First trip to the pool

It's always been very important to me to make sure that Chase enjoys swimming or at the very least is comfortable around water. I grew up around water from the time that I was a baby and my parents would take me camping at the lake and then we had a pool for many years after that. My sisters and I have always loved swimming and I really want Chase to as well. Yes, I know that he is only 2. But still. It's never to early to start. Two summers ago he was only a few months old so he would just chill in his float (or in our arms). Last year, however, he would throw a FIT when we would try to either put a life jacket on him or put him in any sort of floatation device. So, now that our neighborhood pool is open, it's time to start again.  A couple of days ago I stopped by Wal-Mart and picked up some size medium Swimmer diapers, along with this Puddle Jumper floaty thingy. When I picked him up from Leslie's, I excitedly explained that we were going to the pool.  I told him a couple of times in the 5-minute car ride home that we would go home, change into our bathing suits, get his cool new floaties and we'd go to the pool. So then when we got home, I pulled the puddle jumper out of the Wal-Mart bag and said, "See??? Isn't this cool??? Let's try it on!" And he grinned real big and let me try it on over his t-shirt. I thought, 'Whew! He'll wear it'. So, we were off to the pool.  Here's what he looked like:

Gotta love the fact that his size 18-month bathing suit is hanging off his little waist.  :)

He did well at first but then preferred to just sit on the side of the pool, with his feet dipped in the water, watching all the other kids play.  He had the cutest little grin on his face while watching them since he absolutely LOVES other kids.  So we'll keep trying.  I'm very glad that I just got him signed up for "swim lessons" starting next week.  Even if all it does is help him get used to being in the water, that's ok.  I'll let you know how it goes...  :)

Fun in the morning

I often think back to when Chase was younger and the mornings were a little bit less 'involved'.  I'd get up just a little bit earlier than I used to, breast feed Chase, dress him and then we were off.  I was even driving 20 minutes to Hillsborough every day and still somehow managing to get to work each day by 8am.  These days, though... not so much. 

Part of it is that I'm not getting up as early as I used to. 

Part of it is that I'm only having to drive 5 minutes to take Chase to Leslie's (and he often spends the night with Don and Betty Ann on their days with him), which is why I feel like I can sleep a little bit later.

 Part of it is that Chase has many opinions about what he will and will not wear in the mornings (often fighting REALLY hard to keep his pajamas on).

And part of it is that we just have a lot of fun in the morning. 

Check out this hair that Chase woke up with this morning.  I mean, look at that face? 

Would YOU be able to go to work in the mornings if you saw that face?  :)

I know that he is only this age once and we are having so much fun with him.  Life is just too short to rush to work in the mornings, right???  :)

Good night

This is what a good night's sleep looks like:

...Just in case you were wondering.  :)

Last week at Leslie's

It's not really a secret that Chase has a pretty good time at Leslie's each week playing with Samantha (and now Nathan) and staying busy with all the activities that she has going for them.  It means so much that she shares the funny stories and pictures about all their adventures each day.  Since I'm not able to be the one playing with him each day at least I'm able to get a small glimpse into their fun.

 Chase and Samantha are such great friends and play very well together  (of course until one of them has something that the other wants, but that's another story...)  :) 

I think maybe they were pretending to be asleep here??

...and now they are "awake"...

 There's a shot from lunchtime.  I found that cool container at Old Navy and was excited about the fact that I can put everything in one rather than send 3 separate containers with his lunch each day.

 Naptime with the cat.  Chase plays so hard at Leslie's that apparently he can take one of his 2-3 hour naps on the couch in their living room.  (While at home he can be in his crib and wake up if he hears one of us talking...)

Remember this picture (below)?  This was back last January when he was 10 months old and has played so hard that he fell asleep in the floor.  :)

 

And the last picture here is of Chase 'typing' on the 'puter.  Looking all business-like here.

Thanks so much for sharing these pictures, Leslie!!  It makes being at work a little more bearable knowing not only that he's so well-taken care of, but also that I'll see lots of pictures to document that time.  :)

Mama's Day

Today is the day that we honor our mamas.  I am very lucky in that I have not only one amazing Mama but I also gained another pretty amazing lady when I married Matt and Betty Ann became my mama-in-law. :)

I am so blessed to have these 2 ladies in my life but I'm also very blessed to have given birth to the sweetest little boy on earth a little over 2 years ago when I became a mama.  Chase gets sweeter every single day and my love for him grows every single day in ways that I never could've imagined.

Moments like this...

...and this

and this...

...and this...

make me so very thankful that I am a mama.  And that today is Mama's Day.  :)

Mowing the grass

Our yard was WAY overdue for a little TLC so Matt got out there this morning to work on things.  Chase pulled out his mower and helped him out. 

 It was precious to watch.  Chase watched Matt closely and did everything he did.

 Such a sweet sight, my 2 boys hard at work....

Maybe if we keep this up, Chase will be ready to cut the grass on his own by the time he's 3.  :)

Where's Chase?

With the onset of Spring, I've been pretty excited to pull out my dresses...

...and Chase is pretty excited because apparently he has a new place to hide...

Just plain cute.

Today was a really good day.  Chase was a complete sweetheart most of the day (I mean, he is 2 after all, right?) and here are a series of pictures I took this afternoon while he was outside playing.

"What?"

 

 I swear I love this little hat. :)

And Lord knows I love this little boy... 

What a sweet series of pictures of my sweet little boy.  Who is just plain cute.  Period.  :)