Dawson update

Dawson is now 23 weeks old! I can't believe where the time goes! We have started rice cereal and have now added sweet potatoes to his diet. He LOVES them. He can't get enough. He is starting the beginning stages of crawling and goes backwards really well! He also takes a few steps while you hold his hands. He is very anxious to get where he wants on his own. It won't be long I'm afraid! His personaility is really starting to show through. He is so much fun to be around and there is something new happening everyday.

Ready for my food mama

Eating my num-nums! Sweet potatoes!

We have had a quiet summer so far which is rather nice. It is the first summer I haven't had to work anywhere but home! I get a little stir crazy sometimes, but then we go for a little trip to the store or park to walk around and get out of the house. We have a had a couple of play dates and have a few more planned for later this summer! I am just soaking in the moments with my little guy before I have to go back to work!

4th of July

More 4th of July

Playing

He loves to put on his Niners hat

Playing in the laundry basket

Dawson loves cell phones.

Isn't he cute when he sleeps?

Look at that cute foot!

Playing in the laundry basket, his new "playpen"

Backyard

Bryan and I have been waiting to work on our sad backyard for 2 summers now. Finally we get the opportunity. Funny how a small remodel/update turns into a full blown overhaul! We wanted to make a tiered yard so Dawson had a place to play when he gets big enough. It has now turned into adding an outdoor living space, enclosing our present patio and adding many landscaping features, including a waterfall! Crazy!

Here are a few "Before" pictures. We didn't get too many of these.

View from the back door.

This will be the new patio.

Will be 2 levels. A grass level to play on and then a bottom level for the patio and dog run.

Then this is the first stage of the process. My brother-in-law, Mark, brought his excavator in and started tearing it all up and leveling the upper shelf while moving dirt around the bottom. Then he brought in a dump truck full of gravel and started laying that out as well. After the excavator left, Bryan had to add a drainage system and start the sprinklers to the upper level.

Mark tearing stuff up.

Leveling the dirt.

Dumping the gravel from the dump truck parked in teh neighbors driveway.

We are now starting the 3-4 foot high retaining wall that will be done by Friday. Then on Saturday we start the paver patio on the bottom level to replace the existing patio that Bryan has big plans for! It is going to be a lot of work, but it will all be worth it! Keep checking for more updates on this

Top level and bottom level.