Beach Day 3

So what's a beach trip without going to the beach, anyway? We finally made our way out to the beach (across the street from our condo) on Wednesday. And as SOON as we parked the car and got 1/2 way down the extremely long boardwalk the floodgates opened and it rained! But we just sat under the pavilion and waited patiently...


Rain, rain go away, Little Charlie wants to play-

 

But about 10 minutes later the clouds parted and God gave us the most beautiful day to enjoy the Gulf of Mexico! Here's Charlie touching the ocean for the first time-

 

He loves it!!!

 

Right when she got out of this part of the water two stingrays swam by! Yikes!
Tucker loved it- I think this was his first trip to the beach ever-
All Marky wanted to do was build, build, build..
We found hermit crabs and watched them crawl... Zaza and Grandpa looking for treasures-
All that beach combing wore baby boy out- he fell asleep on the way to the car-
When we got back we had lunch and then spent the afternoon in the indoor pools playing football and diving for dive sticks. Then after getting cleaned up Zaza and I made a spaghetti dinner with brownies and Sissy, who was watching Daddy work, fell fast asleep-
 But all that cuddly sleepiness wore off on Daddy and minutes later I saw this-
After dinner we went back to the beach to play and take pictures-  

Now don't eat the sand Charlie, okay?
 

Beach Day 2

Tuesday we spent the morning at the pools swimming and going down the lazy river. Zaza even did the river with us. She also got some good baby holding time, with Mr. Fun in the Sun Charlie.




We ate lunch inside and then Charlie and Tuck Tuck took nice, long naps while the big kids and I kept swimming. Daddy had to work that afternoon- we are so blessed that his work is so transportable.



After swimming ALL day long we got dressed and headed out to dinner-



After dinner at Lambert's we headed by the outlets so the kids could ride the carousel and play on the playground. Then we headed home for a little sunset fishing...



Sweet Sissybug waved at every single boat the passed by...
 

And we all worked continually to keep Tucker from falling off the dock-


After fishing we came in and got ready for bed. Stories...
The nights Zaza and Granpa were here one of the kids slept on the floor. We put a pool float and pillows on the floor and covered it with blankets. The all fight over who can sleep on the floor. :) This night- Tuck Tuck won!

Our evening view- I could get used to this... :)

Beach Day 1

I love the beach.  I love the beach.  I love the beach.  And we did NOT go to the beach even one time last summer (due to my July due date with Charlie).  So- at Christmas Marc promised to take me to the beach for a week (which we have never done- just us as a little family).  And we planned it around Mother's Day.  And here we are.  :)  We got down here Sunday afternoon and immediately got to swimming and grocery shopping for the week.  Then Monday we spent the day swimming, swimming, swimming in the many pools here at our resort- there are three indoor and tons of outdoor pools and a lazy river and we did it all.   Riding down the lazy river- we all LOVE doing this!


Brothers-
 


Charlie LOVES his car- it was actually Marky's and has lasted 8 years- a lady at the pool loved it and wanted it for her son.  We let them use it because the toddler was screaming for it, but wanted to change our mind when they said, "oh thank you- when he gets something in his mind he just has to have it- this one always gets his way."  I said, "Marc if we let them use this we are contributing to the delinquency of a minor."  How can anyone let their toddler always get their way?  This will only end badly!  Then she offered me $50 for it.  (I turned her down- nobody is taking baby's ride).  Anyway- I'm getting off course- here is sweet Charlie crusin the strip-


'Sup?














We love all the water slides-  Marky went down these 100 times-


And these are his feet coming out this EXTREMELY tall slide.  Here's a tip on slides for you mommas out there.  When your skin and bones, 0% body fat son tells you the slide is SLOW it's because he is just bones and light as air and has to literally push himself through the tunnel, remember, Momma, that you do not have 0% body fat and indeed have what it takes to fly like lightening- I'm just sayin'....




And this one Marc, Marky, Tucker and I all go down- Momma even goes on her stomach and it is quite fast-
 



Charliehorse is  doing  GREAT and we always say he wins "best baby award" after everything we do.  Here he is after getting cleaning up by the pool.  Just sitting and smiling.


When we get too hot from all the outdoor time we head to the indoor pool, which also has slides-
 We had fun all day Monday and that night Zaza and Big Grandpa got in town. Their part of the trip later.... :)

Where am I?

If you are wondering why I'm not posting (or texting  or emailing or calling)- I've been very busy enjoying  a Mother's Day Trip!  The view from my balcony last night as I watched the boys fish on the pier-

I'll try to update later.  :) 

9 months in, 9 months out

Well Charlie had his 9-month checkup today.  He's now been out of my tummy as long as he was in it!   :)  His stats are no surprise- he is still off the charts for height- but he's actually pulling farther from the chart.  The doctor said, "well he's never been on the charts and now he's running away from it".  :)   He's off the charts for head circumference as well- you know that's a big old noggin.  His weight is ON the chart- I knew he was skinny- in the 95%.  :) 
For the first time, I had to fill out a questionnaire about his development.  I guess with the autism epidemic they are doing these things routinely as a precaution.  As I filled it out and said "yes" to all the "can he" questions my heart broke, and I hurt for all the moms who had to circle "no" to those questions.  I thought about the fear that they must feel.  Seeing your child in pain is just unbearable, and the mothers who bear it with such faith, grace and fortitude are my heroes.  
Charlie, at 9 months you are large and in charge.  You are still the sweetest baby and we still say if you were any easier you'd be a stuffed animal.  You crawl all over the house now and are good at entertaining yourself.  I can tell you are not going to let me hold you much longer.  You want to go, go, go just like Marky did.  I feed you your morning bottle and then it's wiggle-wiggle-put-me-down and you are off.  You pull up to standing and have stood many times without holding onto anything.  Yesterday you pushed the walker wagon a bit in the playroom.  I would like to remind you that I had a baby because I wanted a BABY.  Please quit growing up so fast. 



Your serious, scientist look- "Does the law of thermodynamics prevent my bottle from spontaneously refilling?"



Your "I see you Mommy and am going to show you how sweet I am" moment-



Your "I love you Mommy and I think you are hilarious" moment-



The doctor asked what you were eating and I said everything.  You get a lot of food down to your baby tummy for a guy with only four teeth.  And you are saying "dada" and "hey dah" (hey there) now quite regularly.  You still sleep like a log from 7:30 to 7:30 and take two naps a day- the afternoon one lasting around 3 hours.  You wear a sleep sack and have a paci and hug your Peter Rabbit bunny and your white lamb.  Your unique trait that the others didn't have is your "happy legs"- you pump your legs when you are  happy.  When I walk in the kitchen and you are in the high chair or if you are in the car seat and I turn around- those legs get to pumpin- "happy legs, happy legs, happy legs", we say.  :)  And if you are standing and see somebody you bounce up and down over and over laughing.  That move is called the hunkity hunk.  You are sweet as pie and the apple of all our eyes.   I love you Charliebear.  Thank you for coming to us!

Minime

I have a minime in this house and it's not my daughter (although everyone tells me she is).  :)  Marky talks JUST like me and it cracks us all up.  Everyday he says something hilarious and Marc looks at me and says, "this is because he hangs out with his crazy mother all day." :)

Examples of things he says:

Julia is watering that grass like nobody's business. 

Those balloons went every whichaway. 

Well, if that isn't the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Let's get to gettin'. 

And when something awkward happens he says, and with that I bid you adieu. 

Daily I hear "Geez Louise" or "Unbelievable" (that one's Daddy's) when he's frustrated. 

He also adds "Ya'll" in inappropriate places in a song just like I do when I'm being funny.  "Good King Wenceslas looked out, ya'll, on the Feast of Steven." 

He also does quote marks with his hands all the time.  A friend told me that at church one Sunday Marky told him, "Mommy is in the car and Daddy went to get Tucker because (BIG QUOTE GUESTURES) her shoes hurt her feet (END QUOTE GUESTURES)."

When BB was telling Julia not to do something and Julia did it anyway Marky nodded his head no and told her, "BB, it's like spitting in the wind."

And his favorite station on the radio is 50s.  He loves Chuck Berry and Sam Cooke the best and even told me he may give up 50s music for Lent next year (you know you don't want to get too attached).

You don't know the gestures and things you do until you have someone to parrot you.  I apparently say "awesome" all the time and had no idea.   I have had to change a lot of what I say.  Although I never cursed it doesn't sound right hearing "Oh Shanaynay" coming from a kid when I slam on breaks (which is what I used to say) and I don't say "junk" when I drop things anymore.    The good thing is he parrots the good stuff as well as the quirky.  I hear him say all the time, "What does it profit a man..." when we see an example of someone choosing the world over Christ in a book or show.  I just love my little parrot.  Lord, make me a good example.