Since Joy scolded me (all the way from Europe, I might add) about not posting a new blog lately, I thought my first order of business today should be to catch my sweet blog readers up on what's happening with the Watsons.

First, Tyler has added a couple of new foods to his list: sweet potatoes and bananas. We gave him sweet potatoes for the first time on Friday, and he made a mess with orange goo everywhere! When he was given more sweet potatoes on Saturday, he became so eager about eating them that he kept bouncing in his seat to the point that I had to chase his mouth. It wound up on his nose at one point, and I snapped a picture. Very cute! I didn't get a picture of the bananas, but he really liked them, too.

Above: Sweet Potatoes, Day 1

Below: Sweet Potatoes, Day 2

Another new development is that Tyler has started really noticing Miss Kitty. He must like how soft she is, too, because he can't resist touching her fur every time she's within his arm's reach. We have to watch them both, though, because sometimes his little hands grab clumps of fur instead of just petting her. And, I just know he's going to pull one of her ears off one day. However, Miss Kitty has responded very well to baby Ty, probably because she's so desperate for someone to love on her, even if it's an infant with a death grip.

Reaching out for Miss Kitty

We spent most of the weekend just relaxing because last week was super-packed with activities every day. We just needed to wind down. We did a lot of snuggling...

And, finally, the Watsons have another new set of neighbors: barn swallows. It took me a while to figure out exactly what type of birds they are because their nests are very unique. They actually pick up dirt and/or silt in their mouths, moisten it with their saliva until it forms a roundish pellet, and then they stick it to the surface on which they are building their nest. Eventually, all these little spit pellets begin stacking up like brickwork, and then the nest begins taking the shape of a little cup. They also incorporate a little bit of grass and/or straw to hold the nest together and make it a little stronger.

We watched them busily build their nest on our back patio ceiling for a few days, and I think the female will soon lay her eggs. Once she does, we should have baby swallows within a couple of weeks. They are neat to watch, for sure.

The cutest part is that the male and female are like a married couple. They work together to build their nest, they take turns incubating the eggs and then raising their clutch, and they sleep together in their nest at night...here's a peek:

More Watson updates will come soon. Have a marvelous Monday!