A few of our favorite things

Sucking on fingers...

(make sure you have your volume turned up)

Relaxing contently...

enjoying his new Snuggin Go to help his torticollis

 

Relaxing on Mom-Mom-Mom's lap

 


















Being cute in the morning...

enjoying a morning story

...these are a few of his favorite things.

Mother's Day Weekend

So greatful that Isaac gets to know both of his grandmothers AND two great-grandmothers!

 
Wow, what a great first Mother's Day weekend! On Saturday, Daddy hosted a dinner for all the moms with the help of Buddy & Corey. Together they prepared a full spread of yummy food with minimal support from their significant others. They also did ALL of the clean up...dishes, packing up leftovers, etc. which was a really nice treat!

So many amazing moms in one family!

Isaac got to spend some more time with his big cousin Declan.  Declan still isn't quite sure what to make of this little guy yet, but he did say his name and contemplated giving him some kisses. (Isaac didn't make it easy for him by being fussy and even swinging a punch!) I didn't realize Isaac's name could sound so adorable until hearing Declan's rendition. We caught it on video along with a quick little kiss!:

Isaac got to spend time in a lot of loving arms throughout the night... 

hanging out with the grandpas

present time!

Then on Sunday we surprised Mommom at church where Mommy was quickly recruited to play piano, so again Daddy was in charge of taking care of Isaac, who was pretty good with just some minor fussing (and Isaac was pretty good too. har-har).

Then back home where Daddy prepared a brunch spread, using the recipe for hasbrown egg nests that Mommy requested. Mommy enjoyed a mom-osa while Isaac took a nice long nap and Daddy cooked. 

We ended the weekend with a nice family walk with the dogs and Isaac got to sport his cool new shades.

Mommy's guys were pooped out after working so hard to make Mommy's first Mother's Day so special.

Cutie Pie

Well, no major events to report besides Isaac becoming more and more responsive and expressive. He is starting to smile more intentionally, which is really exciting. 

A collection of some of the cute faces Isaac is making these days

He is starting to perhaps "notice" the dogs a bit more. This is the scene most nights before bed: Isaac turned toward Lady apparently telling her all about his day. Lady just listens politely. 

 

One night after a particularly long day for Daddy, he and Isaac took an epic nap on the couch, changing positions several times, but otherwise were completely zonked.

Isaac enjoying some time with great Aunt Margie

That's all folks!

Hello, May!

There isn't too much to report in Isaac's world.  Each day he is getting more and more attentive and showing more interest in some of his toys. He is moving around more, and is especially active and bubbly first thing in the morning.  It is hard to get footage at this time of day since it is still dark (and Sir Isaac does not appreciate it when the flash is on), but here is a little video of the wiggle worm:

Good morning grins:

Isaac experienced his first party at home and got to meet more family members at his cousin Dana's bridal shower.  He was a perfect gentleman the whole time.  He got to meet cousin Dana, great aunts Mary and Felicia, and many other new faces.  Grandma Ernst had a great idea to get a "4 generations" picture. So we called Grandpa Charlie (from here on out to be referred to as "Poppop" at the author's request) and got a shot with the 4 generations of Ernsts, each about 30 years apart. 

It was a lot of work getting the house clean for the shower while caring for an infant. Everything seemed to take twice as long as it used to! Isaac seemed to know Mommy needed a hug after a long week of cleaning.

Tonight was Daddy's first time giving Isaac a bath.  He waited ever-so-patiently while Daddy got everything together.  

Hmm...not too sure about this...

Isaac seems to have hit another growth spurt and has had some very inconsolable moments.  For instance, this afternoon Mommy just could not get him to go down for a nap.  So she put him in his Moby wrap and played George Winston's "Joy" on piano (which is a song she played a lot to Isaac when he was still in utero). It could have been purely coincidental, but within moments Isaac calmed down and went right to sleep. 

We also had some quality time with Debbie on Friday and got to hear all about her awesome trip to Mexico.  The three of us went on a long walk since the weather was so nice, and then stopped at Matsu on the way back home so Mommy could finally have some sushi after 9+ months! While Mommy drooled-- I mean, read over the menu, Debbie had some fun with Isaac.

Everyone is always so happy when Daddy gets home after a long day at work - especially Lady & Allie! One day Allie took advantage of Daddy having his hands full with Isaac and attacked him with kisses. 

Isaac has discovered his hand can be a tasty, calming treat and every now and then slurps on it soothingly. Here is a picture (adorable slurping sound not included):

And he is starting to reach out and grab onto things. The other night he surprised Daddy while he had his mouth open in a yawn and popped his whole fist in his mouth!

We've been using cloth diapers 95% of the time, but since we still have some newborn sized diapers we've been using them at night so they don't go to waste.  Isaac always looks extra tiny in them since the cloth diapers can be so thick and bulky.