So, as always, things have been a little crazy around the house. Now the the nice weather is FINALLY in full swing, we've been spending a lot of time outdoors. I can't believe how much Austin has changed from last year even. He loves swinging on his "big boy" swings, loves riding his bike, and even getting dirty. He's recently figured out how to ride a bike with training wheels, which amazes me to watch. He was struggling at the beginning of summer, but now, he acts like it's something he's been doing all his life. And even more importantly, he loves to wear his helmet. He loves wearing it inside the house, in the car....he would wear it grocery shopping if he could (and really, that might not be a bad idea!). He's your typical "boys boy" to say the least. Very active, very wild, and very fearless. 
It's been so long that even Easter has passed us. Austin loved Easter this year. We hid eggs around the house, and he found all of them. He thought that was really fun and was asking for more of them after he was done. He ate chocolate for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner that day. I told him at one point he had enough candy and he needed to lay off for a bit...only to help Jared cut his hair for 5 minutes and find 15 Reese's cup wrappers on the coffee table. He's just like his daddy that's for sure....loves peanut butter! This is Austin coloring easter eggs...he loved that also. He more or less threw the eggs in the dye, but hey, it was fun! He even tried a very small bite of a hard boiled egg....we were just impressed he actually tried it!
This is a picture of us one of the many cold rainy spring days we've had this year. We still pull the cushions off the couch frequently to clean them and he still loves every minute of it. Here, we're building forts. It was really getting pretty difficult to keep him occupied towards the beginning of Spring, because he loves to be outside so much. He had a hard time understanding that when it's cold and rainy, we stay inside. And since the weather couldn't decide what it was going to do, it was pretty difficult on him! But finally, the nice weather is here to stay!
This little boy is getting so stinking smart. He's starting to repeat things back to us (short books, for example), nursery rhymes, even songs. He knows his ABC's now and is really doing well learning the letters. He still has difficulty recognizing his lower case letters right now, because I haven't really found a good teaching tool for those. Everything has upper case letters! He talks in pretty decent sentences saying things like "Mommy, I'm sad (upset, hungry, need a snack), etc. And he also says things like "I'm a rock star". He's just getting so big, we are so very, very blessed.
"Mommy, I have blue eyes". This is what he said to me one day while I was upstairs grabbing a load of laundry for maybe 3 minutes. It was pretty cute, I just responded with "Why yes Austin, yes you do!" He makes me smile :)
This is one of Austin's dance moves. I looked back at him in the car one day and he said "Mom, dance like this". It was pretty entertaining. He's one bad dude with some of the cutest facial expressions!
He is also a water bug this year. We've filled up the pool twice in the last week. He loves splashing in it, running and jumping, throwing things in it, and drinking the water as if he were a dog. I have a feeling he's going to be one of those kids that's going to stay in the water constantly....as long as we'll let him. We really need to get him enrolled in some swimming lessons sometime soon! We're going on vacation to VA in a few weeks, and I bought him a floatty device so he can play in the big pool with all of us adults...he insisted on wearing that thing in his baby pool at home the other day! Sometimes I wonder, but why fight it?
I hate to brag, but my husband is kind of amazing, isn't he? This is a shot he took of Austin that I just LOVE! It totally captures him, when he's actually sitting still, which isn't often. Not to mention, how blue his eyes are! He's a very sweet, loving, smart, fun little boy. We are so blessed with so many wonderful things in life, but none of it compares to the joy that this little boy has brought to us!
