Jungle Gym

Amato's grandparents, Don and Bea, were kind enough to pass along this crazy bouncing, swirling, jungle gym. Now that Amato is mobile, he has lost interest in such baby contraptions which is perfect timing for our little Monkey Feet. Thanks Don and Bea!

Here are a couple of pics. Sawyer loves it!


week 16

Sawyer is looking like a real baby these days. Luckily, his roly-poly belly hasn't kept him from discovering and grabbing hold of his feet. He is beginning to become more interested in the images in his books. Brown Bear, hands down, is his favorite book. Every page turn elicits big smiles, wide eyes, and kicking legs. He also definitely wants to be hands-on in his book-learning.


Time on his belly has become much more fun. It helps when his friends, like Gerald the Giraffe (seen here) are there to keep him company. He is rolling over pretty regularly from belly to back if we help him figure out where to put his hands.He is definitely snuggly kid and if he can't snuggle with one of us, his burp rag will usually be his next choice.Here we are this evening- he is decked out in a cool outfit he got from his great Aunt Jacobijn and great Uncle Willem. Crazy widow's peak, huh?

O! Canada


We traveled to Fernie, British Columbia for the wedding of our dear friends Sarah Thompson and Chuck Bird. It was Sawyer's first flight and first international journey. He was such a good traveler- we were lucky for his patience, as a passport debacle made the journey to the lodge a 20+ hour epic.
The first night, we stayed in Chuck and Sarah's van in a campground outside of Fernie- it was super cold and we were relieved that Sawyer could stay nice and cozy in his Pooh Bear suit.


We drove into town for hot coffee and were amazed by the views:We drove up to Island Lake Lodge later in the morning and hung out with Sacha and Diane and their boy, Amato.
Here is the lodge- could there be a more perfect setting?
Here is the lake:

Our friend, Larisa, took Sawyer for a walk so we could spend some time on the water- he promptly fell asleep.

Not a bad placed to spend some time in a canoe!The wedding ceremony took place along the shore of the lake in the late afternoon. It was gorgeous and perfect. Here we are after the big event:
Sawyer took a catnap during the ceremony.After an amazing weekend- we enjoyed a leisurely drive back up to Calgary for our flight home. Here are some of the beautiful views.We had to take a few stops to accommodate Sawyer's needs. Here Sawyer and I are hanging out in the backseat of our rental.

Sawyer laughs!!

We just had an amazing trip to Canada and I will get to posting some photos of that in the next day or so. Right now, I just have to show you all a video of Sawyer's first laughs. After a long day of travel back from Calgary, Sawyer was willing to delight us with a bevy of chuckles. Here he is on his activity mat in his play pen giggling up a storm:


4th of July

We had a great 4th of July weekend. On the 4th, we grilled out with friends Sacha, Diane, and little Amato. The next day, blue-eyed Halenda/French crew joined us at Camp Dick/Pleasant Valley where we escaped the heat in town.
Dezi was there- of course:

Dan took Sawyer up a big boulder to show him the view:
We had a nice hike and then a picnic by the water.



Some other shots from a snuggly time over the weekend. Sawyer began sucking on his fingers not long after he was born. He then appeared to give them up pretty much cold turkey. Recently, he has rediscovered how yummy his fingers taste.

3 months and 14 pounds

Today, July 3rd, Sawyer hits the 3 month mark. Amazingly, he also has hit the 14 pound mark. That means he has put on almost a pound a week for the last month!

Here are some of the best moments captured over the last month that didn't make it into previous posts.

Near the beginning of the month, Sawyer discovered himself in the mirror. He now looks for himself when we bring him into the bathroom. He is very intrigued though I am not sure if he recognizes himself yet.


We enjoy spending time with Sacha and Diane and their boy, Amato. Here we are after a great dinner at their house. Amato was very interested in little Sawyer.Most of the time, I can't capture his smiles- this doesn't mean he isn't giving them to us on a regular basis. He is usually distracted by the camera- and he certainly doesn't like the flash. Here is one of his delightful smiles! He smiles easily for us and is also smiling when he meets new people.
We went to the pool with our friends, Jen and Will. Here is their youngest daughter, Violet, with Sawyer. They hung out in the shade of some trees together . Here is some of his recent 'tummy time.' He is getting more comfortable on his stomach and he is able to lift his head a lot higher now.



He is beginning to enjoy good old horsey rides. Here he is with Dan:


I love this one: