9 month old comparison

In honor of Brad turning 15 months tomorrow, I thought you might like to read the 9-month old comparison :)

At 9 months of age, Luke was 28 inches tall and weighed 18 lbs 10 oz. He was a really great eater and sleeper. He ate almost anything I gave him and always slept through the night. This is not just a glamorized memory, I really checked the notes I wrote about him at this age, it is the truth. Aside from his hemangioma and ear issues, Luke really was an easy baby. By this time Luke was army crawling and trying to pull himself up. He talked a lot and said mama and dada. He had surgery to remove the hemangioma on his arm and get ear tubes by this time and was a happy camper after that!

Luke at 9 months



Brad at 9 months weighed 19 lbs and 6 oz and was 28.5 inches so he continues to be just a little bigger than older brother. Brad had started to sleep more regularly and then he got sick. He had a fever for several days and that really disrupted his normal. Not to mention we were on yet another road trip during this time so he had to try to be flexible with his environment, which I have decided he is not. He is much better sticking to a routine in his own house.
I am proud to say I was still breastfeeding Brad at 9 months (we made it just over a year actually!) Brad really enjoyed dancing and singing and his jumpy seat. He loves to play with big brother's toys, especially cars. At 9 months, he is really trying to crawl, he just can't do it yet. He has got three teeth now too.

Brad at 9 months

summer travels to NC

Our summer of traveling (well me and the boys anyway) continued with a long weekend to North Carolina to visit Josh's grandparents, mom, aunt, and cousin, and our good friends who were vacationing nearby.

We got to GGma and GGpa's house and the weather was nice so Luke played outside!



Brevard, NC may not be a huge city, but it has some good eatin'! At one of the family's favorite spots the Fish Camp, Brad enjoyed some crackers.





Luke and cousin Haley! She is so sweet to the boys. We love visiting with her.



The boys and I headed over to camp Kanuga for a few days of fun with our friends Walter and Andi and their daughter Sophia. There is a nice (and unfortunately for the summer not shady) playground the kids love to play on. It was neat to watch Luke navigate the whole thing on his own this year as compared to last year when I had to help him.






Sophia was the flower girl in Neil and Ansev's wedding a couple of weeks ago, she was so cute!

So fun to travel just a couple of hours up the road and visit with so many loved ones!

Backyard friend

We had a friendly squirrel this summer who liked to come say hello on our back deck. One day I caught him lounging on the rail.
He was there so long, I actually watched to make sure he was breathing.
Ever see a squirrel rest like this?



Hope he found a nice spot to wait out the winter :)

Buddies

In between our summer travelin' we had to make sure to see some buddies! We love getting together with Luke's buddy Alec and his family. Luke and Alec are so fun to watch. Here are a few pictures from the 4th of July weekend.

Playing at Alec's house





Trying to get three kids to all smile and look at the camera is out of my capabilities (Luke, Alec, Aubri)





Watching the parade



Brad and Daddy



My brother Neil and his (now) wife Ansev came to visit us for the 4th and suffered in the heat to watch the parade. (Don't worry, you'll hear about their beautiful New Year's Eve wedding...probably next June at the rate I am going!)



We went out to eat after the parade and I captured this gem of a conversation between Luke and Alec!

Luke's last day of school

Just a quick photo from Luke's last day of school at PRLP (7/1/11). He attended this school longer than any so far and we loved having him there. But with me not working anymore it wasn't really convenient and was on the pricey side because of where it was located in town. It was sad to say goodbye and Luke still asks about it sometimes, but I know he loves his new school and teachers and we are very happy with the school he attends now.
I snapped this shot to remember the day and I just love how Brad sneaked in a smile!

Summer fun

It makes me sad to write this summer fun post now that it is January and was 21 degrees this morning. How I miss the summer weather and it hasn't really been a cold winter (yet).
At the end of June, I was getting the pool out for the boys to enjoy in our yard.
Luke, being an old pro from last summer, was very helpful setting everything up.



Brad was sporting his awesome shark suit



I sat Brad in the pool and then this happened.


Needless to say, 8 month old Brad had had enough of the pool.

Luke persevered and had a great time.





Come back days of summer..

Cali Trip Part 5

San Francisco!
We ended our tour of California in San Francisco.
First stop: Alcatraz!
It was a little chilly but we were ready. (I swear Luke is there, can you find him?)



Josh has always had a fascination with Alcatraz so he was happy to take the tour. I walked around with Brad in the baby bjorn and got quite a work out. I didn't realized there'd be that much walking!





What great views the prisoners would have had if they hadn't been locked up.









Jayce and Luke in a cell



We also did a double decker bus tour of the city including a trip over the Golden Gate bridge. It was incredibly windy and cold, so Josh and I took the boys downstairs on the way back over the bridge. No pictures since I was focused on keeping Brad warm! We also did a Duck Boat tour. That was fun! I think I was holding a sleeping Brad when we did that so the only picture I have is the one we took before we got on the boat. Luke loved the duck bill quacker.

Duck Boat group shot


Finally, what is a trip to San Francisco without a visit to Pier 39?
Ed in front of the Hard Rock Cafe



Um, where are all the seals I was promised?



And that concludes our California adventure. What a whirlwind. Glad we survived and had a great time!