Curly Boy

Not that I think any of you would ever doubt our assertion that his hair straightens as it dries...

Cute, isn't he?

Valentine's Day

And what better way to celebrate than with good food and a good friend?

The food (at least, the dessert): poached pears:

The friend?  One of the best.

And although we preferred the pears, Asa has different tastes in... well... taste.

Six Months Old!

We're not sure how it happened, either.

What we do know is that he's not only eating (as of this week: rice and oat cereals, apples, pears, zucchini, squash, and banana), he's grabbing the hand of whoever is feeding him to guide the spoon to his own mouth.  He's noticing so much more, reaching out to touch his environment/grab anything that we may have left within reach.  He loves his hands, and can watch them for a long time, and he appreciates his toes when he happens to notice them.  He's getting pretty good at tummy time, and can even sit up for a few seconds at a time; no matter what position he's in, he'll reach for toys.

His latest trick: bouncing.  If you try to sit him on your lap, he'll arch his back until you're supporting him in a standing position, and he'll bounce and bounce and wave his arms and squeal in delight.

Rolling isn't really his thing, although he loves to arch his back and throw his head back, so I think that it's just a little while away:

Before we get to that point, we went ahead and lowered his crib mattress... which also became necessary when we realized that his reach had improved:

And he LAUGHS.  Some of you have noticed that he tends to get serious when the camera is pointed his way, and that proved true here, as well, but these are the joyful noises he makes just before he breaks into a full-out belly laugh.  (We call them Pterodactyl noises.)

The best though?  He isn't just exploring his environment by grabbing, but he's watching and listening.  I was uploading these videos earlier, and he heard himself on my computer... it's hard to hear, but he was making little noises the whole time, as though in conversation with himself:

Happy half-birthday, little Bean!  We love you!

Won't You Be My Valentine?

Some people wear their heart on their sleeve.  Asa wears his on his onesie.

WHO DAT!

If the Steelers couldn't be in the Super Bowl, then I'm glad the Saints were, and even more glad that they won!  It's also kinda nice that both teams have the same basic colors, so Asa and I could wear gear we already had to show our support!

Thanks to Uncle Jeremie for these pics!

The onesie says "I drool Gold and Black".

Touchdown!  (Right before bedtime, Asa ended up in his Eagles jammies.  We're equal-opportunity football fans, I guess.)

Yay uncles!

Center of a Tootsie Pop

Yeah, I know - he's a little young to have seen that particular commercial.  But from recent observation, I'd say he's ready to give that Tootsie Pop a whirl...

Of course, when Mummy won't give him a Tootsie Pop, a Skwish will have to do.  Mmmm.  Wood.

Grampa's Birthday

Note the matching outfits.  On the other hand...

"Hey, Grampa, what's this? I don't have one of these... may I borrow yours?  No worries, I'll just grab a little handful..."

Turns out it's a little scary when it moves, however.

But Grampa cuddles make everything all better.

Happy Birthday, Grampa!  We love you!