5-months-old!

 Blake turned five-months-old on Tuesday! Look at those thighs (he weighed a whopping 20.6 lbs. today at the pediatrician's office since we were there for big bro's 3-year-check-up)...and, boy oh boy, these monthly growth pictures are getting interesting :-)

Big Brother likes to sit in with Blake for these pictures, and baby brother happily obliges. I just melt...

This past month flew by at warp speed...maybe because it seems that the little guy is not-so-little (who are we kidding, he's not been very little this whole time!) anymore. But this is such a FUN age! He's starting to show more of his personality, and he seems to be so enthralled with his surroundings. He has found his FEET and often likes to put them in his mouth :-)

Speaking of putting things in his mouth...

Poor little fella is dealing with teething and his first ear infections. He's a trooper! 

The activity mat, swing, and bouncer will be baby things of the past soon around here. He's a-scooting on his back (by drawing up his legs and pushing back), and he's arching A LOT these days. He still hasn't rolled over completely, but I know when he does, things will be a lot different. I am taking in as many "stationary baby" days as I can :-)

He has really started interacting with and turning around to the toys on his Jumperoo, and he goes to town on the jumping now! I need to remember to video him soon!!

Blake seems to be in a good routine these days, but it is somewhat lax (totally opposite of how I was with Jameston). Gotta be with a second child!! He usually goes to bed between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. (later on church nights), sleeps for 6-8 hours, nurses, and then is up for another feeding between 6 and 7 a.m. before falling back asleep again for another hour or so. I have been feeding him before I go into work, or else I bet he would drop that feeding...so, he's getting about 12-13 hours of sleep at night. He usually has a short mid-to-late morning nap, a longer mid-afternoon nap, and sometimes a cat-nap later in the afternoon (especially on days we are out and about around dinner time).

He's continuing to nurse or take a bottle every 3 hours or so during the day. Due to me not being able to keep up with the 6-7 ounce bottle quota he is having at daycare (and since I can hear his tummy growling when I feed him that one time at night), we are going to start him on rice cereal SOON! I bought it two weeks ago, just haven't made the move...we'll see if it helps! 

This little guy is sitting up well, with assistance, on the floor and in our laps, thanks to the Boppy and his new bath seat (the recliner was taking up too much space since I normally bathe both of the boys at the same time, and it had to go thanks to his new-found fondness for arching back):
 

Other things I want to remember about him at this age:

• He has started grabbing at my face or reaching for my hand when I feed him. So sweet! He is definitely grabbing at everything within his reach!
• He is a pro at taking his paci out of his mouth. Now if he can just perfect getting it back in...which he tries to do :-)
• Blake is starting to want his lovie around his face when he's sleeping...something we're not used to since Jameston wasn't ever interested in anything like that. And more and more he is liking sleeping on his side
• He recognizes himself in the mirror, and he seems to be noticing when we say his name...maybe?
• He pumps his right arm when he laughs or gets going
• He rests his arm on the side of the swing, kinda like he's leaning on the side of a car door looking out the car window :-)
• He LOVES touch-and-feel and the "crinkly" books at the moment, and he's even sitting in on some story time before big brother's nap (and grabbing ever-so intently at the pages...which is teaching Jameston some patience!)

This boy is SO giggly! Love his belly laugh!! And who gets him to laugh the most you ask? Big brother! Just take a look at this video:

Blake likes to help Mommy do chores some afternoons when he is up from his nap and big brother isn't quite yet...I really relish that one-on-one time so much! He's my lil' helper!!

And due to his recent ear infection and teething, he's "needed" a little more holding time...I don't mind it at all, but my back/neck can sure tell it!

We love our "Baby Blake!" Can't believe he's coming up on 1/2-a-year-old...we think he's a keeper :-)

Summer's last blast!

Last week we headed to the nearest splash park one last time
for the summer...


Since school was in session, Jameston had free reign of the place!


It was a little chilly, since it was in the low 90's :-) So he opted for the playground really quickly:


They have an expansive, color-blocked playground that is pretty expansive as well.


We'll be back next summer!



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Jameston is 3!

To our oldest on your 3rd birthday,

Indoor (and outdoor) summer fun!

Since summer is almost over, I need to include a post about all of our fun activities we've enjoyed with friends! In early August, we headed to an indoor jumphouse/playground place in Plano called CooCoo's. Let me just say, we WILL be going back!! 

I think I paid $12 or $15 for a pass for 4 kids, so we invited three of Jameston's buddies from church to try it out with us. 

Cute Miss Charlotte

Sweet Emmie

Too cute!

Buddies!

The girls watching the safari train

Blake and Andy-future best buddies!

We also hit up the splash park in Allen, Celebration Park, several times. Emmie and her mommy and brother were with us for this trip...

Cuties

Aww...

Having a blast!!

Love his laugh!

We also went to an indoor safari place near my dad and stepmom's. Another Groupon or Living Social deal, so worth it! I paid $5 for a play pass for JW, and us adults got in for a whopping $1.

I think this was his first ball pit. Really!

LOVED the trampoline. I see us getting one in the future!

Blake had some bonding time with Pops

and GG!

We also went to Hawaiian Falls twice this summer. Our church gets tickets at a discount, and we definitely wanted to take advantage of the fact that JW is still 2 (and is free) this summer! I neglected to take many pictures, but here is one...

Already looking forward to next year when Blake can participate more in our summer fun!



Lowcountry Vacation

At the end of August, we took a trip to Georgia and South Carolina. For both the departure and return flights, we left early. The boys did great and napped on the way there/back...but they were probably thinking, "Mom and Dad, what are you doing to us?" :-)

Boys and their gadets..

Blake did well on his first flight, despite VERY bad diapers on the flight there AND back (I mean, so bad Mommy even had to have a wardrobe change when we landed in Savannah!)

We flew on a three-seater commercial plane, and the lap child/parent are not allowed in the single seat. So, I was with both boys with Brett across the aisle, a little tricky if I was nursing Blake and Jameston needed something...

Once in Savannah, we ate at the Pirate's House, a southern food restaurant with a lot of history (and Pirate accessories)

It houses the oldest, still-standing building in all of Georgia, built in 1753. Pretty neat, and supposedly haunted, room...

We only stayed in Savannah one night, so we visited the Riverwalk for dinner that night. The next morning, we were planning on heading to Hilton Head for some fun in the sun, but the weather had other plans for us. So, we continued to Charleston, where we checked in to our hotel, swam in the pool, and went to a "fancy" dinner that night. The next morning we hit up The Battery:

Jameston had a ball! And he kept calling these "grapes..."

 

That afternoon, we headed to the "BEEEACH!" as Jameston lovingly called it. He was pumped, to say the least, since he does not remember his first visit to a beach (at 9 months old). Blake was pretty ecstatic as well :-)

Taking it all in...

Do all boys love sticks? Or just mine?

We could not keep up with him, he was all over the place!

The following morning we headed to a fishing pier in Mount Pleasant, underneath the bridge leaving Charleston. 

It also had a great playground beneath it

We then headed over to some friends' house for brunch (lunch), then rolled the dice and decided to go on a tour to Fort Sumter, although it was during Jameston's nap time.

Family pic on the ferry

Blake was quite the 'lil tourist

One of the many cannons on the Fort

My guys taking in some US history

Flags on the top of the Fort

Instagram pics:

On our last full day there, we decided to head out to one of the many plantations in the area. We went to Middleton Place, based on a recommendation from a friend who recently visited with her family. It was a rice plantation built in the 18th century

Jameston and me in front of the Reflection Pond

Home to the oldest kept-up gardens in the US

JW LOVED the horses, of course

Taking a break! Felt like we walked every bit of the 110 acres, since it was not conducive for a stroller!

Beautiful place!

What else did we do on vacation?! Eat A LOT. Duh! We went to this place right across from our hotel, thanks to Urbanspoon ratings...

Me and my boys (and Jameston's CHEESY smile)!

I normally don't take pictures of our food, but could not NOT include something since we ate quite a bit of southern food. Shrimp and Grits, a popular dish

The Sweet Tee Glazed Salmon on Risotto-YUM!

We also ate a Dixie Cafe one morning, which was supposedly recently feature on the Food Network and highly recommended to us by a local. It is a dive and connected to a convenient store, but it sure was good! JW was a good sport and stood out front for me...the tomato pie was outta-this-world!

We decided to go back to the beach for our last afternoon/evening:

Wish Blake was looking at the camera :-)

Funny picture!

Again with the sticks...

This boy is a beach boy...could not get enough!

LOVE my boys! And LOVED our vacation!!