Back to Back

We are privileged to be able to drop it all and take off for the beach almost anytime we like. Growing up, the only vacation I ever really knew was the beach, and my parents spoiled us with a house right on the water at St. George Island. Being a little less than a 2 hour drive door-to-door, we are silly to not take advantage of it. ........and now that summer is here (Holy Batman, hot temps are here to stay!), we are doing just that. Hence the back to back beach weekends.

Highlights from weekend #1:
Quality time with grandparents! It was hot, but definitely breezy enough to keep it comfortable. We discovered that Jude likes the feel of the sand on his hands and will play in it for a while before deciding to rub his eyes or try and taste it. Awesome.



And as usual, Eli was entertained by the surf and sand. We made the new "traditional" post-dinner walk for ice cream. The perfect treat at the end of the day that conveniently doubles as a final way to wear Eli out for bedtime.

Highlights from weekend #2:

Memorial Day Weekend with the newlyweds, Aunt Kristi and Uncle Steve. The boys were excited to do some fishing this weekend. They tried from the bridge and from shore. Not much luck with only a couple catches from the bridge Saturday morning. Eli had fun despite no nibbles on his line.

A couple other families joined us throughout the weekend with their children. Eli and Steve's nephew, Dylan met back at the Chili Cook-Off and have been fast friends ever since. They played in the calm surf and the sand. Lots of swimming, splashing, and superhero wrestling.

I asked for superhero faces in the last one, and that is what I got. Love it. These two boys played incredibly hard, and Eli crashed hard for nap and bed each day. I truly adore how much Eli loves the beach, how hard he plays, and then how hard he crashes each night. (yes!)

Jude was cutting teeth both weekends, so he was a bit out of sorts and a little fussy. He still enjoyed being outside, feeling the wind and sand, and watching the waves and his brother play.

Munching on a cold apple will make my gums feel better, right?

Love how much these boys love each other. Jude squeals with delight when Eli is around. And I also love "Dude's" new toothy smile...it is like he is showing them off.

The last day we were there, Matt and Steve (with trusty helper Eli looking on, later joining in with his own shovel) worked hard to clean out some of the sand that has blown under the house over the last year or so. It looks so much better!!

The surf was much rougher on our final day, and despite getting knocked down over and over again, Eli held his own. He has a new found confidence with his swimming skills and ventures a little too far out, in Mommy's opinion. He has no fear!

Some of the less favorable moments from the weekend include, Matt's tackle box being stolen by some beach hoodlums and Mother Nature claiming yet another beach canopy with her windy gusts.

This is just the beginning of our summer season as school gets out this week. Hope we get back down there a lot this summer. We sure do love it and appreciate it.

Toofers

Look what I found Friday morning! Jude's first tooth!! And the second one (if you look uber close you can see another slit in his gums) is right behind it.

We had no clue the first one was on the verge of eruption as Jude didn't seem fussy at all. The second one, on the other hand, has made for a cranky little one who has nursed for comfort all day and napped little. Poor thing. Thankfully, I think this 2nd one will have popped out completely by tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed.

My Little Fish

Swim Lessons 2011

Week 1: +/- 90 degrees every day, no tears, lots of hard work and learning going on

Week 2: a cool front came through, +/- 80 degrees, lots of tears and anxiety about the water, blue lips, struggled to learn new things

After 8 lessons, I am delighted about all that Eli accomplished and how he persevered despite the less-than-desirable conditions in week 2. This year I hoped Eli would learn to take breaths while swimming so that he could be more independent in the pool, and he did.

I am so proud of his hard work and in love with his beautiful swimming stroke. Now I just hope that he retains it all and continues to improve.

Great job, Eli! So proud of you!!

You Decide

Is he a confused Superhero??

Or a fashion genius???

Someone has been having fun dressing up and picking out his own clothes. The socks are definitely my favorite part.

1/2 Way to 1

I think I was subconsciously not making time for this post. I can't believe my baby boy is already halfway to 1. Or at least he was last Thursday.

We had a doctor's appointment last week too, so we officially have some stats on both boys.

Jude weighed in at 17 pounds 7 ounces putting him right around the 50th percentile. He measured 26 1/4 inches which puts him around the 35th percentile for height. All of that extra weight is carried in his healthy thighs and his big ol' noggin (which was around the 70th percentile).

Eli finally had his 4 year old well child check up (yes, he is almost 4 1/2....) and is around the 35th percentile for both height and weight. For those curious, Eli was an entire 2 pounds heavier (exactly!) at 6 months...and around the same height, so despite the discrepancy in the height and weight categories at babyhood, it levels out eventually. Or at least Eli did.

The doc was pleased with both boys and their progress, hitting all necessary milestones and then some. Eli wowed the nurses with not a single whimper or fuss with his shot. He was very very proud of himself for being so brave. Jude, on the other hand, did fuss, but only for a moment. My little champs.

Jude's world has become a lot of fun this past month. He is still enjoying food and has added oatmeal and sweet potatoes to his food list. Decided to hold off on the avocado for a bit. He seemed to have a bit of a reaction despite loving them. We'll try again in a couple of weeks.

Jude loves to "talk." He enjoys squealing, blowing raspberries, and babbling. He doesn't really giggle very often, but Eli can usually get him to laugh. Jude continues to love his brother. I adore the way he will stare at the empty car seat next to him on the way to pick up Eli from school. Once Eli is there, he continues to stare longingly at his brother and makes all kinds of noises begging Eli for attention and interaction. Jude is going in for a "love attack" here:

Eli's hair and nose are the favorite targets right now. Jude also loves to give kisses. If you tell him to give you kisses, he will go in open mouth (and for this reason, it is best advised that you give him your cheek...unless you want all that slobber on/in your mouth!) and make a "muah" sound after leaving a wet slobbery "kiss" on you. Super adorable.

Lately he has been very clingy and is turning into a bit of a Momma's Boy. He has learned to reach for people or things he wants. He works very carefully controlling his hands to make them do what he wants and get what he wants. Watch out!

Toys are becoming a lot more fun too. He will play with just about anything...and everything goes into his mouth. EVERYTHING. Most recently, he has become fascinated with whatever Eli is playing with. I see the toy conflict beginning sooner than later. Oh joy.

I have been introducing some basic signs the past couple of months, and he is really starting to watch me as I sign milk (almost) every time he nurses. Another not-so-fun thing he does with his hands is pinch. OUCH! He pinches me often, but always while nursing. I'm trying to find other things for him to grab instead of little bits of my skin.

He continues to sit well and can do a sit-up if you hold his feet or legs down. He is getting so strong. I also get the feeling, though I may be wrong...and kinda hope I am, that he will be on the move sooner than later. He is inching and scooting very well. Rolling both directions and is pushing up on his arms trying to figure out how to get off the floor.

As for sleep, eh....who needs it? I keep saying that to myself as Jude is still having a tough time with long stretches at night. I know he doesn't need to nurse more than once a night, so I'm trying to stick to that, but it is tough when I'm so tired and he's not settling himself. I have tried staying up and letting him try to soothe himself (a.k.a. cry it out), but after 2 hours with no luck...several nights, I don't see a good night's sleep in my near future. Last month, he moved to his crib, and I slept in the room with him. I didn't like the idea of going up and down the stairs every time he woke up. Some nights he is up every hour! But as of last night, I'm going to try to sleep downstairs to see if that helps. Not yet, but I'm hanging in there and am trying to cherish this stage as there is so much to love about this age. Not going to get hung up on this. But I will go ahead and brag on my baby boy for learning to nap well. He is a super napper now! He typically will fall asleep on his own for 3+ naps a day.

Bedtime is a rough time of day for him. He gets tired around 8 each night, and he hits the wall quickly and hard. He will let you know when he is ready for his bath and bed time.

Rarely can I squeeze in a bedtime story for him; he is ready to sleep! Thankfully, he enjoys reading at other times of the day. And by reading, I mean letting him grab and eat the book.

He is a sweet, sweet baby with bright smiles for all to see. He has the happiest eyes (that I'm pretty sure are staying blue...they haven't budged!!) that I could stare into all day long.

Can't believe we are on the downhill slide to turning 1. Crazy how quickly it goes. Just trying to take each day as it comes and cherish every moment.

Bananas and More

I tried to hold out, I really did. At almost 2 weeks shy of 6 months, I caved in and let Jude try some solids. Needless to say, he has been delighted.

Last Sunday, he had swatted at my lunch one too many times and was melting down because I wouldn't let him have any (which he still does....), so I plopped him into his Bumbo, grabbed a banana to mush between my fingers and let him have it. He was THRILLED!!! He was grabbing my hands and pulling my fingers into his mouth. He couldn't get enough. I even let him gnaw on the actual banana. Look closely at that picture and you will see some 'nana on his onesie. He was ready....Mama just didn't want to admit it.

So far he has had banana, brown rice, and as of last night, avocado (need some pictures of the green goop. it is his favorite so far. he cried every time the spoon left his mouth and gummed the spoon for a while afterwards...making sure he had gotten every last bit.) He is only eating once a day and so far it has not improved his nighttime sleeping at all. Boo. I know "they" say it doesn't help, but I won't lie. I was hoping.

In Eli's world, he was excited that one of his closest friends celebrated his 4th birthday. Eli woke up and announced, "It's Ethan's birthday!!" We got to party with Ethan and some horses on Saturday.

Even though he was a little nervous of those BIG horse teeth, Eli did eventually work up the nerve to feed some hay to the horses.

Eli loved riding the horses....decked out in his cowboy gear, of course....and wishing his fellow Superhero-loving pal the happiest of birthdays.

Bittersweet

Mother's Day was a bittersweet day.

My heart was so filled with joy to be celebrating being a mommy to my two precious babies, a wife to my loving husband, and a daughter to my dear Mommy. I woke up to sweet Mother's Day wishes from Eli and thoughtful gifts. We then went over to celebrate with my Mommy too.

But my heart was also aching remembering my sister, Kelly.

Such a bright star with an amazing spirit, a beautiful smile, and the most contagious laugh. I can't believe 5 years have passed. I think of her everyday and wish I could have just a moment more. I cling to my memories of her. It breaks my heart knowing that my boys won't ever get to hear that laugh or play with her. I know, I know....they will always know who she is and she is always with us, but that isn't good enough. Sorry. There is comfort in those words, but honestly, not enough. It truly SUCKS (excuse my language...the only word I've ever found that really explains my feelings) to not have Kelly on this earth to share all the special...and even the not-so-special days with.

Yeah, yesterday was a bittersweet day.

The 3 Little Pigs

So, Eli is a teeny tiny bit obsessed with the story of the three little pigs. Or at least he was. We have read a buncha variations of The 3 Little Pigs in the past 6 months or so...and each one a buncha times. I figured there may be other kiddos with a similar fascination....why not share some of favorite finds?

The Three Pigs
by David Wiesner

This one is a Caldecott winner and it is obvious why. It starts out as a beautifully illustrated retelling of the classic, but when the wolf blows one of the pigs out of the story, we quickly join the pigs on an unusual journey in which pigs fly, a cow jumps over the moon, and a dragon becomes a pig's best friend. The story is wildly unpredictable and funny. It requires several reads to pick up on all there is to the story. Which reminds me: We need to check this one out again!!

The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark

by Ken Geist

This may have been the book that hooked us on variations of the original. E and I heard this one during one of the summer story time sessions at the library. Afterwards, he laughed while quoting the story and requested that we check it out to read over and over at home. It has its own cute twist on "Little pig, little pig..."

"Little fish, little fish, let me come in!" "Not by the skin of my finny, fin, fin!"

"Then I'll munch, and I'll crunch, and I'll smash your house in!"

A definite pleaser with super cute illustrations.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka

Didn’t you ever wonder if there was another side to the story? Maybe it was all just one big misunderstanding! That is the story behind this twist on the classic . I think Eli first heard this one when his "friend" (a.k.a. babysitter), Michelle, brought it over to share with him. Of course we had to go and get it from the library after that. This one reminds us that there are always two sides to every story. Hilarious!!

The Three Little Javelinas

by Susan Lowell

A southwestern retelling of the story with the wolf replaced by a coyote. A cute story with southwestern vocabulary, expressions, and illustrations. Not our #1 fave, but another fun variation we have checked out.

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig
by Eugene Trivizas

An obvious role reversal version of the original, and it is truly funny. The pig is now the antagonist that the mother warns the 3 sweet little wolves about. The wolves are incredible engineers and use some pretty industrial materials to build their homes. But when all of that fails to stop the pig's destruction, they find a much "sweeter" way to defeat the pig. Definitely a laugh-out-loud story.

The Three Little Dinosaurs
by Jim Harris

Eli likes just about any dinosaur book we bring home from the library or book store, so this one was a no-brainer. The pigs are replaced by 3 Brachiosaurs and the "wolf" is a big, bad T-Rex. In this rendition, the dinos outwit the pea-brained T-Rex and grow up to be much MUCH bigger than the T-Rex had expected. We giggled at the fun text and illustrations each and every time we read it. This is one that E would have read nightly....if we would have let him. A big time hit.

The Three Little Rigs
by David Gordon

I stumbled upon another no-brainer pick at the library last month when I found this vehicular version of "The Three Little Pigs." The 3 little rigs must head out to build their own garages, but the big, bad wrecking ball comes along and "smashes and crashes" what he can. As many little boys do, Eli loves trucks and such, so this quickly made its way into our nightly bedtime book rotation. I want to check out some of David Gordon's other "similar" stories such as The Ugly Truckling and Hansel and Diesel if I can find them.

Wait! No Paint!
by Bruce Whatley

This book is for a true fan of the original story as this one takes a very different and clever twist on the tale. It starts out in the usual way but it quickly diverts when the illustrator first spills his juice on the pages and then runs out of red paint and cannot draw the pigs pink any more. Yup, that's right. The illustrator becomes an unseen, narrator-like character spinning the story completely out of control. Really funny stuff! The ending is hilarious, and as usual, Eli loved it. I have to admit; this one may be my favorite of the bunch. Lots of original humor that adults can enjoy too. I didn't get tired of reading this one. Check it out, for sure!

I think that these are all the versions we have read...so far. If you and your little reader has another fun twist on this tale, do share. Please! Or any other great book recommendations are always welcome here. As you know, we are regular library users and are always hunting for the next "favorite" book. Happy reading!!