Summer Happenings

I blame the lack of regular blog posts this summer on having a few too many 'project balls' up in the air at the same time. So i thought i'd just do one big post from the last few weeks to get caught up. Since i am currently working on updating Lucy's baby book i know all too well how important keeping the blog updated is!

Along with working on Lucy's book i've also started party planning for both her 1st birthday party and Liam's 3rd! Lucy is having a Milk & Cookies party and Liam, of course, is having a monster truck party. He asks me frequently to "i go on pinterest and look at monster truck cakes, please" hahahaha.

About five weeks ago I started doing P90X and oh my goodness i LOVE it! I had been working out hard twice a day (cardio in the morning and weight training in the afternoon) for 12 weeks and just did not feel like i was getting the results i had been working hard for so i switched over to p90x and it was the best decision ever. I am kind of obsessed with this man....

i should also mention he is 54?!? yeah....eating good and staying active is the way to go folks...proof right there! 

He is going to be in Atlantic City next month and you can go to a workout with him.....if there was any way to swing it i would so be there!! Single leg wall sits...making Fridays super fun :-)

Lucy has been talking up a storm lately! It is so different since Liam was kind of a late talker. She loves cookie monster and wrestling with pillows (she dive bombs pillows and snuggles with them). She loves to walk holding hands and is so good at kicking a ball when she is walking. She even swings her leg back and hard forward to kick it....future olympic soccer player right here :-) She is also getting so fast a cruising along the couch and even turning and reaching for something else to walk to. She is still my rockstar eater, girlfriend will eat almost anything (except mashed potatoes and steamed green beans), it makes meal time SO SO SO easy! The weather has started to cool down and i've had to raid her closet for the random bigger sizes i have stored away. Last year at this time i never would have thought to buy her 18-24 month clothes?!?! Oy..... luckily i had a few stored away that i thought she would be wearing NEXT fall.

Mr. Liam is doing great too. He loves cars and trucks and playing with them most of the day. He love imaginary play with his cars and trucks. As i type this he is making engine noises and racing his cars around. It is amazing how much his language has exploded this last year and so neat to be able to have an entire conversation with him just like he was another adult. He loves baseball and playing in the yard with Alex and running the bases after Alex's softball games. He is the teams entertainment at each game, his amount of energy always amazes them. One of Alex's dreams came true this last month when Liam learned to hit a pitched call, he wanted Liam to be able to do it before he turned 3 and he did. We are still struggling with Liam's picky eating, we are just hoping the tides change soon and he starts opening up to trying new things. Liam has official attached this last year to one of his stuffed animals. Baby Bunny goes almost everywhere with him and the poor thing is showing the signs of all the loving.

Liam's new kicks...

 Baby Bunny

 Friday night movie night! It has been so fun having a new weekly tradition with my boys.

Both kids have been loving having tea parties together....although i am pretty sure Lucy is just in it for the snacks :-) They even "cheers" together .. adorable!

Happy 10 Months Lucy

Dear Lucy,

10 months!?!? HOW!?!? Your first year is just cruising by and you are growing and changing so much each day. This month has been so much fun! I still cannot believe just how much you have changed in these last 10 months. From being a teeny tiny little 6 pounder that fit perfectly into preemie size jammies to well…my chunka munka baby girl that can easily wear 18-24 month size clothes. You went from hating sleep and to being a really really really great sleeper (7:30-7:30) and napper (sometimes we still get a short morning nap but always a solid nap in the afternoon 1-3). You are such a happy girl and it has been so fun to start to see your own unique personality start to develop lately.

You finally decided that crawling “normal” was acceptable and are now doing that instead of the “zombie drag” … Mama tried to do the “zombie drag” and girl that was HARD no wonder you have some muscles on those arms! You are also pulling up on everything, even flat surfaces like the door or wall. You are getting better at getting down by yourself but still tend to dive bomb the floor so we are still making sure to spot you at all times. Two weeks ago you started sitting yourself up from the crawling position and now do it from almost any position, this has been a great thing for you to learn because you are playing so well now that you can crawl to a toy, pick it up, and sit up and play. You also learned how to crawl up the steps and are super fast!

One thing that you really started to do this month was talk! WOW do you have a lot to say! You say Mama and Dada and know what you are saying; when we ask you where is Liam you will look right at him or where is dada/mama, you know whose who. You are also repeating A LOT. You also ask for a “bap” (what Liam always called a paci) when you (on the rare occasion) want a pacifier. You’ve said: Nigel, ball, duck, Elmo, turtle, fish, and a few others.

You, of course, are still a little foodie and love to eat and try new things. Still a fan of everything, it is wonderful, fun and makes my life so easy! You have been loving fresh local strawberries and blueberries and have finally taken to eating bananas which was one of the three foods (along with fresh green beans and white potatoes) that you have not been a fan of in the past. You are drinking from a sippy cup like a pro and are only have two bottles a day.

Your favorite toys this month have been your rattles and some of the Melissa and Doug musical instruments (maracas and “clapper”), soft blocks (especially the ones with the rattles in them), chunky puzzle pieces, and any of Liam’s little cars and trains. You have become a little speed demon in your walker! You literally run around the house and pretend you are playing extreme bumper cars most of the time. You turn on a dime and get around so well. You love walking (most of the time running) while holding onto our hands.

look at how you've grown.....

2nd Annual Summer Party

On Saturday we hosted our second annual summer party. My brother was visiting from NC for the first time since Christmas so we had more then a good reason to celebrate with a party!

Liam and Evan playing tag….blurring the “sport mode”.

The food: burger and hot dogs, grilled veggies and corn, loaded baked potato salad, macaroni salad, and caprese pasta salad.

Alex, Jer and Matt catching up.

Lucys happy place!

Wiffle ball game.

A storm rolled in just in time for dessert: make your own sundaes, rice krispie treats, and individual fruit pizza.

Uncle Matt pitching to his nephews!

FIREWORKS!!!! Liam watched from inside because it was a little too loud for his liking, Evan and Grandma joined him too.

Liam ended the night with another “firework show”, throwing confetti with Kim.

Fourth of July 2012

Liam practicing waving his flag before we left for the parade.

We sat on the lawn of the church that Alex and I got married at and the kids had a great time! I mean what could be better then watching cars, trucks, and rescue vehicles while getting candy thrown at you?!?

One of the state representatives gave us this flag and Lucy would not let it our of her grasp. She hugged the flag for the duration of the parade and even started to doze off with it (then the fire trucks came and baby girl wasn’t a very happy camper).

After naps we went over Alex’s parents house for dinner and had some fun on the slip and slide, Lucy was a big fan!

Happy 9 Months Lucy

Dear Lucy,

    This last month has been so much fun! Although you have started getting into everything we’ve had a blast watching you grow, learn, and start to really see your personality shine. The best news is that you have turned into a rock star sleeper!! Woohoo!! After months of very little sleep you now sleep in your room all night and take at least one solid nap a day in your room. Lately you have been trying to skip your morning nap which always ends up like this around 11:30….

You love love love food! You are such a little foodie. It is so much fun to see how much you enjoy your meals and new things. I am pretty sure almost every night I say “I can’t belive how well she eats, you think I’d stop saying that by now”. Some of the noteable things you loved this month are: fish, PASTA, any fruit (especially strawberries, grapes, blueberries, peaches and pears), whole wheat blueberry waffles, graham crackers, and grilled ham and cheese. The only think you are not a fan of are white potatoes, you love baked sweet potatoes.

You painted your first picture this month, you were so happy to do an activity with Liam. Your favorite toys this month were the activity cube, the activity table, your Lamaze toys, talking Lightening McQueen, and the little Sesame Street figures.

You are ALL OVER THE PLACE! You are still doing the army crawl/drag crawl because you know you are faster that way but you can do the traditional crawl too. You are also pulling up on everything and I mean everything! BUT you are not very sterdy, you don’t realize you have to hold on not to fall and …well… let’s just say you are not a graceful faller… its been a big challenge the last week or so because you require constant spotting with all the hardwood that we have. You also climbed up the steps at Grandma and Pops house last week.

*Here you are sporting one of Mama’s outfits from when she was a baby.*

This month you got TWO teeth!!! See…here they are!

 

You weight 22 pounds and wear size 12 sometimes 18 month, size 3 or 4 diaper, and well you NEVER keep shoes on so I have no idea what size you would even be, I am guessing a 2.

my itty bitty baby isn’t so itty bitty anymore…growing girl!!