Summer 2012 - Part 1

Summer has been so busy!   We are having a blast.  Here are some highlights of the first half of summer 2012!

Summer Hill Block Party - we had so much fun with all of our neighbors at the block party.  There was face painting, a balloon artist and a DJ!

The Pools - We have been spending lots and lots of time at Summer Hill Swim Club and Hillendale.  We love being at HCC with Mason, Preslee and Finley.  The kids are little fishies. Isabella now puts her head under water and can kick from one end of the pool to the other using a kick board.  She also makes me so proud when she goes right up to other kids at the pool and asks them to play.  She is always "making new friends." Alex amazes me daily.  He can dive. He does front flips off the diving board.  When I asked him who taught him that one, he said, "Griff asked if I could flip and I said I don't know.  Let me try! And I can!" This summer he also swam for the 6-0 Hillendale Hurricanes.  He has quite a collection of ribbons from his freestyle, backstroke, and breast stroke heats.  He also won rookie of the year!  Zachary loves the water, just like his brother and sister.  He loves to sit and splash in the fountains.  Mommy and Daddy are also enjoying the Happy Hours at the pools with their friends too. 

The Beach - We have already been to the beach three times this summer.  Nana and Pop Pop just bought a condo on the beach!  It is perfect for the kids, especially Zachary.  When it is too hot out, I can sit up on the deck and still feel like I am on the beach!  We have loved being at the beach with our families and friends.  The kids have played in the ocean, built forts out of boogie boards, umbrellas and towels, had sleepovers at Grandma and Pop's with Jake, Sophie and Luke, visited Samantha and Eva in Bethany, gone to Ava's birthday bash on the beach, gotten "tattoos" at Fish Tales and treats at Candy Kitchen, and Mommy's favorite - stayed on the beach late in the evening.  Mommy and Zachary have even watched the sun rise over the ocean.

Fourth of July-The last Saturday in June, we met all of our friends at Jacksonville Elementary to watch the fireworks.  We staked out our land with lots of blankets and had quite a gathering of people.  The kids played on the playgrounds and ate snowballs!  Then on Sunday we headed to the beach for a week.  Jay and I have spent 9 of the past 11 Fourth of July's in OC.  Our kids have been there every year of their lives! We spent the day on the beach with our cousins and the Atkinsons.  Then we ate dinner at Hidden Harbor with our families and then went to the park to listen to music and watch the fireworks. Zachary was completely mesmerized.  And this year as we watched the night sky illuminated in color and listened to the patriotic music it was bittersweet as we remembered Aunt Mickey, Grandma Mela, and LoLo.

Play Dates, Camps and Sports- So far this summer, the kids have also kept busy with play dates, camps and sports!  Alex has been taking tennis lessons, he went to Camp Hillendale and Camp Invention.  At Camp Invention, his group created the BB (Balloon Buster) 6000, an invention that pops water balloons!  Alex was chosen to demonstrate the BB 6000, and it worked on the first try!  He also earned his Blue Belt in karate and participated in a Sparring Tournament. He has most his play dates at the pools where he meets up with kids from school and off he goes to swim or play on the playgrounds.  Kaitlyn and Isabella spend hours and hours at one each other's houses playing, doing crafts and sometimes getting into a little bit of mischief. (It sounded like a good idea at the time to use berry scented antibacterial gel as hair gel). It is one of my favorite pastimes to listen to the imaginations of those two girls (and Alex too) when they play together. Isabella went to camp at her preschool and to Ballet Camp with Finley.  The two beautiful Beynon girls stole the show in their recital at the end of the week! Even Mommy and Daddy have been trying new sports.  Daddy has taken up tennis, and Mommy is doing a Boot Camp to get back in shape!

Stay tuned for Summer 2012- Part 2!

Check Out These Numbers

I took Zachary to the doctor for his sixth month appointment!  He is growing well, but is still my little peanut.  He weighs 14 pounds 11 ounces and is 26 inches long.  Dr. V. was very happy with his development.  He said I should start feeding him three meals of solids a day! 

I have an app on my phone where I can keep track of Zachary's eating, sleeping and dirty diapers.  It is really the only way I can remember the last time I fed him or what time he woke up from his last nap.  Who needs a pen and paper when you have the iPhone?

Since birth Zachary has nursed 1,581 times for a total of 207 hours.  I have pumped 2.1 gallons of milk, and he has had 88 bottles.  I have changed a total of 1100 diapers!

Half Birthday

Zachary,

Happy Half Birthday!  For six months you have been a part of this family, and I can barely remember what life was like before you were born. We love you so very much.  You remind me of your sister with your social personality.  Nowadays you hardly ever want to nurse during the day, because you are too busy turning your head to see what Alex and Isabella are doing.  You smile that toothless grin at everyone and look at them expectantly, wanting them to entertain you! You carry on whole conversations, and we all wonder what you are saying! You remind me of your brother by being a sweetheart yet all boy at the same time.  You grab our faces and pull them towards you to "kiss" us.  You love to cuddle in the morning.  You look so much like Alex as a baby, yet you have your own look about you too!  Alex always tells everyone, "He looks just like me when I was a baby, but I was fatter!"  That is very true.  I am loving putting you in Alex's baby clothes and taking your picture. 

You are a lucky little boy, because your brother and sister cannot get enough of you.  Alex calls you "Zacky" and Isabella calls you, "My baby." I'm pretty sure you are the most kissed and hugged baby in the world.  Sometimes I literally have to pull them away from you.  But you adore them and the attention they give you.

So many more firsts this month...

I finally decided to put you in your crib for naps and bedtime.  I miss you so much, but you love spreading out in your crib and listening to the same mobile Alex used listen to when he was falling asleep.  And since you are still waking up to nurse once or twice in the middle of the night, we still get our quiet time together.  I sit in the rocker in your room and we cuddle up under a blanket, and I rock you as you make up for all the time you didn't want to nurse during the day!  And as nice as it would be to get more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep in a row, I promise I don't mind getting up with you.  I could cry when I think about how fleeting this time is, how quickly you are growing up.  I am enjoying every second of you being my baby. 

This month you also tried formula, apples, peaches, sweet potatoes, and avocado for the first time.  You like the veggies better than the fruits.  You gobbled up half of a avocado for lunch yesterday. 

You went to Ocean City for the first (second and third) time too. On your first morning there, we watched the sun rise over the ocean.  It is something I will never forget. You've been to all the hot spots - Fish Tales, Tequila Mockingbird, and Grottos!  I lathered you in sunscreen, put clothes with SPF in them on you, sit you under the umbrella and your little arms still got tan!  You take after Alex in that way too!  You saw your first fireworks show!  You loved them!  As Izzy said, "You just stared and stared at the fireworks.  Not moving.  Not even blinking."

You are learning so much.  You try to clap your hands, you love playing with your toes, you say "de de de de" over and over.  You love to stand in your exersaucer and play.  And you are practicing sitting up by yourself.

This afternoon, we will celebrate the first six months of you life.  We will eat half a cake that I baked and give you a few little gifts that we picked out!  And I will make two wishes - one for me and one for you.  My wish I know will not come true, but I will hope and pray for it anyway!  I will wish for the next six months to go slowly.  I want you to stay my cuddly, slobberly, chubby little bubba for as long as possible.  And your wish has already come true - I will wish for you to be the sweetest, happiest, most adored little boy a family could ever love! 

A few more things I never want to forget about you at six months...

 You suck your thumb, your pacifier, my hand, but you more often than not fall asleep with the leg of your stuffed toy in your mouth.  You love to stick out your tongue and blow bubbles.  You love the water - the bath, the pool, the sink.  You kick your feet all the time, and you rub them together when your belly hurts.  You love, love, love to be naked.  You think it is so funny when I take your clothes off and say, "Naked Baby!"  You can be fussy and temperamental at times, but I can usually talk, sing, hug, kiss and dance you out of your bad moods.  And I hope that for all your life, I can be the one you come to when you need to feel better.  I will always be there with a smile and a hug.

I love you sweet boy! 

Mommy