So, the boys fingerpainted in their diapers yesterday and had a blast. (It was a good thing too because after all was said and done, I had to scoop both of them up and put them in the tub…Xander tried to eat the fingerpaint and Jonas tried to wipe off his fingerpaint-y hands on his belly). Yay for messy art projects!!!
Here’s a picture of Jonas with his new favorite thing, a bug catcher (the best $2 I’ve ever spent…thank you, Dollar General!!!). Mommy and Daddy might even have more fun with it than he does. HaHa!!! We busted it out in the front yard for his first go around, and he caught two beetles and a caterpillar right away. He loves using it to collect “treasures” from our walks on the neighborhood trail through the woods too.
In his fifty-first week, Xander is: trying and loving eggs and strawberries; doing okay with a preliminary re-introduction to dairy (here’s hoping…); saying “na na” for “banana”, “nih nih” for “night night”, and “mmmm” when he likes what he’s eating; climbing out of his exersaucer (he was never a big fan anyway…too much to see and do); figuring out how to blow kisses; and perfecting his walking skills every day.
I took the boys to the Discovery Center again…this time for the Parents and Tots program. Mrs. Joy read “If You Give a Pig a Party” and the kids came dressed in their pajamas, wore party hats, and made noise makers (out of paper plates, beans, and streamers). The boys had a blast…they love that place…it’s custom-made for little explorers.
In his fiftieth week, Xander is: developing a sense of humor (he loves to sniff fast through a scrunched up nose, make a fish face, and put a puff on his sippy cup and tip it back so he can eat it and then take a drink); using the kitchen table as his own personal jungle gym; and taking a surprising amount of steps (I haven’t quite stopped counting his steps yet or saying, “Tom/Jonas, look!!!” every time he launches out but we’re getting there because he’s quickly starting to walk as much as he crawls).
At forty-nine weeks, Xander is: saying “nac” for “snack”; showing a strong preference for certain books to be read to him at nap time and bed time (he loves any and all “touch and feel” books and books about dogs and he always asks for repeat readings of “The Going to Bed Book” by Sandra Boynton by grunting, pointing, reaching, and saying “dat”, if you didn’t catch his drift the first time); and adding a few more wobbly, exciting steps to his walking attempts.
So, I took the boys to the zoo for a visit with our neighborhood mom’s club…they, of course, loved it as always…it is so precious to watch them discover and enjoy life…here are a few pictures of that sweetness.
At thirty-one months, Jonas is: saying loads of smart, funny, and sweet things (like “Mommy, you know Xander’s an infant”, “Your turkey bacon’s ready”, and “I will always always always always love you, Daddy”; reading his first word (NUK on Xander’s sippy cup); and enjoying helping MaMa water the flowers (he’s getting really good at doing it on his own with the garden hose instead of the watering can).
Tom and the boys and I enjoyed having Grandma and Grandpa here for a week long visit. Grandpa helped DaDa build a beautiful, paver stone patio at the bottom of our deck (see during and after pictures below). Grandma went with us to Shipwrecked (a fun indoor play area that the boys enjoy on really cold, rainy, or hot days), storytime at the local library (Baby Signing) and at the downtown library (complete with puppets, juggling, singing, and more), and Moms & Tots (where the boys and I go twice a month to say the rosary and play with friends) at our church. Tom and I were thankful, as well, to have a little bit of “us” time while Grandma and Grandpa kept the boys for us and to have a nice dinner out, just the four of us (while our dear neighbor friend stayed with the sleeping buddies). It was fun taking Grandma and Grandpa to the neighborhood pool, where we take the boys several afternoons a week for a swim, too…reminds us how much we’re looking forward to our Lake Anna trip in July.
In his forty-eighth week, Xander is: saying “nih nih” for “night night” and “dat” for “that”; putting his sippy cup in the cup holder on his high chair tray with great care and precision; and taking a few more unassisted steps (go, Xan-Man)!!!
