To celebrate DW's birthday this weekend we drove from Chicago up to Lake Geneva to spend the weekend at the Grand Geneva Resort and the Timberidge Resort and water park. It's a good place and the Timberidge Resort rents rooms that are realy like an apatment with a living room and kitchenette. Great if you're traveling with children.

However we should have rented a two-bedroom unit. The resort supplied us with a pack 'n play for Ashton Beau to sleep in and we set it up ion the one bedroom. Our first night there was the first night we stayed in the same room with him since we were back in Orenburg. We I knew Ashton Beau was noisy when he was awake. Now I know that he gets only a little quieter when he's asleep. It's amazing how much noise a 15 month old can generate by rolling around in his sleep and breathing as loud as I snore.

On Saturday we too Ashton Beau to the waterpark and he liked the water. He was hesitatnt at first but took to it pretty quickly. The only part he really didn't like was the slides I took him on with me. I'll have to wait until he is a little older for that.

The folowing Sunday we hosted a brunch for DW's birthday with members of her estended family and mine attending. My brother and his wife flew in from Brasil to meet Ashton Beau for the first time. We even dressed Ashton Beau in the blue airplane overalls that my brother and I wore when we were his age. My mother loved it!

We all had a good time and DW had a great birthday.

Ashton Beau playing with one of the stools in our room at the Timberidge Resort.

Practicing for college - using a bar stool as a walker.



Surprised by something in the living room.



On the balcony during a leisurely Sunday breakfast.



Playing in a swing at the water park.



Ashton Beau with my brother at brunch.



Playing with my brother's wife at brunch.



Ashton beau taking a nap with my brother and sister-in-law.

Ashton Beau preparing for his bath

Ashton Beau watching his Stuka start its dive from high altitute!

Ashton Beau with one of his favorite toys - his Stuka

Grabbing his Stuka!

Walked Down to the Other End of the Hall

Ashton Beau Learning To Walk - Almost There

After Two Months At Home

It’s been a little over two months since Ashton Beau’s “Gotcha Day” and almost two months since he arrive home. He has been doing great so far. He has put on a lot of weight and filled out, though for his age, he is still quite small. It’s good to see what a lot of feeding and TLC can do.

Ashton Beau is still very quiet. He has yet to begin babbling or talking. He smiles and laughs a lot. He will, however, imitate me or DW if we make raspberries with our lips, so I know he is watching what is going on. He does not cry much and when he does, it’s usually not for too long. He’ll just put the middle fingers of his left hand in his mouth and use his right hand to play with his right ear.

He crawls and climbs a lot but he does not walk yet. He can pull himself up and down and “cruise” around on two feet as long as he has something to hold onto. He likes to go to the edge of anything and stare over it – the bed, the stairs, the hammock. He’s good at climbing up the stairs and getting better at climbing down too. He is big on shaking the crib. He just grabs some bars and pushes and pulls as hard as he can for as long as he can. He likes electrical cords too, but the sure does not like the big Nyet (Нет) he gets from me or DW when he gets his hands on one!

He also likes watching anything descent down at him, especially if accompanied by a loud shrieking noise. It’s constant entertainment if I bring my hand or one of his toy airplanes shrieking down in a near vertical dive at him. It reaches a point just before his nose, then he grabs it with glee, and them we repeat again.

He’s taken to eating mostly regular food cut up into small pieces and he will even grab a spoon I’m holding and draw it to his mouth.

His grandparents come over to see him as often as DW and I will let them and they’ve taken to each other very well. My father was thoughtful enough to show Ashton Beau some ceremonial snare drums on the landing of a stairway in our home. Now we get to listen to Ashton Beau play the drums.

Ashton Beau looking over the edge and down the stairs.

Ashton Beau playing with another favorite toy, the shower curtain.



Ashto Beau taking a bath. At first he didn't like baths, but we eased him into it and he takes to it quite well now.







Ashton Beau climbing the stairs after a bath.



Ashton Beau and me drying him off after one of his baths.



Here he is playing with his Mom.







Playing with my parents and my godmother (Aunt Michelle) in the final photo.















Me, DW, and Ashton Beau all together.



A pensive Ashton Beau with DW by one of the windows in our dining room.



Trying on his first pair of shades in the kitchen.



Eating, and wearing, cake for the first time.





Ashton Beau and his cousin Sophia at my birthday party last month.



Dueling the gargoyle and crawling about the house. Watch out, the gargoyles bite!









The rubbish can in my office, an extra keyboard, and the cord attached thereto. Three favorite toys (игрушки). "Don't even try to take 'em, they're all mine!!"



The Johnny-Jump-Up, a great pace to play, or just sit and think.











Drinking the bottle solo.



Ashton Beau at the Illinois state crib rattling finals.








Don't wake Beauregard!!



Outdoor crawing around in Aunt Carrie's backyard.



Crusing around his room.







Almost walking on his own. Like the shirt too!





Turning the prop through to get the oil out of the cylinders before starting up a rocker with a radial engine.



Bandits 12 O'Clock High!!



Dining al fresco for dinner with Mom at Palmer Place.



Ashton Beau's first visit to the Coldstone Creamery with my mother (Mimi) and Aunt Michelle.







Yuckkkk!!! These broads haven't left me alone all day!!!



Ashton Beau with Mimi and my father (Papa Jordy) outside the Coldstone Creamery.