Happy 14 Months Girls!

Gotta love that sly look! I can just see her darting around the yard in a few months screaming chase me!

Hey, I'm standing.

Not sure you can see this but the girls had the little grass stains today...that should be incentive to walk!! Those poor knees!

My little pair of baby giraffes.

Dear Ava and Isabelle,
Happy 14 months Ava and Belle! Each day you are learning so much that is amazes me. I sometimes feel like I can see your brain working as you figure out something new. More and more things that we say you catch on to now. I can tell you to drink your milk and you do! I can tell you to give me your foot and you do! I can just imagine when you find your words that you'll be chatting up a storm with us.

One accomplishment you have mastered in the last two months is moving on to the sippy cup full time. Belle you were resistant to holding the sippy cup yourself at first but once we stopped holding it for you and just left it there for you to do alone you did and have never looked back. So I guess when push came to shove you could do it but just wanted to be waited on...don't blame you kid...live it up while you can! We started you both out at first with sippy cups at lunch and you did fine. Then we moved towards no bottle in the am when you first wake up which I though you would have a fit with but you were fine. Then we jumped into, by sheer fact that they were around one night, sippy for bedtime and you were again fine. So no more bottles for my big girls! We'll keep a few in the cabinet for any night that you just don't feel like yourself and need a little comfort but to be honest the transition was so easy that it really surprised us. Not that we should have been surprised, you seem to adapt to these changes we throw at you very well.

As for eating, you have some different personalities there. Ava you basically will eat anything. Any fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.) you are fine with. Belle, not you...you have your favorite which is strawberries and you could eat them none stop and don't want anything to do with the other stuff we put on your tray. Actually you win there since you just throw it over the side. Ava you are a food stealer so we have to be careful if we turn our back that you are not eating all of Isabelle's food since you are so much faster. Ava you are also my sharer as you often give me some of whatever you are eating. You both are really wanting to feed everything to yourself so anything that is on a spoon tends to be more difficult. So sometimes we just opt for the mess and have you feed yourselves. I have not ventured into teaching you the spoon yourself.

No walking yet for either girl. However, I apparently was a late bloomer as my mom said I was not walking to at least 15 months (right before my brother came home I finally got it). I honestly don't think they see a need to at times. In the family room where they spend most of the time they can get around holding on to things and they crawl so fast that they just prefer that I think. Ava does like to practice walking holding on to only 1 hand. She takes a random step or two getting to the next piece of furniture but one hand is usually holding on or reaching for something for balance. Belle on the other hand isn't really into walking. She will if you make her (to humor me I guess) but she prefers crawling or just sitting in one place. She will walk a bit but then just turns those legs into jello for a rest ( a tad bit lazy I think). She will stand up to watch TV or get around when needed but the majority of her time she is just mellow and content in 1 spot. The doctor says up to about 16-18 months is all in the normal range so who knows....she did warn me that I am going to regret wanting them to walk since it will be in 2 different directions. So stay tuned on that front.

Ava you are so funny when we take you for walks. In your wagon, you have to sit in the front since then you can't touch the wheels. In the back seat you are always hanging over the edge trying to play with the wheels as they go round and round. You also stand in you car as we push it as if you are so excited to be driving it! I can envision you climbing out of your window as a teenager since you are my explorer! You also have some wild child hair! I don't want to cut it so I am letting it grow in but getting it out of your eyes and tamed back is a chore sometimes. Plus, since you are so active it always gets messed up. My little free spirit. You love playing peek-a-bo and singing songs. You tend to have a shorter attention span though and on to the next task where Belle can play with the same toy for a long time (case in point the sand table video).

Isabelle, you are still my drama queen. You definitely like to be pampered at times. In the wagon you always put your feet up as if to say yes go ahead driver take me for my afternoon stroll. Sometimes I call you my little German solider as you seem to bark out directives if something is not right till we do what you want. You hate having a messy diaper...so that might help with later potty training. You tell us RIGHT away and are not happy till we fix it. We can get you out of your mood pretty quick though with a tickle whereas when your sister is in a mood she is sulky for a longer time. You are also getting lighter hair so I wonder if you are going to turn into a Blondie on me. One thing I love is how you love your blanket on you at bedtime. You love to be tucked in tight and you pull it up and snuggle with it....priceless!

So needless to say you keep us entertained. I am looking forward to seeing what this summer brings and seeing you interact with each other.
Hugs and Kisses,
Mommy

Feels Like Summer Is Here

Here are some pictures from the rest of the summer fun this weekend.

Playing with their golf clubs. Belle loved her putter so much that it had to come to the Country Drive In with us.

1st trip to Hoffmans Play Land. Girls, thank god you survived this ride since Daddy and I had a debate on whether or not you should even go on. He thought it was not safe and too fast. I said that since there was a seat belt I thought you would be ok. He was right about it being fast but lucky for me you stayed in. Ava, you were hysterical when you were waving like a celebrity every time you went around and saw us. Belle, I think you were terrified since you held on to the outside of the car the entire time (see picture). We'll wait a few months before we go back again. Who knew I would be such a mellow mom at times and Dave would be the high strung one?

Uncle Pete came over with the Mickster for a Sunday night walk and quick stop at the neighborhood park.

Loving Mommy's Tulips.

Sand & Sea

What a beautiful and hot weekend for April that we wanted to spend as much time outside as possible so we bought the girls a sand & water table this weekend and it was a big hit. It entertained them for hours.

I think it's love!
Splashing her cares away.

Not sure you can see it but she was soaked after all that splashing but at least she had a blast. I can just forsee all the laundry we'll be doing this summer.

Contently playing even with sand on her face.

Our new table

Playing catch me!

Ice Cream

The girls had their 1st trip on Friday night to the Country Drive In for dinner and ice-cream which is a summer ritual for fellow Clifton Park residents.


Isabelle always saves room for dessert...she takes after me....so she devoured the ice cream. She ate an entire small dish herself and could have kept going.

Ava is like her daddy and had filled up on chicken and fries so only had a few spoonfuls to finish her off. As you can see Belle was not happy about the sharing of her dish.

Enough with the pictures, where is my next scoop!
Loving the icecream song I was singing....Ice cream, Ice cream, we all scream for ice cream...and then she did! Boy did she giggle!

They loved it! I'm sure we will be living there part time this summer!

Tumbling Tykes Class

Monday night is the girls Tumbling Tykes class night. We got there a little early so the girls could have some time in the play room before class begun. Only 1 more week of the Tyke 1 class :( Giddy Up!

Taking after Uncle MichaelHey get out, my turn!

Pushing her sister around.

The girls loved the ball pit.

Weekend of Swings

It was a weekend filled with swings! Saturday we went with the girls to check out the Clifton Commons Park. Unfortunately until the girls are walking there isn't much more to do at parks besides the swings and slides. However, I don't think the girls mind since they love the swings! So until they feel like walking there might be hours and hours of swings in our future.

(Warning....mute before viewing..I was too close to the speaker!) The girls are so quiet in the video but they were giggling up a storm after I shut the camera off....stage fright! We realized the Commons are going to be a blast once they can explore things since it has so much to do. Then we got home and the girls hung out with Grandma and Grandpa Kees while Dave and I went to dinner with our friends Jill and Chad. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa...you were great babysitters as usual!

Then on Sunday we went for a long bike ride in the development then hit Okte Elementary School across the street to check out their swings. Dave and I debated on how long it would take to get over there in the wagon instead of driving. I said 5 minutes...he started at being dramatic at 1/2 hr then changed to 15 minutes. Actual was 8 minutes. So after a stroll over, some swings and a couple times down the slide we strolled back and Daddy still made his tee time for an afternoon round of golf. Not a bad weekend at all.

Easter Sunday

Despite the cold weather, the girls had a nice Easter Sunday. They enjoyed their baskets filled with eggs, bubble machine (which Ava can now say bubbles) and some new crayons and stamps.

Belle playing with the Easter palms that Grandpa Kees made for the girls. The girls were wonderful at church.

Isabelle

Miss Ava

Ava loves sitting in any basket, box or tight space...so she just climbed in the toy bin.

Miss Ava

Grandma and Miss Belle
Grandma and Ava

The girls loved their Easter cookies and ice cream cake at Grandma and Grandpa Kees' house.

A perfect Easter nap while Daddy watched the Masters.

Sorry no family pictures, I was feeling under the weather with a stomach bug which got worse as the day went on. I am only starting to move now....so over 24 hrs later...ick! Poor Grandma P was also sick.