Six Months

Here we are, six months into Baby Hefti's life and every moment has been amazing. Seeing newborn babies now, it is hard to believe he was ever that small, and yet he still is so small. Baby Hefti has been growing so fast and he loves to just look and observe. I love every expression that comes across his face and there are so many. We recently started feeding him a little cereal and he makes some pretty funny faces, but he always seems to want some more. I'm not sure if it's hunger or curiosity.
Baby Hefti hasn't quite started crawling yet, but he keeps threatening to. He'll get up on all fours and then just plop over and go back to rolling to get where he's going. It's exciting to see how much he's developed in the past six months and I'm sure every new stage will be more and more exciting, and maybe even a little more nerve racking. Still no teeth, but we think it might be real soon. He's drooling like crazy and tries to put everything he can grab into his mouth.
Well sorry it's been so long since the last post and picture update, but life is happening very quickly. Enjoy the new photos.

Just the Boys

Yup, that''s right, today it's just the boys. We get to hang out and do nothing but boy stuff. In just a few minutes we're going to take our first trip to the Escalon Bait Shop and get some stuff for fishin. It's so good to be able to spend a day with my son. I can't wait until we can start doing some things together, like fishing, and whatever else he might enjoy doing. I only hope that I will cherish my time with my son as much as I do at this moment. I hope I will never tire of watching his every expression. It's amazing how satisfying it is to see him smile or hear him coo. How the simplest things can captivate me so completely. I know there will be days of struggle ahead, but the days we have now will provide the strength for those times. We just need to remember the moments when this child of ours lay sleeping on our chest, or cried just to know that we were still there, just a room away. I pray that my relationship with my son will be deep and true and long lived. Have a great day and enjoy the many faces of baby Hefti.

Wow, it's been a month and a half...

Hello everyone. Life is busy and flying by. I can't believe it's been a month in a half. Well, between being so busy and having our modem crash, I haven't been able to keep you posted on how much baby Hefti is growing. Yesterday was officially his 3 month B-day. He is growing so fast and is smiling and starting to "talk" all the time. Well, this is going to be short and sweet, but I hope to add a lot more on Friday, including pictures, as well as tell you about our trip to Santa Cruz.
Good by for now...
The Brunolds

Keeping up with Hefti IV

Well, it's hard to believe the little man is almost seven weeks old already. I swear he gets bigger from the time I leave the house in the morning until the time when I get back in the evening.
The other day he actually smiled back at me, it was the most gratifying experience ever. And yesterday, I think it was yesterday anyway, he rolled over from his stomach to his back for the first time. I hope that I will be able to appreciate everyone of his achievements in his life with as much awe and wonder.
One of the most difficult things is wanting so much to see his next achievement, but still not wanting this moment that we are in right now to pass too quickly. Life is so amazing and I hope that our son will cherish every moment as well, though it takes some living to realize how valuable life really is.
Tomorrow is Hefti IV's first 4th of July. He'll see his first Modesto 4th of July parade (or sleep through it) and spend the day with family and friends. I'm so glad he'll have lot's of family surrounding him in the years to come. It's a blessing to have loved ones to lavish him with the love that every child needs.
So enjoy the new photos and hopefully it won't take me so long to get new ones up next time. Until then enjoy life. It's the only way to do it.

My first Father's Day

I never would have thought that changing dirty diapers, appeasing a crying baby and just sitting around watching our little man sleep would constitute a great day. It was nice to hang out at my parents house and BBQ some ribs with Dad and just be with the family for the afternoon. It's amazing how life can be so perfect when you just slow down to notice that there are people to share it with.
I didn't know what to expect on my first Father's Day, but it did capture my imagination. I couldn't help but think about the many years ahead that await and the Father's Days when my son may not be so fond of the idea that I'm the father that he got stuck with. Or wondering how many Father's Days would it take for him to realize what a blessing it is to have a father at all. But even if there are years like that, I know there probably will be, I am going to look at him with the same amazement that I do now, blinded by this love that a father has for his son.
You know, life is full of amazement. Shawna and I have spent the first 5 years of our marriage looking at each other saying, "Wow, we're married!" And now we look together at our son and say in awe, "Wow, we have a baby!" This life has never ceased to amaze me and I hope that it never does. Enjoy the pictures and enjoy the life God has given you.

From Hefti's father.

Growing so fast...

It hard to be away for a day and not see baby Hefti for eight hours or more. It seems like when I return he's grown even since I left in the morning. I miss him, I miss watching him, and studying his every move and gesture. How can you not be amazed by his perfect little body. I stare at all his perfect little parts and wonder what scars will be added to that perfect skin over the years, wanting to protect him from everything that could harm him, but knowing that life will bring pain that we can't prevent. Tonight I prayed for him, that God would give him a heart after His own, and a mind for righteousness. So amazing, seeing my hand stretch across his entire chest as I pray for God to bless and keep him safe, and to make His face shine on him. There are so many hopes and dreams for him and still you're left with such a helpless feeling because you have know idea what life will bring your child. So you surrender, again, for the hundredth time today, and ask God to lead your child and protect them, because you know that you really don't have the ability to assure his protection. I rest in knowing that God is good and He has greater dreams than I do for my child's life, and the means to make them happen. So I pray that my child will trust his heavenly father more than me, because I know that even though I love my baby more than anything I have ever loved before, that my heavenly Father loves him more, He loves him completely and perfectly.

Today was the day...

It's a little interesting to think that today, May 27th, was the day that our baby was due. But he came 9 days early. So does that mean that the last 9 days have been a little extra blessing for us? I really think so. It has been amazing to watch this new life, live and breath and move right in your own hands. To hold him and stare at every perfect detail of his hands and feet and every expression that passes over his face when he is sleeping or awake. It's amazing to listen to every little squeak, the rhythm of his breathing, the sighs of contentment and squeals of discontent. What a precious gift. We get to sit in wonder and day dream about what this life might bring in the years to come; joy, pain, delight, disappointment, but in it all I know there will be endless lessons of love from the God who created this miracle of life that we sometimes forget to observe and appreciate. Here life comes, let's be amazed.

The Brunolds are adding to their number.

Hello everyone, I know that a lot of you are anxious to meet the newest Hefti, but until you get to, you'll have to settle for some pictures. Hefti IV was born on May 18th, 2008 at 1:41pm. He weighed 7lbs. 3oz. and measured 19.5in. Shawna did an amazing job in labor and is doing well while she recovers and enjoys time bonding with baby Hefti.