Copy Cat

As I said before Sam has been going through some major separation anxiety. Well, Reese has decided that he is getting a lot of attention for this and she wants to do the same thing. 

She cries when I leave and tells me I can’t leave her.

She wants to always be held.

She wants to sleep in my bed.

She has started crying at bedtime.

Sam pulls my hair often!  He pulls it right at the nape of my neck and anywhere else that it hurts.  So it gets a big reaction from me.  Tonight at the pool Reese wanted me to hold her. She wouldn’t let Lance play with her at all.  She started pulling on my hair and I asked her what she was doing.  She said she wanted to pull my hair and I asked why.  And she said, “Because I want to.”   I told her that was not very nice to do and then she said, “Babies pull hair.” 

When we got home from the pool I took Sam out of his car seat and she immediately sat in it.  She has asked us several times if she could ride in his seat. 

She is always talking about what babies do.  I don’t know how to break her out of this phase.  I try to give her attention and praise for doing “big girl” things.  Hopefully we can pull through it quickly. 

Last Lesson

Today Reese had her last swim lesson with Becca.  She has learned so much in these last couple of weeks.  Today Reese was kind of whiny and not cooperative so I couldn’t get any good videos.  Luckily I was able to get a good video on my phone yesterday.

I am so proud of how Reese has done!! 

Separation Anxiety

…is not for wimps! 

Sam is going through a terrible time of separation anxiety.  I know he is right at that age but it is rough!  I can’t seem to do anything without him crying.  If it even looks like I might walk away he starts crying hysterically.  This is making doing anything difficult.  If I hand him off to someone else he thinks I am leaving and freaks out!

I remember Reese going through this but I do not remember it being this bad.  I am going to have to go back and look at blogs during that time to remind myself. 

Hopefully we can speed through this stage to make all of our lives a little easier. 

Beach Vacation

We are back from Destin.  Last Saturday Lance and Reese left first thing in the morning to head to the beach while Becca, Sam and I headed to a wedding shower for one of our cousins.  After the shower the three of us left to go to the beach.  Sam was perfect the entire ride!!  We arrived much faster than we thought we would and Reese was so excited to see us.

The first night there was a thunder storm and Lance had fun trying to catch some lightening shots.

Sunday was Father’s Day so we sent Lance and my dad to play golf first thing in the morning.  While they played golf we went down to the beach for a few minutes until Reese decided she would rather be at the pool.  (That was the theme of the week).

Sunday night we went to Pompano Joes for a Father’s Day dinner. 

I tried to get a picture of the kids with Lance but they did not want to cooperate.

The first two days the water was beautiful.  There was a yellow flag but nothing crazy.  It was the normal clear gulf water.  Days three and four had a red flag so we didn’t even try to get in the water. 

Tuesday night we went to Baytowne Wharf for family night.  They had bounce houses and fireworks.  We ate dinner, Reese rode the carousel (twice), and then we watched the fireworks.  Those are two of Reese’s favorite things!!  Since I didn’t get any good pictures of Reese and Sam in their sweet little outfits I put them on again to try to get some pictures.

Each morning Sam was fussy.  I know his teeth are bothering him, he was in a new environment, he was waking up super early, and has started going through separation anxiety.  Once we got down on the beach I would get him to take a nap.  He would sleep about an hour (give or take) and then be ready to play for a little while.  Usually one of us would take Reese to the pool during this time.

It took Reese several days to get comfortable down on the beach.  She did not ever get in the water though.  She had no interest in that.  Lance was really good about playing in the sand with her. 

I think we bought a sno-cone every day.  Reese had a lot of fun with those. 

Each day tons of helicopters would fly over.  Apparently they were watching for oil before it could get to shore.  We did see a couple of small tar balls but not too many.  

By the fourth day or so the water just looked gross.  It turns out it was just June Grass but there was TONS of it.  You seriously could not even put your feet in the water with out it instantly being attached.  It made the water so ugly and not the beautiful water of the gulf!

   

Overall we had a great week.  I am so glad I was able to spend some time with my sisters in the afternoons while the little monkeys were napping. 

Being on vacation was fabulous but I am so happy to be back home and sleeping in my own bed!!

My View Right Now

We've had a rough morning. Sam has been crying. He has been fighting a morning nap. He is teething. I just want to be on the beach. The flag is red today. Tons of wind and waves.




He is finally asleep. In my arms.



My view is obstructed by the rails on the balcony. But it's ok. This is my view. And I am snuggling my sweet baby boy.

- Posted from my iPhone

Beach pictures

We are on day three at the beach and I have not taken one single picture with our camera!! Well, minus the ones on my phone. Hopefully we will get some soon!!


- Posted from my iPhone

Fathers Day Card

Reese was signing Lance's card today and talking.

Here is what she "wrote" in his card: "Dear Daddy, This is so exciting! I get to stay here all day!"




She cracks me up!


- Posted from my iPhone

Little Fish

Yesterday Reese turned a huge corner at swim lessons.  We had been out running errands all morning so when we got to the pool Sam was ready to eat.  Becca pulled up to the pool right when we did so I asked her to take Reese up while I fed Sam and then we would be up there when he was done.  When we walked in she was doing what Becca was asking with a huge smile on her face!  I was so proud of her.

This morning the only thing she said she did not want to do was a “back flip” (float on her back).  She, once again, did awesome today!  She was jumping in, splashing, blowing bubbles, putting her face in, getting the rings from under the water, kicking her legs, and making pancakes with her hands. 

Becca’s two younger sisters are Reese’s favorite girls and they were up there to see her swim today.  They heard how great she did yesterday so they wanted to see for themselves.  They are great “helpers” to Becca.

Here are two videos of all of them today.  All of the videos from the pool are from my iPhone so they are not great.  I need to get some videos on our camera.

A Little Daddy

From day one she has been told that she looks just like her Daddy.  She loves to take his glasses and wear them.  She is such a mess!

For a while I got a little credit for Sam.  But now people are saying he looks like his Daddy.  My one chance and it has been taken away.  I do think he is starting to look more like Reese now except for the hair color.  It is starting to get a little darker in the back but is still mostly strawberry blonde in the front and on his eyebrows.

Oh well!  So I don’t get to take any credit but at least they are cute!

Busy Bees

We had a busy, busy weekend! After a few rough days last week we were back in action for the weekend.  I truly believe that because of swim lessons Reese was having some night terrors and that was making for some rough nights and days.  She would cry out all night and say things like, “No Mommy!”, over and over.  One night she woke up more than five times!  We were both exhausted the next day and had a horrible day.  So finally by Friday we were both a little more rested and in better moods.  That made a huge difference.  Reese was great all weekend! 

We started Friday with gymnastics and then our usual Chick-fil-A.  We met our old Friday CFA buddies there and the girls had a lot of fun together!  That night we watched Toy Story 2 for “Pizza and a Movie night”.  Lance plans on taking her to see the third one soon. 

Saturday morning was low key.  I hung out with a teething Sammy and Reese.  He seriously would not let me do anything.  He only wanted to be held.  (He finally cut one of his top teeth yesterday).  Lance worked out in the yard most of the morning until I needed to get ready.  Somebody had to be holding or entertaining Sam most of the time to distract him from the pain.  Reese has been very interested in writing and spelling lately.  She accidentally wrote an H on a piece of paper and then wanted to write more letters so I wrote some out for her to trace.

That afternoon I took Reese to a birthday party for a friend from gymnastics.  She had a lot of fun playing with her and the other kids there (especially the older sister…she loves big kids).  That evening we had some friends over to cookout and go to the pool (that is where the video in the previous post is from).  Reese had so much fun!

Yesterday was another busy day.  Lance worked out in the yard a lot more (it looks fabulous) and I got a pedicure.

Well, from Reese.  She had so much fun painting my toe nails. (Click on the image to see it bigger)

I hated to re-do them but in the afternoon I co-hosted a baby sprinkle.  We did an ice cream party and I loved it!  I love ice cream so it was right up my alley.  Everything was so simple and perfect!  It was fun to do something a little different for this shower/sprinkle. 
     
 

Reese had swim lessons again this morning and they went much better than before.  She still cried but there was no hysteria.  She actually did most of the things she was asked to do. And she didn’t cry the whole way home!  She even laughed and smiled a few times!  After swim lessons we came home and went to the pool with some friends.  Reese had a great time jumping in and getting out of the pool again today.  Hopefully we have turned a corner.

And a few days late but here are Sam’s pictures from his seven month birthday.

 

She CAN Do It

Even though Reese screams and cries at swim lessons…and refuses to do anything…she CAN do it!  Last night we went to the pool with some friends and Reese had a blast.  She was jumping in like a champ! I even had to remind her that she should not jump in with out us around.  Lance had so much fun playing with her and I had so much fun watching them!

Seven months

Wow!!



- Posted from my iPhone

Swim Lessons

Today Reese had her first swim lessons. 

It did not go well…to say the least. 

Reese was sooooo mad!!!  She wanted nothing to do with Becca (who is her old babysitter).  These pictures do not even do justice to the amount of screaming and crying that went on.  So I will share this…

Hopefully tomorrow will go better!!!!

A Lil Ramblin Wreck

Painter

Yesterday, Reese asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up.  I told her probably a grandma.  I asked her the same question. She said she wanted to be a painter. 

She has actually said this a couple of times.  So today while we were at Target I bought her some paint.  She has painted at school a lot but I was never brave enough to have the paints at home. 

Her easel (or as she would say “weasel”) is out in the garage so I let her have a go at it.  She was so excited!

  

Later in the afternoon we were playing hide and go seek.  I rounded the corner and saw this…

Grrr!  The little artist thought it would be a good idea to write on the wall.  She hasn’t done this in at least a year so I don’t know why she thought it was a good idea!  Last time it was in pencil…this time pen.  Oh well!  We have a little art on the wall for now.

First Swim

Sam got in the pool for the first time today.  It was a beautiful afternoon so Reese, Sam and I headed to the pool for the first time this summer.  He just relaxed in his float the whole time.  Reese was a little timid at first and didn’t want to get too far from me.  I am going to try to get her in the pool a couple more times before she starts swim lessons next week.  Hopefully she will be more comfortable by then.

Little Momma

Sam Milestones

*Sam has cut his second tooth.  His bottom left tooth.  I can’t believe that he has teeth now!  He is growing up so fast!!

*Sam has been waving and clapping occasionally but I can't get him to do it.  He only does both on his own.  I am trying to get him to do it so I can record it.  It is so sweet when he waves.  He will just stare at his hands like "Wow! Look what I can do!".

See his little tooth sticking up there?  He is so sweet!!

Before Reese

Conversation with Reese:

Reese: I don't like you in this picture. (looking at a wedding picture)

Me: Why?

Reese: I don't like you before I was born.


- Posted from my iPhone

Baby Kisses