Thuy's Wedding

Tonight, we attended a wedding reception for my old roommate, Thuy. Oddly enough, the last time I saw Thuy was on Mother's Day, right before I went into labor. She and Abby, another roommate, came to visit Mark and I. Thuy looked lovely in her dress. And it was fun to dress up - mostly because I just bought a cute shirt today, so I was glad to have a chance to wear it. Unfortunately, I wasn't so photogenic for our family photo. Maybe someday I'll get a cute shot of the three of us.

My old roommates, Thuy and Abby

My boys

We weren't quite ready for the camera.

Not my best shot, but Mark looks handsome.

Busting at the seams

Giganto-Baby

First off, a happy birthday to my mom and my sister. Yesterday, Matthew and I went over to my brother's house to visit. It was the first time I got to see Matthew and Ayden side by side, and it really struck home how big Matthew is. It was fun to hold Ayden and cuddle with him - Matthew doesn't cuddle as much as he used to. But, I admit I don't miss the newborn stage. I'm enjoying watching Matthew with a little more awareness. I also love getting a full night's sleep again.

Matthew (12 weeks) and Ayden (1 week)

Best friends already

I think he looks like Aaron.

Melissa looks good with a baby.

Playing with Uncle Aaron

Computer games with Daddy

How to Amuse a Baby

Matthew has started to chuckle when he finds something amusing. Which begs the question: What does a baby find amusing? The answer: Apparently, you just have to throw something on top of him.

My how quickly babies grow

I'm an aunt! Well, I was already an aunt because Mark has 2 nieces and 2 nephews, but I now have a nephew of my own. Aaron and Melissa had a darling baby boy, Ayden Matthias, on Saturday, July 23rd. He weighed 5 pounds 15 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long. I honestly can't believe how small he is. He's as light as a feather. Now, I look at Matthew and realize how big he's gotten. My little boy isn't quite so little anymore - though he was never that little to start with.

Though on the plus side, there are some distinct advantages to his getting bigger. Matthew slept all night last night. That's right, 8 full hours of sleep. Wild applause in the background. The funny thing was, I was feeding him this morning expecting him to be starving, but eating was not his top priority. Mark was getting ready for work at the time, and everytime Mark came into view, Matthew would track him with his eyes. Whenever Mark looked at him, he broke into a gigantic smile and a couple of little chuckles. If Mark was nearby, he would not eat; he just wanted to play with Daddy. 

Baby Ayden

My not so little boy

Sleeping through the night

Showing off his OSU gear for Uncle Jacob

A fistful of Matthews

Matthew going crazy with his fists. I like how he looks ready for a fight at the end of the video. Don't get between a baby and his need to suck on something.

Choo Choo!

Day 5: Cripple Creek is a town of casinos, which isn't as great from a morality standpoint, but it does mean they have great, cheap breakfasts. We ate at Bronco Billy's where they have an excellent 49 cent breakfast. Then we rode the train! The train is just a little tourist attraction. They run steam locomotives on a narrow gauge railroad track. Chad's dad works there. The track is only a few miles long. You go down and then they back up the whole length of the track. I was afraid Matthew would sleep through the whole ride, but to my surprise, he woke up. He even seemed to enjoy the ride; the train whistle didn't even phase him. Oh, and we got to see Cripple Creek's famous donkeys. They are descendants of the mining donkeys, so they are considered sacred in Cripple Creek. I'm not joking. I think just looking at one of those donkeys the wrong way will get you a serious fine. Later at the house, Diana and I also tried to take a photo shoot of the boys. Unfortunately, Matthew was not a happy baby at the time. Oh well. You can be picture perfect all the time.

Chad's dad, Doc

On the train

What a cute family

Cameron was all smiles

While Matthew slept

Diana and I

Mark and Matthew

Matthew and I

Cameron and Chad's mom, Victoria, petting the donkeys

Cameron wearing Matthew's hat

Matthew and the kitty

A drooling Cameron

My darling boy

Matthew and Cameron

Matthew with the biggest frown ever. My favorite picture.

Garden of the Gods

Day 4: We drove down to Manitou Springs to visit the Garden of the Gods, a park with crazy rock formations. It was an interesting place, though no serious hiking. Just some interesting views of the rocks. It must have been at least 90 degrees that day, so our walk didn't last long. Thank goodness for air conditioning.

Garden of the Gods

Mark pushing the stroller

The Robisons

The Corders

Cameron has such blue eyes.

Burping time

Matthew's eyes are changing. I don't know to what, though.