Layla - 34 months

This month:

Layla's favorite words are "probably" and "either"

Her favorite songs are "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People and "Glad You Came" by the Wanted.

The abundance of "why" questions has reached a whole new level.  She occasionally throws in a "Why not?" just to mix things up.

Layla has begun using the potty independently (with the door closed for "pribacy", which is great because I know longer need to lift her onto the toilet.  However, my bathroom cleaning duties are happening much more frequently.  She also insists on washing and drying her hands herself. 

She "graduated" from her Super Beasts class at The Little Gym.  Layla has been attending mommy and me classes there since she was only five months old!  We will be sad to leave the great teachers and friends that we've made, but I look forward to hopefully enrolling Dylan in the fall.

Layla got her first pair of roller skates!! She isn't a big fan of the knee pads, though, which has led to many a scraped knee!

Dylan - 7 months

At seven months old, Dylan:

- has added oatmeal, barley, prunes, blueberries, peaches, spinach and potatoes to his diet.  No sign of self-weaning, as his sister began to do at this age.  Most significantly, however, Dylan does NOT appear to have a milk allergy! 

- is trying to figure out this whole "crawling" business.  He can push up on straight arms and get one knee underneath himself, but continues to push himself backwards.  So for the time being, he pretty much stays put.

- loves when people clap their hands, play peekaboo, or say "uh oh!" Dylan has also learned that if he drops something, Mommy will pick it up.

- recognizes the signs for "milk", "eat" and "take a bath"

- still thinks that everything big sister Layla does is absolutely hilarious and greets her with giggles and smiles.

- bears full weight on his legs and stands holding onto furniture for short amounts of time.

Milestones:

First trips to the beach:  5/13/12 - Mother's Day trip to Seaside, NJ
                                       5/31/12 - Avon-By-the-Sea

First baby playdate: 5/29/12 with beautiful twins, Emily and Maddie

Dylan swinging at KidStreet in Bridgewater, NJ

All smiles, despite a double ear infection

Avon-By-The-Sea, NJ

Happy 7 months, Dylan!

May Days

May is always a very busy month because it seems that everyone and their mother (including mine) has a birthday in May! My sister celebrated her 27th birthday and I made her a mexican lunch, complete with beergaritas!  My mom celebrated her birthday by doing what she does best - taking care of her family (I clumsily hurt my knee and wasn't much fun).  I did manage to make her a birthday cake and buy her some fantastic presents, though! :)

Layla enjoyed playing on the Fun Bus at the Westfield Street Fair.

KidStreet in Bridgewater became one of our new favorite playgrounds.  We explored a little bit before an afternoon of shopping with my mom and MaryGrace at the Bridgewater Mall, but returned the following week with our friends Emily and her son, Brayden. 

I made my mom sillouettes of Dylan and Layla for Mother's Day.  You can't tell from the picture, but they are made with textured cream and navy paper and are now hanging on her fireplace!

My mom also hosted a party for her friends from Cranford.  She is so lucky to have met these special ladies, and I am lucky to have grown up with their daughters! It was fun catching up with the "moms" and also very weird for Stephanie and I who are now in the mom club! I look forward to getting together with everyone again, and hopefully more of the girls can join us next time.

I had a wonderful Mother's Day with my loving husband and beautiful kids. Layla and Monte made me pancakes in the morning and surprised me with a Pandora bracelet with the kids' names and birthstones. Monte also got me a special Florida charm. We went down to the Jersey Shore for the day.  Layla enjoyed the boardwalk rides and Dylan loved shoving fistfuls of sand into his mouth.

On a Friday afternoon, we drove into Brick City to watch the Lady Wildcats.  One of the players, Natayahli, was in my Pre-K class.  I remember her very first day of school and now she is eleven years old! I expect to hear great things about this talented, intelligent young lady!

The very best purchase that I made this month was clearly our bike trailer, which I snagged from Milk Money for $40!!  I don't know who loves it more, me or the kids.  We have really enjoyed taking rides around the neighborhood.  On Memorial Day, we even packed the bikes up and took them to Cranford to watch the Memorial Day parade.  Monte and I biked to the parade one year when we were dating.  Who would have thought that several years later we'd be doing the same thing, with our two little kids in tow?

After the parade, we threw a small BBQ in our backyard.  Boy, was it hot!  The ninety-plus degree weather felt more fitting for the Fourth of July.  I guess the fact that we forgot to take pictures is a sign that we had far too much fun!

We finished off the month taking a day trip down to Avon-By-the-Sea.  I took the kids down myself and my parents, MaryGrace and my aunt, Trudy met us in the afternoon.  It was truly a perfect beach day!

And, because it took me two days to finish this blog and we are now into June, Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law, Victoria!!  Some of the best people are born in June!  Here's to the beginning of another busy birthday month for our family and the start of a memorable summer!

The Christening of Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas Nesheiwat

was baptised

in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

by Reverend Msgr. James F. Bouffard

at the Church of Saint Helen in Westfield, New Jersey

on the 15th day of April, 2012.

Godparents are Mousa F. Nesheiwat and Devon Siobhan Freeman

What a joyful day spent in the company of family and friends!