Guess who came to visit...

The grandparents!!

Eli got lots of playtime and treats. Henri is looking ready to start eating... at 5 months now! We'll let him start in another month or so ;)

Brothers

These boys in their jammies, minutes before bedtime, squished together on a chair (Eli climbed up next to Henri), just warmed my heart. Eli has yet to really take an interest in holding Henri, and if he doesn't pick it up Henri might be too big for him to hold :)

Sophie and the baby

Our teething baby loves his giraffe, Sophie. Her ears and legs get more chew time with baby H than I remember with Eli. 

The sweetest things...

Some days you just have to focus on your sweet, squishy baby and forget about the mess your house has become. And that toddler who mostly made that mess is pretty great too. Mess aside, he's sweet, charming, and said "baby henwee" yesterday for the first time! And that baby, he's ready for the slopes! (Shirt was a thrift store find in Estes). And now off to go cuddle that baby...

One day at a time

Some grainy phone pics to illustrate how we keep busy when the daddy is gone. Clearly we don't get very made up for our morning jaunt. Next we play with dough, the homemade kind so Eli isn't exposed to toxins when he nibbles on it (that can't taste good, right?). Then digging, naturally. It's 70 and early fall so we must be outside. Meanwhile baby H is hugging the back (oh how I love a baby on my back! Finally! I can do dishes and other such exciting things ;).

Playtime

Henri just watches and watches... Eli glances his way now and then

The boy who willingly puts on pants to go outside takes them off promptly when we get home along with his shoes 

Beads he strung during craft at preschool. He seems pretty proud of them.

Annnnnd yet another truck for the dig pit out back! A neighbor boy was having a "free sale" and put some trucks on his curb. Eli was a happy customer :)

Really sweet how many kids in this neighborhood enjoy passing their "things" along when they are done with them...

Born to be worn

But it looks like I'll have to do all the baby wearing 'round here for the next week while the daddy is gone! So far so good... only about 5 hours in ;)

The multitasker

Sometimes I worry that I model multitasking a bit too much for our boy. Sometimes stopping to do just one thing is good. So here's to stopping more. Savoring. Slowing down. And maybe rocking out without jumping on a trampoline too!

Sunday

A baptism

Henri was baptized! Sweet boy did great and just looked at Brian, our pastor, with this deep expression as he poured water on him. Eli stayed still in my arms! And shared his dirt pile very nicely with all the kids who came over afterwards. It was a special day. Video of it to be shared with family soon!

our week in pictures

We neglected to grab a photo of Eli's first week of preschool. Oh well, he looked cute with his red backpack on (filled with only his blanket). He's going two mornings a week and having lots of fun. This is a neat opportunity for him and all worked out last minute. Probably best for his "over thinking it all" parents and his "I'm not emotionally ready to send my not yet three year old off" mama. So in just one week we've all learned a lot! Eli is quite an avid drummer. We've known this for some time and while he has some little hand drums, our ears, probably our neighbors, certainly our napping infant can all benefit from keeping the "real drum sets" out of his hands. Anyways, this kid turns anything and everything into a drum set! Here you go:

And this one is cutting his first teeth! And holding onto things, which is handy for all of us. 

emergency room visit

The good news is that as I type this a very happy, healthy, healing boy is bouncing about in the living room (I often post when nursing baby H to sleep in the bedroom). The bad news: a playground fall left Eli with a badly cut tongue that had us rushing to emergency room, and ended up needing suturing. Thankfully, all of us were at the park together so I wasn't managing this situation alone. Moon knew the oral surgery resident who sutured Eli. And he did great through sedation. Now he's eating and drinking fine and his tongue is healing nicely!

He did get an early birthday present to console his injured self...

'round here

September is probably my favorite month in Oregon (other states may have different preferences :). And so far it's not letting us down. Still warm, still sunny, but with a touch of routine and rhythm in the mix--like a mini New Years. And I love fall, so with that around the corner it's lovely to enjoy the end of summer. 

I got to chase Eli at the park while these two watched.

Hanging out on Eli's bed

Eli loves stacking random, misplaced bricks at this little community garden near our park. He says " fell down" every time the tower is knocked. One of his many phrases we are now hearing regularly!

We pulled out the next size up in gardening boots (have been gleaning kid boots for some time! What size are you? Probably have it) for digging and general mud play (his favorite)(can we say midday bath time).

Moved the burley inside for pajama-clad morning rides with daddy who is running a few times a week. Henri can join when he's a bit older and doesn't mind getting squished next to big brother (closer to one year is recommended for these things). Also doubles as comfortable "rest nook" for Eli, something we're noticing he really needs/wants but usually is mid-meltdown before we all realize he just needs some milk and Richard Scarry's "cars and trucks and things that go", for example.

The end :)

More of September photos to come!

3 months of baby H

I feel like it's hard to watch this baby getting big (in size and age) so fast! But with each day I find a new way he grabbed ahold of something, a new smile, a new move, new teething pains, and so on. And the same, sweet, patient, chubby baby!

3 months old
16 lbs

our community group has 8 little boys in it! four of us (couples) already had four toddler/little boys and then we were all four pregnant at the same time and then we all four had four new boys! so we had a little summer party where all 8 boys were present and, of course, needed to line up on the couch for a photo. it took a bazillion pictures (some quite funny!) to come up with one where everyone is in focus and at least not having their head hidden by a balloon (the balloons were key to getting big boys to sit on the couch :)