Elijah's Latest Accomplishment

One of the greatest thing about having children is that everyday they accomplish something new. No matter how big or small it is one of my greatest pleasures to see the boys making strides and discovering new things. Eli has been working for weeks now on 'cruising'. As you all know, he is the more laid back of the Lansek Boys and hasn't been really receptive to all this pushing toward walking. Long story short..he was being a little stubborn, I think. Miss Kelly even commented this past week on how stubborn he seems to be as of late! In true Eli style, after therapy on Monday he slowly started to take a few steps here and there while standing at the coffee table. Everyday since then he seems to 'cruise' a little more. (this makes Mom happy since he is becoming quite heavy to carry ALL the time) I have been trying to get some video but he is sneaky and as soon as he realizes the camera is on him he immediately sits down. I am hoping as he gains more confidence in his new ability to move we will be able to share this wonderful milestone with all of you.

Dog Days of Summer

My babies enjoy their nice cool pool and try to beat the heat!

Rockin' and Rollin'

Elijah enjoys his birthday gift from Nini! I think that he likes it!

Fireman's Parade

This past Saturday marked the annual Tatamy Fireman's Parade, a tradition in our little town for many years. We had a small cookout prior and enjoyed time with some friends and their children before the noise began. Elijah is absent in these photos as he was a little unsure about all the sirens and noise. Enjoy the below pictures of some great friends and their beautiful children.


Carter and Vito take Poppy's motorcycle for a spin before the parade begins.
The lovely Miss Lia and her mama, Maria.

Silly Poppy!.....those are for your ears not your nose.

This is the face of an angel....just ask his Mom.

Those sirens are loud...aren't they, Joey?It's Christi and the Vitos!!

Rider enjoys his lollipop and the firetrucks.

We definitely need some more girls in this group!

After the parade, and with our hearing still intact, we headed down the street to enjoy the carnival and of course some fries and funnel cake! Truly a great day!!

Night #3 Without the Be-Be

It is hard for me to blog about Night #3 without our trusty little friend since Carter slept over at his Mimi and Poppy's house. But by all accounts he did well and only asked for it twice. You know how it is when you are with grandparents....its always much more fun and exciting than at home. My mom did tell me that after one rejection of the be-be and being told he was a big boy Carter replied..."Then get me a big boy Be-Be." Shortly after that he fell asleep. So the nights are going well....it's the days that are difficult. Naps have become non-existent now that there is no pacifier to comfort him to sleep....this, of course, leads to crankiness and bad behavior. We did go all day, though, with only one mention of Be-Be so I guess we are getting there......I just hope that we all make it through this and by WE I mean ME and my sanity. There is one important lesson....do not rely on the pacifier. I was given that advice but didn't listen. After Carter is broken it's Eli's turn! I may just need a little recovery time......

Night #2....Still Be-Be Free

Night #2 proved to be a little easier. Carter only whined for about 1/2 hour for Be-be last night...not too bad. He seemed to understand that life with the pacifier was over and fell asleep and again slept through the night. That was last night but this morning has proved more challenging. He woke up earlier than he should have and couldn't get himself back to sleep without Be-Be. Whining, crying, begging and pleading ensued and when I wasn't budging he came out with "Call my Mimi, she'll get me a Be-Be!" Yeah right....guess he doesn't know his Mimi all that well. The rest of the morning has been rough as he seems to have fallen into a cranky slump......the first of many bumps in the road that he will encounter! The really super news in all of this is that teeth brushing seems to have become priority to Carter. Not only am I able to brush those pearly whites but it is pleasant and requested by Carter. Hooray....I hope this is a lasting routine! I will keep you updated.....Dr. Wyke said three days, right?

Night #1 Sans Be-Be

Last night began our journey into a pacifier-free world. I must admit I was expecting the worst....you know....screaming, crying, kicking, flailing of the body. A good old fashion tantrum. Instead Carter whined for a little over an hour for be-be....we held strong and keep telling him NO and reminding him that be-be was gone and he was a big boy that didn't need a pacifier. He eventually began to realize that he wasn't winning the battle and actually gave up! He fell asleep without be-be and proceeded to sleep through the night be-be free.....a true miracle!! Dr. Wyke told us that it usually takes about 3 days for children to get that the pacifier has gone on to a better place and they stop asking for it. One day down and (hopefully) only two more to go.