A few nights ago it came about with a fun game of “Pop the Bubbles”. The neighbor boy that likes to come down and play with Isaac and point out the weeds in my flower garden *ahem* *ahem* was over as well. He was playing the game with Isaac and Isaac just got a case of the giggles. So thankfully Ben reminded me to grab the camera!

Sorry the clip long. I was going to cut it but I just couldn’t figure out what to cut. It all makes me giggle myself.

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But nonetheless we are here, the weather has been beautiful and it is not home. So we are having fun. Here are a few pictures from the first part of the week.

 

There are jellyfish out there in the ocean, but here at the vacation house there are just jellyfaces. Oh my!

Isaac was introduced to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches about a week ago. He loves them. Ben made him one for lunch but the only problem was that we only had blackberry jam at that point. Yes, it is a ton more messy then grape or strawberry. He is not usually a messy eater so these are some rare pictures.

He made us laugh.

 

We are vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina this week with Ben’s brother Jesse, Naomi, Grace and Jude. It was a bit cloudy and rainy and we were a bit sun spent from the day before so we ventured down to the aquarium for the afternoon. I have been so excited to take Isaac to an aquarium because he just LOVES anything that is in the water – fish, whales, dolphins, etc. It was a smaller aquarium but a perfect size for our little clan on this particular day. (Remember, clicking on the photos will bring up captions.)

 

Physical Appearance

Tessa DEFINITELY looks more like her daddy than Isaac ever did. So many people would tell me how much Isaac looked like Ben. I always thought he looked more like me in my baby pictures but was fine letting everyone believe that he looked like Ben. As he got older he definitely took on more of my physical characteristics. Then came Tessa. I think the arrival of Tessa has sealed everyone’s belief that Isaac looks more like me because that girl looks SO MUCH like her daddy.

Physical Size

I mentioned in Tessa’s 4 month post that she is taller and of equal weight to her brother at the same age. If I had a prediction at this point it is that Tessa will likely be taller than her brother. We will see.

Physical Strength

I know boys are suppose to be quicker to acquire physical skills and slower to acquire language. For the most part this was true of Isaac, however, I *think* that he acquired language at a faster pace (not as fast as girls) than most boys.

It has been funny to watch Tessa though. I am certain that she has more physical strength and ambiguity than Isaac at the same age. She is so good at grabbing certain things and manipulating them. Putting them in her mouth with accuracy. I remember clearly at this stage with Isaac thinking he should be further along in that area. He was more interested in studying the objects than manipulating them.

Tessa also seems to have a tighter, firmer grip than Isaac ever did. Isaac has experienced this first hand himself. He was holding Tessa’s hand the other day when she got a grip of his fingers. I laughed pretty hard when she wouldn’t let go. He wasn’t sure what to do.

If I had a prediction at this point it is that Tessa is going to be more athletic and physical than Isaac. Isaac seems to be more interested in exploring things than wielding his strength. I suppose time will tell.

Personality

My grandmother always comments on how happy Isaac is. How she hasn’t ever seen him grumpy or upset. And for the most part she is right. She, of course, hasn’t seen him when he is whining and cutting teeth but. . . The funny part is that as a baby I never described Isaac as “happy”. He was always so serious and contemplative. We always described him as “determined”. He was content but he wasn’t happy. He is a great kid and is very happy now though, grandma is right.

Now Tessa? Tessa is HAPPY! That girl smiles and smiles and smiles some more. She LOVES being tickled and scared and laughed at and talked to. She is the most smiley baby I have ever run across. I can’t believe how happy she is. Although that is why we named her Tessa JOY. If I had a prediction about her I would say that she is going to be the family jokester. She is just always laughing, having a good time, smiling and loves to be scared to the point of laughter. It is amazing to see.

Okay, that is it for now. I am sure I will think of more as soon as I stop writing this post. . .I’ll just leave you with some comparison photos from the first 4 months of their lives. (Isaac is always on top, Tessa on bottom).

Day 1

1st Month

2nd Month

3rd Month

4th Month

Isaac and I have been taking swimming lessons. It has been a lot of fun and for the most part Isaac loves them. That is if we don’t bring Ben (he cried because he wanted Ben to join us). Sigh – the boy loves his daddy.

His favorite part of swim lessons are singing (and motioning) to “Wheels on the Bus” and jumping off the side of the pool. It  has been a great time of bonding between the two of us and I have been thankful for an activity that we can both do together.

 

I love this picture of the two of them together. It is the first one we have. There are more pictures from this photo shoot to come so stay tuned.

Isaac is just starting to take an interest in Tessa. That is, other than swiping her toys. He has been funny. I have been surprised at how possessive he has been of his old toys that Tessa now plays with. Does he really remember? He seems to. He is most possessive of the toys that were his earlier in his life.

We have been teaching him to share but you know how that goes with a toddler. Although, today Ben reported that she was crying (I was sleeping in) and he went over and got some of his favorites of her toys and took them to her. Offering them in exchange for her crying to stop. So cute.

And then they were all sitting on the couch Isaac grabbed her hand to hold. He was a little taken aback when she proceeded to suck his thumb. So funny.

At any rate, I have some more posts lined up for you this week to share their cuteness and growth.

Thanks Isaac and Tessa for making me a mom. You make it seem so easy!

One of the girls in our house church quad decided to organize a family adventure to the Cincinnati Zoo. To say it was a bit hectic and scattered would be an understatement. When you have 3 couples (actually 4 when a friend of mine’s family showed up) and 4 (+1) kids ranging in age from 4 months to 3.5 years, it is bound to be a bit crazy. It was so much fun though! We hadn’t taken Isaac since his first birthday so we enjoyed seeing how much he has grown since then.

His favorites were the alligator statue (we had to stop at it several times), the train (of course), and the monkeys. He just kept saying “whooot, whoot, whoot and beating his chest.” He also said his first complete sentence while we were there “One more monkey please!” He always sticks up his index finger when asking for one more. I simply melt. And he gets whatever it is that he is asking for because it is just. So. Darn. Cute.

Cincinnati Zoo Pictures:

 

For weeks we have been trying to get him to say two word combinations. You know, like “More please,” or “Hi Mom,” or “Thank you.” Well yesterday he started to say his first two word combination, “No more!” As in, Sesame Street has been on way to long, “No more!” I am WAY over these chicken nuggets, “NO MORE!” No, I’m not kissing you again mom, “No more!”

I suppose beggars can’t be choosers!