Family

If I were to look back the last couple of years at the pictures I take when my family gets together, the pictures would look very similar (except the kids looking older). When we get together it's typically the same, kids running around like crazy, Gus, Kayla and Vinny spying, giggling and being nice to the little kids, Ila and Natalie being funny, Adie and Eliza trying to keep up - it's hard for them to stop playing polli-pockets for two days so they'll usually be found playing the way they always do, the adults moving and getting up as little as possible. And now Ashlynn and Opal are in the mix so I guess there is something new.

Carrie has always felt jipped that Ergos weren't around when her boys were little, so it only cost me a dollar to get Gus to try it out.

I loved getting to know Opal a little bit, her eyes and her smile are seriously amazing

Maybe our girls get their style ideas from their older cousin?

Ashlynn was cracking up here, loving the attention from Gus

checking each other out and getting to know each other

What, you don't practice taking your in-laws blood when you get together?

I was actually able to sneak one picture of Vinny

It never gets old

Chicks

We got a new batch of chicks that we're enjoying, they're living in the house until it warms up a bit. The girls love them, and also know their destiny. If you're a vegetarian you may not want to read on: The girls were waiting for Sunday School to start and sitting with the other little boy in the class. They were telling him about their new chicks, and how little and cute they were. This boys dad asked what we were going to do with them. Adie, matter of factly said "well, after we butcher them we are going to eat them for a chicky nugget."

Ashlynn is One!

trying to vacuum when she's tired

She has her sisters fashion sense. She brings me clothes doing her please fake baby sign language (for you Scott) and sits down so I can put on whatever she brings me.

Didn't care too much for her cupcake

Ashlynn continues to be an easy little girl - during the day. I quit nursing her this week thinking maybe that would help her sleep at night. It seemed to work for 2 or 3 nights. She's now back to her old tricks. I'm also just trying to figure out what she needs during the day since I was nursing her all the time. She's a pretty good eater, and I don't have to guess when she doesn't want something. She's good about shaking her head no, and when I try to force milk on her because she hasn't had anything to drink in a while she goes out of her way to get rid of the cup. She loves going outside, sitting in the refrigerator whenever the door opens, the cat, being chased, looking at books, playing her instruments, playing with a balloon, crawling up on chairs and standing up like she's hot stuff, and seeing other little babies or people her size(she is very sweet and gentle to babies smaller than her). She also really relaxes when we do criss-cross applesauce on her back when she's tired. She'll lay there and keep asking for more as soon as we finish. She asks for things by putting her hand on her head, her version of the finger to the cheek for please (a Heuberger thing). At her appointment this week she was 18.2 pounds and 29 inches long. Her only words are mama and dada, She babbles a lot, but overall she's a pretty quiet little girl (except between the hours of 12:00 and 4:00am). We had fun this week thinking about her birth. She's a lover!

Birthday Party

We added cupcakes to our playdate with Elliott, Sarah and Jason this week to make it a birthday party for Jason and Ashlynn. Their moms and I met through moms group and we started running together when they were about 6 months old.

cold - I just had to get a picture of her outfit. That jacket has been around the block!

This was their celebration dance. They had been playing so well in the bedroom none of us wanted to ruin it. Finally Lesley went back - they had been stuck in the closet back there, but still enjoying themselves in there. They were running around here yelling "Lesley to the rescue!"

Jason and Ashlynn are so cute together, it's funny how excited they get to see eachother