Weeks 15 & 16Several times we have caught Derek giggling. Apart from smiling it is a new favorite way to have him interact with us. It is hilarious to watch us when he giggles because we will continue to do whatever it takes to keep him giggling. He is such a happy boy!!! In addition to giggling Derek has been exploring the higher pitched noises that his voice can make. I cannot even mimic him because the pitch is so loud. Jogging with Derek is so much fun. He loves to chat during the run. It is super entertaining to listen to him and before you know it the run is over. Derek loves to play naked! When that diapers is removed he goes nuts, moving all over the place (arms and legs). Often we let him play naked and he wiggles all over the place. Don't worry we are always prepared for him to pee (learned that the hard way :)).
One morning I was checking my email and when looked over to see what Derek was up to, this is how I found him. Ever since then he has been trying to roll over from his back to his stomach. He tries so hard, but his arm gets in his way and he needs a gentle push from us to get him onto his belly. When he makes it to his belly he gets so excited. I can tell he likes the way things look when he is in this position. He smiles and chats as he looks around. He keeps working on this new trick and before long he will be rolling over by himself.
Derek's stomach muscles have also gotten much stronger in the last few weeks. Since discovering his feet, he is constantly lifting them in the air and rubbing them together. They are usually only on the ground when he is standing.
Derek seems to prefer standing now to sitting. When we try to have him sit he will stick out his legs keeping them straight and making it hard to be in the seated position. He loves the new view he has when he is standing. He will stand anywhere.
Over the past few weeks we have introduced Derek to several new toys. The first thing he usually does with them is put them right to his mouth. It has been neat to watch the transition of playing that goes on in the "gym." In the beginning Derek used to get so excited over the lights and squeal with delight. Now he is able to grab onto the toys and interact with them while chatting and squealing.
I have also noticed that Derek is using his hands and fingers in a new way. He is not just holding objects anymore, but feeling them. He holds onto his bottle and feels your hands, face, clothing etc. So neat to watch him explore and learn!!
The biggest event of this week was that Derek learned how to roll onto his belly during nap time. One afternoon I heard a lot of noise coming from his crib and went to check on him. This is how I found the boy! He was so proud of himself and when he saw me he gave me a great big smile. It took several naps after this to teach him to sleep on his belly. He seems to like belly sleeping now. Now we just have to remind him how to roll from his belly to his back. So we are no longer swaddling him when he sleeps. During the day for naps we just lay him in the crib and at night we put him in a sleep sack.
Derek loves hanging out with daddy. Here he is sporting Matt's Chargers hat.
Derek enjoyed Skyping with Pops and Grammy. This time he looked at the screen the whole time and then took a really long nap afterwards. All that screen time tired him out!
Derek loves playing in the exersaucer.
Here is Derek with his friend Bryce. They love having playdates with each other (well...truth be told its the moms who really love the playdates).
One night as we headed out to dinner, we saw this gorgeous rainbow!
This was Derek's first official conference. Here he is working with Dad at breakfast. I am sure we'll attend many more in the future!
I just love being able to stay home with Derek every day. I can't seem to get enough of him. I am so grateful that God chose me to be his mama. I love when I smile at him he smiles back and then breaks into a huge grin from ear to ear and his eyes light up. I love that I can calm him down with my voice. I love that he snuggles right up in my chest when he is picked up from his nap. I love the smile he gives me when I wake him up from his nap. I love the way he sucks his thumb and the cute noises he makes when he is trying to put himself to sleep. I love the way he looks around at everything and does not want to sit still. I love watching him explore his hands and feet. I love the way he looks up at me and smiles when he is done nursing. I love when he giggles with me. I love that he is a super active kiddo and doesn't stop moving. I love his determination to learn something new or voice what he wants. I even love that when I am super frustrated at all the outfits we've changed from spit up or that he just won't go to sleep for a nap, he smiles at me and it melts my heart and I think to myself "How could I EVER be mad at you?"
One morning I was checking my email and when looked over to see what Derek was up to, this is how I found him. Ever since then he has been trying to roll over from his back to his stomach. He tries so hard, but his arm gets in his way and he needs a gentle push from us to get him onto his belly. When he makes it to his belly he gets so excited. I can tell he likes the way things look when he is in this position. He smiles and chats as he looks around. He keeps working on this new trick and before long he will be rolling over by himself.
Derek's stomach muscles have also gotten much stronger in the last few weeks. Since discovering his feet, he is constantly lifting them in the air and rubbing them together. They are usually only on the ground when he is standing.
Derek seems to prefer standing now to sitting. When we try to have him sit he will stick out his legs keeping them straight and making it hard to be in the seated position. He loves the new view he has when he is standing. He will stand anywhere.
Over the past few weeks we have introduced Derek to several new toys. The first thing he usually does with them is put them right to his mouth. It has been neat to watch the transition of playing that goes on in the "gym." In the beginning Derek used to get so excited over the lights and squeal with delight. Now he is able to grab onto the toys and interact with them while chatting and squealing.
I have also noticed that Derek is using his hands and fingers in a new way. He is not just holding objects anymore, but feeling them. He holds onto his bottle and feels your hands, face, clothing etc. So neat to watch him explore and learn!!
Great Auntie Lee Lee and Derek
Christina and Courtney
Great Auntie Karen and I with Derek
