Freshly born Mercer with Mommy.
A perfect bundle.
Sleeping in some sort of plastic bin at the hospital.
My, how times change. That orange fleece got a hole in it and has since been tossed.
Remembering the hand covers to prevent scratches to the face.
Along with his lunchbox, Mercer likes to haul his trusty penguin backpack with him on our outings. He's got some interesting and practical stuff in there. Click on the image below for a closer look.
Mercer loves to carry his Spider Man lunchbox everywhere he goes. He holds it on his lap during car rides, carries it to birthday parties, and brings it along for trips to the local pizza place. It seems to give him a sense of preparedness. Check out the wide range of items inside by clicking on the image below. It's remarkable.
Jon and Meredith got Mercer a tennis racket and balls for Christmas. The weather cooperated long enough yesterday afternoon for us to test everything out. He's starting to get the hang of it, though he loves hitting the ball while it's still on the ground like a hockey puck. Whatever shortcomings he may have in the skill department are balanced out by his pure athleticism and determination.
Mercer got a new pair of one-piece PJs recently. We thought he'd hate the single foot-to-neck zip, but he really liked them. It makes going to the bathroom in the morning interesting, though. Of course, now that he's enjoying them, it's time to switch the cooler, short-sleeved jams.
Shaina had a birthday party today to celebrate 4 fun-filled years. There was a fun bus and of course cake, snacks, and pizza. I think everyone had a good time. The fun bus did lots of activities with play mats, cushions, music, and swings. The chocolate cake was delicious and Shaina got plenty of help from her friends opening presents. A fun afternoon all around.
Mercer was sick this week and stayed home from school a couple of days. Pop thought that this was a fine time to give Mercer an old digital camera they weren't using anymore and see what happened. Pop taught him all the basic functions, including how to put it away when you're finished using it. Unfortunately, Mercer dropped the camera right on it's lens and the device is now kaput. Still, Mercer was prolific during his reign. Here are some of the best shots. It's really interesting to see the shots kids take when you leave them alone, which many of these are. Above, "Self-portrat #1, with Daddy's Glasses."
"The big bear"
"Downtown San Francisco with tissue box"
"Twizzlers"
"Self-portrait #2"
"View from the sick couch; laying down to watch TV"
"Self-portrait #3"
"Our steps"
"Self-portrait #4 (in car)"
"View from the backseat"
"Water in a blue cup"
"Telephone wires outside our window"
"Toy box"
"Strawberries in a green bowl"
"Spongebob's teeth"
"Self-portrait #5 (with Twizzler)"
