Five Months

Paxton has discovered his happy shriek and surprises us when he chooses to use it because he is still normally pretty mellow. But now he gets pretty excited and has found a way to express it vocally.

He rolls over too-front to back (and 2 months earlier than Tavish did).

The fingers, and everything else, are in his mouth all the time.
He has started on solids and loves oatmeal.

Sweet, sweet  boy.

Solids

Paxton has started solids...if you can call oatmeal solid. But he loves it.

Lots more yummy food to come...

4.5

Now that Tavish has been four for half a year, here are a few things about being four...

-he is calming down more and more which makes him more fun to be around

-he is very perceptive and inquisitive

-he still loves to collect random objects and carry them around

-he has an invisible friend "Wormy" who seems to be responsible for a lot of the naughty things Tavish sometimes does, he has had several talkings-to right along with Tavish

-he still loves to stick his open mouth under the hand dryer in public restrooms and let the air blow in his mouth

-he loves to give hugs

-his favorite game is Tackle Daddy...they go in the basement, Rafal kneels down and says "ok tackle!" and Tavish runs head on from across the room and tries to knock Rafal down. this is strictly a daddy-only game.

-he will eat three breakfasts but has a hard time eating lunch or dinner

-he likes to show us his "tricks" which usually involves jumping off something and landing crazy-fashion
-if we are travelling in the car for a long time and he gets sleepy he covers his head completely with his blanket and falls asleep that way...I often wonder what people think who drive past us

There is a lot more to being four, so far it has been a lot of fun!

UltraMan

Ever since running his first marathon a couple of years ago, Rafal has wanted to run an ultramarathon.  Enter shin splints and a long recovery. But once those were under control, Rafal was ready to rock it. Most people who run their first ultra go for the 32 mile distance...not Rafal, he went straight to a 50miler.

And dedicated it to Auntie Lana who has been running her own marathon of sorts...

The week before the race the weather was perfect for running, cool at night and 70s during the day. The day of Rafal's ultra was hot and humid, well in to the 90s. He started running at 5am and we caught up with him at mile 35, ice in hand...which he poured in his hat, down his shirt and loaded up his water bottle. A quick shoe change and he continued running while we went to lunch...and then headed to the finish line.

Waiting....

and waiting...Uncle Joe makes a very good lookout because he can see above everyone else...

He also makes a very good shirt model...

And after 10hours 47minutes 59seconds of running on the hottest, most humid day of spring, Rafal crossed the finish line. 

The strongest man I know running for the strongest woman I know.