Our Big Roller!

We've got a roller on our hands! Blake rolled over today (front to back) for the first time, today around 5:45 pm! What a big boy!! 

"Huh. That's a neat trick!" 

9 month clothes?!?

"Can you believe this is a 9 month outfit I'm wearing, Mama?!?"

Blake's been loving his exersaucer lately - he's so cute in there! I just cannot believe how BIG he's getting, and SO fast. I love my squishy baby boy!

The 21st-25th

Chillin' out in her new sun bonnet from Georgetown, watching Daniel Tiger. 

Happy to be home in his own bed again! (Also, check out those thighs! He is almost 17 pounds now! That's 10 pounds of breastfed weight gain in 4.5 months!)

Dylan reading to Blake in his crib. <3

Playing at AHA, building pizzas. 

Blake's 2nd trip to AHA! Chewing on his fingers, his favorite activity for the last month or so.

Love those lashes. 

Watering the garden. 

Making a necklace - serious concentration!

Playing at St. John's playground, modeling her new necklace she made entirely by herself!

"I AM smiling, Momma." (Amish Mafia.)

In the shirt Oldemor made her, I couldn't get her to look at me. ;) We went down to Athens and went out to dinner & dessert with Daddh before going to look at a camper (that we're not buying. It smelled!)

3 of my 4 babies, snuggled in Dyl's bed.

Love them!

"ROAR!"

Surprise trip to DC!

Week before last, I lucked into a free plane ticket when a friend was giving away a US Airways voucher that had to be used in the next week and a half. (Thank you so much, Tessa!!) It was only good for one ticket, and Chad couldn't take off again since we had just been to Lake Erie, so I decided it was a good time to go to DC and visit Kelly & Jesse one last time before Sloane arrives! B & I left Friday the 18th & returned Monday the 21st - it was a quick trip but SO much fun! We watched movies, completed Sloane's registry at Babies R Us, went for a beautiful walk at Sligo Creek Park, spent a day in Georgetown, ate at a delicious restaurant by the Potomac River, went on a driving tour of fancy houses, drove near the National Cathedral ;), diagnosed Braxton hicks, felt lots of great Sloane kicks, and spent lots of great time with Kelly & Jesse. Blake got to be the 'test baby' for all their new gear - Sloane is going to be one well equipped baby!! B loved being the center of attention from 3 grown-ups, and had some great guy time shopping with Uncle Jesse! On Monday, we were anxious to see Daddy & Dylly, but we were sad to leave too.

Dylly stayed with Grandma Friday afternoon, then with Chadmo all weekend, and then spent the night at Grandma & Papa's on Sunday night. She had a wonderful time, though Sunday she did tell me she missed me and wanted me to be home! I think she rather enjoyed her weekend of 'only childness' too!! ;)

On the shuttle from red lot to the airport!

At our gate, waiting on our plane. :)

Blake did not think much of the first 20 minutes of his first flight. I'm 100% sure there are angry Facebook statuses about us, somewhere on the internet. ;)

Jesse met us at the metro at the airport, and we rode the metro to a stop by Kelly's work. B loved the metro - and he was also quite happy to finally make it to Sloane's new car seat! (Sorry for slobbering on it, Sloane!)

Tummy time on the kitchen counter - this is totally safe & endorsed by all pediatricians! ;)

Talking to Aunt Kelly. <3

Thanks for having us & spoiling us, Kelly & Jesse! Blake & I had a wonderful time!

Snoozing next to the Potomac in Georgetown. 

Exhausted after being in Georgetown all day - zonked out for our cruising tour of fancy houses.

They're going to be great parents. :)

Jesse, first thing in the morning on Monday, waiting at the metro to take us back to the airport.

Waiting on the metro!

Waiting on our plane!

Playing at the airport - he was perfect the whole trip home!

On our return flight - it went much better than our departure!

It was a wonderful weekend, and I have to admit I feel wildly accomplished and brave for having traveled with Blake on my own! It's amazing what you can do when you don't have post partum anxiety...

Here are a bunch of photos from the week after we got home from the lake - just random every day type pictures!

Concentrating hard on drawing on her magna doodle. 

Rolling around in the grass like the dogs, after a walk out at Grandma & Papa's.

Enjoying the shade - it was hot that day!

My sleepy snuggler.

Blake doesn't nap as well at Grandma & Papa's, so it's one place we cheat & nap together! <3

Dylly & Daddy picking leaves on an evening walk! 

Dyl thinks this is the best activity these days! Also, froyo was had in the middle of this walk!

At the doctor, getting his ears checked before we flew to DC. Thankfully all was clear!

Our new aquarium with our 2 fish - named Fishy Fishy (orange & white) and Sock Hop (black & googly eyed) by Dyl! 

They're surprisingly entertaining! We need more decorations for our aquarium...

Lunch-do before Blake & I left for the airport. It was so hard to leave Dyl behind! Luckily she had a great time with Grandma, Papa, & Daddy!

Lake Erie

After the 5th of July reunion/shower, we stayed at Mimi's until Monday morning when we (Mom, Dad, Chadmo, the kiddos, Mimi, & I) loaded up and headed for Lake Erie! Mom & Dad had rented a condo on Catawba Island, and we had rented a bay house in Port Clinton from a friend (& convinced Mimi to go along with us!) The weather wasn't really ideal while we were there, rainy & cool the first couple of days, but we had a wonderful time anyway! It was very relaxing and we did squeeze in 2 boat rides and a couple of swimming sessions when the weather cooperated!

The night we arrived - Blake loves Elephant, he's getting SO good at grabbing the rings!

The view from my rocking chair at our bay house!

Blake, happily milk drunk, after a nursing session in the aforementioned rocking chair. ;)

Mimi was as bad as Dylan - she was actually awake in this picture and insisting that she wasn't tired and didn't need a nap!!

Blake & me, on his (& Dyl's) first trip on Grandma & Papa's boat! He didn't think much of that awful life vest!

Grandma & Dyl! Dyl sure is a Grandma's girl, like her mother before her! ;)

Looking for 'swans & ducks' at Dylly's request - we did see seagulls, herons, & geese!

Papa relaxing at our bay house.

Sunset booze cruise - Blake clearly had too much to drink! ;)

Dylly & Chadmo had a pizza dinner on the boat, and we all (except D&B of course) had delicious wine out of solo cups on our booze cruise!

Our Captain!

3 out of 4 generations on this boat! 

This is the life.

A beautiful sky.

All I can think of when I look at this picture is God - I love these types of sunsets...