If this doesn't get me hired at Pepsi ... seriously, this kid loves his pop cans. And Nana and Pop-Pop are more than happy to oblige.
... I mean black. Because if we bled red, then we'd be cheering for the Flames. But you know what I mean. (Pop-Pop, if you want Joey to wear the orange and black of Philadelphia, you're going to have to get him the outfit/sweater. They don't sell them out here.)
It was absolutely beautiful today, so I took the opportunity to introduce Joey to nature. We walked all around the backyard, looking at the hydrangeas, the lilacs, the peonies. In the front, we have this little pink tulip growing wild in the grass. I often see tulip leaves growing randomly, but this is the first time I've seen a flower come up, too. Joey thought it was very interesting. And of course tried to eat it.
We also tried using a sippy cup today. Joey's always interested in whatever we're drinking out of, and since I know apples are OK, I figured we'd try a little apple juice in a cup. It was OK. More of Joey just playing with it, but I know he got some juice out (because he was wearing it afterwards). It was only his first time, so I wasn't really expecting much. I just figured we'd keep learning new things, and this was next on the list.
We went to visit Uncle Joe and Aunt Angie today. This was just too cute to pass up. Sesame Street was on. Annabel and Joey were in a trance. (And yes, that's a cast. Poor Annabel broke her arm! But I secretly think she likes the attention, especially since little Sammy was born.)
Since it was such a beautiful day outside, we went for a walk with the dog. And instead of the stroller, Daddy carried Joey. It was actually a short walk, since Daddy needed to got to work, but Joey loved it. He was looking up at the sky, at all the tress, checking out everything. I realized this was probably the first time he was seeing a lot of this; we usually have his car seat shade up and a blanket covering the rest. He's just like George - curiouser and curiouser. Thanks, Busza, for the hat!
This picture is of the four generations of Araszewskis. My mother-in-law, Joe and Joey, and Joe's grandparents. They're a good looking bunch. And the color-coordinating was just coincidental. Unfortunately, we couldn't get Joey to look at the camera. Next time.
Now this picture is special. It's the oldest and youngest Araszewski in the family. Uncle Matt is Grandpa's brother. He had so much fun holding Joey.
This picture is from yesterday. I'm not sure what's wrong with my camera (it could be just the batteries, but I just changed them a few days ago), but Gloria came over yesterday, so I got to use hers. Joey was having so much fun in his Exersaucer. Blowing bubbles, making zerberts. There will be a video posted.
And this is today's picture. After a lunch of carrots, applesauce, and prunes (which will hopefully help), just chilling on the couch. He was pretty tired and went down for his nap shortly after this. So peaceful. I can't wait for the giant smile that is almost always waiting for me when he wakes up!
Got Joey dressed this morning, and he looked so cute, I figured I'd better get a picture before he spit up all over himself. Buszia (how did we decide we're spelling this?) bought Joey these sneakers while she was visiting San Antonio. These probably won't last very long either, so enjoy them while they last!
On Thursday, we started carrots. Joey's doing just fine with those. I've mixed them with sweet potatoes and green beans, and he hasn't minded at all. Fruits are up next, and if Joey knew what that meant, I'm sure he'd be excited!
I think yesterday was an especially "bad" day for Joey teething. I mean, he put everything in his mouth, and I know he was biting down (mostly because he bit down on my finger). No teefers yet, but I'll think it'll be any day now. And yes, we did let him chew on the remote. He can't stop staring at it, so we figured we'd just let him try it. Had to take it away from him because he (or I) kept accidentally turning off the White Sox. Last night was a good night to change the channel.
And of course, he still loves playing on his mat. Rolls over to his belly every time. It's so cute. He was in an especially good mood yesterday morning, and I'm so happy I could capture it.
I may have mentioned it before; Joey loves his books. Mostly he loves trying to eat them. Occasionally, it does look like he might be trying to read them, but don't be fooled. He's really just trying to figure out how to get that book in his mouth. I especially like this picture because he was also kick-kick-kicking while "reading", and my camera captured the motion. I'm surprised the rest of him is in focus. As my sister would say, reading is fun and mental.
I took a ton of pictures of Joey today, and this was definitely not one I was hoping to capture. But after he was done playing with Daddy's can of Pepsi (see below), Daddy started synching his iPod, and Joey grabbed the headphones, so I kept snapping away. He just happened to look over when the flash went off.
Joey still loves to put things in his mouth. When I opened up the Easter card from Nana, he couldn't wait to get a hold of it. He wasn't sure exactly what to do with it, but he did get a corner into his mouth. Then, when I was eating M&Ms, I could tell he wanted what Mommy was having. Since that wasn't going to happen, I figured I could give him the bag. He loved it! Just starting him early.
Ginny wasn't exactly thrilled to "pose" for this photo, but I did manage to get a few snaps in before she jumped off the couch. My little girl and baby boy. It'll only be a matter of time before she follows him everywhere waiting for a crumb to drop. They'll be BFFs.
It's snowing. Seriously. Right now. Which is better than rain, according to the dog. At least she goes out in snow without much coaxing. But seriously? I am totally OK with a snowy Easter when Easter is in March. (I mean, I do live in Chicago.) April snow is just cruel.
More sweet potatoes today. But doesn't he look cute? He's actually a really good eater. Opens wide for the spoon and usually eats everything. Occasionally spits a little out, but really most of what is on his mouth is either because Mommy misses or because Joey turns his head right as I'm about to put the spoon in his mouth. The little stinker.
And just because I thought we should have one ... here's a family picture from today. We'll probably get professional ones done at six months, but in the meantime, you'll have to deal with this. Hooray for the timer function on our camera.
Today was relatively uneventful. Joey and I went food shopping this morning (what else is there to do at 7:30?). Then Mommy got to go to Costco and Kohl's all by herself. (Daddy woke up early to get Phish tickets, only to realize they didn't go on sale until noon. So he obliged and watched Joey.) I figured, since Joey did such a good job sitting up at Joe and Angie's, I'd see how he did at home. He did quite well, as you can see from the picture. Other than that, just plugging away on the sweet potatoes and playing with his usual toys. Ah, the life of a five month old.
We went to visit Joe and Angie and Annabel and Sammy J yesterday. Sam was born on Valentine's Day. Needless to say, there wasn't too much interaction, but Joey was checking him out. They also have a beagle that Joey was completely enamored with.
Not too much going on here in Chicago. They're calling for more snow. (Yuck.) Oh, and the tailpipe fell off of the Mazda. (It's already in the shop.) And Joey started on sweet potatoes today. (He seemed to really like them! He didn't mind at all when I mixed them with peas and cereal.) So maybe there's a bit more going on than I thought. It's hard to keep track of it all. Thank goodness for Blogger.
