Teeth and Expressions

Caroline has finally gotten a few more teeth. She has 6 total now. Much more slow going then her big sister. Loretta had 11 or 12 by this age. It's been a difficult few weeks, but when she is pain free (thanks to Motrin) she is her happy wonderful playful self!

So, John and I are more careful lately with our favorite ways of expressing ourselves. Loretta is picking up on everything we say and using our gems in the right context and often. She sometimes combines and mixes them up a little though. Her latest is "SON OF GOD!!!" It's an apparent combination of "son of a gun" (only recently revised from the tried and true version) and one of mine "For the love of God". Needless to say, it pretty much kills us when we hear her scream it from another room b/c her tower was knocked over by Caroline or some other tragedy occurred.

Caroline is now in Parent Child Swim and Loretta has recently started gymnastics classes. She loves it and asks pretty much daily if today is a gymnastics day. She started asking for gymnastics after we let her watch it during the Olympics. It's absolutely adorable watching her. She's much taller than the other kids and a bit of a "bull in a china shop" but she is trying and loves it. Caroline is a little less enamored with the swimming, she loves her baths, but is a little overwhelmed in the big cool pool. But, I'm hoping she'll eventually take to it like her big sister.

That's all for now EXCEPT for a quick call out to Dad T. Happy Birthday DAD T!!!

Tid Bits

Here are a couple of pictures of the girls. I was playing with the settings and taking pictures of a few flowers - movement, etc.

Also - Check out Aryana's blog (link on the right under Fav Links). She's getting so big, such a cutie pie. Also, the very first video is one of us all at the zoo feeding and petting the deer.
Enjoy!

IIIIIIIIII GOTCHA!

Caroline has this fun little game she likes to play. She crawls up the steps and then sits at the top jibbering and jabbering as loud as she can until she gets my or John's attention. Then when we start heading up to bring her back down she crawls (yes crawls b/c that's what she could do when she started the game - even though now she can practically run) away from us into one of the bedrooms. When I catch her I always scream "IIIIIIIIIIIII GOTCHA!" and tickle her. Now, when I catch her she says I gotcha too, but it's not the exact words, just mimicing the sounds. She's not talking a ton yet. She'll repeat us when we say something, mimic the sounds, but not initiating much on her own. Just mama, loleta, and dada and now IIIIIIgoya!


She's really a sweatheart this girl of ours. Such an easy going babe. But when she's angry - stand back - that girl has no fuse at all just immediate self destruction.


Loretta is seeming so old to me now. I have to remind myself that she's 3 all the time. She's showing signs of real compassion and understanding. She also knows when she's been wronged and isn't afraid to let you know it too. I like that she sticks up for herself. She's a tough cookie and demands fairness and her due. She's also stubburn as a bull, but I have no idea where she gets that from ;o)

Loretta has also become quite the picture taker. She loves taking our camera and snapping shots of anything and everything. More often then not, she ends up with something pretty amazing.

Last, but certainly not least, Happy Birthday to Grandma T!!!! We love you!

That's all for now, take care.

Summer Days

We had such a wonderful time on Cape Cod with John's family. They are so good to us and Loretta and Caroline absolutely love playing with their cousins. I don't have many pictues though, my battery died the first day and I didn't have the charger.

Mom buries Caroline's toes.

Caroline bumps heads with Grandpa T.

Loretta loves the water.

Dad and his girls.

We love the deer sanctuary at southwick zoo.

That's all for now. Love to all!

Check Ups and Swim Classes

Caroline had her 1 year check up last week. She's doing great, but so much smaller than Loretta was at her 1st. Caroline is 18 lbs 12 oz. She doesn't weigh enough to turn her car seat around. She's 30+ inches long. That puts her in the 10th percentile for weight, but the 75th percentile for height! How did I end up with these two slender amazon girls??? She's talking a little bit more, will say dog now, but still pretty conservative with her speech, but in no way quiet. She's constantly gibbering or singing. I have a feeling she's going to go directly from mama and dada to full sentences - telling her sister to back off and give her back her toy ;o)

Speaking of our little toy thief...Loretta has fallen absolutely in love with swimming and she's doing a fantastic job. We signed her up for Pike swim classes (the first level after parent child swim) and after the first class we were told to take her from a 3 bubble float to 2. By the next class we were told she could move up to Eel for next session. She's been swimming underwater and has no fear. So much so that she jumped in the pool after I removed her bubbles (after I said "ABSOLUTELY NOT!") and sank right to the bottom. I thought I was going to have to jump in clothes and all, but at the last moment she pushed off just enough to reach my hand. The Blake's were kind enough to give us their pool when they moved. It's big, big enough for a filter and for Loretta to have a blast, but she can touch the bottom. I think it's made her even more confident in the water, but we'll be keeping a close eye on our little daredevil.

That's all for now. Much love!

Vacations & Birthdays!

We have been very busy the last two months. We've traveled to Charlotte to visit the Blakes, attended Dad T's Lions Club and witnessed him receiving a very prestigious award, celebrated Caroline's 1st birthday (twice) and spent a week with my family in Mississippi. It's been wonderful and we're very excited about the rest of the summer too, specifically spending some quality time at the cape with Ed, Sharon, Juliette, Christian and Mom and Dad T.

Here are a few snapshots of the last month or so starting off with some love from Caroline and Loretta:

Bath time with the boys:

Baby Isabel's first swim with her mom:

Naughty Step!:

Birthday cake:

Caroline loving her bath with Grandma ;o)

Loretta's first mg ride with Grandpa:

Caroline sitting pretty:

Our little artist:

That's all for now.

Love to all!

Memories

I always think, there is no way I'll forget she said that, or this moment, but the truth is, I do forget. Crazy life happens and those moments are lost in my memory only to be triggered at some point, totally unexpectedly and wonderfully. A few of these that have recently sprung to mind.

"Grandpa, put your pants on!" (b/c we all know that's what you have to do at 6:00am before you are allowed to go downstairs and watch a show).

"Mommy, I love you all the way to the toilet paper." (our fun with the book which ends with "I love you all the way to the moon...and back")

"When I'm five, I'll be brave." (what was said after the drama of splintergate)

"I'm not a little smarty pants, I'm a BIG smarty pants!"

The way Caroline says "Hiiiiii" in a really high whisper.

How Loretta, as a baby, would put her arms behind her head (assuming the position) and scream bloody murder for her bottle.

The way Caroline hugs your head with both arms wrapped around your neck, doubled over and playing with your hair.

I feel so ridiculously lucky.

adding on from our July trip to MS.
Mom let chris and trish sleep in her bed. Chris was the last one still asleep and Loretta decided it was time to get up. He gave her a message.
"Um Miss Trish, that man, in grandma's bed, wants a coffee".