Hot Day!

For what I believe was the hottest day of the summer, we decided to enjoy outdoor activities for the day (what were we thinking). We kicked off our afternoon by meeting up with some friends at Ellis Park to see the Camel and Ostrich races, a first for our family. It was a hot afternoon...the kids were trying hard to enjoy themselves since they wanted to see the races. Ice cream and pretzels helped a little and the boys did enjoy the hilarity of the races. After the races, we took a LONG car ride to allow for a good nap from the kids before heading to our next activity. We dropped Claire off at Mimi and Papa's and took the boys to their first demolition derby. Even though it continued to be hot and sweltering, even after the sunset, the boys really enjoyed the loud, smashing cars. We stayed out late to see the majority of the races and Brady even took a departure to the rides during a few of the races. They had a fun day...but let's hope for cooler temperatures next year.

Claire was unimpressed...

Bath time!

Bath time is a family event! For now, Claire is still able to take her bath in the baby bath in the kitchen sink. As soon as we start getting her all set up, here come the boys pulling the stools up so they can talk to her while we give her the bath. She loves the attention and seems to really enjoy the bath! She also has had her fair share of showers, but baths are so much more fun!

Day with Daddy

In mid-July, we had to cover three days of care for Claire since her daycare provider was on vacation. Daddy decided to take 2 of the days to spend with his little girl. The first day, they went for a visit with Papa Terry where Claire was very alert and talkative. The next day, they hung out together at home and ran a few errands. Daddy really enjoyed his time with Claire, but did make the comment that she was a full-time commitment (hopefully now he knows why I didn't get much done during maternity leave).

The pictures below were sent to me with a note "Claire says hi". I loved it so much...made my day!! I wish I could get updates from Claire sent to me daily...

Look who's already 3 months old!

Hard to believe, but Claire is now 3 months old! She is such joy to have around! Some things she is doing at 3 months old...

• Loves to smile, coo, and gurgle especially when watching her brothers play.
• Discovered her hands and always has them in her mouth, along with lots of drool. We keep waiting for the 1st tooth to pop through.
• She has fallen into a pretty consistent routine at daycare and at home, which includes a decent sleep schedule. She advanced to her crib in early July and seems to enjoy it (except naps seem to be preferred in our room).
• She continues to work on her strength and is a good supported sitter. She prefers to be sitting up whether it is on your lap or in her bouncy seat or exersaucer.
• She is a great eater with about 36 ounces a day and has advanced to Size 2 diapers already. She was in the 99th percentile last time she was weighed and shows no sign of slowing down.

We are enjoying each day with her and are just amazed at how happy of a baby she is! She doesn't even really cry - just grunts as a signal. We love her so much!!!

Burdette Park Fun

The weekend after the 4th, Mimi and Papa invited all the grandkids (and parents) to join them at Burdette Park for the Carpenter's Picnic. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and then headed to the pool for an afternoon of swimming. Connor was old enough to go down the waterslides this year. He said it was fun, but not worth the wait so we only went that once (insert sad face). After swimming, we went back to the lodge for dinner and the kids played in the bounce inflatables. It was an enjoyable day for the whole family!

Lovin' the Exersaucer

This weekend, we decided it was time for Claire to try out her exersaucer so that she could join us in the kitchen for meals in her preferred sitting up position (bouncy seat wasn't making her happy anymore). While the boys are eating their breakfast in the morning, she is right there visiting with them. She loves it and has even figured out how to hit some of the music-making toys on her own.

Today at daycare, they were happy to report that they tried out the exersaucer and were impressed at how well she did. Ha - we beat you to it!

Swimming Fun on the 4th

Disclaimer: Little delinquent on my updates from this summer.

For July 4th, we went to the Gottman's for a day of swimming and visiting. It was a great day for it! The boys were all "geared up" with their swim vests, rings, and goggles. They spent over 5 hours sliding down the water slide, practicing their swimming, racing on mommy and daddy's backs, and blasting the water guns. They had a blast! Claire visited with Mimi the majority of the time and had a peaceful nap during the fun also!

Thank you to the Gottman's for always inviting us out for a fun day of swimming and burgers!

Date Night with Mommy

After much debate and discussion with the boys on whether they actually would watch a movie all the way through at the movie theater, we finally decided to take them to see the heavily-talked-about Toy Story 3. The last movie they had seen was Ice Age 3 with the grandparents and they left half way through.

We decided to make it a special night...early pick up from school and date night with mommy. Daddy would be spending one-on-one time with Claire at home. I picked them up early from school on Friday, which they were ecstatic about, and we headed straight to the movies. Forget dinner...we picked up some pizza, nachos, and snacks at the concession. We then proceeded to our theatre for the movie. We were the first ones there, so the boys sat back enjoying their snacks and getting super excited about the movie. They knew, or so they thought, everything about the movie based on their friends.

During the movie, Connor asked to go home a few times but Brady was enjoying the movie so I convinced him to stay. At one point, Brady got very upset and asked to go home. I could tell it was getting close to the end, so I convinced them to stay and see the happy ending. I am glad I did and they were thankful also. All they talk about now is how it ended and the middle part, the scarier part, is funny to them now (since they know it ends well). Brady enjoyed the movie so much that he finally finished watching Toy Story 2 at home and has been toting around Buzz Lightyear non-stop and repeating "Infinity and Beyond".

While we were at the movies, Claire decided to stay awake and visit with daddy. She was "talking" non-stop telling him all about her day without the constant interruptions from her brothers. It was a good evening and one we hope to repeat.