Indian Lake 08

We had a wonderful time at our favorite place! It was my 30th summer in a row, and it never grows dull. It is so beautiful! Despite the mostly rainy and cold days (and nights), Christian and Willa managed to capture everyone's hearts and keep us laughing with delight. It was so amazing to watch them together, realizing this could become a yearly tradition of photoshoots-- it will be so fun to watch them grow, side by side.
Dave put together a little video to the "Indian Lake" song (above). It captures a little bit of the magic. (it's also on YouTube)
Christian and I decided to stay with Gramsy and Poppy for a second week-- which was great, considering they could take him for walks and entertain him while I caught up on much needed rest (he didn't sleep very well at all during the cold nights, and thus, neither did i). By the end of the second week, the sun decided to show itself, and we had some great days on the beach and in the water. As you can see from the slideshow, we took advantage of every second of sunshine.
By the end of our time it was amazing to see how much Christian had grown in just 2 weeks-- both physically and socially. He is engaging, smiling, giggling and talking up a storm. He loves to kick his feet, and has a much longer attention span (he is sooo into looking at books). . . and he's grown at least an inch and a few pounds!
It's good to be back-- and strange-- for the first time in my life I am not "going back to school" in one form or another. I love the feeling of peace that that thought brings. No "back to school" anxiety!!! I wonder how these months will unfold... if I will get lonely and bored, or grow more in love with my new job... most likely a little of both... right now i am loving it all! (even those wee hours of the morning)

summer attire

3 Months with Maddy

Christian has a lot of adoring fans-- but only one has crossed the ocean just to meet him! Maddy arrived a week ago, just in time to ring in his 3 month birthday-- with her new Nikon camera. . . with which we've had more than a few hours of photo phun! (as you can see from the slideshow)

It has been such a joy to watch these two bond. Maddy has been teaching him Dutch, and Christian is more than enamoured with her. The last time she was here was for our wedding 2 years ago-- and my, how much has happened since then!

As we reach the 3 month mark, Christian has suddenly achieved 3 monumental developmental tasks-- grabbing his toes, sucking his thumb, and sleeping through the night (woo hoo!!!) . The thumb sucking, granted, is a result of the thumb sucking lessons that i've been conducting since soon after his arrival into the world ... and am very proud to say , are finally paying off ! :) everyone says i'll regret teaching him to do so-- but i sucked my thumb till 4th grade, and don't regret one day of it! i loved my thumb, and it brought many hours of comfort to my life. i have a feeling that even now, if i were to put it in my mouth it would feel perfectly at home.
But more than anything, we are enjoying the long awaited 6 - 7 hour stretches at night-- not totally consistent yet, but just in time for our trip to Indian Lake next week!
Christian's first trip to the Lake will be so fun-- Willa will be there for the first time too, and we'll be sure to capture as many moments as possible on film.
Poppy's already got him prepped for water skiing :)

our little night owl

A Saturday Morning Chuckle...

This is a pretty amazing rendition of "Hey Jude"... With some added flair! Enjoy!

Cousins, Cousins, Cousins!

Starting with a visit from Willa Rose on the 4th of July- and then a week in Cape Hatteras, NC with Dave's family - it was a week of Cousin Mania for Christian Alexander! We got lots of great shots of him enjoying all of the fun --

Celebrating our 2nd anniversary WHILE Vacationing with a 2 month old was a whole new experience! We spent a lot of time in the house, but it was very relaxing. Dave has Lyme Disease and couldn't be in the sun, so the beach times were few and usually at dusk. But between the hot tub, pool, and jacuzzi, and with no real schedule to keep, we managed to have a blast!

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Weeks 7 and 8

I'm in love with my child! Every little thing he does seems extraordinarily amazing! He likes to be wrapped in a fluffy soft blanket before he can settle down for sleepy time. It's like magic-- it settles him immediately-- (almost) every time. (we're still trying to get the peaceful sleepy time thing down...)
He seems to be thinking about serious things much of the time, yet he smiles when you catch his gaze. He likes to have something secure, like a blanket or even an article of clothing, to hold onto when his diaper's being changed. He's just started reaching for things, and becoming captivated by faces-- even faces on toys and stuffed animals.
Dozens of firsts-- and each one seems worthy of recognition! Now I understand why parents get so excited when they're kids sit up by themselves, roll over for the first time, and take their first steps. . . not to mention their first words-- it's all so remarkable that these things just "happen"-- right on schedule. And while they may just be details to anyone else, they are more than precious to me. I love taking it all in-- and enjoying each and every moment as they quickly fade into sweet memories...