Back to Normal

Things here in the Daniels' home are getting back to normal. I'm able to get around fine now and can most things. I still let Brian carry Adam in the car seat, since he's so heavy. Adam has enjoyed practicing sitting up and is doing better. It's fun to watch him learn how to balance his little torso. This is a picture of Adam sitting up in his pillow on his play gym. He's doing such a good job!

Yesterday afternoon we were sitting with Adam when we found a book that we got with a case of diapers (gotta love free books!). We wanted to see what Adam would do, so we gave it to him and he was able to grip both sides really well and he was fascinated by the colors and pictures. Let's just say Adam is starting young and gaining an early love for reading. Woo hoo!

This weekend we went with some friends of ours, Evan and Leah and Noah, to Virginia to a beautiful area. It's called Natural Tunnel and it is, as you guessed, a natural tunnel. No one knows how it really developed, but it's this huge tunnel with a sheer cliff leading into it. It just happens to be large enough for a train to pass through, so they put down railroad tracks and the train still runs through the two tunnels (one small and one gigantic) to pick up coal. It was a total blast! We even saw a black snake...kinda creepy, but still neat in its own way. I'll post pictures as soon as I can get them from Leah. We had a blast! You guys should come to Tennessee to visit us and see these beautiful places for yourselves, instead of just taking my word for it and admiring pictures.

Four Months!

Well, Adam went to the doctor for his 4 month check up on Monday and he's doing great! He's a healthy little boy...well, maybe little isn't the right word. He now weighs 15 lbs 12 oz and measures 25.5 inches long. The doctor said that he is 75th percentile for height, weight, and head size so he's a big and healthy boy. She even said that with his big brown eyes, he's very "striking" and "handsome."

Adam is grabbing anything and everything he can get his little hands on. He's currently grabbing the computer and keeps making the cursor move to a different spot while I'm trying to type this. Slows progress, but it's fun for him. He smiles a lot and loves to laugh. He's getting to where he doesn't like being in a room alone and will start kind of yelling when he realizes it. He also has starting grunting...little monster. He's such a sweet boy. He's even working on sitting up! Adam is very curious and loves to feel and hear many different things. I love this stage!

In the end of June we took a mini-family vacation to Roan Mountain. It's a "mountain" (a big hill, from the perspective of someone who grew up at the base of the Sierra Nevadas and lived at the base of the Rocky Mountains). It is right next to the Appalachian trail, bordering NC and TN. It's very beautiful and we loved all of the wild rhododendrons. Right after we started walking there was a 5 minute down pour where all we could do was hover under the rhododendron bushes and try to keep Adam and the camera from getting too wet. It was wonderful! We're having a blast and enjoying Tennessee and wish we could see everyone more often, but still doing well. Hope everyone is doing great! That's our update!

Chompers!

Since we are far away from family and friends, we thought we'd post a video of Adam's latest achievement, two teeth! He's getting bigger and bigger and growing up before our eyes. Enjoy!

Here's a picture of Adam's first tooth...it's a bit blurry because he wouldn't hold still and because our camera isn't very fast. I'll post a better picture as soon as we have one.

July's Update

Due to multiple requests, we are finally updating the blog...one step at a time. Sorry guys! Well, we're still looking for a house. Kathy's getting a bit, well, frustrated really is the right word, with the whole process. Mostly because they rule out 98% of the houses due to having no yard or being ancient. Every time we look for houses, we find the same ones. It's a slow and grueling process that Kathy has come up with a great simile for: Finding your house is like finding your spouse; you have to have your heart broken at least once and it takes forever to find the right one.

Brian's job has gotten more busy and while some things are difficult, he's getting the hang of things and we're all grateful that is able to work and support our family. Kathy is very lucky to be a stay-at-home mom for Adam.

Kathy had her gall bladder out last week. That whole episode started during her pregnancy with Adam and finally came to a painful end last week. She's healing well and getting stronger by the day. The ward has been wonderful to help out with dinners the first few nights and young women to come by and help with Adam during the day (since she's not supposed to lift more than 10 lbs. for 2 weeks).

For the 4th of July weekend we went Chapel Hill, NC to visit Brian's brother and his family (Scott, Melissa, and Enoch). We had a weekend filled with cultural experiences and fun. It was a great trip! When we got back, Kathy was feeding Adam and happened to look in his mouth and find...a tooth! Then a few days later another one showed up...he's not even 4 months old yet! So, little man has two bottom teeth. He loves to chew on mom's fingers, the burp cloth and the pacifier. We got him some teething toys, but he doesn't have the coordination yet to hold them still enough to chew them.

We're doing well and we're happy. We'll try and post a little more often...sorry for the delay. Hope everyone is well! Here are some pictures of Adam from the last few weeks. Enjoy!