I had intended to give Grant's six month update about three weeks ago when he was indeed newly six months. Fast forward to 6 months and three weeks and here it is. In one short week my little baby will be seven months old. I don't even believe it. He is perhaps the happiest baby ever in the history of babies (well, maybe not, but he is one heck of a happy guy), he has mastered sitting by himself and can get onto his belly/back and roll around, he is trying really hard to figure out how to crawl. He can get onto his hands and knees and rock, and rock, and rock, and even move himself backwards, but no forward movement yet. He is ready to be on the move. He weighed 18 pounds and was 28" at his six month check up. He has the cutest sound that he makes all the time that serves as a really happy sound, a really mad sound, or just adds it in when he babbles - it is the rolling r sound like in "arriba". He has two teeth. He is going to be one rascally little boy. Ahhhhh - milk drunk and ready for a good night's sleep.

Such a cute little rascal.

Sporting hats with papa marcikic.

And, the eldest little rascal - such a good big sister. She loves her little brother.

He's made it into the real bath where he is a wild man. Emerson hates having water in her face and Grant loves to splash, so typically Emerson ends up in the corner of the bathtub behind the faucet cramped in, while Grant splashes all around the rest of the tub. It is so very amusing to watch.

Grace. I don't have anything nice to say about this animal or her ever present flatulance.

Family picture following Grant's baptism last week. He slept through the entire service.

Always wanting to know what Grant is eating, see the container that it is in, help feed him, and then see the empty baby food jar. Always. There is no sneaking baby food around Ms. Emerson.

We're off to enjoy some unseasonably warm weather at the pumpkin patch tomorrow - pictures to come.

Labor Day

We spent the final leisurely day of summer at my uncle's cottage with my parents, brother and aunt & uncle from California. Then, Tuesday was back to reality - waking up to an alarm clock, getting myself and two kids ready by 6:30 am, getting them to daycare, getting to work on time, and spending my day with 100 kids that aren't mine (thankfully!). Overall, things went smoothly - my classes/students seem to be good - at least most of them; hopefully the others will be tolerable. The sixth graders are an interesting change in my day & I found out yesterday, that there is at least one hugger in the mix, and a surprise hugger at that. I've never had that before...it's quite strange. Only a few surprises this week - Tuesday I came home to a knocked over patio umbrella and a completely shattered (into thousands of tiny little pieces) table, so that was a warm welcome from the first day back. Yesterday, I picked Emerson up from daycare only to find we needed to go to the pediatrician because she had a goopy eye, which has exiled us for the weekend. And, since her recheck appointment for her ear tubes, she now needs a tiny surgery (on Tuesday) to patch the holes in her eardrums that aren't healing on their own.

Photos from last week:

My uncle crafted a boat with rows (although, I am sure there is a more eloquent name for it that I don't know) and he gave Ryan a demonstration as to how to use it.
Helped him get in

I spy with my little eye - how cute, a little rear view mirror.

And sent him off.

And hoped he didn't capsize or crash. You can't tell from this picture, but he's actually going backwards towards that raft. A near miss!

Emerson occupied herself with the sand - as always putting handfuls of it back into the water.

Grant snoozed And worked on some geography

And now, just some random ones:

Emerson and her sunglasses (that we end up looking for every day)

And peanut butter - starts off as a peanut butter sandwich and ends up as a peanut butter facial. Every single time.

He has a handful of baths left in this little baby tub - he is almost too big for it. Hopefully, he masters sitting soon and he can join Emerson in the tub.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Bye bye summer

Well, summer is officially over and I am back at work. We've been busy the last few weeks with some mini-vacations with family and friends. Although I am a bit bummed that I do have to go back to work, I'm glad that I did have 5 1/2 months off to be home with Grant and Emerson. Grant is doing super and has changed so much (for the better considering he wasn't the best baby). He's beginning to sit up and is working on teething and makes plenty of noise. No more "mommy, mommy, mom" all day long, soon it's going to be "Mrs. Marcikic, Mrs. Marcikic". Grant is acclimating well to daycare and Emerson is officially the eldest of the group. The weather has changed to be more fall like, which is a welcome relief from the high temperatures and humidity of the summer. The downside is that everyone but me has been having the puffy eyes and runny nose attributed to allergies.

Considering it has been some time since I've updated, there are plenty of pictures.

A fine mess of some chocolate ice cream.

Leggs Inn near Petoskey - we went up a few weeks ago and stayed with Momo & Papa Marcikic, Aunt Kelly, and Aunt Carol.

Checking out a fire station

And last weekend - we went back up north to join our college friends for one last weekend of fun.

Taye

Mikias

Rylie & Collin with Emerson