Weekend = Reminder That Life is Good.

Our weekend started with this beautiful sky above, the clouds were the perfect dream-ness and puffy-ness.

Here's our weekend in a nutshell: 
- Painted ceilings at my parents house.
- Enjoyed family dinner.
- Early morning grocery shopping with just the oldest is some nice one on one time.
- Bakes 2 homemade pumpkin pies.
- 5 cans of spray paint on 25 picture frames/shelves, a mirror, and wicker furniture.
- Hung 28 pictures frames, plate, shelves, canvas prints on our *new* massive family wall.
- Date night with the hubs, entailed a great dinner and game night at our friends' house.
- Made a cushion.
- Have had the hugest epic fail of trying to match a color in our living room *note to self: write down all paint colors in a safe spot*, then tried a new color that seriously is making me crazy and I can't change it for two days.
- Baby Girl reached out and said "Da-Da" for the first time.

It was a great productive weekend lots of highs and even some down falls dealing with paint, but overall, just a good reminder that life is good even when times are tough. And that the Hubs is awesome for helping me all of these projects.  Can't wait to share more on some of the ooh's and ahh's and oop's that were mentioned above.

Wordless Wednesday

The girls' before going to their Great-Grandpa's 80th Birthday Party.

Happy 1/2 Year Birthday Avalynn Grace!

Baby Girl -

How is it that a 1/2 year has passed already?  I'm loving this age you are in - so much, I know I keep saying this each month, but each new thing you do is more fun then the previous.  Unfortunately, for me you haven't slept through the night since our beach vacation a month ago.  Needless to say in the sleep department I'm dragging some of these days.  I keep hoping each night that we'll get back to those 3-4 nights a week of you sleeping all night.

Your are eating solids like a champ.  You absolutely love anything with sweet potatoes in it & all of the orange mixed veggies.  Your Daddy loves the way you eat, you'll take a bite, look around and then turn back towards us with your mouth open until we put another spoonful in.  It's so cute.

As for becoming more mobile - what else can I say but you definitely are never where we lay you down now.  You roll and spin your body all over the place.  You definitely find ways to get yourself into cramped spaces, so far I've found you on the end of the couch and under the tv console a couple times.  In the past week you've started to get up on your hands and knees and rock your body back and forth but you end up just moving backwards.  There's no doubt that you'll be crawling very soon I'm sure.  You are now officially able to sit by yourself for longer periods of time.

You still love putting anything and every toy or whoever is holding you their hand/fingers in your mouth to chomp on.  Your "bite" is definitely getting stronger.  Today, I was checking our your gums and it looks like you'll be getting your bottom two teeth soon, they are looking white and I can see the bumps on your inner gums.  You love blowing razberries like there's no tomorrow, when sitting there, or your fingers in your mouth and you even do it towards the end of your nursing sessions sometimes, it's funny. And you're starting to play with your toys, trying to put balls down the ball slides, taking your animals out of the ark and of course you have to taste each one.  Last week, you finally started to put your feet up in your mouth, it's amazing how much you can bend yourself.

We are loving the wonderful addition you've been to our little family.  You and Emma crack each other up and the other day you were "talking" back to her in a conversation, Lord help us when you do start talking, we already have a non stop talker - never again will there be quiet I'm afraid.

Love you,
Mommy

Sitting up and playing, giving me some smiles this a.m.

You look like such a big girl here. 

Zonked out for nap holding your Sophie.

In bed for the night - sweet dreams baby girl! 

New things in the "R" Household

Last Monday, our prayers got answered and the Hubs got a phone call from the union about a job, to report and start Wednesday.

Pros - A job finally after being laid off for 8 months.  It's supposed to last 4-6 months and by the time, hopefully one of the other couple BIG jobs the union says is coming will be started and he can just transition straight to one of them.

Cons -  3 hour round trip commute.  That is no fun.


But I have the best Hubby and he's sucking it up and doing it for his family.

So, the beginning of the week was spent enjoying our last 2 full days with the Hubs.  We did random house stuff and ran errands that needed done, as we are a one vehicle family, needed to make sure I have what we need here since he'll have the car.

Tuesday we got Miss E's hair cut.  She was way overdue for a good trim, plus we've entered a stage where she's starting to chew on her hair?!  I don't know - but we had enough of that, so got it cut up to her shoulders.

The girls' morning of the Miss E's hair cut.

Before Shot.

After shot.

The end of the week went well, was able to give attention to both girls', get my cleaning schedule back on track and have a cooked meal on the table for when the Hubs came home.  It was nice getting back into a routine.  

Finally back...

Our beach vacation was wonderful!!!  We decided to drive home during the night because of the girls' sleeping and then we were hit with a weekend of 4th of July festivities and this past week just be re-couperating.  Seriously, who'd have thunk you need a vacation after vacation.  I know that in my mind I was looking forward to some relaxing time at the beach, but then once there, there was just SO MUCH I wanted to cram into the week that we were running non-stop from early morning to late at night.  The girls' were amazing, even though their sleep schedules were thrown off including many missed naps.  I can't wait to go back again.

Now that we are all rested up again I'm now starting to feel like I can go back to my day-to-day routine.  We went to the beach 4 days, a whole day at a water park, boardwalk 5 nights, some good photo booth shots, games/rides, outlet shopping, mini golf, frozen custard/shaved ice, celebrated 5 year wedding anniversary, and saw an amazing sunrise on our last day.

Now for just a few pictures, I'll try not to boggle down the post with too many even though I think the girls' are so adorable!

Happy 5 Months Avalynn!

Dear Avalynn,

I really can't believe you are already almost 1/2 a year young!!!  Your personality has really started to come through and shine in the past couple weeks.  This is definitely one of my favorite ages/stages with you!  We had your 4 month check-up when you were approx. 4 1/2 months.  Your weighing in at 17lbs 12ozs and 26 1/2 inches long, you are 95%^ for both categories.  The size of an average 7 month old, although to us you seem small with the perfect amount of baby chub and rolls.

We got the go ahead to start you on cereal, fruits and veggies.  You are doing great eating rice cereal, love sweet potatoes, bananas and applesauce.  You were not a fan of squash.  On the menu next week is to try some green beans.  Whenever we are eating our meals and you are sitting watching us, you start smacking your lips together making noises because you want what we have.  It's so cute and funny!  At dinner Thursday night we put some fresh pears in a mesh feeder and you just went to town.  Also, on Father's Day your Great-Grandma gave you a taste of cheese cake, Mommy wasn't too happy about that! The Dr also said your gums are getting thick and wouldn't be surprised if you don't have some teeth by your next appointment.

Your Dr is very impressed with you hitting all of your milestones, even some 6 month ones already!  You now roll yourself where you want to go around the floor, love standing/bouncing in your exercauser,  you like to sit against mommy or daddy, the couch or your bumbo, but can't do it by yourself yet without support.  You continue to put your hands or ours along with any/all toys in your mouth.  Your favorite toys are your Sophie, rattle soft doll, and your Nuby teether.

You are averaging 2 nights a week sleeping through the night from approximately 8-9pm to 7am.  This past week you did it 3 nights in a row but the past two nights you've woken up at 4 and 5am.  I know it's going to happen soon, at least this is what I keep telling myself! You are doing much better with napping and being put to sleep for night.

On Father's Day we went to the mall and got your ears pierced.  You did great and cried for a couple minutes afterwards, we picked out gold flowers with pink centers for you.  They make you look much more girly.  You also have had 2 playdates this month with Hallie, she's crawling and you can tell that you want to follow but have no clue how to.  And you are liking the pool more and more, getting more comfortable in your raft.  I think we might have another water baby on our hands if you are anything like your sissy then we won't be able to get either of you out of the pool.

You are quite the hair pull-er and your Big Sister is always yelling for us to help her, b/c you get quite the hold on hers.  Most times she thinks it funny.  You light up with the biggest smiles when you first see  her.  I love watching your bond grow.  She loves you so much and showers you with lots of kisses, laughs when you go to chomp on her fingers and is always showing you things, singing to you when you are crying and Mommy & Daddy can't get to you right away.

I look forward to seeing what the next month brings for you!

Love,
Mommy

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Baby Girl had a swim date this week.  The girls' kept giving each other big smiles and gabbing their baby talk, it was so cute! 

The girls' when they first got in their floating devices. 

Side by Side shot.

That was one water logged baby.

A Sunday Reflection

This past Thursday night I logged onto Face-a-book and read the news that a little girl named Violette had passed away that afternoon.  She was born April 20, 2010 - 3 days after she was born she was diagnosed with Leukemia, she fought for 44 days.  They call her a warrior princess.  Tanya the mom I know from my online mom group from the oldest and to see a fellow mom like her go through all of this was heart wrenching, especially reading the updates of her daughter's fight against this horrible disease.

What a wake up call this was to me regarding my girls'.  I know that there have been times where I've complained when Baby Girl spends the whole day screaming and refuses to sleep for me or Little One is super whiney and exasperating.  But since reading about Violette's battle and especially the past 2 weeks when things started going bad.  Alls I kept thinking is that I will take any of that over having to see one of my babies suffer.  I forget how lucky we are to have healthy girls.  So, I've been snuggling, hugging and kissing each of them more this week, thankful for all that we are blessed with.

Want to share a couple pictures from this weekend of our wonderful blessings.

It's those Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer coming,

We had such a great time this past Memorial Weekend spent with our wonderful families.  Days of fishing/boating, picnics and games of horse shoes, volleyball, kids running around barefoot and being poolside.  We had some incredibly hot high 80 degree weather and with the humidity they were definitely scorchers.  But we managed and had a blast! Here's some pics:

Daddy & Baby Girl relaxing in the shade. 

Little One so ready to just get it - thankfully the water was 87 degrees! 

Baby Girl's first dip.

My two bathing beauties in the rafts. 

And this picture is definitely worth a 1,000 words.  It was just her and Pop-Pop in the pool and we look over and she's sticking these water squirters down her bathing suit and says to him in a deep stern voice "Pop-Pop you're going in time out!".  Seriously - where does her little mind come up with some of these things!  

Foto Friday

Little One stayed over at her Great Grandparents one night this week so it was just Baby Girl and me.  Had some fun taking pictures of her goofy expressions.

A Smile to Brighten

even the darkest days.  The past two weeks have been somewhat bleak around here.  But these two little girls' are what brighten our days and push us through knowing we can overcome these obstacles.

How quickly time flies by...

Today, Baby Girl is 2 months old!  Jeeze, where did that time go?  In the past 2 weeks, her personality has really started to come through.  And I've noticed this week she gets excited when she sees me & she's starting to smile back with this little giggle.  It's absolutely the ca-utest thing!  Even Little One has been really cute and sweet this week.  I think the sweetest thing she's said this week that melted my heart was at dinner last night she thanked her Daddy for playing with her outside.  Melt my heart.

We got the girls Easter pics done this week and I wanted to share their cute-ness and a couple other ones.