Up, up, and away!

Josh pulled himself to a stand for the first time yesterday...and, let go to assume the hands-free stand for about 3 seconds before Daddy realized that he wasn't holding on to anything and swooped him up. Hooray for our big boy!

Also, Joshua took his first swim in the pool yesterday-I don't have pictures because I was in the pool and Daddy was video taping. Joshua was too cute for words in his tiny swim trunks!

Lastly, I forgot to mention a few weeks back that I DID GET A JOB!!!! I am 'official' as of tomorrow when the board votes on me, but so long as that goes off without a hitch I will be teaching 1/2 day kindergarten at Barretts Elementary in the Parkway School District. I am SO excited to be getting back into the classroom and feel privileged to be a part of such a reputable district. Yahoo!

Memorial Day Weekend

Kyla, the beautiful bride

The Millikin RA Staff

Kyla's Co-RA, Evan

At the reception

Chris and his favorite girls

This weekend was a busy one. We had 3 weddings, a visit Grandma and Papa Sinnokrak, and a blow out (not to worry, we have road hazard protection...yahoo!).
The weekend started out with a Friday evening wedding for one of Chris' police officer friends. The wedding was a blast and I have never felt safer (it was funny to see all the police officers exit the room to remove their 'gear' and prepare for the open bar). Chris and I enjoyed a night out and the opportunity to socialize with his friends off the clock.
Saturday morning we drove up to Chicago for Colin's wedding (a childhood friend of Chris' and a groomsman from our own wedding). On the way we had our blow out-which was pretty comical. You see, the last blow out we had together was in the same spot on the car three years ago on our honeymoon! We've since had new tires, but it was almost as if God was giving us a pre-anniversary smile by taking us back to that moment at the start of our new life together. I guess popped tires are a good omen.
Sunday was Kyla's wedding (a co-RA and friend from both of our Millikin days). The wedding was spectacular and so much fun. By the end of the weekend I was ready to bust from all the love and flowers and music (and cake!). It was great!
Meanwhile, Joshua got a good visit in with his Grandma and Papa Sinnokrak (and cousin Braydan and Uncle Matt too). He decided this weekend to start eating his Gerber Puff Stars whole and is practicing pulling himself up--cruising is just around the corner, I can feel it!

Auntie Elizabeth

A few weeks back my sweet cousin Elizabeth came for a visit all the way from PA. She just wrapped up her first year of college and was ready for a break...little did she know that life at our house is as far from quiet and relaxing as one could possibly imagine. Never the less she seemed to have a fun time. We visited the zoo, subbed in the art room at school, went to Art Hill and the Art Museum downtown, and played and played with busy boy Joshua. In case you are wondering why we spent so much time doing 'artsy' things it was because Elizabeth is the artist of the family. She is studying to become an art teacher and is very talented. We joke she got all the art genes of the family....but really I think she did! Here are a few of the pictures we took while she was here. Enjoy!

Elizabeth and Josh

At the Art Museum

Art Hill, St. Louis

Art Hill and the Art Museum

And we're off..

Bottom's UP!

Look Ma, no hands!

Sweet as can be baby!

Yum

Joshua the Cookie Monster

Well, since my last post it finally happened....Joshua has become mobile. He is just thrilled with his latest accomplishment and proudly army crawls all around the living room, under chairs, and after the puppy. Poor Odie. Not only that, but he has developed a liking for big people shoes, puppy toys, and television wires....joy of joys. He's so much fun, but a bit too busy for his own good. He crashes at night-tired from his new busy state of being-and its always bottoms up (quite literally) and very cute at that!
Joshua had a wonderful Easter. He got lots of new stuffed animals (a bunny, a lamb, and a piggy--thanks to the Grandmas and Great Nan). He particularly loves to chew on them, and anything else he can find. Speaking of which, we are in the midst of teething. Nothing has popped through yet but we have a set of the cranks that we just can't seem to move past, so we feel fairly confident that there is at least one tooth hiding in his little gums. Other developments include graduating to a 'big boy tub' (you know the kind, it's where we sit on a mat in a tub filled with 2 inches of water propped between Mommy's feet--that's right, a big boy tub!). We love, love, love to splash, eat our rubber duckies, chew on the bath towel, and play peek-a-boo when drying off. He is so precious it makes my heart melt. I don't think life gets a whole lot better for our little fella-he loves bath time (it must be all the duck influence! HA!)
One of my favorite new Joshua-isms is his profound love of talking. Chris and I sit in our room on the bed some nights and laugh until it hurts as we listen to Joshua through the monitor as he carries on conversations with his duckies. His sweet high pitched voice is so vibrant and enthusiastic...oh to understand baby Chinese...I am sure Joshua has a lot to say about everything. As for us, the only words we get to enjoy regularly are "daga" "gaba" and "AHHH". Language is still (and will be for some time) a work in progress.