As you can see from the amount of time that has passed since we last posted, things have been very busy in the Healy household. Our new year's resolution is to update the blog more frequently, so please check back to see if we've made good on our promise... ;-)

So much has happened since we last wrote in September. Amy is back at work part-time, and Seth has been spending a little over 3 days a week at the on-campus day care center. He is the center of attention there, with adults and kids alike playing with him. Even the little 1- and 2-year-olds call him "cute", which is really cool. We're lucky that Seth is very easy-going and doesn't mind spending time with other adults. However, his face always lights up when we come to get him each afternoon, so we think we're still his favorite. ;-)

Seth has hit several developmental milestones. He rolls over from front to back and back to front without any trouble, and is able to remain in a sitting position if we help pull him up. He can get up on all fours and also pull himself around on the floor, but hasn't quite mastered crawling yet. He moves his hands and knees together, but always seems to go backwards instead of forwards. He has taken more of an interest in his toys, and is very interested in the world around him. He likes to play in his exersaucer, but is also content with paper cups, spoons, and some lovely felt balls that his uncle Brian made him.

Seth babbles a lot, and frequently repeats syllables (ga-, da-, di-, ba-, and ha-). We're still waiting on "ma", and also for him to start associating "words" with things. We've been trying to show him a few "baby signs", but he hasn't tried to mimic them yet.

Seth started on "solid" foods around 5 1/2 months, with rice cereal as his first new food. He's since branched out to try barley cereal, oatmeal, bananas, apple sauce, squash (homemade by uncle Brian), sweet potatoes, and carrots. He seems to like all of them, and eagerly opens his mouth for more when we feed him with a spoon.

Seth has been lucky to spend a lot of time with his grandparents Geema (Henriette), Grams (Judy), Papa (Win), Grandma Nancy, and Grandpa Joe, as well as his great grandparents (Nana and Grandpa). Much to our sorrow, Amy's Grammy passed away when Seth was just over four months old. We're very lucky that she was able to see him several times before she died. Seth gave his first real smile while on Grammy's lap, and it's been a great memory for all of us.

Seth has also gotten to spend time with his uncle Brian, auntie Lissa, great aunts and uncles, cousins, and many other family and friends. He's looking forward to meeting his auntie Sarah, uncle Forrest, and cousin Mira this Christmas when they come out East to visit.

Unfortunately, Seth appears to take after his dad as he is prone to ear infections. He's been a real trooper, and fortunately the infections have cleared up each time (which our doctor tells us is the most important thing). He's also brought home many colds and coughs from day care, but we're hoping this is helping him build a strong immune system.

Now that Seth is almost crawling, we're starting to work on baby-proofing the house. Our first project was to convert our "office" into a playroom for Seth, which is almost done thanks to help and gifts from family.

We're loving life as a family of three, and we're excited about what's coming next. We'll have more pictures and stories to share soon!