Our little fish...

It is amazing how quickly August passed.  I looked at my calendar two days ago and realized it was September 1st.  Where had the time gone?  Well, much of this month was dedicated to Zeke's swimming lessons.  We registered him for a program called ISR (Infant Swimming Resource).  It is a program created by a physician to teach babies and children survival swimming skills.  Infants learn how to float on their backs and young children learn how to "swim-float-swim."  We attended every week day, and each lesson lasted between 6 and 10 minutes.  It took Zeke 4 weeks to "test out," which means he was able to float and swim wearing summer and winter clothing.  This is because most drownings happen when children are fully clothed (I know it's scary, but it's a sad reality).  Here are some pictures of him in action:



Perfect float!



Getting ready to flip over...



Flipping over to a swim



With his instructor, Michelle, on the last day (notice the trophy!)



Practicing later in the month at Wynna and Granddaddy's pool



While Zeke was busy swimming, my mom and dad spent half the month in Alaska (and Canada).  They had a great time and hope to take the whole family back when the kids are a little older.  Here is a glimpse of their trip:

Zeke and I were blessed to have Gina and Bethany Sides over for a visit.  We don't see them enough, but we cherish the time we get to spend together.  They are a cherished part of our lives!

Our friend, Mollie, came over for an afternoon visit.  She is SO good with Zeke.  He had her reading books to him right away!

Later in the month, Zeke and I went to visit our friends Elizabeth and Bryan's new baby boy, Dex.  We were in a small group Bible study with Elizabeth and Bryan and prayed alongside them as they asked the Lord to bless them with a child.  They adopted Dex this summer, and could not be happier.  It's amazing to watch God's plans unfold.

In closing, I've included some photos of Zeke lately.  He are some ideas of what he is doing these days:

• Added "boo" (balloon), "shoe," "Hey," and "Da" (dog) to his vocabulary)
• Still wearing cloth diapers, although I've had to add more inserts during the day since he is such a big boy
• Doesn't really like getting his hair cut unless it's Sarah at Famous Hair in Acworth!
• Tries his hardest to pull stuff out of the refrigerator if he can, then runs away with his loot
• Loves swimming, bath time, and being outside
• Has an amazing aptitude for puzzles
• Enjoys wearing my socks and/or shoes around the house
• Still loves hats
• Tasted a Lara bar (Mommy made the mistake of giving it to him to expose him to nuts) and tried boycotting mush.  After talking to Madia Bowman, author of Dr. Denmark Said It, we decided to go back to mush solely until he's 24 months old and/or has all of his molars!
• Only needs one nap (3 hours is best, but he doesn't always sleep that long)
• Wears 24 month and 2T clothing (2T pants are still too tight sometimes!)
• Wears a size 6 shoe
• Loves to dance (and has his own unique style...heehee!)
• Has a way of detecting in my voice when I'm getting of the phone and starts saying, "Buh-bye" over and over
• Loves people and is eager to offer a smile and a "Buh-bye" to everyone

As you can see, it has been a busy and fun month.  We look forward to cooler weather as the fall arrives.  We thank God every day for all that he has blessed us with, and know that each moment is a gift!