Summer Lovin', Havin' A Blast!

What in the world did we do this summer?  It flew by, didn't it?

Elaine and cousin Mark

I do know we went to Pittsburgh for the Fourth of July.  Elaine was making up songs out on the patio that everyone was enjoying - and then we each took turns doing our own.  I'd say this was the start of her "performances."

Elaine with Grandma and Grandpa

In August we had a family vacation to the outer banks with Michelle and Chris, Dan and Ariel.  From the moment we got there, Elaine was constantly getting out of sight, opening doors to the patio on different levels of the house, getting into the bathrooms (no toilet locks), climbing her bunk bed, etc.  It was exhausting chasing her and enforcing safety.  She was definitely not accustomed to a house that wasn't childproof.  But we had a wonderful time and got a decent amount of time on the beach.

Then I took the kids back the very next week to stay with my two sisters and their families.  It was a house full of kids and craziness and good times.  I got to meet my new nephew, Eli!  It was an easier house to have Elaine in, although she managed to get into some trouble.  Twice she got out of sight and within a minute I heard screaming: once she had fallen in the toilet - buns first, thankfully - and gotten stuck; then the other time she was lying down with heavy binoculars and dropped them on her face.

Elaine slept right next to my bed on the floor, but
one morning I didn't hear her leave the room. I woke up
to find her missing - when I open the bedroom door, there she is
in the kitchen with everything she could reach (including
cleaning chemicals) spread out on the floor.  All that moving
dishes, and no one heard her or woke up!

The laundry basket was a great seat for Martin.
at this stage.  He could sit, but would lose his balance a lot.
I used this to free my arms for cooking, etc.

She chose her fancy dress for church.

Martin began climbing short objects.

Mike's work had a "moving party" at the Dover Hall Estate.
It was, uh, insane.  Originally a private residence, the
 monstrosity cost thirty-some million to build
 and $8 million to furnish and decorate.
0_0

Me photographed in the "animal room" as we were calling it.
Real Bengal tigers, alligators, etc.

Elaine  (~2yr-8mo)

• First poop on the potty!  "Mommy, come see!  I think I 'goed' poopy on the potty. I heard something; I looked; I thought it was food. But I think it's poopy."
• "Where is Daddy:  work or baseball? [He was on a work softball team.]... One day I am going to drive myself to baseball and play MYself. And Daddy's gonna come watch. And he's gonna be so proud of me! I will go in the cage. Mommy, you'll come too."
• I left Elaine in the bathroom because she wasn't accepting help to go potty.  I was peeking through the door. She whispers:  "I'm frustrated at Mommy."  I go in and ask her about it. "Yes, I was frustrated. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was a little bit frustrated at you. I should be more patient."
• She balanced three books on her head (with one hand helping) to carry them to her room, like in Cinderella.
• She can write E, H, O, L
• First time napping without a diaper (her request).  Then she went overnight dry!  Over the next five nights she was dry 4/5.
• We moved Elaine into her own "big girl bed."  She picked out a Doc McStuffins comforter and pink sheets.
• I left the kids in the church nursery for the first time for Mass. They did great!
• "When I get older, I'm gonna go poop and play soccer."
• In August (2yr-9mo) she used the words "appear" and "disappear" appropriately several times in one day.
• Mike: "Some day, we'll make an ice-cream sundae. And we'll put on [names a bunch of toppings]."
  Elaine: "How tall can we make it??"
• Elaine:  "Mommy, can I go outside in the rain?"
  Susie: "What are you going to do?"
  Elaine:  "Just run around in the rain and be happy."
• On vacation, I explained that the music we were hearing was from an ice-cream truck.  She insisted we wait and watch it go by.
  Elaine: "Did they leave ice-cream in our mailbox?"  So excited.
  Susie: ::palm to face:: Since mail trucks leave mail...I had to explain that people have to stop the truck and pay for the ice-cream. We talked about not having money (meaning cash).  Later, when I put her to bed she says:
  "When I'm a Mommy, I'm going to have a lot of money.  Then I can buy ice-cream."

Martin (~7mo)

• Six month appointment stats:  14lb-9oz (3rd%), height 26in (14th%), head circumference 17in (35%).  So he's a little guy! A month later he had gained almost one pound and was eating about three times more.
• Martin went through weeks (months?) of NAAAHT sleeping in midsummer.  He would wake up sometimes every 1-2 hours and nurse three times each night.
• He started getting up on hands and knees and rocking.
• He ate broccoli - his first success at "real" foods, in particular vegetables.  After that, he started eating 1-2 meals with us a day.
• Martin said "Da-da" one day when he woke up and saw Mike and then a week later again when Mike was leaving.
• I think I saw him signing "milk," "all done milk," and "more."
• 7/26 Martin slept in his own room! woke up about four times, but he started sleeping a little better after that.
• 7/28 He said "Ma -ma" when he was alone in his crib a couple times.
• In August (eight months) he started to pull to standing.
• And he started climbing the fireplace (and everywhere else) and underneath things.
• By the end of August, he was waving back and self-feeding meals.

Okay, I will do better about taking pictures. :(  I end up posting the same old stuff.  Elaine smiling! Elaine smiling again. Elaine smiling somewhere else.  Haha!  Christina didn't send or post any that she took on the beach trip.

Who wants pictures of our (rental) house?  It's been looking really nice lately!