We recently spent a two week vacation in St. Louis from mid-late July. It was a wonderful, although very hot, time spent seeing our family and friends! Our first stop was going straight to Mema and Papa's neck of the woods for the fair. We drove from Dubuque to their area, in New Florence, and the timing worked out just perfectly because their county fair and parade was beginning that night. We knew MJ would have a blast at the parade and were looking forward to sharing this time with Mat's folks!
Just a couple years ago, we took MJ to this parade, which was his first parade ever. This was just a week or two before moving to Dubuque. That year MJ cried through lots of the loud sirens from the parade and slept through most of the fair.
My how he's grown since then!! That year it was even chilly and I had him snuggled under a blanket. Imagine a chilly July day in St. Louis?! Crazy! Fast forward a few years, several degrees, a sibling, and a cousin...
Three Generations!
Mark (Papa) with his two sons and their children.
MJ and cousin Lily parade watching
Charlee hanging out with Mema at the parade
Mema and her girls!
Thought the fan might help keep those poor red cheeks cool, but instead she thought she'd eat it!
We all enjoyed a great parade together and then walked over to the opening of the fair. This is the first fair MJ's been to since he's been old enough to enjoy it a bit. We weren't really sure if he'd ride any rides by himself, but bought the armband (tickets) with hopes that he would. Our little guy blew us away that night! Here was his first ride ever...
I never knew watching my son on a ride would make me so sappy! It's funny how being a mom turns me to complete mush at things I would have never dreamed of. Seeing MJ enjoy himself that night though was PURE joy. It brought tears to my eyes to watch him smile and get so excited as he gained his independence and experienced these things for the first night. Traveling can be rough on a three year old. Although he gets to have lots of fun and many wonderful experiences, he's away from his sense of normalcy for awhile. I was so glad we were able to start our trip off with a night focused on him having fun. He was all smiles!!! At the end of the night, after the parade and fair, we pulled into our hotel, and before getting out of the car he said "I had a good day." You did indeed little boy, and that's what it's all about!
Oh, and Charlotte stayed awake well past her bedtime the entire time we were at the fair. She was such a good baby and a wonderful little trooper! Both kiddos konked out at the hotel and Mat and I did as well!
Sweet 3 year old MJ reading to little 6 month old Charlotte
At the very end of June, both kiddos were due for pediatrician visits...Charlotte for her 6 month check up and MJ for his 3 year check up. We scheduled them back to back and geared up for quite a long doctor visit. Both kids did great!
Charlotte turned 6 months old on June 23, 2012 (yep, I'm still playing catch-up on the blogs). She was such a happy, smiley girl that morning when I was taking her pics. I couldn't believe how big she was looking in these pics!
Charlotte's 6 month stats were: 18 lbs. (83%)-hadn't gained an ounce since her 4 month visit, 27 inches long (87%), and head circumference was 44 cm. (86%). They weren't concerned that she hadn't gained anything since her height was still progressing and she obviously is still has plenty of meat on her bones. ;) All her percentiles were very consistent and proportioned. She received 3 vaccines at this appointment, but didn't seem to demonstrate any side effects or reactions this time. She was a great little patient at her appointment, of course crying for those shots (which mommy hates, too) but stopping immediately when being picked up and cuddled afterwards.
At 6 months, Charlotte experienced many firsts...
First two teeth arrived together!
First finger food-a Gerber puff
This was her first attempt. She's now shoveling them in like a pro!
First go with a sippy cup of water
First barrette...quite a big day in the life of a baby girl! ;)
First time sitting up like a big girl!
She literally went from showing no interest in sitting up to sitting like a pro in one night! We'd almost been laughing about it because she really didn't seem interested in trying to sit at all. When you'd prop her up, she'd just lunge herself backward and seemed more content laying on her back. Of course one night when I was gone, she decided to put on a show for daddy and sit up! Since then she's been sitting like a pro.
Charlotte rolls around quite a bit now. She's rolling and moving around in her sleep seeming to mostly prefer sleeping on her side or her belly now. She's still nursing about every 4 hours during the day and eating solids 1-2 x per day as well. She seems to like most foods that she tries. Poor thing has had tummy issues since starting solids, so prunes seem to be a frequent food that we have to feed her. ;) I'm hoping that this works itself out and we don't have to resort to any medicine in the future. Charlotte goes to bed at about 7:30 and wakes in the morning also around 7:30. Unfortunately, in between that time is rather inconsistent. She wakes up at least once around 4:30AM to eat, but then many nights she's waking up once before then as well, around 1:30AM or so. I know she doesn't need to eat that often, so I try to calm her and get her back to sleep on her own. Some nights are more successful than others. She was such an amazing sleeper so early on at 12 straight hours, so I'm looking forward to the time when we get back to that routine. She takes two naps during the day. She seems to be a pretty good sleeper, but doesn't seem to require as much sleep as MJ did at that age.
Seriously, what's sweeter than a soundly sleeping baby?
Our big 3 year-old checking out the Cars exhibit at Dubuque's River Fest
Our pediatrician suggests doing the 3 year check up closer to 3 1/2 because it's a lengthy appointment and requires quite a bit of cooperation on the part of the little patient, so the older the better. I think this definitely worked to MJ's advantage. He did a great job, and this was one of the first times that he hasn't freaked out at the doctor's office. They made many of the tasks into a game with him, and he was eager to please. He even thought peeing in a cup was quite the fun task! Ha!
MJ's 3 year stats were: 38.25 inches tall (48th %) and 31 lbs. (30%). His vision and speech were screened as well. He passed both, but between a little bit of concern on our end and a little bit on their end, we've decided to have his speech reevaluated one more time by Keystone, which are the early learning services offered through the public school system.
MJ makes us laugh on a daily basis! He says the funniest things so innocently. Of course he's three, so he's quite good at testing our patience as well. When asked to do something, his favorite responses are "maybe tomorrow, soon, and not right now." Or when you ask him if he'd like to go somewhere, change activities, etc. he likes to rattle back a different order and then finish up with "that a good idea!" For example: "MJ, we need to get dressed and eat breakfast." "Maybe we watch a show, eat breakfast, and then get dressed. That a good idea!" I'm telling ya, this kid is quite the negotiator.
He loves to be on-the-go! Most days he asks to go "bye-bye". He likes to keep busy visiting friends, playgrounds, restaurants, etc. He might be in for a shock once winter approaches and we spend a lot more time indoors again. He's still a wonderful sleeper at nighttime, typically sleeping 11-12 hours each night. He's beginning to phase out of naps. Some days he still naps a couple hours, but the actual act of getting ready for nap time has become quite a struggle. We're changing up the routine a bit in preparation for a change in schedule once he starts back to preschool this fall, and encouraging him to just have quiet time in his room where we can read books, play quietly, or rest if he feels like it.
Trains continue to be a favorite of MJ's. Trains, cars, paint, and this kid is all set! We've been using a new behavior reward system with him where he earns little pom poms in a bucket for good choices. When he earns 10, he gets a new little toy. Of course, he's picked out a new train or car each time.
I began this summer being diligent about working with MJ on his letters, numbers, and a few first sight words. He had fun practicing his letter and number of the week in shaving cream! I love making a plan for working with him. It brings out the teacher in me of course, and he really thrives with it. I've struggled big time in sticking with it though with all our summer activities, guests, and travels. I'm hoping once we get settled in our new house, I can get back on the ball with this.
Practicing sight words with MJ
What an incredible blessing these two healthy children are. It feels like time is flying by so much more quickly now that I have 2 children. I still feel like Charlotte should be a newborn. Days can be challenging and very tiring, but I am so incredibly grateful to be their mommy. It's not a role that I ever take for granted. I love watching them grow, develop, and learn.
We took our first mini trip as a family of 4 right after July 4th. We only ventured a little over an hour away to Madison, WI, but it was perfect! I don't think we stopped smiling the entire time. Seriously.great.memories.made! Okay, well except for the speeding ticket on the way home. ;(
We started by meeting the Saylor Family at one of our favorite spots, the Madison Children's Museum. They were vacationing at the Dells and met us over in Madison for the afternoon. The kiddos had a fun time playing together!
Happy to be at the children's museum!
Charlotte was even able to enjoy the baby play area this time!
After lunch with the Saylor's, our family headed to check into our hotel. I'd found out about a hotel in Madison, through some local friends, that has a water play area geared towards little ones. I've been dying to take MJ there for the last several months, and was so glad we could finally make a little get away out of it. It did not disappoint, to say the least!
MJ was quite at home in the hotel room playing with his beloved choo-choos. Thanks, Miss Meg for this awesome take-along track. Now we're never without trains! ;)
Little miss hanging out in her baby jail crib. :)
I told ya we were all smiles! The kids were so happy, which of course made us so happy!
After settling in, it was time to gear up for the pool! Who's ready for some swimming?! These two cuties!
This was Charlotte's first time in a big pool, and she seemed to love it. She happily played in her baby raft and enjoyed splashing in the water.
Mat and I were both shocked at how comfortable MJ seemed to be in the water! Last summer he was extremely timid, even with swim lessons, but this year it was quite obvious he was ready for the challenge! He started out with this water slide in the kid area. It was perfect for little ones! Lots of small water slides, fountains, and areas to climb about and wade around in. He was in absolute heaven, and we were loving every minute of watching him!
I was one happy mama!
We hadn't been there all that long when MJ really surprised us by asking us to go down the bigger water slide in the regular pool. He had tried one last year, with Mat, at Dubuque's public pool, and was not a fan of it at all, so I didn't really think he'd even be interested in this one. He insisted though, so we encouraged it. I thought after going down one time, he'd be over it. Not the case at all though. I can't even count how many times he went down this slide. The first day there we had a little system of Mat being at the bottom of the slide ready to catch him and me being at the stairs ready to watch him make it safely up the stairs. Look at my boy go!!
After lots of water play time, we freshened up and got ready for dinner. We were given such great deals at the hotel restaurant that we couldn't resist! Free appetizers, two free drinks, and kids eat free? Yes, please! It was awesome food nonetheless as well!
Charlotte was cracking me up at dinner that night! Her hair was like a wild woman after the pool and she had worked up quite the appetite! She was pretty new to eating baby food and puffs and I couldn't keep the food coming fast enough. Loved this pic of her little personality coming out!
This was our first time all sleeping in a hotel room together, and we had no idea what to expect, but it went pretty well. MJ started out on a sofa bed and Charlotte in her crib. Both kiddos actually went to sleep okay, with a little coaxing, but in the middle of the night MJ ended up in our bed. Charlotte did fairly well. The next morning we geared up and got ready for the pool again!
Sportin' her first bikini and ready for the pool!
After sadly checking out of our hotel, it was off to lunch and then for a grocery shopping stop at Trader Joe's. Love this store, and look forward to shopping there a few times a year at least when we visit Madison!
MJ agrees that it's pretty cool, too!
Then, it was back home, and back to reality. This was an amazing weekend spent together as a family though. There were many times I teared up just watching my kids and enjoying our time spent together. I think one night away was perfect for them. It was long enough to be different, exciting, and fun, but not so long that we got cranky or over tired. We'll definitely be visiting this hotel again, and I see some annual family fun in our future in Madison!
It was hotter than hot, but Charlotte celebrated her first 4th of July just a little less than a month ago.
Our little firecracker at 6 months old!
Flashback!! I still love this picture of MJ on his first 4th of July 3 years ago.
Our Independence Day was very low key. We took the kids to the aquarium. It was packed, as I guess everyone was trying something fun to do that didn't require being outdoors. Did I mention it was super hot?!
The girls,
and the boys before heading to the aquarium!
No fireworks even this year. The kiddos were in bed and we were relaxing on the couch by the time they even started. Our new house is one of the hot spots for one of the local firework displays, so hopefully our future 4th's include some fireworks!
Back at the end of June, yes I realize that was over a month ago, and yes I'm still trying to get caught up, Mat had to travel to Texas for work. He was taking his business club to their national competition, so that left me home with the kiddos for four days. You know what that means? Gigi to the rescue! I'm so thankful my mom was able to sneak away from her life for a bit and come lend a hand. I'm a big fan of man on man defense rather than being outnumbered by two little ones. ;)
We kept very busy while she was here and had a GREAT time! Great memories were made...
We visited the our local aquarium, the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. We have a family membership so that we can go frequently. Totally worth they money! We saw the Dolphins and Whales movie while there and MJ was happy to pose with his new whale (little did he realize he picked out a shark) that Gigi got him after the movie was over.
We also went to the Arboretum. I've wanted to take mom (and dad, too) here for a long time. We took Mat's grandparents when they visited early this summer, which was also the first time we'd explored it very much, and I knew that taking mom was a must for her next trip. We had a beeeautiful day to go! We picked up some sandwiches, and headed to Marshall Park, where the Arboretum is, for a picnic and playtime first. MJ was happy to play on the playground at the park, and then we took a stroll over to check out the Arboretum. My only regret is that we hadn't fully explored this area sooner. It is so gorgeous!! Besides beautiful flowers all over the place we discovered a beautiful pond where you can feed the koi fish, waterfalls, tons of walking trails.
Gigi and her grandbabies
Feeding the fish with my little man
Love this pic that Gigi took of Charlotte! Look at those beautiful blues, and you can see her first tooth poking through on the bottom.
Feeding fish with Gigi
So peaceful!
Love this boy!
There wasn't a ton of down time, but when we were at home we spent time just playing and loving on the kiddos. Mom got to spend lots of time playing trains with MJ and helping with Charlotte...
Gigi feeds Charlotte prunes
What? Did you say that was prunes?! Uh oh...
Thanks for all your help, mom! It truly was such a great visit! It reminds me how much I wish we lived closer.
