A Busy Weekend in Review

Team Lily and Lola at the March for Babies walk,

Thanks to everyone who supported by walking or giving!

Thanks for helping preemies like me!

And me!


The family

Gracie getting a butterfly painted on her face

I just can't stand it any longer, I must touch

this thing around your neck!

Happy with Papa

Inside her 1st Jupiter Jump!

Jumping,

Jumping,

Jumping!

Gracie with cousin Caden and many new friends

at Playgroup with a Purpose

The Pink Ladies :)

Wearing a hat just like Papa!

Sister time

And the other sister, Lyle Lovett

Our first pair of shorts

Getting so big!

Hi Mama

Pretty girl Gracie in her bedroom

Hello everybody!

A face to fall in love with

We had a great, fun-filled, jam-packed weekend of events. Despite a very windy day, Team Lily and Lola completed its first March for Babies walk to support the efforts of March of Dimes for preemies. Gracie had a great time with face painting and jupiter jumping. Lily and Lola had a great time people watching.

Not sure if I blogged it or not, but Lily is on tooth #2 and Lola is on tooth #5 and #6. Good times. Lola is also crawling and that IS a good time and so fun to watch. Lily and Lola are playing together more than ever and taking turns cracking each other up. They love, love, love Gracie and follow her visually wherever she goes.

Gracie went to her first Playgroup with a Purpose. The purpose of Playgroup with a Purpose is of course, to play and have fun, but also teach kiddos about the importance of giving back. Every month at its meeting, a charity is chosen for the kiddos to bring donations. This month was Ronald McDonald House. I think it is such a neat idea and am glad to be a part of it.

Have a good Thursday!

Love, Mel

Gracie's Language

Just a really quick post about Gracie's language explosion because I hear the troops waking.

I sat down on Monday with a small piece of paper to write all the words Gracie consistently speaks in English. A word made it on the list if:
1. Gracie consistently said the word without prompting
2. Did not just say word as repeating
3. Used it correctly in context

I ended up writing 86 words down. I couldn't believe it. I think that is incredible for being home 11 weeks!!!

Some of my favorites are:

Bless you (after a sneeze)
Good job (we frequently hear "Good job Mama/Papa" after we open something, cook dinner:)
Gracie
Heavy
Cool
Itchy (loves to have her back scratched)
Silly
Messy (as in "Lily/Lola messy")
One Two
The End (end of books, done with dishes, etc.)

Have a good day, must go feed people!
Love, Mel

If You Were Gracie

You might begin your day with a little swinging...

... Or sliding out of a green dragon's mouth...

While first pausing to hang from the sky.

Here I go Mama!

If you were Gracie, you just might pretend that you

were driving Mama's coche...

and feel the wind in your hair

and feel pretty darn big, because Lily and Lola can't do this :)

If you were Gracie, you would LOVE a choochoo train

just your size...

To climb on, jump on and pretend on

Or you just might swing some more.

If you were Gracie, you would mother quite nicely

two babies, while wearing pearls AND a tiara...

And have just enough time for your "stories" aka the Little Mermaid

(notice she can't take her eyes off the show to even look at the camera)

If you were Gracie, you would certainly find your

special glasses as SOON as you were done with your bath...

And wear them many ways, all while showing Mama

the goldfish cracker residue at the back of your tongue.

If you were Gracie, you would be pretty busy

just being you.

Just for the record, I have had more than one patient refer to their soap operas as their "stories" and have always thought that funny. Of course, we don't watch much of anything around here anymore that doesn't have dancing, singing or animation.

How do you like our new digs? I am beyond thrilled to finally have the blog coming together to fully reflect our family. Blogs for a Cause/Nikki did a fantastic job stylizing our blog and you can click on the Blogs for a Cause link to learn about Nikki's volunteer work in developing countries.

Love, Mel

Happy Ten Months Old Lily and Lola!

It was actually FRIDAY, but Mom forgot to take pics...

Wait, you have something on your face Lola, I'll get it.

Let's hold hands or forearms...

Now Lily be still, there is something red on your dress I need to get!

Oh yea? Well I would like to bite your fingers please, my gums are killing me!

Okay, no more-quick pose for Mama!

Lily to Lola: Oh no you didn't...

Friends again

Wait, Lola took my bow!

Lily was literally laughing her buns off during this time,

she thought Lola was sooo funny for stealing her bow!

Both of them staring at it, Lola intense, Lily cracking up

I'll take that thank you!

Give it to me!

Okay, well I'll just have yours (look at Lily's eyes)!

Fooled ya! Got it back...

Aren't I clever?

Ah ha! Now I can get Mama's camera, thinks Lola.

Lily says "Wait! Did you know there is a ladybug on your dress?"

And I need to bite your fingers once more please!

Thanks Mom for putting my bow back on!

Off to get the camera!

I'm coming to get you!

Watch out!

Make sure you show the people these bottom teeth Mama!

I worked especially hard on those.

Messed up and forgot to celebrate and document the 10 month b-day of the babies on the blog.

Very hard to believe sometimes that they are 10 months old and that this time last year I was very pregnant and moving slow. Crazy year to say the least.

One of these days I will get a good series of pictures of Gracie. I get a good shot here and there, but she is pretty busy playing these days and won't always look up at the camera to get a good picture of her pretty face.

Love, Mel