My Faith and Joy… and Boys!

Whether asleep…

…or awake…

…this guy makes me smile!

Danny just had his 4 month check-up and weighed in at 15 lbs (just over 50th percentile), and measured 24.5 inches tall (25-50th percentile).  He’s getting more and more laid-back as he gets older; he’s probably the most relaxed of all the kids so far.  He giggles when I change his diaper or tickle his neck.  His smiles start out shy and then get increasingly broader and spread over his whole face.  He loves to play with toys within reach when he’s sitting in his bouncy seat.  He’s nursing really well, but doesn’t take a bottle.  I’ll be starting solid foods soon – I hope he likes it!  I wake him up just enough to feed him before I go to bed, and he then wakes up to eat once more each night, and then sleeps until 7:30 or 8:00 before he’s up for the day.  He wants to sleep in just one area of his crib, tucked into the corner with his head against the bumper – if I put him elsewhere, he squirms back into his favorite position.  He loves to be held and is almost always happy as long as he’s in someone’s lap.  I love this kid!

We made our annual trip down to Pennsylvania for Jim’s extended family New Year’s Eve gathering.  The girls were so thrilled by all the big kids that I barely saw them during the whole party; they simply flitted from one group to another (and made frequent trips to the dessert table).

Here’s Susie and Danny with some of the big girls, Cody, Molly and Megan:   

Jimmy kept Chloe company while she read:

Chloe and Molly getting in some Danny cuddles:

Aunt Amy and Susie (this is Susie’s version of looking at the camera):

Aunt Sherry and Becky taking a trip down memory lane:

Molly, baby-holder extraordinaire:

Pappy and Danny (sporting his Steelers outfit):

Jimmy taking on the competition in air hockey:

Landon giving Jimmy a thrill ride in a toy stroller:

Jimmy returning the favor:

Uncle Mike finally getting hugs from the girls (after Becky spent all evening trying to avoid the poor guy!): 

Jimmy deciding the checkers board made a better roadway than game:

Our gracious hosts, Aunt Peg and Uncle Tom:

Aunt Peg and her youngest grand-nephew: