Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins Oh My!

Nolan met his Aunt Kate and cousin Jake in July. They came all the way from Texas to visit. Jake is 1 and 1/2 years old and loves to "dance." He has changed so much since the last time we had seem him-it's like he went from a baby to a little boy overnight! It's crazy to think that Nolan will be that big some day! I didn't get that many pictures when they were here since Jake was always "on the move" but I did capture one cute one! We can't wait til their next visit!
Nolan met his Uncle Brian, Aunt Megan, Brian, and Emma the first week of August. They came all the way from North Carolina to spend a few weeks here in Iowa. Brian is really starting to talk and is so cute! Emma is 10 months old and is adorable. They all went swimming at our house in a little kid pool and had a blast. It's fun to watch Nolan interact with his cousins and when Nolan started to cry, Emma patted him on the back. We wish they lived closer to us because visits will usually only be twice a year. =( Here are a few pictures that we captured during their trip.

4 Months Old

Nolan is 4 months old today! It is amazing how fast time flies when you have a child and it has been so much fun to watch him grow and change. When I look back on pictures it seems so long ago that he was just a little newborn barely able to hold his head up and slept all the time. Today Nolan hit a milestone as he reached for a toy that was next to him (not hanging above him) and held it, then brought it to his mouth! (He always brings things to his mouth, but usually we give him a toy...today he reached across the blanket all on his own.)

At 4 months Nolan...

*Weight/height will be determined at his next doc appt.

* Wears size 1 diapers
* Wears 0-3 month clothes

* Eats 6 oz every 3 1/2 to 4 hours

*Sleeps 10-12 hours a night, depending on when we put him down

*Has started to really coo and babble all the time

*Sleeps on his tummy with his bottom up in the air and continues to move all around the crib

*Can mimic you when you stick your tongue out

*Graps rattles and toys-he pulls down on his toys that hang from his carseat and vibrate

*HATES it when the bottle is taken away from him to be burped

*LOVES to stand with support-he always tries to stand

*Likes to look at himself in the mirror and make loud screeching sounds

*Loves tummy time and is able to move his legs to make his body slide across the floor
*Loves hair dryers, fans, and anything that blows wind in his face

*Sits in his bumbo seat and is starting to like it more and more each day

*Brings joy to our lives each day!

3 month photos-Part 1

Playtime

Nolan has really started exploring things around him-especially his toys. Whenever we put him on his stomache, he is constantly lifting his head to look at the things around him and tries to move to get them. This week we put the bumbo play tray on his bumbo seat so he could play with his toys. He enjoys it all for about 5 minutes and then he is done...I think it is because he wants to move and not be confined. I have a feeling that once he can start crawling, there will be no stopping him.

Happy 4th of July (Part 2)

On the 4th of July we had a cookout at our house with my parents and my sister Christina. Jimmy grilled and I made red velvet cake-oh yes, how I was truly celebrating the red and white. Then later that night we went to see the fireworks at Windsor Heights. They were really good this year! Nolan enjoyed the fireworks again, as he was memorized by the lights and sounds. It's hard to figure out what to do when it is so hot, yet you want to cover yourself up because of all the bugs. Babies can't wear bug spray, so I just dressed Nolan in jeans with a little lightweight hoodie and watched for bugs. I beginning to realize that the real world doesn't want babies in the water or around bugs until they are at least 6 months. Here are a few pictures of our fourth and the many different outfits Nolan wore throughout the week to celebrate! I will add a few more when I upload the pictures from the Windsor Heights fireworks!