"Mahm-mahm-uh" and "Dah-dah-dah"

Wow! I just heard Mark saying "mahm-mahm-uh" to Joanna yesterday. He crawled right up to where she was sitting on the couch, pulled up to a standing position, and said it to her.

It was no surprise to her, but it was the first time I'd heard it. He's been saying "da-da-da" for a few weeks now. Ususally, I am the da-da-da, but sometimes it's the cat and sometimes it's the ceiling fan. :-)

Mark actually does try to say "cat" sometimes. It comes out as "keh". However, his favorite response to seeing a cat is to squeal with delight, much to the dismay of the poor cat.

Mark is also starting to think he is funny, and is trying to get away with stuff. He frequently tries to crawl off down the hallway. Joanna says, "Mark, stop!", and he pauses long enough to look back at us, smile, and then accelerate down the hallway. If I follow him, crawling on my own hands and knees, he thinks it's a great game and will squeal and try to escape me. A good chase is obviously fun.

Mark and I had a wonderful visit to Austin. Here are a few pictures from the trip. Mark had a great time. We went to the Austin Zoo, took Mark to the park to swing, and then there was all the excitement with being a Grandma's house. Mark is moving around. He is crawling, pulling up, and cruising around by holding on to pieces of furniture. He is also babbling away.

Mark and I are in Austin, TX visiting family. I think he is enjoying the attention that he is receiving from his grandparents, his aunt, and his cousin. Mark is making friends with Grandma's dog, Daisy. This morning Daisy received some extra treats after Mark was finished with his breakfast.

Mark is finally over the stomach bug. Granny and Grandpa babysat last night while Mike and I saw the musical Man of La Mancha. I think Granny and Grandpa enjoyed their time with Mark.

Today, I took Mark to the orientation for a baby swim class. As part of the orientation class, we spent some time in the swimming pool. Mark seemed to enjoy the experience. He cried on a couple of occasions, but soon those cries turned to smiles. The class must have taken a lot of energy, Mark fell asleep on the ride home.

I'm standing!

Mark started pulling up to stand last week. He has a stomach bug, but he is still active and trying to pull up on everything. Yesterday he figured out how to pull up to stand in his crib. Mark is quickly getting into everything.