My Happy Boy

I love my happy baby! Look at that chubby little arm...haha! He is so cute! We have such a blast together during the day. Here is a list of what Joel is currently up to:

-Joel wakes up around 7 every morning and is always in a different position than the one we left him in the previous night. His eyes are so big and his grin is so wide when he first sees Andrew and I leaning over his crib. The best, though, is his hoarse little voice! It's so scratchy and sweet when he first starts talking in the morning.

-Joel knows when it's time to eat, and when he sees his bottle being prepared, his little mouth opens wide and he dives at it. Currently we are working on patience.

-When Joel drinks his bottle, his right hand holds onto the bottle while his left hand lifts his bib up and down. This happens every time, and it never loses its humor or cuteness.

-I've already discussed Joel's love of the tub, so I will skip that one and move on.

-Joel enjoys grabbing faces. He loves a good nose twist or an eye poke, but his favorite is grab ahold of your botton teeth. And it's a real sign of affection when he takes his hand out of his own mouth and wipes it on your cheek!

-Joel likes playing on the floor in the family room. He rolls all over the place (belly to back and back to belly), and he enjoys playing with his stacking cups, his ball, his toolbench, his animal top, and a variety of different rattling toys. I think he will be crawling soon because he is getting pretty good at maneuvering around the rug.

-One of my favorite times with Joel is reading in the glider. Joel has quite an assortment of board books, and I love reading to him. While I don't think he's comprehending much of the plot, Joel loves to try to grab the pictures off the page. He hasn't succeeded yet, but it's not for a lack of trying! Here are some of our favorite books: anything by Sandra Boynton, Bear Snores On, Goodnight Gorilla, and I Love You Stinky Face.

-Joel really likes being outside. If he is ever fussy, I can just take him out into the backyard and he is perfectly content. We try to go on a stroller ride around the neighborhood every day, too.

-Joel is a very good baby food eater. He eats everything we give him, and I'm hoping he keeps this streak going when we start giving him green vegetables next week.

-Joel laughs when I blow on his belly, when I tickle his elbows and feet, when he is on his changing table, when we play peek-a-boo, and when he is tired. It is the most beautiful sound in the world.

Thanks for indulging me! I'm a proud mama, and I love my little boy!