Experimenting with Solid Food

So while some babies get all excited about solid food, our little guy didn't really seem to care very much.  Caroline's pediatrician says "You have to look at it as a recreational activity".  Definitely true.  Alex really just preferred to chew on the spoon (see below).  We'd try rice cereal or strained prunes, he'd be underwhelmed and so we'd wait a few days and try it again.  By late July we were having some limited success.  When Mike and I went to the Dominican Republic, Alex and Grandma and Grandpa worked on it.  By the time we got back he was pretty good at it.  I still think he would have preferred to just get a bottle and skip solid foods.  Now that he has had quite a bit of practice, he is warming up to it.  I still think he prefers the bottle, but he eats baby oatmeal and all manner of strained fruits and vegetables.  He likes prunes and is not crazy about peas.

The pictures below are from our "recreational activity" phase when he would have just preferred to chew on the spoon.

Catching up - July

July was a busy month too.  We did a lot.  Mike and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on July 7th.  We left Alex with Grandma and Grandpa Bruzek, Auntie Beth, Uncle Cory and Auntie Amy overnight and we headed up to Minneapolis.  We went to the Walker sculpture gardens, at downtown Minneapolis, checked out Lake Calhoun and Minneahaha Falls.  I think we did pretty well.  We had a great time, neither one of us cried, and Alex had a great time with Grandma, Grandpa, Beth and Amy.

We had heard that one of the pools in Rochester has a really nice toddler area.  So we took Alex there one hot day in July.  He seemed to really like it.  

These pictures were of the 4th of July.  Grandma and Grandpa Bruzek, Amy and Beth came to Rochester for the day.  After they left and Alex went to bed, we watched the fireworks in the backyard with the neighbors.

Alex looks a little confused.  Maybe he's not sure who to cheer for - the Twins or the Brewers.  We have a little National League and American League rivalry going on...

These pictures below were probably taken the day we exposed Amy to whooping cough.

Alex developed a little cough that week as did the other little girl at day care.  It was just the cough for both of them for a few days - no other symptoms.  In fact they both looked great.  After a few days, it got worse so we took him to the clinic.  He tested positive for pertussis.  So he went on antibiotics and so did we and so did Amy and so did Jeanne our day care provider and her family.  We'd all been exposed, so the antibiotics were to keep us from getting sick too.  We had to keep him home for 5 days until he finished his medicine, which he liked.  The cough was a little scary, as the congestion would make him choke a little at night.  He has done pretty well with it.  He's a great sleeper and it didn't interupt his sleep very much either.  They call it the 100 day cough because the cough can persist even after the infection is cleared.  So he still coughs, but not usually during the day and usually only every few days at night.

Alex's first tooth came in June 30th and the second one about 10 days later.  It took me quite a while to get a good picture of them.  But there they are.

Catching up - June 2012

We've had a busy few months at the Meiners house.  So here are a whole bunch of picture from June...

Alex at Katherine's house.  Katherine often babysits while Mike and I play soccer.  Alex likes Katherine.

Alex and Kizzie.  June 23rd at Deb's shower.  At this point he was just curious about what this thing was.  He has since decided that dogs are awesome and super funny.  

Helping Mom "cook" in the kitchen.

In the exersaucer.  This thing is one fo the best baby items EVER.  He loves it.   He has a whole new view of the room from an upright position.  

 Last year Mike and I went to India to Asif and Swetha's wedding receptions in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.  We were able to meet both their families and travel for a few days on a wonderful trip planned by Swetha's father.  This year, Swetha's mom, dad and brother came to visit.  It was nice to see them all again and for them to meet Alex in person.  He was only half-baked when we were in India, so they had only met the Alex bump.

Alex and Shree, Swetha's mom.

Alex with Swetha and Asif

Alex with Gamy, Swetha's brother.

Alex and Auntie Amy.

Alex and Grandpa.  Alex's shirt says "Grandpa's Little Helper"

Auntie Anne hosted a retirement party for my mom on June 30th.  These pictures were taken at the party.

Alex and Auntie Amy - sportin' his MN Twins gear.  I have been trying to even out the photos of Brewers stuff (courtesy of Auntie Beth and Uncle Cory) and Twins stuff (Auntie Mary).  

Alex and Aunt Laura

Grandma's retirement balloons were a big hit with Alex.  Here he is with Auntie Mary.

Alex and Auntie Anne.

Not bad Bruzek Family!