward yet.
3. He loves to walk with us holding on to his hands. We put him in his walker, and he likes it, but he would rather walk with us.
4. Grandma taught him how to "kick" a ball. When he is walking with us we can say "kick" and he will try to kick the ball in front of him. It is so adorable.
5. He is trying out new sounds and likes to say "ba, ba, ba" when he is happily playing. His favorite toy right now is this Fisher Price toy table. He loves to stand.

Great Grandpa Visits

A couple of weeks ago Micah's grandpa from North Dakota came out to Seattle for a visit. We got a call on a Friday night saying he was in town, so the next day we went and picked him up from his brother's house. He came to our house and spent the night. We really enjoyed having him stay with us. On Sunday we went down to Micah's grandparent's house in Auburn to visit with them a little. And of course we had to get a picture of Andrew with three of his great grandparents.

I love my Wife and Son! They are beautiful.

Love,

Micah