Learning new tricks

Austin is, by nature, a content, easy-going, happy baby - very easy and delightful to care for. Occasionally he still enjoys sitting in this little seat and sucking on his toes! But in the last week or two he's been discovering that he can reach other things if he twists and turns and pulls.

In his crib he no longer just rolls over onto his back when he wakes up and talks to the animals on the wall. Now he's pulling the bumper down and hanging onto the bars, trying to see around the rest of the room. Time to put the mattress lower before he figures out how to pull himself up.

He has also figured out the "army crawl" when he's on the floor, much to his delight. Time to start baby-proofing.

He also got his first tooth in the last week, but I can't show you a picture of it. He won't even let us see it, except by accident.

It's looking like Fall on our culdesac. But it felt a whole lot more like summer today - very warm and muggy.

My life is very full of many varied experiences and emotions. There is so much joy every day as I care for Austin. Also, every day there are email updates about my dad from family members who have been there. We all cry for many reasons - that he is weakening and uncomfortable and in pain and still lingering. But also because we know that one of these days he will enter into the presence of the Lord, which will mean that we will not see him again until we go there too. Both realities seem almost too hard to bear many times. We need your prayers as we come to your minds.

Jeremy will be coming up from Florida tomorrow until Tuesday morning. He wishes he could be with Grandpa when he passes from this earth to Glory. So do I. We all do, especially my stepmother. God is in control and we are trusting His wisdom and mercy.