Simply Irresistible

The weather is perfect, the babies are happy, and we had to take some pictures of our wet and wild day outside.

Sam Nolan update: We will be going for our consultation for his face on August 15th. Crazy how long it takes for an appointment!!

5 Month Check-up

Today was a big day! Sam Nolan's 5 month check-up with Dr. M was scheduled. Sam Nolan was up and at 'em early this morning, and we had to start our day off with a nutritious breakfast (it was pears for him).

 All that eating took some energy, so he took a little cat nap at the table.

 Boy was he having fun on the table with paper. He loved to kick it everywhere, so it was mostly gone when we left.

At the check-up, Sam Nolan weighed 15 1/2 lbs. and measured 27 1/4 inches long. Perfectly healthy baby. Dr. M. told me that she will refer us to a pediatric dermatologist to see about getting his hemangioma lasered. We also discovered a small lump under his eyebrow about 3-4 weeks ago. Dr. M. told me it is small dermoid cyst that must be surgically removed in order for it to go away. We will be finding out more on this very soon, but it did scare me a bit when I googled it. This picture isn't flattering at all of Sam Nolan, but it's just to point out the cyst...

Not only did we have all this to talk about, but poor boy got shots! Whew!

Gulf Shores 2012

Okay, we know the airbrushed t-shirts are cheesy, but they have somehow made their way into our family traditions (which are extremely hard for us to break). Delaney went with her usual picture of the family, only this year Sam Nolan was in the picture, too! Sam Nolan got the shark one which was Daddy-approved aka not too feminine.  The blog title gives away our location, but this past weekend we were thrilled to get in a vacation between our busy schedules and two active babies. We absolutely love going to Gulf Shores each summer to soak in the sun and relax, look at the beautiful ocean, swim, and see the sights (BIG thanks to my aunt and uncle)!! :) After two weeks of being back at work for me, tired nights, and hectic baby duties, Eric and I couldn't wait to take our kiddies to the beach! Although, "break" might not be the perfect wording for our trip, maybe "activity-filled expedition"is more like it. :) We woke up at 5:00-ish in the morning, went to the beach, pool, and got back in the room by 9:00. I think it's safe to say we were the "early birds." In the afternoon, we went back to the pool and beach around 6:00, which were definitely more pleasant and less crowded times. We didn't even notice the "Memorial Day crowds" until we went for icecream one night.

This was our "calm" driver on the way there. Too bad I didn't get a picture on the way back when Sam Nolan cried pretty much the entire time and Delaney wouldn't stop messing with her DVD player. His face didn't look quite like this. Haha! Parenthood.

 We left around 12:45 on Friday. Sam Nolan slept and played on the way there. Delaney watched movies and took a nap, too.

 As soon as we got there, we went to the beach.  I didn't take pictures until the day, so here's the crew ready for a trip to the beach early in the morning...

 Sam Nolan was prepared for the summer heat. Sunscreen was a must. :)

 Brother and sister love...

I thought this picture was appropriate to post. Not far off from us a model was posing for pictures, men were peacefully fishing, and this was me. :) Caution: When taking two children to the beach, make sure to overpack, get as much rest as possible, and bring some stamina. This is what either Mommy or Daddy were doing most of the time. Running after Delaney...

 Or feeding Sam Nolan. But this was pretty much expected of the two. He sure did love to beach, though. I'm not sure if it was the sound of the waves or the sounds of Delaney, but he seemed to be more relaxed than ever. :) The hat was also a huge hit with all the ladies...

 I was able to grab her up for one quick picture. Other than that, it was hard to get her to slow down, much less stop.

(Not pictured were the amount of bags we had each time we made a quick visit to the ocean) Eric thinks we need a wagon next time. I did get a picture of the goody bag KK fixed for Delaney. We used it as a reward for her on the way down, when we got there, and on the way back. It was definitely a favorite part of the trip!!

But through those moments of craziness, we were able to sit back, relax, and watch our little girl build her first real sand castle all by herself. 

Watch a seagull close by...

And take a little walk, just the two of us.

This was also a special trip because it was Sam Nolan's first time to put his feet in the ocean.

Then have it covered in sand.

 He was a bit confused with the sand. He touched it, smelled it, looked at it and never really knew what to think of it. It was quite a task trying to keep him from putting it in his eyes or mouth. But it kept him busy.

While Sam Nolan was mesmerized with all the small things in life, Delaney had the time of her life. She was laughing so hard at the waves that would crash into us, that she'd fall into the rolling waters. She said, "Here it comes, Mommy. Here it COMES!!" And then we'd both laugh and laugh.

 She also became entertained with collecting seashells. Most of them were broken, but that was okay with her since she thought they looked like a lot like Little Mermaid's treasures.

Sam Nolan wasn't about to be left out of treasure hunting. He looked for them in places Delaney would never even think of...

Delaney and Daddy did look like "treasure hunters" in their pirate picture. :) After our morning beach time, we went to shop and eat lunch.

 Sam Nolan and I decided to take a "cab" instead of pirate ship. Of course, it was at our favorite family-friendly spot, (at 4:30) The Hangout. Delaney saw princesses and a pirate. She even got a tiara and wand!

We love to eat. Can you tell from our mouth??!

And we snack a lot, too.

As soon as

we got back to the condo, we were in the pool again. This time we went to the indoor pool so we wouldn't worry about getting burned.

 We practiced our swimming skills a little bit more.

 One happy boy!

One day while we were swimming in the pool, a lady said, "I can tell you're proud of your babies." I replied, "Is it that obvious?" She laughed and said, "Yes, I would be, too." Maybe it's a little true, but we just can't help but love our little beach bum babies.

This past week we had a 4 mos. birthday, JCA program, and 6 year anniversary to celebrate (along with Pop's bday). Oh, and Mother's Day was in there somwhere! Here are the pictures we took this week.

 Sam Nolan has hit the four month mark and is growing everyday!

 His motto: Go big or Go home.

 His interests at four months include: eating applesauce and rice cereal, drooling from teething, and laughing at Delaney when she jumps around in front of him. He also loves shows that involve colorful puppets. He is sleeping from 8:00 until 2:00 and taking a bottle. He goes back to sleep until around 6:30.

Pretty boy. :)

On Thursday, we went to see Delaney's program at JCA.

 It didn't take long for us spot our girl. Front and center on the back row with the big bow...

 She had obviously taken a drink of water beforehand and was holding it in her mouth for the first part of her performance.

 But then she got started, and shined like we know she does. :)

Willy Caterpillar.

 She is reciting a bible verse in this picture. :)

Not only did we have fun at night this week, but Sam Nolan got his physical and mental exercise in during the day. Physical exercise began when he traveled the room in his chair.

 Focus and concentration were also part of his meditation and mental exercise. :)

He has started to teeth and drool A LOT, and his friendly stuffed rattle helps him out when he needs it.

 He says, "Thank you." *Side note* Check out those legs! I've never had skinny babies. :)

And possibly one of the best gifts I have ever received would be my Mother's Day gift this year. Tim Arnold, who is an AWESOME silhouette artist, created these. I have been wanting them for awhile now and I knew when I saw his work, I wanted them to be made my him. Here is the link to his website: http://silhouette-man.com/.