Silver Lake 2012

For the second year in a row we have packed up and gone to Silver Lake with Jeff's parents. This year we stayed at a lovely cottage that had more than enough room for our crew. I know I appreciated the extra living space upstairs, as it made for a convenient place to sneak away to nurse Julian, and the extra bathroom was nice too. Anyways...on with the pictures!

Julian hung out in the stroller while the big boys had S'mores:

I'm not sure why both boys had their shirts off, but am guessing it's because it was a hot evening. Monkey see, Monkey do...
A trip to Silver Lake wouldn't be complete without ample time spent at and on the sand dunes. Jeff and the boys went up (errr, should I say around) the dunes in Jeff's truck, while Julian hung around with Mom...literally (thank goodness for my BabyHawk!).

We went to the beach a few times (Julian's first time!), and the boys had a blast despite the water being near frigid in temperature. Jeff and Adam braved a quick underwater dip in the big lake, but for the most part, we were thankful for the little lake inlet at the state park which offered warmer lake water for the kids to play in.

And of course, no trip to Silver Lake would be complete without a trip or three to Craig's Cruisers. Adam was beyond thrilled to be able to ride his OWN go kart. He didn't crash once!

Happy to have had a week away to make memories for the boys. They are already asking to go back. Maybe next year, boys!

Julian: 6 Months

Julian is 6 months old today, and here's what he's up to!

He greets me around 7:30am with a smile and a cry/laugh which says "oh, please say you're here to pick me up because I'm done sleeping now!" while he kicks his legs furiously. Good Morning!

A mama's boy through and through, if I am in sight or within earshot, he wants to be held by me and only me. Along these lines, he is not a fan of strangers, and by "stranger," I mean anyone outside of the immediate family. Again, back to the Mama's boy thing.

He loves his brothers, and they are usually willing to entertain him with their antics. Everything they do is exciting to Julian, of course, so it doesn't take much effort on their part to make him smile.

He has just discovered that kicking in the bathtub is tons of fun.

Speaking of kicking, he shows his excitement by kicking his legs and pumping his arms up and down really fast. Greetings really don't get much better than that. Glad to see you too, Julian.

He looks a lot like his brothers, but I think right now, he looks more like Miles than Adam.

He is a thumb sucker. Not sure if this is something that will last, but it sure is cute.

A mover and a shaker, he does not like to be in one place for very long, and requires near-constant stimulation. I am constantly moving him from one "station" to the next, to keep his attention. I am thankful that he is now grabbing at anything and anything, so setting a mountain of toys wherever he is laying tends to keep him occupied for a few minutes. I am also thankful for my Baby Hawk baby carrier, because being held by someone standing up is his idea of a good time.

He is rolling over from front to back and from back to front.

He is not : sitting on his own (close though!), sleeping through the night, taking a bottle, teething, or eating solid foods. Solid foods is on the docket for the coming week.

His appointment with the pediatrician isn't for another few weeks, but I will be sure to update you on his growth. I can tell you one thing, breastfeeding has been very kind to him. By far, he is the chubbiest baby I've had yet. His sweet leg rolls are something to love on, that's for sure. <3

I close our day in the most relaxing of ways: nursing him in his room and then sneaking in a few post-nursing snuggles. No big brothers to distract him, it's just us, quiet and lovely. He rests his head on my shoulder and sucks his thumb and I soak up the moment. Such a great feeling. Good night, Brother.