Little Mister - 6 Month Update

Weight/Height: E's official 6 month checkup is set for October 4, but we measured him at 20.6 pounds, the 88th percentile and 26.0 inches long, the 23rd percentile.  Just to compare, he's almost a pound heavier than C at 6 months, but the same height!

Eating: E must have known I was excited for a routine during month 5 because it flew right out the window during this past month!  I blame visits from grandparents, teething and we introduced E to solid a week early.  But we'll start at the beginning.  He has continued to take between 5 and 6 ounces every 3-4 hours, but there is no strict schedule.  I don't think there will ever be to be honest.  And with the intro of Baby Led Weaning and solids, he seems to want his milk and bottle less and less.  I think between getting his first tooth and working on the second popping in he'd rather chew on the bottle nipple than drink from it.  And in the past few days that we started Baby Led Weaning (we began with dinner on Sunday, September 22) he'd rather chew and gum real food than drink.  I've been diligent about making sure he drinks at least most of a bottle before he eats food as I know his nutrition should still be coming from the bottle.  'Food before 1 is just for fun!'.  He's also been spitting up A LOT.  I think maybe he doesn't want as much as we're trying to have him drink.  But some days he wants and eats close to 40 ounces.  Other days he only takes 30 ounces.  No rhyme or reason.  I also learned with a visit from Grandma and Grandpa B. (my parents) and with RCW being in town this month, E really likes to take a bottle from yours truly.  Anyone else feeding him, unless he's starving, seems to have issues.  I guess since I feed him 95% of the time, that makes sense though.  E is still not interested in holding his own bottle, apparently C was super early at doing that.  But he knows what his bottle is and gets super excited when he sees it and lunges for it.  Hopefully he'll become interested in holding it in the coming weeks simply because him being able to fed it to himself would be a time saver on some days and especially when he's hungry and we're in the car!  As far as Baby Led Weaning, we're only on Day 7, but E LOVES it!  We knew he would!  He seems to like everything!  Typically, right now, he's eating waffles and bananas for breakfast.  Lunch and dinner is usually some combination of roast beef or chicken slices, sweet potato fries, cucumber, spinach muffin slices, broccoli stalks, carrots, watermelon and strawberries.  At dinner we'll throw in appropriately sized bites of whatever we're eating if we can too.  He really loves to chew on roast beef, cheese and strawberries so far.  He seems to be doing great with BLW and I'm so thrilled he's enjoying exploring and trying new tastes!  This is the last month we will keep track of his intake as we know it will shift even more as he starts digesting more and more solids, but so during month 6 E averaged eating 33.6 ounces of formula a day with 6 feedings a day.

Sleeping:  We did it!  We moved E into the nursery and ohmygosh WHAT were we waiting for?!  The move was prompted by my parents coming to visit and needing E out of the guest room.  The first night RCW and I were both terrified.  E didn't know any different, but we made a big deal with C about how brother would be sleeping in the room tonight and showing C his crib and E's crib.  I just kept repeating it over and over during C's bedtime routine.  And that first night, it was fabulous!  E woke up for his usual early morning bottle, but C didn't budge.  Over the past couple weeks, both boys have woken each other up on occasion, but we've been able to soothe them each back to sleep. Our fear was me being up with 1 and RCW being up with the other and that hasn't happened.  So yay!  In other E sleep news, did I mention he's teething!?  He's having some good nights and some not so great nights.  I would say for the most part he is still sleeping from about 8pm until 4-5am.  But we have nights with the random 3am wake up and I blame it on teething or C waking him up.  We also realized that when we moved them into the same room, I put both sound machines in the room.  One by C's head and one by E's head.  RCW said that with both playing it just sounds like noise, not rhythmic white noise.  We took one away and so far it has helped.  Fingers crossed it keeps helping!  For naps, E is still taking a morning catnap and a long afternoon nap.  Sometimes he takes a dinner time catnap too.  And for those afternoon naps, he's sleeping in the cradle in our bedroom.  We tried C and E sharing their afternoon naps in the nursery, but it just doesn't work for naptime.  Maybe one day, but not right now.  To go to sleep, much like everything else about E's personality its random.  Sometimes he needs some help from us, holding, rocking and making vibrating 'baaaa' sounds in his ear.  Other times, he's sleepy and we can put him down wide awake and he'll go to sleep on his own.  He has gotten better about self soothing, but it isn't all the time.  When he needs sleep, but doesn't want to sleep, he still needs a lot of encouragement from mom or dad!  Over month 6, E averaged 13.24 hours of sleep a day.

Diapers: During month 6 we did get back into cloth for at good chunk of the time.  He wears cloth during the day at home.  If we run errands he's in a disposable so I don't worry about leaks.  At night, he's in a disposable so we don't worry about leaks.  But during the day at home he has a fluffy bum!  He's wearing Size 3 in Pampers for disposable and he's still in our tried and true FuzzyBunz for cloth.  One note in the diaper category - solids!  We know he's digesting some of the solids he's trying because he has gone from maybe 1 poo a day to at least 3, sometimes 5 and they're, um, loose.  And because of that, plus possibly the teething, E has gotten his first diaper rash.  Not bad for going almost 6 full months without one!  We're using Boudreaux's Butt Paste when he's in disposables and California Baby when he's in cloth.

Clothes: As the weather has gotten cooler, especially here in the mornings when we're out running around, we needed some pants and long sleeve tops for E.  I didn't have any for C in size 6 months so I tried E in some of the 9 month ones that were C's.  And they fit.  To be honest, while he can still rock a size 6 month romper, they're getting a bit snug.  9 month is the best size for him right now.  So the catch is that C didn't have any size 9 month clothes.  I think it was due to the weather changes.  He had a few outfits and E is wearing those now, but I did have to go out and buy E a couple new outfits in size 9 months.  We hit up a Carter's and got a couple fall outfits for both boys.  And it sounds silly, but it was so fun to actually buy new clothes for E!  He looks mighty adorable in his new pants and long sleeve tees!

Social Butterfly: During E's sixth month, he had some special outings like Huber's Family Farm Park and Pumpkin Patch during Grandma and Grandpa B.'s visit and his usual routine of errands to Target, Kroger and Sam's Club with momma, but since we came back from vacation in August, we've had a more lowkey schedule.  We aren't doing MyGym currently, because I couldn't handle both boys alone now that E wants to be active and not just chill in his carseat and I haven't gotten back into our library storytime routine.  We've been hanging out at home more, which is good and playing outside with the cooler weather.  E has started interacting more and more with C during playtime at home.  They share toys back and forth and E loves to watch C, the dogs and us.  He adores faces, including his own, and loves to mimic smile and laughs back at us!  During this month he also graduated to riding in the shopping cart on his own!  Its so fun, especially at Sam's Club with the big carts, to have both C and E riding side by side.  E pulls and tries to touch C.  Its hilarious!  He really dislikes his car seat so being able to sit in a shopping cart is a win for E!  He loves it! And when out and about he continues to receive remarks about his big blue eyes!

Playtime:  Playtime this month has moved to a whole new level and this momma loves it!  E is a master at sitting up now!  You can usually find him sitting in the middle of the living room surrounded by toys.  And while he has his own infant toys like Mortimer the Moose and Sophie the Giraffe, he really seems to love things that light up and make noise.  Not surprising!  A favorite is one of C's first birthday toys, the Vtech Tiny Touch Tablet.  It sings, lights up and flashes lights and is small enough E can pick up and hit the buttons himself.  He also really like C's Vtech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Garage and cars that go with it.  And C loves them too so its cute to see them 'playing' together.  E likes to pick up the cars and they light up too and he likes to see the garage light up and sing.  He is also rather fond of chewing on the Fisher Price Little People A to Z Learning Zoo animals!  E also enjoys playing in his crib when he wakes up and continues to love the mobile in the crib.  He rolls all around and grabs his toes and has started pulling blankets off the crib rails in with him to roll on.  We call him out for being such a wiggly little man!  He loves bouncing in his exersaucers and jumps so hard he often moves it across the hardwood floors.  He loves to try standing up and 'dancing' and if he's laying on his back, he's most likely grabbing and playing with his toes!  He uses the rolling walker often and has kicking to move backwards down to a tee, but we're working on getting him to move forward!  He also learned to roll from back to belly, but it isn't all the time.  Its usually in his crib and we see him on the monitor on his back and then look later and he's on his belly!  He is at a really fun age right now and exploring and learning every day!

Personality: E your little personality has hit its stride.  Reading what I wrote from last month, not much has changed.  You were most definitely spoiled with attention from being around everyone during vacation and let momma know you wanted someone hanging out with you 24/7 when we got back and it was just momma around!  You can be happy as a clam playing, but the second you realize we stepped out of the room and you're alone, you begin to fuss.  We will need to work on that little one!  You're a happy little guy though and those smiles and laughs turn any bad moment around for your daddy and I!

  

Milestones: In E's sixth month, he had many milestones!  He mastered sitting up, sharing a room with brother, rolling from belly to back and is talking all the time!  This month he started making the 'da' sound and repeats it on a loop!  He had a visit from Grandma and Grandpa B and went on his first tractor ride to the pumpkin patch too. 

Typical Child

First, thank you all for your comments on my post about seeking out speech therapy for C.  It was great to feel supported in my decision and read about your experiences with your littles talking!  Thank you!

After I wrote that post, we received our packet of information a couple days later. The survey used for a written evaluation is teh ASQ-3 - Ages and Stages Questionnaire.  Its a pretty popular method for tracking development in babies and toddlers.  C actually took one of these around 6 months when he was still in daycare.  RCW and I went through the questions together on September 18.  I'm going to post the questions because I had some interest in seeing what our process looked like.

ASQ-3 20 Month Questionnaire - For children, 19 months 0 days through 20 months 30 days

You answer each as Yes, Sometimes or Not Yet.  While I can't share with you the grading method on this, I will post our responses for C.  We filled this out when C was 19 months, 3 days old.

Communication

1. Does your child imitate a two-word sentence?  For example, when you say a two-word phrase, such as 'Mama eat', 'Daddy play', 'Go home' or 'What's this?' does your child say both words back to you? (Mark yes even if her words are difficult to understand). --> C: Not Yet

2. Does your child say eight or more words in addition to 'mama' and 'dada'? --> C: Yes

3. Without your showing him, does your child point to the correct picture when you say, "Show me the kitty," or ask, "Where is the dog?" (He needs to identify only one picture correctly.) --> C: Yes

4. If you point to a picture of a ball (kitty, cup, hat, etc.) and ask your child, "What is this?" does your child correctly name at least one picture? --> C: Yes

5. Without your giving him clues by pointing or using gestures, can your child carry out at least three of these kinds of directions? --> C: Yes
a. Put the toy on the table.      d. Find your coat.
b. Close the door.                  e. Take my hand.
c. Bring me a towel.               f. Get your book.

6.  Does your child say two or three words that represent different ideas together, such as 'See dog', 'Mommy come home', or 'Kitty gone'?  (Don't count word combinations that express one idea, such as 'bye bye', 'all gone', 'all right' and 'What's that?')  Please give an example of your child's word combinations. --> C: Not Yet

Gross Motor

1. Does your child climb on an object such as a chair to reach something he wants (for example, to get a toy on a counter or to help you in the kitchen)? --> C: Yes

2. Does your child walk well and seldom fall? --> C: Yes

3. Does your child walk down stairs if you hold onto one of her hands? She may also hold onto the railing or wall. --> C: Yes

4. When you show your child how to kick a large ball, does he try to kick the ball by moving his leg forward or by walking into it? (If you child already kicks a ball, mark yes for this item).  --> C: Not Yet

5. Does your child run fairly well, stopping herself without bumping into things or falling? --> C: Yes

6. Does your child walk either up or down at least two steps by himself?  He may also hold onto the railing or wall. --> C: Yes

Fine Motor

1. Does your child make a mark on the paper with the tip of a crayon (or pencil or pen) when trying to draw? --> C: Yes

2. Does your child stack three small blocks or toys on top of each other by herself? --> C: Yes

3. Does your child turn the pages of a book by himself? (He may turn more than one page at a time) --> C: Yes

4. Does your child get a spoon into her mouth right side up so that the food usually doesn't spill? --> C: Sometimes

5. Does your child stack six small blocks or toys on top of each other by himself? --> C: Sometimes

6. Does your child use a turning motion with her hand while trying to turn doorknobs, wind up toys, twist tops, or screw lids on and off jars? --> C: Yes

Problem Solving

1. Without your showing him how, does your child scribble back and forth when you give him a crayon (or pencil or pen)? --> C: Yes

2. After watching you draw a line from the top of the paper to the bottom with a crayon (or pencil or pen), does your child copy you by drawing a single line the paper in any direction?  (Mark not yet if your child scribbles back and forth). --> C: Sometimes

3. If you do any of the following gestures, does you child copy at least one of them? --> C: Sometimes
a. Open and close your mouth.         c. Pull on your earlobe.
b. Blink your eyes.                           d. Pat your cheek.

4. If you give your child a bottle, spoon, or pencil upside down, does he turn it right side up so that she can use it properly? --> C: Yes

5. While your child watches, line up four objects like blocks or cars in a row.  Does your child copy or imitate you and line up at least two blocks side by side? --> C: Yes

6. If your child wants something he cannot reach, does he find a chair or box to stand on to reach it (for example, to get a toy on a counter or to help you in the kitchen). --> C: Sometimes

Personal-Social

1. Does your child feed herself with a spoon, even though she may spill some food? --> C: Yes

2. Does your child get your attention or try to show you something by pulling on your hand or clothes? --> C: Yes

3. Does your child drink from a cup or glass, putting it down again with little spilling? --> C: Not Yet (Note: At the time we did this, we had never given C anything but a straw sippy cup which of course didn't spill because of the lid.  We have since started working with him on using a real cup without a lid and he's doing great when he's focused.  He can pick it up and put it down without spilling, its the drinking slowly that we need to work on!)

4. Does your child copy the activities you do, such as wipe up a spill, sweep, shave, or comb hair? --> C: Yes

5. When playing with either a stuffed animal or a doll, does your child pretend to rock it, feed it, change its diapers, put it to bed and so forth? --> C: Not Yet (Note: He plays with stuffed animals.  He carries them around and holds them and will love them and make them kiss you, but he doesn't take care of it like the question asks)

6. Does your child eat with a fork? --> C: Yes

Overall

1. Do you think your child hears well? --> C: Yes

2. Do you think your child talks like other toddlers her age? --> C: No

3. Can you understand most of what your child says? --> C: No

4. Do you think your child walks, runs, and climbs like other toddlers his age? --> C: Yes

5. Does either parent have a family history of childhood deafness or hearing impairment? --> C: No

6. Do you have any concerns about your child's vision? --> C: No

7. Has your child had any medical problems in the last several months? --> C: No

8. Do you have any concerns about your child's behavior? --> C: No

9. Does anything about your child worry you? --> No

Are you still here?!  So again,  I can't tell you how its graded, but with you seeing the answers we put for C, I can tell you that when the evaluator called me yesterday to discuss, he scored the highest score of Typical in all categories except Personal-Social.  In Personal-Social he scored the middle range of Monitor.

The evaluator said reviewing the survey, nothing came back as a red flag or a cause to have a face to face evaluation.  She reiterated that we filled this out at 19 months, 3 days and maybe if all these answers were the same if we had filled it out at 20 months, 28 days, then maybe she would be concerned, but not right now.  She said he's doing great per our responses. 

She told met that I had a right to request a face to face evaluation, but if he passed and from looking at the survey, she believed he would without any problem, then we couldn't go back to First Steps for 6 months.  So if he did start to lag behind by our 2 year well checkup in February, we couldn't go to First Steps.  We'd have to find our own private resources for support.  She suggested that since he did score a monitor score for Personal-Social, that she would keep in the system and check back with us in 6 to 8 weeks.  She is also going to be sending us some activities and communication milestones to review and said a few times that by 2 years old we should all be able to understand 50% of what C is saying. Via our local United Way we can access the ASQ-3 questionnaires for 22 months and 24 months as well to make sure he's staying on track.  In speaking with the evaluator, she told me that they do count animal sounds especially in the context that when C sees a cat he says 'meow meow' or when he sees a horse he says 'neigh neigh'.  She encouraged us to keep working with him and told me to talk until I was blue in the face.  That I should be repetitive and say the same thing in a multitude of ways such as, "Do you see the cat?"  "Yes, the cat says meow" "The cat is black"  "Look at that silly kitty cat"  "The cat has a collar" etc...  Sidenote, perhaps I'm far too lazy to be a SAHM!

So, that's that.  Apparently, I'm just an over anxious worried momma who has no reason to worry.  RCW said told you so and laughed at me for all of this, in a loving way! I told him I thought the evaluator thought I was nuts and he said its because we good parents and are doing it right to make sure C gets the best foundation, which First Steps, especially in Kentucky, probably isn't use to.  He thinks they're more accustom to dealing with people like an acquaintance's 5 year old who can't count and the kindergarten teacher had to send home a note.

I'm glad to know C is typical and normal and on track.  And apparently I just need to stop hanging out with the mommas who have the super early to develop kids! (wink wink!)  Again though, thank you for all of your support and the day that C wakes up talking in full sentences between now and February, I'll post a big fat, 'You All Told Me So' post!

Pinterest - Semi Success

I know if you're on Pinterest you saw a version of this pin floating around this summer.  The Sand Footprints pin. 

Weeks before going to the beach, I had informed RCW that we would be doing this.  He thought it was cool and agreed.  We bought our Plaster of Paris at a craft store in RVa the day before we left for OBX. 

On our super long beach day where it was just RCW, the boys and I we attempted to make some sandy footprints.  RCW was in charge of this craft!  He tried getting the boys footprints.  We'd heard we should make sure they were deep enough.  Looking back, we may have made the prints too deep.  But getting an 18 month old and 4.5 month old to make footprints in the sand without messing them up...yea.

I didn't take any pictures of the process as I was too busy having fun with my boys in the sand and ocean.

But there were the end results (RCW hasn't cut the excess off yet).
 

C's footprint

E's footprint

RCW tried to make a surprise keepsake for me.  But yea.  This would be the fail portion.

It broke en transit home. But RCW claims he's going to cut it apart anyway and put it in the right order since we did not go to the beach in 2103!

I'm glad we tried and I want to cut the excess off the footprints and put them in shadow boxes and hang them up in our bedroom or bathroom which are both beach themed.  I like to pretend I live in a beach house, despite being land locked in Kentucky!

Little Man - 19 Month Update

Speech Therapy

Just like every other momma, I want the best for my boys.  I want them to be healthy and developing on track with other littles their age.  To go ahead and not be PC, I want them to be normal, even though I know there is no normal, I know you mommas know what I mean.  Since I started staying home I have been fully aware that I am not a teacher.  I am not a trained childcare professional.  I am just a momma who adores and loves her littles.  I worry that keeping the boys at home with me will delay them or not give them the best educational foundation.  I worry that I won't notice warning signs that teachers may pick up on if they were at a preschool.  Thus, I tend to over analyze everything!

Since C started beginning to babble, I've been watching, listening and pondering his speech.  I have a very close friend whose 2 littles went through speech therapy and another momma acquaintance whose little is in speech therapy.  It seems speech therapy is surrounding me, so I'm hyper aware.  I have a lot of momma friends with littles around C's age and we share tidbits and stories.  I know C is not on the same verbal level as others and while I try not to compare, I still want the best for C.  If we need speech therapy I want him to start it as soon as possible instead of just waiting and waiting.  C being more verbal will only benefit all of us in the end.

At C's 18 month well checkup I discussed my concerns with our pediatrician.  We spoke about how C has great recognition and comprehension.  He follows directions well.  He knows what things are.  Just yesterday, I asked him to go to the laundry basket and find me a burp cloth for E and he did!  He knows what we are saying and asking of him.  I don't doubt C's smart, he is, I worry about his current level of verbal speaking skills. C has some words and he uses them in the correct context.  But he mainly has sounds.  Our pediatrician said animal sounds count as a word if every time C sees a cat he says meow.  However, in speaking to friends who have gone through speech therapy, animal sounds or other sounds are not words.  I've started keeping track of C's words because our pediatrician said by 2, he should have too many words to count and putting 2 and 3 words together to form simple sentences.  He said if we weren't experiencing that by 2, he would refer us to speech therapy.  I left that appointment feeling a bit better.

But in the past couple weeks, I just can't shake the feeling in my gut that we will need speech therapy to help C.  We've been trying to work with him.  Having him watch us as we speak.  Identifying objects, talking all the time, trying to encourage him to say words.  When he sees a cat and says meow, we correct him and say cat and ask him to say cat.  He doesn't.  Instead of asking him to point out objects when we read, we point to an object and ask him to tell us what it is.  He is trying and has sounds for many words, but they are not concrete words.  I think that is what keeps coming back to me, he knows the word bubble for instance, but he doesn't say bubble, he says bub and we know what he means.  There are many 'words' like that.  

Here is the list I've started to keep on C's words.

Uh oh
Daaa - for dad
Maaa - for mom
Out
No
Go
Ball
Bub - for bubble
Boon - for balloon
Dag - for dog
Nigh Night - for night night
Vroom
Bye
Ello - for hello
Neigh
Roar
Woof
Baa
Moo
Meow
Quack
Boat - but the t on the end isn't hard when he says it
Nose
Eye
Duck
Mouth
Head
Yuck

And I've heard all the other moms and our pediatrician and the stories, websites and blogs that say speech just happens overnight.  It will be a verbal explosion out of nowhere and it happens between 18 and 24 months.  But I guess I just can't comprehend how that will happen when we seem so far away from making that type of progress.  Our pediatrician even told me he believes there must just be a receptor in the brain that needs to click and it happens between 18 to 24 months and once it clicks, the child can speak.  But my gut just keeps telling me we need to do more.

He has been whining a lot more.  He has been acting out - throwing things, hitting, pulling my hair - at different points mainly when he's tired, hungry, bored.  All of this makes me think he is frustrated because he just doesn't have the words.  He knows things, but can't communicate it well with us.  I know my little boy is smart when it comes to cognition and recognition.  I know he is learning everyday.  I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to be learning new things daily, but not be able to verbalize any of it.

So, after speaking to my momma mentor who is like a sister to me and had both her littles go through speech therapy to varying degrees, I knew I needed to do something.  I needed to follow my momma gut.  I knew it would be better to have C evaluated and find nothing is wrong now than waiting and worrying until February.  The program is a federally granted program run by each state.  Its called First Steps in Kentucky.  The program supports children birth through age 3.  I have contacted them to set up an evaluation for C.  I've heard it can take weeks to get the ball rolling, another reason I'd rather do this now than wait until our pediatrician gives a green light in late February.  I just feel like right now is the prime time for learning and development for C so I want to get help and support as soon as possible, if we need it.

Hopefully I'm just being an over anxious worried momma and we'll have an evaluation and all will be fine and C won't qualify for speech therapy, but if he does need it, then we'll be a couple months ahead and getting him the help he needs as soon as possible.

When did your little start really talking?  Did you or do you know anyone who has gone through speech therapy?

E's 1st Tooth!

How is it even possible that E has a tooth!?  I mean, its like we just found out we were pregnant.  But, I knew a tooth was coming.  E's been a drooling mess.  Chomping on his hands, his toes, my nose, RCW's face, and toys galore for weeks.  C cut his first tooth around 5 months, so I've been waiting for E's to pop through.

Wednesday, September 11 RCW went into work late.  As he was getting ready to leave, E was waking up from a morning nap.  I got him and started changing his diaper and he started SCREAMING.  I mean like something was horribly wrong.  We both wondered about teeth and we both stuck our fingers in his mouth and rubbed his gums.  Nothing.  We chalked it up to a burp.  RCW left and I went back to momma duty.

The boys and I ran errands, came home, had lunch and they took naps.  When I got E up from his nap, I stuck my fingers in his mouth again and felt something sharp!  I looked and saw teeny tiny white tips poking up.  His first tooth!  His bottom right.  I couldn't believe it and texted RCW to tell him.  Then I grabbed the camera, of course!

Look really closely and you can see the teeny tiny white tips poking up.  We caught his first tooth on its very first day!

E will be 6 months on September 28.  He's sitting up.  Popping teeth.  And staring us down hard when we eat.  I can't believe how fast it all goes by!  Its like we just brought him home, but he's such a big boy already!

OBX 2013

In mid August, RCW and I loaded up the boys and the dogs into the Excursion and headed east for a few days in RVa, a few days in OBX (Outer Banks, NC) and then we went back to RVa to have a date night with front row tickets to The Band Perry and then we went back to OBX, then back to RVa and finally headed home.  We did all that in 10 days.  But it was well worth all the car time!  The beach with the boys was awesome.  A date night with front row tickets to one of my fave bands was fabulous.  It was a fun filled vacation and nice break away from our daily grind!

We started off leaving Louisville around noon on a Thursday.  It was bad timing.  We had lunch in the car.  C's tray is a road trip must!  We loved it!  And because of needing to feed Rett, I spent WAY too many hours sitting on an exercise ball positioned between the captain's chairs in the Excursion!  After about 7 hours in the car it was dinner time and we all needed a break.  RCW had the genius idea to find a local elementary school and have a picnic dinner so C and the pups could get out and stretch their legs.  It was a break we all needed!  Our usual 9 hours drive took us 11 hours that day.

Once we made it to RVa, we had dinner at RCW's grandma's Friday night.  We were missing his brother, sister in law and their little girl because they were already down in OBX.  This picture is RCW with his 2 sisters and our 2 boys and his sister's 2 littles. 

Saturday we got up early and headed down to OBX to meet up with RCW's brother's family.  The kids loved the warm mini pool aka hot tub!

Saturday afternoon we checked into our beach house for the week with my parents in tow.  And Sunday we finally made our way to the beach.  Sand.  Waves.  Sun.  Bliss.

We also ate a lot on vacation.  Isn't that what you're suppose to do?  We have some spots we go to every year while in OBX.  Sam & Omie's for dinner.  Fat Boyz Ice Cream for dessert.  Duck Donuts for breakfast.  Captain Franks for any and every meal!  I don't even really like hot dogs, but when in OBX hot dogs and corn dogs at Captain Franks is a must!

We started taking this picture when it was just RCW, Dallas, Loucie and myself.  We've added feet every year!  First, Sonny, then C and now E.  Our family just keeps growing!

On Monday we packed up the truck and drove out onto the beach.  Its so much easier this way with the little ones instead of lugging stuff up and over the dunes!

Plus when we drive out, we get to look for wild horses or according to C, 'neigh neighs'!

Tuesday afternoon we all headed back to RVa so that RCW and I could be in town on Wednesday night to have a date night to see The Band Perry.  I found awesome front row center tickets for pretty cheap on Craigslist.  It was SO MUCH FUN (and so very hot!)!!

Thursday morning RCW, the boys and I headed back to OBX.  My parents stayed home and watched the pups for us.  It was nice to have a couple days with just us, although me and C missed the pups!

And yes, during our full day on Friday from 9:30am to 3:30pm, I got very very very burnt!

Saturday we packed up and headed back to RVa.  This is what you do with a busy toddler to keep him contained while you pack up a beach house!

Saturday night my brother and our nephew came over for dinner at my parents.  Here's my mom with her 3 grandboys and my brother and E.  When my brother was little he was bald and had big big eyes just like E.  So much so his little boy who is almost 4 saw a baby picture of my brother, his dad, and when my mom asked who it was he said it was Baby E!

We had such an amazing vacation! It was so great to see our family and friends and enjoy some beach time with my boys.  It was awesome to see C playing on the beach.  He was fearless with the ocean and LOVED the sand!  We couldn't make sand castles fast enough for him to squash them down!  I'm already looking forward to next summer when C and E will be playing in the sand and ocean together!