Pregnant!

My sister is pregnant!!
Congratulations to Aubyn & Scott on their little baby who is already three months old! We are so excited for them and can't wait to meet the little McTaggart. They aren't finding out the gender, so we are looking forward to the surprise in late October.

Sunday Afternoon

After church on Sunday, we enjoyed relaxing together at home before Ryan took off to study at the library.

This is Rooke's gymnastic move

We thought we'd share another video, also from Sunday afternoon. Rooke isn't talking as much as his dad, but he's showing off his strength and exceptional ability to slobber.

Thee months and counting

Rooke is a full three months old now. It doesn't seem like three months ago that we were in the hospital anxiously waiting to meet him. It's amazing to watch Rooke grow and change on a daily basis. God is gracious to bless us with this little man.

Who knew that a little yellow lion could provide so much entertainment?! This small ball of ribbons and fuzz can keep Rooke's attention and get him to talk almost as much as we can.

We said good-bye to Angela's parents yesterday. They got on a plane and moved to London, embarking on a new life adventure after having lived in Oregon for over 15 years. They will serve as "member care", providing counseling and pastoral care for missionaries living and working in Western Europe. We are sad to see them move so far away, but joyful with them in their purpose and challenged by their obedience.

Boomer Sooner!

Rooke received a fun gift in the mail yesterday from a long-time friend who lives in Oklahoma. We just happened to take a bunch of pictures yesterday. Go Oklahoma Sooners!
We also root for the Oregon Ducks, so if you look closely, you'll see that we haven't forgotten about them.

"Yay Sooners!"

"Ooooooooooo - klahoma!"

The Weekend

My sister and her husband drove down for the weekend. It's great getting to cram our apartment full of family!

Rooke and his Big Daddy:

Rooke still really enjoys the sounds of the guitar and was treated to his Uncle Scott's excellent playing.

Mr. Prep

Showing off his cute, preppy outfit! He got all dressed up to welcome Kaye-K and Big Daddy back to Seattle.

Checking out his shoes (another hand-me-down from Uncle Konnor)

What are YOU looking at?!

Eleven Weeks

Rooke's made it to eleven weeks, is a solid twelve pounds,
and all smiles!

From what I hear, most babies learn to suck their thumb or a finger first. Rooke goes for the whole fist, although he's still not sure if he likes it.

Rooke received his "train name" from his Aunt Auburn today.
It's so cute!

While I was on the phone, Rooke was checking himself out in the mirror - one of his favorite things to do these days:

Conversation with Dad

If you'd rather not hear a father asking his son about recent bowel movements, don't watch this video. However, if you can handle the topic of conversation, it will make you smile. Rooke hadn't had a dirty diaper for over four days, so changing the diaper when he finally took time for some business was a family affair! This is Rooke and Ryan talking about it after everything was cleaned up . . .

Just wanted to show off Rooke's cute t-shirt, compliments of his Uncle Konnor (who finally decided it was too small to wear after 22 years).

A few more

While we were with family most of the time during our visit, we also got to see lots of dear friends, some of whom are pictured below. We have been friends with everyone pictured since the beginning of our time at OBU (and earlier). It was so special to all be together, including kids!

This picture makes me smile because I think the expression on Rooke's face is kinda like a smirk, as if he knows what the onsie says and knows it's true!

Our good-lookin' little man in his Easter outfit. Growing up, my mom, sister and I always got a new dress for Easter Sunday. I decided to snag this five dollar outfit for Rooke to look extra good for his first Easter celebration. It was a wonderful morning of worship and celebration!

Blake and Rooke

I think we figured it out, but I don't remember how, exactly, Rooke and Blake are related. Blake's mom is Ryan's cousin, so I just think of Blake and Rooke as cousins. Either way, it was precious (and entertaining!) to watch Blake interact with our little man.

He brought a special gift for Rooke, which turned out to be a great toy for those few and far between moments when Rooke was chillin' in his seat without someone holding him and needed to be entertained.

Trying to get a picture of the Payne boys . . . Blake wanted to make sure Rooke was looking at the camera!

It's blury, but this picture cracks me up! Blake had just noticed that Rooke's pacifier had fallen out and was trying to keep Rooke still so he could get the thing back in!

With a little help from Ryan, he finally figured it out and everyone was happy again.