Seabrook Island

We spent the second week of September soaking up the sun with my family on lovely Seabrook Island in South Carolina.  James loved the beach... including the sand!  In fact... he had no problem eating it.  Ick!  We spent the week going for bike rides, hitting the pool and living it up on the beach.  It was so much fun and went way too quickly!  The only bummer was not having daddy and Drew with us.  Since Drew had just started school they couldn't make the trip.  They were missed!

Here are just a few highlights...

Checking out the ocean for the first time...

This is the life!

Lazy pool days

James was obsessed with pushing Chloe's pink raft around on the sand!

Cozy naps after playing hard in the sun and sand!

Cousin hugs!

Having fun with beach toys

More cousin fun!

Our blonde curlies... so cute!

No fear!  James just went right into the water.

Lovin the beach

Pool time with Pop!

A visit to the South Carolina Aquarium

Tot zone at the Aquarium

We are already counting the days until next year!  

Good Bye Sweet Summer...

We have been busy the past few weeks cramming in as much last minute summer fun as we could manage and consequently I have not been so good with keeping up with my posts!  Sadly, the days are getting shorter and cooler as evidenced by the fact that I am pulling on socks and a sweatshirt every morning before stepping foot on the chilly hardwood floors.  Ah... summer... you will be missed!  Here are a few remnants of those glorious, sun drenched days.

James enjoyed chillin in his stroller with a sippy cup of cold water and some Cheerios while we cruised the neighborhood.  Believe it or not he keeps those sunglasses on!

We spent one too hot Sunday afternoon at the Museum of Natural History.  James and Drew enjoyed checking out the fountain in front of the building.

James loves his big brother!  And Drew loves his little brother!  It is a joy to see these two have such fun together even with a twelve year age difference.  After our trip to the museum we enjoyed dinner at a nearby restaurant and then walked around the streets of Oakland checking out the Cathedral of Learning and the Carnegie Library.  It was a fun August afternoon!

The following weekend we headed north towards Moraine to go to Living Treasures Animal Park.  It was a neat place... many different types of animals, which is more than I had expected.  We enjoyed feeding the monkey's, bears, turtles, deer, goats, llamas and pigs.  Drew and his friend even took a ride on the back of a camel!

James has been busy, busy, busy and has just recently become a proficient walker!  We did lots of practicing towards the end of August.  His absolute favorite thing to do was walk up and down the sidewalk in front of our house with his lion walker.  He was quite a sight and got lots of honks and waves from the neighbors!

I am loving watching him accomplish new things, but walking has been the best so far!  He looks like a little mummy with his arms stuck out in front of him and his legs kicking out to the sides.  He is so proud of himself, especially when we praise him and he walks around with a big grin on his face most of the time.  He is smitten!

We spent the final weekends of summer at our lake cottage in Chautauqua relaxing on the deck, taking leisurely boat rides and kayaking.

And now we bid a fond farewell to summer...

On the move!

This is how we spend our days of late...  You look at me with surprise before getting into a little mischief!

Oh the pots and pans!  They are just too much fun!

You also love to play with our dirty shoes and chew on them.  Yum!

Those will not hold your attention long as you soon discover that the stairs are nearby and off you go!

Through the foyer...

And up, up, up.  You would do this all day long if I let you.  It never gets old!

You are such a busy little bee.  I love it when I go in to get you in the morning and you are standing at the edge of your crib jumping up and down anxiously awaiting my arrival.  There is just nothing like that joy on your face and it fills me up with joy also!  This is frequently how your hair looks first thing in the morning... adorable!!

After breakfast you play contently in the playroom for quite a while... sometimes with me and sometimes without.

We have so much fun together!  You love to pull yourself up to standing using me as a crutch.  Sometimes I let go and you stand on your own for a few seconds and then take a few steps.  You love when I praise you!

You are getting so good!  But you are still a little timid with walking and prefer to crawl really fast to get from one place to another.  We have been working on your motor skills as well... the shape sorter is a favorite.

It is so much fun to watch you master things!  This has been a wonderful summer to just enjoy seeing you thrive and grow.

The days are starting to get shorter.  The mornings and evenings are cool again and I am sad to see this time go.  But I know God has all kinds of good things planned just around the corner.

I praise Him for his provision, for His goodness and faithfulness.  He has showered us with abundance and blessings!

The LORD is my strength and my song; 

he has become my salvation;

He is my God, and I will praise him...

~Exodus 15:2

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby James!

Dear James,

Happy Birthday to our sweet baby... now almost a toddler!  Where did the year go?  It seems like just yesterday I was taking a long walk in hopes of jump starting my labor so that I would get to see your precious face for the first time.  It was that same day that we headed to the hospital awaiting your arrival!  You have grown leaps and bounds in your first year and accomplished so much... 

Meeting you for the first time!  You were 8lb 9oz and 20.5"

My 1 year old boy!  You are now 26 lbs and 32"!

You have been very busy since those first days.  As you come closer and closer to walking you have become quite the little explorer.  You are a boy in every way and we love it!  You navigate your way around the house through a combination of walking along walls and furniture and crawling and you have mastered climbing up the stairs... thanks to daddy:)  I can't take my eyes off of you for a moment as you are sure to be getting into a drawer, closing a door on your fingers, pulling a lamp by the cord from a table or getting into a waste basket and unraveling the toilet paper.  When you are awake there is no longer a dull moment!  You are eating mostly table foods and stills some chunky purees.  You also still love your baba and take four bottles of milk a day.  You are quite the persnickety one... it must be warm or you will not drink it!  We are working on the sippy cup and have no doubt you will master that soon.  You are still napping twice a day and sleeping 10-12 hours a night.  Your newest game is to shove your lovey in and out of the bars of your crib and down into the bumper.  Unfortunately that often means lovey ends up on the floor and then you cry hysterically until someone comes in to retrieve it for you.  We love that you love your bed and you also play well independently.  I typically put you in your playroom after breakfast and take a few minutes to clean the kitchen.  I love to listen to you chat and sing and usually find you looking out the window or flipping the pages of your books... a favorite past time.  You talk all day long and are getting close to saying some actual words!  The past few days we have heard a lot of "uh oh" and it is quite entertaining to watch you try to get the sounds out.  You are too cute!

My sweet baby James... you are more loved than you will ever know.  You are simply a joy in our lives.  As a celebration of our first year with you we invited family and friends to share in the fun while we hosted a carnival themed birthday party in the backyard!  Aunt Rini even made the trip all the way from Georgia with your seven cousins!  It was a very special afternoon.

We had a concessions stand with your cake, cupcakes and all kinds of other treats!

We had a photo booth!

Chloe and Max in the photo booth with funny hats!

Your cupcakes with fun toppers!

A year in photos so we could see how you had grown!

Your new chair from Nana and Pop

We decked out your high chair with balloons and a banner!

You smasher cake decorated with love by Mama!

When we first started to sing happy birthday you were a little unsure...

After a tentative first taste...

You went all in...

And loved it!!

It was a fun time!  By 7:00 you were done and I put you to bed.  Then I opened your gifts with the help of a few other little ones!  We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who came to share in our joy.  It was a very special day and we look forward to many more years of birthday fun!

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;

they will sing before the LORD...

~Psalm 95:12