A pretty big day for the kiddos

Cole started sitting up today--completely unassisted--for more than just 30 seconds at a time (which he had started doing 2 days ago)


Go, Coley, Go!

Yawn...this is sooo boring, I've been doing this for, like, ever....why are you guys so excited?

So, Addie...for the record, I'm 5 months MINUS one week and you did this at 5 months PLUS one week...

....so I win, but I'll still let you pose with me.

What's that, Daddy? Oh, you're telling a joke?

hahahahahahahahaha....

...boom.


And not to be outdone, Addie decided to hit a milestone today also. She's been pretty much just scribbling when she draws. She could draw a circle and a line if you ask her, and she knows how to put a line through a wave like scribble to get a capital "A" for Addie, but no actual objects. So out of the blue she's drawing today and starts saying "I'm drawing you, mommy. Here's your head, your eyes, your nose, your smile (she says "mile"), and your legs" then she proceeded to draw Steve's likeness on the right. He comes complete with hair AND a foot. Pretty good, huh?

It's feeling hot hot hot

The temperature last weekend hit 100 degrees both days! How do you keep cool when the weather is sooo hot? First you wait until it gets shady in the backyard in the late afternoon, and then you hit the sprinkler!

Addie was timid at first...
...but slowly got used to it.

Coley also got some of his toes wet

Then we let the two of them hang out together.

Cole preferred checking out the grass.

Then Addie got REALLY into sprinkler

See how wet she is?

And what better way to cool off than with popsicles on the porch?

On Sunday we ignored the child labor laws and had Addie wash our car to cool off. Well, at least the bottom half. And yes, she has no pants on. In the summer it's a battle to keep her from being completely naked, so wearing a shirt is a very fair compromise.

After the car wash, the kiddos went down for naps, and I wielded a power tool to trim the hedges (go me!)

and very suddenly a HUGE storm blew through. We were lucky that the house and car didn't get hit, and we had electricity unlike some others in the area. BUT....there was a little damage to Addie's swing set.


Ask Addie to tell you the story of the storm. She tells you where everyone was during the storm and exactly what happened. It's quite a dramatic affair when EVERYthing started moving on the porch

And some other cuteness for your viewing pleasure

Well hello there good-looking


Telling secrets to Gaga

Snuggling with Daddy

And giggling with Erin B.

Yes, he REALLY does smile all the time!

Addie said "No pictures please" to her papparazzi

Oh, okay...maybe just one to show us all what an amazing big sister she is :)

4 months old! Roly Poly Coley!

Cole turned 4 months old last Monday and decided to celebrate his birthday by learning to roll over! He rolled back to tummy on Monday and tummy to back on Thursday. Busy busy! A week later, that's pretty much all he does when put on the floor, roll this way and that. It's fun, but also a good reminder that I should start vacuuming more often.

All this rolling makes diaper changes way more interesting :)


Warning! Cute baby butt alert!

Yeah, you look proud of your bare-bummed self.

In other exciting baby news, Cole is drooling copiously and gnawing voraciously on everything, though rumor has it that his cousin Julie may beat him in the tooth cutting race! Go Julie, go! :)


So Cole is growing bigger and bigger--he's 17lbs! He's in the 75-90% block for weight, height and head circumference. My proportionately giant baby :)
In conclusion, there's ton of cuteness in the household



Not to be outdone, whenever we take a pic of Cole we try to make sure Addie gets a turn. Sometimes she pretends to be shy. :)


Addie has gotten over the "wait, this baby isn't going away" stage of daily multiple tantrums when it came to us doing something for Cole instead of her, and is seriously becoming the biggest sweetheart ever. She helps SO much and Cole saves his biggest belly laughs for her. The sound of those two laughing at each other makes all of the late nights and craziness of having kids totally totally worth it.

Baby squats

I apologize for the sideways video, I couldn't figure out how to flip. If I can figure it out, I'll repost, but otherwise, just turn your head and enjoy!

Visit from Erin!

As you know, Erin is one of my oldest and bestest friends and she came for another visit!! We had such a blast! I picked her up from the airport and we went straight to Gaga's house for some yummy food and family lovin'. Erin got to meet cuddly Cole for the first time.



Then we got to show her the new house!

I love these pics :)


Addie and Erin became quick friends again. They danced a LOT.

We went to Rockville Town Center to hang out, have smoothies, and hit the library. When we came out of the library about to go home for lunch, we saw...the fountains were on! Addie asked me if I had a bathing suit for her, and I didn't, but I did have some spare clothes, so she had a blast in the water :)



Erin joined in the fun...

...while Coley took a snooze :)




Thank you for coming, Erin! We had so much fun--come back soon! XXOO

Kiddo Update

This morning Addie and I were playing in the basement and singing a song that goes "See the pony galloping galloping along the country lane, see the pony galloping galloping along the country lane. (then you slow down and say...) see the pony coming home...all tired out, all tired out" Then you repeat. So I was just running in circles, but Addie said "no, mommy, GALLOP, like ME" and indeed, she was galloping. So I said "Who taught you to gallop?" (thinking she would say "daddy") and her answer came in a very "duh" voice...

"A horsey, mommy. A horsey taught me to gallop"

AH...of course. WHAT was I thinking?

Not only is Addie speaking in almost exclusively full sentences lately, her mind is FULL of imagination--she can spend half an hour in her kitchen cooking soup for her sick friends: Wap, Goldilocks, Lehleh and Yehyeh (those four are ALWAYS sick). We play hair cut, ice cream shop, lemonade store, school, firetruck school (very different than regular school) and grocery store. Just in case you were wondering, in Addie's world a haircut, a cup of lemonade, an ice cream cone, and a cart full of groceries all cost "fiffy dollahs."

Other recent gems:

Me: Addie, it's dinner time. I already told you 2 more minutes, now your 2 minutes are up
Addie: Mommy, I'm PLAYing
Me: Addie, come now please
Addie: (sadly) You don't understand my playing...

----------

Addie: I'm going to read Coley a book
Me: That's a good idea
Addie: Come mommy, read with us
Me: I'm cooking dinner, why don't you read to him in the kitchen?
Addie: (pause) How about *I* cook dinner and you read to Coley?

----------
I'm putting Addie down for a nap and before she goes to sleep she always gets to read two books. Sometimes she likes to pretend it's library storytime. Cole was lying on the other side of me.

Me: Okay, kiddos--today we're going to read Curious George Rides
Addie: Yay. I like that book, Librarian
Me: Me too, young lady--what's your name again?
Addie: Addie.
Me: Nice to meet you Addie (Cole starts fussing). I'm just going to put Coley on my lap as I read, okay?
Addie: Heyyyy...why is there a BABY at storytime, Librarian?

(Addie's idea of a joke :)

She continues to be a great big sister to Cole. The other day we were coming home from the store. I let Addie out of the car and opened the car door next to Cole, but left him there to get some bags from the trunk and headed to open the door and put some of the bags inside. Addie comes towards me, then realizes Cole isn't in my hands, turns around and runs back to the car so he isn't alone. I love her :) Since a bath is part of Addie's daily bedtime routine, we're making it Cole's too--he can sit in his little bath chair and Addie's job is to wash his feet.

And Cole updates? He's a smiling FOOL lately. Really, it's sooo easy to get a smile out of him, yet it never gets tiresome! He's also very ticklish--tickle his belly and you get little heh-heh type giggles. I'm addicted to them. He reaches for toys and brings to them to his mouth. He's doing great at tummy time, spending longer and longer periods of time strengthening his neck muscles. Just this morning I set him down on his side on his playmat and he rolled onto his stomach! Not sure it "counts" since I started him halfway, but I was pretty excited. Of course, I don't want to get ahead of myself--it's quite nice to have one immobile child :) And he's found his toes!!!!

In other family updates, last Friday Steve and I celebrated 5 wonderful years of marriage. I'm proud to report that we are just as happy as the day we married--though maybe a bit less well-rested (or well-traveled) than 5 years ago.

All in all...were doing great!

Daddy and Son watching the World Cup

My handsome boys :)