the last nap

Sylvia has been slowly giving up naps.  I usually just tell her to have some quiet time after lunch.  Yesterday she took a bunch of library books in the guest room to relax.

When I checked on her I found books all over the bed and sweet, sleeping Sylvia.

When she finally woke up she was instantly smiling for the camera :)

Then she texted some friends from her Blackberry.

Haha!  Just kidding.  I don't know what she was doing there.  We were just chatting about something.

Such a sweetheart.  All day yestereday and today, as people have been posting pictures of "the night before kindergarten" and "the first day of school", all I can think is that I am so glad she is only 4.  This child has been waiting forever to turn 5 so she can go to kindergarten, but I'm glad she has to wait another full year.  My little baby:)

Although, it took her a long time to fall asleep last night, so I think, in general, naps are done.  Today, instead of quiet time, we had Mommy-daughter Wii Fit time!

p.s.  at the bottom of each blog post on the web-site, there are three recommended other posts "you might like".  After I posted this entry, this older one showed up and caught my eye:  http://thetexfamily.blogspot.com/2010/08/best-buddies.html
If you have time, watch the videos from that one.  Stella is just a month or so older than Jeremy is now and Sylvia was 2 1/2 or so.  I need to take more videos!!

Lots of love,

Keri

Bed time

Pictures can be deceiving.  If you look at this picture you might think bed-time was a quiet and cuddly time.

You wouldn't know about the fussy little baby who is crying because he just wants to be fed so he can fall asleep.

You wouldn't know about the 4 year-old who is crying because she is "too cool" for baths and needs a shower.

You wouldn't know about the 2 year-old who cries about....well, everything.

But really, we handled it well.  I changed and fed Mr. J while John started both girls in the bathtub.  It was a screaming, giggling, crazy kind of time, but that is normal for bed-time.  When Stella came out of the tub she was shrieking (totally normal for her), so Daddy consoled a little bare-butt Stella (cutest thing in the world!!) while I helped Sylvia take a shower.  Once everyone was clean, dry, and snug in their pj's, John read one of the library books for bed time.

If all goes well, bed-time ends with sweet, cuddly, quiet time.  :)

Lots of love,

 Keri

Sylvie swims with jumping babies

I thought I posted this 2 months ago.  I wrote this 2 months ago.  I donl't think I included these videos in any other post?  Who knows.  Anyway, here are some videos from 2 months ago:


These are a few videos from the last day of swim class.  By the end, Sylvie could paddle around with no bar bell and swim on her back with the bar bell and some assistance from her teacher.  Look Mom, no hands!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q5qgjbuzUE



And here is Sylvie swimming on her back (although Stella was MUCH more interested in those jumping babies!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXpwSgrbj34



Lots of love, 
Keri

my helpers

They look like such little buddies, don't they?

 Everyday Stella claims that Jeremy (who has no teeth, by the way) is biting her. Maybe she doesn't understand what that means? She continues to try (lovingly) to bite him even though I have "no biting" conversations with her everyday. No worries though, yesterday I told Stella to back up and give him some space and found a pony tail's worth of hair ripped out and gripped tightly in his little fist. Seriously, we could have made a pony tail out of all that hair. I think he can defend himself pretty well already!

Sylvie is little Mommy 100%. She helps Stella get dressed, go potty, learn the ABC's, and almost anything else that Stella asks of her. They are the cutest little team.

 Sylvia loves anything to do with Jeremy too. She was so excited when I took these pictures because she got to play "hold Jeremy." That's a very popular game in our house.

Tonight I let her feed Jeremy his applesauce. While I put the tacos together and turned my back for half a second I heard her say "awww Jeremy, do you want to try to feed yourself?". How cute! No...wait....Sylvie, he's too little, please....

too late. Applesauce everywhere.

Dinner time at our house is so unbelievably crazy. If applesauce on the baby is the worst thing that happens, we're in good shape :)

Lots of love,

Keri

Interview with a Princess

She throws temper tantrums like no other 2 year old, but gives the sweetest little kisses 2 minutes later. She tells me "you look bootiful, mommy" almost every day, and never misses a "thank oo", "bess oo" or "I love joo". She doesn't know all of her colors, but she knows purple, can count to 13, and is starting to recognize letters. Here is an interview with a princess:

Is your name Stella Jane or Stella Bella? STELLA JANE!
Stella Jane What? STELLA JANE.......PWINCESS.
What is your favorite color? PU-PULL
What is your favorite food? EGGS; CHICKEN [I would say the real answer is blueberries raspberries, strawberries, and raisin bran]
What is your favorite TV Show? DORA!
Can you count? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, FUTEEN, FUTEEN, FUTEEN......DAH-VEE TEACH ME!

They have been begging me to let them wear their "princess dresses" since Aunt Jill's wedding. I figured I would let them wear them one night and take them somewhere pretty for pictures at the park. The other night, we had free time after dinner, so I just let them wear them around the backyard. Who needs a pretty park? These girls make the weeds look pretty. They had so much fun chasing each other in those little dresses. Maybe next time we'll go to the park...or maybe not.

Lots of love,

Keri

six months old

When you are six months old.....

- rolling over is scary stuff.  [J started rolling from front to back at 5 months and back to front at 6 months.  The first time he rolled to his stomach he got very, very quiet so I picked him up, and he then started screaming, poor little sweetie.  He now rolls regularly on to his stomach, and then screams for me to "save him." ]
- you think your sisters are HYSTERICAL!  You would let them lay on you, lick you, bite you (no joke), and you would continue to laugh at everything they do.  [We recently found bite marks on Jeremy's hand, and I later saw Stella in action biting the baby.  He never stopped smiling...]
- food is strange and new and yucky and fabulous, depending on your mood.  [J's first taste of food was on the way to NC at an Arby's - Daddy fed him apple sauce.  Since then he has had bananas, sweet potatoes, rice cereal, and ice cream.]
- road trips are fine, as long as your belly is full, and vacations are fun as long as there is a bouncy seat to boune in!  [J's first vacation was to Outerbanks.  He was totally fine for the 10+ hour trip as long as we would stop immediately to feed him when he decided he was hungry.  He loved the pool on vacation, was super pleasant no matter where he was, and LOVED bouncing in his little seat so much I was worried he might catapult himself across the room]

Being the mommy of a 6 month old means:

- sweet potatoes on your pants and spit up on your shirt
- peeking in to check on nap time to be rewarded with the biggest gummy smile in the world
- letting go of the bassinet and having baby in the same room (sniff, sniff!)
- getting drenched at bath-time even though there is only an inch of water in the tub (that baby likes to kick!)
- having a little buddy cling to your hair / shirt / face at all times  :)

Happy 1/2 birthday Remy Axwell (in the words of your sister, you know, the one that bites you)

Lots of love, 
Keri