Derek is now half a year old! He is simply amazing and quite adorable! At his last appointment he weighed in at a whopping 16 lbs. and is 27" long. I guessed his weight right on the nose! He can now scoot forward and backward, but doesn't get very far yet...He his quite hilarious when he swings and catches the pole next to him to stop himself in mid air. When we dangle an object in front of his feet, he kicks and kicks and kicks, then slowly stops it until it rests right in between his feet again, then starts over. We just laugh and laugh!!! He is beginning to eat some foods, but is mainly going to Dairy Queen for his nutrition. He recognizes his name and loves to "sing" songs with us! All his baby hair is gone and now strawberry blonde has taken its place. He is sitting up for several minutes and saying "da da." We call Ric, "Papa," which Derek is close to saying! He has no fear and loves facial hair, glasses, and hats! He's SO big, and we adore him!

On June 28, Ric and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary at the Alderbrook Resort and Spa on the Hood Canal. We spent the night in an amazing cottage right on the water! It was great to get away and celebrate our family.