Just Me & Tav

I haven't taken the opportunity to post about how much I love my special time with Tavin when Koen goes to nursery school two mornings a week. Tavin is still holding onto his morning nap (although it's really a brief catnap now, but he usually talks for 15 minutes, sleep for 30-45 and then talks for another 15-30 minutes, so it's still a nice break time for me). Before he goes down for his nap though we get to enjoy just being the two of us. Tavin is usually much more patient with my multi-tasking because he isn't being followed or pestered by his big brother. Then we basically snuggle, read books and tickle the rest of the time before nap. Today he hung out on my bed while I cleaned and dusted my room. Then we read some books on there and took some pictures. He is such a snuggler and he loves to just roll around on the bed and smash his head into the pillows. So fun! Enjoy the playful photos. He's so much fun!

Big Boy Banana

Tavin has been experimenting with intense screeching noises to communicate what he wants. It isn't always pleasant to say the least! I'm trying to discourage it as much as I can, but you kind of have to respond to some things as he is using the squeaks and squeels to tell us so much. Anyways, this morning I was feeding him cut up banana and I was eating a whole banana. He wanted nothing to do with the cut-up pieces, he wanted mine. Well, I gave in. I don't care if I'm eating pieces or not and he obviously thought mine was better, so why not? The other option was to stay strong and clean smashed bananas off of his hands and high chair tray. I figured giving in equaled less work and we both got to eat banana.

So, here's a video of him enjoying the treat!

15 Month Comparison

So, oddly enough when Koen was 15 months it was summer and I visited my parents in NH and we took a few trips to the ocean. For Tavin's 15 month birthday we were on our way to a beach vacation in Florida. This worked out well for the fact I like to try to catch a glimpse of a comparison of these boys every few months. It's just fun to see how they look alike and how they are growing up differently too. So if you paid attention to the Florida pictures, it will be obvious which is which, but still, they are still looking quite similar at 15 months!

Tavin's 15 Month Appointment

After dropping Koen off for nursery school this morning Tavin and I headed a few blocks over to our pediatrician's office for his 15 month appointment. He was so cute in the waiting room. He just sat in a chair like a big boy and waited patiently until we were called in. He was very easy-going during the appointment as well. The 2nd child thing always amazes me. Koen was never this calm in a doctor's appointment until he was about two I think! Tavin weighed in at 21 lbs., 15 oz. That's the 15th percentile still (with all this kid eats I was thinking maybe he had bumped up to average, but nope!). For height, he's slowed a little and is right at the 50th percentile with a measurement of 31 and 1/4 inches. Koen was about a pound heavier and exactly an inch longer at 15 months. Probably the most interesting thing about the appointment was that I again brought up Tavin's skin-only reaction to milk/dairy products to the doctor and he said that I could go ahead and give him milk to drink. I've been concerned that Tav doesn't get enough calories or calcium and Vitamin D because he does not like the milk alternatives I've tried. I was relieved that he thought the skin rash reaction (he said it probably isn't even an actual allergy) would go away and it is not harmful to Tavin to give him milk now. He just said to try and keep it neat so that poor Tavin doesn't break out to badly (I don't think he's seen how Tavin shoves food into his face, keeping it neat will be a challenge!).

I prayed as usual with Tavin before laying him down for his afternoon nap and I was just thanking God for this strong, healthy little guy. Health is such a blessing that can so easily be taken for granted. We are so blessed that Tavin is doing so well!

The Trek Home

On Thursday we headed home via Nashville. The little guys did awesome in the car again and we actually made better time on the Destin to Nashville jaunt then we had on the way down. Go, Melders! This time we got to Chris & Molly's (and Amelia & Sadie's) house around dinnertime. Koen was ecstatic that there was time to play before bed. We also built in a whole day of rest there in Nashville with these dear college buddies and their little girls. It was the perfect end to a great family vacation. The Melder family all slept in the same room and the boys did great. Koen slept until about 7:30am and then I took him downstairs to keep it quiet for Tavin. Koen set right to work on the great train tracks Amelia has. Tavin slept in until 8:30am and then of course went right to breakfast. Here he seems to be saying..."so, where am I now? Well, it doesn't matter, at least there's food to eat." Koen and Amelia bonded better than ever before. Amelia is 5 and Koen almost 4. They did very well together. It was fun to see Amelia direct the play with Koen as he can be quite strong with his same-age friends. Mostly they enjoyed playing trains together (Amelia was a very kind playmate helping Koen build tracks and listening to his incessant Island of Sodor story-making). They also played some other games including one Amelia made up where Koen was her puppy and she led him around as he held onto a jump rope saying, "woof, woof." He loved it! Amelia was out most of the day so Koen also got to enjoy the toys to himself and had a quick trip to the playground with Amelia's little sister, Sadie.Sadie and Tavin did much better together this time versus our visit in August when Tavin was still quite small and young. Doug and I loved our time in the evenings when all the kids were in bed and we could just hang out with Chris & Moll. We are so thankful for good friends that last. What a blessing and a blast!

We made the final leg of the trip home to Pittsburgh on Saturday. We made good time again and the boys did very well. We were all getting pretty tired of the long car rides, but really there was very little complaining. As the city came into view, we pointed it out to Koen and made a big deal about almost being home and isn't it so good to be back in our city and he said, "I want to go back to vacation." I totally understand, buddy. Thankfully we have much to come home to...great friends, a warm home and a greaty city and there's always the next vacation to look forward to!

Last Day in Florida on Vacation, Part III, Bye Beach

We had to take one final trip to the beach tonight, so after the boys woke up from their naps we headed over there to feed them a picnic dinner and play in the sand and the waves one more time before we head back home tomorrow.

Tavin and I hung out on the towel and I fed him his dinner. Koen and Daddy dove into another sand project. This time they built a chair (maybe Daddy is getting tired of sand castle building??).
Koen and I had a blast running around in the waves after he ate his dinner. The water and the air were almost the same temperature and it just felt awesome to be in the surf. Oh, how I love the ocean. I am really going to miss this!

We packed the boys up and made it home just in time for their baths and bed. Doug and I got some more packing/organizing done and then Doug cooked us all a delicious fresh dinner of Red Snapper that he picked up at a fish market this afternoon, caught today! It was delicious! We had a laid back evening with Phil & Leah and have all said our goodnights and goodbyes now. I'm sad and should be in bed. I just wish this wasn't our last day!

Goodbye, Destin. Hope to see you again soon!

Last Day in Florida on Vacation, Part II - Jets

Koen and Doug's big outing today was to visit Uncle Phil at Eglin AFB! They stopped on their way to share a smoothie (Doug is such a Daddy Day Date kind of guy, he loves to make these outings so, so special!).

When they got to the base, Koen got to ride in a base pickup truck to get over to the planes (note that I have him dressed appropriately in his olive drab t-shirt for this military-themed excursion).
Uncle Phil took Koen into the hangar and gave him a private tour of the F15-C. He showed him missiles, landing gear and so much more. Koen was very attentive and Phil said he asked great questions.
After their time reviewing the underbelly of the jet, hand in hand Koen and Uncle Phil (with Daddy trailing behind to capture it all) ventured onto the runway for a personal fly by.

Here's the video...

Koen was very brave with the intense sound. It's so sweet how Uncle Phil is holding onto him to make sure he feels safe.

Phil & Koen have definitely bonded in the last day or two. Look at here how Koen has his arm around his uncle! Later in the day I asked Koen what his favorite part of today was and he said, "visiting Uncle Phil." So sweet!

Uncle Phil had to get back to work and Doug and Koen needed some lunch, so they headed back towards home and stopped at Dewey Destin for some seafood. Koen had his first order of shrimp! Doug said he loved it!

Doug & Koen got home right in time for nap. Tavin and I had made the most of our time with Tav's good morning nap (yay, Mommy had time to organize for the trip home!), lunch at the house and a walk to the pool for a swim. After we got Koen down for nap it was about time for Tavin to lay down too.

Stay tuned for more on our next adventure crammed into this final Florida vacation day...

Last Day in Florida on Vacation, Part I - AM Beach

Being that it is our last full day in Florida, we are definitely packing it in! There will be 3 parts to this elongated post.

Last night we decided that it would be good to head out to the beach right after breakfast just for an hour or so before Tavin's morning nap. It turned out to be a great idea.

It was warm, but the sun was not high and penetrating yet, there was quite a breeze off the ocean to keep us very comfortable and the beach was scarcely populated. The boys were in great, rested spirits.

Koen and Doug set to work again on another massive construction project. This time they found a hole that had already been dug and Doug made a channel for water to run into it. Koen was mesmerized every time a wave got up far enough to fill the hole. He made sure to give his might trucks a wash down after all their work in the water-filled hole.

Tavin is just loving the ocean. It makes me so happy that all my boys love the ocean and the beach! Today we caught Tavin in action on video so that you can see how much he really does enjoy the cool waves coming up against his legs.

Doug and I finally got a picture of us together (not our best photo ever, but oh well) just to prove that yes, we were indeed here together on parent duty enjoying this special sunny getaway with our boys.

After our beach trip we headed back to the house for Tavin's nap and so that Koen and Doug could pack up for their next adventure. Stay tuned for details!

The Sea Shore at Seaside

Yesterday we went on a day trip leaving the house around 9:30am to drive about 25 minutes to a parking area on a great bike route on 30A. We met my brother there and we all biked into the adorable little beach town of Seaside (where the Truman Show was filmed, and yes, it does look that perfect). The boys love bike-riding. I think this will be a recurring family activity when we get back to the Burgh, such a fun way to get some fresh air and exercise while entertaining the boys (pretty much my ideal combination!). The scenery on the bike ride was really interesting...woods, the ocean, quintessential Florida beach towns and the weather was again low 70's, a perfect breeze and all sun. Ahhh.

After we biked around for awhile we stopped in Seaside to play on the beach. Uncle Phil was able to stay with us for part of the time. My brother and I are definitely close (we are only 22 months apart and were very close growing up) and it is just so much fun to see him getting to know my boys. Tavin is really into digging up sand and then letting it fall where it will. Oh, Tavin. Uncle Phil took advantage of the photo opportunity. =)

Koen and Doug started yet another construction job. I just love that my husband enjoys the beach with my boys as much as I do. It is so great to have such a favorite thing in common with your spouse. We will definitely be back to Destin for more fun in years to come (hopefully annually even!).

Uncle Phil chilling, Tavin digging, Koen and Doug working...just a day at the beach with some of my favorite guys on the planet!

Doug has been hankering for some good BBQ since we got here (I had to talk him out of stopping at about 10 places on our drive down through Alabama, convincing him that no, that would not be a wise use of time on such a long car ride!). He did his research and found a well-rated BBQ spot in Seaside and so he ran up into the little town to get us some and brought it back for a picnic on the beach. Although it's not my favorite food, it was very flavorful. The boys both tried some too.

We knew we shouldn't push it with the bike ride and car ride back to the house before naptime (Tavin skipped his morning nap, so he was getting a little overtired as it was), so we packed up the beach play and headed up for some ice cream. Surprisingly, that was our first time getting ice cream at the beach. Oops! I'll have to make up for lost time. =) Koen loved it. Tavin had a few bites, but wasn't that interested. It kind of made me sad. Did I not eat enough ice cream while pregnant or something? Maybe it was just too cold or he was overtired and not into it. I hope it's not his weird dairy problem. He only had about 4 bites. So, I saddled up and finished the rest. =)

The bike ride and car ride back went very well with these great little vacationers. We got them quickly cleaned up and to nap and they slept hard and long. In the evening we were planning on another little family walk, but instead Doug and Koen helped Uncle Phil & Aunt Leah with yard work. Koen was so sweet about it and really truly wanted to help. Koen has definitely bounced back and is acting much more like himself and is a little less of an emotional roller coaster thankfully.

To finish off yesterday, last night we went out to dinner with Phil & Leah (we put the boys to bed and a friend came over to stay at the house with them). We got to sit outside and it was still so comfortable, not even cool. We enjoyed some great Gulf seafood and I so enjoyed the company with my husband, brother and sister-in-law. I am so thankful for this special vacation!

A Full Florida Fun Day

We had a full day today! Koen and Tavin woke up in great spirits. They are doing so well sharing a room. This morning Tavin again woke up first and therefore woke up Koen with his talking to himself. After Koen woke up, he just joined in. For every, "da, da, da" that Tav said Koen repeated it. That just egged Tavin on. Then Koen started telling his brother what to say, "ma, ma, ma" or he would just start laughing and Tavin would start laughing. It was hilarious listening to them go back and forth. We must have listened to these brothers making each other laugh and chat for 20 minutes or more.

Koen is getting much more comfortable here and chatted with Uncle Phil as he ate breakfast. Then he and Tavin sat with Uncle Phil as they all finished up that meal (Koen has started hiding his face for every picture, you'll notice that throughout the post...ugh).

We set off for a quick bike ride so that we could fit in a mini adventure before Tavin's morning nap. This was Tavin's first bike ride! And as usual, he took the new experience in stride. When we were suiting him up in the helmet and sitting him in the seat he was patient and just dealt with it.

But once we took off, he was so, so happy. Anytime I rode up near Doug so that he could check on him, he was smiling ear to ear. So cute! Here's us on our bike.

And here's a closeup of that adorable happy-to-be-bike-riding smile.

Tavin and I headed back to the house in time for some quick crawl-around playtime before nap and Koen and Doug continued on their adventure.

They rode the bike to the marina to watch the boats go in the water, then they rode to the beach where they stopped for some smoothies.

Next they headed out into the sand. It was a perfect day here. Low 70's, a slight breeze and the clouds burnt off by 11am. They made no waste of it.

They built an elaborate sandcastle (the picture doesn't do it justice, but Doug told me that he said it had a house for us, a house for the boys (they were connected by a tunnel), a library, a pool and a playground. Gotta love that imagination!).

Then they played at a playground at the Crab Trap, the restaurant we visited for lunch. Tavin and I met up with them there. Tav and Daddy sat in the sand and played with shovels while Koen and I did some treasure hunting while we waited for Phil & Leah to meet us for lunch.

The restaurant was great. Mostly because of the view, fresh air and fast service (I so appreciate fast service when you are dining with little ones!). Tavin ate his first french fry at lunch. I've been holding it off as long as I could (I think Koen didn't have one until 2 years), but today he just took it off my plate and crammed it in his mouth. He ate it so fast the picture is actually of his second french fry. =) He actually ended up not really loving it and gave the second one back to me half-chewed (thanks, Tav!). What he did like off my plate was the grilled grouper. He ate 1/2 of my filet! Also, he was cranky at the end of lunch and so I let him finish my coleslaw which was actually really good at this place, very fresh, not gross and runny (ok, sorry, I'm being a foodie here with my descriptions). Tavin loved it! He ate the last bites of mine and all of Uncle Phil's!

Koen had fun sitting next to Uncle Phil. It is so fun to see my brother bonding with my little boy. In this picture Uncle Phil is explaining the different kind of fish that are shown on the wall behind our table.

After lunch we headed back to get Koen to nap. He had a great morning and midday, but man the sun really takes it out of him and when it's naptime it becomes quite clear! He's been really enjoying a bath before nap every day to get all the sand and sunscreen off so Doug did a great job getting him into bed in a happy mood. He again hit the pillow hard and slept pretty well. It's been such a blessing that these boys have been sleeping so well here.

During naptime Doug told me to go and enjoy the beach. I totally needed it. I've been really enjoying my time in the sun and on the sand with the boys, but it's limiting hanging out at the beach with a baby on your hip or a toddler at your side. I just needed some time to enjoy the blessing of being at the ocean. So, thanks Doug, it was a great few hours soaking up the sun, walking in the waves and relaxing. Phil & Leah met me there and so that was nice to spend some of that time with them as well.

Tonight after dinnertime, Doug and I took the boys on a quick little walk through the neighborhood to the swings. Doug took a quick opportunity to get a picture of me and the boys. Koen in the first picture is again hiding his face...
In this next picture he's hugging Tavin, which after this picture turned a little too aggressive. Poor Tavin!
We then took the boys home and got them to bed. Again, it was quiet right away. This sun and fresh air is really taking it out of them. They are doing such a great job. And I'm having such a wonderful time enjoying all of this vacation with my boys.