Hello My Name is Trip ...

There is an ongoing joke in my department at work that we refer to Trip as "Little Brad" ... Why? You ask. Well, the story goes ... I have two different managers that I work with, Nicole and Brad. When I found out I was pregnant and knew that I would be naming Trip "Harry J. Kuper III" after my husband, I was talking to my manager, Nicole, about what I should actually call him. She told me that her husband was also the third and that he goes by "Trip". I had a family friend growing up who was also called Trip and was the third, but I hadn't thought about it as a name option until Nicole brought it up. So, once we decided to call our baby Trip, it created a little fun manager rivalry between Nicole and Brad. Brad joked, "Why wouldn't you want to name your baby after me?"

Well, in January at our department meeting, Brad presented me with this hand-made bib as a gift for my baby boy. If you read the fine print, it says "My Name is Trip (but my friends all call me Brad)". Brad used all of his creativity and actually printed this onto an iron-on sticker! We were all very proud of his craft project, and it makes me laugh every time Trip wears this bib.

My department is so much fun and such a joy to work with. Thanks Brad for making such a special gift for Trip!

6 Month Update

Happy Half Birthday Trip!

Height: 26.5 inches (50th percentile)

Weight: 18 lbs. 11 oz. (75th percentile)
Looks Like: Rachael's eyes, J's lips and a combo nose (overall people are saying he looks like his mom now)
Development: Eating solids, sits up with support, stands up with support, making new sounds every day (dada and baba are favorites), sticks his bottom up in the air tucking his knees under him
Likes: sticking his tongue out, kicking and jumping, squealing, chewing anything and everything he can get his hands on, laughing and giggling all the time
Dislikes: still doesn't like tummy time, doesn't love solid food
Favorite Moments: Going to wake Trip up in the morning is J's favorite time of the day. Trip typically wakes up about an hour before it is time for him to eat and he just lays in his crib and talks and laughs and plays with his feet. J and I listen to him on the monitor for a while before J proclaims, "I'll go rescue him!" Trip's face is ecstatic when he sees his dad walk in and scoop him up out of his crib. J changes his diaper and brings him in to the bedroom to spend some time with his parents and nurse.

Overall Trip is such a joyful child. He has such a laid back and happy temperament and everyone who spends any time with him comments on what a happy baby he is. I have said it before, but I can't emphasize enough how the Lord has blessed our family with this amazing baby boy.

Chatter Box

This weekend Trip started saying his "Ba" and "Da" sounds combined with a couple of "L's". Prior to this weekend, he was primarily making high pitched screams. He has also figured out the "fake cough" noise, which friends tell me is normal. At first I kept thinking he had something stuck in his throat!

It is so much fun to watch as his language skills develop. In this video he is a little cranky because it is right before nap time, so he is making these new sounds along with some yelling. The video is a little long, but you get the idea of what a chatter box Trip has become!

Labor Day Girls Weekend

My mom (Gigi) and my sister Anna came in town for Labor Day weekend. With J out of the house most of the weekend hunting with friends, it was girl overload for Trip! He went shopping with my mom and me, listened to lots of girl talk and let his Gigi and Aunt Anna kiss and hug on him all weekend! At this age, he didn't seem to mind. But I did promise him that when he gets older I won't make him go on all day shopping trips. Below are a few pictures from the weekend ...

Hair Fun!

This weekend I had waaaaaay too much fun testing out different hair styles on Trip. He has this crazy hair that will stay in whatever style I put it in. J kept insisting that I had put product in his hair to make it stand straight up in a Mohawk, but I really didn't! It stayed like this for two days through naps and play times.

Trip the punk rocker.

Trip as "Eddie Munster".

Sweet Boy!

Trip has really been so much fun lately. He has much more control over his upper body and is always wiggling and kicking as if he wants to run around the house! I can only imagine what life will be like when he is actually able to crawl and then walk. Trip has also started making lots of different noises - from a high pitched squeel that I think he learned from his friend Jovie, to a low mumbling that sometimes sounds like real words. To top things off, he has figured out how to stick his tongue out! Below are a few cute pictures I took of him yesterday while we were doing tummy time. A lot of people have told me lately that he has my eyes ... you be the judge.

Daddy's Boy

J and Trip reading together.

J and Trip in their matching orange pants. I thought this was a cute coincidence and had to capture the moment!