Russell's Birthday Present

Brielle and I gave Russell two baby turtles for his birthday. They're in a little plastic container in the picture up top, but don't worry, they have a big 40 gallon tank with basking rocks, and pond plants, and heat lamps, UVB lamps, a filter, a waterfall, the works! Russ was so suprised! He spends most evenings on the floor staring into the tank, just watching the little guys!

Teddy Bears

Here's Brielle in the little Bear-suit that Brett and Maria gave her. She is SOOOO cute in it!! (if I do say so myself!)

Extreme Swinging!

You can't call it a "baby swing" when Russell is doing the pushing!!!

"Aaaaaaaaahh!"

You can bite harder with TEETH!!!!

You can just barely see her little pearly whites in these pictures! Brielle got her first tooth the day before she turned 7 months and the second tooth came in this week!

Could I BE more cute????

Elle has started communicating to us using a variety of high pitched squeals! She can also say "mama" and "papa" and she uses them correctly most of the time!

"Not sure what it is? Stick it in your mouth!"

"And now watch as I place all of my toys one by one into my mouth!!"

Feeding Ducks

They've been remodelling our duck pond on campus and as a consequence the ducks don't get fed as often, so whenever we go to feed them (which is almost every night!) the ducks come stampeding toward us, some jump in the bottom of the stroller, most try to climb up our legs, or bite at our knees, anything to get our attention. Brielle loves it.

Crawling isn't necessary!

She can't crawl yet, but she can roll and scoot and wiggle to anywhere she's NOT supposed to be! Here she's made her way under the computer desk to gnaw on some electrical cords. Silly baby!

Cousins!

In August we traveled down to Utah to see all of Brielle's cousins! Russell's whole family was down for Brett's graduation....

At least we said we came for the graduation, but really we all came to see the newest Streadbeck, little Jonah. Isn't he adorable!!!!

Streeeetch!

Alphabet soup

We bought foam letters for Brielle to learn the alphabet....

...but Elle prefers to chew them...


..and Russell prefers to decorate Brielle with them!