Science Center

Today (March 20th) we spent 5 hours at the science center. Yes, 5!

Mom trying to get AnnaBeth to check out the shower

Mom showing AnnaBeth how to use the roller ball as the mouse (and how to look for the pointer on the screen)

Caterpillar

Climbing in a heart

A heartbeat drum

A giant brain!

Learning about electricity

Mason was curious!

Dropping a golf ball to see how many rings it will bounce through

The dancing trees!

Mason loved watching them!

AnnaBeth hooked these gears together herself so they would spin together when she rotated the middle gear

Playing tug-o-war with dad

Dad had the MUCH easier end to pull!

Lunch break

Laughing with Grammy

Looking at sound waves

"I've got the whole world in my hands!"

Practicing sitting up like a big boy

"walking" with Grampy

The different types of rocks may have been AnnaBeth's favorite thing

My little observer

We could make music (or sounds, depending on the setting) when we stepped on the lights

At the Morse code station

Learning about pixels

Push different buttons to distort the image in various ways

A freeway closure on the way home allowed us to be right in the path of the planes going to and from Sky Harbor

At the gift shop, AnnaBeth selected containers of snakes and reptiles and bugs and insects. She of course had to take them in the bath.

 

 Photobomb by a king cobra snake =)

AnnaBeth had a fantastic time at the science center. There was SOOO much for her to see and touch and learn about. Even Mason was doing his best to take it all in and it was fun to watch his little mind working. We'll go back again soon to see the super cool Van Gogh exhibit they have. Here's a video from the science center website:

 

Mason is 6 months old

I am so terribly behind in posting but this is an easy post so I'll take care of it while I have a few minutes. Mason had his 6 month check up on Monday the 9th. He is 28 1/2 inches (although his on his stats print out I get it had been rounded up to 29 inches) which puts him in the 96th percentile for height. He is 17lbs 14oz (58%) and his head is 18 inches (90%). He is getting better at sitting up unassisted although he can still only do it for a few seconds at a time but he is improving when it comes to how straight his back is. I'm not very consistent with feeding him solids but he has had oatmeal, sweet potato, green beans, avocado, bananas, and apples. I haven't had success with the apples yet but maybe I've been trying to feed him at bad times. He cut a tooth on April 6th and I have a feeling he might have a new one in the morning. I can see the little ridges of the tooth but can't feel the sharpness of it yet. He has been extra fussy lately when it comes to leaving him to play on his own. I'm not sure if it's because his mouth is hurting or if he's going through a little separation anxiety or what. He doesn't care who holds him as long as he's being held so I don't really think he's experiencing separation anxiety yet. Naps are somewhat starting to improve....he is starting to nap an hour to an hour and 40 minutes more often. Night sleeping still varies but I am starting to see him have longer stretches (more than 2-3 hours) on most nights. He now will usually roll to his tummy at some point after I put him down so I think that's helping him sleep longer because he doesn't end up rolling on his back from his side and startling himself awake. Anyway, here's a few pictures from this week:

 After we got home from his 6 month appointment

 Pressing the buttons together on the book

 Giggling with Daddy...see a strong resemblance??

Hanging out in the grass in Nana and Papa's backyard