So far I’ve liked most of the foods that I’ve tried.  I’m still not a big fan of rice cereal, but it’s growing on me.  I’ve also tried: bananas (YUM), apples (delicious), carrots (ok), squash (lame), peaches (interesting, but good), and peas (surprisingly yummy).  Besides these basic purees, I’ve tastes some whole fruits and veggies like cucumber, watermelon, carrots, apples, pineapple, oranges, and cantaloupe.  Daddy and Grandpa snuck me some *illegal* tastes of pumpkin pie and carrot soup.  The final verdict:  I LOVE bananas, but cucumber, apples and peaches are a close second.  I love to suck on cucumber spears;  they feel good on my gums.  I’m excited to try avocado and pears soon. 

In the excitement of the weekend review, I forgot to mention one silly story.  On Saturday afternoon, we all went grocery shopping.  I was NOT happy to sit in my car seat, so Daddy held me for most of the shopping trip (yes, I love to make things a lot more difficult for my parents, I consider it my job).  About halfway through the trip I figured out that the source of my car seat discomfort was a POOP!  Normally a poop isn’t a big deal, just a quick diaper change and we are on our way.  But this wasn’t just a normal poop… my diaper leaked… on Daddy’s shirt*!  Mommy went into poopslosion mode and had me changed in no time, but Daddy was christened into fatherhood by having to finish grocery shopping with a poop stain on his shirt.  We should have taken a picture.  

*The shirt survived with a little TLC.  

Sadly, there is no magical way to get a baby to sleep.  Some parents have stuggles; some parents don't.  Even though Preston can blog like the best of us, he can't tell me what is wrong or what he needs.  So I've learned to read his cues and to be patient.  We've discovered that Preston has a sleep "window" (referred to by John in the previous post).  It's where he is cranky, but not hysterical.  Today it started around 6:30 - so we started our bedtime routine at 6:30. 

I'm 23 weeks old and clearly not happy about it!  Mommy and Daddy should have thought about taking my picture sooner, all I wanted to do was eat and go to sleep!
I had a really good weekend, otherwise.  On Saturday Mommy's friend Lara came over and I made a new friend, Ibrahim.  He is 3 and a half and thinks babies are really exciting.  I'm still too little to play with him, though, so he had a LOT of fun with Daddy.  We had a picnic on the patio.
HEY!  Aunt Debbie - Ibrahim knew EXACTLY what to do with the Bilibo.  He used it to play catch with Daddy!  Mommy was so impressed.
After lunch, Lara and Ibrahim went home, we went to the grocery store and then left for New Jersey to visit my Grandparents.
  

Today we woke up at Gigi and Grandpa's house, and went to their church picnic for lunch.  I went swimming in a POOL for the first time (how many other babies do you know who swim in a lake AND the ocean before they swim in a pool?).  Gigi got me an awesome lounge float, and we had fun with beach balls.

From Mommy:

Weekends fly by SO fast, and I still can't believe that Preston is almost 6 months old.  I think about how I haven't had a full night of sleep in 23 weeks, but it still feels like I was pregnant yesterday.  I wish we could slow down the days, he's getting big so fast.  But the bigger he gets the more fun he is.  He's getting really good at sitting up; he reaches for EVERYTHING; he still loves to be passed around, ad he's still a cuddly little guy.  I wouldn't trade any of it for more sleep - it will come.

From Daddy:
Preston is a handful, but everyday he becomes even more of a joy.  His smiles are addicting and when he giggles it makes my day seem brighter.  I can say I love being a father, and am so glad we have PJ in our lives.  Preston can be tiring, especially if you don't get him to sleep in the "window".  Last night was one of the worst, I think because he was a strange place, hopefully tonight will be better. 

I love meeting international friends.  Last night we went to Grandma and Grandpa Krug's house for dinner to meet their summer exchange student, Johanna.  She is very sweet;  I really like her.  Back in Germany she has babies in her family, so she and I get along really well.  I'll see her again on Wednesday when she comes to baby sit with Grandma. My Great Grandparents were there for dinner, too.  They like to break up their trip to the lake, so they don't have to drive 6 hours in one day.  Grandpa rode his bike to the lake!  He didn't get all the way there, but it would be almost impossible to do it in one day.  He got as far as he could, and then Grandma went to pick him up.  

Today I went to Mommy's work in the afternoon and hung out with Deb in the Symphony Office.  Mommy had to go to the Baum School to do a presentation with the Camp Kids she had been working with all week.  I like Mommy's work.  All of her friends love to hold me, and we all know how much I love attention!

I understand that car seats a built to keep me safe, but they are also super fun to escape from!  If I'm not strapped in, I can SO easily get out of that thing.  I have just learned to arch my back and pull myself down with my legs.  If Mommy leaves me in there for 2 minutes I find my way to the floor.  Of course if I am strapped in, I am completely safe.  Can you blame me for wanting to escape though?  There are so many more interesting things to do on the floor.  I'm getting more mobile!  My parents better watch out.

1.  I like it when Daddy noms on my ear, it makes me giggle
2.  It's so fun when Daddy turns me upside down and swings me like a pendulum
3.  Rice cereal only tastes good when I can hold the spoon
4.  Carrots are delicious, but bananas are still my favorite
5.  My glowing seahorse helps me to fall asleep
6.  Coupons and crinkly things are the best
7.  I love to chill on long walks in the stroller
8.  I love to be naked!
9.  Mommy talks to me in my crazy language and tells me the funniest things: pFFt, brrrrr, thhhhhththhhh, AHggggrrrrrr, etc.
10.  I love to chew on anything I can get into my mouth

From Mommy:
Today we had to adjust Preston's carseat to the biggest level.  He was getting too big for medium.  It looked more complicated than it really was.  He also is getting too big for some of his seats, and can almost noodle his way out of the bumbo.  One morning he fell (3inches) out of his swing and was whining on the floor underneath it.  It thought it was pretty funny, but now he gets strapped in!  

I had a very busy weekend!  On Saturday Mommy and Daddy went to a wedding, so Grandma and Grandpa Krug came to babysit.  We went to a nearby covered bridge park for a walk, and had a great afternoon.  They stayed overnight so that they could leave early to go on a hot air balloon ride!  I heard they really loved it.

Then on Sunday it was Daddy's First Father's Day.  We had pancakes for breakfast with Phil and Holly (who also stayed over after the wedding), and then headed to Uncle Joe's House in Spring Lake.  We had a picnic lunch on his patio, and then went to the beach to dip my feet in the Atlantic for the first time.  It was chilly, but I liked it until a wave got me all the way wet.  I took a beach nap with Gigi, played in the sand, and then we came home again.  Daddy loves the beach, so it was his special trip on Father's Day.  
Check out the Father's Day book that Mommy and I made for him:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=a0f8aabf0fb6c9df3315f89dbf2f35f7&sid=0AcNnDNuzaOWbsw

Today Mommy and Daddy had to go back to work.  Grandma Krug is finished with school for the summer, so she came to babysit today!  We went for a walk, did some chores to help out Mommy, I took a good nap, and then Grandpa joined us all for dinner.  Grandma is coming once a week now to watch me, so we are going to have a lot of fun this summer.Here are a few photo highlights from the weekend

Congrats Jim and Alex!!

Last night I went to my first rehearsal dinner!  Daddy is a Groomsman in his friend Jim's wedding, so Mommy, Daddy, and I went to the rehearsal and then to Buca for dinner!  This is my first wedding as an outside baby.  As an inside baby I attended both Lorna and John's wedding AND Sarah and Ryan's, but I don't remember much about those.  
I'm not actually going to the wedding today.  Grandma and Grandpa are coming over to stay with me.  I'll have a lot of fun with them.  We are planning to go for walks, maybe see some covered bridges, and generally have and adventurous afternoon.  


Mom and Dad will post some photos of the wedding later!  

From Mommy:
I can't believe I forgot to post about my first Parent Teacher Conference.  Last Thursday I dropped Preston off a daycare early, so I could meet with his teacher and go over his evaluation.  Through the month of May his daycare did an evaluation of every child.  Preston's was based off of the skills of a 6 month old, but he still scored very well in every category.  I don't remember many of the specifics, but they mostly tested physical and communicative skills.  He reaches for toys, rolls over, looks in the direction of sounds, responds to his own reflection, laughs, makes noises, and likes to be held.  He still cries a lot; that's supposed to improve in the next few months.  

Tonight we visited with Nate and Karen, and Kai and Akira.  Akira is getting SO big - like me!  Mom and Dad had dinner and hung out on the deck by the fire pit, while I snoozed and enjoyed being passed around.  Other than that it was a low key day.  I went to daycare and Mommy and Daddy went to work.  There isn't too much to report.  I'm working on making new noises - the "th" sound is my new favorite, and everyday I find new things that are exciting.  Yesterday Daddy let me hold a loaf of break in it's crinkly bag, and today I liked to scratch Mommy's corduroy pants.  New textures are the new thing to explore.