Please Sir, May I have some more?

Just as Oliver begged for a bit more porage, my wee Zander begs/shrieks for more rice cereal. Then tops it off with a bit of booby. And as my aching back will tell you, this child does not suffer from failure to thrive. With pudgy legs all a-roll and his round little face beaming, you'd think my happy babe was about to burst at the seams, or perhaps just his Onsie is.
I look back at pics of his first days at home and remember the day I delivered 8lbs 8oz 22inches 6 days late and thought what a big boy he was compared to my T-man. But now he looks so small in those memories, swimming in his sleeper and just a tiny blob in his carrier. Now-a-days his big 'ol Flinstone feet hang past the edge of his swing and carseat. He rolls, both ways, off of his blanket and across the carpet. His eating cereal is just one more step to his everyday growth that I have the pleasures of experiencing.
Zander brings us so much joy, but he also reminds me off all that I missed with Tristan working and so overwhelmed with new motherhood. I really didn't get to take the time that I do now. I try to take pictures when I can and actually printed a load just the other day. Comparing pics of my boys taking first baths and rounding milestones, I can see the similarities and the differences more clearly. Tristan's pictures also give me a timeline of what is to be expected from Zander these next months. He will most likely crawl before Christmas and take first steps by Spring.
Each time I prepare the apple oatmeal or the banana rice cereal I am a bit sad. Sad that my baby has passed another 1st and I have one less 1st to enjoy with him. It all goes by so quickly and I often have to stop and remind myself how speedily these days will pass. Soon he will have his 1st Thanksgiving and Christmas. At which he will have his 1st encounter with all his crazy relatives. Then his 1st New Year, Valentine's, Spring, 1st words, steps, then inevitably his 1st birthday where he will pass into toddler-hood. And I will look back at these days of my little round face full of cereal and wonder what happened to my little babe?

Hawaii BABY"!

Kauai was PARADISE! We are already planning our next trip. When, we don't know. But we are certain we must return to Hawaii in general, soon. The 350+ photos are proof of our amazement and wonder. We were so taken aback by the sheer beauty and that was just the drive from the airport to the resort! The Hyatt Regency was spectacular! Now maybe it's that I have only ever stayed in hotels for the purpose of sleeping and bathing, but now that I have experienced a RESORT! You could have stayed entirely in the resort and had a memorable stay. Our room had a balcony with an ocean view, from which I nursed Zander every morning. 5.5 acres of pool and lagoon area with tons of chairs on which to lounge made days lazy. Jer and I took a day to adventure the island. In the morning we were atop one of the highest points on the island, looking out on the Napali coast! The drive to get there was filled with enough flowers and fauna to easily get lost. By evening we had trekked to the other side of the island to scope out some caves and a couple of the busiest beaches we had seen. We had gone to and seen all that being limited to a car would allow. Baby Z' was such a trooper. He held out in true Elsesser style, as long as a face was nearby. I must admit I was even surprised at how little fussing he did on the entire trip. He flew like a pro both ways and seldom complained. I must say that I am sold on returning to explore the other islands. The atmosphere can't be beat, unless you are in a rush. The weather was fabulous and apparently they were having a heat wave. We were rained on usually twice a day, and it was unseasonably dry. We had great company and will have to work hard to make our next trip as comparable.