Nelson Family Blog: Summer Tidbits

Somehow, we are already in August. Summer is flying by, which it does every year. July came and went in a flash, and now we are trying to soak up this last month of summertime fun before the days start to get shorter and colder.

This last week has been busy, but not overly eventful. I worked some call last week, so usually that means I am pretty sleep deprived and get to deal with kids all day with little to no sleep, so that is usually interesting.

My parents also came to town this past weekend. It was nice to have some free babysitters for the weekend, and my parents just love spending time with the kids. We also had our church-league softball tournament on Saturday, so it was nice my parents were around to watch the kids all day for us. We played 4 games on a hot, humid day, so we were pretty shot by the end of the day. We ended up getting 3rd place in the tournament. Not bad, but room for improvement next season :)

We didn't go and do too many activities this weekend with my parents in town. The kids actually ended up being a little bit sick, so we just took it easy at our house and did some grilling out and some drinking of beer and wine. Emma was running 101 degree temps, and Elliott was very snotty and fussy. So, we decided not to chance it and just stayed close to home. It was still a nice weekend, and great to hang out with my parents a little. Also, my mom can't help herself and has to clean my house when she is here, so that's always kind of nice as well!

We have really been taking advantage of the weather lately and going to some parks. I think we have probably hit up half of the parks in Sioux Falls, which is saying a lot because there are ALOT of parks in town. Emma is at a really fun age for parks, she is finally independent enough to climb most of the things in the park, and she enjoys going down the slides. Now we just need to work on the big-girl swings. Elliott loves the swings. We just put him in a baby swing and push him, and he is happy for a good 20 minutes. He has even fallen asleep in a swing before, cutest thing ever.

Speaking of Elliott, he is 8 months old now. I'm not sure when that happened. It a fun age though. We just starting puffs with him, and it's fun to watch him learn how to pick them up and get them in his mouth. He is finally doing better with sauces as well, and eats those like a champ (but he still prefers his bottle if given the choice). He also is getting better with his hands when playing with toys, and you can just tell he is constantly learning and picking up on things. He is rolling over really well now, and sits like a champ, but no crawling yet. Which is maybe okay, I don't mind him being immobile right now.

Elliott's favorite things at 8 months:
1. Pacifier (immediately goes in his mouth whenever he finds one)
2. Swinging
3. Playmat (he still loves the little pink playmat with the dangling toys)
4. Blanket and Pacifier= Nap or Bedtime with no problem
5. Bottle (He still loves his "milk" and can feed himself with it)
6. Chewing and Drooling (every toy gets tested in the mouth, and he's got 4 teeth coming in!)
7. Being tickled (raspberries on his tummy, or tickling his side gets good Elliott giggles)
8. Emma (he loves his big sister, and really enjoys watching her play and run around)
9. Stroller rides (this one is so-so ,he likes them as long as you are moving, but don't expect to stand still and be happy)
10. Bath time (This kids loves water, and loves splashing in the bath tub)

Elliott's not-so favorite things at 8 months:
1. Sitting in the high chair (unless you are feeding him, this is an instant fuss machine)
2. Getting strapped into the car seat (doesn't mind car rides, but does not like the process)
3. Tummy time (is okay with it for a little bit, but then gets frustrated easily)
4. Laying still for diaper changes (usually flailing all over the place, not very helpful)
5. Coughing (He has had a junky cough for quite a while, and we are all frustrated with it)
6. Sucking out snot (he does okay with this, but it's not his favorite thing)
7. Being alone in a room (if we leave him for a few minutes to do something...not happy)
8. Being awake past 8:00pm (bedtime is 7:30-8pm, and not a minute later!!)
9. Apple sauce (Gags and spits it out, and got a rash from it, maybe an allergy?)
10. Not being able to move yet (He would love to be able to keep up with Emma)

So, those are the happenings around the Nelson household lately. I have today off, and right now Elliott is napping and Emma is watching Mickey Mouse, so I decided to get some blogging in. This weekend Rachel is coming for a visit, and I think John and I are going to go on an Anniversary date at some point. So, that should be fun!!

Today, it is cloudy and only supposed to be high 70s to low 80s, so I think a trip to the zoo and maybe a park might be in order once Elliott wakes up. It should be a fun day.