Reading

So far, Luke is our book lover.  Ryan and Brooke <u>love</u> books.  But Luke will sit on my lap and listen to book after book without even a peep. He loves every page.  He reaches out and touches the images. He's just fascinated.  And when his big sister reads to him ... It's even better.  She can keep him interested in books all day.  He loves the books PLUS the sound of her voice.

It's usually hard to keep a 3 month old baby entertained, but with this little guy it's easy ;)

Sunday She Said / He Said

Ryan: "Hey Mom, my face is bored"

Beach Time

We decided to head down to the beach later in the afternoon.  Although the day was busy with blueberry picking, the weather was so perfect we just couldn't pass up the opportunity for some time by the lake.  We figured we'd be down there for an hour or so ... but the outing turned into several (fun) hours instead.

Luke and Mom sat under the sun shade and people watched.

Ryan was his usual self, diving in the water, rolling in the sand, and having the time of his life.

Aunt Karen was down there too, and she managed to wrangle an tube from a family nearby.  The kids had a blast playing with it.  We couldnt get them out of the water!

Luke took a moment out of the sun shade to pose with his sister and the Sand Monster.

 

When we got back up from the beach, Ryan required TWO showers just to get "most" of the sand off.  

She Said / He Said

Brooke: I would like a blueberry pancake. And strawberries with syrup. And can I please have a bowl of cereal. First I would like Oh's when you buy an Oh's cereal box. And can I please have Cookie cereal?

In response to a simple "What would you like for breakfast?"

It's Time To Pick The Blueberries!

It's blueberry time again!

When we arrived the kids remembered the hay from the last time were went blueberry picking and actually REQUESTED to take a photo!  Cant say no to that :)

The kids (as usual) decided they knew where the best berries were, and demanded to lead the way.  This time they were right.  The best berries were pretty low ... kid height!

Brooke thought the blueberries made pretty great eyes

 

Ryan made sure to test them.  All of them.

Luke went too.  I'm pretty sure he wont remember it though :)

 

When we got back to Chicago I made blueberry muffins.  Brooke ate one, Ryan thought they were gross.  Personally, I thought they were pretty good.  So ... I ate them all.

First ... Loose Tooth

Brooke went to the dentist for a checkup and was told she has a loose tooth. Not only is it loose, but it's "very loose". We're on Tooth Fairy watch ;)

On another note, we learned Ryan doesn't like birthday cake, grape, or plain flavored toothpaste at the dentist. So while Brooke had a great visit, Ryan's experience was far less enjoyable. Additionally, his sisters good news seemed to make him a wee bit jealous ;)

Luke is 3 months!

Anyone with kids knows the amazing transition that takes place around 3 months. A baby's personality seems to just snap - colic fades and the smiles appear. Its not every baby, but it definitely happened for Luke! The little guy is a smiling machine, whereas just a few weeks ago he spent his days screaming bloody murder. He's cooing and babbling. He's batting at toys. He's a happy little guy. And when Luke is happy, EVERYONE is happy.

He doesn't go into the doctor until his 4 month checkup, so I'm not sure how long he is. However, a weight check today put him at 17.6 lbs!

3 Kids, 3 Months

She Said / He Said

At the grocery store...
Ryan: Mom! Less talking, more walking!

She Said / He Said

Ryan (to Brooke): Can I marry you?
Brooke: Sorry Buddy. One of my friends said I can't marry you. We can't marry family.

**********

Ryan (to Brooke): Good Morning Brooke!
Mom: That was nice!
Ryan: Today I'm nice to her.

**********

Ryan (spots a moth): Look! A butterfly! I'll call her Beauty Butterfly. She's my pet butterfly.

5 minutes later...

Ryan: I wonder how Beauty is doing. I'll go check on her.

**********

 

4th Weekend Recap

We had a nice, long weekend at the lake filled with many adventures, including:

- raspberry picking
- swimming in the pool
- swimming at the lake (till the kids lips turned blue)
- a trip to the beach, playground and splash pad
- a golf cart ride
- playing with cousins
- swimming with our Chicago/Michigan friends
- ice cream trip
- visits from both Aunt Jean and Uncle Brad
- and, of course, fireworks

Despite the fact it was a long weekend, it just flew by. I'd guess the fireworks were the low point for the kids. They were so excited, since we built it up much. But 2 minutes into the show they were both bored and asking when they'd end. To top it off, they stayed up really late and woke up early, setting forth the pattern for the nights to follow. Best part of the weekend? I'd guess it would be either swimming in the (freezing) lake or the golf cart ride. They're both asleep so I can't gather the actual votes ;)

Progress

As babies approach that 3 month mark they (usually) start being a bit more predictable. Less crying, more sleeping, more interaction & smiles. Luke has been doing a few 5 hour sleep stretches at night, but he follows them with 2.5-3 hour stretches. He also tends to wake at 5am, no matter what time he last slept or ate.

Last night he slept for 7.5 hours. He woke at 5am. (I wonder if he didn't have that internal 5am clock if he'd have slept even longer). Unfortunately, after the 5am wake up he slept for 1 hour and then 1 hour again. So while he got a bit more sleep, I was still up at 5.

However, it's progress. A sign of a return to some sort of "normal". Perhaps, even the ability to get a decent nights sleep. And, that gives me hope.