The Boylans

It has been a long time...

2011-11-17T22:06:00.002-06:00

I haven't had time or motivation to post anything lately...clearly as it has been almost 2 months. I'm going to try to be better. I figure that I need a place to capture our pictures since I never manage to print any of them out. Work has been super busy for both Art and I for what feels like months...and I am dreading the cold winter weather. Sounds like it is only a matter of days before snow covers the ground. In an effort to hold onto fall just a little bit longer, here are a few pictures of the girls in the leaves. The LOVED jumping in them and could have played in them for hours. So much fun to watch!

More Park Time!

2011-09-29T20:19:00.002-06:00

The girls LOVE the park and we are enjoying every visit we get in before the weather turns cold.

Final Days of Summer

2011-09-11T20:49:00.003-06:00

Summer Vacation

2011-08-26T14:45:00.003-06:00

This post of long overdue. I can't seem to find the time to devote to blogging lately. We headed up to Grandview Lodge in July for our annual summer trip with Art's family. The girls have more and more fun with every year that goes by. The weather was perfect and there were plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I took over 200, so don't be surprised if a few more make an appearance some time soon.

Two Years Old

2011-08-13T19:59:00.010-06:00

Two years old...sweet baby girl, when did you grow up?

You are sweet and gentle. You love to cuddle before you fall asleep and if you had it your way we would rock you to sleep each and every night. For a long time we did just that (because we liked it just as much as you), but have gotten tough these last few weeks. It has been HARD. Not so much at bedtime, but definitely at naptime. You are often up in your crib for over an hour before you finally give in and crash. You have a hard time settling down to sleep and I have a feeling its because you don't want to miss out on anything. We will see how long this napping thing actually lasts...
You love your babies and could play with them for hours. Covering them up, putting them to sleep, and singing to them. You take them on stroller rides, bring them with you in the car, and give them plenty of hugs and kisses. At night, you sleep with two of your favorites and refuse to go to sleep without them.

You are a talker. You speak in full sentences and your vocabulary continues to amaze us. We probably need to give Claire some of the credit as you pretty much repeat every word that comes out of her mouth.
You are also a singer. Your daily notes from school often say how much you love to sing. Row your Boat and A,B,Cs are the two we hear most often, although tonight Daddy commented that he has also been teaching you a few Bob Dylan songs before he puts you down at night. :)

You definitely have your feisty side as well. You know what you want and if things don't go your way, you let us know how you feel about it. A few weeks ago, I took Claire and you to Potbelly for dinner. You had a carton of milk with a straw and were having a hard time getting the last bit of milk out. You were mad. I tried to help you, but it only made things worse. We ended up leaving half way through dinner. You screamed the whole way home. And then you were done...just like that. I guess you really are TWO.
Like most other kids, you love playing outside. We were at the cabin a few weeks ago and you were in heaven down by the beach, filling up buckets of water and digging the sand. You come home from school covered in dirt from head to toe and I am convinced you must dump buckets of sand over your head. At least I know you are having a good time.

You are an entertainer. You can put on a pretty good show. You dance and jump on command with a huge smile on your face. Some nights before bed, Claire and you take turns singing solos. At first you were a little hesitant to stand up and sing all by yourself, but now there is no stopping you. You love all the attention. The other night you were singing and I starting singing along. You gave me a look and said 'Mommy, no singing!' Guess you thought I was trying to steal the spotlight.

You adore Claire. When you wake in the morning, the first words out of your mouth are 'where's Claire?'. The two of you play together for hours on the weekend. You play house and school and babies. She bosses you around and you happily follow her instructions without complaint. For now it works, and you really are the best of friends. Makes me smile.

Charlotte, I can't imagine our family without you. You are an amazing little girl and we love watching your little personality emerge. Happy Birthday!

Close

2011-07-17T20:12:00.002-06:00

This picture makes me smile. It illustrates just how close these two little girls are these days. They LOVE to play with one another. They play house and school and pretend they are crazy monsters chasing each other around the house. They color and paint and dance to music. They build sand castles and ride bikes and cars and swing next to each other at the park. They dress up in fancy dresses and shoes and pretend they are princesses. They make funny faces and talk in crazy voices and giggle until their cheeks are sore. Right now they are the closest of friends and I am loving every minute.

Summer Fun

2011-07-01T21:01:00.004-06:00

We have been keeping busy this last month. Despite the below average temps, we have managed to spend plenty of time outside. The girls love being outside. They have spent many hours playing with water in the backyard and we have made several trips to the Edina pool. We have also kept busy with trips to the park, zoo and creek. While many have been complaining about the recent heat wave, I am thankful that it is finally feels like summer!

Trolley Ride

2011-06-19T14:19:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago we took the girls for a ride on the Lake Harriet Trolley. Its amazing to think that it used be the primary mode of transportation back in the early 1900s and that they have managed to keep it running today. While it was a short ride, Claire loved every minute. It took Charlotte a little while to get comfortable, but by the end she was having fun as well.

Birthday Girl

2011-06-09T19:28:00.002-06:00

We met up with the Wannings over Memorial Weekend to help celebrate Whitney's 3rd birthday. The girls had a great time together, chasing each other and giggling at pretty much everything. We met up at the MOA, so lucky for the them there was a ton of space to run. I think the highlights of the day were the cake/ice cream and the ride on the trucks.

Fun with Rocks

2011-06-01T21:43:00.003-06:00

The girls are obsessed with rocks. I find them in their carseats, in the pockets of their jackets...even in random places around the house. Any time we are out and about and they see rocks, they want to bring a few home. It is a little out of control.
Given their interest, we went on a rock hunt last Friday morning. We walked down the street to the park and they filled their buckets full of rocks. Once we had 2 very full buckets, we headed home to continue our fun with rocks. I got out the paints and the girls created their very own rock masterpieces. They only made a small dent in the bucket of collected rocks, so I have a feeling we will be doing more painting some time soon.

Dance!

2011-05-25T20:46:00.004-06:00

Claire had her dance recital this past weekend and she was quite the little performer. She LOVED every minute of it. Because her dance class is through her school all of the dancers were 5 years old and younger - very entertaining. Here's a few pictures. She wasn't all the cooperative once she had her costume on, but at least I got a few.

Princesses

2011-05-10T19:51:00.001-06:00

To say they love dressing-up would be an understatement...

All Things Easter

2011-04-29T13:23:00.004-06:00

Another month gone...another month of very few pictures and even fewer blog posts. I'm not sure where the time goes. It was another busy month. We kept busy with several Easter activities, including Easter itself. Earlier in the month the girls dyed Easter eggs with their cousins Sam and Meghan. It was one of the few nice days of the months, so only a few eggs got dyed before they all headed outside. Can't say I blame them given the weather we've had.

Last Friday night the girls' other cousins Ella and Austin had a sleepover at our house. The girls were SO excited and had such a great time. We went on both an egg and scavenger hunt and also spent plenty of time playing around the house. Ella and Claire were up chatting until almost 10pm - they clearly had a fun time.

We had a pretty relaxing Easter. The four of us went to church and then up to Art's parents for brunch. The girls were pretty excited about their baskets from the Easter Bunny, especially the chocolate bunny. Charlotte is not so photogenic these days as evidenced below.

Here's to more pictures, blog posts and most importantly - SUNSHINE - in the month of MAY!!!

The Wait is Over

2011-04-05T20:32:00.005-06:00

We have been waiting for weeks for the snow to melt and the sun to shine. Over the last few days most of the snow has melted and temps have been reaching the mid-50s. It feels incredible. Spring has finally sprung (we hope)! We took full advantage of the beautiful weather on Sunday afternoon. It is amazing how an afternoon outside can brighten everyone's mood. Lets hope that spring is here to stay.

Typical Friday

2011-03-26T20:17:00.002-06:00

My Fridays at home with the girls usually consist of a few activities/errands outside of the house, as well as some quality play time at home. Last Friday was a perfect example of our how we spend our Fridays...I even managed to capture most of it on camera. We started the day out with haircuts for both of the girls. It was haircut #2 for Charlotte and she managed to make it through without any tears (cut #1 was a bit of a disaster). After the haircuts we headed to the craft store to pick out a few projects for the day. We ended up with a couple of bird houses and made our way back home.

We broke out the paint shirts and paint and the girls got to work. I'm not sure if they had more fun painting the birdhouse or themselves! Claire is super into mixing all of the colors together as evidenced by her brown birdhouse below. :)

After naps, it was slushy time! I found this quick and easy slushy recipe here and it was a huge hit with girls (and me for that matter)!

Then it was time to head outside for some puddle splashing. The girls got bundled up in snowpants and rain boots and off we went. They had an absolute blast running back and forth through all the puddles. They were soaking wet by the time they were done. If only spring would actually stick around...

Catching Up...

2011-03-18T20:13:00.004-06:00

The last month has been super busy...I have been terrible at both picture-taking and blogging. Work has been crazy for both of us and our weekends have been filled with lots of plans.
I headed up to my sister's with the girls last Friday for a playdate. They had such a great time...between arts & crafts, playing with babies and chasing eachother around they had a fabulous time.

We might be crazy...

2011-02-27T21:58:00.003-06:00

After much apprehension we decided to go ahead and potty train Charlotte this weekend. We were hesitant because she is so little, but after some discussion with friends and her teachers at school we figured we had nothing to lose. She was going consistently at both home and school and was staying dry for long periods of time. We didn't want to miss this window of opportunity, so we did it...and it wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated. A few accidents Friday and Saturday, but none today! The true test will be when she goes back to school tomorrow and has many more distractions. I'm sure there will be a few rough patches, but we will get through them. No turning back now...

Little Helpers

2011-02-23T21:52:00.004-06:00

When my office closed on Monday (due to the snow) and I ended up home all day with the girls, I knew I had to come up with an activity or two to keep us busy. After going through our pantry and doing a little Internet searching, we decided to make Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal muffins. The girls LOVE to bake. They enjoy putting all the ingredients in the mixing bowl, helping stir everything together and stealing a good lick or two along the way. They might not be the cleanest helpers, but I think I'll keep them around.

18 months

2011-02-07T21:29:00.000-06:00

Charlotte recently passed the 18 month mark. Our little baby girl is now closer to 2 than 1. I am in disbelief and if I could freeze time for just a few months, I would. I am loving the age she is at right now. She is at such a sweet age...no longer a baby, but not quite kid.

She is communicating like crazy and has SO much to say. She repeats everything we say and we can understand nearly everything that she wants. She loves to sing and knows the words to several songs. My personal favorites of hers are 'Twinkle Twinkle', and 'Row, Row, Row your Boat'.

She loves to play independently. Often times she will wander off into her room to look at books or play with other toys. Completely content to hang out with herself. She continues to love to read...her favorite book lately is Silly Sally. She giggles with delight every time. She has been more interested in puzzles and is pretty good at the peg-style ones. Of course that doesn't prevent her from taking all the pieces out of Claire's and leaving them for someone else to put back together. Good thing Claire likes puzzles too.

She loves following her sister around and wants to do everything that Claire does. Whether its painting or playing games or helping cook in the kitchen we have learned that it is much easier to give in and let her participate.

She is a friendly little girl that loves other kids, especially babies. She is sweet and happy, and LOVES to cuddle. If she had it her way she would take every nap on Mom or Dad's chest. While she sleeps fine through the night, sleeping is definitely not her favorite activity. She has a hard time settling down at nap and bedtime and often needs a little reassurance before she finally drifts off. We're pretty sure Claire sleeps more than her, but can't complain as she is usually in a pretty good mood.

She has recently starting going on the potty, which I find hilarious. She started going at school first. When her teachers told me that she was going at least once a day in the potty, I didn't believe them. We started putting her on at home and she has actually been pretty successful. And while we are no where near ready to potty train, we are pretty proud.

While she has been pretty healthy this winter, we are still struggling with her ears. She has probably had about 5 infections this winter...2 of which we needed antibiotics to clear. The good thing is that her tubes allow the fluid to drain, so she isn't in pain. We are headed back to the ENT in a few weeks, so we will see if he has any suggestions. We had her 18 month appointment today and everything else checked out great. She now weighs in at 21 lbs 14 oz (14th %) and is 31.5 inches tall (42nd %) - still a little peanut.

Happy 18 months Charlotte!

Dress Up

2011-02-05T21:29:00.001-06:00

Loving this picture...

Grump

2011-02-04T21:05:00.006-06:00

Claire decided she didn't need a nap today and was a little irritable this afternoon. I asked her to give me her grumpy face and this is what I got...

She eventually snapped out of her little mood and we headed outside this afternoon. It was beautiful outside. The sunny was shining, there was little to no wind and temps were over 30 degrees. We walked up to the park and the girls had a great time swinging, going down the slides and just exploring. Spring cannot come soon enough.

Heres a few more of Claire from this afternoon. Happy weekend!

Our Littlest Reader

2011-01-19T21:31:00.003-06:00

Charlotte had no interest in books for the first 12 months of her life. Any time we tried to read to her, she would squirm out of our laps. She could have cared less about the bright colors of the pages or the rhyming words. There were much more interesting things to explore. Around the time she turned one all of this changed. Our little girl seemed to become a bookworm overnight. She loves to read. She likes looking at the pictures and turning the pages by herself just as much as she enjoys being read to. One of her favorites for the last month or so is a Happy Birthday book. She usually grabs it off her shelves and if she can't find it she says, "happy, happy, happy" over and over again until we find it. At the end of the book we always sing Happy Birthday and she moves her little body from side to side, loving every minute. Our littlest reader has finally arrived.

Fridays

2011-01-16T12:34:00.006-06:00

Work has been crazy lately. I have been super busy and feel like I am never going to catch up. I have been working at night and on the weekends and have been wondering whether I would be better off just working on Fridays again. But then Friday comes and I realize just how important having a day with the girls is to me...especially at the ages they are at. We went to the Children's Museum on Friday morning and they had such a great time. They love getting out of the house and going places and it is so much fun experiencing everything with them. So for now, I'm going to do everything I can to keep my Fridays.

Snow Fort

2011-01-09T22:03:00.002-06:00

Art built the girls a little snow fort in the backyard this weekend. Claire was super excited about it. She has loved playing in the snow this winter...I think she is finally big enough where she doesn't feel like she is going to fall over in all her gear! Charlotte was amused for a few minutes, but was then ready to head inside. I'm guessing Claire will be spending a lot more time in the fort the rest of the winter.

Picture Day

2011-01-07T20:51:00.005-06:00

I have been terrible at taking pictures lately. I'm not sure why. Maybe its the fact that it is the middle of winter, everyone is pasty white and the lighting is terrible...or maybe its because this is the response I usually get from Claire when I break out the camera.

Such a grump. Usually I would just give up and put the camera away, but this morning I was determined. Claire has to make homemade Valentines for preschool and I have grand plans of pasting a mini photo of her on each one (along with several other crafty ideas that I'm sure will fail miserably...more on that in upcoming weeks). Anyway, she eventually came around and we got a couple of decent shots.

Of course I had to take a few shots of Charlotte as well. These days she is more than happy to partake in my mini photo shoots. She would have looked at the camera and said "cheese" all day long if I wanted her to. I guess I'll enjoy it while it lasts. I'm sure the exaggerated fake smile will make an appearance at some point.

COOKIES!!

2010-12-30T12:44:00.007-06:00

We got together with a few of the kids from Claire's school a few weeks ago for some cookie-baking fun. The kids were all about the frosting, sprinkles, and of course tasting! It was a great way to get in the holiday spirit!

Ho, Ho, Ho

2010-12-20T21:06:00.006-06:00

After spending the morning at home the day of the big snowstorm, we decided to venture out to Bachman's to see their annual Christmas show. It is about a mile from our house, so we figured we wouldn't get into too much trouble. The show was great and the girls especially liked the end when they got to go up on stage with the other kids and sing a few songs. Afterward they were able to visit with both Santa and his elf Albert. It was such a fun time and I loved how real and down to earth Santa was.
Good thing we were in good spirits on our way home because it was quite the adventure. We got stuck in the snow not once, not twice, but three times on our way home. It literally took us an hour to get home safely. It was crazy, but worth the trip.

Holiday Cheer

2010-12-11T21:01:00.004-06:00

Claire had her preschool holiday concert last Sunday. It was WAY more entertaining than I anticipated. Imagine lots of loud singing, complete with actions to go with them. Claire was really into it, as evidenced in the many pictures below.

Finally Three!

2010-12-10T14:11:00.007-06:00

After about six months of telling everyone that she is "almost three", Claire officially turned the big THREE last Sunday. It was a weekend full of celebrations with a party on both Friday night and Sunday afternoon. There were plenty of cousins, balloons and, most importantly, CAKE! Claire loved being the center of attention. From the birthday song to opening gifts to running around like crazy from all the sugar, she had a fabulous time.

At three years old, Claire is one busy girl. She is constantly learning new things and continues to amaze us all the time. She moved to one of the preschool rooms at school in August and is doing great. The transition went surprisingly well, which was a huge relief for all of us. She has been busy learning letters, writing her name and practicing cutting. Most days she brings home some sort of "work" from school and she is always so proud.

She is definitely a first-born child. She loves rules and has no problem letting you know if you forget to say excuse me, please or thank you. She also has a tendency to boss everyone around, especially her younger sister. Just this morning when I was getting ready, I overheard her telling Charlotte to "sit here", "lay down there", "follow me to the other room". She likes to be in control, that is for sure.

She loves pretend play. She can play with her babies for hours...putting them down for naps, giving them bathes, and changing their clothes. She pretends we are going on airplane rides to the beach or that we are going to school. Give her some dress up clothes and she is all about putting on a fashion show. There is no limit to her imagination. She loves doing projects. She could sit at the table for hours coloring and painting. She also loves to help around the house. She helps with cooking dinner, washing floors and dusting. I'm sure that will change with time, but for now I will take it!

She is sweet and gentle. I'm pretty sure that Charlotte is her favorite person in the world and watching the two of them together is enough to make anyone smile. I sometimes wish a could freeze time and keep the two of them just like they are right now. They play together all the time and are constantly giggling with one another. I know that they will always be sisters, but I really hope they will always be such great friends.

While she is pretty perfect most of the time, she definitely has her moments. Lets remember, she is only three. She is still a super sensitive kid. Her feelings get hurt easily and crying is usually a daily occurance. She still throws a good toddler tantrum every so often, but they have gotten a lot less frequent over the past few months.

She is still a really great eater. She will try pretty much everything, at least once. While she still isn't a huge fan of vegetables, we can usually get her to have a few bites of corn, peas or carrots. She has a definite sweet tooth, which she must get from her mom. :) She had her 3 year well-check this morning and everything checked out great. She is now 35.5 inches tall (16th percentile) and 30 lbs (42nd percentile). She had a hearing and vision check as a part of her check-up and did fine with that as well.

The last 3 years have been such a fun ride...I can't imagine our life without her!

CELEBRATE!!

2010-12-07T21:53:00.005-06:00

Somebody turned THREE on Sunday and we spent the weekend celebrating! More details to come later this week...

Trimming the Tree

2010-11-29T21:38:00.008-06:00

We headed out to the farmer's market on Saturday morning to get our tree. The girls had fun walking around, checking out all the trees. We picked one out, headed home and celebrated with hot chocolate (definitely the highlight for Claire). Later that night, after dinner, we decided to get out the lights and ornaments only to discover that we had no lights. Both Art & I had forgotten that we tossed ours last year because so many bulbs were burnt out...so Art hustled out to Target to grab some lights while the girls and I anxiously waited at home. Once he was home, he strung them on the tree, plugged them in and discovered the lights he had bought were SUPER bright...like hurt your eyes bright. So after all the effort, we saved the tree decorating until Sunday (when we could get new lights).

The girls both had a great time sorting through all the ornaments, helping put them on the tree, and running around with beads around their necks. So much excitement. They loved every minute of it. We have a lot of fun holiday activities planned these next few weeks, so we are looking forward to more magical moments this season!

Happy Birthday Sam!

2010-11-28T21:34:00.006-06:00

The winter months are full of birthday celebrations for our family. A couple of weeks ago we celebrated our nephew Sam's 3rd birthday and the party did not disappoint. There were plenty of balloons, party hats and screaming toddlers to add to all the excitement of the day...and of course CAKE!! Happy Birthday, Sam!! Next up...Claire and Elliott later this week.

Little Miss No Nap

2010-11-14T14:51:00.006-06:00

Most of the time Claire goes down for nap without fighting it and still sleeps between 2-3 hours. Every once in awhile, though, she decides that she can do without. A few Fridays ago napping was not in the cards. After an hour of her talking and playing in her room I went up and got her. We read books, colored and worked on her letters. It was great to spend some one on one time with her. She has become so grown up lately. She has such a personality and is so independent. I love the little person she is becoming and can't wait to see what the future holds for her.

15 Months Old

2010-11-03T20:11:00.002-06:00

Charlotte turned 15 months old on Halloween. Over the past 3 months she has turned into a toddler. She understands everything and seems so grown up.

At 15 months, Charlotte:
- is very independent. She loves to look at books by herself, feed herself with a spoon and brush her own teeth.
- loves to dance. When you tell her to dance she starts bobbing her head and bouncing up and down.
- enjoys baby dolls. She loves to carry them around the house, pretend to feed them bottles and give them hugs and kisses. She sleeps with a small cloth one during nap and bedtime and loves to fall asleep with it under her head.
- adores real babies, too. She gets super excited and loves to get in their face and give them lots of (mostly gentle) touches.
- tries to repeat everything we say. She isn't saying a ton of words on her own yet, but has mastered a few of the basic ones: yes, no, baby, bottle, uh-oh, more, all done, nana (banana), bye, mama, dada.
- loves pizza. It is honestly the one food that she goes completely crazy over and consistently asks for more of. Overall, she is still a pretty good eater...as long as she is feeling well.
- has 4 teeth on top, 4 on bottom, her top 2 molars and her bottom 2 are trying hard to come through. She is kind of a crab when she is teething, so I'm looking forward to a break from teeth for awhile.
- can identify a handful of body parts on her own - hand, foot, belly, head.
- moved to the toddler room on Monday and it is going well so far. She cries at drop-off, but usually calms down pretty fast.
- is 30.5 inches tall (51st percentile) and weighs 20 lbs 3 oz (11th percentile).
- is super sweet and loving. She is constantly giving out hugs and kisses and we just love her!

Halloween Weekend

2010-11-02T19:54:00.005-06:00

We had a weekend packed with Halloween activities. Friday morning I took the girls to school so they could participate in their Halloween parties. I helped at Claire's and she had so much fun. There were a ton of Halloween-inspired activities, pumpkin cookies and some spooky songs as well. I also got to see Charlotte's music class. A great morning. Friday evening we carved pumpkins. The girls were interested for about 10 minutes before losing complete interest. Probably not that surprising to any parents out there. Maybe next year.

Saturday morning we went to a Halloween party at some friend's house - unfortunately, I did take any pictures. Sunday evening we got together with two other families from our daycare and went trick-or-treating. Claire had a blast. She was so excited to go from one house to the next. And of course Charlotte wanted in on the action as well. It was a very successful Halloween.

Concentration

2010-10-22T20:17:00.002-06:00

Charlotte was struck be a nasty bug in the middle of the night on Tuesday, so she got to spend the day at home on Wednesday. Art took the morning shift and I took the afternoon. After sleeping in until 9:30, she was all smiles and laughs the rest of the day. While I love spending time with the girls together, sometimes it is really nice to have some one-on-one time with each of them. We went on a walk, read books and played.
She took this toy off the shelf and starting taking the pieces off and putting them back on. She was so focused. I tried to help her a few times and she wanted nothing to do with me. She wanted to do it all by herself. Little Miss Independent. I love that she is becoming her own little person and is figuring things out on her own, but it makes me realize that she is not my little baby anymore. She moves to the toddler room at school in one week and she is just that...a toddler. I'm not sure I'm ready for this just yet.

Napa Valley

2010-10-22T19:50:00.002-06:00

Art & I headed to Napa Valley last week for vacation. While it was extremely hard to leave the girls, it was amazing to get away for a few days. The weather was beautiful...blue skies and sunshine every day. We drank plenty of wine, ate some pretty incredible food and did a lot of relaxing. I think it is our new favorite vacation spot and I am certain that we will be back some time soon. A huge thanks to my parents for taking such great care of the girls while we were gone.

Family Photos

2010-10-12T07:17:00.003-06:00

We had our annual photo session on Friday afternoon. It was hot. Over 80 degrees hot. Expecting more mild temperatures, we were all in long sleeves, sweaters, tights. The actual session was a bit of a disaster as the girls were super crabby and uncooperative. I can't say I blame them as I'm sure they were overheating under all the layers. Our photographer posted a 'sneak peek' on her blog last night and I was pleasantly surprised. Take a peek when you get a chance.

http://katiewelshphotography.com/blog/

Apple and Leaf Picking

2010-10-03T20:23:00.010-06:00

We have been busy this fall. The weather has been incredible, the fall colors are peaking and we have been soaking all of it in before the weather turns cold. The girls' school had a play-date at Minnetonka Orchards last weekend. The weather started out a little rainy, but cleared up by the time we arrived. We enjoyed a hayride, a trip through the corn maze, and of course apple picking. The girls had a great time and I imagine that this may become an annual excursion. We have also been enjoying all of the colorful leaves. On Friday the girls and I went on a little nature walk to collect leaves. Claire loved finding different colors of leaves and putting them in her bag. And Charlotte loved following her around, copying her every move. They really are two peas in a pod.

Monkey Business

2010-09-19T20:20:00.004-06:00

We met up with two other families from the girls' school at the zoo last weekend. Between the three families, there are six girls (no boys)!! The three older girls are all one month apart and have known each other since they were little babies. It is so fun to watch the three of them run around and interact with each other. There was lots of running, giggling, and conversing. Claire had an absolute blast! In another year, I'm sure things will be even more crazy as the younger three will be in on all the action!

The Girls

2010-09-06T19:42:00.005-06:00

My two little girls. They continue to amaze me. They are both full of so much energy and excitement. While their personalities are so different from each other, they absolutely love to spend time together. They giggle and laugh and follow each other from one room to the next. Build-in friends and playmates.

Little Charlotte has developed quite a personality over the past few months. She is still pretty easy-going and laid back, but we have definitely seen a little bit of temper shine through lately. She wants to do everything that Claire is doing. If Claire is washing her hands, then Charlotte needs to as well. If Claire needs a band-aid, so does Charlotte. If Claire is putting shoes on, then Charlotte needs hers on as well. Seriously, no exaggeration. It is amusing most of the time, except when things like markers and small legos are involved. Like most kids, she loves being outside. She loves digging in the dirt and sand and collecting rocks. She loves giving kisses and hugs and is still a little snuggler. She is our little peanut and I am so loving this age. And Claire, sweet Claire. I can't believe she is only a few months away from 3. She is turning into a little girl before my eyes. And a little girl she definitely is. She loves dresses and purses and mommy's high heels. She loves twirling like a ballerina and wearing her hair like a princess. That being said, she doesn't mind getting a little dirty. A trip to the park usually ends with us bringing a whole bucket of rocks home and she often looks like she has bathed in dirt when we pick her up from school. She is Miss Independent. She wants to do everything herself and is actually pretty good at getting things done on her own. She loves school and all of her friends there. She is constantly making up stories that include her little friends. It is amazing to hear her mind at work. She has an extreme fear of dogs and pretty much any animal that gets too close to her. She is still a mommy's girl most of the time, but is becoming more of a daddy's girl every day. Our little preschooler - energetic, spunky, independent.

State Fair

2010-09-06T19:12:00.003-06:00

We headed to the State Fair bright and early Saturday morning. Claire woke up with a huge smile on her face and was super excited to go to the fair. She loved it! We met my parents at the entrance and wasted now time exploring the grounds. We hit up the Little Farm Hands and went down the big slide. We saw pigs, sheep and cows. Claire rode on several rides and we all hit up the Space Needle and carousal. We shared caramel rolls, cheese curds and Sweet Martha cookies....and while the fair has never been my favorite excursion, it was definitly fun experiencing it through Claire's eyes.

Sweet Elliott

2010-08-29T20:50:00.004-06:00

Last Sunday we attended Elliott's baptism. While I didn't manage to get any photos of the actual baptism, I did get a few at their house beforehand. He is such a sweet, sweet baby. He is constantly smiling and has such a laid back personality. Thanks for letting us help celebrate your day, Elliott!!

Charlotte Hearts Corn

2010-08-29T20:24:00.005-06:00

Not just any kind of corn, but corn on the cob. The first time we had it, I cut the corn off the cob and placed it on her tray and wow did she throw a fit. Whining and pointing at everyone's corn on the cob. Like most things these days, she did not want to be left out. She wanted her own cob and she wanted it now. She absolutely loved it and refused to let us take her out of her seat until she had eaten every last kernel. I'm pretty sure I've never seen anyone get their cob quite as clean as this little girl. Wish we would have discovered her love of corn a little earlier this summer. Claire likes to pretend she likes corn on the cob as much as Charlotte. After about 2-3 bites she often declares that she is done with it. She does, however, like her toast!!

Cake Smashing

2010-08-22T20:08:00.004-06:00

We had an additional birthday celebration for Charlotte a few weekends ago. As evidenced below, the highlight of the night was Charlotte devouring her cake. She did not take the job lightly and enjoyed shoveling handfuls of frosting into her mouth. She loved every minute of it and it was a delight just to watch her.

Visitors

2010-08-15T14:09:00.002-06:00

Kate, Jeremy and their adorable little girl Madeline came over last Saturday afternoon for a play-date and dinner. Madeline is 7.5 months old and is one of the happiest babies I have ever meet. Charlotte and her are only 5 months apart, so I imagine that they will be great friends in the upcoming years. Lets do it again soon!

Celebration #1

2010-08-07T13:10:00.003-06:00

Charlotte hit the one year mark while we were at Grand View, so we had a little celebration. Grandma brought the most adorable animal party hats I have ever seen, which were a huge hit with everyone...even the adults! There was cake...which Charlotte absolutely devoured. She loved it. There were gifts. Charlotte could have cared less about the presents, so it was a good thing she had some other little ones to help open them for her. It was a great celebration.

Summer Vacation

2010-08-02T19:04:00.006-06:00

We spent last week up at Grandview Lodge with Art's family. We had wonderful weather. Sunny and warm. The girls loved exploring the outdoors and spending time with their cousins. Art took advantage of the golf and I took advantage of the spa.

The view from the porch of our cabin

There was fishing.And boating.
And sand...lots and lots of sand.
And many hours spent by the shore, splashing in the water. We are already looking forward to next year. More pictures to come...

One Year Old

2010-08-01T20:42:00.003-06:00

This little lady turned ONE over the weekend! This last year has been an amazing adventure and we have loved watching Charlotte's personality develop. She is sweet and cuddly. Independent and happy. She loves to laugh and adores other babies. Her sister is her best friend. She is an absolute joy and our family feels so complete with her in it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLOTTE!

At 12 months old, Charlotte:

is very steady on her feet and is getting faster every day.
loves to eat. In particular she LOVES graham crackers. She goes crazy the minute she sees the box.
points at everything in order to communicate what she wants. She is also starting to repeat more sounds.
says "hi" while waving and "more" when she wants more food.
has 6 teeth total and I'm suspicious that 2 more are on the way.
loves to dance. When you ask her to dance, she starts bouncing up and down.
claps on her own.
loves to swing. She honestly could spend hours swinging back and forth.
is getting more comfortable with the pool. We were on vacation this past week and she did great at both the beach and pool.
weighs 19 lbs (17th percentile) and is 28.75 inches tall (40th percentile).
is a very happy and healthy one year old!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLOTTE! WHAT AN AMAZING YEAR IT HAS BEEN! WE LOVE YOU!

Family Trip to Target Field

2010-07-18T20:46:00.002-06:00

Art & I have been on quite the Twins kick this year with the new outdoor stadium. We went to the game with my parents on Friday night for my mom's birthday and made a trip with the girls (and my mom) this afternoon. Luckily our tickets were in the Legend's Club today, which meant that we spent much of the game in the air-conditioned space behind the seats. While much of the game was spent chasing the girls around, it was still a great way to spend the afternoon. I think Claire's favorite part of the game was the ice cream. We made it until the middle of the 7th, which was pretty good in my book. The girls both crashed on the car ride home. Claire was a bit of a bear this evening due to skipped nap today...a good reminder of why we don't let her skip her nap more often. Art & I are heading to the game on Tuesday with a group of friends. That will make for 3 games in 5 days. I'm guessing we might be ready for a little break after that.

Tubes

2010-07-18T20:40:00.004-06:00

6 ear infections in 6 months meant that it was time for little Charlotte to get tubes. She had the procedure done last Tuesday and everything went as planned. The actual procedure took about 5 minutes and by the time we arrived back home, she was back to her happy self. We are hoping that the tubes work and we are infection free for at least a few months in a row! No more medicine!

Bats, Popsicles and Sunscreen!

2010-07-11T20:53:00.008-06:00

We are loving the hot, sunny weather this summer. The girls love being outside and it never fails to amaze me how much being outside can alter their moods. Now that Charlotte is walking everywhere, she loves exploring the grass, sand, rocks and sticks. She is also starting to like the water at the pool. The first few times she was pretty hesitant, but had a great time on Saturday morning. She also had a lot of fun with this bat on Saturday...perhaps a future softball player?? Claire also loves all thinks summer...her latest thing is popsicles. She is constantly asking for purple popsicles. She absolutely loves them and savors every last taste when she has one. Sunscreen is a close second. She helps put it on every morning before school and over the weekend discovered a sunscreen stick. I think she put about 10 layers of sunscreen on her face.

Hanging Out

2010-07-05T19:58:00.003-06:00

We had a great, long weekend hanging around town. We spent plenty of time at the neighborhood pool and with water in our backyard to cool down. We went swinging at the park and ate popsicles in the backyard. We went to Art's parents for a July 4th celebration and the girls got plenty worn out chasing their cousins around. We finally (after 5 plus years) got around to painting the wood paneling in our basement. We took Charlotte to the doctor where she was diagnosed with yet another ear infection (further justification for tubes next week). All in all a very busy weekend filled with lots of laughter and fun.

11 Months

2010-06-30T19:52:00.005-06:00

11 months and still in awe at how fast time seems to pass. As we near the end of Charlotte's first year, I'm finding that I'm much more emotional the second time around. Maybe because I know the bedtime snuggles don't last forever. Maybe because I know just how fast the chubby cheeks seem to fade. Maybe because there's just something about babies that makes me smile. Whatever the reason may be, I'm not ready. I want to hold on to her sweetness and wonder just a little longer...
Charlotte has been busy this last month. At eleven months, Charlotte:

is officially WALKING!! She started taking a few steps a couple of weeks ago and is now walking all over the place. It is amazing how fast it happened!
is trying hard to communicate. She is pointing at everything and gets quite upset when you don't respond to her cues.
is still a pretty good eater. Breakfast is definitely her favorite meal of the day, but she does okay with lunch and dinner as well.
finally has her top two teeth. It took forever for them to break the surface, but they are finally in!
is getting ear tubes in a few weeks. We took her to an ENT a few weeks ago and decided to go ahead with the surgery. Her ears haven't been clear since January, so we decided it was for the best.
is still not sure about books. She looks at about 2 pages before trying to either rip it apart or eat it. Lets just say that we have some work to do in the reading department.
loves being outside. She loves exploring in the grass, swinging at the park and playing around the water table in the backyard.
still takes 2 naps. She definitely takes better naps at school than at home. I think it's because she doesn't want to miss out on anything.
plays really well independently...much better than I remember Claire doing at this age. I think some of it has to do with being the second child.

We love you, Charlotte! And while we will miss your baby days, we can't wait to watch your personality evolve! Happy 11 Months!

Tweet Tweet

2010-06-29T20:24:00.002-06:00

Claire LOVES art projects. We painted birdhouses on Friday morning and she had so much fun. I think she used about 20 different paintbrushes (basically every one we own) by the time she was done. She enjoyed mixing the different colors together and did a great job painting the actual birdhouse. Once her birdhouse was complete, she also enjoyed painting herself. :)

A Few More Cabin Favorites

2010-06-24T21:19:00.003-06:00

Here are a few more pictures from the cabin weekend. As you can see, the kids were very busy. No wonder Claire was so exhausted on Sunday night!
Art has been super busy at work, so it has been a long week for both of us...let the weekend begin!

Chocolate

2010-06-22T20:42:00.002-06:00

Claire was struggling with a bit of constipation last night. She kept telling me that she had a tummy ache and that her teachers at school gave her some chocolate to make it feel better. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: You had chocolate at school today? Was it someone's birthday?
Claire: No, Mommy. They gave me chocolate for my tummy.
Me: Are you sure?
Claire: Yes, I had chocolate because my tummy hurt.
Me: Ummm...okay (doubtingly)

Fast forward to this morning when I dropped her off at school...one of her teachers asked me if she ever went to the bathroom last night and said she was struggling to go yesterday afternoon. She further explained that they had given her baby food prunes to try to help her digestive system. Apparently, Claire thought the prunes looked and tasted just like chocolate and ate them right up! I can't tell you the last time I ate a prune, but I definitely don't remember it tasting like chocolate...

Weekend at the Cabin

2010-06-21T20:23:00.006-06:00

We headed up to my sister and her husband's cabin over the weekend. This is our 4th annual trip and we had a great time. The girls did amazingly well on the 3 hour car ride both there and back (we didn't have to stop either way). While the weather could have been a touch warmer, at least the rain stayed away.
Claire had an amazing time with her cousins Ella and Austin. She loved following them around and trying to keep up with them. Both of them were super sweet to her. It was so fun to watch them interact. While Charlotte is still a little young to enjoy all the cabin amenities, she did enjoy several stroller rides and exploring the grass and sand. She also worked on her walking skills and is now taking 5-10 steps at a time! She fun to watch!
Here's a few pictures from our weekend. I took a ton, so chances are that there may be a few more posts on the cabin weekend.

Daddy's Girls

2010-06-08T20:45:00.009-06:00

There is nothing better than watching Art interact with the girls. One of my favorite times of the day is when Art gets home from work. In part because I am usually trying to juggle making dinner while entertaining 2 tired and hungry kids...but mainly because Claire and Charlotte's faces light up as they welcome him home. They love their daddy.

Yum...

2010-06-06T09:11:00.002-06:00

One of Claire's favorite foods is yogurt. She has it most mornings for breakfast and would probably eat it at every meal if we let her. Here are a few photos from the other morning when she was hamming it up for the camera.

Memorial Weekend

2010-06-04T12:52:00.003-06:00

Catching up from last weekend. Here are a few pictures.

Swimsuits

Corn on the CobCooling Off Inside

10 Months

2010-05-31T13:01:00.009-06:00

Charlotte turned 10 months old today. I am in disbelief over the fact that she will be 1 in a matter of months. Things definitely go by faster the second time around. While I love watching her explore, learn and develop, I sometimes wish that time would go by just a little slower, so I could have a few more moments to enjoy her at this stage.

At 10 months old, Charlotte:

is walking around furniture, behind toys and with the help of our hands. She just started standing up on her own within the last week and is getting more sturdy every day. I am guessing that she will be walking on her own within the next month.
has pretty much moved onto table foods. She LOVES cheese, pancakes, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. She still isn't a huge fan of bananas or Cheerios.
is still working on her top two teeth. Her gums are super swollen and we are more than ready for them to cut the surface. She hasn't been too crabby, but her sleeping has definitely been impacted as a result.
is heading to the ENT for a visit in a couple of weeks. We had an ear re-check on Friday and while her ears were not infected, she still has fluid in them.
loves to dance. We turn on music and she starts bouncing up and down.
has finally started to show a little interest in books. She will actually sit through one or two books before moving on to something else.
loves anything and everything that Claire is playing with. She literally follows her from one toy to the next. Claire can get frustrated, but tolerates her pretty well.
has started expressing herself more. She knows just how to whine when she doesn't get her way.
enjoys playing with water. She loves the bath and has no fear while in it. She crawls around, stands up, and giggles as water is dumped over her head. We set the water table up outside over the weekend and she loved splashing in the water.
is still a sweet, good-natured little girl!

Hot and Humid

2010-05-23T20:18:00.003-06:00

Another week come and gone. The weather wasn't quite as expected yesterday with rain showers in the morning. It made for a somewhat long morning, but at least we were able to get outside in the afternoon. The girls absolutely love being outside and it can seriously alter their mood for the better in a matter of seconds.
Claire has been going through somewhat of a 'stage' lately. She refuses to let me take her picture (as evidenced below) and common phrases out of her mouth these days include 'Mommy, don't talk to me right now' and 'Daddy, sit in the other room while I play'. Seriously, the girl is 2.5 years old and she already knows how to have an attitude. I'm fearful for what her teenage years will bring. Charlotte, on the other hand, is more than happy to pose for the camera. Despite the fact that her two top teeth have been trying their best to break the surface, she has been a happy little girl. She is getting more mobile and brave by the minute. She loves to walk around furniture or any sort of push toy. She giggles with delight and is so proud every time she does. It is too cute.

Go Twins!

2010-05-12T20:49:00.004-06:00

Claire loves her Twins hat. We purchased it last year when we were in Florida for vacation and it finally fits her correctly. She especially enjoys wearing it when either Art or I are wearing a hat. These photos are from last weekend when Claire was helping Art with a project outside. She can be convinced to do anything if you refer to it as a project!! I'm not sure how much help she was staining the deck, but it meant a got a little break so I won't complain!

Catching Up...

2010-05-09T08:42:00.008-06:00

I've been a little behind on the posting, mostly because I can't find the energy or time to do it. Charlotte has been waking up in the 5 o'clock hour this past week, which makes for a very tired me. I'm pretty sure she is working on her top two teeth, so hopefully this is short-lived.

We had a birthday celebration for Art's sister Kristine last weekend. His other sister Katie and her family recently moved back to Minneapolis from Chicago, so the whole family was together. It was great to have all the kids together and I am already looking forward to many play dates this summer.

In other news, I finally took a photography class last weekend. It was a basic introduction to using a DSLR camera and I actually learned a lot. As a result, I have been playing with the manual settings on our camera. I still have a long ways to go, but it is great to actually understand what all the settings do. With the colder and wetter weather this past week, we have been doing a lot of playing around the house. Here are a few photos from the past week.

Punk Rocker

2010-05-02T13:43:00.000-06:00

Nine Months Old

2010-04-30T19:59:00.006-06:00

Nine months old today! We celebrated with a trips to the library and park and lots of playtime inside. Charlotte was full of giggles and laughs all day long. It was a great day to celebrate. At nine months old, Charlotte:

continues to be pretty easy going. She wakes up full of smiles, excited to start each day. She is a very happy girl.
goes to bed around 7:30pm and wakes between 6:00-6:30am. She also takes 2-3 naps/day.
loves to eat. She pretty much loves all pureed fruits and vegetables, with the exception of banana. She also loves cheerios and graham crackers. We started introducing her to more table foods, but she hasn't shown a ton of interest yet. She will put the food in her mouth, but then spits it out. I don't think she likes the texture.
is super active. She crawls everywhere, pulls herself up on everything, and walks around furniture on occasion. Within the last few days her crawl looks more like an ape walk...not sure what that is all about. I have a feeling she will be walking in a matter of months. Wow...hard to imagine.
enjoys swinging at the park and being outside in general. It is a bit challenging at this point as she likes to put everything in her mouth.
waves hello and goodbye.
continues to have issues with her ears. She is on ear infection number five and is about one away from a visit to the ENT. While I'm not super excited about tubes, I also don't like the fact that she has been on so many antibiotics.
has her two bottom teeth.
is learning the fine art of whining. If you take away something she's not supposed to have or you put her down when she wants to be held, she definitely lets you know.
LOVES her big sister. She literally follows her around the house, from one room to the next. Luckily, Claire feels the same way about her.
weighs 17 lbs 6 oz (25th %tile) and is 27.25 inches tall (43rd %tile).

Spring Concert

2010-04-30T19:54:00.003-06:00

Claire had her spring concert at school this last week. It was very entertaining. There was a fair amount of blank stares, but much more singing than the holiday concert. I had good intentions of taking pictures and videos, but was too busy watching. This is the best I got. My friend Megan got a few really cute videos...check them out.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear

2010-04-27T20:34:00.004-06:00

Like most small children, Claire has always loved the story "Brown Bear, Brown Bear". While she no longer needs us to read it to her, every once in a while she picks it off the shelf and reads it to us. I have been trying to catch it on video for months, and I finally got it! At the end she is talking about her teachers at school and two of her little friends.

Victory

2010-04-25T20:37:00.002-06:00

Claire gets the whole concept of sharing. The problem is that Charlotte does not. This is further complicated by the fact that Charlotte insists on following Claire around and getting into her stuff. As you can imagine, this usually does not sit well with Claire and the end result is not always pretty. I imagine that sharing between siblings will always be challenging, but I do think it will be a little easier once Charlotte understands what taking turns means. While Claire was napping the other day, Charlotte had this little car all to herself and loved every minute of it…victory at last.

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice (well, almost)

2010-04-23T13:55:00.006-06:00

As Claire grows older, the differences between little girls and boys continues to amaze me. While Claire loves playing in the sand and getting plenty dirty, she is definitely a little girl. She continues to love artwork, babies, ponytails and pretty toes (just like mommy). One of her notes from school this week said that she loves to carry around buckets of sand outside and pretend that they are her purses. I have to admit that it brought a big smile to my face. My little girl.

Weekend Recap

2010-04-18T13:32:00.005-06:00

After a very busy Thursday (an afternoon Twins game and hosting Bunco), I was ready for a relatively low-key day with the girls. We spent the morning hanging out around the house. The girls are really starting to interact with one another...chasing each other around and laughing like crazy. It is pretty amazing to watch. The girls each have one of these chairs. Not only do they love to sit on them, but also love to tip them over, climb on them, etc. They have provided numerous hours of entertainment. My one complaint is the fact that Pottery Barn only allows you to personalize the chairs up to 8 letters, so Charlotte's chair remains bare. One of these days we will get around to having it personalized...probably when she's about 16. The rest of our day was a little more hectic with trips to the library, Sprint store and Old Navy. I even got a run in on the treadmill while the girls were napping. Another great day with my girls.
My parents were nice enough to take the girls overnight last night, so Art & I could spend a night on the town with some friends. Our night included dinner at Crave, the movie Date Night and a drink at Cooper to complete the evening. The movie was surprisingly funny and it was great to spend time with friends!

Bed Head

2010-04-16T13:26:00.003-06:00

The longer Charlotte's hair gets, the harder it is to control. More often than not she has a barrette or ponytail in her hair...and I think she looks pretty cute. :) I have a feeling she will be getting her hair cut long before Claire did.

Go Twins!

2010-04-12T20:44:00.003-06:00

Healthy Summer Treats

2010-04-11T12:41:00.006-06:00

I have a sweet tooth. I love a piece of chocolate after dinner, ice cream in the summer, cookies fresh out of the oven...pretty much any sweet will do. While I really do love treats, I try my best to enjoy them in moderation. Especially since Claire seems to have inherited my love of all things sweet.

Here are a few recent healthy treats we have tried and really enjoyed:
1. Banana Ice Cream - it doesn't get much simpler than this. You literally cut up bananas, freeze them, throw them in the food processor and voila...ice cream. Add a little chocolate sauce and you are set. Detailed instructions can be found here. I will admit that we got a little impatient and added a dash of milk, which really sped up the process.
2. Berry Banana Smoothie - just a few simple, frozen ingredients and you are set. Recipe here. I skipped the milk and it turned out great. Let me also add that if you haven't tried Greek yogurt, you should. It tastes amazing and has a ton of protein in it. I prefer vanilla if I am having it by itself, but plain worked great in the smoothie.

I have a feeling our summer will be filled with lots more of these guiltless treats!

Double the Fun

2010-04-11T12:33:00.003-06:00

My good friend Leanne came over for a visit on Friday with her two beautiful twins Claudia and Cameron. I hadn't seen them since they were about 1 month old, so that had changed a lot. They were little angels all day. Claire was in heaven...she LOVES little babies and really enjoys helping out with diaper changes, getting toys for babies, etc. It was so great to relax and catch up. We even managed to get about 30 minutes of peace when all 4 kids were sleeping! :)

Active

2010-04-10T14:18:00.002-06:00

We have had a very active day so far. A bike ride to the bagel shop. A walk to the library. Playing in the backyard. By 1:00, we were all in need of a nap. Spring in MN has been beautiful and we are enjoying every minute. I think a trip to the park might be in the plans once everyone wakes up. No pictures today, but here are a few from our time outside last weekend.

If you're happy and you know it

2010-04-05T20:17:00.005-06:00

Even though Charlotte hasn't figured out how to clap her hands yet, she sure is happy!

An Eggcellent Day

2010-04-04T20:18:00.004-06:00

HAPPY EASTER!

We had a great celebration today. We started the morning off with baskets from the Easter Bunny and then headed to church. We headed home so Charlotte could have a quick nap and then headed to my grandparent's house.
Once we arrived Claire and her cousins headed outside for an egg hunt. Claire loved searching for her eggs. Claire only opened the eggs that actually made noise. She had zero interest in any of the other eggs...mental note for next year. We had a nice lunch and then headed home for naps.

Unfortunately Claire must have had too much sugar (and too much excitement) as she pretty much refused to nap. After 1.5 hours of her messing around in her room, we gave up. Once Charlotte woke up we enjoyed the beautiful weather with a long family bike ride. A great way to end an eggcellent day!

Friday Fun with Friends

2010-04-04T19:28:00.004-06:00

Whitney's daycare was closed on Friday, so she joined us for a fun-filled day. We read books, colored, went on an egg hunt and spent a long time at the park. The girls had so much fun playing and making each other laugh. They LOVED searching for eggs and then opening each one. They also enjoyed shaking the eggs to see if they made noise before they opened each one. At the park, I pushed them on the swings, they went down slides, and made me a delicious 'rock soup'. :) I must have worn them out as they were both exhausted by nap time. Claire literally asked to go to sleep around 12:45, which is definitely not her usual. It was such a great day and it was so fun to have another little one around to keep Claire busy. Here's to a summer filled with more play dates!

Eight Months Old

2010-03-31T20:29:00.000-06:00

Charlotte is one month closer to one year! She continues to be a healthy, happy and VERY busy little baby! I somehow misplaced her official 8 month sticker, so had to make my own. I am pretty sure Charlotte was holding it against me. This is the best shot we got before she decided she would try to eat it...At eight months old, Charlotte:

rarely sits still. She crawls everywhere and is extremely fast, especially when she wants something.
is pulling up on everything and has started to show interest in climbing up the stairs. She gets really excited as she watches Claire run ahead of her up the stairs, but usually only makes it up one or two stairs before losing interest.
LOVE to eat. She has had apples, pears, peaches, bananas, blueberries, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots and peas...she pretty much loves them all. She is also a HUGE fan of graham crackers. She pretty much attacks Claire if she has one, which means she usually gets one of her own!

is cutting her first two teeth on the bottom. Besides not sleeping all that great, she has been in a decent mood about it.
is really easy to make laugh...a little tickle under her chin, a round of 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' or simply watching her big sister are enough to get her giggling.
enjoys the swing at the park and riding down the slide with Mom. Good thing, as we will probably spend about half our summer there.
is rarely crabby or in a bad mood. She is such a content, happy baby and so much fun to be around. She pretty much goes with the flow and is usually up for anything. This has definitely made the transition from one to two kids a lot easier.
still enjoys snuggling with Mommy and Daddy. On the rare occasion when she is having a hard time napping I will cuddle with her and she will fall fast asleep. I'm sure these moments are limited, which makes me a little sad. While being out of the baby stage will be a lot less work, I'm not sure I'm ready for her to grow up quite yet. It really is hard to believe how fast the last 8 months have gone by. Charlotte has brought so much joy and happiness to our family. Such a sweet baby girl...I can't imagine what our life would be like without her in it.

Eggs!

2010-03-28T20:37:00.005-06:00

While Charlotte was busy striking her usual pose (this is literally how big she smiles), the other girls were busy dying eggs with Grandma. What a difference a year makes...the process was much smoother and cleaner than last year. It was a great way to spend our Sunday morning.

Spring is in the Air

2010-03-21T19:38:00.005-06:00

We have been LOVING the beautiful weather outside. It has been great to get out and enjoy the sunshine. We have been going on a lot of stroller rides around the neighborhood and have visited the park a few times.
We made a quick trip to the Como Zoo Conservatory this morning and the display of flowers made me even more anxious for summer. I have a had my fill of winter jackets, snow and dry skin...not to mention all of the various illnesses that have hit our house. We are ready for healthier days filled with tank tops, ice cream and sunscreen!

Our Little Leprechauns

2010-03-17T20:33:00.003-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Personality

2010-03-07T20:11:00.003-06:00

Claire has a very BIG personality these days. While we enjoy her silly moods and contagious laughter, we are also finding her mood swings somewhat challenging. She can go from happy to freak out in a matter of seconds. Her listening skills are questionable at best and the worst part about it is that she thinks it is funny. I love that she has a sense of humor and opinions about the way the world should work...I'm just having problems seeing things her way. Hopefully this is not an indication of her teenage years.

Another Trip to the Children's Museum

2010-03-02T20:57:00.004-06:00

We made yet another trip to the Children's Museum on Sunday. This time with my friends Megan and Sarah and their little ones Thomas and Allie. As always, Claire had a great time. It has been a wonderful way to burn some energy this winter and I have a feeling we will be renewing our membership for another year.

Seven Months Old

2010-02-28T15:15:00.010-06:00

Wow! Another month gone by...another month that has brought many new milestones. At seven months old, Charlotte:

has perfected sitting up by herself. She is super steady and can sit for long periods of time.
has perfected her crawling form. This development means that she can get from point A to point B much faster. The girl is everywhere and loves being on the move!
has started pulling up on things. She isn't all that strong at this, but is getting better every day. I have a feeling it won't be long before we need to lower her crib.
LOVES to eat. She hasn't met a pureed fruit or vegetable that she doesn't like. So far she has tasted rice cereal, oatmeal, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, pears, bananas, apples and peaches. We started giving her Puffs this last week and she LOVES the independence that goes along with feeding herself.
is doing really well with sleeping through the night. While her wake up time could be much later (she is usually up for the day between 5:45-6:30am), we will take what we can get.
is pretty content playing by herself for small periods of time. She discovered the tupperware drawer in the kitchen, which has made making dinner much easier!
still doesn't have any teeth (lucky for mom).
loves to blow raspberries. The other night I put her to bed and shortly after I heard some strange noises coming through the monitor...it took me a few minutes before I realized she was blowing raspberries up in her crib. Silly girl!
is a very happy and smiley baby. She is so much fun to watch grow!

Moments

2010-02-26T21:38:00.005-06:00

I'm not going to lie. Being home on Fridays is exhausting. By the time the girls are in bed, I am more than ready to put my feet up, relax and head to bed shortly after them. They are busy, busy, busy. And require a lot of energy and attention. But they are so worth it when I think about all the moments I get to spend with them during the day.

They are already good friends and I keep telling myself to enjoy it while it lasts. While they don't play with each other, they LOVE to play around each other. They make each other laugh...big belly laughs. It warms my heart just watching them.
They are constantly growing and developing. Charlotte has been perfecting her crawling form and working hard on pulling up to a standing position. Claire's bed is the perfect height for practicing.

She loves getting into Claire's toys, especially the ones that Claire is playing with. It doesn't matter what it is, she is determined to get her hands on Claire's things. Good thing Claire is a decent sharer most of the time.

Claire has really taken to creating artwork lately. She loves to color and will spend large chunks of time creating. It is so amazing to watch her mind at work...even if it means that marker ends up in places other than paper (like the couch!!).

Her imagination continues to grow. She adores her babies and loves changing their diapers, putting on their pajamas and putting them down for naps.

So many moments from my amazing daughters.

Ponytails!

2010-02-24T21:11:00.002-06:00

Remember this post? Charlotte came home from school today with her first ponytail...7 months earlier than her big sister!

Jumping and Scooting

2010-02-17T21:04:00.000-06:00

As promised, here are a few recent videos of my jumping and scooting girls. They are both very busy!

Stats

2010-02-17T20:58:00.003-06:00

Here are Charlotte's official stats at 6.5 months:

Length - 26 inches (46th %tile)
Weight - 15 lbs 7 oz (27th %tile)
Head - 16.5 inches (24th %tile)

She is almost exactly the same size that Claire was at this age. It will be interesting to see if they end up around the same size when they are fully grown!

Defeated

2010-02-17T15:41:00.002-06:00

The cold winter days. The lack of sunlight. The inability to strap the girls in the stroller and head to the park. The constant battle to keep our family healthy. The struggle to keep up with my career as sickness strikes our family again and again. Lately all of these things have left me feeling defeated.
Most days I love my life. I couldn't ask for better friends or a more supportive family. My husband is wonderful and I adore my two little girls. But lately, I am having a hard time keeping up with all of life's demands. In between work and family time, I am constantly picking up the house, trying to squeeze in a workout, and keep up with bills, groceries and laundry. There are never enough hours in the day. And, quite frankly, I am flat-out tired.
I took Charlotte to the doctor for her 6 month appointment this morning, an appointment we rescheduled 2 weeks ago because she was sick. Turns out she has a double ear infection and is on the tail end of recovering from hand, foot and mouth disease. She had a low-grade fever over the weekend, so that explains that. So much for all of the benefits of breast feeding.
On the bright side, I know these things are only temporary. In a few months the sun will be shining and we will be living at the park. The girls will have fewer colds and Charlotte's immune system will continue to get stronger. Fewer worries at home will allow me to be more focused at work. Life's demands will get a little more manageable. It will be worth these difficult times.
Being a parent is hard, but at the end of the day I wouldn't change it for the world. Defeated or not.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T20:32:00.003-06:00

From our two little LOVEs...

Happy Weekend!

2010-02-12T20:08:00.003-06:00

The girls and I had a great day today. We hung out around home all day. It was fun to play, watch the girls interact and relax. Usually I go a little stir crazy if we don't get out at all, but the day just flew by.
Claire came down with another cold in the last few days (I swear her nose is running more often than not this winter), but luckily it hasn't seemed to bother her. She was complaining about her ears bothering her earlier this week, so we eventually took her to doctor. Her ears were clear and I'm convinced it was just a ploy to go to the doctor. She loves it there. In fact the pediatrician even said "wow, she's a showy one" while we were there!
Charlotte's mobility seems to increase daily. She hasn't quite perfected the crawling form, but is more than proficient at scooting around. She is now getting into all of Claire's toys, which hasn't gone over that well with Claire. Overall, she has been sleeping well since we started sleeping training. She has had a few bad nights, but most nights she is sleeping until around 6am before needing to eat.
I have a few cute videos from today. Hopefully I'll get around to posting them in the next few days!

Playmates

2010-02-05T21:23:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday night we headed over to the Cannons house last Friday night for a playdate/dinner with the Flynns and Kirschbaums. It was fun to watch the three older kids start to interact with one another. Charlotte tried to keep up, but eventually crashed for the night. Little Madeline hardly made a peep the whole night...such a mellow baby. It was a fun night and we are looking forward to doing it again soon. In other news we have been battling sickness again this week. Last week Claire was out of commission for a few days with an ear infection and after several days with a nasty cold Charlotte ended up with the same this week. I think we are on the road to recovery, which I am more than thankful for. I am starting to regret the fact that we decided not to go anywhere this winter. I am in desperate need some warm sunshine!

Six Months Old

2010-01-31T13:46:00.013-06:00

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Charlotte! You continue to be a great part of our lives and we are amazed at how much you are changing every day. We can only imagine what you will accomplish in the next 6 months. At 6 months old, Charlotte:

can sit up by herself, but still not for super long periods of time. A part of me thinks it is because she is much more interested in scooting around the floor.
is super close to crawling. She gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth, but hasn't quite figured out the correct motion. Don't let that fool you, though. She can definitely scoot around the floor just fine, going from one toy to the next without any problem.
has started solid foods. We started with cereal and oatmeal a couple of weeks ago and just this last week added some vegetables to the menu. So far she has tasted sweet potatoes, squash and carrots. She's not totally sold on the whole solid food thing, but gets better at it each day.
has 5-6 bottles (or nursing sessions) a day. She loves her milk.
is working on sleeping through the night. We have really left her no choice (see previous post). :) Night three was amazing as she slept from 7:30-6:30 without a peep. However, last night was awful. It is a work in progress.
loves watching other little kids, especially her big sister. Claire still wins the prize at making her laugh and smile the most.
is still working on kicking her pacifier habit. She really only uses it the last hour or so before bedtime (when we are struggling to keep her up), which is fine by us. She no longer relies on it to go to sleep, which is what we were most concerned about.
still loves being held and is a pretty cuddly baby, especially when she is tired.
has hair that continues to grow thicker and thicker each day. I wouldn't be surprised if she's sporting a ponytail in a few months.
enjoys listening to stories and songs.
still puts most everything she touches into her mouth and has become especially skilled at hair pulling.

Love you, baby girl!

Let the Sleep Training Begin...

2010-01-29T14:45:00.009-06:00

I have patiently waited for the last 6 months for my sweet Charlotte to sleep through the night. I have gotten up night after night to soothe her and cuddle her and nurse her back to sleep. These middle of the night moments we have shared have been peaceful and sweet. My level of frustration has been much lower than I thought it would be. Maybe it is because my body has adjusted to the lack of sleep. Maybe it is because it has become a habit. Or maybe it is because I know her baby days will be over far too soon.

Despite all of this, we decided it is time. Time for her to learn to get back to sleep on her own in the middle of the night. Her chubby little thighs and cheeks are enough to tell me that she no longer needs the middle of the night feeding. Her pediatrician has also confirmed this. We decided to take a no nonsense approach to sleep training and let her cry it out. No feedings before 5:30am, no exceptions. Night one was bad. She woke at 3:00am and cried off and on until 4:15am before falling asleep until 7:15am. Night two was leaps and bounds better. She woke at 4:00am and cried for 15 minutes before falling asleep until 7:15am. If this continues, this is going to be a lot easier than I thought. A part of me feels bad and a little guilty, but I also believe I am doing what is best for Charlotte. Every family has to figure out what is best for them and I think this the right decision for ours. Now if I could just sleep through the night.

She must not be holding all of this against me as she was a very happy girl this morning!

Dollies

2010-01-27T19:58:00.004-06:00

Over the past week or so Claire has become obsessed with these two little dolls that used to be her cousin Ella's. She has named them Eliza and Fiona (two of her friends at school) and carts them all over the house with her. They eat breakfast with her, she sings songs to them, and they even go potty with her. It is so fun to watch her imagination at work.
Claire was sent home around 11am yesterday with a fever, so we had a little photo shoot with her 'dollies' yesterday afternoon. She ended up having another ear infection and is doing much better today.

Cakecups!

2010-01-23T13:10:00.005-06:00

Claire and I made cupcakes (or cakecups as she calls them) yesterday for my dad's birthday (which is today). From stealing licks of batter from the spoon, to more of the frosting ending up in her mouth than on the cupcakes, to pouring no fewer than 300 sprinkles on each cupcake...Claire had a blast. Boy does my little girl have a sweet tooth! Wonder where she gets that from! :)

Evening Fun

2010-01-18T21:11:00.006-06:00

Here are a few videos from tonight.

In the first one Charlotte is trying desperately to crawl and hasn't quite figured it out. She can get up on all fours, but hasn't figured out how to move forward in the crawling position.

In the second one Claire is tickling Charlotte. Claire continues to love her little sister and is particularly skilled at getting her to laugh.