Lincoln: 10 months

Ten magic months. Year one is filled with so many firsts. First smile, first tooth, first word, first time sitting up and first time crawling.  That's a lot of firsts...I think next month will bring about the first step. This month we have enjoyed watching Lincoln stand even more. I tried to get him to stand for this picture but he was not in the mood. He settled for chewing on a leaf.

And watching Ayla. Always watching Ayla.

We have gates up on all the stairs in our house and Lincoln is a mini MacGyver when it comes to figuring out how to get around them. I've tried several different configurations with these gates but the stairs just seem to call to him. He is drawn like a cat to cat nip....or something like that. You get the idea.

He is currently trying to perfect going down the stairs. Daddy is teaching him to turn around and go down on his belly, and (amazingly) he listens.

I'm not sure if it's just the boy in him or what, but if he can't have the stairs, he loves playing with cars, trucks and trains. His car pushing stance is always the same. One leg down for balance while the other is used for crawling power. His right hand holds the toy and his left hand is again used for balance. It is the longest he will play with a single toy.

And oh the messes! He has learned how to open the toy boxes. His new favorite game is what I like to call "Tornado". Step one involves opening every box within reach and dumping the contents on the floor. Step two requires a lot of hand movements to scatter said toys. Step three is simply moving on. After feeling supremely proud for five seconds, one must crawl over the newly made mess to explore other uncharted areas of the room. 
"See what I did Mommy?"

The poor kid has already been introduced playing dress up. (He looks thrilled right?) Lincoln, I'm sorry, but I have a feeling this hat is just the beginning.

Ayla needed to get in on the action too. Oh, my silly girl.

Ayla was communicating more at this age, but Linc still has his own ways of letting others know his feelings. His favorite thing to do is shake his head 'no'. While eating, he'll take a bite and then adamantly shake his head as if to say "I couldn't possibly take another bite". The same happens with bottles and sometimes if you are offering a toy or pacifier. Or trying to clean his face. The second form of communication just started and we are firmly trying to put an end to it. now. On his own accord Lincoln found he could bite people. And it proved to be very effective. Just ask Ayla. When they are both trying to play with the same toy, or if she's holding him down (which happens more than you'd think) Lincoln will open his mouth and move in for the kill. Let me tell you, those freshly sprouted chompers are sharp.

Lincoln has fallen into a very comfortable sleeping schedule- and it was well worth the wait.  At ten months he wakes up in the morning anywhere from 7:30-9:00 (but it's usually around the eight o'clock hour). Then he takes a morning nap at 10:00 and a second nap at 2:00 or 3:00. He sleeps usually an hour or two, but has been known to take a three hour stretch. (Woot!) Bedtime starts at 7:30. Ayla and I have learned to plan our day around his naps and she enjoys doing "projects" while he's sleeping. Literally, as soon as his head hits the pillow she asks "Can we do a project?!"

This month our projects included making our own playdoh, doing salt and watercolor resist, making a magic wand, painting and creating clothes pin butterflies, decorating a felt purse, stringing a bead necklace and painting (with fingers, brushes or q-tips). By far, her favorite thing to do is make cards for other people. Especially if it includes stickers. Ayla will then hand out her cards and explain "This is a gift. When someone gives a gift, it means you get to keep it forever."

 Jeff and I are thoroughly enjoying Ayla and Lincoln each day. Two of our greatest gifts from God.

Weekend for the Girls

After having Lincoln, I truly realized how difficult it can be to spend time with one child at a time. Ayla and I have Linc's nap times together, but we need to be at home (for obvious reasons). Lincoln and I have alone time when Ayla is in preschool- which will start back again in September. So, when my friend Annie called to see if we would be interested in taking a trip to Wilmington, Jeff and I considered it our chance to spend some quality time with the kids separately.

Annie and her son stopped in Charlotte for two nights and then continued on to Jacksonville, NC to visit our friend Julie. Ayla and I followed suit the next day, meeting them in Wilmington for lunch. (Jeff and Lincoln had a boy's weekend at home.) After three and a half hours on the road, this was the grin I got when we got out of the car.

We spent our nights at Julie and Kelby's house in Jacksonville, NC with their adorable seven month old son Owen. Admittedly, there is not much to do in Jacksonville itself, but Dylan and Ayla stayed busy with outdoor chalk, books, playdoh, and a nice little sprinkler and inflatable pool setup.

We made sure to plan activities in some of the other cute beach towns situated around Jacksonville. The first day, we tried out our sea legs on a catamaran.

The beginning of our two hour cruise.

Our captain took us out with the promise that we would be seeing dolphins in the very near future.

Halfway through the trip, Ayla lost interest and got tired.

Then we had a chance to ride on the catamaran's "trampoline"- the rope section in the front that hung over the water. She was a little hesitant at first, and asked several questions about how strong it was.

 Turns out, a new view from the trampoline was enough to turn her frown upside down.

Oh, and we also got to see what was promised. Lots of dolphins.

But with my beautiful daughter by my side, I was torn between watching those dolphins and looking at her.

The next day we all went to the beach. Ayla and I collected sea shells, jumped over waves and dug holes for little pools "just her size" she could sit in.  I cherished our weekend away and enjoyed those precious few days with my Ayla. She's growing up so fast and I don't want to miss one tiny second.

208 Miles To Charleston

Jeff and I decided to pack the kids up and spend a weekend in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston has always been a favorite destination of ours, even before we were married. So it was an easy choice when we started talking about where to relax for a few days. This is how Ayla chose to spend the first hour of our car ride.

Not exactly sure what she was doing under there, but it involved talking to several stuffed animals that had been specifically chosen to make the trip. Oh, and a set of tongs.  Yes, tongs. She found them in the kitchen and happily named him Snappy. I tried to snap a picture of her talking to Snappy, but she got shy and hid. ( fyi: Snappy secured a spot on Ayla's pillow each night of the trip as well.)

We purposely chose a hotel with a pool and requested a room near it.

So when Lincoln was napping we brought the monitor out to the pool and Ayla got to do this.

Once he was up, we hauled a handful of beach toys and towels out to the beach. It was not sunny. Quite the opposite, but the cloud cover was actually a nice little gift from mother nature. It was warm, but not oven-like hot, as Charleston can sometimes be mid June. (If you're wondering, oven-like is a real word. Look it up.  Almost used 'volcanic', but didn't want to exaggerate TOO much.)

This picture makes it look as if storms were rolling in....I guess in a way they were, but it didn't rain until we were in bed. We actually got very lucky with the rain. It rained the following day also, but it was while we were showering and getting dressed for dinner.

Ayla loves anything with water so she was immediately occupied with sail boats...

...shovels...

...and gobs of sea shells.

This bucket was just the beginning. Daddy and Ayla spent a few solid hours combing the beach for shells the next day. And much like Snappy, she requested them to go with us. Everywhere. we. went. Once we got home, I cleaned them up and put the nicer ones in a collection jar for her.

While Ayla was exploring, Lincoln was trying out the sand little by little. This was his first experience with the beach. Feet in the sand? Not too shabby.

Feet in the cold, wet sand? Not a happy beach-goer. Although, maybe it was partly because the tag from his hat was hanging in his face... You never know. Babies can be finicky.

Lincoln discovered the joys of sitting on Mommy's lap. All the sights and sounds with none of the sandy wetness. Ah, the fun of people watching-  Daddy behind the camera was old news...the kid next to us flying a kite, now that was something worthy of attention!

Speaking of people watching, we asked a nice couple walking by to snap our pearly whites. They had much better luck getting Linc to look at the camera.

We grabbed a quick lunch at a casual restaurant overlooking the ocean.

Lovin' on Daddy.

Bambino #1

Bambino #2

All in all, Charleston is a much different trip with children. We were in bed by 9:00 and enjoyed only those restaurants that handed out crayons and didn't mind a carpet of crumbs beneath the table. At the beach, instead of getting absorbed in a book, we collected shells and built sandcastles.  Would we go back to the way it once was? Not a chance. Would we take a short vaca just for ourselves? Well maybe. But we sure would miss those sweet smiles.

Lincoln: 9 months

 *sidenote* Uggh! I misspelled the word watermelon above. I'll blame it on the baby who was trying to climb up my leg as I wrote. 
This past month has been full of even more changes, firsts and one big allergy scare. Up to this point, no one in our family had ever had a negative reaction to any type of food. We were batting 1.000 with allergies. Then one day I gave Lincoln a few bits of egg. We went to our playgroup and I started noticing what I could only call bug bites on his neck. Then they were on his cheek, his arms, his legs. Turns out those "bug bites" were hives and Lincoln is allergic to eggs. He is fine, but we just have to avoid anything containing eggs and hope he grows out of it. It makes me sad to think he might have to miss out on so many foods. Luckily he doesn't know what he's missing and is just enjoying life.

Lincoln got his first, second, third and fourth tooth in just one month. He went from a full gummy smile to this...

And he's using all those new teeth to enjoy lots of different food. Watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, turkey, yogurt, peas, and grapes- just to name a few. He also started drinking formula exclusively, which was very hard for me to accept. I just couldn't keep up with his demand and after some serious denial, had to finally throw in the towel. Apparently it doesn't bother Ayla. She takes advantage of those few moments of stillness to get in some extra snuggle time.

Lincoln has also started to stand up on his own. It only lasts a five or six seconds, but I know it means walking is just around the corner.

Now let's play a new game called 'What's Your Favorite'. If I had a little sit down to ask Lincoln these questions, this is what I imagine his answers would be.
What is your favorite....
1. Food? Watermelon
2. Game? Peek-a-boo in the tent
3. Toy? My green car
4. Time of day? The morning 
5. Restricted area? The stairs, the dishwasher, the toilet. Do I have to pick just one?

Do you see the sheer joy on his face?  He thinks "Finally! Someone left it open! Now if I can just climb up here and see what fun things I can find...."

Now the look has changed to determination.  "I think I can, I think I can."

When we are in the playroom, Linc's favorite place is the tent. He crawls in and just waits (with a huge smile)- because he knows what is coming. I poke my head in, say "peek-a-boo!" and am welcomed with a smile/giggle. Then he wiggles around to a new corner of the tent to signal he's ready for it to happen again. Yep, that's the extent of our game, but we do it over and over and over......The best part? He thinks it's funny each and every time. He completely outlasts me.

For Memorial Day we went up to the lake and spent the day outside. Ayla wore the pirate costume Aunt Rhe Rhe got her pretty much from sun up to sun down. (Have I mentioned her obsession with pirates?) She and Linc spent time crawling together in the grass. It might have been the first time Ayla was the follower instead of the leader.

Lincoln enjoyed every minute of it (at least, in my mind he did).

Lincoln also had his first trip to the ocean this month. If you noticed above, his dislikes involve two "beachy" things- which we found out on that trip. More about that in a separate post.

Let's end with a rare picture of the two of us. So often I'm on the other side of the camera- so it was nice when Jeff took the time to snap some photos of me and my baby boy. He's growing up so fast. (sniff, sniff)

And You Can Quote Me (5)

I've had more fun having conversations with Ayla lately.  3 and 1/2 is a very fun age! Here are our most recent quotable bits.

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Sitting in the car
Ayla: "Mommy, I've been so good. I don't need the spanking spoon anymore. I think we should put it in a letter and send it to another girl or boy....probably I think we should do it now. As soon as we get home."

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Eating lunch
Ayla: " I didn't eat my sandwich."
Mommy: "Why?"
Ayla: "It was too bland."
Mommy: "Do you know bland means?
Ayla: "I'm going to think about it and tell you later."

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After making funny faces.
Mommy: "Oh, what's in that head of yours?"
Ayla: "Hair!"

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Ayla: "Mommy, I'm going to tell you something."
Mommy: "Ok"
Ayla: "One day a mean witch came and blew your eggs far far away! You were so sad you went to look for your eggs. The witch ate all your eggs! You found just the plate left- so you were happy to have your plate back. Then Daddy made you some new eggs."

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Ayla: "Hey. Do kitty cats wear goggles?"

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Sitting in time-out crying
Ayla: "Mommy, you broke my heart!"
(hearing her say that, just about broke my heart.)

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Walking out to the car
Ayla: "Come on everybody. Follow the Ayla!"