sing and count with Stella!

I have been kicking my self for not taking more videos of Stella Bella lately.  She is talking more and more each day, loves to sing, and is just learning to count.  It all goes by so fast!  I really need to get a video of her and Sylvie singing "Doe, a deer".  It's the cutest!!  But for now, here is part of Stella's favorite lullabye:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMOAzYSoJlo



And here is some more singing, and some counting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znwl4fgzdkY



Lots of love,  Keri

swimming Sylvie

We have a little fishy in our house now.  Swim classes are amazing to me.  Here is Sylv on day 3 of her 8 day class:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDvXXn3xxD0



Lots of love,  Keri

guaranteed to make you smile!

Jeremy gets in silly moods these days and will laugh at just about anything sometimes.  This video was from 2 weeks ago...I could watch it all day :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LlbcIxyBSI



Lots of love, 
Keri

the boxer

Isn't he the cutest?!  You'd never know that cutie pie could stir up such trouble.

Mr. cutie pie has decided he will no longer take bottles.  We found out while Daddy was  home with him and a bottle, which he absolutely refused to drink.  He screamed.  and screamed.  and screamed.   oops.

I made it my mission to get him to take a bottle, but he is a fighter.  He swings those arms like a boxer and fights hard with all those chubby fingers and gummy gums.  No way, no bottle!

We've tried a new kind of bottle, but with all that fighting, you can't really get the bottle near his mouth....hmm...not sure what the next step is.  Sippy cups?  Wait him out?  I don't know.  He's a persistant little thing.  And man, he has a great smile....when his belly is full :)

Lots of love, 
Keri

For Daddy, from the kids

Top 5 Reasons why you're the best dad:


1. You cheer on the Phillies and the Flyers with us.  (and now and then, those Eagles too!  :)

2. You share your ice cream with us.

3. You taught us the words to "Me and Julio, Down by the Schoolyard"

4. You paint our toe nails

5. Bath time with you Always involves lots of splashing and giggles (and sometimes a tiny princess seat).

We love you!!

Glitter in the hair

There are two things I meant to write about Jeremy in his 3 and 4 month update that I forgot.  The first is that he learned a new trick - how to grab his feet somewhere in that time frame, and they're now his favorite toys...isn't he cute!

The other is that he has had sparkly glitter on his fuzzy head for weeks.  Either the baths just aren't doing the trick or the girls are dumping fairy dust on his head when I'm not looking.  I guess that's what happens when you have sisters.  There are worse things than glitter on your head :)

Stella has fully embraced the terrible two's, let me tell you - really I can't even tell you.  You kind of have to be there.  But, this morning she put on a puppet show, where both Cookie Monster and Kermit took turns singing a song that goes "I love Mommy...I love Mommy....".  Stella has also gotten in the habit of coming up to me, placing one hand on each side of my face, and giving me a great big kiss.  Totally worth those temper tantrums.

Sylvie had her first swim class today.  I was a little worried.  No, I was VERY worried.  Swim classes in the past have been a little terrible.  This one was different though.  Three kids, one teacher, and no parents allowed.  (I think that's the secret to successful swim classes).  By the time I got to the observation room, Sylvie was in the pool, SMILING, and hanging on to the wall.  By the end of the class, she was swimming in deep water away from the wall with a float attached to her back and a floating bar bell out in front of her.  (Did I mention she was doing this all by herself?!)  Small accomplishments for some, huge accomplishments for us!!  Yay Sylvie - you are a rockstar!  I can't wait to see what's she's doing by class #8. 

Lots of love, 

Keri

Bright and Vivid

Bright smiling faces.  Vivid memories of the best water battle ever.  And check out those colors!  I used different actions than I normally do to edit, but where did that rainbow come from?!  I love everything about it.  

And I miss those West Virginia people already.  Come back soon, ok?

 
Check out other bright and vivid entries here.  Also, check out the winners from "From a Distance" here.  I was mesmerized.  One was taken with a point and shoot camera.  Amazing.



Lots of love,
Keri

catching Stella

I always have lots of pictures of my Sylvie, because she loves to pose for me

and smile

Stella is a little trickier, but tonight I got some really cute ones.  Just after Daddy was done trying to fly a kite and just before she fell and skinned her knees AGAIN, I took these:

and we (John) even had the kite in the air for a minute or so!

Lots of love, 

Keri

from a distance

The "I Heart Faces" photo challenge this week is "from a distance".  That's works out well with three kids to chase (well 2 to chase and 1 to carry), because I'm usually a step or so behind. 

I followed her as she followed the sunset, chasing the wind. 

I love summer nights.
See all the entries here.

Lots of love,
Keri

Jeremy's Three & Four month updates

I meant to write a 3 month update for J - really I did.  But he had this huge growth spurt right at 3 months and wanted to eat every five minutes for a week, and I went to visit baby Alice, and Stella had her birthday, and life is crazy with 3 little monkies!  And so, this is a 3/4 month update.

Cheap diapers work great - as long as you buy them big enough.  Somewhere during month 3 Jeremy started to leak out of his size 2's and has now graduated to size 3.  (side note: Stella is learning numbers from the diapers.  She knows hers are 4's!  The upside to not being potty trained yet is that you can teach numbers - who knew?) 

Jeremy has very recently become VERY aware of toys and is now happy with tummy time because he gets to see the toys and bat at them.  Then 23 seconds later, he hates tummy time again, but he's getting there.  He sleeps in his bassinet now (although still loves that swing), and even though he is bigger than the girls were and the same age that I thought they grew out of the bassinet, he seems fine.  I'm not sure if he is more content in there and kicks around less than they did, or if I'm just keeping him prisoner in my room for as long as I can!

He smiles all the time, and is never happier than when he is being poked, prodded, and loved on by his sisters.  The way he laughs at Sylvie's songs and jokes, you'd swear he understands her "What do you call a sleeping bull?....A bull dozer!!"  Stella continues to give me regular updates as to whether he is awake or "beeping", LOVES when Jeremy "miles at her", and refers to him as "Brudder" 99% of the time. 

J sleeps pretty well - he is on a schedule lately of about 10pm to 5 am or so, then eats and back to bed.  There are nights he doesn't go quite so long, but I'm not complaining.  He is about the age Sylvie was when we started foods, but I'm in no rush.  We waited until 6 months with Stella and had all sorts of issues with the cereals, so I'm thinking another 2 months will be fine to wait.

In general, Jeremy is a sweet, cuddly, little, laid-back dude, although I think he got used to all of the attention and excitement from his sisters, so he is no longer content to sit off to the side at dinner time.  He wants in on the action.  In some ways it has become easier to get the giraffe shots (he can sort of sit propped up), and in other ways it is more difficult (he likes to swing his arms around and try to "catch" the giraffe).

I am one lucky, lucky Mommy :)

Lots of love,
 Keri