So beautiful and so fun

I painted Avery's nails for the first time and she thought they were "so beautiful!"














My sister was in town for a wedding, and helped Avery blow on her nails (remember, Avery doesn't blow, she spits!)














Romey cuddling with Lea, and thinking, "please don't go!"


















Gosh, I love this crazy kid.

Spring swing

Romey: "I love swingin' and looking at Daddy!"














Romey: "Okay, one quick look at Mommy but then back to Daddy!"

And she grows and grows

Lately we’ve been calling Romey “our little cherub.” It’s easy to nickname a happy-go-lucky smiley and giggly kid that doesn’t really move, doesn’t scream demands, and doesn’t kick parental types in the face during a diaper change……..okay……..back to Romey. Before I go back to Romey, please begin praying for Avery’s pre-school teacher.

So, Romey is almost 19-weeks old, and has been growing and growing. Between months two and four, Romey extended another two and a half inches and put on three more pounds. She performed splendidly for the doctor, and the doctor was pleased with her growth and development. Romey’s so easy—the crazy kid “motor-boated” (spit and blew raspberries) through the entire appointment. This is a NEW kind of experience for me, and I LOVE it. Of course, I rewarded her with a new play dress from Hanna. Don’t worry Dan—it was on sale ;)

The day after

Today is the second day of my 31st year. Wow, I’m 31, and I totally believe it and totally feel like it. Yesterday was a pretty special day, despite the fact that I still went about my normal routine with my two little ankle-biters underfoot. It’s fun to hear from people, and see what types of surprises pop up throughout the day. Avery wore her Elmo party hat (as she does everyday), and skipped around the house wishing me a “Happy Birthday! Make a wish!” Instead of correcting her, as she does this everyday, I just said, “Thanks.” The day topped off with a Mrs. Fields cookie cake, and some Dora party hats. Avery thought she’d help me blow out my candles, and by blow I mean spit. So we saved that corner of the cake for her ;) All in all, it was a pretty cool day. Now if I can just hang in there for 31 more!

Avery helping me "spit out" the candles.













Avery being chastised for spitting on the cake.
















Today also marks the one-week countdown til Lea comes to town. In honor of this highly anticipated occasion we let Avery drink some pickle juice (don’t worry there wasn’t more than a tablespoon of juice in there; for those of you that don’t know, Lea loves pickles and has a long history of drinking from the pickle jar).

Livin’ the Dream

Many of you know that Dan and I are marketing-minded people. We often marvel at creative advertising, or shop-talk different concepts. Lately, our own tagline has been 'Livin’ the Dream.' Romey and Avery had been giving us a hard time and Dan had looked at me and said, “Sus, we’re sure livin’ the dream, aren’t we?” Yep, we sure are. Although sometimes it feels like we’re 'Livin’ on a Prayer' or 'Livin’ la Vida Loca.'

Avery + Potty Training = God help us. Did you know that a toilet seat doubles as a cup holder? Take a closer look (below) and see that Avery has managed to balance her sippy cup right next to her leg. I mean, really, you never know when you’ll need a drink while you’re using the restroom, right?



















In a nutshell, Avery needs to be potty-trained (potty learning is the politically correct term) prior to starting pre-school in the fall. We’re not sure Avery’s ready (for potty learning; school: YES!). She is showing certain signs of readiness, she’s not showing other signs of readiness……..I don’t know.

So, on Tuesday I thought I’d make it a potty day, and potty day it was. Avery logged several hundred miles on her potty chair, earning her a red-rimmed hiney. Were we successful? Yes, but only because Avery wasn’t doing anything besides sitting on the potty. Did she tell us that she needed to sit on the potty? No, and every time I stepped out of the room to tend to Romey, Avery had an accident. I sense we’re close, but how close I don’t know. I find this parenting milestone simply maddening. One thing is for sure: we can’t treat potty training like cramming for a final exam (i.e. pre-school starting as our deadline). Stay tuned.

And if you haven’t seen Dan lately, and you happen to run into him, you’ll surely notice that he’s nearing the 60-pound loss mark. Dan is always telling me about the great salad that he had, or subjecting me to a fashion show of the clothes he hasn’t been able to wear in years. He’s glowing, and I’m so proud of him. I can’t keep up with him on walks though, and find that I’m often trailing him. Guess it is time to retire the “I’ve been baking babies and eating snickers for the last three years” excuse.

What else? Romey continues to delight us with her sweet smiley self. We’re anticipating her four-month well-check next week, and are curious what her stats are. Dan and Avery are just returning from their trip to the Creative Learning Art Studio for Kids. Enjoy these fun pictures!