Thursday, August 14, 2014

Month 20

We had an great month of enjoying summer!  Oddly enough we have had some of the most amazingly gorgeous days this July!!  We spend the majority of our days playing outside and playing in the water.  Since Jude's swimming lessons, he has become so confident in the pool.  We strap on his Puddle Jumper, put him in the water, and let him do his thing!  He even gets mad when we try to hold onto him  and just wants to "swim" on his own!  Speaking of doing things on his own, he is starting to get a pretty strong independent side.  We realize this can be a good thing, but at times can be trying.  He also LOVES to use the "no" word to everything.  I have to laugh at times because he says "no" so quickly that he'll often realize he really didn't mean to, and actually does want something!  Hopefully these are both just phases that too shall pass!!  Even with these little things, he is still the sweetest, happiest little boy.  He spends most of his days running non stop and playing, but is also starting to enjoy some slow moments in his days of doing puzzles or reading books.  His communication also continues to grow and amazes us daily.  It is so nice to be able to communicate with him and know (most of the time) what he is trying to tell us!  We ended the month with another airplane trip, but this time to the mountains.  I'll post about this soon, but let's just say Jude's all-boy side came out twofold!! 

Morning golf game

Enjoying some breakfast at one of our new favorite spots

Waiting on our food and playing with mommy

Taking a ride on Mia and Tripp's swing.  He wasn't too sure what to think about it!

Just a typical Target trip 
(we bought the sunglasses, not the plunger!) 

Playing softball with daddy - it takes all that I have to keep him off the field during the games!

Enjoying his first snow-cone!

Just lounging 

Getting to taste his first Otter Pop Popsicle 

I'm pretty sure he could do this all day

Sitting all by himself while getting his hair cut!

Enjoying a unseasonably cool August day at the Arboretum with our cousins 

This is the best we could do for a group pic!!

Putting together a big flower

Checking out the waterfall...good thing Mia was prepared!!

Playing in the fountains at Klyde Warren Park with his bud Ethan


He spent most of the time stepping on the fountains...ok with me, keeps the clothes dry!

Trying out the hula hoop...he got the basic idea down!

More swimming

Celebrating Riley's birthday!

Don't worry, Jude's has it all under control! 

A baseball kind of morning...I promise we DID get out of our pjs this month!!

Playing with his new friend, Grady 

A little baseball....

and then a little cooking!

His new favorite thing...eating a banana all by himself each morning! 

Stats:
-His favorite foods right now are grapes, bananas, mac & cheese, cheese, and anything mommy and daddy are eating.  
-Favorite toys are still balls, his bats, and golf clubs.  Although he still loves baseball (ba-ball), his newest obsession is basketball (ba-k-ball).  He says basketball over and over and over, and points out every single basketball goal we see (and pretty much every neighbor has one!).  He loves to have a family basketball game and even tries dribbling his mini basketballs.  He has also been very interested in books and puzzles. 
-He can pretty much make anything into his baseball bat - wooden spoon, rolling pin, fork, daddy's fishing pole holder, etc.
-Points out and goes crazy every time we drive by a baseball field.  He gets so excited when we drive up to "daddy's baseball field" to watch him play softball!
-He loves each of his grandparents so much.  We were just in the mountains with all 4, plus two great-grandparents and he had the best time.  He has now pretty much decided what he will call each of them; some are pretty creative and we have no idea where he came up with them - Sam's parents: ba-paw and mo , Sam's great-grandparents: nana and gamps, and Mandy's parents: Pops and Gan Gan.  He also started calling Sam's sisters yay yay (Aunt Sarah) and Teppie (Stephanie). 
-Still likes sitting on his toilet, but we haven't taken any further steps.  We are working on pulling up his pants, which he is doing great at.  
-He always wants to shows you something or take you somewhere; he'll come to you with his hand out and say "hand" and then take your finger and pull you where he wants you to go.  Its so darn cute!!  I think he uses it for his advantage sometimes though when we want him to do something else, because he knows he's cute!
-He points out every hole "hoew" he sees. 
-He's getting pretty tall, so we must watch what we have on tables and cabinets.  He is very good and pulling things off and putting things up.  
-Always says "down" when he really wants you to pick him up.  After he says it, we'll say "do you want up" and he'll say "yeah" like that's exactly what he said the first time!
 -Still talking up a storm; some of the main new words I can remember are blanket (banket), bucket, pocket, good job (dud dub), Jude (more clearly than before), I did it, gosh (osh), and oh gosh (oh osh). 
-He has learned to cover his ears when something is loud or when he wants to pretend he can't hear us. 
-He now has 6 front teeth on top, 2 top molars, 5 front teeth on the bottom, and 2 bottom molars.  
-Wears size 3 & 4 diapers
-Wears mostly 18 month pants and 18-24 month tops.  
-Takes 2 naps most days, or one nap and one "rest" period in the afternoon.  

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

19 Months

Another month has come and gone, and Jude is now another month older!  This month was another crazy busy, yet super fun, month! Birthdays, Father's Day, traveling twice...summertime has been busy!!  If it were up to Jude we would be outside all day every day.  Its really starting to heat up though, so we are trying to either beat the heat or find some water to play in!!  He is able to fully communicate and pretty much tell us what he wants.  We are working on his patience though!  He doesn't quite have that down yet, but we are really trying to help him stop and nicely ask for help or say please for what he wants. Our little guy seems so grown up lately; I just look at him and think where has time gone???  Its so amazing how quickly he grows and learns things.  He is so observant, way more than we even give him credit for, and is soaking up everything thing he sees, hears, and touches!  He is still 100% boy and interested in playing with any type of ball - golf ball, tennis ball, baseball, basketball, soccer ball, football, etc.  He pretty much knows the difference in them all and how you use each of them.  His second favorite love is music.  He loves to sing, dance, and listen to music all day long.  I see both of these things being a big part of our life far into the future!!!  He does still enjoy a good vacuum and loves to cook in his kitchen, so not fully boy! I just can't get enough of this little guy and am so thankful to cherish and experience each day with him.

This face!!!

Dr. Naylor let Jude do his own check up at his 18 month appointment

Meeting Loui with daddy and Aunt Stephie!! He could have stayed there all day long!

Run, run, run all day long

Celebrating Aunt Stephie and Jacob's upcoming wedding

My boys!

Loved finger painting

Couldn't stop laughing at this face

Doing some coloring rather than sweating outside

Playing at the Perot Museum with his cousins Mia & Tripp

Looking and feeling like one of the big boys

I think they could have a sweet duet in the future!

"Mom don't bother me, I'm in the zone!"

Splash, splash, splash

Water fun

Celebrating mommy's birthday - the dads with their boys

Couldn't think of two people I would rather celebrate with! The best present!

Stats:
-His favorite foods right now are grapes, bananas, nectarines, cheese, carrots, "cookies", muffins (mu mu), and his veggie-chicken nuggets.  He also now loves and asks for MILK!!!  We can hardly believe it.  
-Favorite toys are still balls and his bats.  And loves to make anything round and flat a frisbee and chase it all over.
-He has started sitting on his toilet and thinks it is very fun, but doesn't fully understand the whole concept yet.
 -He is saying so much lately and I can honestly not stay up with them all.  The few that come to mind: kitchen, water (wa wa), watermelon, there it is, here you go mama, frisbee (fisbee), Superman (sooop-an), mailbox (ma-box), golf club (golf clalala), cool, crazy.
-He has also started calling me "mom" a lot.  I'm like, are you 15 already?  It cracks me up!
-We started swimming lessons this month.  He is loving them and doing so well.  Its very basic stuff - kicking, scooping his hands, floating on back, crawling along the wall, jumping to mommy, and getting water on his face.  He loves singing all of the songs, but hasn't gotten blowing bubbles down yet.  He just opens and mouth and swallows water!!.
-He points out our freckles and always says "ouch"!! I guess he thinks we have a lot of boo boos.
-Flexes his muscles and growls when we ask him to show us his muscles.
-Still has 4 front teeth on top (with 2 more coming in), 2 top molars, 4 front teeth on the bottom (with 2 more coming in), and 2 bottom molars.  
-Wears size 3 diapers
-Wears mostly 12-18 month pants and 18-24 month tops.  
-Still takes 2 naps most days, but can do fine with only one longer one.  
-His tongue is basically always in unless he is in deep thought or working on something really hard!  


Sunday, July 13, 2014

AMERICA

We celebrated the 4th of July with our 5th Annual lake trip to LBJ lake.  It's always a great time spent with friends relaxing and having fun at the lake.  We had a smaller crew this year, and missed some families, but still had a great time.  This year was Jude's first time on the boat and tubing!!  He wasn't too sure what to think of it at first, but really started to enjoy it all once he got more comfortable.  We are so blessed to get to do these things as a family and to do it with friends that we love dearly!!

The crew (minus sleeping Ethan!)


Road trip'n 

Checking out the lake the first morning

Taking a dip in the pool 

Who looks excited to go on a boat ride???

Sticking close to daddy 

Ethan enjoying honking the horn

Enjoying their first tubing experience  

Waving to the other boats

The best 4th of July pic I could get! At least he is sitting down!

The best pic we could get of the two of them together!

Pure joy

A lot of golfing took place this weekend

Toddler "fireworks"

Shaking their "fireworks"

Maenius Family (right before Ethan feel asleep)

Family pic...I promise he enjoyed this more than it looks!

Somebody loved swimming in the lake!

Playing in the sandbox - He thought he was back at the beach!

Playing golf and flying airplanes...ALL WEEKEND LONG!