Summer Fun!

This summer has been super busy for the Fingars. With visitors and swimming lessons and McWane Science Center and a new summer "school", time has definitely flown by for Elly!


So let's see if we can hit on the highlights of Elly's summer.

SWIMMING LESSONS

Elly has always loved the water and we knew that we wanted her to start swimming lessons. So we signed up at the YMCA for the parent and child class. Elly absolutely LOVED it! She had as much fun getting to play in the water - kick, jump and blow bubbles. We did learn one thing though, we will have to sign her up for private swim lessons moving forward as she kept paying attention to what everyone else was doing in the pool. And ask you know, there are LOTS of things going on in a swimming pool.

We joined the Y for the month of July and Elly and I went swimming a few times as well as she was able to go when Gram Lene and Auntie Chrissy were in town. I think we will have to look into joining for the entire summer next year or look into a big inflatable pool for the back yard.

NEW SUMMER "SCHOOL"

Elly's normal "school" at Meadow Brook Baptist Church doesn't do a summer program and we needed one for Elly. Not only for her to get to play and socialize, but so that I could get some work done during the day. Elly went for 6 weeks to Riverchase Methodist Church's Mother's Day Out program. and had so much fun. From the first day when we participated in car pool and she just let them take her out of her seat - no problem until the last day of school, she loved every minute with Ms Landi and Ms Zena. We are so lucky that Elly loves to go to school and that we have a great back up at Riverchase. 

FAMILY TIME AT THE MCWANE SCIENCE CENTER

We decided to go to the McWane Science Center one Saturday to let Elly play now that she is more interested in various things but especially seeing how things work and stacking blocks. When we got there the line was super long and come to find out, the internet had gone down so they were having to manually enter everyone's payments. Once we were finally able to get in, Elly had a blast. She loved checking things out with her daddy - especially anything with water. 

 

She went grocery shopping and got a carrot and bacon.

Oooh - sporting her McWane sticker

Family selfie in the elevator - Bad Dada making a face

Petting the baby shark with daddy.

 WORKING GIRL

Elly has now figured out how to climb into my office chair when we are in the basement - which is my office, her play space and Aaron's man cave. She even knows which button turns the computer on and off.

Working hard

Taking a break with mommy

Elly's infatuation with bracelets still continues and has added necklaces to that. She found a Saint's Mardi Gras bead and wore it for 2 days straight. She's just the cutest when she has bracelets up to her elbow and a purse on the other hand.
 

 VISITORS AND FUN

 We had quite a few visitors this summer. Gram Lene and Auntie Chrissy came to visit in June and a week in July while I attended Phi Mu's convention as well as Pops came in August. We had so much fun getting to visit with everyone and taking pictures.

Eating out with Pops

While Gram Lene and Auntie Chrissy were here in June, we celebrated Gram Lene's birthday and in July they had fun swimming , swinging and shopping.

At the pool with Auntie Chrissy

Swinging with Auntie Chrissy

Celebrating Gram Lene's birthday

Elly also had Popsicles for the first time, an ICEE and we were able to put her hair in the ponytail.

Enjoying her first popscicle at the start of the summer. Now she's a pro at eating them.

We can make a ponytail. Though the front is still short, there is lots to work with in the back.

Yummy strawberry lemonade ICEE!

The summer has flown by and I am sure that there are things that we missed but overall it was a great three months. More to come on Elly's trip to the beach and 18 month update!

15 Months!

Well I have finally posted an update on time for a change! It has been quite busy the last few weeks. So here is what Little Miss Priss has been up to.

Weight - 21.5 pounds

Height - 30.8 inches

12 month recap

weight - 20 pounds, 1 ounce

height - 29.8 inches

We definitely have a long and lean little girl. Both are in the 50th percentile according to her pediatrician. She is still wearing anything from 6 months to 18 months. I really depends on the outfit. I refuse to purchase anymore 9 month pants/shorts so some of her shorts are a little big as she isn't quite ready for the 12 months in some brands. She has been wearing more summer bubble outfits which tend to be 18 months. We are in a shoe size 2 or 3 and still a number 3 diaper.

Elly has FINALLY begun to eat more adult food. She will eat rice and just think week she has decided she does in fact like cheese sandwiches (Thank goodness as her Mother's Day Out for the summer doesn't let any peanut products so we were going to have to figure something out since she couldn't take her peanut butter crackers). Elly has also fallen in love with pancakes as well and bananas and strawberries. She is still not a big fan of mashed potatoes or any meat products. She would even prefer baby food peas and green beans over the real thing! EWE! She loves drinking water or juice out of her cup, milk not so much. We are working on getting her off her bottle but at this point, she tells us when she doesn't want it and since she still only has 2 teeth (yes that's right, just 2) I am not pushing it with her. She does use her spoon and fork and we are seeing that she does better when they are in her left hand. We are continuing to work on this as she isn't always the best at keeping the spoon straight when it goes to her mouth.

Yummy banana!

Eating rice like a big girl

 

Her sleep schedule has gotten much better. For the most part she does a long nap anywhere from 2-3 hours usually around 12 or 1 and then will go down for the evening by 7:30pm and will wake around 6:30-6:45am. Sometimes she takes a 30 minute nap or so in the morning but those are usually hit or miss. 

 

We also started swimming lessons this summer at the Y while Elly has been in between Mother's Day Out programs (she starts a summer program on the 17th). We had fun in our parent and child class and Elly really too to the water. She was way more interested in watching the other kids in their swimming lessons more than she was in paying attention to what she was doing. By the end of the classes, she had learned to kick, splash, "jump" off the side - but most of the time sat on the interior ledge and leaned in, and attempted to blow bubbles. Her favorite thing though was licking the water :-). 

Dressed and ready to go swimming in my Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

Diva!

Standing in the Kiddie pool

Sun bathing beauty

Elly is definitely non stop! Her latest is her pure enjoyment of climbing on things, especially the coffee table. She has gotten in more trouble than I can even explain for the amount of times that she has crawled on the coffee table, played with a toy, laid back and then she talks back to me when I tell her to get down! She has also started running back and forth on the couch and thinks its the funniest thing. I think my hands are going to be full for sure with this little one. 

 

(I have to figure out what is going on as I cannot get any of the videos to upload. I am going to work on it and see what's going on. There might be a post of nothing but videos to come soon!)

She also decided to climb on her play table and sit in the center. I was in the kitchen washing some dishes and I heard her making a grunting noise. I thought she wanted her purse opened to get her comb out but when I came around the corner, this is what I found. She was upset that her pacifier was stuck in the alligator's mouth. Needless to say, the play table has been moved downstairs to her play area.

She also likes climbing up in her rocking chair in her room. I get a bit nervous that this isn't going to back off the chair the right way so we end up having to keep her door closed most of the time. As soon as she knows the door is open, she is off to climb up in the chair. Almost every time we go in there to see about her, she has her book in her hand and is "reading". 

Elly is still obsessed with Wheel of Fortune. She now "talks" to the TV when it comes on and will clap for the contestant when they get the puzzle correct. She also enjoys watching Peg + Cat, Dinosaur Train, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Sid the Science Kid. It's funny to watch her get excited about the show or dance to the music. She also caught the cartoon of Curious George one morning and was so surprised to see "George" on the TV. It was priceless.

We have had a blast enjoying the weather at the beginning of the month and getting play outside on Elly's slide. She is still not sure about it (which is odd because she loves to slide at the park). Hopefully we will get out there and play a bit more as long as the weather doesn't get too miserable. 

Staying hydrated in the heat!

To round out the last few weeks, Gram Lene and Auntie Chrissy came for a visit to celebrate Gram Lene's birthday. We celebrated Father's Day with breakfast at IHOP (one of Aaron's favorite breakfast places). And Elly and Mommy have been having fun and hanging out - taking a few pictures now and then. 

Happy Birthday Gram Lene!

They both were so thrilled to take a Father's Day picture for me

Elly is starting her summer Mother's Day Out program for 6 weeks, Gram Lene and Auntie Chrissy will be back to play with Elly for a few days while I go to Phi Mu Convention  and Aaron and I will celebrate our 5 year anniversary. We have a busy next few weeks but looking forward to making more memories as a family.