Finger Painting

I'm SO glad that the rain and gloomy weather is gone so we could go outside today! I can't believe that I was cold in JULY!! Corin's friend Hannah came over to play for a couple hours. It was a bit breezy, but they didn't care. They played with the hose and put a little water in the pool and had a great time just running around after each other playing whatever their little imaginations could come up with. They had to leave so we didn't get to do fingerpainting, so Corin did it on his own. I made fingerpaints, just the primary colors so we could mix them to make the secondary. (LOVE finding recipes for those sorts of things, makes it SO much cheaper than actually buying them!)

His first picture he accidently sat in so this is his second picture where we worked together on color mixing for a while and then he did it on his own and painted.

Here is the recipe I used if you are interest. Next time I'm going to try one that I found that calls for cornstarch instead to see the difference.

2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 1/2 cups cold water, 2 cups boiling water, Food Coloring (til you reached the desired color)

Mix 2 cups flour with 2 teaspoons salt. Add 2 1/2 cups cold water. Stiruntil smooth. Gradually add this mixture to 2 cups boiling water. Boil until smooth and thick. Add food coloring, then stir until smooth.

I took it off the stove, seperated it into 3 bowls and then mixed in the food coloring.

Protesting

Declan was doing so great rolling from his tummy to his back mostly everytime he was put on his tummy. After a while he would get mad that I kept putting him back on his tummy.

However, now he seems to be protesting rolling over. I keep trying to put him on his tummy and he'll just stay there and grunt pulling his arms and legs up off the ground.

Then, like normal, he'll get upset that he is on his tummy.

And once he his helped with rolling onto his back he is happy.

Lil' Stinker!!

Not So Fond

Corin wanted Declan to come swimming with him today,

however he didn't enjoy it as much as Corin does.

It was too cold for him.

Once he got out and wrapped up in a towel he was back to being happy

Then he needed a little snooze.

4 months

Declan had his 4 month well baby appointment on Tues.

STATS:
Weight: 13lbs 14oz
Height: 24 3/4in
Head: 16 3/4in

A bit late posting, but better late than never.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

Well, maybe just one roll over for now.

He went from tummy to his back.

Shane captured a picture of Declan's first roll over before he put him in his pajamas tonight. Of course when he first did it I didn't have the camera close (I actually wasn't expecting it even though at his 4month appointment Dr. Susie said he was getting close). I put him on the floor for tummy time while Shane took Corin up for his bath. I went to the bottom of our stairs to talk to Shane and all of the sudden I looked over at Declan and he was on his back. I put him on his bak again, (wondering now why I didn't have the camera out and ready) and he again rolled over. I cheered a bit to loudly and scared him (he startles easily) and he started crying. I picked him up to give him loves then put him back on his tummy, with camera ready, to see if he would do it again and he started screaming (he seriously despises being on his tummy), so that was the end of our rolling session. Since he despises being on his tummy so much I'm wondering if that is the reason he is rolling over and not just because its a developmental thing as well. I'll be more prepared so to capture more and better pictures of him rolling over.

I'm wondering what kind of roller he will be. Corin we called "The Rolling Machine" he was EVERYWHERE!!

My Own Bicycle!

Corin for quite a while has been talking about bikes and wanting one of his own. It got even more intense when we went out Oklahoma and he was playing around with his cousin Landon's bike. Most of you probably bought a bike for your child way before 3 1/2yrs, but when you are super poor like us, getting extra things we want doesn't happen too often. I rather spend our little bit of money on food and also we need to pay the bills. But, we had some extra money and so we decided to spend it on Corin to get him a bike. It has been important to me to get him one and things that will help him developmentally (somethings you can't learn without a certain item). I would like to say that he did great and caught on quick, but unfortunately that didn't happen, its the reality of it and I want to be honest on my blog. Some of you probably had the kid that does great at everything, learns quickly, etc and great for you, but Corin wasn't that way today and I am fine with that, he will get it and what helps with that is that even though it didn't quite understand how to pedal and the motion it takes, he is determined to get it and wants to keep riding his bike. The interest is still there. So, we went to Toys R Us and he picked out a Lightning McQueen bicycle, no shock there, he LOVES Cars. He tried the bikes and was super excited to get one. I grabbed a ticket to take to the registar and he flipped out because he thought he wasn't getting a one since we didn't take it and put it in the cart. It was basically drama until we got home with the box and Shane started putting it together, than he saw that he was getting his very own bicycle. Shane helping Corin learn to peddle. He was pushing his feet for him to let him get the feel of the movement. Didn't want to leave Declan out, so I thought I'd post this cute picture of him that I captured today as well. He has become such a litte chatterbox.

Popsicles

Today we made homemade popsicles! Last summer I bought those popsicle forms from Target and never used them, so I thought today is the day to bust them out! I had some Kool-Aid in the food storage to use, so we were all set to have a yummy treat. I made them this morning and Corin kept asking when he could eat them. We went outside in the backyard to play and he was getting really red in the face, so I told him to take off his shoes and socks and he could turn on the sprinkler. It seems to be our trend this summer of playing in the water in our clothes.

Declan got to cool off from the heat with the fan water bottle.

Of course, he had a great time playing in the sprinkler and then we had our popsicles! Declan was content on sucking on his fingers

What better place to wash off the stickiness of a popsicle then in the sprinkler.

Cherries!

I LOVE SUMMER FRUITS! There are SO many different yummy fruits to be eaten in the summer and at great prices! I went to Sprouts and got cherries for a .99 cents/lb! Got to love it, since cherries can be an expensive fruit! We love cherries and Corin and I had a great afternoon eating cherries on the kitchen floor. I was trying to get Corin to put a cherry in his mouth, bite it open, find the seed and spit it out, but that turned into biting the cherry open and spitting out he entire thing, picking out the seed with his fingers and putting the rest back in his mouth, hence the messiness of the experience. Oh well. He also ate some of the seeds. Declan was on his play mat and started fussing since he was all by himself on his mat and wanted to be part of the action too. I got him and brought him into the kitchen and he LOVED watching Corin eat cherries and talk to him. Delcan loves when Corin talks to him, or just to watch him. He was laughing at Corin.

(Sorry the video is sideways, quickly turned my camera to the video function when I was taking pictures and just didn't think about turning the camera around. oh well.)

After Corin was done with his cherries, I put Declan on the couch so I could clean Corin up and this is what happen

He wasn't being held or part of the action anymore so he got upset. After the torment and especially the torment of having his picture taken in this state he was rescued.

4AM

At 4:11am this morning I hear the pitter-patter of little feet coming into my bedroom. Corin had come out of his room (he knows how to take those door handle locks off, guess I can't keep him in his room anymore) and comes to me, "I woke up"and " I wake you up." Then starts chatting away, like this is the proper time to be up about his Piglet movie he watched last night and playing his fishing game. I had to explain to him that the sun wasn't up yet so he needed to go back to bed. I take him back to his bed and tuck him in (on his floor, he loves sleeping on his floor with all his blankets and stuffed animals). A few minutes later he gets up and comes back in my bedroom "I need a kiss and hug" so we give kisses and hugs and go back to his bedroom. A few minutes later he comes out again this time crawls up on the bed saying "I want to sleep with you" while he is getting all snuggled in on the pillow and pulling the blanket up to cover himself, however he isn't quiet at all. Still chatting away and is telling me all the numbers on the clock. It was cute though, he kept reaching his arm over to me and rubbing my face. So, we had to have another chat about it being time to sleep since the sun was not up. Then, he needed a drink of water, so we went into the bathroom and got one then headed back to his bedroom, got all tucked in and FINALLY close to 5AM all was quiet. I thought Declan was going to wake up since his last bottle was at 6:30PM so he was going to wake up soon to eat, which was going to be a total bummer for me, but he didn't wake up til 6:30am. Corin woke up at 7:30am saying "I'm all finished with my nap, the sun is up" I told him, "Yes, now you can be up."

The Lazy Days of Summer

Declan was SO hot and cranky a few days ago that I just stripped him down to his diaper and after awhile he calmed down and fell asleep. He still likes to be swaddled, but for a while he was sleeping restlessly, so he kicked off his blanket and fell fast alseep.

Declan will take a pacifier at times, when he is tired, but her has found something else that he likes even more on a normal basis....

Yep, he loves sucking on his hand!

I'm hoping it develop into thumb sucking and it is just an infant thing he does.

I will admit, it is totally cute and he can get some great sucking power on his hand with all the noises.

Just relaxing...

Or maybe not...

Can you tell that Tummy Time isn't our favorite

Summer Fun

Corin has been having a lot of fun outside.

Here is what we have been doing in our own backyard.

DISCOVERING NATURE

RODE A HORSE

POOL

SQUIRT GUNS

Yep, he got me!

But I got him back!