the weseloh weekly: August 2013

st.louis in the summer

Some highlights of our summer so far...

We went to the Science Center with the rest of St. Louis and ran back to the car in the rain.

We went to the 4th of July parade.

We've played in lots of water.

We've had lots of ice cream. And cupcakes. Why? Because we've been celebrating Ethan's success in potty training!

And despite what this beaming smile might try and tell you, this girl has been getting 4 molars and has been letting us know how much she does NOT like it!

We've been learning what buttons are NOT okay to push.

(I'll let you guess what the "red button" was that evacuated the building and may have made several kids cry).

We've been trying to adjust to Ethan no longer having a daily nap. This was our "reading time" that lasted maybe "two minutes."

And our girl has been practicing her walking skills! Getting stronger every day!

We've been to the zoo...

Where her favorite thing was the naked mole rat???

And, most recently, we've discovered the joys of couch cushions. Who knew?

the adventures of eloise & ernie

Our girl sure loves her some Ernie...

Safe to say I think she's found her "special" toy. :)

ethan's 3rd birthday!

And then the little man was 3. Somehow, he turned 3!

At 3 Ethan is as full of energy as ever. Still exuberant and still very much all boy. He loves to run. He loves to run around. He loves to jump. He loves to talk really loud.

I am learning more and more that my boy is also one who likes routine and repetition. We've learned that giving a countdown warning (5 - 2 -1) really helps him to know what's coming next and transition a little bit easier. He has a remarkable memory - he remembers the colors of doors of restaurants that we've been to several months ago, or whether there was a dryer or paper towels in the bathroom at Target.

He has such a tender heart. He loves his sister and gives her kisses on her head. Lately he wants to help put her down for a nap and tries to carry her up the stairs with me and then read a story and sing her song. He loves to be around people and is a huge delight. What an absolute blessing he is to us, our precious energetic Ethan Matthew!

He has loved elevators for a while now and so when I asked him what kind of party he wanted for his birthday he right away said ELEVATORS! And so, that's what he got!

eloise and her FIRST birthday!

Yes, it was over 2 months ago now that sweet Eloise Joy turned ONE years old. But, such a big occasion still deserves a recap with beautiful pictures of our sweet baby girl.

How to describe my beautiful daughter at one year old...

She is stunning. I know I'm biased, but she really lights up a room and has such a way to make others smile, with her beauty and her loving spirit. Her sweet hair is starting to curl around her ears and the base of her neck and those blue eyes are just beautiful.

She loves well. She reaches for people with superman arms, wanting them to hold her and making them feel welcomed by her.

She's tall, of course. Still off the charts in height and over 90% in weight at 25.2 pounds. We've already got her in 2T clothes and size 5 diapers, following right along in her big brother's footsteps.

She is determined. Meaning she wants what she wants when she wants it and will let you know. We are hoping this trait serves her well as she grows but at the moment we are trying to teach her that she can't always have what she wants.

She is an absolute delight. Her smile contagious and her giggle is just awesome. She has brought so much joy to our lives and we are abundantly blessed to have her as our precious daughter.

Here she is on her actual birthday, May 28th, enjoying her birthday cupcake!