Cherry Blossoms

The weather is getting warmer and with spring in DC, comes the cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms are the trees that line the tidal basin; they bloom each spring and are truly beautiful for about 2 weeks out of the year. They'll be at peak bloom in a few days, but the weather was so gorgeous yesterday that Papa Tigger, Tigger, Major and I headed down to the tidal basin on Sunday.

Here's a partial picture of the tidal basin. The trees rim the whole tidal basin. See the Jefferson memorial on the other side?
We started by taking some pictures in the cherry blossoms. Some with Mama Tigger...



Some with Papa Tigger..


We tried a family pic..
..then some tourists walking by took pity and snapped this shot for us:

We then decided to enjoy some shade and play time. First with Papa Tigger..

then with Mama Tigger

Tigger even got to sit in the grass for the first time!

At one point, he wanted to play with the camera. Here he his reaching for it.

After a few more minutes of relaxing, we decided to head home

after getting one of the best pic of the day with Tigger:

We wrapped up the day with what used to be the standard Mama-Papa Tigger kissing shot. Many of you remember how many of these we took when we were dating. Here was one for old times' sake:

Happy 7 Month Birthday!

Yesterday was Tigger's 7 month birthday!! It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital!

His birthday was a fun day because he got to spend it with Mama and Papa Tigger. Day care was closed for a staff development day, so we worked from home and spent some time with Tigger. His day began with fun time in his bouncy:

Next was a nap. I laid him down and put a pacifier in, then come back 5 minutes later to find that he's pulled his pacifier out and is playing with it. He's getting much more dexterious!

After a full day of playing and a few errands, it was time for pics, then bed. Our comparison pics, at birth and at 7 months:




That last one might look a little funny. He was tired, which made him hyper. Hyper = difficult picture-taking, as you can see from this video:





Below are the crib comparison pics, at 1 week old and at 7 months:

And a few other cute pictures:

Finally, we finished the picture session with some play time:

Happy Baby

When Tigger was first born, he didn't like diaper changes. Now he loves them. I think it's because he's laying on the changing table, looking at you and getting your undivided attention. He's usually kicking and flailing his legs while squealing with delight. He was a bit more subdued tonight when I grabbed the camera, but he's still pretty cute:

Baby Celebration

Last Sunday, our church had a celebration for all the babies born and soon to be born at the church. There were about 4 honorees and Tigger was the hit of the party! Here he is, happy as a clam on Angie's lap (she's expecting):

Here's Christine explaining one of the games; we had to match up the name of the animal (i.e. dog) with the name of the baby animal (i.e. puppy). It was really hard! Does anyone else know what a baby eagle is? Don't ask me, I got it wrong!



My favorite game by far was the game for the daddies. They had to put a balloon up their shirt (to simulate pregnancy) and tie their shoes. Poor Papa Tigger finished in last place:(

At least the balloon provided Tigger some entertainment after the game....

After church, we went home to work on making Tigger some baby food. We got a little ambitious that weekend and bought a lot of fruits and veggies to puree. Our freezer is definitely stocked!!

But all that work is worth it when Tigger enjoys his meals. Here he is enjoying his first taste of beets:

Making Baby Food

When Tigger first started solids, we began with simple things like rice cereal and oatmeal. When we moved on to fruits and veggies, I made his baby food. I never thought I'd be the kind of person to make my own baby food, but it's pretty easy. I like the idea of knowing exactly what's gone into his food. And it really doesn't take that long. In a Sunday afternoon, I can make enough to last 2-3 weeks (since an individual serving is so small).

A few weeks ago, we went to this great restaurant, Art and Soul. The food was fantastic! Well, G-Ma T was perusing their website this week and noticed that they were offering a baby food making class this weekend. Papa Tigger and I signed up and headed over yesterday morning. We learned a few tips and even got to sample some food (baby and adult) for ourselves. Of course, Tigger needed a nap so he slept through most of it.....

But he woke up at the end of class with enough time to charm some of the other parents and sample one of Chef Ryan's dishes.

Tigger the Toy

Everybody knows that babies are lots of fun. Papa Tigger and I can vouch for that, as Tigger is often our "toy" to play with. Now don't worry, he has just as much fun as us....







Notice how still the camera was on that last one? That's because Papa Tigger was using the tripod G-Pa T got him for Christmas. I was busy cooking and couldn't be the camera-person, so the tripod came in handy!

Rings!

Mama Tigger and I were in Babies R Us last weekend, and came across a toy we both had as a child. Though we are trying to limit the amount of stuff we bring in to the house, we splurged on the $8 "tree of rings"...

Me & Tigger:

Mama Tigger & Tigger:

Even Major seemed to enjoy them:

A family pic:

And probably one of my favorite photos thus far:

Last but not least, a quick pic of Tigger asleep, but holding on...

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

May the luck of the Irish be with ya! Thx. G-Ma T for the shirt!


Parental note: the Guiness can was unopened and therefore free of sharp edges. And no, Papa Tigger did not let Tigger try some, despite initial urges to do so...

Blueberries! And Other Cute Things...

Mama Tigger was in a hurry one morning last week. We have started Tigger on solids, and that morning, it was time for some pureed blueberries. Being in a hurry + blueberries =

Another cute pic of eating fun - pureed sweet potatoes, I believe:

With his new eating habits, laundry has become a bigger chore. This pic is by Mama Tigger - I love the ingenuity of getting both the laundry and Tigger upstairs!

And last, but certainly not least, a cute one of Mama Tigger and child:

Snow!

First, sorry for the lack of posts recently. Mama Tigger has been traveling and Papa Tigger has been slacking...

Last week, it snowed in DC!!! It was only about 8 inches, but the city almost shut down. A few weeks prior, we had an ice storm and DC closed its schools. After, President Obama recommended his new neighbors "apply some Chicago toughness". So, city leaders kept schools open, despite the fact that the snow kept on coming throughout the morning, and every single other school district in the metro area closed. Ah, Presidential power...

Without further adieu, some photos. We took Tigger and the dog to Logan Circle to run around a bit. I have never seen Major run so fast for so long. It's amazing that he was born in Texas, yet can't handle the heat and LOVES the snow:
Teaching Tigger how to make a snowball:

Wearin' the shades - the snow is so bright!