Thanksgiving in Dallas
This year we spent Thanksgiving with Matt's family in Texas. There were 26 of us all in one house for the week. It was so much fun! Derek finally got to meet all of his uncles, aunts and cousins. It was fun to reflect back on Thanksgiving last year. I was pregnant and couldn't wait to meet the little guy and this year we are a family of 3!! We are so thankful for the gift of our precious baby boy!

Derek got to meet more of his aunts, uncles and cousins. Here he is with Aunt Emily, Uncle Kevin, Uncle Mark and Aunt Valeri.

Grandpa Buman
Derek's cousins loved spending time with him. They were great at entertaining him as well.

Great Grandma D loved holding Derek. Here she is telling Derek all about football!

The Cunninghams (Sean, Laura and Caitlin) drove from Lubbock, TX to visit us for the day. We became good friends when we lived in Gainesville, FL. The last time we saw them was two years ago. At that time they told us they were pregnant and this year we were able to meet each other's baby.

Our friend Sarah came to visit us while we were in Dallas. Matt and I were counselors with her at Circle A Ranch back in 2001. It was so great to see her again and spend time with her.

Happy guy!

eep in thought.

These days Derek grabs his bottle and puts it right in his mouth!

He is really curious about everything and grabs for it!

5 Months

This month Derek has shifted from taking 4 naps a day to 3, which has allowed for longer awake periods. This has been so fun. We can now do so much more before we need to come home for nap time. Derek is also awake during our meal times. He sits with us at dinner and watches intently as we eat. He is much more attentive and is turning his head when we speak to him. Here are several other things new that Derek is doing.

Derek loves playing with his dad. I love the way he is looking at Matt in this picture.

I love my baby boy!
Derek loves these colored stacking cups.

Derek is curious about his feet. He grabs them and pulls them to his mouth. It is hilarious to watch. It is amazing how flexible babies are.

Derek is learning how to use a sippy cup. We gave him one because he reaches for everything that Matt and I eat or drink and looks at us with these sad eyes as if he is being left out. He hasn't gotten the hang of using it just yet because he just chokes on the water, but we'll keep working. For the most part he just practices holding it and sucking on it.

One morning Derek was playing in his gym. I turned around to find him like this with one arm around Great Aunt Flo-Flo's stool. Then he continued to explore the stool and started putting it in his mouth!!

Swinging in the Park
This weekend Matt and I took Derek to the park right behind our house. We put him in the swing for the first time. He would smile and giggle whenever we would push him. He LOVED it!! It was so fun to watch him enjoy the swing. We are so excited to use the park more as Derek gets older.

We also tried the slide, but he is not quite big enough yet. We'll try again soon.

First 2 Teeth
After what seemed like a million tries, I finally got a picture of Derek's first 2 teeth. They are absolutely adorable! I just love seeing them when he smiles. Lets hope that the rest of the teeth come in in such momentous fashion with just a few days of fussiness like these! LOL.

Riding in the BOB Big Boy Style

Derek is now big enough to ride in our BOB jogging stroller without the car seat. Derek seems to love his new view of the world - facing forwards and looking out! Many more adventures are to come with this new milestone.

Maui (Week 20)
We had such a blast in Maui this past week. Not only was it relaxing, but we got to watch Derek discover so many new things and spend time with Matt's parents. Derek got his first 2 teeth while we were in Maui and he learned how to blow bubbles with his spit. His favorite thing to do was to look up at the palm trees blowing in the wind. He would screech with delight at them as he explored his voice. It was so fun to watch.

It was so fun to watch the world through his eyes.

Derek experienced the pool for the first time. He was not quite sure about the water at first, but after going in several times a day he really liked it. I think his favorite part was when Matt or I would take him all the way in (all except his head) and pull him around in the water.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Derek hanging out with Dad. There were several times during the trip when Matt watched him and I layed in the sun, read or went for a swim and trip down the water slide! It was great.

Derek also experienced the ocean for the first time. Again at first he was not so sure about the waves and sand, but after a while he got used to them. I think he will definitely be a water boy like his dad.

One of our days in Maui we drove to Haleakala to see the Crater. It took 2 hours to get there and Derek did not like the long car ride, but it was amazing. We drove to 10,000 feet and were above the clouds. Pictures cannot capture the view from the top. You could see most of the island.

Derek is getting really good at grabbing what he wants. On the trip he would grab our sunglasses and hat right off our face. Anything that we ate or drank he wanted some of.

Derek got to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Buman.

Sunset over MolokaiDerek watching the palm trees blow in the breeze.
Sucking his thumb more than normal led to his first 2 teeth!