Let's Take A Shower!

This morning, by necessity, I discovered that Stella likes it in the shower. I guess I never attempted to put her in the shower with me before now because well, Joaquin H.A.T.E.D it! But Stella thoroughly enjoys playing with the shampoo bottles and telling me stories while I wash my hair. I am rather excited about this development as you can imagine. There may be a shower in my daily routine once again!

I am also thoroughly excited when Miss Monkey here keeps a hair bow and shoes on for more than twenty seconds! On the rare occasion that she does, I take as many photos as I can. Sure she is waving a spoon around but just look past that won't you?

Linking to Small Stlye!

Stella Wore:

Dress-gifted from GiGi & Popbee

Hair Bow- Target

The Swimsuit Edition

When you are 11 months old,  it is 90 plus degrees out and your brother is hogging the hose you sit in 2 inches of water in a kiddie pool with your mom hovering over you, snapping photos.  

At least that is what Stella did earlier this week. So far they are like two peas in a pod, Stellita and Water that is. She loves it and it does wonders for her mood, and provides distraction! Four of her top teeth came in this month, three in the same week! So we pretty much rely on baby Tylenol and distraction.

We are linking up with Mama Loves Papa for Small Style. Seeing all the little ones is something I look forward to every week!

This little one does NOT have Mommy's legs. THANK GOODNESS. Girl has got some stems, lucky!

On Stella:

Sun Hat- Bows & Giggles

Swimsuit- hand me down (circa 1996!)
Flower Clip- gifted

Diaper Days

It is getting warm out!

I can not wait to get Joaquin in the pool again this year. He loved it so much last year and really seemed to want to swim. So, while we are waiting for the (real) pool to warm up just a bit more we have been enjoying time in a "kiddy pool" and the hose, and some fun just in a diaper.

Faucets & Flowers

It is so nice to feel the sun again. To celebrate Joaquin and I have been spending as much time as possible outside. He loves the yard and the freedom to walk about as he pleases. He has begun to use his imagination and play which is so amazing to watch. He chats away, pokes at things with sticks, investigates... I love it. He always manages to get pretty awfully dirty too which I am learning to deal with.

This day, an especially warm one, I had watered some new flowers and left the faucet on just enough so that our two pugs could get a drink of cold water. Joaquin discovered the "drip" at the faucet and enterained himself for quite some time with it. The water ran down his arm, soaked his shirt, splashed his legs, filled his shoes and cooled him off!

Most memories I have as a child are outside, in my parents backyard. It is truely precious the simplistic things that capture a childs attention and interest. I hope there are many, many more days like this one, where I can just sit and watch him, explore and learn through play. He is an amazing little man and he continues to fascinate me everyday.

A Day By The Pool

Joaquin is a warm little guy in comfortable weather so with the temperatures reaching 100+ in our area we decided to spend a day by the pool. When he was first born I would dress him, put mittens, socks and a beanie on him and lastly swaddle him in a cozy blanket. That is how you typically see a newborn right! Anyway from the very beginning he was warm and uncomfortable in all that stuff, even in February! So it is daunting to keep him cool and shaded with the roasting weather. He loves the water which is apparent during his bath in the evening, so naturally he loves the pool too. He is now fully equiped with swim diapers, swim trunks, a large brimmed hat, sunglasses, a floatyand SPF 50+. We wheeled the large umbrella over next to the shallow end of the pool and dipped his feet, legs and belly in the water. He kicked his feet and tried to grap at the water. He is happiest when after a quick dip we lay him out on a towel in the shade where he can wiggle around and enjoy the breeze on his wet body. I imagine many trips to the ocean and lakes as he gets older. We are a family of swimmers. My Grandfather was an ocean swimmer for the Marines and many of us scuba and snorkel, lifeguards, waterpolo players and swim team members. He is a born water baby. His hat was a wonderous find at the Green Baby Expo last weekend. It blocks over 80 percent of harmful UV rays!