8 Months

Well, the numbers for months 7 and 8 are in!  18 lbs and 27 inches on July 7.  Then, a month later (on Aug. 4) he weighed in at 19 lbs!

 This little guy is such a champ! Even though he was in pain he was trying his hardest to smile back at me. Maybe it was the Star Wars band aid that helped him push through.

This month has been a whirlwind, but it has sure been a busy one when it comes to milestones!

This little boy started really sitting up right after our trip to St. George.  It sure makes playtime more enjoyable for him.

He's also crawling all over the place!  It's so fun to have his efforts rewarded.

He is getting waaaay better at eating.  Every so often it's like pulling teeth, but most of the time he loves it.  This was one night where he just couldn't get enough! 

Speaking of teeth, his second tooth came in at the middle of July.  What is your hurry, little dude?  But I was glad to see it come.  He was starting to look like a hick with that single tooth.  ;)

But our favorite, most anticipated part of the month was our visit with the Laneys!  We got to meet their newest addition, Natalie Esther.  It was such a blast to see all of the crazy kiddos and especially great to hang out with my beautiful sister, Laurel.

 Here the kids get reacquainted at Mom's house

Ellie sure had grown up!

 Atticus and Natalie got to meet!

She is the sweetest, smiley-est, most beautiful little doll!

 Their next meeting was at Dad's house.  Atticus seemed a little indifferent at first.  Then he went for a kiss from his cousin!  :)

Little Natalie's feet.  So sweet!

 We got to go out on the boat and hang out on the beach with the babies over at Pine View.  Fun times!

Dad trying to balance Atticus
on one hand before we head out.
He's got a little ways to go...

Gosh I love these kiddos. 

Terree trying to keep Atticus from eating all
the sand he could see.  It was no small task!

When the Laneys came to stay at Grandma Toni's house, the fun really started.  Day 1: Climbing at Momentum...

 

 THIS was a whole lot of fun!

Mom gets the Best Grandma Award for watching TWO very wiggly babes while we climbed.

Day 2: The Curiosity Museum...

 Atticus's favorite part?  Do you have to ask?  The WATER!  Whoever came up with this is a genius...

 Over time, these two warmed up to each other.  I'm not sure Natalie appreciated the foot bath...

 But by the end, Atticus really seemed to genuinely enjoy being around his little cousin.  Success!

On a more sober note, we got to see my childhood best friend and her family.  It was under sad circumstances, as McKay's grandma (lovingly referred to as "Poppy") had passed away.  

So, we saw Cheyney Webb with her cute munchkins on Sunday.

 

Then we got to see McKay and her adorable little Bowman (just a couple weeks younger than Atticus!)

 Now, if we could only get over to Alabama so Atticus could meet his three Gibson cousins...  No joke- he looks at this picture just about every day.

4 Generations for the 4th

Dane's amazing grandparents just got home from serving a mission in Guatemala and it was a joyful reunion. Atticus absolutely loves his Great Grandma Zoe!

       

Here's our adorable Sith Lord on his way to the pool. He learned how to splash from Grandpa Bob during this trip!

 This boy! He is so preoccupied with screens of any kind. It's just a little disconcerting...  Even his Great-Uncle Rick looksa little concerned.  :)

While visiting in St. George, Atticus decided he wanted to impress his great-grandparents.  He's sitting up now!

Grandpa Bob also introduced the little man to fireworks... 
He was excited to see the packages, but he didn't take the explosions very well. Poor little guy! wink emo

This was so cool.  Four generations together.  I didn't even know my grandparents, let alone my great-grandparents!

What a great way to spend Independence Day. We love you, Grandma and Grandpa!

Seven like Heaven

Does life ever slow down again? I swear, time has become so relative to me now.

10 minutes passes in what seems like seconds and the days and weeks just blend together.

This can, occasionally, be a negative phenomenon as I try to make our days filled with meaningful ativities.

Most of the time, however, it really is fantastic.

I am so blessed to be able to hang out with my beautiful little boy.

Updates...Let's see...
He outgrew his 3-6 month clothes- he actually only got to wear this onesie once!  Is it a sign?

And  his first tooth made its appearance on June 29.

We've found some fun, new ways to make him laugh.  Grandpa's beard was a hit!

 I was also thrilled to find a ticklish spot, just under his ribs.

Daddy+Upside Down=Too Much Fun

We finally caught a bit of his whisper talk.  He usually talks like this right after he wakes up and just before going to sleep.

Of late his favorite form of communication consists of screams and holding his breath, so he often sounds like he's dying.  It's hilarious- when I'm not panicking, of course!

He LOVES to grab, shake, break, crinkle, and just pulverize anything he can get his hands on.  Poor Grandma Marti's flowers took a beating, as did this bag of chips...

He's becoming much more self-aware.  Here he is checking himself out on camera.

He was having a heck of a time staying asleep for a good week.  Why?  Because he kept rolling over!  It usually made him really upset, but sometimes he would just give me a sheepish grin-

He started eating a few solids here and there (very occasionally at first!)  His first solid was an avocado.  He was a little skeptical, but I think he liked it in the end...

After the avocado we moved on to egg yolk in the evening.  It has seriously been a lifesaver in helping him sleep longer stretches (he has been a hungry boy for the last month!)

Yes.  We have a very busy, active little boy.  It's already a little tiring and I know that as soon as he's walking I'll be exhausted!-

But I wouldn't change that for anything.  It just makes the rare, quiet moments all the more precious.