Here's Joshua...

...eating carrots


...showing off his cool sandals


...at Pike Place Market


...in a restaurant watching Mom & Dad eat


...on the porch with Dad


...dreaming of rice cereal & bouncy balls

...driving with Dad

...in the stroller, taking in the sights at Green Lake

...feeling happy!

Tide Pools

The tide was down -3 feet the other day so we headed to the tide "pools" (more like tide flats) to see what we could find.

We found some crabs,

starfish,

and some tiny fish.


There were quite a lot of people exploring the exposed ocean shore.


It was a beautiful day to be outside!

Go Ryan Go!

Ryan finished his first triathlon last month. He really enjoyed it & hopes to do another one again soon... hopefully in a warmer lake.

Here he is entering the frigid, 58 degree water of Lake Sammamish.


After his brisk swim, Ryan ditched the wetsuit & hopped on his bike for a nice ride.


Lastly, he ran a few miles to the finish line.


And here he is with his medal around his neck & his boy.

Joshua's First Time Sitting in a Grocery Cart

Joshua is getting really good at sitting with support, so he did a great job sitting in the cart today. He loves the grocery store, which is why I couldn't get a picture of him looking at the camera. There is so much to see! Joshua only complains when the cart stops in the middle of an aisle. He wants to move!


I love how he put his foot on the bar in this picture, & how he leaned over to look around me. I apparently block his view while pushing the cart.

The Solid Food Eater

Joshua had his 4-month-old checkup yesterday. He's grown 2 inches since his last appointment 2 months ago; he's 26 inches long & 14 lbs. 4 ounces. He is a bit on the lean side so the doctor said it's time for Joshua to start eating solid food. We tried some rice cereal yesterday. It was a lovely mess, but Joshua really enjoyed it... especially the rubber-coated spoon. He liked holding the spoon with both hands and helping me guide it toward his mouth, which didn't always end up in the right place as evidenced by the picture below.


Joshua got pretty tired toward the end of his first solid meal & started wailing. I still think he looks so cute even when he's mad!

The Supported Sitter

Joshua is excited to be able to sit "by himself" thanks to this supportive foam chair we are borrowing from a friend.



Ryan has this picture tucked into his ID badge, so he has a visual when people ask about his baby. Unfortunately, Ryan's had a few people ask how old "SHE" is. Does Joshua look like a girl? Is he wearing a girl outfit? Maybe it's his big, beautiful, long-lashed eyes...

Our Trip to Victoria

THE CLIPPER
For Memorial Day weekend, we decided to go to Victoria via the Victoria Clipper (the boat pictured behind Ryan below). Everyone, except Joshua, got a bit seasick on the ride over since it was a rainy, windy day, which translated to choppy water. We should have known it was going to be a rough ride when the boat crew announced that they had motion sickness pills for sale and that they highly recommended taking them for that particular trip. Thankfully, Ryan & I made it to Victoria without losing our lunches. Joshua actually loved the sickening back and forth rocking motion of the boat and was happily lulled to sleep for most of the trip. (Our return trip to Seattle was perfectly smooth.)



BUTCHART GARDENS
Once in Victoria, we hopped on a charter bus & headed to the famous Butchart Gardens. We especially liked the "Sunken Garden," which had been an exhausted limestone quarry before being converted into this lush garden bursting with plants and flowers.


This pond area reminded me of a Monet painting. So beautiful!


Joshua's expression leaves no question as to what he thought of the gardens.



SWIMMING
Since our hotel had a pool, I was really excited to have Joshua try "swimming" for the first time. He loves playing in his bathtub at home, so I was sure he was going to love playing in a really big bathtub. We got him all dressed up in his tiny bathing suit; Ryan even offered to let Joshua use his goggles.


But, the pool was not a happy place for Joshua. He balled up his fists & made a sad face until we removed him from the cold water. He was much happier "swimming" in the warm bathtub in our hotel room.

The Amazing King Julien!

Joshua absolutely loves his King Julien stuffed animal. I don't know what it is about it, but it makes him sooooooo happy!

Conveniently, all of King Julien's appendages (ears, hands, feet, nose) fit perfectly in Joshua's mouth.

Joshua's First Flight

Joshua & I flew down to California to visit my family two weeks ago. I was apprehensive about how he would do on the plane, but he flew like a pro! He seemed to enjoy the trip and all the great people he got to meet and play with: grandparents, great-grandparents, uncle, great-aunts &-uncles, etc.

BIG J, little j, what begins with J?

Jerry Joshua's jelly jar. J...j...J
Excerpt from "Dr. Seuss's ABC" book: my favorite book to read to Joshua. I changed "Jerry Jordan" to "Jerry Joshua" for obvious reasons.


In an attempt to capture Joshua's awesome, open-mouthed smile, I got this! When he's older, he'll probably sabotage many a picture with this same expression.



This picture was taken on my 30th birthday, which was last week. I spent the day with my wonderful baby, and in the evening, Ryan & I (and a sleeping Joshua) enjoyed a dinner out on the town. I'm so lucky to have two wonderful boys!



Joshua still doesn't know what to make of his big, amazing toy, but he has figured out that the edge of the seat is good to suck on.



His hand-eye coordination is improving every day. Last week, he learned how to bat the ball around on this activity center. This week, he is grabbing & holding on to the ball & those loops.



Joshua is fascinated with his feet right now. He likes to kick them up and look at them, & reach down and grab them. It's fun to watch!



Sometimes when I hold Joshua, I can't see his face but I know he is really asleep when the Binky falls to the floor. I think he gets his mouth-breathing from me. Sorry Little Buddy!



I love seeing him smile! Occasionally Joshua smiles just because he sees me, which is one of the greatest feelings in the world.