davises vs. MOSQUITOES

It is already in the mid 90s here in Austin and we haven't even hit June yet. Graham had the potentially great idea to have some outdoor fun playing in the pool so I got one of those $5 plastic beauties and we were ready to go. The problem - mosquitoes. They were everywhere!!! We spent the whole time swatting them away from Blue's face while we ourselves were layered up in clothes from head to toe. Not exactly fun in the sun.

Yes, that is Blue attempting to stand-up in the pool. He did it too, crazy kid.

hard KNOCK life

I promise, no babies were harmed during the making of this film...

guys and BLUE

How cute are these guys!

Our good friend Asante was in town this weekend, visiting from Nashville (he moves back in August!). He has such a good way with babies and it was a lot of fun to see him. We got a bit of a preview this weekend of what it is like to take Blue off his schedule. We travel to California this Friday for a week and we will all have to do a bit of adapting.

and he's UP

Blue has been able to pull himself up using someone's hands for assistance for a while now. But a few days ago I walked into his room and this is what I saw! He was so proud.

SING on mimi

When my sister and I were little we used to laugh and sing along to all the fun songs my grandmother would sing. Some of them were just little ditties she made up about whatever she happened to be doing at the moment, like washing the dishes. But some were real songs that I imagine she had sung since she was a little girl. Like songs about bobby socks and getting back up after you fall down. Here is a Mimi classic, getting passed along to the next generation.

testing testing 123

I took some school photos today at my mom's preschool and these were my test subjects!

up to CODE

This rocking horse was mine as a baby and it definitely would not pass current safety standards but Blue loves it. It has exposed springs ready to pinch little fingers and we usually end up stuffing blankets at the front or back of the frame to keep the horse from completely rocking over. I survived though and so will Blue... we are never more than a foot away.

the HILL country

Blue spent the afternoon with my parents last Saturday so Graham and I could skip off to the Hill Country with some friends to enjoy good wine and fun sights.

The lavender was supposed to be in bloom but the weather has been so dry here that the plants are still in bud. This happened with the bluebonnets too but those just failed to come out all together. We did get a surprise tour of a new local Bourbon distillery, though, which was really interesting. You win some you lose some.

more DAD'S style

It fits his big head better than I expected! Dad has promised Blue a cowboy hat of his own in a few years.

HANDSOME in hats

I have always thought that Graham looks really handsome in fedoras. But he refuses to wear them - not his style, I guess. Blue also looks handsome in fedoras and he wears them with a smile!

See that little belly rolling over the band on his pants! He gained almost three pounds in the past month and is making his way back up the percentile charts. At 17lbs he is in the 25%.

mr. TAMBORINE man

Sorry for the shaking. I guess I was playing along too.

happy SEVEN months

Sounds so old, right! He desperately wants to be able to crawl and move in a way that he just hasn't quite mastered yet. He'll sit on his mat looking at a ball he just can't reach and will let out a shout of frustration. Nothing we can do though but to let him figure it out. One face plant at a time. He is close. Just this morning he found his way to all fours and managed to hold it for a few seconds before coming back to a seated position. I think he knew he would fall if he tried to move.

more COLORFUL fun

The concrete floors in our house are not very amenable to all a baby's crashes and burns. And when we put a blanket down on the floor Lucy just took it as an invitation to make it her bed. Plus, the folds and gathers of the blanket really got in the way of Blue's exploration. So we got the gym mat you see there in the background. Unfortunately the color is not too subtle but the mat is working great. It gets as big as 4x6 feet but also folds up for easy storage.

a DAYS work

Blue is starting to do things that just can't be captured in a still photograph. Which means I really need to develop some videography skills. I feel like all these videos are pretty awful. I guess they get the point across though.



Apparently this was an especially drooly day.

slowly getting STARTED

Blue has finally started to display some pre-crawling activity! See for yourself. A little more coordination and a good dose of confidence and he will be on all fours...

falling asleep NOISES

Blue makes a very specific noise when he is tired and about to fall asleep. Once you hear the noise, it is too late. He is already in the zone and no amount of poking will wake him up.

kinds of COUSINS

This is Kati and Blue enjoying some dinner al fresco. Kati and Blue are 2nd cousins. With this new generation of cousins we have had to go back and research all that complicated language around cousin relationships. Since Kati's mom and I are 1st cousins (my mom and her dad are siblings) then Kati and I are 1st cousins once-removed. Got it?

Whatever she is, she was a big help this weekend, playing with Blue on the floor and feeding him his bottle like a pro.

pretty good FOOD

My sis, Mallory, pulled off a masterful food performance this weekend. She was in charge of food at my cousin's bridal shower and it was all beautiful and delicious. To make her performance even more impressive, every item on the menu was gluten free. The bride-to-be is gluten intolerant and it is no fun not to be able to eat the food at your own shower!

And yes, she even made those super-cute French macarons.

some MAN time

Here are the boys enjoying a little time alone while all the ladies prepped for the shower. The shirt blue is wearing here is 6 to 9 months... the pants are 0 to 3 months! It isn't as bad as it sounds though, these were meant to be pants and we turned them into capris. Now I am not sure that makes it any better. Trust me though. They were cute. And manly. In a summer sort of way.

Inspecting the watch...

new OLD toys

My mom was cleaning out the attic at her house and found a tub full of my baby toys. So we washed 'em up and are passing them on to the next generation. This soft, rubber hand is one of Blue's favorites. Go figure.

The batch also contained quite a few white plastic rings, each with various things attached. Everything from pretzels to Big Bird. I saw this pic of Prince William as a baby (he was born a year before me) and realized they must have been the main baby toy of the era!