Fun at the Park with Dani

Last Thursday when the heat wave finally broke J.T. and I took the girls to the local park for a picnic and fun on the swings...it was Dani's first time and I think she was a big fan! Though I still have YET to find what this girl DOESN'T like :) she's SUCH a good sport!

and of course the girl who is an old hat at the swings...

had a BALL!

J.T. and I were a little protective about how much sun the girls got so we took them over to play in the shade for a bit with their toys....

Minnie is wondering if she rubs it for luck if she'll be able to sneak through the afternoon with no nap...

I LOVE baby feet...

Before we left we let them have one last ride on the swings...Minnie was JUST about snoozin' in hers so no great pics... it was time to leave

and we captured a "fight" over Sophie on video...they are great at sharing already!! :) We are proud Mama's!!

Everything is more fun...

when GRAMPA is here!!! Especially when he brings his BIG TOYS... and I get to ride on them...

and DRIVE...

ALL.BY.MYSELF.!!!

Nah-nee-nah-nee-nah-nah CJ and Ho-han!! :) :)

Grampa said YOU GUYS haven't driven the excavator!!! :)

WE sure did have fun huh Grampa!?!?

Thanks for coming to play at MY house all week!! :)

Keeping her distracted

Minnie is, I think, cutting teeth. Rookie mom here... but pretty sure... so we keep her distracted... Momma S to the rescue again with some frozen teething cookies...

and then we entertain her... or rather... DADDY does...

Yes we are that family that even BEFORE kids had the nerf basketball hoop set up in the LIVING ROOM :)

I want my home to be FUN! I want Minnie to grow up knowing that this is her place to play, laugh and have a good time. I want to teach her these things by example. Husband is a GREAT example :)

SIX MONTHS!!!

Dear Minnie,

Today you are SIX months old!!! I can't believe it has been 1/2 a year ALREADY... OK... NOW... even though you still don't sleep through the night, I'm ready for time to stop.

I love that you can sit up by yourself now. We still have to put pillows around you in case something above you catches your eye but you are able to sit unassisted for up to 30 minutes. You LOVE it! The day before you turned 6 months you figured out the "jump" feature of your excesauser from Uncle JJ and Auntie J and you think that is just SO much fun! That day you also learned the new trick of SPITTING all the drool you seem to have acquired because... you are cutting teeth.

That has not been much fun here... because I think you really turned it on when the heat kicked in. So you spent a couple of 90+ degree days hot and in pain. It was not fun for anyone but least of all you... with the cooler weather and a whole lot of distraction you seem to do better. You LOVE the A/C that Daddy put in your window at MIDNIGHT this past week and you are SO blessed to HAVE a Daddy that would do that for you :)

You are still in your size two diapers and I think we are there for a little while longer since they are supposed to go up to 18 lbs :)

A typical day for you is getting up around 5:30ish AM and hanging out with Dad until 6:30 or so... then you have something to eat and a little cereal. You like to play on the floor or in your jump-a-roo/excesaucer until about 8:30ish when you are ready for a nap. Sometimes this goes well but often it doesn't... :( You are REALLY not a fan of sleeping the past month or so... you eat again around 10 or 11 and we go outside if the weather is nice, or the library with your friends, Bible Study every other Tuesday and recently we've done the park with Aunt J.T. and Dani. You really had fun with that!

You eat again around 1-3 and have another rest somewhere in there... you are typically up for the afternoon by 3ish and head to bed after cereal and more milk by 6:45. You like? to get up 1-2 times a night and sometimes we think it is your teeth, sometimes we have NO IDEA why you are awake. It can take anywhere from 5 mintues to 3+ hours to get you back to sleep and those are NOT fun times... for you OR Mommy.

Your "strong" personality is coming out more and more each day but I am LOVING the positive side when you have to be LOUD and make things crash together and I can get you to giggle. You LOVE words that begin with the letter "W" and will typically give a belly laugh for them. You also love it when we hit the bottom of your feet and in our best Uncle L voice say "run and run and run and run". That most def. gets smiles. You have also learned and can copy saying "dadadadadada". We are working on you finding your nose and Mommy's nose and you think the "beep beep" when we find it is the best part.

Daddy is STILL your favorite and I STILL love it :) but Sophie comes in a close 2nd. You are also def. starting to recognize people and it is neat to see you build relationships with your family, Dani, Auntie J.T. and the other friends that I let (hee hee) you hang out with. We are getting SO excited to spend the summer together and now with the A/C in your room I think you'll realize things just WON'T be any better than having Mommy and Daddy at your beck 'n call :) hee hee hee

We love you more today Minnie that I even thought possible!!

In the words of Minnie and Dani...

Minnie: On Tuesday I was really not feeling myself. I think there is something in my mouth that wants to poke through these things Mama calls "gums" and keeps rubbing. I didn't want to take a nap, I didn't want to hang out, I just was feeling, as Nana calls it "punk". So Mama took me over to see Dani to try and cheer me up... I wasn't real sure about it at first because that girl went RIGHT for my ear....oh yeah, and did I mention we can both sit up now and play?? We can... Dani: Seriously. Lemme at that ear... it is just sticking out there CRYING to be grabbed... I love all my toys but that looks like LOADS of fun!

Oh... what's that? You Mama's are making funny noises and trying to get us to BOTH look at the camera and smile? Yeah Right. How do you like me sticking my tongue out at you Ant Country Mouse! I just found it and I like to show it off :) are you impressed?

Minnie: Seriously. What is WITH this girl. Keep your mitts off!!!

Dani: but it is just so FUNNY when she stares at me with those big eyes and her mouth hanging open. I think she's a hoot!

Minnie: Awwww alright. I'll be a sport. Go ahead. Touch away.

Whoa... still a little tippy sitting up... want some help?

I said HELP. NOT STEALING MY SOPHIE!?!?! WHAT IN THE WORLD?

It's a good thing I'm easily distracted... your light up ball is a GOOD TIME. I don't have one of these at my house.

Weeeeeeeee thanks for sharing your toys Dani... you kept my mind off these things they call "teeth" for over an hour... Lemme know when yours start buggin' yah and you can come and play with MY toys at MY house...

Wordless Wednesday: First Fruits

Babysitter

mere weeks before we were to meet our "2nd born" Husband and I, a couple of puddles on the way home from the vet hearing that they didn't think Reebs would make it....

it was very quiet except for sniffles back and forth between us... as we were driving down our road each of us alone with our thoughts Husband said....

"We can't lose him... who will babysit her for us?"

I'm so glad we got to keep our dog....:)

Faster + Higher = Happier

On Thursday Liz and I met at another Library to try out their story "20 min" :) after we went to the park for some chit chat, a picnic and apparently so the ladies could take a nap :) they both fell asleep in their respective Mama pouches. It enabled Liz and I to have great conversation and realize we are NOT ALONE even though somedays it REALLY feels like it :) When the girls woke up we took 3 minutes to put them in the swings (since I forgot Minnie's hat AGAIN!!!! BUT no worries MIL I have one packed IN HER DIAPER BAG!! :) I worry a bit that my girl has no fear... she is still a little head wobbly but she doesn't care.... higher Mama!! :) Faster!!!!

She LOVED it :)

Pheebs was also a fan...

She's just a little more reserved about her love for the swing :)

There's a "Flirty" look for yah Mama H :)

SUCH a great day with the girls yesterday... made it even BETTER that it was Liz's birthday and WE got to spend the day with her... blessed!