Playtime with Gibson and Sanders

We had a double date the other day---the pics are too cute!! :)

Emma Claire's first professional photo shoot

Isn't she adorable??

2 months old

Miss Emma Claire had her 2 month checkup today, and I'm happy to report that she's just perfect! I knew that already, of course! :) She is up to 11 lb and 22 3/4 inches long. She's gained over 4 lb and grown over 3 inches since she was born---it makes me feel good to know that my milk is doing its job!

After 2 months, I think I can finally say that I've got this parenting two babies deal under control. We have gotten into a nice routine that works for all of us...the best part of our routine is when BOTH kiddos nap at the same time every afternoon! It gives me a chance to catch up on chores without Grayson undoing everything as I do it or just a chance to lay down for a little while and take a break. I noticed the other day that when I eat lunch or dinner, I rarely sit for more than a minute at a time---I take a bite, then get up to put the paci back in EC's mouth. Then I sit down and take another bite, and then go get Grayson some more milk. Then I sit down and take a couple bites, and then go grab a paper towel to wipe up the applesauce Grayson has just flung onto the wall. Then I sit down, take another bite, and go put the paci back in EC's mouth again. We're going to visit Ben's parents this weekend so I'm looking forward to being able to sit down through an entire meal! :)

Fun on the river

We went to John's Island on Sunday to visit Lil and Shay for a couple of hours. Grayson got to ride on the boat and go swimming in the river---he had a blast. I was a nervous wreck the whole time Grayson was in the river...even though he had a life jacket on and was with either me, Ben, or Alan, the tide was pretty strong and it wasn't easy to hang onto him. I think we'll stick to swimming in pools or the ocean for now! :) Emma Claire enjoyed relaxing in the shade on the dock. It was a fun afternoon!

Gibson and Emma Claire meet

They are close to the same size, even though EC is 8 weeks older. Gibson's feet and hands make EC's look tiny, though---his foot is the one with the bandaid. So cute! :)

What Emma Claire looked like...

...this morning when I woke up and realized that she had SLEPT ALL NIGHT!! She slept from 11pm to 6:15 am, and I had to wake her up because I had to feed her or I would burst. :) Hopefully she'll be our good sleeper....her big brother didn't sleep 7 hours straight until he was almost a year old!

Pretty little princess

Gibson is here!

After two girls, our good friends Christie and Brad now have a baby boy! Baby Gibson was born at 2:55 this afternoon, weighing in at a whopping 9 lb 3 oz and 21 inches long. He and Emma Claire are the same size, and she's 8 weeks old!! He is absolutely GORGEOUS. I can't wait to have a double wedding with Grayson & Sanders, and Gibson & Emma Claire! :)

First day of school

Grayson started Montessori school today! He did so well when I took him this morning. He was a little unsure about everything until one of his teachers showed him the class guinea pig, Belle. He was fascinated---it was too cute! He helped his teacher change Belle's water and tried to drink out of the water bottle, which was hilarious. :)

My sweet boy has been home with me for almost 2 years now so this is going to take some getting used to on my part. He's only been gone for 2 1/2 hours and I already miss him like crazy! The house is so quiet and empty without him!

Come on out, Gibson!!

Christie is being induced today and Emma Claire can't wait to finally meet her future husband!

One little monkey jumping on the bed!

Sweet baby girl

Accident

Ben was in Savannah on Friday and was side-swiped by a guy who TOOK OFF after Ben pulled over to exchange insurance info. Of course, that most likely means that the guy didn't have insurance. Just wonderful! All that really matters is that Ben is okay (he is), but it's still frustrating that we have to deal with this! Here are some pics of our (not) awesome Accord now...

What's new with us

Not much too exciting to report this week....we've been trying to stay inside as much as possible since the heat index has been over 110 degrees the past few days. Emma Claire had to go to the doctor on Tuesday after terrifying her parents Monday night with a little projectile vomiting episode. Turns out she just has acid reflux and is now on medicine to help with it. We are very glad that it's nothing serious! :) She's up to 9 lb 3 oz now and is still such a happy baby!

Grayson's vocabulary has all of a sudden started to explode and he surprises us with new words every day. He's beginning to try putting words together and it can be a hoot. Yesterday morning I ran upstairs to get EC dressed and when I came down the stairs, Grayson said to me, "Uh oh. Godder (water). Hat." What I saw was an empty cup of water, a very wet table and floor, and a basket on top of Grayson's head with water dripping down all over his face and clothes. By saying, "Uh oh. Godder. Hat.", he was saying to me: "Uh oh. I poured this cup of water into this basket and then put the basket on my head. I'm in trouble." I couldn't help but crack up, and Grayson cheerily helped me wipe up the wet mess. I've said it a million times, but I have no idea what we ever did without this kid! :)

Here are some pictures of Grayson with Vann and Sam at playgroup this morning (three worn out boys after swimming at the Grace's house) and of Emma Claire doing tummy time. I love the one of her grinning from behind her arm!

Happy Birthday, Sanders!

Our goddaughter/Grayson's girlfriend Sanders turned 2 on August 2nd and had her birthday party yesterday. Here are some pics of the birthday girl and of Grayson playing her her party. Sanders is only 4 weeks older than Grayson and they have been best buddies since Grayson was born. Maybe they'll even end up marrying each other one day! :)

Emma Claire needed a hat...

..so Grayson gave her one! :)

Dancin' fools

This is the funniest video---Grayson and Sanders dancing. They are adorable!!

Are we crazy???

Tonight was quite an adventure---nine adults and seven children, 6 of them under the age of two---all out to dinner together. The waiters at the Mexican restaurant probably couldn't wait for us to leave! Food was all over the floor and there were babies running around while mommies and daddies ate as fast as they could, but it was lots of fun! Gone are the days of staying out late drinking together...now it's playdates and dinner at 5 so everybody can be home for bedtime by 7. Oh, how times have changed! :)

Baby feet

6 weeks old and FIRST SMILE!!!

Emma Claire is 6 weeks old today---that's nuts! It feels like she was born just yesterday, yet we can't believe what we ever did without her. I have to brag...she slept from 11pm to 4am last night! That's FIVE HOURS STRAIGHT. Grayson was 5 months old before he ever slept that long at once so we were in a state of shock when we realized how much sleep we had gotten. It sure was nice!

In addition to the great sleeping, Emma Claire SMILED for the first time yesterday! I caught it on camera tonight and just had to share these adorable pictures. I just love baby smiles!