Hot Air Family Fun

We went out to the Kansas City Hot Air Balloon Invitational. In the evening they have something called a Mass Ascension. It sounds like some kind of cult ritual but it's just when a bunch of hot air balloons take off from one place.
They're starting to fill up- can you feel the excitement?

Levi said, "I want one, Mommy!" Luke told him to start saving his pennies.

It was fun to watch the balloons but the best part, hands down, was watching Levi watch the balloons.

Levi really liked seeing the flames.

Waving to the pilots.

A Composing Genius

During the first couple months of Levi's life he cried a lot. A Whole Lot. At the time, I composed a simple song. The words were:

Levi, Levi,
No Cry. No Cry.
Levi, Levi,
No Cry. No Cry.

(I wasn't kidding when I said it was simple.)

Milo does his fair share of fussing and I recently found myself humming Levi's song to him. As you can see, it was pretty easy to update the lyrics:

Milo, Milo,
Cry, no. Cry, no.
Milo, Milo
Cry, no. Cry, no.

(Milo, after a bout of crying, asleep in his baby carrier)

Outside Play with the Cousins

Levi and Ben enthralled with the turtles.

Snack time!

Ready for Bed

Luke used to always wrap Levi in a towl and carry him to his room after bath, stopping to show me and say, "Here's the baby burrito!" Now look at what a big boy he is.



Happy Baby: freshly bathed with a tummy full of milk.

I love it when Milo gives his biggest smiles. He opens his mouth as wide as it will go. It's like he's trying to smile with his whole head.

"Coooo"

Cutie Pies

We had lunch with our friends Adam, Amy, and Addison on Saturday. Their little girl is just two days older than Levi. We always have fun comparing notes on what the kids are up to. Isn't she just a doll? Levi must have thought so, too. He asked about her quite a few times after we left.

Here they are two years ago on their half birthdays.

And here they are just a couple of days old.

Sunday at Gran and Grandpa's

We spent the day at Mom and Dad Dicksons on Sunday. Levi had lots of fun as is usual. Here he is with Grandpa on their upper deck throwing helicopter seeds off.

We try to help Levi transition between activities by giving him a count-down: "One more minute", etc. The time came for Levi to come inside and Luke told him, "Minute is up." Levi said, "Minutes down, Daddy. Minute is down."

Levi also had fun kicking his soccer ball around with Daddy and Grandpa. In the past, he was fascinated at soccer games when the players would take a fall. He copies that often times by throwing himself down to the ground after a particularly hard kick.

Levi surprised us by picking up the tire gauge and demonstrating how to use it. We're not sure where he picked up that skill. Also, he apparently knows how to let air out of the tires. We're warning you- don't get on his bad side.

Just a Few Shots...

Messy Baby

"Mommy wrapped me in her robe while she went to retrieve more clothes for me to wear. It was my fourth outfit change of the day (She was on her third shirt of the day). I've been busy spitting up and making poo explosions."



"Don't you just want to squeeze me?"

"And give me a million kisses?"

"I'm seeing better but sometimes I go a little cross eyed. Mommy finds it endearing."

"Ok, where are those clothes, Mommy? It's starting to get a little cold in here."

Saturday

On Saturday we met up with the Dickson/Kleinhagan side of the family to hang out while Corrine was in town. Here's the first picture of Alison and Milo together. Pretty funny, I think.

Biggest cousin, Levi.

Milo grunting at his Auntie Corrine. It was so good to see her again.

2 Months Old

Levi and I accompanied Milo to his 2 month well-baby appointment this morning. Perhaps he sensed what was coming, as he screamed the whole time we were in the exam room. After the visit culminated with his vaccinations, we made our way to the car. I worriedly looked to see what time it was, sure that both boys were starving since we had been in there so long. Only an hour had passed- it had seemed like more than twice that!

Here are his current stats:

Weight: 12#8oz (65%)

Length: 24 in (85%)

Head circumference: 15.25 in (25%)

I looked up Levi's info from his 2 month appointment and the numbers were almost identical.

Break out the Hand Sanitizer

Like Herding Squirrels

Luke and I, along with the boys, went to see Joel and Kelly's soccer game last Saturday. We kept an eye on the kids while they played. Here is my attempt to get the oldest three cousins posed together for a picture.

"Kids, look over here! Ben, Buddy, back up a little bit, please!"

"Whoa- wait, come back, not that far!!"

"Ok, everybody say cheese. Ben, just scoot over, look at the camera...maybe...oh, never mind."

Two seconds later:

Borrowed Pictures

We spent Sunday, my third official Mother's Day, in Leavenworth with Mom and Dad Dickson as well as Aundrea, Chuck and Alison. Later on in the day we briefly got to visit with Aunt Liz, Uncle Bill, and Grammie. It was a very nice time and while I was there I snagged these pictures off of Marji's camera.

Cousin Delia graduated from college over the weekend and the Hutchinson relatives went out to be there for the festivities.


Grandpa talking with little Alison. She is such a cutie. It's amazing how much difference 6 weeks makes in a newborn. Milo looked like a moose compared to his younger cousin.

Grandma Dickson with her 15th (I think?) great grandbaby.

Proud Uncle

Proud Auntie.

Four days before Alison arrived:

WARNING: PICTURES SO CUTE YOU JUST MIGHT FAINT

Milo has started to give some social smiles! They are definitely still few and far between- especially this morning when he has actually been quite grumpy. Still, when I posed him for some pictures with Levi he just beamed.