Labor Day Games

Each Labor Day our community hosts the Annual Labor Day Games. The first year that we were here Julia was sick. No games. Last year I'd just had Brendan. No games. This year we made it! The weather was great and everyone had a great time. Julia was able to participate in the "Penny Pile" which is simply a big pile of sand at the beach that the organizers had hidden numerous pennies in. They do it by age, so the youngest kids (4 and under) got the first chance at it. Everyone was supposed to look for the "lucky penny" which was flat, had "lucky penny" written on it and was worth $5. Julia didn't find it but found her first penny and proudly brought it back to us. Maybe thinking she was done because we had to urge her to go back for more if she wanted them.

Next was the 3-legged sack races, by age groups. Julia and I participated in the Adult with Child group. They specified that there was no carrying of the child to make it to the finish line first. Darn!

We had a really fun time. Julia is in the striped shirt and jeans skort in these photos.

Brendan Boy Turns ONE!

It's hard to believe that Brendan is one. Not because the year flew by. It took a long time to get here! I know everyone says it but it really is amazing how much they change in a year. From being a true newborn, and having meningitis and spending almost a week in the hospital to battling the reflux and the other digestive problems, he's truly a changed little guy. He is completely healthy, happy and always active. Always. He never stops.

I know that I shouldn't compare, but I'm going to. This is really more for me and keeping a record than me thinking anyone is really interested in the things I'm about to write. :-) Julia could always nap and for a long time, and she loved it. She still loves her naps and sleeping, which is great now. When she's a teenager I'm sure it won't be the treat that it is for me these days. It was between 2 and 3 that she gave up the morning nap. Brendan already has. Julia would often wake up, still tired and it would take a bit for her to get started again. Brendan wakes up ready to go. We walk into his room and he's in his crib, jumping up and down, squealing and ready to get OUT!

Julia has always been very verbal and all about communicating with us. Always happy to learn new words. Brendan is more focused on exploring and he just communicates differently. He's more coordinated than she was at this age and is happy playing independently or with us. Julia's never really been a fan of the independent play.

Julia's always had a big appetite. She still loves her food. Almost all food. Meals take a long time with her. It's like she's making each meal an experience. Very little was and has ever been lost to the floor. Brendan seems to be a little more particular about what he eats, but it's still early. He eats relatively quickly and is the messiest baby I've ever seen in a high chair. More than half the food, at least, ends up in his lap, stuck to his bib, in his hair, on his face, in between his fingers and once between his toes. I dont know how our sitter, the amazing Cristina, keeps him clean considering that almost each time he gets a meal at home it ends up in a change of clothes or a bath.

Both of them love to swing, back and forth, as long as we'll indulge. They both love to laugh and jump and interact with each other and us.

The Year of the Cicada

Julia was born in the year of the cicada. When she was almost a year I had put her in the car one nice summer day, with all the windows down and then put all of our bags in the back of the car. When I came back I found a cicada on her. She was just looking at it. No big deal. Can you see it on her leg in this photo?

This past Saturday we were cleaning up our perpetually messy yard. The storms that had come through from Hurricane Ernesto brought down a lot of leaves and limbs, so we were cleaning up. While picking up sticks we found a live cicada. Since Julia looooooooves bugs, we picked it up, took it to Daddy in the backyard and let it crawl on us. Here are photos from our latest cicada experience.

Me. Love. Cake.

Since Brendan's birthday was on Friday, the 1st, we decided to have his party on Sunday. We had a brunch with friends and family. Brendan had never had anything so sweet as cake, in his entire life. He was kind of tired, a bit cranky and ready to get down out of the high chair to play but once he got a taste of the goodness that is cake he was all over it. That's my boy!

Let's Celebrate!

Baby Grant Parsons is sitting next to Brendan in this photo. They're 5 weeks apart and seem to be interested in the same things... putting as many toys in their mouths as they can, moving around and eating. :-)

Photos Taken on His Actual Birthday

Boys vs. Girls

Julia's at school today and I'm home sweating it out with Brendan, waiting for our AC repairman to arrive. As hot as it is, nothing slows our little guy down.

I've told different friends at different times, I don't know if the difference in activity between Brendan and Julia is boy vs. girl, personality, or the second child wanting to keep up with the first. No matter what it is we're constantly amazed at the difference in activity level and risk that Brendan shows daily. Julia was largely happy to sit and play. She liked to crawl and was happy to finally walk but even when she could walk she only wanted to walk holding our hands for a loooong time. Brendan really is all about action. Even when he's drinking that last bottle in the evening, as my mom put it, "he's constantly moving."

So, I took these this morning. Julia would never have climbed into the bottom portion of the exersaucer much less try to stand up. Brendan does and did and loved every second of it. :-)

We're Back

Life has been busy. Andy was away this week and the past few weeks have been full of birthday parties and trying to get out to enjoy the summer. Here are a couple of photos taken during the past two weeks of both kids.

The photo from Julia's party was taken by the Parsons. THANKS!!!

Party Party Party!!!

Of course my camera retired the day of Julia's party. Here's a photo that our friend, Eileen Petersen took. Thanks Eileen!!!

Here She Is On her Actual Birthday

Tomorrow Julia is Three

I can't believe it's been three years! At this time three years ago I had been in labor of various stages for almost 15 hours and had actually had an easy time. Thank goodness for modern medicine. She was scheduled to join us on July 31 but she just didn't want to come out. So, at 4:50am on August 1st she made her entrance. More later. In the meantime, here's a photo taken *around* her birthday last year.

Mama, Watch ME!

Must. Eat. Sand.

I can't tell if this photo was taken before a handful of sand went into the mouth or after. Either way sand must not taste too bad to a baby.

Really, I'm Ready to Get Out

He's watching Julia as if he's wishing she might help him get down. I'm not doubting that someday they'll be partners in crime. Oy!

We Made It!

To the beach, that is. Since Julia started school in early June it seems like every nice weekend has been spent inside trying to get well. This was the first weekend all summer that we were well enough to get out and enjoy this heat and humidity. Awesome!

The Parsonses came over Sunday and enjoyed a swim with us. Here's a photo of baby Grant and baby Brendan enjoying themselves some lake :-) with their moms. They had a great time splashing, pulling on their hats, trying to eat sand and watching Julia.

Thanks to Ann Marie and/or Jason for this photo.

Brendan's First Haircut

Based on word of mouth I took Brendan for a long overdue haircut at a barber shop in Alexandria.

They had a special chair for infants that looks like a car. Cute. He did great! He sat there taking it all in as he always does.

The barber was great. He was gentle and fast and kept some hair for us.

Brendan came out looking like quite the little man. Everyone in the shop had a good time watching him have his first haircut. Here's a photo of Brendan before, with Julia.

...and after

I'll get a better photo once he's awake.

Sunday Afternoon

I bought this swing in the spring and forgot I had it. Looking for something else in the garage I saw it and realized that Brendan had been shortchanged yet again. After he woke from his nap I took him outside to try it out. When he saw it he immediately began to lean forward trying to get in.

Finally - Butterflies!

A few weeks ago at my parents place Julia was hunting for bugs as usual with Grandad. They found three really beautiful black, green and yellow caterpillars eating the dill that was growing. They, and a lot of dill, came home with us in the bug house.

Within a few days Andy noticed three cocoons in the bug house and the dill was all gone. This was quite a relief because I had worried that we hadn't let them go in time and I'd have to tell Julia yet again that her bug was "sleeping" and slyly let it out when she wasn't watching.

Yesterday I looked outside at the bug house as I always do when we return home from being out and there was a butterfly!!!! I was a little worried b/c of all of the rain that we'd had but I figured that every other cocoon was enduring the natural elements as well so why shouldn't ours?

Here's a photo with Julia and the first of hopefully all three butterflies to hatch. Do butterflies hatch? What do you call it when they emerge from their cocoon?

Another Photo

Will the House Float Away?

We've been sick in various ways at various times and lately it's been raining here. None of these scenarios has provided for good or fun photo ops for us. Here are a few that we've taken lately though.

Where Should I Go Next?

Blueberries are goooood

Julia's First Day at School

Today was Julia's first day at school. She'd been with her beloved sitter, Cristina, since she was 3 months old. Cristina is just awesome and it was really tough to say goodbye. At least Brendan is still with her.

At this point though it became time for Julia to move on to interact with more kids her age and do different things. As we entered the playground this morning all of the kids just walked up to her and stood right in front of her. Not saying a word. It was like being the new dog in the dog park without the sniffing. Thank goodness. Here are a few photos of her first day. This is her teacher, Miss Jo, in the photo.

Checking it all out With A New Friend

Brendan Thinks About all of This

He's not sure about not having Julia with him at Cristina's.

Ready at Home to GO!

What is that Racket????

Last night in the middle of the night there was a loud squawking sound that woke me up. Everything wakes me so this isn's saying much. We live in a lake community where there have been Bald Eagle sightings as well as all the other obvious animals you'd expect to find in a wooded setting near a body of water...heron, turtles, foxes, racoons, possums, wild Julia's.

Tonight Andy heard the sound again and went to check it out. He had already located it so he came back to get me. We walked down to the corner, and he pointed a flashlight way up into a tall tree. It was a baby racoon perched in one of several holes in the tree! He or she was leaning out and calling to someone for something. I hope it's ok. I'm sure it wanted nothing more than for us to turn off the light and leave it alone, so that's what we did, but I hope it gets what it's yelling for.

Am I the only one who didn't know that racoons lived in trees?

We both wished that J were awake and could have seen it. Maybe tomorrow.

The Petting Zoo

Last Friday we went to the Reston Petting Zoo with the Parsonses. Or is is Parsons' or just Parsons? I don't know.

Anyway, we saw all sorts of animals and since it was spring there were plenty of babies to pet and feed. Definitely the highlight for Julia was feeding a baby lamb with a bottle. She had a blast and when it was done asked for "more!"

This photo caught the expression of sheer happiness and excitment that she was doing it!!

What's a Prarie Dog?

More Animals

Can you tell I'm uninspired with my titles of these posts? This swan didn't seem to happy to see us but we showed up after at least one other school group had come through.

This Little Piggy

These little pigs were so cute! I wanted to take one home.

More Babies to Play With

I think she wanted to bring this one home.

And Finally...

It's FUN to chase geese around!