Tucson trip

Road trips usually mean that the family is apart for the weekend. But last weekend, we got lucky.


Michael had to cover the USC game in Tucson. So, the three of us went together. There, we got to see even more family.

No one was happier to see Austin than Grandma Judy. Her shirt says "Happiness is Being a Grandma." For weeks, Grandma had been buying stuff, asking what we need and arranging for aunts and cousins to lend baby stuff for Austin. (Thanks, everyone!)







I think Grandpa Phil was pretty happy to see Austin, too. Grandpa let Austin climb on him on the beanbag chair and play around on the floor. Here, he took Austin to the pool for a foot dip.



Grandma and Grandpa hosted a family party so everyone in Tucson could meet Austin. I think about 30 people filed through the house.


Austin met cousin Elliott, who is six weeks younger than him.

Aunt Linda came by on her way to the football game, where she and Uncle Chuck work security.

Cousins Caitlin and Grace also stopped in before tailgating at the UA.

Great Grandpa had fun seeing Austin again.

Aunt Peggy brought over a beautiful hand-sewn quilt that we plan to put on Austin's wall.

Cousin-in-law Tawnya held Austin so cousin Alexis could see him again.

Many more family members came through, but we didn't get pictures of all of them.

Most of the weekend, though, Austin was just "Grandma's Little Pumpkin" (as his onesie says).

-by Sarah

If Austin had a twin...

... this is what he'd look like.

Now that Austin can sit, we've found that he can entertain himself if we prop him up in front of the mirror.

Why the hat?

Austin kept tapping his head against the mirror, so Michael put on the hat to soften the blow. No bruises or bumps yet.

In addition to the mirror trick, Austin got some other new forms of entertainment this week.

We broke down and bought an Exersaucer on craigslist. Michael is in Washington state this weekend, so I needed something to give me a break. Austin LOVED the Exersaucer. He just couldn't get enough of all the gadgets, toys and noises. He kept moving from one thing to the next. It was a little overwhelming. There was no way I was going to get him to look up to smile for the camera.

I also bought Austin some little Nikes at the used store. He won't keep socks on, so we'll need shoes to keep his feet warm in the winter. I don't know if they are very practical, but he treated them like they were a new toy.

Sometimes you don't need to buy anything. Austin had a great time rolling around in a pile of expired coupons.

And he enjoys company. Aunt Pat came by for a visit after her doctor's appointment:

For more recent photos, see Austin: October 2008 photos.

Swinger

Austin got to try two fun pastimes this week -- swinging and eating.

On Thursday -- the day Michael watches Austin all day -- Michael took Austin to the park about a mile from our house. There, he found some baby swings. He wasn't sure if Austin was big enough. Not surprisingly, Austin loved it:

On Friday, Austin tried his first rice cereal. Austin was pretty enthusiastic about it. We think he mostly liked sucking on the spoon.

Austin didn't eat too much. But he didn't reject it. So, we think it went well.

Friday is becoming our main family day. When Michael isn't traveling, we're all off, so we can do things together. This week, we went to visit the Ding clan. Austin got to try out their toys, a bouncer and exersaucer. We'll have to get him one soon because he loved it.

Austin got to see his friend, Maven. Maven's still bigger than him, but Austin can move around a little more.

Maven was sleeping when we got there and in bed when we left. After little sis went down, Austin and Sedona had some bonding time.

Maggie took a rare picture of the family:

Homeboy

These days, Austin spends most of his time at home. But he's making a lot of progress at home. Every day, he gets a little bit stronger, scooty and rolly.

We think he might crawl soon, maybe even this week. Here's evidence. Look how he rolls and scoots.

Here he is going after his Chicago Cubs bat, a gift from Teddy. He loves it, taking after his daddy.

Here he is scooting across the bedroom to get some magazines, something he's not supposed to do. Trouble already.

His legs are bulking up, too. We propped him up against the sofa's arm rest and he was able to stay up.

He can stay sitting longer and taller in the tripod position, as well.

Austin squeals in delight every time he sees the cat. Bicha still could not care less and runs away when he screams.

Austin is falling into a bit of a nap routine, sorta. Instead of the random sleeping pattern, he usually has a one-hour nap midday. It doesn't always happen, but it's better than before. Here's the sleepy boy waking up.

When we did get out of the house, Austin and I met up with Aunt Pat and Aunt Susan at the Irvine Spectrum. Aunt Pat rolled him over to the fountain. He was mesmerized. In this photo, he was ready to go back to Mommy.