Daddy Armstrong

Joe finished his 157 mile bike ride this weekend! Blake and I are so proud!

Saturday morning Blake and I went to a cheering station in Shelbyville to wave at Daddy as he rode by and to give him some water. Below you can see Blake holding Daddy's water looking down the road for Joe.

He finally came along. He had called us from the last watering station to let us know he was close and we only live a mile away - so we kind of cheated.

Blake wanted Dad to stay!

Joe finished in good time. We picked him up in Lexington around 3:00 in the afternoon. Who wants to stay in a tent when you can sleep in your own bed?


Daddy finished strong again on Sunday at 3:00!
Blake, Joe's parents, and I were there to greet him at the finish line.

It is an awesome thing you did today Joe!

Thank you, everyone, for your donations and your support!

8 Months!

He got his first Build-a-Bear - a monkey. I had to take it's shoes off because he likes the shoe laces too much.



8 months has gone by so fast! I didn't think Blake was ever going to show interest in toys and other kids. All of a sudden he is interested in everything and everyone. He loved watching Jackson play this weekend!



Anything that rolls or flashes is amazing.




He tackles this fish like he's wrestling an alligator.



Ah....the car. I thought he was still too little. Not so. He loves taking walks around the nieghborhood riding in his car. Thank you Ryan & Jamie! He likes biting the steering wheel. I think the vibrations feel good on his gums.

Grass!

Blake had never really spent anytime in grass. Sad, no?

He had been on a blanket in the grass and on his back maybe once or twice, but never had he sat in the grass or better yet tried to crawl in grass.

These were taken with my phone so they aren't great but it was fun watching him stare at the grass and rip apart my flowers.

Bath Time!

What a Hiatus!

I just realized it has been two weeks since I posted anything on here! Oops.

In the last two weeks I started my new job, the boys survived a week without me, and Blake has said "dada" and "ogg".

My six days away was pretty rough, for me, but the boys did really well with some help from Grandma Debbie. The great news is that Blake will take a bottle, and anything else you put near his face, with no problem now. When we go out to eat he slaps the table until we find something to give him a bite of. I guess I'll have to order carrots and mashed potatoes for a while.

Mama's new toy

Now I have a phone that takes good pictures...

He just can't escape my flash bulb!

Going Green

Joe tried to convince Blake that the fireworks were fun Saturday but Blake didn't buy it.

Big boy Blake with his apple juice.

Today Blake went to the babysitter for a half day in prep for the rest of the week when I have home based training going on all day. He did really well. Our big guy is drinking formula out of a bottle!

While Blake was gone I preoccupied myself by painting the kitchen and dining room. With the exception of Blake's room we have not painted anywhere in our house. It's beige, beige everywhere. I like the green -the name was "Jalapeno Jelly." Next I'm doing a butter yellow in the living room - eventually.

Let me just saying the kitchen has got to be the worst room in the house to paint with all the cabinets and appliances. At least now I know it's clean behind my refrigerator and stove!

Mirror, Mirror

Jolly Green Giant

At Blake's six month check up this morning I learned I actually gave birth to the Jolly Green Giant. I knew Blake was pretty big, but this little guy is off the growth chart! Joe's Mom said he was the same way so maybe he'll slow down. He is already bigger than I was at a year old!

Height - 29in - above 97th percentile
Weight - 19.25lbs - 80th percentile
Head Circ - off chart

Daddy and I are going to remeasure him tonight, but I watched her do it and it had to be close. Joe is convinced it's impossible!

Developmentally he is doing great. He is rolling all over and trying his best to crawl. I love watching him try to get to a toy (or dog) he sees nearby and using both hands to hold things. When we read books he has to hold them and usually turns the page before we're finished. He loves to stand and it holding his own weight longer and longer.

This guy is an eater. He loves veggies. So far he has done well with Carrots, Squash, Green Beans and Bananas. He's not a fan of tangy fruits like Peaches and Apples. This weekend I was able to get him sucking on a bottle (for the first time) that had Half Water/Half Apple Juice. Hopefully we can sneak some milk in there and he'll do okay.

I keep thinking about how fast these last 6 months have gone by - I know it will be his first Birthday before we know it!

I'm going to go research car seats now...2.5 more lbs and we have to retire the one he is in now. Crazy.