This Summer ~ July

Aside from celebrating Independence Day and learning to swim, July found us...

 at the library

 at the fair

 out for walks/bike rides

 at the park

 at the beach

 and at the campground!

Learning to Swim

I signed both of the big kids up for swimming lessons this year which means we spent the past two weeks at the pool!  Two full weeks of back floats, front floats, flutter kicks, 'ice cream scoops' and other fun in the water...

L has become quite a little fish,

doing many of the skills all by herself!

I Man, on the other hand, agreed to go under water on the second day and said he was never doing it again.

  

True to his word, he escaped the dreaded 'water in the face' for the next 8 days despite lots of encouragement from his teachers.  :)

LJ was there every day too, he just might be their biggest fan.

They're pretty fond of him, too.

Today, L got to do both the diving board and the slide.  Oh, and her teacher said that she is "more than ready for level two" - woo hoo!

And so, another year of learning to swim is officially in the books on the blog.

Currently ~ I Man

loving swimming lessons (as long as he doesn't have to put his face in the water)

unplugging all the nightlights in the house and

taking things apart just to see how they work

asking if bad guys are real

wanting to play with LJ all. of. the. time!

earning all four prizes from the library's summer reading program and

choosing a monster truck book as his final prize

measuring everything with the new measuring tape he claimed from the box of stuff Grandpa R sent in the mail

playing soccer in the backyard

worrying that LJ might want to be the good guy during superhero play when he grows up and

asking if they can both be good guys instead

Currently ~ L

climbing the tree in the backyard

keeping track of all the 'fun stuff' we've done and have left to do this summer

asking me to paint her room

wishing she could ride her bike without training wheels

excelling in swimming lessons

acting out every movie or show she watches

practicing her 'lasso' after reading a book called Alice from Dallas

trying to make her baby brother smile and laugh

throwing the basketball 'granny style' and

making basket after basket as a result (she's up to 13, I think)

finding new friends wherever she goes

Three Months

Dear LJ, 

You are three months old today. You are such a sweet, happy baby. One of my favorite things about you right now (aside from the fact that I'm no longer feeding you at night) is the way you smile while I'm feeding you. The smile starts in your eyes and works its way down until I see the corner of your lips turn up.  It's adorable! Don't tell dad, but I will miss that about this 'baby stage.'  You're not a great napper, LJ (but thanks for the long nighttime sleep!). In fact, the only way you'll take your late evening nap (around 9pm) is in my arms and while sometimes it's frustrating to not be able to do anything else, I'm enjoying your snuggles so much! Your brother and sister, they adore you and the feeling seems to be mutual as L and I Man can get you to smile and laugh better than anyone or anything else! Dad and I are already wondering what kind of trouble those two are going to get you into some day!  Some day, but not today.  Today you are three months old, no longer a newborn, but still very much my baby.

                                                               Love you, Mom

At Three Months LJ:

eats 6 bottles a day every 3 - 3.5 hours and typically goes 9 hours between feedings at night (10:30pm - 7:30am, usually)

naps about 5 times a day, in the swing (with an occasional nap in the crib, which lasts no longer than 45 minutes, ever!).

sleeps about 8.5 hours at night swaddled in the bassinet in our room (though not without me giving him his pacifier and/or turning on the vibrator in his bassinet a few times, most nights)

likes his brother and sister, to be swaddled, baths, to be held, a burp cloth to play with/chew on, his toys (specifically the kind he lays under), the tv, tummy time (actually he tolerates this more than actually liking it...)

does SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT!, squeal, swipe at dangling toys (still by accident, I think), smile big, coo, laugh? (not really sure if he's laughing but it sounds like it or just a really happy, excited coo/squeal)

And now, a few snapshots from Month Three:

meeting J for the first time

being held by cousin K

as the third child, LJ has had to nap 'on the go' a bit more than my others, sometimes it works out, other times not so much...

during the week of VBS we had lots of baby time including dinner dates and shopping

angry eyes?

he enjoys the toy bar on his bouncer these days

but still prefers mom or dad or L or I Man

I told I Man to give LJ a toy

I Man loves LJ's 'new' toy, LJ loves I Man!




And, just for fun...
Left:  I Man @ 2.5 months, Right:  LJ @ 3 months

The 4th of July {in pictures}