Samantha 19 months Henry 5 months

We are late on this post as well but our life has been BUSY! Despite the chaos surrounding finding jobs and a place to live the kiddos are doing great and it is awesome to see them enjoying their time with their family.

Samantha is 19 months and she is a fast moving toddler. If she is going anywhere she is usually running. She has become quite the stair climber and can get up to my mom's office on the third floor in no time and she thinks she is hysterical when she is discovered. She has also become quite adept at going down the stairs as well. She is doing great in the pool and kicks herself around pretty well and loves to jump in off the side. She has a great float that keeps her upright and her face out of the water. She loved the sand at the beach and would spend long periods of time building "castles" then knocking them down. She continues to love diggers, tractors, trucks and bikes. At the beach we took her on a few short bike rides in a kids seat and she loved it (she previously refused to get in). She continues to try new words everyday and "horse" was a favorite addition during camp. She refers to me as "Ma-ma-ma" and we are still working on "Papi." She is unusually good at saying "No" and often says it as a response to any question. We are working hard on "No gracias" and "Yes."

Small Fry is anything but small these days and he is getting fast as well. He is sitting up like a champ and can roll and wiggle to get toys that are out of reach. We keep wondering when his cheeks are going to slim down but they are as chubby as ever. He started solids a few weeks ago and is doing great. He pretty much eats whatever we give him and loves the vantage point from the high chair. He is still very ticklish and it is easy to get him laughing which is just heart melting. He is a HAPPY baby and will smile at anyone and loves any attention that his sister will shower on him, even if she is stealing his toy. He continues to be a great daytime napper but his nighttime sleep is still all too inconsistent. He will sleep 9p-5a for 7-8 nights in a row then wake up 2-3 times per night for 5 nights. Frustrating. We have let him cry for 20-30 minutes to try and put himself back to sleep but he just can't seem to get there. We are hoping that once he is settled in his new "room" at our apartment (a walk-in closet) that he may start sleeping through the night more consistently.

All in all, they have blown us away with their flexibility and good nature this summer. It has been so fun to have the extra family time together while we organize our NC life.