Learning Stuff

It's been a big week so far.

Nathan is learning to walk. Sunday afternoon he decided crawling is so last month. He's been walking almost nonstop since.



And I'm learning to take pictures.


So, naturally, I've taken billions of pictures of Nate walking.





Here's a blurry shot of Nathan falling.

We're both still learning.

Third Birthday Party!

Brooke's third birthday party was this weekend!

We loaded up the car up with balloons until we couldn't see out the back window.


And we added the must-have ingredient for a third birthday party: grandparents.

I'm not sure who had more fun with the Tinkerbell fairies and that scares me.





Grandma and Papa got us hooked on the homemade ice cream, and it's now a key part of just about any gathering. Brooke licked the paddle and made a huge mess.

The aftermath.


And then, of course, presents. Brooke hit the motherload.




Brooke tried on some of her cute new clothes and played and played with the new toys. The Tinkerbell dolls were a big hit--a big change from the trucks and cars she's always loved. That makes mama happy.


Thanks to Nina, we had a purple Tinkerbell cake with three little candles. Brooke knew to blow out the candles and did it like she'd done it a hundred times before.

She had some help from Snow White and the fairies.



Here she is, Little Miss Three. Happy birthday, Brooke!


Love, me

Pictures

I got my camera! Woo hoo!

I really, really love it, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm having a lot of fun trying, though.

It was gorgeous out today so I took my subject for a photo shoot. Uh...I took my son to the park. He, he.







Brooke was in no mood for my picture-taking today. Too bad for her. :-)

Three!

A few days after Brooke was born, I remember sitting with her in her room and rocking her. She was absolutely tiny, weighing less than six pounds. Her little pinky finger was as long as my pinky is wide. She was so delicate and fragile, swimming even in her little pink preemie clothes.

Outside her window I could hear kids at the bus stop. I remember looking at her and thinking that kindergarten seemed a million years away. I pictured a little girl with long, dark hair and brown eyes that looked just like her daddy waiting at the bus stop.

I was wrong about two things: 1) my blue-eyed blond girl looks nothing like her daddy and 2) kindergarten is most certainly not a million years away. We're more than halfway there already. Brooke started preschool yesterday.



And she turns three next week!

Don't worry, I won't get all teary-eyed on you. This is such a sweet, happy time. Brooke visibly lights up any time we mention her party. She knows the drill: cake, ice cream, presents and grandparents. We're doing a simple little Tinkerbell party with just the grandparents. I can't wait to watch her have an amazing day!

I love that little girl to pieces and I can't believe three years have gone by since God let us have her.

Blessed, we are.

My Very Fun Weekend

This weekend we packed up everything we own and headed to my parents' house so the kids could have some Nina and Pop-pop time. And so we could meet our new little niece and cousin. And so Scot and I could run off to the lake and meet up with some friends. Fun!

First, we met our sweet new niece. Here she is with her mama.


She showed us her little baby tricks.

So much cuteness!! I just love her already.

My brother reminded me that he is the artist in the family and showed me that I do not, in fact, have "mad Play-doh skills." He does. (Click here to see what I'm talking about.)


Nemo and Flounder. Brooke may never ask me to play Play-doh again.

And then we took off to the lake and met some really good friends that we've been close with since college. We shopped, ate, played mini-golf, and laughed and laughed and laughed.


Me and my man at dinner.

I distinctly remember that I did not play mini-golf well the last time I played, about 20 years ago. Still true. Everyone kept saying things like "you made par that time, Amy!" or "I think the green must be slanted." I was the overall loser, but I had a lot of fun trying.


Our friends on the golf course.

When we got home I put Nathan in some of the clothes I bought him at the lake.

Fall forecast: overalls. And lots of 'em.

It was a really, really good time, made possible by my parents. (Thanks, again!)

Got Milk?

According to my copy of What to Expect: The Toddler Years, studies have shown that babies and toddlers may grow in "spurts of 0.2 to 1 inch over a single 24-hour period." (!!!!)

It's from my cutting-edge 1996 edition, so I don't know if that study proved true or not. But kids do grow really stinkin' fast.

Check out the hem of this dress in May and then August.

Taken May 2010



Taken today.



Bub-bye favorite little polka-dot dress.

We Have Baby Steps!

Dear Nathan,

You took two little baby steps tonight!

The whole family went to our local park tonight since it's nice outside. Our park has a little petting zoo. We were feeding leaves to the goats and I stood you a few steps away from the fence. I let go and you just stood there. Then I gave you a little nudge and you took two bow-legged, wobbly little steps to get to the goats!

We were so excited! We clapped for you, and you looked at us like we were crazy. So far, you've had no interest in trying again.

I didn't have my camera on me, naturally. But I'll catch it the next time, I know it!

Love, me

Mad Play-Doh Skills

I've got 'em. Probably because I get hour upon hour of practice.

With Brooke's birthday coming up, all conversation and play is birthday-related.We have daily snake birthday parties.

A snake birthday party must have a snake with a smiley face and a birthday hat.


A tiny snake birthday cake with three candles.



And gifts.



Snakes like tiny dinosaurs, evidently.

Snake, do you know what I did four years ago this month? Back before my days were full of snake birthday parties and kiddie pools? I took the bar exam.


Yeah, laugh all you want, snake. I gave you life and I can take it away.