From walking to running

Now that Andrew has perfected the art of walking, it is like he is seeing the world through different eyes. We go for more walks without the stroller, he wants to spend less time on Mama's hip (which is great news for my back), and he is picking up his speed and learning to run. I had to laugh to myself today when we were going for a walk around the block. It takes a long time for us to walk because he has to stop an investigate every little thing. He picks up a lot of treasures along the way such as an acorn, a stick, a penny, a shiny candy wrapper, a sunglasses lens, etc. Of course he only has two hands, though, so when he comes across a third treasure from our walk you can see in his mind he is weighing his options: 'if I let go of the stick, but keep the acorn, then I can have the shiny candy wrapper. Hmmm...is it worth it?' I just love this little guy!

We went to the zoo today and it honestly was not a big hit with Andrew. I'd point out animals to him and wouldn't even get a reaction. But he did enjoy running through trails and hallways, and occasionally helping me push his stroller:














At the petting zoo, Andrew was neither afraid nor excited. He just stood there while the goats approached him, hoping for some affection














The only thing that caught his attention in the whole aquarium was the starfish. He had to look at it from all different angles.



















One activity he has been enjoying more is reading. He loves to turn the pages of his board books while speaking gibberish. So cute!



















We showed up a little early to story time at the East Grand Rapids Library, so we went out on their deck for a while. He loved it!







































And finally he is learning to brush his own teeth, thanks to berry flavored toothpaste :)

16 months

Here is what is going on with Andrew at the age of 16 months:
-he is down to one nap
-he has 6 teeth
-he is able to repeat sounds, but no actual words
-spinning wheels continues to be one of his favorite activities, though now he enjoys rolling and throwing balls
-he can climb up the stairs

Andrew enjoying a lollipop














taking everything out of the pantry and rolling it across the floor



















playing in the sprinkler



















We went to Millennium Park with my sister and her family. Andrew's cousin, Daniel, was nice enough to share some of his sandwich














Andrew just took off at the splash pad and didn't even look back. Once again he is drawn to a water toy that spins!

The past few days

Ryan scored front row tickets to a Grand Rapids White Caps baseball game. This is already the second game Andrew has been to in his short life. We took our chances bringing him since it was so hot & humid, and the game started at his bedtime.

Proud Daddy with his son














Having fun














Andrew hates wearing hats so we did our best to get a quick picture of him in his Detroit Tigers cap & t-shirt (notice the thumb in the mouth...he is fading fast!)














Taking a rest on Daddy














Revived for a short time when we gave him cotton candy :)














Now that Andrew is walking, there are so many more things for him to get into around the house. We are always amused as to what trouble he will find next and learning to pick our battles as a result:

This is a no-no on so many levels!














And this is a battle I can't win. Everyday the pj's that I nicely fold and put away end up on the floor. Oh well. When I see that sweet face I just have to laugh and shake my head.

15 month stats

At 15 months, our dear boy is off the charts for his stats. He weighs 30 lbs 2 oz which is about the 105%, his height is 33 1/8 inches which is 100%, and his head circumference is still way off the chart. He seems to be hitting all his milestones right on target. We are so proud of him and feel fortunate to be his parents!

summer fun

These first few weeks of July have been awesome. The weather has been great, and we've been spending a lot of time with friends and family. Here's a few pictures to share:

He LOVES to spin this pinwheel. But this time he actually dropped to his belly to spin it. I thought that was hilarious. What this boy won't do to spin some sort of wheel :)














Enjoying a 'new' car given to him from his VanderKamp cousins. It's been a hit!



















We've done lots of swimming thanks to a few friends with pools. Andrew seems to like the water which is great. He loves to splash in the shallow end, and being carried by his Dad into the deep end.


















His favorite pool trick is to have Ryan sit him along the side of the pool and then Andrew falls in. Ryan did this so many times in a row that his arms started to hurt!



















Lookin' cute in his new bathing suit. Also trying to eat a cheese puff in one bite



































These next few pictures we are at Frederik Meijer Gardens. Here he is clapping for the daisies














An action shot of him running towards me



















Andrew's own personal heaven: a giant wheel to spin!

Reign of Terror

Has anyone seen my "Office Space" DVD anywhere? Here's your clues: It involves Andrew and a paper shredder.

Andrew's Tricks

Here's some video of Andrew's latest tricks, including "talking". Andrew can say "All done" on command, but doesn't yet know what it means.