Love

My love bugs. <3

Watery days

Yesterday was a study in perfection. Week days really don't come any better than yesterday did (with the exception of the most insane diaper explosion I have ever personally witnessed.) 

The morning started with a walk at the fairgrounds and into the woods with the Dickerson clan. After the walk, Heather & I sat and nursed the babies in the shelter house while the kids ran around, played on the stage, and ate chocolate covered pretzels. Then we all came back to our house for backyard play time, sprinkler action, and lunch. After lunch, we went our separate ways for nap time. We had gloriously long naps, and I eventually had to wake Dylan up at 4:15 because she'd been asleep for 2 hrs and 45 minutes! 

It's been so swelteringly hot & humid here in the afternoons that it's pretty impossible to do anything outside besides be in water. All the pools are closed, so we decided to go to "Logan Beach" as Dyl calls it (Lake Logan, really.) We called Chadmo and he headed out of work earlier than usual and met us at the lake. We had a great time swimming for about an hour & half until our Pizza Crossing was delivered! Then we had a pizza picnic lakeside (dairy is definitely still a fail for Blake. Sad, but it was a delicious test.) 

After dinner we all headed home for baths. Then we watched some "Homeward Bound" before bed. The kids both went to bed fairly easily, and Chad and I had time for wine and 1 while hour of grown up TV. Perfection! 

Today we've been suffering from "everyday can't be as cool as yesterday" syndrome, and the fact that I had to accomplish some housework. Blake was pretty miserable from the dairy exposure, and Dyl was just generally a grouch. But we ended the day on a high note by going swimming at Fred & Susie's! Angie, Lauren, & Ben were there too, and it was a great time! Definitely a cool way to spend another hot evening. :) Now let's hope everyone sleeps better tonight than they napped today! 

Dyl finally conned Henry into holding her hand...

...he looks thrilled, doesn't he?? ;)

Lunch on the porch! Clothes optional! 

Dylan reading to Blake today. I just love her toes on the crib rail...

She does love to hold her brother!

"Look momma! He holding my hand!"

"I love you, Blakey!"

They really do entertain each other! 

Siblings

Oh the adorable, incredible, wonderful sweetness. Even if it's often short-lived, it is always the best part of my day. I love watching these two love each other! 

A whale of a good time!

All of our kiddos love bath time & the whale bath tub! We'll have to save this tub for grandkids someday, we have too many good memories to part with it! :) Here are a few pictures of Blake from tonight. 

Avocado!

Blake had his first 'solid' food today - avocado! It went pretty well really, and he thought it was fun. He actually liked it best if I fed him off my finger as opposed to the spoon (he's apparently anti-all-things-plastic in his mouth, not just bottles.) I think he really liked being included in lunch with Momma & Dylly!!

"Hmmm, what is this stuff?? It doesn't taste like milk!"

Happy birthday, Poppy/Papa!!

Happy birthday to the universe's best Poppy & Papa!! We love you bunches & bunches!!

Dylan wanted to blow out candles with Papa, so we lit them a second time and let her help. Taking pictures with kids is always a bit of a challenge... 

Blake's turn! Take #1. In a classic Blake move, he smiles and then ducks his head to the side. Our shy boy! ;)

Take #2: Blake loves his Papa!

Success! Papa and his grandkids! Soon there will be 3 sharing that lap - hurry up and arrive, Miss Sloane! We thought she might be coming today as a birthday present for Papa, but it turned out she was just faking us out. Sneaky baby! Jesse told Kelly he doesn't think she's really committed to having this baby! ;)

This makes my heart happy.

And so does this! I'm bummed the lighting is so terrible - these would've been so cute! Grandma was holding Blake, and Dylan comes over with a book and says "Scoot over! I want a side!" LOL At least she's learned from Daniel Tiger to talk about it when she's jealous!

These two sure love their Grandma to bits too!

18 pounds!

I can't get enough of these bedtime snuggling pictures! These 2 love each other so much right now! <3

Blake had a check-up on Friday and he weighed in at 18#1oz (70th %), 27.25" long (87th %), and his head was in the 86th %! He's growing like a weed! And the doctor could see his left lower incisor below the gum, so that's working it's way in too. His head size was originally in the 40th, then the 67th, and now the 86th percentile, so he's on the same exponential growth trajectory that Dylan was - resulting in her extra big noggin. So it looks like the Stevelt-Mitchell tradition of big heads lives on. ;)