Our first Chuck E. Cheese adventure!

Last week, we took Pearce to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time!  We weren't sure if he would actually like it or be able to do anything, but GG was here visiting, so we wanted to do something fun...and indoors!  We invited Ridley and his parents to come along, too.  The boys had a GREAT time!  Pearce loved riding the little rides and playing some of the games!  He even liked the pizza.  Really, it was great just letting him walk around and explore.  We were all surprised at how big a hit it was.  I remember when it was Showbiz Pizza when I was little, and it was such a treat to go.  My little boy is going to have lots of trips to Chuck E. Cheese in his future!

 

4th of July!

We had such a fun 4th this year!  GG is here visiting, so we took her to the sprinkle park and met Christie and Ridley there.  I swear, when Christie goes back to work in August, I am going to be so sad!  She and I have been doing so much together since she is out for the summer.  The sprinkle park was lots of fun because it was smaller than the other ones we had gone to and Pearce had the best time just walking all over and getting wet!  We brought a little picnic too, so that was fun!  Pearce was sound asleep by the time we got out of the parking lot!  After a nap and bath, I dressed him in  his patriotic best.  Andy came over for burgers and dogs.  Chris ground his own meat and made the BEST hamburgers!  We let Pearce try his first hot dog....didn't like it too well.  He did enjoy the bun, though!  GG was in charge of bedtime and Andy, Chris, and I went to watch the Cedar Park fireworks.  It was a pretty good show!  I can't wait to take Pearce next year!  We found a great spot that had an open grassy area and lots of kids were running around playing.  I think Pearce will love it!

Love this face he makes when he gets mad about something!

My sweet, happy boy!

Swim Lessons

For the past two weeks, Pearce and I have been going to swim lessons at the Elizabeth Milburn Pool.  We went Monday through Thursday from 9:00-9:45.  I was soooo excited about taking Pearce.  This was just a "get to know the water" type of class.  Well, I thought Pearce would have liked it more than he did :)  At least there was another baby who cried more than Pearce....so that made me feel better, haha!  To his defense, though, the water was soooo cold!  I never even thought about the water being cold, but he would start shivering midway through the class!  The babies practiced going on their tummies and kicking their legs, floating on their back, and going under the water.  What did Pearce want to do?  He just wanted me to hold him :)  But, he was a trooper and we would make a game out of throwing a floating toy and he would go get it, with my help, and he did learn how to kick his legs.  He also learned how to jump off the side and he would go under.....he didn't like it, but he did it!  On the last day, there was a water playscape that the kids could play on and Pearce was the only one from our class that went down the slide all by himself...woohoo!!  It really was fun experience for us, though!  We had two friends do it with us:  Kristin and Logan and Christie and Ridley...plus we made lots of new friends, too!  Christie's husband Mike came and took some pics.  Thanks Mike!

 

Pearce, what have you been up to?

Pearce, you are 16 months old.  What have you been up to?  Here are some pics from my iPhone to show everyone.  Well, I can finally say you are a full time most-of-the-time-walker :)  You took your first consecutive steps all by yourself at 15 months, but it took another month for you to let go of things and walk on your own.  You still crawl a lot, but you also let go of furniture and take off on your own.  Yesterday when we came home from the grocery store, I took you out of your car seat and told you to wait by the car.  You just stood there and I got the groceries out and then I told you to follow me inside...and you did!  It was the first time you walked in with me while I carried the groceries!

  You understand so many commands.  On this day, I asked you to help me dust the shelves.  You loved "helping" me until you found the buttons on the TV and just wanted to push those over and over.  When I told you no, no, you threw a fit.  You are good at those!

You LOVE to be outside, and you HATE to be in the car :)  You always say "size" for outside and you point to the door.  I got you a baby pool and a new little chair.  You had fun playing in the pool and sitting in your chair, but you really love to just go up and down the steps.  And now you hold onto the rail and go up one by one.  You make the cutest little grunt as you go up and down.

We made homemade Popsicles last night and I couldn't wait for you to try it.  It was a HUGE mess, but you loved it!  I started off by putting this smock on you, but then I just took everything off but your diaper because it was so messy.  Oh well!  It was fun watching you.  

What else?  You can repeat or at least try to repeat a lot of words we say.  Your new favorite word is "ouchie."  You have gotten lots of scrapes on your knees from being outside and you also have some mosquito bites from a mosquito that must have been in your room!  That thing went to town on your sweet little knees :(  The bites have provided lots of entertainment for you, though.  Yesterday we were at the grocery store and several people stopped to say hi to you and you immediately pointed to your knees and said "Ouchie."   

When you are in your bed, I hear you talking to yourself.  You go through names that you know. It's so funny!  You have started a VERY clingy stage.  There are sometimes that we are sitting playing and you will just come over to me and grab me around my neck and you want me to just hold you.  If I try to put you down or just sit you next to me, you hold on tight.  I don't want you to be scared to do things on your own, so sometimes I have to just put you down and you will cry and cling to my leg, but then you are o.k.  I did love this the other day, though.....we were sitting in Daddy's chair, and you just sat on me but kept looking at me and talking to me and then you would lay your head down on me and hug me.  LOVED that!!

You made Daddy laugh really hard the other day.  When he came home from work, he asked what we had done that day.  I said, "Oh Daddy, Pearce cried because I wouldn't let him..." (I can't remember what it was you were crying about).  And then daddy said "Oh no, Pearce did you cry?"  And then you did this fake cry....it was so funny because you hadn't done that before!  Now we can say "Pearce cry" and you will do your fake cry.  You do something new every day it seems like.  I love you so much.  You are the sweetest, most fun little thing!

Pirate's Beach 2013

We just got back from Pirate's Beach in Galveston.  The house Dad rented was absolutely perfect!  It was kid friendly with lots of toys, baby gates, two pack n' plays, sippy cups, etc...  Not to mention, it was soooo pretty!  Good job, Daddy!  Last year, Pearce was just about 6 months old and he did enjoy the beach and have fun, but I was hoping this year he would really enjoy playing in the sand and water.  Well, he did!  Ashley and I and the kids met mom and dad down there on Thursday afternoon.  Wayne came that night.  Chris had to work, but came Friday.  We did not waste any time getting our suits on and heading to the beach!  It was so fun watching all of the kids run and play and have fun digging in the sand.  All 3 of them loved it and were ready to go each morning!  Daddy rented us this golf cart to take back and forth to the beach.  It definitely came in handy to haul all of our beach gear in. The kids loved taking rides around the neighborhood in it too.  Pearce feel asleep on Mama when she and Papa took him for a ride. Each night, Nathan and Charlotte would go crab hunting.  Chris and I went with them the last night and man, those things are hard to catch!  Nathan was definitely a pro at it, though!  The cousins had so much fun playing together.  I say this every time, but Nathan and Charlotte are soooo sweet and helpful to Pearce.  They are buddies and it is so fun to see them together!  Me, Ashley, Wayne, and Chris got to go out to dinner on our own one night while Mama and Papa kept the kiddos.  We had so much fun together and had the BEST seafood meal!  Can't wait to do this again next year!!!  Here are just a "few" of the pictures we took, haha!!