Summer...with a 2 yr old and a 10 week old

Summer is fun. Bottom line. :)

But the definition of summer has changed QUITE a bit for me. As a teacher, it used to mean lots more down time, book reading, accomplishing projects in and around the house, training for triathlons, and a prepping little by little for the next school year.

I thought one kid was a big change. Then we had two. :)

I have a friend with two kids who are very close in age to Camryn and Taylor.  It is one of my favorite people to have play dates with because she totally GETS what it is like to have a toddler and a two month old. We can laugh at the stressful moments, smile at the silly ones, and we both understand that life revolves somewhat around feedings, sleep schedules, and diaper changes right now - and that it is all good stuff. :)
She invited us out to her house on the lake this week, and we totally took advantage of it...
Taylor and Ty...quite the little pair!

This summer, both kids are keeping me on my toes... and life feels busy, but also so much fun.

As always, this blog is a way for me to record memories and bits about our life that I don't want to forget...so....

Miss Taylor...

At the start of summer if I were to describe her in 4 words I would say inquisitive, attention-seeking, hilarious, and strong-willed. She picks up things extremely quickly right now. She knows exactly when she is being silly and loves to do things to make us (and herself) laugh. She knows what she wants and what she doesn't want.

(A new favorite past time - "Taylor's tent")

My favorite things she is up to right now...singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, counting to 20 (skipping a few of the teen numbers, but we are getting there), fearlessly and entirely enjoying the water and beach, and loving her "Bible Time" reading before bed at night.

And little Miss Camryn...

She is ten weeks old today, and she slept 9 hours last night. Nine hours! I put her down around 10, and she wasn't up until after 7am! I don't remember these long stretches with Taylor this early on, but I think part of that is being a little more confident and knowledgeable about the whole newborn sleeping thing, and not being so afraid to let her fuss herself to sleep for a few minutes if she needs to.

My favorite things about Camryn right now...sitting in the Bumbo seat contently for little stretches of time (which allows me to wash dishes, or fold some laundry, or get lunch or dinner made with both hands), cooing and smiling, noticeably recognizing me (when you go weeks and weeks without a full night sleep to get up and care for a newborn, it is so rewarding to finally get those glimpses that she shows that she knows who mama is :)), and showing interest in little rattles, toys and certain Baby Einstein books geared for the 0+ age group.

Wrapping up this post as the littlest one is waking up...let the summer fun continue!

Father's Day 2012

Similar to Mother's Day last month, Ryan and I ended up doing separate things for Father's Day! Ryan went with his brothers and his dad to a Tigers game, so the girls and I headed down to BC to hang out with my family.

Despite a rain delay, the Tigers won, so it was a good Father's Day for Ryan :)... and before the girls and I left for BC on Saturday, we snuck a card in his cereal box so he would be surprised on Sunday morning :)

Some pictures of our weekend in BC....

Playing the piano is always one of Taylor's favorite things to do at my parents house...
Making music with Mem

Climbing up to play with Bapa

The girls :o) (Next weekend we will have four generations together as Grandma Betty gets to meet Camryn for the first time!!)

Getting ready to eat a fantastic meal out on the porch with my dad, Gaga, Papa, and Scott (note the size of the containers of fruit - we ate a lot of fruit, and it was so, so good!!)

Camryn hung out with us while we ate, too :)

Taylor being silly upstairs in my old room

Being silly with Mem

Taylor knows where the "chocolate treats" are kept - but is more interested in dumping the Kisses out and counting them than she is eating them

(When did she get to be so big?!)

Playing on the stairs

And of course, she spent lots of time with Speedo (he is SO patient with her and doesn't seem to mind the frequent company of a toddler nearby)

And this last picture I took was posed by Taylor. She took three pillows from the couch and put them on the stairs and told Mem and Bapa where to sit... :o) 

It was a great visit!!

Two month old sweetie

Our little girl is GROWING!!

Camryn had her 2 month well-child check up today, and everything looked really good. :o) As expected, she was not a fan of her first round of vaccinations, but actually calmed down really quickly afterward (especially since she got to eat when it was over - one of her favorite pastimes right now :)).
After the shots today, Camryn slept...a lot :o)

Showing off her band aids to dada after he got home from work

(Here is the picture he had with Taylor after her 2 month shots :o))

Her 2 month stats:
Weight: 12lbs 12 oz (92 percentile)
Length: 22 1/4 (50th percentile)
Head: 39.5 (70th percentile)

The one thing the doctor commented on was her head control - she said that it was closer to what she would expect to see with a 3 to 4 month old, not a 2 month old. Proud of our strong little girl!!

I had to include these next two pictures...they make me chuckle a bit...Ryan laying to console a crying newborn, while a two year old nearby is unhappy because she wants all the attention ;-)

Her strength is probably why she is actually pretty happy in the Bumbo seat right now. She wants NOTHING to do with the bouncy seat anymore, and prefers to sit up. This has been really nice at dinner, because she can happily sit in the Bumbo while I get to eat with two hands! :o)

Camryn is also enjoying her play mat more a bit now - love the facial expressions. :o)

Camryn, here is what else you are up to at 2 months old...
** Wearing size 2 diapers, 6 month onesies
** Most nights you are sleeping a straight 7 hour stretch (about 9:30-4:30), and last night you slept from 10pm to 6:30am!! It was wonderful! You like to be lightly swaddled with your arms out when you are put down to nap or sleep at night
** You flash the best gummy grins - especially at your happiest moment...after you've had a long nap and eaten
** Bath time is fun - you seem to really enjoy splashing and relaxing in the warm water (and it is one of Taylor's favorite things to help with)
** Speaking of water, running water will quiet you down if you are fussy, almost every time (now if only we had a way to create the sound without having to let the faucet run and run :))
** You are starting to coo and use your little voice more and more, which is music to our ears!
** You are taking bottles pretty well. You did a good job eating your bottles while your dada and I went to a wedding and Bapa and Mem came to babysit you and your sister!

So thankful for a healthy little girl!