Alex is Smiling!

OK, OK, I know that new pictures are loooong over due! The truth is I lost my camera for about two weeks, so I couldn't download anything. I eventually found my camera exactly where I thought it was supposed to be. I blame some form of momnesia-induced selective blindness. Anyway, here's what we have. Alex started smiling at us about 2 weeks ago...the REAL smiles where he smiles at you after you smile at him first. In fact, the above pictures captured his very first responsive smiles...we happened to be outside at my cousin Jonathan's birthday party at the time and Shaun was smiling and cooing at him when he suddenly smiled back! I love this stage! Finally we can tell there is really someone in there!

He is such a great baby. Although he is not sleeping through the night yet, he falls asleep really easily...he often puts himself to sleep after grunting for about 5 minutes in his bed...no crying! He is possibly the mellowest baby ever! He only cries if he has a very good reason and even then he calms down after a few minutes. I can't believe it, honestly, it seems too good to be true, but I keep reminding myself that I must have earned it by surviving terrible colic with baby No. 1!

Here he is in his one Church outfit:

His big brothers can't get enough of him. Ben can't wait to start playing with him as soon as he gets home from school each day, and Erik is still declaring him to be "the cutest baby ever" all the time. (Today in fact, Erik said, "Aren't Alex's hands the cutest hands, Mom?")


Here he is doing his best E.T. impression (big blue eyes and wrinkly neck):


Hope you all like the pictures. We miss our Colorado friends so much and wish that you could meet him in person!