Babble Beginnings

This was taken a couple weeks ago when Michaela really started to babble. She can now say, mama, papa, da-da, and bu-bye or ba-ba for baby. Will have to try and catch those one day!

Aunt Alli Copycat

Angelica loves her Aunt Alli and often says "I want to be like Aunt Alli one day to do this...." She especially loves playing piano with her and singing songs. So one day Alli was practicing and Angelica stood right along side her and pretended to be practicing as well....

Lovin the big girl tub

First Hair Cut

A few weeks ago I gave Michaela her first hair cut!! She was born with a head full of hair and then ended up losing most of it. However, she had some very long strands around her ear and the part on top that never fell out....so it was a much needed trim! She did very well and looked cute as a button! Crazy though because I never had to give a first hair cut until well past one year with the other girls!!

Tea for Two

Our budding poet

Angelica LOVES to memorize anything, but especially has been enjoying poems. We have a prayer bible of poems we read before bed every night and when we come across a fun one, we memorize a stanza at a time. Enjoy!

First Foods

So my goal with the babes...is always to go 6 months with exclusive breast feeding. Then after that I shoot for at least one year of nursing but with introducing foods. The two big girls went 15-16 months nursing and only stopped because I was pregnant and my milk production stopped. I always find it very bittersweet for me as I start the babes on food. It is as if they are not completely dependent on me anymore and makes me a bit sad. On the other hand, Michaela is LOVING her food and so far is a VERY good eater. She is currently loving cherries, peaches, avocado, yogurt, applesauce, and bananas. Really everything that we try with her. She gets very excited and demands it! But here are some pics and video of her first food.....some rice cereal on June 2nd! Where did my baby go??

Jumper Fun

And I wonder why she always likes to bounce and jump while we are trying to hold her??

Whatever Works

Thanks to my friend Jenny, we bought a used couch for $50 a couple months ago....hopefully to be in a play room one day. It is the perfect size for reading books on and as you can see.....many other fun uses. The girls were so excited about it, the first day they spent HOURS playing on it!

Memories

For the past three+ years we have been living (renting) a house in the court where I grew up as a child...and that my best friend growing up lived in. It was weird moving in and seeing all the rooms that I used to play in and now watch my kids play in. My friend Sarah also has a little girl and our kids are now friends (Even more weird!). One day in May we had Abby over and the girls had a blast eating a picnic dinner on the front porch and watching a movie together....a totally like mother-like daughters moment....I want to find some pics of Sarah and I doing the same thing and post them together one day! They definitely had a lot of fun!

Taylor, the Latte Boy

Alli recently performed at a Ballet Recital, singing Taylor the Latte Boy....very cute and funny song and she sings it beautifully....check it out...

The girls LOVE this song....last weekend I played it for them and they literally spent an HOUR watching and studying her and trying to learn the song...so cute.

Poppy's Big Surprise

My dad for several weeks was working on a special project. He bought the grand kids a big play set. He took time off of work and spent many weekends and nights working on this. He hauled in dirt to level the area, he stained all the pieces beautifully and put it all together. We had to keep the girls away for a bit until it was finished. So on Mothers Day, the big reveal happened. We were all anxious to see their reaction. Tried to catch it on video (until my camera died, errrr), it was so funny. Emma saw it and shocked said, "OH MARMEE! What is it?" And went right for it. Angelica headed right to the trampoline until she turned around in amazement and saw it! Emma has already clocked hours in on the swing and asks all the time to go to Poppy's house to play on it. What a treasure....not only because they will have so many memories playing on it over the years and with cousins but mostly because their Poppy built it for them!! Thank you Dad, you are amazing!!

Our Little Swimmer

After being disappointed in a try at swimming lessons at the Aquatic Center, we decided to try it again at the Olympic Swim Center (at Olympic High School) because Angelica really LOVED the water. So a couple weeks ago she started taking twice a week and is really enjoying it....so much so that it is a daily question (sometimes hourly) of "Do I go to swimming lessons today?" I have already seen improvement with her going under the water and just being more comfortable. The swim instructors she has have been excellent!! Hoping maybe we can do a summer session as well!! Of course Emma is so jealous and just dying to get in the water herself....poor girl, patience!!

Angelica's Birthday

This year Angel's birthday was on a Friday. I have decided to try and do something special on their birthday with just that particular child, a special mommy time. So my sister Caitlin came over that morning so I could take Angelica out for a nice brunch at our favorite coffee place down the road, Cafe Bella. She ordered French Toast and a hot chocolate. She was in heaven, especially because the hot chocolate came with whip cream and sprinkles. She was so grown up and carried on "adult" conversation the entire time. I asked her what her favorite things were that happened when she was three. She responded: "Going to swimming lessons, doing school, going potty and having Michaela." hehe, laughed at that one...still thinks I think that we just magically got baby out of my tummy and she picked us up. We had a very fun morning, she was so excited about all her weekend birthday plans all day.
She got to open her gifts from Aunt Caitlin and Uncle Casey because they were not going to be at her party. She has been loving the outside garden tools!!

Emma was still sick, so that night Caitlin and Alli and then friends Sarah and her daughter Abby went with us to Red Robin for dinner, a girls night out. While we were waiting to be seated, Sarah gave Angel a quarter for the stuffed animal claw drop...and she not only won but picked up TWO!! I don't know how many times I tried that thing growing up and NEVER won. She was quite excited.

After dinner, we had them sing to Angelica and she was so shocked, happy and embarrassed. She held on to me and stared at me the entire time!! We thought she might start crying but she just couldn't believe they were singing to her at a restaurant! We got a long good laugh out of it....and Caitlin - finally here is the video clip you have been waiting to see!!

Our Little Composer

Not sure why Angelica thought it was necessary to put her play tea chair on the piano bench....but I secretly was able to tape her the other day while she was composing (until she caught me). Apparently her doodle board makes a great place to write your music (easy to erase your mistakes) and gotta love the songs....all from the Music Man (she saw her Aunt Alli in the show and still LOVES it!).

And then our Monkey-Do (aka, Emma) had to take a shot....

Toe Dancin

For the last several months, whenever a show or movie ends and the music starts the credits rolling...Emma jumps up and starts swaying and dancing. She does this dance where she points her toes side to side....so cute!! Silly sweet Emma.

Loving the Easter Duck? Bunny?

The older girls have had a blast playing the crazy Easter Bunny-Duck for Michaela. Michaela stares at it, tries to grab it and gets so excited keeps throwing herself backwards.

Always Happy & Laughing Baby

Makes Me Laugh

This video of Michaela laughing at Jason makes me laugh just watching it!

Hummingbird Watchers

My mom has a hummingbird feeder on her back deck and the kids LOVE it (almost as much as she does!). Emma and Albert especially are quite the bird lovers. But you have to watch the VIDEO below because Marmee thought it would be fun to give the wee ones a spin in the chair....well it usually is a lot of fun, but not this time!!

Hummingbirds where are you?

And they found them!