Beating the Heat & Independence Day

We've been having some pretty hot summer weather here lately.  And while I'm used to the dry heat, I'm not a fan of the humidity we've been experiencing.  Needless to say, we've spent a lot more time at home (rather than lugging two kids around in the hot sun), and have been looking for ways to keep cool and have fun.  Enter Ella's birthday gift--a flower sprinkler head--that she loves splashing in.  Gavin is just happy to be outside and look at the trees.

Hanging out in the shade, G was all smiles. 

Ella loved filling her buckets with water and trying to splash anyone who got close to her.

Learning to enjoy tummy time more.

If you position him just right, Gavin can sit up on his own for a few seconds.  I'm definitely excited for him to hit this new milestone.

Sometimes, it's just better to have a picnic indoors.

Adam had two days off for the Fourth of July, so we definitely enjoyed the long weekend, just taking it easy at home.  We've had some busy weekends, so we were more than happy to just relax a bit.  On Thursday we had our families over for a casual BBQ.  The rest of the weekend was spent playing in the sprinklers, splashing in the pool, and watching a movie and eating popcorn.

Friday night we had an early dinner followed by a temporary power outage so we decided to make s'mores in our backyard.  It was a perfect summer evening, and Ella got to eat her first s'more (minus the chocolate).  She loved the marshmallow gooeyness and loved doing the hokey pokey as a result of the sugar high.

Gavin also got his first taste of "solids" over the weekend.  He's been expressing a lot of interest in our food, and grabs at anything he can while we eat at the table.  So I decided to give him some multi-grain cereal mixed with breast milk.  He took a few bites and was intrigued by the spoon.  But our biggest challenge was his constant attempts to grab the spoon causing cereal to spill everywhere.  He's had a few more feedings, but he's also been fussier than usual these past few days, so I might put off pursuing solids for a little while longer.

Ella got to watch the Winnie the Pooh movie and Gavin snuck a peak in while I was trying to get a photo of the two of them.

big sis/lil bro

For about a month Ella went through a jealous phase with Gavin.  Well, maybe not exactly jealous, but she definitely thought it was a good idea to pull on his arms and legs.  Especially when I was nursing him, which was increasingly irritating.  We tried time outs (fail), ignoring the act (fail), and teaching her the difference between "mean" and "nice" (sort of fail).  She got the concepts, but it didn't really deter her from being rough with her brother.  But now she's transitioned into a more loving approach.  While it's not the gentlest (how gentle can a toddler be really?), it's really sweet.  She loves giving him kisses everywhere, showing him his toys, and trying to hold him.  And she loves taking pictures with him.  We are now working on "personal space" and teaching her to read his cues better (i.e. crying = back off, sis!).

Backyard Fun

We've been having such busy weekends lately that we decided to keep things low-key this past Saturday and Sunday.  We hosted some friends for lunch and had a very nice family dinner with our parents on Saturday.  Sunday we decided to heat up our pool in preparation for summer and took our first dip.  Ella loves to swim and it just amazed us (yet again) how much she has grown from her pool days last year.  We look forward to swim lessons and lots of time playing in our backyard as the weather continues to warm up.

Fishing in the backyard.  Ella spent most of the time just throwing the fish around.

G and I watching Adam and Ella "fish" in the backyard.


Three little bodies.

Ella wanted to take a picture with her "Bubba" (brother).  This melted a

Ever the ham, Ella posed for her pictures.

I showed her the correct way to put her hands on her hips.  Can't have her grabbing her bum in every posing picture.

New year, new swimsuit.

She can now stand on the bench in the spa.

Hanging poolside watching everyone swim.

We stayed dry but enjoyed the afternoon anyway.

After swimming snack compliments of Po-Po.  Ella loved eating the watermelon straight from the rind.

While swimming in the spa, Adam turned his back for a second and Ella, who was walking along the bench seating, slipped and went under the water.  It was for a few seconds, but it scared us, nonetheless.  But a natural swimmer, Ella held her breath and when Adam lifted her out of the water, she was fine.  She cried from the shock, but I was surprised she wasn't choking and gasping for air.  She then proceeded to retell the events for the rest of the day.  I'm just thankful that it didn't traumatize her and that she still wanted to swim.  I definitely can't wait for her to learn to really swim, and it was yet another reminder not to take things for granted.

Siblings

I've been meaning to post this, but never got around to it.  Here's a side-by-side picture of Ella and Gavin at approximately the same age (a few days old).

It amazes me how much they look alike.  I know, I know, they're siblings.  Of course they'll look alike.  I just can't get over it because we never got a really good ultrasound picture of Gavin, so we had no idea what he would look like.  Some people think he looks more like me, and Ella looked more like Adam.  But I think he just looks like a boy version of Ella.  I definitely look forward to seeing him grow and watching his features change.  It's so fun witnessing these little newborns blossom into little people.  Amazing.

and then there were two

Ella has been adjusting nicely to having a little brother.  She likes to say his name, bring him blankets, and tell me when he's sleeping or eating.  She is infatuated with the fact that he nurses, and she thinks he sounds like a cat.  She has been so gentle with him, and all around a very sweet big sister.

I can't believe she used to be that small!

Because we're stuck at home for a little while, Ella has been spending a lot of time going on outings with Grandma.  The weather here has been really beautiful, which is something I'm thankful for since Ella loves going to the park and being outdoors.

Climbing tree roots at the Kidspace museum.

Her new favorite activity is swinging.  She'll squeal "swing, swing, swing" and is learning to pump her legs back and forward.

Taking a stroll at the Descanso Gardens.

Being chic.

Visiting the on-site museum.

She really enjoyed this art installation where she could draw on the wall.

Painting outside on a nice spring-like day.

It's definitely a blessing to have Grandma here to help out.  I still can't wrap my head around taking care of two kids on my own (but that's also because I'm tired), but I know it will be okay once we get a rhythm down.