Kirk is eleven months old!

     It is SO hard to believe my baby boy is eleven months old!  It is even harder to believe that he is walking!  He took off walking across our living room floor on Sunday, July 11th, and hasn't stopped since.  He still drops down to crawl when he wants to be really speedy, but he is taking off more and more on foot.  He smiles and giggles while he's doing it....he's so proud of himself!  He likes to roll balls back and forth and push buttons on anything.  He has started taking off giggling when we say, "I'm gonna get you!" and tries to get away from Jeremy and I.  He likes to play "baby races" with us and hold our hands while we "run" fast. 

     He has really become interested in building a relationship with Astro (to his dismay).  He looks under blankets on our couch for him (Astro likes to burrow).  Kirk can turn pages in a book and has really shown interest in books with babies in them.  He LOVES to watch Jeremy mow the grass and likes anything on wheels.  He is a great eater and eats just about anything.  Some new foods we've tried lately are avacado and kiwi.  He still really loves yogurt, blueberries, and bananas.

This is a picture of Kirk's first steps (well, the second set of steps, the first ones we were too busy clapping and cheering!) 

Go Kirk, go!

Ok, so neither one of them looks very happy...haha!  Kirk was forced to "pet Astro gentle" (I tell him this all the time, especially when he tries to whack Astro to death!) and Astro was forced to endure it.  They will love each other someday!

Birthday Celebration

Kirk's birthday is coming soon!  For those of you who have asked what he would like for his birthday, I thought I would include a short list of ideas...

• 18 month clothes, pajamas, and size 4 shoes and socks
• large bibs with snaps (he is a MESSY boy)
• any toys that he can push or manipulate (cause and effect)
• outside toys (he loves bubbles...a battery operated bubble blower would be great!)
• anything he can ride on or in (He LOVED the pink push car pictured in the previous post!)
• Barney or Elmo DVDs (He has taken a liking to these guys.  He bounces and giggles when Barney sings!)
• anything that plays music, he loves to sing and dance!
• Board books of any type  (sturdy enough that he can't rip or tear them easily)
• musical instruments (he loves to shake and bang things)
• Marshall shirts/clothes to wear to football games this fall....GO HERD!

Kirk really likes anything.  He is starting to be much more "active" and is a little rough on things sometimes, so just make sure anything you get him is durable!  We are so thankful that he has so many people who love him and want to celebrate his birthday!  It is hard to believe a year has gone by and that he has grown so much!

Happy 4th of July!

Kirk, Jeremy, and I spent our 4th of July at the Chapman family reunion campout.  Kirk REALLY liked being pushed around in this little pink car!  Kelsey is pushing him in this picture and he is steering the wheel like he is really going somewhere.  He laughed and smiled the whole time.  Several people took turns pushing him around in the heat.  We think Kirk was trying to tell us that he would LOVE a car like this (in more masculine colors) for his birthday!  He had a blast!

                                           

Kirk is hanging out with Gramma Debi.  He was forced to take a break from the pink car!

                                            

Poor Astro.  I think this is only the beginning of his torture.  I took this picture right before Kirk put Astro's ear in his mouth.  Astro just sits there and looks pitiful and disgusted.  I think he dreams about his life before Kirk pulled his ears and pinched his tail.  Maybe that's why Astro has started chewing up his toys....retalliation?

                                              

I had to include this picture of Astro pretending to be a cat!  Apparently he enjoyed laying on the back of Neuhaus's couch while we were in Myrtle Beach and thought that he should find a place to continue his window watching at our house.  I almost screamed when I walked into the living room and saw him on the back of this chair.  First of all, how did he get up there without disturbing a thing, and second of all....why would he want to teeter himself on the back of a chair??  It's crazy, but that's Astro.  He's a bit of a strange dog.  I think he is confused about his identity.  I swear Kirk's first clear words will be, "Astro, HUSH!"  Hahaha!

Beach baby...

We just returned from our first family vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC.  This picture is of Kirk's first time splashing in the ocean and touching sand.  He absolutely LOVED the sand, water, and waves.  He even dunked his head under a few times.  He would laugh and squeal when the waves would come and wash over him.  Jeremy and I held him and would laugh and laugh at his excitement.  He would crawl around on the sand and even learned how to dig with a shovel.  Jeremy found lots of seashells and showed us lots of sand crabs. A few times Kirk took off crawling right for the ocean!


 We had a good time, but now Jeremy and I need a few days of vacation to rest up!  We definitely appreciate the benefits of being home in our baby-proofed house now.  Kirk is a very busy baby, and he loves to get into things.  He learned to reach his arms out in response to "How big is Kirk?"..." SO BIG!"  It is really cute!  He also learned how to throw things "up," which I thought was a great idea, until he started throwing everything "up!"  We are glad to be home safely and will enjoy a few more weeks of summer at home (before I go back to school.)  I can't believe in a few weeks we'll be celebrating his first birthday...what an amazing year it's been!

Jeremy and Kirk in the ocean.  Kirk didn't seem to need much help figuring out what to do!

Kirk climbed in his pool float on the beach.  He liked wearing his shades!

Jeremy and Kirk are digging in the sand...we didn't have the heart to tell him that he'd make more progress with the rake turned over.....

Kirk and Jeremy in the ocean. 

Jeremy and Kirk found a BIG seashell

How big is Kirk?  "SO BIG!"

Jeremy and Kirk relaxing at Barefoot Landing

The Walkers on the beach

Kirk was all wrapped up in his beach towel.  His lips were quivering!

All the Walker toes are in the sand.  Kirk liked to dig his in!