catch up on weeks

While I have been taking some photos, it has proven a challenge to put them on the computer and do much with them. Something about the last house made it feel less far away to do stuff like that in the evening, so I could do it and not feel like I wasn't around Sara. Anyways, here are some pics - one from Grand Haven on a really windy day, two from Hoffmaster State Park and one from this past Sunday at a you-pick farm. Oliver had a great time picking and eating his own raspberries and apples there!

Picking apples!

We went to a you-pick apple farm yesterday. My first time doing that and it was awesome. Oliver had a good time, too. First we picked some late season raspberries and he picked up pretty quickly on what we were doing and started to help himself to them. Same thing with the apples. He was really enjoying getting his very own whole apple!

Hoffmaster State park

We went camping at Hoffmaster State Park this weekend. It was quite nice and really pretty area. We had a great sunset last night, too. Oliver was being funny because he picked up a stick and then ever few steps he would bend over to make a mark in the sand before moving on.

boxes

This kid loves containers these days. Boxes. Clothes baskets. Toy boxes. All of them. Here he was sitting in his toy box just throwing all the toys out to make room for himself. Pretty funny.

Dinner talk

catch up

Alright, I have been a pretty big slacker on the photo project thing as of late, but I have been taking and posting more than I have been putting up here.  So, here are three weeks worth.  Two of them are cell phone pics, which I count, and the third is one I finally got the real camera out for again.  Cheers.

First is Windmill Island. I was kayaking around and didn't know how far I went - nice gardens there (at least from the water)!

This is a dying flower. I thought it was funny because half is clearly very dead while the other half still actually looked really good and alive.  Surely there is a metaphor in there somewhere...

This is Saugatuck State Park on Lake Michigan. The beaches are actually really nice and there are great, tall sand dunes complete with dunes grass just off the beach. It was fairly windy when we were there so there were even pretty legit waves. With such a big lake it really is almost like being at the ocean except for the salt smell in the air. Oliver was enjoying the sand... takes after his mom (yet again).

31/52 Workin' (and video!)

As I put this one up I was thinking that I should really start to take a picture here or there of something other than the kid.  But then again, most anyone who looks at these would probably prefer to see the kid.

He is really having a good time living with our friends and knows where to find J when he is working in the office here.  Yesterday he went in there to find him, but J was gone so he just went in, closed the door on me and made it his own.  Pretty funny (and video below).

Video of this:

30/52 Sunday Mornings [et al]

Cell phone pic this time around!

And some videos!  I don't remember if this first one has made an appearance yet, and I don't feel like going back through blogs to look.  :)  

While in CO, he became a little climber...


He is finally getting into his little walker toy. Got going a bit too fast for himself a few times and was distracted by a dog, too. Maybe we should look into shoes...


He all of a sudden one day kept finding Sara's water in the house and dunking his whole arm in it. Apparently he has really turned a corner and is really loving the water...

29/52 Can't You See

I think I have missed some weeks, but things have been pretty busy.  Ehhh... This is one of my favorite "reject" photos from his one month pics.

28/52 Here's to you

More pics from Africa later today. 

First Mother's Day!

(although the picture is not actually from today...)

23/52 Tough Guy

Cute one from camping a few weeks ago. I love that face he is making.

In other news, the poor guy has been sick the last few days with an ear infection.  On the other hand, that meant lots of cuddling.  Poor guy is on the mend though.

22/52 Reach Out

two videos

So many of you have probably seen both of these (or shorter versions), but not all I don't think.  Anyways, they are good enough for another watch in my completely objective opinion.  This kid seems to be changing crazy fast these days.

He has learned to pull to a stand outside of his crib now (and sometimes tries to climb in), mostly because he wants to snag his pacifier.  He is only supposed to have it when he is sleeping, really, so I usually take it away.  I was video-ing this time because I think it is funny to watch him reach in and grab the pacifier, but could not believe what he did at the end of the video.  He was not remotely tired at the time, so I think he may have known what he was doing...



In this one, he just started to mimic the animal noises, which was also super cute. Seems the goat is easiest for him right now.

21/52 Movin' On

Ahead of the game this week.

(massive) photo/video dump

So here are a bunch of photos and videos from my phone and what not.  Good times!  First the photos:

We got a bike trailer, which is great fun. This was from the first ride - to get ice cream!

We took Oliver on his first multi-night camping trip. That also went well. He was a big fan of washing rocks with his mouth and getting a ride in the hiking backpack.

This is how we roll when out to eat:

He still sleeps funny. Very often. Here he is with his rump up in the air.

Speaking of sleeping, he has mastered standing in his crib. He was very pumped about this and it severely impeded naps for a bit there. Here he is being all proud of not napping:

But then he also like to celebrate a good nap by standing:

Or a good night sleep by just sitting all calmly with his dual pacifier friends:

He has graduated to the normal tub (no more whale tub thing! [and yes, that is a red mark on his head from head butting the tub]):

Over night this kid has decided it is great fun to get into all kind of trouble. Here he is celebrating finding mom's card box:

Now for some good 'ol videos:

This is an older one, and is longer than it needs to be. We got some coconut yogurt, and he was a huge fan.


Here he is trying to crawl:


Kind of crawling:


and then standing (notice the key head movements to find the edge and the clutch mouth-hold)!:


This was the night that made us stop using the whale tub for baths:


and here is a classic falling asleep at dinner video:

Giggles

This may be my favorite video yet.  Pretty funny.

17/52: From the feet up

16/52 Stop Go

Since I have been behind, here is one a bit earlier for this week!

The kid is always on the move and my brother jokes that his hands and/or feet are almost always a blur in photos.  I thought it would be fun to do a shot highlighting this.  This is a long exposure (about a second and a half) where I sat still and just let him do his thing.

15/52

Well I missed a couple of weeks. Sad day. Things got a bit busy there for a bit. Had the dissertation defense (passed!!). Did some edits (done!!). Went to Holland, MI to see stuff and try to make some connections (success, I think!).

Here is a picture of the kid flying back from Holland (not bad for a tablet...) - he got his own seat! That is always nice.