Elizabeth's Big Week

On Thursday, Reid, Elizabeth, and I went to Idlewild & Soak Zone for a day of fun. E had an absolute blast! Idlewild, if you haven't been, is a great park for kids -- 2nd best in the world, in fact! I don't know where I would rank it for a pregnant lady, but definitely not in my top 10 can't miss activities! I was able to capture plenty of the day in pictures, though! It was so much fun to watch Elizabeth experience such new fun adventures!

Today at my old summer stomping ground, the Sutton Pool, Elizabeth decided that she wanted to go off the diving board -- and into the deep end (11'). Mom and I were treading water in the area where she would jump in and Reid was on the side of the pool where she would need to swim. She got half way out on the board and said that she was scared. I told her that was okay, she didn't have to jump...but we weren't going to do this again, so she either needed to jump or to get off the board. She cautiously walked out to the edge of the board, gave it a quick second thought, and JUMPED!

She easily swam to her Daddy...and went at it again...and again...and again. Every bit of 30+ times. She is absolutely amazing!

It has been so much fun to watch her go from "swimming" with a vest on at the beginning of the summer, to ditching the vest and paddling on her own...to really swimming! She is great! She doesn't hold her nose (as I would not allow this -- holding your nose is for wusses!) She can easily stay under water for 10+ seconds. She swims really well for a 4-year-old. Thanks to spending a week here in Sutton with Aunt Anne and Grandma, she's nearly learned to dive.

I love her so much!!!

Unfortunately for lifeguard Ryan Swecker (the son of a friend of mine from Kindergarten on), Alex didn't jump off the diving board today. Anne told Ryan she would give him $5 bucks if Alex jumped off the board. I said, "Heck with that, I'll give you $20." Ryan couldn't have cheered harder for Alex, but no dice. Anne told Ryan, "You can see which sister makes more money." I said, "No, I just figured it was a safe bet."

Alex was jumping in the deep end and making some good independent strokes, though! Once he learns to actually put his chin in the water, he'll get his body in the position that he is moving forward rather than just treading water.

The two water dogs were most impressive today. My Grandpa must be smiling...

New Adventures for E...New Discoveries...

On Saturday evening after Reid, Anne, Sean, & I gorged ourselves on our seafood bake, the kiddos got baths and we did the bedtime routine.

Elizabeth and I were cuddling in Reid's & my bed (as Anne was putting Alex to sleep in the crib -- despite a series of protests from Elizabeth as that crib is for HER baby! Since HER baby wasn't going to be using the crib over the weekend, she eventually agreed it was okay for Alex to sleep in the crib in her room...) anyway, E & I were cuddling in the bed when Cate started kicking around a bit.

I took Elizabeth's hand and told her to be patient and she might get to feel her kick. Elizabeth wanted to sing to her -- in my mouth so she would be able to hear it. I told her that she could just sing to my tummy, that would be easier for Cate to hear her. (We went round and round on this issue...eventually, as I refused to just open my mouth so that E could sing into it, she just started singing...) Elizabeth sang the song that she and Alex learned at Bible School, "Peter John and James in a sail boat," and she was able to feel the baby kick once. Elizabeth was really excited and started singing louder (until I had her quite down so as not to get Alex disrupted.) She hasn't gotten to feel her since, but it was pretty sweet when it happened!

Elizabeth is getting really excited about becoming a big sister -- so long as she can keep some of her baby things for herself...at least at this point the items she thinks are precious aren't essential for a baby.

I was downloading pictures earlier today when I had a new discovery...out of Play-Doh!, Elizabeth created "Mommy." Reid snapped a picture of her creation, but forgot about it until I was asking him about the pictures on the camera. It's pretty darned cute, if I do say so myself! (That is some Morton nose I'm sporting, though!)