Pictures from week 40 - working backwards!

During week 40, Cory had his White Coat ceremony, where he received his first official white coat.  It was a very special day, and we got some fun pictures.  Here are some good ones with Cory - the coat just makes him look so official!  I'm so proud of you, Cory.  Happy White Coat Day!

Last week, Brian discovered the book shelf.  I had to move his books from his room as they are light weight and easy to move around, and I didn't want them all torn up.  Our old school books present a little more of a challenge ... and yet he still gets them down.  :)

Here are some cute ones of him sitting in his rocker with Buccee.  El Paso folks don't know about Buccee ... what a shame!  Brian can be the Buccee the Beaver ambassador!

He sure loves to drive.  "Hey, Mama, can I have the keys?"  This day he actually turned on the windshield wipers, which was kind of funny.

As part of the moving-in process, we've hit the hardware store a few times.  Brian sure loves it there.  And he really loved the new dryer vent!  :)

On our way to El Paso, we stopped in Odessa to break up the trip.  One of the things we did was visit Aunt Mary Anne and Uncle Steve (and Cousin Trey was there too).  Brian got to meet the horses out back, too! Brian wouldn't look at the camera - he wanted to look up at Aunt Mary Ann!

Cousin Trey, who doesn't usually like babies, is one of Brian's new best friends!

Loving the horses grazing in the back yard!

Granny B drove down with us from Odessa to bring some of the stuff we'd packed in one of their vehicles.  Here she is entertaining Brian while we got things moved into the apartment.  I couldn't get a very good picture since I didn't want to disturb them!

Grandpapa Dell and Granny B (Cory's parents) and Grammy (Cory's grandmother) came to El Paso for the White Coat ceremony.  Here are some random pictures with them. 

Loving on Grandpapa Dell

Hanging out with Grammy while we shopped at the outlet stores.  The two of them drew a crowd! 

Playing with Granny B - anything becomes a toy in Brian's hands!

 

 Cory was tickling Brian here - but the picture doesn't show it well.  It does show the whole clan together, Grammy, Granny B, Grandpapa Dell, Cory, and Brian - 4 generations!

 

On to the "miscellaneous cute" section ...

Breakfast at IHOP.  There was something (or more likely someone) fascinating behind Daddy!

The entertainment center is one of the newest fascinating toys Brian has discovered

Playing with the Monchichi - don't ask me to tell you what it is, but he enjoys it, and Cory loved his when he was a kid.

The improvised baby gate - seconds as an engineering project for our son - he loves to play with the wheels. 

Making friends with a cute little girl at PF Changs ...

In the stroller ... being cute.

Practicing his balance

Brian likes to sit on the railing of the patio and wave at cars or just watch the world go by.  Here are a few cute ones of he and his Daddy ...

Playing with Papa Chuck

Playing with one of his toys.  It has a steering wheel and it plays music - definitely a hit!

So many toys ...

Sitting with Mama

With Gram at the White Coat ceremony ... she was nice enough to take him out in the hall when he got restless so Cory's family and I could enjoy the ceremony

And another one with Gram.

Grammy bought Brian a Sully stuffed animal - he actually picked it out.  Here are some cute pictures of him playing with him!

More pictures from week 41

This week we weighed and measured Brian at home just for our information.  At 9.5 months, he weighed in at 24.5 pounds and was 31" tall.  Still above the 98th percentile on height, and about 75th percentile weight for height, so growing just perfectly.  He's  wearing 18 month clothes  now, and has grown out of most of the 12 month ones completely.  Big boy!

A closeup of the baby blues!

Miscellaneous "self-portrait" of Brian and I.  I'm not nearly as good at this as Cory is.  But this isn't too bad.

Crawling all over me, trying to get to the camera.  He's 'started sticking his tongue out to the side when he's concentrating ...

 Camera Strap!

Spinning office chairs is a new passion.  He'll stand up and spin them, or sit on the floor ...

Brian is very efficient with crawling now.  Here he is trucking down the hallway back and forth from Mama to Daddy and back again

  Some pictures from the playground at our apartment complex.  This is a pretty cool place, with slides and other cool toys.

Here he's trying to stand up on the seat!

 

 Here is a before and after the spiral slide.  He's not sure what he thinks of this one yet.  :)

 

Playing in his new room.  He has so many toys, it's hard to choose what he wants to play with.

 Here ya go, Daddy!

Enjoying his bouncer when we first put it together.  Note all the boxes in the background. 

This picture was from the last leg of the trip from Odessa to El Paso.  Brian and I traveled alone and he did very well.  Have toys, will travel!

Checking out the fortifications.

Cory found a new toy that has a suction cup to hold it to the table, like at a restaurant.  Brilliant idea, right?  Except our smart little boy figured out how to get it off the table in under 5 seconds.  The one time I got it to stick he got vocal about not being able to get it to come off.  So, now he just chews on the suction cup. 

(here, two little kids distracted him momentarily from his suction cup chewing ...)

Out walking around the apartment complex with Mama.

Beautiful views from around our neighborhood.  Trees and mountains!

All tuckered out from a day of playing. 

This weekend we met some new friends.  Cory has a classmate named Nathan who happens to be the only other med student in their class with kids.  We had lunch with Nathan and his wife Isabel, and their two kids.  Sophia, about 3, had a wonderful time playing with and loving on Brian.  Nico (I forgot to get a picture) is about 6 months, and will be a great playmate for Brian as they get bigger.

Week 41 - an update

OK, so I haven't gotten around to getting pictures organized yet, but I have been taking some. Brian is at 41 weeks now - halfway through 9 months! He's working on tooth number 8 (4 on top, three on the bottom, working on that 4th one now). He's also been standing up on his own for a few seconds from time to time, and will walk around the coffee table or other pieces of furniture. He hasn't figured out walking on his own yet, but it can't be far away.

Brian and I had a good first week home together, as Cory started his classes this week. We're still organizing and trying to get settled, but we found some time to just play as well. He's adjusting well to the elevation, heat, humidity (or lack there of) and time zone - some times I think the adjustment was easiest for him! We're working on getting back to a good sleeping schedule, and he's doing better with that.

We checked out a cool church that Cory's old college friend attends on the East side this week and really liked it. Brian got to experience his first church nursery and did wonderfully. The ladies really loved him! It's definitely on a short list of churches we like, so I'm glad he did well away from us. It was refreshing to sit through a service without worrying that he was going need something from me.

Here's a cute picture from a recent grocery shopping trip. While I was unloading groceries, he slid over to the side and started lounging - and it made for a great shot!

Hopefully this week I'll start getting caught up on pictures. I hope you're all doing well. Love you all!

safe in El Paso

Just a,quick note to say we are safe in El Paso. We got our apartment Tuesday and are trying to get settled in. Hopefully time soon to catch up on pictures.

transition ...

Just a quick update. We are still in Lake Jackson. Should be leaving for the trip to El Paso tomorrow (Saturday) where we get our apartment on Tuesday! Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July. Promise to start posting more when I move in and get us settled. No pictures. Phone won't let me. :)