Almost three months

Joel is almost three months old already. The time has certainly passed quickly for us. Joel has learned a few new tricks this past month. He can find and suck his right thumb now. He is also technically sleeping through the night (around 10 pm to 5 am for the past two weeks), so I am getting more continuous rest. However, the motherly instinct still wakes me up around 3 am to check on Joel when he starts grunting in his sleep. Joel likes to kick and look at toys now; it's so much fun to see him smile.

Here are a few more recent photos:


Luke playing with Joel


Playing airplanes with Uncle Wayne


Going for a walk


Smiles


Luke and Anna going down the slide

Joel's first Disneyland trip

Our family just returned from a trip to Disneyland. We had a good time and are especially grateful that grandma Eileen could join us. Luke enjoyed the rides. His favorites were the monorail, the train, the goofy roller coaster and the bus ride to and from the Embassy Suites. Joel was a perfect baby on vacation. I want him to be on vacation all the time. He liked napping in the carrier in the warm sunshine.

Disneyland was busy, but we managed to see and do quite a bit: train, monorail, ladybugs, bumper cars, chew chew train, flik's fliers, rockets, carousel, ferris wheel, the bakery and tortilla factory, wilderness trail, autopia, innoventions, it's a small world, goofy roller coaster, Alice in wonderland, adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Minnie's house, Tiki room, and the Matterhorn. I also got to ride Thunder Mountain while Luke napped one day. I really liked the shows we saw: Aladdin musical, Crush the turtle, the fireworks, and the world of color.


On the plane


On the train


On the ladybug


On Flik's fliers


Happy Joel


On the ferris wheel


The rest of us


Tail of the monorail


On the train again


World of color show


Luke loved the kitchen in Minnie's house


The boys


Our family with Minnie


Having fun with Tigger

A visit from Grandpa and Oma

Joel is now a little over six weeks old. We had a nice visit from Grandpa and Oma (Tom's parents) for a week. Luke sure had fun spending time with his grandparents (so did Joel...but mostly while asleep). We took a day trip to Silverton to visit Tammy's mom, spent a day at OMSI, and spent a day at the zoo.


Luke and Joel with the grandparents


Playing trains


Playing at OMSI


Oma and Joel


Three generations (at the bald eagle zoo exhibit)


Our family (Joel is hidden in the carrier)


Building a big Lincoln log cabin at the Children's Museum


Joel (six weeks old)

Five weeks

Joel is now over a month old. He is beginning to stay awake more each day and seems interested in the world around him. Luke is also very interested in teaching Joel everything he knows.


Joel (5 weeks)


Joel (5 weeks)


Joel's little feet

Four weeks old

Joel is already four weeks old. The time goes by so fast! I thought I would write about Luke in this post, since he is such a good big brother. Some of the ways Luke shows Joel that he loves him:

• brings blankets for Joel in the morning to keep him warm
• gives him kisses
• tries to teach Joel how to play peek-a-boo
• tries to teach Joel how to play hide-and-seek (Joel and mommy are a team and we try to find Luke)
• helps give Joel a bath

Giving Joel a bath


All four cousins (Mark, Maddie, Luke and Joel)


Joel (4 weeks)


Joel (4 weeks)

Three weeks old

Joel is three weeks old today. It sure has not felt like three weeks; the time has passed so quickly. Joel is doing really well. He now weighs over 8 pounds, so he gained a pound in the past week. He is a master eater now and gets all his meals from me (so no more pumping after each feeding). Joel is also learning how to sleep during the nighttime hours. He did well last night: ate at 10:30 pm, 2:30 am, and 5 am. I almost feel rested for the first time since he was born.




Joel (3 weeks old)

Fun with the boys

Here are a few of Joel's "firsts":
1/29: first UP basketball game (against St. Mary's and UP actually beat them)
1/30: first time at church
1/31: first bath (after umbilical cord scab fell off)
2/5: first visit to OMSI (science center)


Our family


Fun at the sand pit at OMSI


Playing "store" at OMSI


First bath at home


Grandma and Joel



Joel and mom


Reading books