Dinner and Swimming, Round Two

Lewis and I met my friend, Kate, and her mom, Lynne, for dinner last night...it was so great to see them and under better circumstances this time. The last time we'd seen one another was when Lewis was four days old and mama here was a tidbit on the 'emotionally unstable' side. :) They were so wonderful and supportive and helpful and let me cry and hug them, and I just love them. At dinner, Lewis had a little bit of the end-of-the-day-fussies (and he flipped my dipping cup of warm marinara all over me), but whatever. We had a very nice time.

Lewis and Aunt Kate

Lewis and Aunt Lynne

Also at dinner, Lynne invited us over to swim at their house. Yay! We went today after my mom group and had so much fun! [When we first arrived, however, Lewis had unknowingly filled his diaper, which I proceeded to, between the car and getting our bags of gear situated, squish out the back, front, and sides of his diaper AND get all over his brand new outfit AND all over the front of my cover-up AND even on their patio furniture. Poop.was.everywhere. I had to wipe him down with a burpcloth, then wipes. Worst one yet, but I am very glad he went then and NOT once he got in the pool. It was a doozy.]

Back to the pool, Lewis was happy much longer than I anticipated, and he seems to have gotten the hang of his floaty tube. He was kicking his feet beneath the water and even figured out how to make himself go in a circle. It was so great! Thanks again, Lynne and Tom!

Made in the Shade

I love this thing you call swimming--and I wish my dad

was here to see my new tricks! :) Hopefully next time!

Swimming Rules, Man

In closing, for your viewing pleasure:

And I totally missed the memo that it was supposed to pour this evening, so his floaty, towel, swimtrunks, hat, etc. that were probably already dry on the back porch are now soaking wet again. Oh well--it will be a scorcher again tomorrow, so I guess I'll just leave them out until then.

Big Boy Things

After a very text-heavy post last Friday, I thought I'd put up a photo-heavy one to attain some blog chi. This past week, we seem to have entered into some very Big Boy things. Enjoy!

Taking the Highchair for a Test Drive

This next picture I took for my cousin Mallory, showing Lewis wearing the super cute duck outfit that she got him. It also shows his new scootching position--he gets up on his arms like that and rocks back and forth/side to side and can spin pretty efficiently like that.

I Like Duck Butts, and I Cannot Lie,

You Other Brothers Can't Deny...

On the one not-so-oppressively-hot night we had last week, Kevin took Lewis out for his second grilling lesson. (The first was burgers and asparagus.) This time, they threw on some leftover hot dogs and zucchini and squash. Lewis helped by holding the hot dogs for his pops. :)

(And, yes, I know that raw hot dog juice can carry the bacteria, Listeria, which is bad for babies--he didn't come in contact with the juice, I promise.)

Mr. Grabby McGrabberson

Grilling and The Champagne of Beers (naturally)

I decided to go ahead and have Lewis try on the tie dyes that Ben and Adie sent because they looked like they might fit him already, and they do!

Thanks again, Ben & Adie!

As I mentioned in his Five Month post, it was time to make the switch from his infant seat to his convertible seat. Here is one of his last rides in the infant seat.

So long, Little Guy...

Hello, Big Boy!

I think he likes it so far. We are still getting used to adjusting the straps with the toggle being pushed up against the seat. And we have to see how he does without his dangly toys to entertain him. He has his mirror, which seems to keep him happy. And I have given him some of his toys to hold while we ride. Kevin was saying I could just keep a stockpile of 4-5 toys handy--if he drops/throws one, I can always offer another.

We went out a few times this weekend without the car seat/Snap n Go set-up. I carried him in the Ergo a few times, but it has been so hot and sticky that neither one of us wanted to be that close. He rode in his umbrella stroller for the first time this morning and seemed to really enjoy it--it has a nice 5 point harness to help him sit up securely.

Saturday morning, we met Rachel, Curtis, and Abram down by the waterfront to walk around and go to lunch. We haven't seen them in months, so it was nice to get together. There are all sorts of walking/biking trails down by the river--sadly, we have never been down there before! I think we'll definitely go back--there was a neat Abraham Lincoln statue, lots of benches to sit and watch the action on the river, grills and picnic tables for a picnic/cookout, etc. It's a nice slice of nature nestled right next to the 'city' landscape.

Lewis and Abram, having a chat.

And it was THIS BIG!

Happy Boy

:)

As I mentioned before, he still doesn't do well with the restaurant highchair, so he has been ending up in our arms a lot when we go out to eat. This restaurant wasn't super crowded and we were seated outside, so we ended up putting down a blanket next to the table for him to stretch out on for awhile.

In closing, the goats:

Our fence is the wooden one on the right side of the frame

(which conveniently doubles as the right side of their pen).

God Bless America (they have an American flag on the gate)? Or not. :)

I went yesterday for some 'me' time (which was amazing--thanks again, Kevin) and while I was out getting a pedicure and a much-needed haircut, I picked up some tarps and rope to try to make them HOPEFULLY be more out-of-sight/out-of-mind for Peter. Hattie has stayed away from them for the most part, although Kevin did see her snap at them under the fence the other day. Please, God, don't let us have a Dog vs. Goat Showdown.

Five Months Old!

Little Lew is FIVE months old today! This past month definitely went by faster than the previous one (perhaps because I was sick for 2/3 of it). Anyway, we are healthy and happy again.

Five Months Old

(and my shirt says 'Bean Blossom'--from Ben and Adie)

His stats (according to BabyCenter again this month, not the doctor's office):

Head Size: 18.25 inches (above the 95th percentile)

Length: 27.5 inches (between 90-95th percentile)

Weight: 19.3 pounds (between 75-90th percentile--trimming up a bit since last month!)

What he is doing this month:

• He is ticklish! We can get a good giggle out of him by tickling him in his ribs or by blowing raspberries (is the proper term when you face plant and make loud fart-like noises on his belly?).
• He has also started to laugh a lot at the dogs the past few days, especially Peter. Peter has been giving kisses on Lewis' face, feet, and hands and has been letting Lewis pet him and grab some fists full of hair. Lew loves it. Hattie is still avoiding him when he is up close, but both dogs like to come and lay in whichever room we are in (especially when we're nursing in his room).
• He suddenly has leg hair! I just noticed it glistening in the sunlight the other day. He is becoming a little man. :)
• His hair is slowly lightening to blonde! It still looks fairly brown from far away, but up close and/or in the sunlight, it glistens.
• The past week or so he seems to have mastered the back-to-front roll AND the front-to-back roll both pretty fluidly. He is still waking himself up at night, but I think it's getting better (and that he's awakening for different reasons--see next).
• He is ever-so-slightly mobile. He spins on his belly, depending on where his toys are, whether the TV is on, where I am, etc. He scootches off of his blanket to get a stray toy. At night, this translates into him getting stuck either in the corner of his crib or perpendicular in his crib (so his head and feet are both banging the edges). He can't quite figure out how to back out of the corner or free himself from the perpendicular stick-age yet, so we're still working on that.
• He is now taking three naps a day instead of four. He was on 4 naps at 45 mins. each like clockwork there for a few months, it seemed. Now it is more like one for an hour, one for two hours (maybe), and maybe 45 mins. at the end of the day. He still seems to be adjusting to this new groove because he doesn't go down as easily as he used to. I'm considering this a time of transition. :)
• He loves to grab at things such as cups, sunglasses, hair, ears, noses, mouths, dogs, toys, etc.
• He found his 'friend' in the mirror next to his changing table the other night when Kevin was getting him ready for bed. He had rolled over and was staring at himself in the mirror, smiling, whacking the mirror, etc.
• Speaking of bedtime, we have gradually pushed his bedtime routine back to begin at 7:30pm (from 9, 8:30, 8, 7:45). Kevin changes him into his pajamas, reads to him, and then I come in to nurse him, and then put him to bed. [After he starts eating solids, we'll probably add a bath in there, too.] He is usually down and out by 8pm. He's been waking up 2 times a night. Usually around 2 or 3am, then again at like 6 or 7 am. I've been reading about night weaning and sleep training, but for now I've decided to try just offering him one side to see how that goes. He doesn't seem to have a problem with it so far--he goes right back down afterwards. I try to keep his 'wake-up time' to 8 or 8:15am. If he wakes up past 7:30, though, I just consider him up for the day and don't even mess with trying to get him to 8 o'clock.
• He is officially moving to his big boy carseat this weekend. He is just too heavy for me to carry to/from the car and hoist in and out of the car. I have been practicing with the Ergo the past week or so, and I love it and he does pretty well in it. I can definitely see myself wearing him comfortably for much longer than I ever could in the Baby Bjorn. It has always hurt my back--probably because of my poor posture. Regardless, the Ergo works best for me. And we bought an umbrella stroller on clearance before he was born, so I'm going to keep that in the car for non-Ergo occasions and put the trusty, best-$30-I-ever-spent-on-craigslist, Snap 'n Go in storage along with the infant seat and base. :) Oh, and we practiced with the highchair (one of my concerns with ditching the infant seat) at home and out at a restaurant last weekend. At home was great because it has a full harness to hold him upright. At the restaurant, he spent a lot of time leaning back to look up at all of the ceiling fans or falling forward, so we spent most of the meal bracing him upright. He'll get better at it though. In Target, Kroger, etc., I'll have to Ergo-It because I know he isn't able to sit in a cart yet.
• He seems to be a fan of 80s music. We went to see Super 8 last weekend while my parents were down visiting (and babysitting), and I came home with My Sharona in my head all week...and there it is again! Dang it! Oh well...he likes it. :)

Happy Friday!

The Giggle Monster

While Lewis and I had a bit of 'trying day' today with shorter-than-normal naps and general fussiness, he was more than thrilled when Kevin got home from work. He was giggling at him, at Peter, at everything. Here is a little bit that I captured--I wish I could bottle up that sound! Enjoy! :)

Summertime Bliss and Papa's Birthday

Well, summer is officially here! It is hot, humid, and our grass is dying--and it's just barely July! We are (mostly) feeling better now, so I've been trying to get out and run errands again, cook actual meals for dinner, keep the house in some sort of working order, and start a regular walking routine with Lewis in the morning before it gets too hot. We walked this morning, so it's a start.

We were soooo super excited last week when a very summer-y care package arrived from Aunt Adie and Uncle Ben! In addition to two wonderful children's CDs by John McCutcheon, Ben and Adie included some tie-dyed onesies for Lewis! Every week, campers get to tie-dye a Waycross T-shirt or bandanna or whatever. Also, while we were on staff, the 'thing' to do was to go to the small grocery store in Bean Blossom, IN, to buy your very own 'Beautiful Downtown Bean Blossom' T-shirt. They come in all different colors. Now, thanks to B&A, Lewis has one of his very own! :) Thanks, guys!

A happy camper!

Summertime also means grilling time at our house! Kevin strapped Lewis into the Baby Bjorn the other night when he got home from work and gave him his first Manly Grilling tutorial. :) We made a twist on some fiesta burgers we've had in the past. The original recipe is a burger with a pocket of salsa and cheese inside. This time, we added green chilies to the meat (yum!), and Kevin/Lewis gave them a perfect char on the grill. Best burger of my life. We made 4, so we'll get to eat them again tonight! Burger, asparagus, macaroni and cheese, and a cold beer--summer bliss!

Father/Son Grilling Time

Lewis is completely fascinated by what we are eating, and especially drinking, these days. He seems to like to hear ice clank together and loves to suck on the bottom of a cold cup. While we were outside grilling the other night, and he became totally engrossed in Kevin's cup of beer.

Like looking in a mirror?

Oooh, what is that sparkling, cold beverage I see?

Give it to me.

Oh, come on!

Totally, completely fascinated!

Another sign of summer is Kevin's birthday (yesterday)! The big 3-4! It was a bit difficult to get Lewis to sit still long enough for a picture. He either tipped forward or kicked his feet in the air wildly. He is turning into a wild man!

Baking Kevin's birthday cake took a lot longer than usual this year! I had to time it during naps (or pop Lewis into his bouncy seat for a bit in the middle of the kitchen floor). I baked the cake first thing in the morning so it had time to cool. Then I made the icing during the 2nd nap and put it away to cool. Then I decorated during the 3rd nap. I went with a "Grill Master" theme this year...I make no claims about being an artist, so the grill is a bit conceptual. :) And the burgers and hot dogs turned out a bit 'rare' (pink and red icing will do that, I guess). It tasted good, which is what matters most! It was chocolate cake (triple chocolate fudge cake, rather) and cream cheese icing.

Kevin made it home from work in enough time to run out for a quick dinner at A.P. Crafters (a new place up the street). We had just enough time after dinner to sing Happy Birthday, blow out the candles, and snap a few pictures. Then we had to pause for L's bedtime, and then Kevin opened his gifts.

Make a wish!

Happy birthday, Papa!

So that is that! We have had to cancel some plans recently due to our never-ending illness(es). We were supposed to go help the Butts demo their bathroom last weekend and were supposed to go to Newport Aquarium with Keith, Maggie, and Colin the weekend before that. For now, we're starting to plan for and are looking forward to a week in Maine (Lewis' first flights!) with my parents at the end of July. Then a make-up trip to the aquarium in August! Still need to plan a weekend to go up and spend some time with the Butts and friends.

I think this weekend my parents are coming down for a visit, so that should be fun!