Favorite Activites

Lance is starting to show some preferences during his play time...
he LOVES putting toys and objects into containers. He could spend all day taking his toys out of one box and putting them into another, and then repeating the process. I tried to get smart and buy him a toy that is made just for this purpose- put the balls in the top and watch them come down. He likes it! but, he also likes to put his blocks through too...
In the kitchen, he moves things from one drawer to another, and then back (if I'm lucky). He has also discovered that the stool has a nifty slot in it that he can push things through. It started with washcloths, which was fun until he discovered that a packet of crackers fits perfectly!!! yes! basically, it's a never ending game of standing up, dropping the crackers through, sitting down to grab them, and then standing up and repeating. I, also, love this game because it keeps Lance occupied for a good amount of time while I'm busy in the kitchen.
Finally, Lance LOVES to pull the DVDs and CDs down from the bookshelf. One by one, or several at a time, he has no preference. So... many times a day we gather them all up and put them back on the shelf so that our little guy can start his game all over again.

Weekend in Review- a wordy post

As you know, the Harmeling's favorite pastime, hands down, is surfing. So, most weekends we take Lance to the beach and one of us hangs with Lance while the other surfs, and then we swap. It's a pretty good set up, except that Honolii (our surf spot) is typically not the best place for little ones to swim. Well, we found our way around that one!
On Friday we brought along Lance's inflatable pool and a bucket and filled it with ocean water for him. It was a huge hit!
Now, the whole fam gets to get wet! woohooo!

there we are, in the middle of the grass

Lance is almost ten months old. And on Saturday, I spent my first entire day away from him. Incredibly fortunate, or slightly pathetic, depending on how you look at it! Even though I'm back at work, I'm able to pop in and out during the day for lunch, etc. since I work so close to home. This weekend, however, I took my work kids to my agency's annual summer picnic at the waterpark on Oahu.

I was ready. My mommy anxiety has gotten much better over the past months and I was more concerned about how I was going to pump at the waterpark than how Lance would do without me all day... a good sign!
There were two highlights of my first day away:
1. Stef's big purchase- a brand new truck
2. Lance's reaction to seeing me when I snuck in just minutes before his bedtime.
I wish I had number two on video. That moment made my entire day away worthwhile and actually made me want to do it more often! Not a single photo to share, but it was kind of like this-
when he saw me, he started the arm leg jumps while his face lit up with his big huge smile. Then, he reached out for me and gave me a huge HUG! arms around my neck! then he pulled away to get a look at me and did it again! another hug. then another look (with the big grin) and then a huge, wet, kiss. all the while wiggling with pure joy.
For some reason, the whole scene made me realize what a little person he is becoming. He reacted with such human gestures- hugs and kisses??!! It was really one of the best feelings I've ever had. True love.

First Father's Day

Lance and I were overjoyed to have Stef home just in time for his first father's day. We got to spend the entire day together and Stef really soaked up the time with Lance after two weeks away.
Lance couldn't wait to present Daddy with his father's day gift- photos of him in his new boardshorts sitting on Dad's board while posing with the letters D-A-D. Boy, was Lance proud!!
The weather cooperated at the last minute, so we packed it up and headed to Lance's new favorite beach. Stef and I have avoided this beach for the past five plus years since it isn't surfable or swimable and full of so many little ones that we worried about water quality (if you know what I mean). Well, avoid no more! It was perfect for Lance. He LOVED sitting between Daddy's legs and playing in the sand.
His favorite move was to put the sand all over daddy's legs until he figured out how amazing it felt between his gums and decided that doing that was his new favorite move.
Because the water is so shallow, it was warm enough for Lance to enjoy without the usual "aaaahhhhh" he shouts when we get him in the cold ocean. The name of the beach is Onekahakaha... quite a mouthful! So we are working on a nickname for the spot- Stef likes to call it the "pee ponds" and I'm rooting for "baby beach." Any opinions from our faithful readers?
We wrapped up the day with an amazing dinner- a joint effort from myself and Mama Mary. Lance LOVED the twice baked potatoes and ate almost an entire half potato. and then... he slept all night!!
While the potatoes were a highlight, the best part of dinner was being able to appreciate Stef for what an amazing dad he is to our little guy. Sharing in parenthood with him has been an incredible experience over the last nine and a half months and I can't wait to see where the journey takes us in the upcoming years. Like I told Stef, he makes me a better mom to Lance by keeping me grounded and giving me all the support I need. More importantly, however, he is amazingly connected to Lance and seems to always know just what our little guy needs. And, he is Lance's number one playmate!!
Happy Father's Day to both of our wonderful Dads who set great examples of what fatherhood is all about. And Happy First Father's Day to my HB!

Missing Daddy

Stef is gone for over two weeks, and Lance and I miss him a TON already. Luckily, I have Mama Mary here for help- and she has been wonderful!
But... nothing beats the real deal.

Stef spent the last few nights before he departed for South Africa feverishly working on "Lance's Castle." I had NO idea that a cardboard box could reach such amazing heights. Here's a couple of shots of daddy hard at work:

Since his daddy left, Lance has been spending more and more time in his little hideaway. Today, he figured out how to reach his hand through the window to his musical table. Adorable!!! He would reach through, make some music, pop up to get a look, smile huge, and do it again.
He also loves crawling in and out and peering over the top.
We are thrilled that Stef is having the time of his life with his great friend Dudley watching wildlife on safari and world cup soccer, but we also can't wait for him to come home. In the mean time, Lance will keep babbling "dada dada dada" over and over and I will try to keep track of the lightning fast changes that Lance goes through until our main man returns.
LOVE YOU, Daddy!!!