"I love cookies soooo much!"

So Levi is in a very cute, challenging phase right now. He certainly does a lot of whining and shrieking and I find myself saying a lot of things like "Don't sneeze into your ukelele son" and "No the luggage can't come to the park with us" and "Please get your hand out of your pants." We have daily conversations about the importance of listening and being obedient and not running off. We practice how to ask for things nicely (as opposed to just screaming "applesauce" or "need milk!") on a many times a day basis. We have little power struggles about cleaning up and getting from the house to/from the car is a drawn out process every single time. The other day Levi had a meltdown about walking up the stairs because it would require him to pass a spiderweb (Which incidentally has been there for days only he just then noticed it). I do a lot of counting (which may be why he can now count from 1 to 13 on his own!). And I say a lot of "If you can't be responsible with your (insert toy, utensil, random household object here) I will have to take it away." We're both learning together.

But Levi also does some super adorable things right now! He is really big into hellos and goodbyes. He smiles and waves at everyone, even complete strangers. The other day in the car we were driving out of the apartment complex and he waved at some people walking and was like, "Wave to people mama! I like people sooo much!" He has been really into saying he likes things "soooo much" and it just kills me with cuteness. For example, I will be getting his lunch ready and he will be like "I like strawberries soooo much!" I love it. He doesn't really say it about anyone in the family though. The other day I was like, "I love you Levi!" and he was like, "I love treats!" in response. Hahaha. He also likes to say goodbye to things and places. Whenever we leave anywhere or pass some place in the car that he knows, he will say goodbye to it. Like as we leave the park "bye park!" and as we leave the house "bye luggage!" He is also very sweet with Emery and loves to give her hugs and kisses and he never gets mad at her even when she is crying inconsolably due to gas/reflux pain (which has been happening more than I would like because I have a faster let down than she would like so she ends up gulping a lot and swallowing a lot of air while eating).

Levi just loves baby sister!

This is what I get when I ask Levi to look at me and smile. 

This past week was a bit of a lonely week for us. All of Levi and my friends were either out of town or had family in town so they couldn't hang out with us. We did go to playgroup on Thursday but it was mostly all the older kids and their moms. Levi still had fun following the older kids around and "playing" with them but all the other moms were hanging out in the shade and I had to stay by the playground to keep an eye on Levi since he tends to go exploring (aka wander- or run- off) and he doesn't come back when called so I didn't really get to talk to any of them. I felt bad because Levi can tell when I'm having a hard time, particularly when I'm feeling frustrated with him. He has taken to asking "Mama happy?" Often I tell him, "I'm happy when you listen" or "I'm feeling frustrated right now because you aren't being obedient." It makes me realize that I need to be so mindful of how my emotional state is effecting him. I really don't want him to think I'm never happy or that he is the reason why whenever I'm sad! He is definitely learning a lot about emotions right now. He also likes to ask me, "Daddy happy? Baby sister happy?" I usually tell him that Daddy is happy and that baby sister is sleeping so I guess she's happy haha. I've also been trying to help him label his own emotions, especially when he's feeling frustrated. For example, when he can't get two of his train tracks to fit together so he yells and throws one of them, I try to intervene and say, "Levi, instead of screaming you can ask for help or say "I'm frustrated!"" He thinks the word "frustrated" is funny so he will usually say it with me and it helps calm him down.

But despite us not having much time with others, we still had a pretty good week. Tuesday night we went on a family date to the Tualatin commons where this guy was playing live kid-friendly reggae music. The guy was really good and Levi had a lot of fun dancing around to that. It was like the perfect summer evening: warm, sunny but not too hot, fresh breeze, soft grass, good music and family. Also, Eric took me (and Emery) out on a date on Friday and we had delicious Indian food. And then yesterday, we got to go to Wings and Waves Waterpark as a family which was a blast! The tickets were my father's day present to Eric and I'm so glad I got them because it was seriously sooo fun to watch Levi love it up. He had a great time and I had a great time watching him have so much fun! Eric and I took turns wearing Emery (who slept the whole time except for a little break when I took her upstairs to a quieter area and fed her). It was sooo hot in there while I was wearing Emery. I was sweating like crazy. It felt really good to hand her over to Eric, change into my swimsuit and get in the pool with Levi. Swimming with him was a lot of fun. Levi especially loved jumping off of the step into my arms. I had to put limits on it because he would have kept doing that forever I think.

Levi loved the slides and went on them over and over and over again. 

Anyway, other news of late: Emery passed her hearing screen with the audiologist so we don't have to worry about that anymore (not that I was really worried because I could tell she could hear us). Also we reconnected with some old friends of ours from Utah who just moved out here to Hillsboro in April. They came over for dinner at our place two weeks ago and it was a lot of fun to catch up with them and Levi had a lot of fun playing with their two kids who are 5 and 2 1/2. We are actually going to get together with them again this week because Eric and I are hosting a BBQ for our friends on 4th of July. I'm especially looking forward to that because it will be the first time we will really get to hang out with the Hirsts since baby Cassidy was born. Shalece is just so much more germaphobic than I am that she's basically had their family in quarantine since Cassidy was born. I don't know how she does it. Levi and I both start to go a little crazy if it's 10am and we still haven't left the house to go do something. Haha.

So yeah, that's what's been going on. Emery still sleeps a lot and has been eating and gaining weight like a champ. She consistently sleeps at least one 4 hour stretch at night and last night she did almost 5 hours! She has been a little more fussy lately and I can't tell if it's gas or reflux or what but she definitely has periods of the day when she seems uncomfortable and is hard to console. But 90% of the time, if I wear her she calms down and usually goes to sleep. My back muscles sure are getting a work out lately wearing her around all the time! I love how snuggly she is but I am looking forward to when she gets a little older and starts smiling and interacting more!

Emery typically wakes up to eat around 5 or 6 am so I will bring her in bed with me and feed her there and then sleep next to her until we both get up around 7:30 or 8. I love laying next to her while she sleeps so peacefully. It's like our own little quiet slice of heaven. The other morning she put her hands like this all on her own while she slept. 

Levi showing Emery one of her toys. He doesn't really get it that she can't just take it from him when he offers it to her yet. 

Levi gets into all sorts of shenanigans while I'm feeding Emery. Like taking out the baby boy clothes I have stored in his closet and trying to put them on.

Levi: "My cute? With headband my cute!?"

A week ago Wednesday we got to go to the splash pad with our friends for playgroup. Levi was slow to warm up to the idea of getting in the water but once he did he had a blast! 

I love his little sun hat! 

Two Saturdays ago we went on a family hike up in Forest Park in Portland. It was a one mile up one mile back hike up a beautiful gorge to this old abandoned stone house. It was pretty cool.

I am regularly reminded how grateful I am to live in such a gorgeous area! 

Emery may not be social smiling yet but she's got the sleepy milk-drunk smile down! Haha. 

Also, baby girl turned 1 month old this week!! She's so cute! 

I love her chunky thighs!

Levi insisted on having his picture taken too (on his bed and with a sticker just like baby sister) and it struck me how much the picture reminded me of his two month picture and so I stuck them side by side. Crazy to see how much has changed and yet he is still so obviously the same cute kiddo! I love seeing how he looks older but all his features are still the same. It's like one of those age progression photos they do when there's a missing kid... except under much better circumstances!