Week 25 - a few firsts ...

So week 25 brought a few firsts.  He has really mastered the fake cough now - even "coughing" while smiling sometimes just to get us to react to him.  Very cute.  He is also giving the most wonderful hugs.  There's nothing quite like having him wrap his arms around your neck and just squeeze you tight!  Sometimes you even get a big slobbery mess on your cheek that we're pretty sure is a kiss.  Here are some pictures from the week.

Brian discovered that the baby bathtub we have (which is barely big enough for our baby now) doesn't have to be used how it was designed.  He found all sorts of ways he could turn around in it to play.  He really liked leaning over the front playing in the water from the spigot.  Isn't he cute?  I had to leave off the best picture because it was decidedly bare ... sorry.

Some random cuteness pictures from the week ...

Brian had fun playing with his Buccee's sippy cup this week for the first time.  I'm not sure that any water actually made it in his mouth, but he had fun with it. 

One of Brian's favorite things in the world are warning labels.  He will stop to look at them almost anywhere - the side of his stroller, the pack-n-play, the swing.  Here he has the lumbar support pad from his new car seat - not only does he love to read the warnings, he wanted to eat them too!

This is a fun set of pictures here.  He was moving so fast my cell phone couldn't get much in focus.  In the last picture he was just starting to tip over - and realize it!

A very sleepy boy playing - and trying so hard not to fall asleep.  There are some great facial expressions here (and a few cases of "why won't this whole toy fit in my mouth?")

One night he was so tuckered out but fighting sleep so hard - the only thing that worked was sitting down as a family and watching some Star Trek.  We put him next to us in the bouncy chair like we do sometimes, and he forgot to try to stay awake.  This is how he ended up falling asleep - silly boy!

One evening, while walking home as a family from Grandma Amy's, we stopped at the local park for another first - swinging with Mama and Daddy.  He was really too tired to get very excited, but he did seem to enjoy it (even though it doesn't really look like it in the pictures).

Week 24

Another week has passed, and I'm almost not behind on pictures.  Brian is really talking up a storm in his own little language.  He's getting close to saying real words, we think.  He sure wants to be able to communicate with us!  He's also been laughing out loud.  A lot.  And it's really cute.  It's small chuckles, and loud cackles, and little smirks.  He really has a sense of humor, and he loves to be surprised (and to anticipate).  He's doing so many things I wish I could show you!

One thing I wanted to be sure to share was Cory and Brian playing at the piano together.  Brian really loves to imitate what his Daddy is doing, and piano is just one way he does that.  Enjoy this video!



I wanted to mention, in case anyone wasn't sure - you can always click on the little pictures in the blog and it will take you to the full sized image (scaled to your screen) so you can see our cute little Bear up close!

Grandmother Brenda and Grandpapa Dell (Cory's parents) came to visit and help us out at the house.  They enjoyed playing with Brian.  In the first pictures, Cory and Grandmother Brenda are dancing with Brian - and he's loving it! Notice the two teeth in the last picture.  (They can also be seen in his weekly picture for this week.)

Brian enjoyed sitting next to Grandpapa Dell on the couch.  Notice the similar arm positions - I think it's the genetic "guy couch pose" that Brian is already demonstrating!

 

 More bath time.  So much fun!  And so cute - can't help but share.

 Here are some stills of the piano sessions...

 Some more of the weekly "Help Mama survive being at work" pictures from Brian's play days with Grandma Amy.  

 In my attempt to get a cute weekly picture, I got this set of pictures of Brian playing.  He studies his toys so carefully, I can't wait to see what he comes up with each time we play with them.

 Sitting in the front yard with Papa Chuck.  It was a warm, sticky, humid day in South Texas and Brian was sporting the popular "bib and diaper" combo. 

  

Brian enjoying Grandma Amy (and some good naps!)

Notice in the bottom two pictures how Cory is holding Brian out in front of him.  Cory loves this "Daddy chair" - and it's quite a workout.  At over 18 pounds, Brian isn't a lightweight!

 Brian enjoyed sitting in the high chair at a local restaurant - for a little while anyways.  In the first picture, he was staring at the ladies at the table behind us.  Amazingly enough they didn't notice him with all the chatting they were doing!

As you all probably know, we've been working on getting our house ready to sell.  Cory has been doing a lot of work on painting and prepping the house.  Here, Brian is watching him work - he seems to take to the supervising role, don't you think?

 We went up to Sugar Land for a meal and some shopping.  Brian's favorite thing about the PF Chang's (lunch) was the monkey grass out front.  He loves to play with it (and he certainly wanted to eat it).  By the time we got around to frozen yogurt for desert he was tuckered out - he slept the whole way home!

 Miscellaneous 'Mama and Brian' pictures.