Swimming with Auntie K and Uncle G!

K and G offered to take me swimming today, and I wasn't scared a bit!  I ran across the parking lot right to them, and didn't even care that Mama didn't come with.

Auntie K took these great pictures of me playing with my youngest uncle.  I love Uncle G!

It was kind of cold out, so Uncle G helped me warm up when we got out of the water.

When Mama came back to get me, I was playing in the giant sandbox.  Oh, and see that big water slide in the background?  I went down by myself.  Because I am a big kid.

Mama and Sylvie went for a walk at a nearby trail while I swam.  Sylvie didn't want to sleep, so they took a picture instead.

When I saw Mama at the fence, I came running to tell her all about my fun time with G and K.  I had such a great time, I had Mama fill the pool in our backyard so that I could splash just a little bit more before coming inside to finally get out of my wet suit.  What a fun day to be a big kid!

Whoa, dinos.

Mama left me in charge of Sylvie for a minute, so I decided to improve her view while she worked on some tummy time.  Based on her cries, though, I think it's fair to say she doesn't like dinosaurs as much as I do. 

Miscellaneous...proud moments for Mama.

Mama:  Elsie, do you want me to help you with your undies?  They look like they aren't on quite right.  Elsie:  No, Mama, I LIKE them like this1   

And....Sylvie's fist photo bomb (that's her hand, in case you can't tell).

Tis the season for birthdays...

Here are some pictures of me having fun at a friend's party:

Birthday party!

A day at the farm with friends.

Bottle-feeding baby goats.

He tried to eat my hat!

Silly goats!

Running to catch up with all my friends.

Hand-feeding the catfish and watching the goats play on Goat Island.

Sylvie was there, too.  She didn't seem too impressed, but maybe that was because she didn't get to pet any animals.

Using the rope swing.

Pushing Nico, Maddie, and Elie in the wagon (Katy helped).

Playing with baby kitties- my favorite part!

June Play Dates

With a birthday coming up and lots of spring cleaning to be had, we've been busy. We made sure to take some time to have a few play dates, though.

My friend Huck and I played at the park together.  We dug in the sand, walked around barefoot, and held hands while we ran across a field.  Mama was not fast enough to get a photo of that cuteness, though.

My friends Dahlia and Baby Fiona joined us for a date at a park, then lunch at Panera.  Dahlia is very old (4!!!), so I have to act like a big kid around her.  Dahlia gave me a birthday present, and I gave her my first unprompted 'thank you' ('Thank you, Dahlia, for the BEAUTIFUL, beautiful necklace!  I really love it!").  Mama was very proud.  I was just happy to have such a good friend to share my macaroni and cheese with.

Sylvie is three months!

At three months of age, Sylvie is a joyful, smiling girl.  She eats well, sleeps deeply, and loves nothing more than long, goo-ing conversations with Mama or Daddy.
 
Two weeks before her three-month birthday, Sylvie decided to learn to roll over.  She rolled about six times that night from her back to her tummy, and by the end of the next day she was making two and three consecutive rolls at a time, back-to-tummy and tummy-to-back again all across the bed.

She weights 11.0 lbs (10%) and is 24 inches long (60%) (for those interested, Elsie was 11 lbs 8 ounces (18%) and 23.5 inches long (55%) at this age).

She has managed to create quite a little bald spot on the back of her head from all the playing she does on her back, which we find very funny (Sylvie is getting a little sparse on top, too- it may not be long before she is bald just like Elsie was at this age!).

She has started to reach for toys (though rarely catches them), loves Sophie the Giraffe, and adores laying in her crib and watching her lamb mobile. She likes going for runs and sitting up in her Bumbo chair, doesn't mind car rides, and spends most of her days happily snoozing in the Ergo while Mama chases after Big Sis.

Watch me grow:

1 month

2 months

3 months

May Quotes by Elsie

 

Came around the corner to see this by the front door....Elsie explained that she was preparing to set sail on a boat and was "packing."  At least she knew to include a large number of underwear.

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Mama:  "Elsie, do you want to go to the Gym today, or the Children's Museum?"
Elsie:  "The Gym!  Elsie LOVES the Gym!"
Later that day, on the way home from the Gym, where she had a great time:
Elsie:  "Mama, I think I didn't want to go to the Gym.  I think now I would rather go to the Museum.  Now we better go to the Children's Museum instead..."

***

Letter Elsie dictated to me to write to her cousin, Campbell, when new baby Piper arrived:
"My mama told me that you have a new baby sister.  When I first had a new baby sister I was sometimes really sad.  Are you sad?  I made you a friendly monster so you feel better.  Now my Baby Sylvie is bigger and I am really happy!"

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Sweeping with Daddy- her t-shirt reads "Daddy Rocks!"

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"Mama, are you drinking coffee in Kermit Car?  Please be careful!  Do not spill your coffee all over Kermit!  Be really careful, because the road makes Kermit bump, bump, bump and you do not want to spill on accident!"

***

While driving in the car...

Elsie:  "Mama, did you know that five plus one is SIX, and five plus two is SEVEN?"

Mama:  "That's right!"

Elsie:  "And did you know that five plus three is EIGHT?"

Mama:  "Where did you learn that, Elsie?"
Elsie:  "I just knowed it."

***

Mama:  "Elsie, you are just so lovely.  What would I ever do without you?"

Elsie:  "Mama, you would probably sleep."

So true....

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Walking into REI:

"Mama, all these bikes are SO BEAUTIFUL!" 

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Making ice cream, and adding toppings:

"...and pecans, and blueberries, and peanuts, and APPLE NUTS!"

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Elsie: "Mama, sing the Red Moon Song...'O red moon, O red moon'.  You sang it to me when I was just a little baby!"

Mama: "I don't remember that.  I don't think I know the Red Moon Song- how does it go?"

Elsie:  "Hmmm.  I don't know, either.  When I grow really, really big, then I will know it, and I will sing it to you!"

***

Elsie's first joke:

Daddy:  "Elsie, guess who is coming to breakfast with us?  Uncle G and Auntie Kristin!"

Elsie:  "But Elsie doesn't LIKE Auntie Kristin!"

Daddy:  "You don't like Auntie Kristin?  Since when?"

Elsie:  "Hee hee hee hee hee!  Elsie DO like Auntie Kristin!"

***

Add the zoo- Sylvie's first stroller ride without her carseat!

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In the tub, while playing with giraffe and lion animals, after a disturbing noise emerged:
Mama:  "Elsie, was that a toot or a poop?"

Elsie:  "That was just bubbles coming out of my bottom."
Mama:  "What were those bubbles doing in your bottom?"
Elsie:  "Those naughty bubbles were teasing my animals!"

***

Being an adorable "Newsie"/bear, complete with Pooh Bear sticker.

Puddle Walk

The three ladies of the house attempted to go for a walk to the park on Wednesday afternoon, but before we were down the driveway it began to pour.  And pour.  Always the adventurers, we quickly switched our tennies for rain boots and embarked on a Puddle Walk.

Sylvie immediately fell asleep in her carrier- between the sound of my heart and the sound of the rain on our umbrella, we recreated a live version of her beloved sound machine and I am pretty sure she thought she had finally found the fabled Land of Sleep she'd been looking for since she was born.

Elsie was in her own personal Heaven, splashing and running with a dragon and frog in hand, filling her boots with water and giggling with glee.  We played for almost an hour before we saw Daddy coming home from work, soaking wet on his bicycle (no, he did NOT want us to pick him up in the car!).  A quick game of Chase Daddy ensued as soon as the bike was tucked in the garage.

The street flooded, Elsie lost her two-sizes-too-big boots a few times during particularly exuberant leaps, but we didn't come inside until the rain stopped and a little hungry tummy reminded us it was dinner time.

P.S.- Elsie and I took a shower together to warm up, and I learned that there is a lot of money to be made in a Loofah-on-a-Stick marketed at preschoolers.  Who knew?

Just riding my bike on a rainy day...

Pit Stop


All's safe...let's ride!

A friendly encounter...

When Mama and Sylvie and I went to the zoo, we ran into my good friends Nico and Ellie! We played on the playground, and Nico took me on a train ride:

Nico tells me the plan..."I will be the conductor, and you will be the passenger!"

He watched very carefully to make sure I was seated and safe before he started the train...

"All aboard?  Hold on tight!  Toot toot!"