Halloween 2011

Lewis is blessed to have 9 wonderful cousins. Just one of the many reasons is getting great hand-me-downs! He was very excited to be able to choose his costumes this year.

He chose Elmo for daycare today.

The kiddos went trick-or-treating in Meriter hospital.

He went with Turtle for trick-or-treating.

"Hooray!" -- showing off his costume to Aunt Jess and Uncle Scott over FaceTime.

"Mmmm" -- enjoying his spoils.

Fun with Cousins

We spent the weekend with some of Lew's cousins and he had a blast with the big kids and their big kid toys!

Driving around town with Julianne

(Lew kept busy taking calls on the car phone)

At the apple orchard with his buddy Vincent

Trying out Vincent's big boy bike

Now on to August...

To continue the summer re-cap -- August!

Lewis got to spend more time with his cousins Kendall and Jack during Grandma and Poppy Camp. My sister and her husband have started the tradition of dropping the kids off with the grandparents and taking an adults-only trip each summer.

Jack was more excited to play with Lewis on this trip.

Kendall continued to be a great big cousin, and always wanted to help out with Lewis and show him how things are done.

Jack in particular can be a bit possessive of his Grandma, but Lewis made sure he got his fair share of Grandma-time too!

All of the kids loved playing at the park near our house.

The end of August brought us some cool, rainy weather. But we made sure our nature boy still got his outside time. We're going to have to come up with some new fun indoor activities once winter hits Wisconsin!

Summer Recap -- July

I have not been very attentive to the blog this summer, but don't worry we've been having tons of fun! We'll start with July...

Cape Cod Vacation with Franzes:

Mainly involved lots of hanging out at the beach and by the pool and lots of good eating!

Next, Door County with the Ranks:

Family craziness with 7 children 7&under, family hikes, first boat rides and more

And somewhere in there we managed to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary!

Happy Birthday Peter

Alot has changed over the past year, but you are still the best husband and father we could ask for!

Love, Carrie and Lewis

Our Boy is ONE!

He's a walkin', talkin' machine!

Lewis started walking about one week before his birthday and now is just cruising! He is so proud of himself and is happy just walking around the house singing to himself. He's particularly fond of carrying large and/or heavy items -- just because he can =)

He now has a handful of words and a bunch of signs. Being able to understand what he wants (at least every once in a while) makes being Mom so much easier.

Lewis loves to dance and sing to music, play outside (rocks are the best!), watch cars/buses/trucks, play with friends and read books. His favorite toy right now is an old cell phone. He carries it around, dialing numbers and saying "Hi" to whomever he's calling. He can make pretty much anything into a phone these days -- rocks, shoes, cars, you name it.

Lewis does NOT like being told no, having things taken away from him or drinking milk from a sippy cup. I'm seeing the Toddler start to peek through and I'm already missing my baby!

Not so sure about the birthday candle...

Lewis's birthday fell on Father's Day this year and we were lucky enough to have Pete and both Grandpas all together for the weekend.

The Ranks

(Grandma Jane and Papa John)

The Franzes

(Grandma Julie and Poppy)

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day was filled with beautiful weather, fun times with family and good food.

Lewis enjoyed his first splash in Grandma and Poppy's Baby Pool.

Lew also had his first taste of Grandma's famous spaghetti sauce -- he LOVED it!

But the best part, was getting to watch Lewis and his cousin Andy get to know each other.

Lewis spent alot of time just watching his big cousin Andy (who is about 7 months older) and after just a few hours, Lewis was already saying "Andy."

Family Fun

Eleven Months Old!

Eleven Months Old! (yesterday...)

Lewis is truckin' right along. The biggest change over the last month has been in his communication. Even the few signs and words he knows make a big difference and cut down a bit on the whining. He can say "Dada" "Hi" and pants for dog, and he signs for "more" "eat" and "all done."

(Lewis' first easter egg hunt)

We've been doing a music class and Lewis really gets into the music. Well actually, at home when the music is playing he bounces and dances and sings, but in class he's much more reserved and watches the other kids alot.

(Playing the piano after a "Music Together" class)

Lew LOVES being outside and that's where we are whenever the weather is cooperating. He still likes stroller rides, which gets Mama some exercise. He also can play for hours just in the yard -- picking up and banging together rocks, climbing on the steps and patio furniture, picking dandelions, pushing his wagon...

(Walking outside with his wagon)

(Go Brewers!)

Old Friends

I was lucky enough to get to spend time with some old friends this past week. Meghan, Emily, Heather and I have been friends since high school and were roommates in college. Three of us now have kids and it's been fun to see them start to get to know each other!

Moms and Babes

(Lewis and I, Megs and Mae, Emily and Toby --Heather took the picture...)

(Trying to get a picture of just the 3 kids turned out to be impossible)

(Mae trying to keep up with the boys)

(Toby and Lewis trying to figure out how the toys work)