Time with grandparents...

Hanging out with Papa on his birthday.

Discussing golf with Grandpa David.

Going for a walk with Grandma RJ.

Sylvie dancing with Papa.

Playing a game with the Cooper grandparents.

Papa giving me a bath...

...and reading me my bedtime stories.

Grandma RJ and Sylvie hanging out with Mama.

Sister time

In which Elsie teaches Sylvie about Tea Parties (the animal kind, not the republican kind).

Sylvie is 5 months!

 

At five months of age, Sylvie is a silly little girl.  She is happy and giggling almost all the time.  The exception is that she is anxious to be on the move, and gets mad that her month of scooting hasn't blossomed into full crawling yet.  Luckily, she gets over her locomotion disappointment quickly, and can easily be satisfied with smiles and tickles from her sister.

Elsie is starting to truly love being a big sister, and is the first to bring Sylvie a nuk, toy, or blanket at any sign of discomfort.  We had to have a very serious talk last week when Andy came around a corner to find Elsie holding Sylvie by herself over the tile floor, but other than that episode her overwhelming sisterly love has been of the sweet and helpful variety. 

Sylvie now weights 13.6 lbs (16%) and is 25.25 inches long (45%) (for those interested, Elsie was 13 lbs (8%) and 25.0 inches (40%) at this age).  She has moved into size 2 diapers (when she uses disposables), and mostly wears 6 month clothes.


Watch me grow:

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

  And just for fun, Elsie at 5 months:

July Quotes by Elsie

***

Elsie: "I can just go potty in my high chair!"
Mama: "No, high chairs are not for tinkling.  You can use a potty chair."
Elsie: "No, Mama, my high chair is JUST LIKE my potty chair!"
Mama: "Honey, a potty chair is a vessel so the tinkle doesn't run all over.  Your high chair is not like a potty chair.  You need to use the potty."
Elsie: "Well, I could just use a bucket!  Or a boat!  I can just use my BOAT!"

***

After two evening trips to Dairy Queen in a row with Grandpa David:
Mama: "Which did you like better, the ice cream you had last night, or tonight's ice cream?"
Elsie: "I think I will like the ice cream I get with Grandpa David tomorrow night best... "

***

Elsie:  "Daddy, what do you want for your birthday?"
Daddy:  "3 hugs and 3 kisses."
Elsie:  "Okay.  What else do you want?"
Daddy:  "Hmmm, a nice back rub."
Elsie:  "Daddy, that would be weird. "

***

While playing with me one afternoon, Elsie let me know that her friend Henry doesn't like to share (he does).  We decided to role-play what she could do if she was playing with a friend who wasn't sharing.  After about twenty minutes of me "being Henry" in our role-play, we abandoned the game for lunch.  An hour later...

Elsie: "I want to go to the park now!"

Mama: "Well, we can, but it looks like it might rain.  How about if we go on a puddle walk instead?"

Elsie: "Okay, but Mama, are you still being Henry?"

***

Elsie: "I want to play with Adah!"

Mama: "Well, today is Sunday, and Sunday is a family day.  Maybe we can play with Adah later in the week."

Elsie: "But Adah could be in our family!"

***

After explaining to Elsie that I was packing up some clothes that didn't fit for Goodwill:

Elsie: "I have some clothes that don't fit anymore, too!" 

Mama:  "That's true, we box up your clothes that don't fit anymore so that someone else can wear them when she gets a little bit bigger.  Who is going to wear your clothes when she grows a little bit more?"

Elsie: "Adah!"

***

***

While at the park Elsie unexpectedly needed to make a tinkle.  Elsie and Daddy opened the Port-a-Potty, but it was really dirty and Elsie didn't want to use it (she later told Mama, "It was too stinky for girls to use.").  Some pine trees nearby were pressed into service.  Pulling up her pants afterwards, she said matter-of-factly: "And now, a flower can grow!"

***

 "Good night, Mama.  I love you!  And Mama....I really love Baby Sylvie, too!"

***

"I can't have the chicken, Daddy, because chicken tastes like pickles."

***

Swinging on her 3rd birthday (yes, those are big-kid undies!).

Elsie's first injury!

A few days ago I was playing at the playground and fell when I was jumping off a little platform.  It was really scary, and my foot really hurt when I tried to get up.  Mama pushed me home in the stroller (and I was really glad she always carries a disposable ice pack in our diaper bag).  Auntie Manda gave us some good over-the-phone doctor triage, and I felt a little bit better (it's awfully nice to have a doctor in the family!).  I didn't really want to walk on my foot that night, and the next morning, I still didn't want to step on my toes.  Off to the doctor we went, and I got my first injury diagnosis: sprained ankle.  Ouch!

My official treatment plan is no jumping, running, or going to the park (really-my doctor actually said that!) for three-to-five days, or longer if it still hurts.  When he asked if I understood, I said, "No."  How can I not run or jump or GO TO THE PARK for five days?  That's crazy!

He told my Mama that I would naturally avoid doing things that would hurt my ankle, but it turns out I would rather run with a very bad limp than not run at all.  I do have this cool band-aid (ace wrap) to wear, though!  I panicked when Mama first put in on ("MAMA, I CAN"T SEE MY HEEL!  NOOO!  I CAN'T SEE MY HEEL!"), but I don't mind it any more.

I keep trying to convince Mama and Daddy that I am all better so we can go to the park, but so far they aren't believing me.  I am still limping a little bit, but today will likely be my last day of restricted play.  I will be free to climb again tomorrow!  I can't wait!

Daddy's Girls

Sylvie crawling to Daddy.

Daddy pushing Elsie on her 3rd birthday.

Daddy making it "rain" in Elsie's pool.

They sure love this guy!  Happy Birthday!

Elsie's fun day at the Epicnic

 

It seems like Mama and Daddy were a little bit biased in their picture-taking this year, and only recorded special moments in the farm animal petting zoo.  Silly parents!  Other highlights this year included the FOUR bouncy houses, pools of bubbles and wands, a gigantic craft tent, ice cream carts, a "misting" station, a construction vehicle petting zoo, and a special meet-up with Uncle G and Auntie Kristin.  Boy, do I love visiting work with Daddy!

More fun with A and J

What are these adorable little girls doing at the farm, you might ask? 
They are picking these:

Delectable fresh berries, picked by the cutest little strawberry girls around!  We are very sad that strawberry season is over!

Sylvie Meets Piper

They are only 7 weeks apart, but Sylvie was pretty proud to be the big kid.

She really wanted to show Piper her toes, which she had recently discovered are very fun to suck on.

Elsie tried to explain to Sylvie that it isn't polite to kick her cousin.

This is when Sylvie tried to tell Elsie that Piper kicked her first... :)

Playing with A and J

Playing with H.

One rainy, rainy day my friend H invited me over to play. We played with castles and his puppy and even had a snack together. When it stopped raining, we went outside into his big, big backyard! It was too wet to use the trampoline, but there were lots of other fun things to do:

Mr. Chris taught me how to hold Radish the chicken.

Sylvie succeeded in her first photo-bomb.

And I got to swing in the best swing ever.  To give some scale, Mr. Chris is pushing me from where he is standing.

June Quotes by Elsie

On the way to the park:
Daddy:  "Okay, Elsie, let's get into the car and go to the park!"
Elsie:  "No, I want to WALK to the park!"
Daddy:  "We can't walk, it's too far away.  We have to take the car."
Elsie:  "Well, maybe we can HOP to the park!"
Daddy:  "We can't hop to the park.  It's too far.  We wouldn't get there until after bedtime."
Elsie:  "Well, then maybe we can RUN to the park!"

***

Watching The Lorax, when all the animals leave the polluted land...

"Oh, no!  Oh, oh, oh...well, they could come live at Elsie's house!  There is lots of room here!  I can give them some food, and find them trees and flowers!  Yummy flowers to eat!"

***

One very naughty day while I was in time-out, I climbed my dresser and had fun spreading a whole tub of vaseline on myself.  Mama wasn't happy when she found me.  She figured out how to get me clean, but it took a LONG TIME.  Lucky for me, it involved a very bubbly bath!

***

Learning to share Daddy's lap.

***

Mama: "I'm going to go to the bathroom.  Can you stay here with your sister?"

Elsie:  "Okay, but Mama?  First can you get me a nuk for Baby Sylvie so I have one?  In case she gets sad while you are gone?"

***

June featured lots of walks with my good friends Miss Heather and Lila Puppy.

***

Problems in the weeks leading up to Elsie's Birthday Party:

-"But Mama, all of my friends won't fit into Kermit Car!  Maybe they will have to ride in Daddy's car..." 

-"But Mama, how can I have a party without my birthday dress on?"
-"I don't know how old I am going to be on my birthday!  Daddy will have to tell me!  I can't know how old I am when my fingers are covered up by my mittens!"

***

Meeting one of Daddy's doggy co-workers when we went to have a lunch date.

***

"When I grow up, I'm going to fly, fly, fly with my ears, just like Dumbo!  Or maybe I will just ride on his back to fly..."

***

A nice family (almost) picture Grandma Julie took.

***

"Campbell has two puppies.  One has spots, and one does not have spots.  But Elsie's car seat does have spots!" (It's cow print).

***

"We have to get Daddy a present and drive to work and give him that present!  He didn't get any presents today!  And Grandma Dorothy and RJ didn't get any presents, either!  We need to give them presents, so they are not sad.  Everyone needs a present today so they will have presents, otherwise they will not have any presents and they will be sad!" (No, it was not her birthday.  She just wanted to give out presents).

***

Naked animal play time on my birthday.

***

"Are we going to Huck's house today?  But oh, no!  How can we get there?  The road will be SO BUMPY today!"

***

Elsie:  "Mama, I want a cold thing for snack." 

Mama:  "Sure.  How about some frozen blueberries?"

Elsie:  "No, I want a Pockle."

Mama:  "A Pockle...um...oh, a popsicle?  Okay, do you want pineapple or orange?"

Elsie:  "No, a Pockle."

Mama:  "I know you want a popsicle- do you want a pineapple one, or an orange one?"

Elsie:  "No, Mama, a Pockle."

Mama:  "Honey, I know you want a popsicle- do you want the flavor to be pineapple or orange?"

Elsie:  "Yes, a flavor pockle!"

Mama:  "No, sweetie, what kind popsicle do you want?  An orange colored one, or a yellow colored one?"

Elsie:  "Oh!  A yellow Pockle, please!"

***

We like tutus at this house- on this day, I made my little sister wear one, too.

***

Mama:  "The aquarist has a special mask that allows her to see and protects her eyes from the water."

Elsie:  "Yeah!  Like Elsie's pineapple sunglasses have pineapples on them that protect my eyes from the rainbows!"

***

A few days before my third birthday, I drew some nice faces on a birthday card for a friend.  Mama was really impressed.  She is pretty easy to impress, though.

Another day at Epic

Taking a break from the walking tour to practice my numbers.

Daddy and Sylvie watched me.

Visiting the new Farm campus.

Checking out the instruments available to play outside the cafe.

Piano and drums, too!

More silly sitting around!

And a lunch break outside- with juice! :)