Long Overdue Update with Photos!

Well, it has been almost two weeks since my employment "ended," and I'm finally going to try to give you a good post here. Cutie Pie just went down for a nap, but I don't know how long it will last, so I'm going to try to work fast!

Big news:

• James started eating "solids" on Saturday, June 21st. He "ate" rice cereal once or twice a day that week. It was pretty runny (even when I tried to make it thicker, it would get runny by half-way through the meal), and James ended up with as much or more ON him than IN him.
• Beginning Saturday, June 28th, we started Baby Oatmeal. Now, that's Good Eats! James wolfs it down every time. It is a bit thicker and more flavorful, so who could blame him. He seriously leaves nothing in the bowl and little on his bib or elsewhere. (Note: this change in input has affected the output-- much more interesting diapers!)
• James has become VERY talented at grasping and holding things. He reaches for everything. Especially paper. I can no longer read the newspaper or do a sudoku while nursing. He gets totally distracted, and reaches for the paper, whining if it is out of reach. When/if he gets it, he goes nuts. Laughing and waving it about. Funny. He also grabs other items like his toys and teethers. He especially enjoyed the crab teether today as I chilled it in the fridge.
• Speaking of teething, the boy must be officially doing this now because he constantly is chewing: his fingers, his pacifiers (which he learned to use for napping when I went to work), his high chair tray and straps, .....
• Oh, so now that he can hold things and likes to chew, when he is given a pacifier in an effort to help him sooth himself to sleep (a skill that Nana taught him/us-- thanks, Nana!), he grabs it in his fingers, scoots it over to the side, and chews it-- it is pretty funny.
  
• James is also much better at sitting up unassisted. Even in the last week this has improved. He sat up for some of his photos last Wed., but one of us had to spot him the entire time because he kept tipping. No more! He is pretty stable now (until he starts to reach for a teether or piece o' paper...)
• He also has gotten good at rolling and rotating. I put him in his crib to watch his mobile while I showered this morning. When I came out this is what I found:
• James has gone swimming twice now! We went to the town pool on both Saturday and yesterday evenings. We haven't put his face/head underwater (wanting to avoid water inhalation and water in ears), but he sure enjoys splashing! Saturday he was pretty much in shock the entire time; he never smiled-- just serious face. Yesterday, he started smiling more. Both days he splashed like crazy! He looks super cute in his little swim trunks; I need to take his photo!

We had a wonderful time with all the family here last weekend. Unfortunately for me, most of the photographic evidence of said fun is on other peoples' cameras (hint, hint-- send me some photos!).