Yummy Yummy...

So we started Jack on rice cereal last week, but I believe he was a bit too hungry before his first "meal"...I clearly was not producing more food fast enough...

Not too messy for his first go-round...

Slurping what's left in the bowl like a good boy!

Kate is obsessed with helping us with everything, so she wanted to try her hand at feeding him...

All in all, he's doing well with it, and seems to want more and more each time. I'm trying not to go overboard with it too soon, but I believe it has helped fill his belly and lessened the overnight hunger...yay!

Happy Father's Day!

Wouldn't it make you smile to walk into your room and see this little guy on the bed? :o)

Kate and Leah drooling over the "wedding" cake at Great Gramma & Great Grandpa's 60h wedding anniversary party - yes, 60 years, isn't that amazing!

Where there's a dance floor, there shall be Kate!

Cuddles with Mom-Mom!

We took Kate to the gymnastics camp registration on Sunday so she could tromp around on the cushy floor, balance beam, and trampoline before the girls started camp. She had a ball once again...

After "G-nastics" as she calls it, Nana and Papou came down for a visit, and brought her some winter boots and a jacket....not sure why, other than planning ahead, but Kate appreciated the gesture!

A more seasonally-appropriate gift was this fishing "rob" (Kate-speak again) and little plastic fish that are basically impossible to catch, but it's very addicting to keep you trying!

For lunch? Chicken wings!

Westmoreland!

We ventured down to Westmoreland State Park in Virginia with the Judy family a couple weekends ago. This was my - and all the kiddos - first time at the Park, though it's been a Judy vacation spot for over 25 years. They hadn't been in a few years, but it turned out to be a fantastic spot to get everybody together, get the kids outside experiencing everything from fishing, to swimming, to "hiking" nature paths, cookouts, fireworks, and a generally fun outdoor adventure! We talked up the "camping" experience with Kate for awhile and she amazed us with how outdoorsy she was as soon as we got there. Our first morning entailed a walk down a long woodsy path to the Potomac River, and she jumped out of the stroller multiple times to pick up these cute little frogs that were bounding around us. I never would have noticed them, but she couldn't get enough of them. "Mommy! I LOVE them! They're my friends!"

Much cuter than the little slug-type bugs that are her "friends" outside on our porch at home!

Isn't Isaac the cutest?!?!

Uncle Jared found a dead crab in the water that Evan adopted as his river buddy that morning, toting it around awhile...

What started as a very peaceful little boy dozing by the river...

soon became a wide-awake happy boy wanting to join in the fun!

And what started out as this - two fully clothed little girls splashing in the river...

quickly turned into two redneck girls in their panties running around the beach! I had to say goodbye to Kate's white undies after this experience, the color change from the sand and river water was just too disturbing!

Jack's first pool experience!

Hanging out with Uncle Josh on the river...

What a life...

Our last morning there with Kate, we went back down to the river and she was feeding her snacks to these ducks that waded by....she was SO excited about them swimming so close to her, more of her little friends

We lost power the last night Jesse and I were there, so we improvised for light with some sparklers, fireworks...

and lightning bugs (or "flicker bugs" as Kate calls them!)

This little trio was so sleepy by the time the fireworks were wrapping up, but they all got together on the picnic table and had a little cuddle...so cute!

Sitting pretty...

Wipeout!

a Peek-a-boo Leah...

Poor little Isaac was chasing after the girls all weekend wanting to play with them! Here, Kate shared some sand toys with the lil' guy...

Jack's 4 months old!

Our "wee" one is 4 months old!

It seems like Jack's been accomplishing a lot lately, and he's so much more active and chatty.

Here are some 4 month stats & updates on the little guy:

• 16 lbs 4 oz - 90th percentile
• 24.5 inches - 25th percentile
• His head is also in the 90th percentile!
• Some things he's accomplished this month:
• Talking nonstop much of the time he's awake (and sometimes when he should be sleeping, hehe)
• A hint of a giggle
• Holds and reaches for toys when playing, usually to pull them directly to his mouth
• Takes 3-4 naps per day, most of them very short (boo)
• STILL waking once or twice a night - but getting better
• Can sit unsupported for short spurts before toppling over; sits well supported
• 1st time in the pool on vacation at Westmoreland
• 1st time in baby swing at home and at playground - LOVES it!
• Started solid foods (rice cereal) on his 4-month bday; doing well with it
• Rolled from back to belly last week as well
• Melting our hearts with his smiles!!

It's gettin' hot in here!

June sure started out with a bang of heat and humidity! We finally made one of the best purchases ever - an umbrella for our deck furniture - hooray! It's SO NICE to be able to sit outside on weekend mornings and enjoy our breakfast in the shade, which we did all last weekend...ah, peace and quiet.

oh yeah baby - we bring a lil' bit of redneck to the city life around here, haha!

This little girl is obsessed - wait, let me repeat - OBSESSED with her "sunscream" and advises us daily that we need to put it on her, on ourselves...our little health-conscious girl

Often I'm reminded how lucky we are to live in Baltimore and have a ton of things to do around us all the time. Summertime is certainly no exception. Every Friday and Saturday night in the summer, you can find a number of places to enjoy outdoor free concerts. They're always packed with people, but it's an enjoyable way to spend an evening as a family, and Kate loves to dance her heart out so we give her lots of opportunities to do so.

Jack also seemed to enjoy his first visit to the Avenue at White Marsh...

Kate is so focused when she's writing her letters these days. Jesse got her this awesome dry-erase book where you can trace upper- and lower-case letters and numbers, etc. and she will sit forever just practicing. She calls it "texting" !!

Jack's first experience in the pool. It was a tad chilly, and I think he actually did enjoy it for a little while...I clearly did not capture those moments!

Anyone who's been to visit us recently knows all about Kate's (other) obsession - BOOKS. She literally sleeps with them under her bed. A LOT of them. I don't know how she ever gets comfortable with all the lumpy pointy corners of books poking at her all night! But she is such a fan of "reading" and stories, so we don't discourage it. We read her one book before naps and bedtime, but then she continues to flip through book after book until she dozes off. Most times she's able to tuck the books away before her eyes close, but yesterday she just couldn't hang long enough to finish her beloved princess story....so sweet.

oh yes, that's a drooly-puss we've got there!