August--SO much to do outside

We've had really nice weather this summer, for a summer in Colorado. Here Josie played in the hose until she was blue and shivering!

She continues to get better and more confident in her standing up each day

Each morning we go right outside when we get up and water the garden--I water, she eats things off the ground most days. Our garden hasn't been our priority this year, but we have a few vines of some kind that are doing well. One seems to be producing gourds (small decorative ones) and the other might be producing some kind of squash.

More eating dirt!

Josie is, as you can see, very excited about her first geocache find. Well, she found the toy on her baby carrier and Betty and I found the geocache that is closest to our house--we have been working on it since we moved here and finally found it!

July Standing Up

Standing is pretty much all Josie has time to do in the end of July (including any time she wakes in the night!)

Clearly makes here pretty happy to be practicing this new development!

July Favorite Toys

Vacuum cleaner hose

And Mommy. You can see that she is already excited, anticipating the upcoming tummy kiss!

Mid July 2011

In the middle of July, Josie was just mastering pulling up on the foot of our mattress and on the couch. It made her pretty proud!

July Trip to the Mountains

Josie went in the pool for the first time on this trip and found out that she really loves it. It is in her personality to be open and interested in most new things, but she was REALLY interested in the pool!

All the girls, from the left: Amy, Grandma, Lilly (Mark?) Josie and Lisa

July 2011

Josie now takes naps two or three times a day in her crib. When she has a nice nap of more than one hour, she wakes up very happy and crawls to the end of the crib to stand up and call to us--even more cute than this photo can capture!

July 2011, Playing Pat-a-cake

Grandpa has made a tradition of playing pat-a-cake with each of his grandchildren from the time they were very small. With Mark we saw his determination when he would get Grandpa's hands and make him start again. Lilly loved to climb up Grandpa's chest at the end

Josie's unique addition is to bite Grandpa's thumbs.  We have wondered off and on if this might be due to teething, but so far (at 8 months) there is no evidence for that.  She just built this routine and enjoys continuing it!