Easter

This year, we stayed around here for Easter.  We got to see my parents and sister on Friday and then we spent the weekend with Phil's family, as everybody was in town!  Great food and fellowship - thank you to all!  It was such a beautiful weekend outside - the sun was shining and the snow was melting, yay!  

A couple family pics to start us off.....

Lydia (6 months) and Gabriel (8 months) with Kathryn

Sarah, playing with those babies

These two were loving each other's company, per their usual.  Here they are, showing off their Easter treats from their Tante.  

Greta, like any other little girl I know, is in love with the movie FROZEN!  Here she is, the blur, reenacting her fav song & dance scene from the movie.  Henry/Superman is just trying to catch on :)

Oma & Opa with the grandbabes

Yes, that bunny showed up to our house on Sunday morning and brought Henry a few of his favorites - 10 new Lego guys and a street hockey stick & ball!  "How did he know exactly what I LOVE?" 

What a gorgeous Easter Sunday, 70* and sunny.  After church, the kiddos played outside all morning - egg hunts, bubbles, trucks, obstacle courses - lots of fun!  The big boys got a round of golf in, as well.

the first picnic lunch of the season

.....and a Krump Krew photo to end the day :)

eggs

The weekend before Easter was a chilly one!  I can't remember an Easter egg hunt with Henry that we haven't had to bundle up in winter coats and hats.  He was extremely busy that weekend, as we hit up 2 egg hunts - the Blaine one and our development we live in, The Lakes, hosted one.  

The "before" picture of the softball field.  It takes about 15 seconds for the eggs to disappear.  Next year, he'll be movin' on up to the 4-6 year old field.

Counting his eggs, as the limit was 8 per child!

Lydia got in on the afternoon egg hunt at the park near our house.  Just one pretty pink egg was all she needed :)

Oh, I just love the excitement on his face - another tootsie roll!

Gotta keep both eyes on that bunny at all times, huh?!

Speaking of eggs, Henry did a fabulous job dying our Easter eggs this year.  He said his favorite was that bright red one!

6 months

Lydia - what can I say about Lydia?  She's such a doll and I couldn't ask for a sweeter little baby.  Her smile is something else!  Everywhere we go, multiple people comment on how smiley of little girl she is.  She's got the perma-grin :)  She just goes with the flow, game for anything and everything, really don't complain unless she's hungry or tired.  LOVES watching that silly brother, smiling and giggling at him!  

I just started her on solids the day after she turned 6 months old.  Rice cereal for a few days and avocado tonight.  She squawks and gets mad at me when I stop feeding her, but I'm afraid to give her too much - too fast!  Other than that, she has about 5 good helpings of milk from me each day.  She has 2 little chompers on the bottom.  Dr. Sakkal said at her check-up that her upper gums were quite swollen, so he thought an upper tooth or two would be coming soon.  

She wears size 2 diapers and 6 month or 6-9 month clothing.  Sleeping at night isn't the most consistent yet.  She has given us a few full nights of sleep (~7am-7pm), which has been fabulous, thank you!  Other nights I have to make a quick trip (or a couple) in her room to put that pacifier back in.  If she does wake up, she's been going at least until 4am before needing to eat.  She's a good napper, no complaints there.

Here are her stats from Dr. Sakkal's visit the other day.  He said "God Bless this healthy baby" many times over during out visit and ended it with, "What a picture perfect examination!"  Oh, we love him :)

weight:  15# 9 oz (just shy of 50th %ile)

length: 25 1/4" (~25th %ile)

head circumference:  17" (~70th %ile) (big brains, huh?!)

Friday night fun night

We had a fun Friday night with the Budija family - first it was dinner at Cossetta's and then a trip to the Science Museum.  We live on opposite ends of the metro, so it's great to meet up with them like this.  We learned this trick from them - hit up the museums (Science or Children's) on a Friday or Saturday night and you'll have the place to yourselves.  It felt like we were the only ones there - just us and the cleaning crew! 

The pizza is fabulous at Cossetta's!     

First stop at the museum - the news desk.  They can pretend they're newscasters and then see themselves on tv.  Joe, Henry, & Jack - it was a competition to see who could be the silliest :)

Henry and Joe's impression of the triceratops - spot on, if you ask me!

Here's Lydia - just sitting with her friend.....

.....and now catching up on some light reading with the dinosaurs - she chose Rocks & Minerals.  

The boys made quick stops for puzzles.....

.....and building blocks too.  

We ended the night on the big chair - silly, silly, silly boys!  

what's up?

Spring has sprung around here - thank goodness!  We've been loving getting out for our walks and actually seeing some of the neighbors again, ha.  Henry is not the biggest fan of his balance bike right now ("but it's not my most favorite thing to do," he says) because he wants to go straight to a big-boy bike.  He says, "I already practiced on this bike, and now I need a new one!"  He's struggling with what "practice" really means :)  Well, we made up a sticker chart this week, "Henry's bike-riding chart," where he has to "practice" 30 times/days and then we can go to a big-boy bike.  He's pumped!

Check out those pearly whites on Miss Lydia.  She's over her cold, and back to her normal self - my happy little camper.  The girl loves to smile at everybody!  

Auntie Jackie

We had a blast around here last week when Auntie Jackie came to visit.  When these two get together, it's nothing but craziness (or "cray cray" as Henry says now thanks to that Auntie)!  We were busy with projects, cooking, baking, reading, and lots of playing!  Henry just loves her, was tearing up the morning she left, and told me he was missing her the next day :(

Thanks for coming, Auntie Jackie.  We had an "awesome-sauce" time :)