Two Months. Really?

Likes: showing off her sweet grin and giving the evil eye, putting her head on mom's chest and curling her legs up like a peanut, cooing at you when you talk to her, eating continuously, staring at the ladybugs on her walls, being outside especially where there is sun involved, playing in the bouncy chair, looking at moving ceiling fans and lights

Dislikes: her brother screaming "Bah!" in her face when she's trying to sleep, being in the car seat, laying on her tummy, when her feeding is interrupted, square farts

We don't have her official stats until her appointment with the pediatrician next week, but she is long and skinny. She sleeps between 6 and 8 hours in one block at night, and hates to sleep in the daytime. She has tried since day one to hold her head up and is getting really good at it. Her new goal is to sit up from laying down, because she tries that every chance she gets.

Grins and Fins

Claire has started smiling more and more each day. I first noticed her purposefully smiling a couple of weeks ago, but she wasn't doing it too often. More often than not, she was scowling. I was afraid maybe grumpiness is genetic and I'd passed it on to her. Then we broke out the bouncy chair, and that fear went away. Obviously she loves it! Her favorites are when we rattle the tiger or flip the bird in circles.

Fins might have been a misleading way to title this, but oh well. Mason started his first swimming lessons on Monday. They aren't wearing fins yet, but as you can tell from this shot about 10 minutes into the first lesson, he has absolutely no fear of the water. He is loving it!

For those who are wondering, we're taking him to Shinsel's Swim School Pool. They don't have a website or a listed number. It's a private residence with a huge lot, and the couple built a swimming pool for a large portion of their space. This is the 29th summer they have been open. We heard about them because Alan's parents are good friends with the owners, and Alan and his brothers went there for swim lessons while they were growing up. The pool is clean and beautiful, the water is warm, and there are only three kids in Mason's class.

They cost a bit more than your local rec center (not lots more, but a little bit), but I think it's very worth it and I highly recommend them. If you are interested in swimming lessons there, email me and I'll get it you their contact information. Mason is in the second session now. I believe the third session in August is already full, but openings will become available when people don't show up.

A Slidin', Wavin', Sparkin' Good Time

What is there to say about our Fourth of July weekend? Not much. We had a good time keeping it close to home and did some of what we always do. We took in Dad in a parade, played on a few blow-up slides, had a family barbeque (thanks to the hard work of Alan's family who was willing to hang with us), and lit some fireworks off much to Mason's delight.





We did not have the resident veteran with us this holiday because he's in New Jersey, but we did at least pause to reflect on how dedicated these men and women are. We are grateful for his service, their service, and the sacrifices of all those who came before. It is only thanks to them that as a family, we could celebrate so many good things in our life. We are free to raise our family the way we see fit; I hope we can leave our kids the same legacy.

How to wear out your preschooler

All you have to do is take him for a picnic at a park that has a really big hill. Also, the harder you laugh at his drunken staggering when he stands up, the more angry he gets with you.

Comparing Notes

Here's a side by side comparison of Mason at age one month and Claire at age one month. I'm not sure they look that much alike. You can tell they are related, but overall they look different. She has different cheekbones, a different mouth, less hair, and a thinner face. According to my mom, Claire looks a whole lot more like me as a baby (especially in build) than Mason did. Mason has always looked so much like his dad. Time will tell, but I think I need to apologize to Claire for passing on my freakishly huge/long feet.

Personality-wise, I'm not sure where they stand as far as similarities go. I can't remember all that much about six-week-old Mason's personality, other than he ate a lot and really hated being woken up. He was born in the winter, so it took longer to catch on to this, but they are both really outdoorsy. Claire will actually turn her head toward the sun and make content little noises. The first time I remember thinking Mason loved outside was when we took him camping at five months old. He sat in his bouncy chair and stared at the trees moving all day long. I have a feeling Claire will do the same thing given the opportunity.

I'm hoping Claire takes after Mason in sleeping, though. He slept consistently through the night at eight weeks and has never really looked back. Claire has had a couple of all-nighters already, but she seems to be a stickler for that 3:30 am time slot. I have admit that I like it, too. It's my only real chance to spend some one-on-one quiet time with her so I can know all this stuff!

Another week, another trip to the grocery store

Hey, look! I'm keeping up with something I started! Here is our menu plan for the next couple of weeks:

Black Bean Burritos ($8.70, most stuff on hand)
Jerk Chicken Pineapple Pasta ($5.78)
Sausage Potato Bake and green salad (about $10.00)
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn (for Father's Day, no recipe) ($9.50)
Grilled Halibut with pineapple salsa and rice (Harmon's salsa, no recipe) ($14.63)
Honey Chicken Kabobs and green salad (I'm going to half this recipe) ($10.50)

Treat: Peach Cobbler with vanilla ice cream (one of the few desserts Alan truly enjoys, also for Father's Day) ($10.46)

Also, I'm not very inventive with healthy side dishes. If anyone has a good idea for fresh fruit and veggie sides that aren't just a plain green salad, I would love to have it!