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I just couldn't choose! Somehow...the pictures of Warren's little four month photo shoot were all just so good that I couldn't choose. So you get to see them all.

We just can't get enough of this little guy. All three of us are just completely enamored by him. And for good reason, right? ;) As it always goes with a second (or third or fourth) child, Warren does a whole lot of tagging along. He goes to the park, the pool, the doctor's office...wherever the rest of us are going...and just does his laid-back baby thing. Although he has recently decided that he's going to cry in the car. Hopefully it's just a brief phase! Unlike with Henry at this age, the world does not revolve around him, so it's been more challenging to get him into a definite routine. Especially with it being summertime. But, oh well. We roll with it. He continues to be the smiliest and most personable baby in the world. LOVE HIM!
Here are some current Warren stats:

• wears size 3 diapers (just graduated) about half of the time and cloth diapers the other half of the time
• exclusively breastfed
• wears size 6-12 month clothes...but not for much longer
• weighs somewhere around 15 pounds. (will find out for sure on wednesday at his well-check)
• still likes to be swaddled when he sleeps but wants access to his fists so he can work on finding a finger or two
• has gotten through the cradle cap phase and has lots of new hair coming in which seems to be light brown
• has recently started grabbing onto his toes and has rolled over (back to tummy) a few times
• laughs often and smiles constantly
• loves to watch henry and is very entertained by him
• is a daddy's boy. he will grin and babble at dameon from across the room and notices his voice right away. also loves to rock-a-bye with daddy.

Henry wanted to get in some photos too...

Studying big brother:

KISS!

a little summer recap

We have had a super fun and super busy summer thus far and I've been wanting to do a better job (shocking!) of documenting our activities. I think I'm still going to try to start a little journal just to jot down what we do each day but I realize that would be a boring read for anyone else, so I'll just recap the activities that have pictures to go with!

I usually consider the start of summer to be my birthday (June 1). It's a good way to kick things off. This year was my big 3-0. We spent the first part of the day at Blank Park Zoo. It was a Saturday, so typically a busy day, but the weather was pretty overcast, so we didn't have to fight any major crowds. Highlights included the carousel, the train ride, the baby monkey, and the picnic lunch. The low point was when Henry wanted a camel ride and chose the birthday girl to go along. (Or was it Dameon's idea??) Let's just say that paying $10 to ride one lap around is nuts. Especially when you are riding a camel. And did you know they make the grown up sit ON THE HUMP? That's likely the most uncomfortable spot and not nearly close enough to the two-year-old in front of me who is supposed to just hold on tight and remain calm. I'll spare you the camel ride pictures.

 Next up was Father's Day. Dameon did a little canoeing on Saturday and got a decent sunburn. We had planned to stay overnight in Pella, but decided to drive back late Saturday night because Warren was a little under the weather and we thought it would be best to get home. On Sunday, Rick and Joyce came over for a grill-out and then Henry showed off his tee ball skills in the yard. I had taken the boys up to the courthouse a few days prior to take some photos of them and put in a 3-picture frame to spell D-A-D. It turned out really cute and will look good in Dameon's office.

On June 23, we had Warren's baby dedication at my home church in Boone. Pastor Tim (who also gave the message at our wedding) did a great job making it personal and we were glad to have some of our family members and friends with us. Afterward, we all had lunch at Mom and Dad's.

The next major summer event was Dameon's birthday. The lucky guy actually got 4 days of celebrating. We started on Friday (June 28) by going to Junkin' in June which is a junk run in Boone and Story counties. Basically there were several junk stores/vendors set up around the area and you could follow the map to as many places as you could get to. We found some great stuff including a refinished cedar chest and a bench for our entryway which is made with old barn wood. That night my parents kept the boys while we ate at Hickory Park and made a trip to Lowe's (Dameon's birthday, not mine, remember?) The next day we did a little more junkin' and then called it quits around noon because we had spent more than enough $. But we both agreed we would like to do it again. It was a great time! The next day (Sunday), I had set up a golf outing for Dameon and a few friends. They golfed 18 holes at Jester Park and then headed to Zombie Burger for some food. On Monday (his actual birthday) we spent some time outside in the morning and then grilled brats and ate birthday cake for lunch. I had made a strawberry cake that I found a recipe for on Pinterest. It turned out pretty good and wasn't too much work at all! After naps, we headed to Ashby Park in Des Moines. They have a splash pad there. Dameon and Henry had a great time in the fountains, while Warren and I hung out on a blanket in the shade. We ended the day at Sam and Louie's, which is one of our favorite pizza spots. Henry asked several times, "Where's Woo-ee?" He felt pretty strongly that Louie should make an appearance at his own restaurant ;)

The most recent photos I have are from the fourth of July. On the third we went to Yankee Doodle Pops in Des Moines. We ate a picnic supper and then enjoyed the music and fireworks. On the fourth, we headed to Earlham in the morning because they do a big celebration and have a parade with lots of candy! We spent the afternoon indoors and then ate taco pizza before heading back over the Earlham to watch fireworks. We were glad to have Aunt NeNe with us and also ended up running into some friends from church. Henry had success with the little snappers that you throw on the ground, but we decided he was too young for sparklers after he repeatedly wanted to use them like a magnifying glass, nearly burning off his eyelashes and giving me a heart attack.

Another highlight of the summer has been the sweet deal of a backyard swimming pool that Dameon scored for us at Shopko! Henry loves swimming and splashing around in there and we haven't even made an appearance at the public pool yet. Backyard swimming is a double bonus for me because it means I can remain fully clothed. One of these days, I'll be brave enough to wear my suit again. But in case you're wondering, after this little incident:

my mid-section will never...and I mean NEVER...be the same.

three months and a few Henry laughs

I'm really wishing that my blog wasn't so much on the back burner right now because there's is so much happening each day that I want to document but because there's so much happening, I just don't have time! Argh! Cycles!

Warren is three...nearly four...months old now and he is changing so quickly. He has recently entered into that stage of constantly holding onto his toes and drooling, while smiling and cooing. Such a great stage! He is gaining lots of chub on his thighs and his hair (which appears to be lighter than Henry's) is growing back in. Last week I took him to the doctor for ingrown toenails (poor little baby) and he weighed in at 15 pounds. He also hit the big rolling over milestone on the fourth of July. None of us saw it the first time, but Dameon saw him do it again just a few minutes later. This is about two months ahead of Henry so I fear the smaller head will allow him to be mobile much sooner. Eek! He is a pretty laid back guy, which is a good thing since he is subjected to all the goods and bads that the behavior of a two-year-old brings. The poor guy can hardly get a nap in without being jolted awake by a "MOMMY, WARREN'S SLEEPING!!!!!!!!" followed immediately with, "Oh, look! He's awake!" Oh well. As the younger brother, it's probably best that he learn from an early age to sleep with one eye open ;)

Henry is also growing up quickly and keeping us on our toes. Two recent instances where I almost had to gulp back a sob because he seemed so grown up: 1.) I took the boys to the park last week for a picnic. Henry finished eating before me so he walked himself over to the playground. As soon as he arrived, he turned back to smile and wave at me. And then my mind flashed forward to three years from now when he goes to kindergarten and waves goodbye to me. Oh, dear. I hope the next three years go by very slowly! 2.) This morning I went to check on him in his Sunday School class. I had to basically shove my eyeball against the small glass window to be able to see the kids around the corner, so I hope the teacher didn't see me! Anyway, there he was sitting at the table eating snack with all the kids and carrying on conversation. This is the first time he's been in any sort of "class" situation, so it makes him seem very grown up. *sigh*  One of the best parts of Henry's age right now is the things he comes up with that are just hilarious. For one thing, he has a real issue with messy hands and/or a messy face. And, yet, his favorite food group is marshmallows. This poses quite a predicament for the boy. Anyway, he is constantly wanting his hands and face wiped off and can't handle waiting until he's done eating for us to help him out with this. The other day we went out for pizza and after the very first bite, he had sauce on his cheek. He quickly (and semi-frantically) scanned the area for a napkin and when one wasn't readily available he grabbed to nearest and next-best thing: a plastic baggie, and proceeded to wipe his face. I think I laughed for five minutes straight.
And now for one last hilarious moment: Yesterday he said to me, "What's your name again?" I said, "What?" And he goes, "Oh yeah. Lindsay." Ha! Where does he come up with it??

Alright, pictures. After a major period of frustration, Dameon saved the day and figured out why I was having so much trouble getting these pictures to upload. Thus, the "three month posting" being published four days before Warren turns four months. Sheesh.

Here's Henry at three months. Just for comparison's sake. It's funny how some people think the two boys look very similar and others (an hour later) say they look nothing alike.

 Here's Henry wearing the same outfit at six months that Warren is wearing at 3 months. Big boy!