Rush has taken off lately - he has moved from an army crawl to hands-and-knees, got a couple new teeth last week, is sitting up, and now pulling up to gnaw on the glass of our coffee table. Even though he has been sick this week, the kid has found the energy for some big smiles and fun.



On the other hand, he looks like this a lot since his cough and runny nose are making sleep much, much harder.

I can't wait to see what he'll learn what to do next. Here is a rare shot with Dad (Cary is starting to get really good with the camera, so I might actually be in our family photos!)

Lots is going on here in Murphyland, even though everyone but me (Andy) is sick to one degree or other. Looking back through photos we haven't put up yet, I found this one that I love of Winnie. The scene is: it's past her bedtime, but Daddy has decided it is time for a dance party. What makes a great dance party? 1) Rain boots, 2) Girly skirt over jammies, and 3) a dance partner (in this case, W's flower-girl doll). Mix that with a combination of The Who and Sesame Street songs, and you've got a really sweet dance party!

Watching this video Cary shot on her iphone, I am starting to wonder if they don't Tivo "Jersey Shore" while I'm at work. I mean, Come On!

Rush is such a joy. His personality is amazing, and he is growing into a fun little guy. This week, just about a week before his 8 month birthday, he has taken off! He is starting to sit up (finally!!!), pull himself up onto his knees, pull himself up to standing (!), and crawl on his knees. The army crawl is phasing out. I'll miss it! We can't keep up with him. We never baby-proofed our house with Winnie. She never went places she wasn't supposed to and never got into anything she wasn't supposed to. Rush, on the other hand, has deemed all power cords, furniture legs, dog bowls, rug edges, dog feet, and toilet bases as HIS toys. Is that a boy thing? I chase him around everywhere. I don't mind...he is growing and learning. Rush loves attention and smiling back at you. He gives the best hugs and kisses and gets excited when Daddy gets home. His tongue is usually always out (see photos). He crawls over to Puddy and wants to play with him...Puddy, of course, endures the tugs. He likes to be tossed into the air and swung around. He loves Winnie and smiles SO big whenever she pays him any attention. He is awesome at finding something to do and sticking with it for a while. He loves jumping in the jumperoo and looking out our glass balcony door. He hardly ever cries, but when he does...watch out. He has discovered the "da, da, da," sound and makes it a lot...usually a little louder than you'd expect. He still refuses to take a bottle and I can't get him to eat baby food. Such a momma's boy.

If I were still a teacher and this were my classroom, we would be in the midst of a color unit. Winnie has been really into drawing, coloring, identifying colors, and painting. Of course, I LOVE IT! We went to Target yesterday and bought anything they had that was age-appropriate and art-related...stickers, fingerpaints, crayons, markers, watercolors, glue sticks, and thick paper. I am going to make a trip to Bradburns and Art Mart when we use this supply up. I love that we will just be sitting around playing, and she'll say, "WeeWee paint?" She calls herself WeeWee, maybe because that is what Al called her first? Winnie's first painting was impressive, I thought! The colors are a bit compromised now, but she's having fun experimenting. Here are a few photos of a watercolor session that showcases me practicing using our new lens.

These winter days are making it harder to stay entertained. So, I straightened Winifred's hair! It was weird getting used to because I feel like she looks like a different person. Two women at Nordstrom complimented her eyes yesterday, though, which never happens...it's always just, "look at that hair!"

Saturday night Cary asked me if I had gotten her anything for Valentine's Day - which was smart because I had forgotten to check when the florist I ordered from was going to be open. Checking backfired, though, because she figured that I was just ordering them last second! As usual, we got an awesome arrangement from Riley's Florist (a Chouteau's Landing tenant and great shop). Riley and his wife didn't like the lilies they received for my order, and switched to an orchid instead. I can't recommend them enough, they do really thoughtful work. Winnie came with me, and Riley hooked her up with a lion and "bloon," which she LOVES. One side is mirrored, and she thinks it is really funny to see herself and people nearby in the reflection.

I love cookies. My FAVORITE cookies are made by an amazing company...Liz Lovely. They are vegan, fair-trade, some gluten-free, organic, and non-GMO. And delicious. They have a great mission statement that makes me want to buy from them. (I once had a dream that Liz and I were friends. She seems like someone I'd want to be friends with) My sweet husband tried sending some to me in Arkansas, but there was a shipping mix-up, so they just came yesterday. I have had most of the flavors and they are all so yummy. (No, I do not get paid to plug for Liz Lovely)

Well, as you can see from the last post, I (Andy) am in L.A. right now, and really missing my family. So since I have the laptop, I am going through some photos and thought I would post a couple from the archives. I don't think these have ever been on the blog, but either way they are really cute. We are so blessed to have these wonderful kids - and they are really blessed to have such an amazing mom. I am blessed by both! Miss you guys!