A trip to the Netherlands

In the middle of May Alex went on his first big trip to be introduced to family and friends in the Netherlands. Much to Rob and Cindy's relief, Alex was very good on both the flight there and the flight back. Actually, he seemed to really like all the traveling. He got to look at lots of people and many new things, and often got good reactions, smiles and attention from passersby.

As you can read and see in the detailed account of our trip to the Netherlands, we got to see many friends and relatives. It was both a strenuous and a relaxing trip. It was a bit strenuous because we had to entertain Alex most of the time; at home we have toys with which he can entertain himself for a while, such as the ultra saucer, the gymini and the Jolly Jumper. Without these, all the entertaining had to be done by the people around him. It was relaxing because we had nothing to do but sleep late, visit friends, have good food, and play with Alex.

Alex' Baptism

On Sunday, May 19, Alex was baptized in the same church that Rob and Cindy got married in and by the same priest. From Alex' perspective, the church was a great place to doze, while listening to the intriguing sounds of two men singing and the organ playing, the sound of the priest whispering because he had laryngitis. Before long, Alex was deep asleep. He did not notice the ceremony, nor the blessing of him and of the rosary and the cross he received as gifts for his baptism. The only thing he noticed was the splash of cold water on his head. He woke up briefly and looked disturbedly at Rob, who was holding him, but he fell back asleep almost immediately.

Alex' 6 Months Doctor's visit

Alex passed his six months check-up with flying colors. Alex is doing well, and he his still growing very fast, as you can see on his growth charts. During this visit he had to get three more shots. He hated the needles and screamed loudly while he was getting them, but quickly he forgot about them and went back to his usual happy self.

New things

Alex is changing his hobbies fast. Among his current favorite activities are playing with his feet, trying to make strange noises (screeching sounds are particularly fun), jumping, attempts at crawling and eating. It is fun to see Alex try and crawl. He is beginning to be able to be on all fours, but any attempt as motion results in him sliding backwards. This is sometimes a little frustrating for him, since his objective usually seems to be to go forward to be closer to a toy, and the results of all his labor is that he is farther away... He is not discouraged by this, and he keeps trying to move forward.

We have also started to give Alex food. We had already tried that once before, on March 23, but at that time he did not really seem all that interested. Now, two months later, he is definitely interested! We gave him rice cereal, banana, and baby food (sweet potatoes and a banana and pear mixture). He loved all of these. He is very eager when he eats, and it is hard to get the spoon in his mouth because he often lunges forward and downward at the spoon. And, as you can see in the picture below, not all of the food ends up in Alex' stomach...

First Steps towards Crawling!

Alex has mastered another new skill: being on all fours. For now, we only let him do it on a bed, or another soft surface, because he sometimes suddenly stops using his arms and makes a face plant!

Changes to this Website in the Past Month

Jun 15 Updated Alex's length, weight and head circumference.
Jun 13 Added pictures of Alex on all fours to this homepage, and added On All Fours under first things.
Jun 8 Added Embracing Reach under first things.
Jun 6 Added Rolling Back to Front under first things.
May 31 Major update, with new homepage, new pictures, a new closeup, and an updated growth charts.
May 11 Added pictures of Alex sitting up to this homepage.
May 6 Added new pictures and new movies, added Sitting up under first things, updated Alex's length, weight and head circumference, and added a closeup.

Next major update: June 30, 2002

Do you think you may have missed something? Check our list of previous homepages. If you want to be informed when this website has been updated, send an email to webmaster@robandcindy.net.