Memorial Day

This year, we had a pretty relaxed Memorial Day weekend. We celebrated with family and friends at a couple of cook-outs and then worked on getting some things done around the house. The next couple of weeks are going to be busy -- Sophia's baptism is this weekend, along with a family memorial service. Steve will be leaving for Mexico on Sunday and I start back to work next week (after having a month off between semesters). For that reason, it was nice to have a low-key weekend on our agenda.

I thought that it would be fun to do a comparison of the girls on their first Memorial Day holidays. While they are wearing the same outfit, keep in mind that Samantha was 6 months old for her first Memorial Day and Sophia was only 3 months old.

And then, here is Samantha on all three of her Memorial Days. (The humidity yesterday made her curly hair quite wild!).

And what holiday would be complete without a picture of my girls together?

Gardening Girl

Our neighbor, Mr. Gerry, gave Samantha two little tomato plants. I decided to plant them in pots (it's too risky to plant them in the yard because of the deer) and put them on our back deck for Samantha to see and take care of. Today, she helped me to plant them.

I taught her how to handle the delicate plants:

And how important it is to pack the soil down tightly around the plant:

Lastly, she used her special watering can to water the plants:

And here she is with her plants right before I took them outside to set on our back deck:

Samantha loves tomatoes SO much that I am hoping for the best with these plants. If all else fails, we know that Grandpa planted a few extra plants for us and he will keep us well-supplied this summer!

Sophia is Three Months Old

Sophia is three months old today! I can't believe how easily she has fit right into our family; it's almost like she has always been here. She brings so much joy into our lives -- we love to watch her grow and change every day ... and we especially love watching the interaction between her and her big sister.

** I don't have any stats on her weight or length this month because we don't go back to her doctor until she is 4 months old. I can definitely say though that she is continuing to grow A LOT because her "3-6 month" sleepers with feet in them are starting to be a little tight on her. (This is because she is SO long).

** We officially moved her into her own room upstairs about 2 weeks ago. She is sleeping through the night (approximately 10 hours) now and very little seems to disturb her (especially the herd of elephants her sister that stampedes by her room every morning).

** Sophia will smile and coo at ANYONE. She is so friendly and such an easy-going baby. She rarely cries; only when she needs something.

** She is getting better and better at "tummy-time." She kicks off (like a little frog) when she is put on her belly and I was almost convinced that she was going to roll over on her own last night. I think that that momentous event will take place soon ...

** She rarely has a bottle, but when she does, she takes it like a champ. She's an excellent eater (as evidenced by her ability to gain weight and inches!).

** Sam has started interacting more with Sophia these days. She likes to give her toys and talk to her while she is on her playmat. Sam is so quick to retrieve anything that I ask her to get for me ... especially Sophia's bumbo seat or blanket. She asks to hold her all of the time and she does it so carefully that I almost forget that she is only 2 1/2.

We seem to have settled into a nice routine around here. I really enjoy my days with the girls (even though I have been cleaning up WAY TOO MANY bodily fluids for one person to handle lately). With the nicer weather, it's getting easier for me to take the girls places on my own. There is still a lot of preparation that takes place before we can even leave our driveway, but I'm getting good at it. I'm a good multi-tasker and that comes in handy ...

The next month will be busy around here with upcoming celebrations and Steve's travel trips. Oh, and I am going back to work for the summer (after having a month off between the Spring and Summer semesters). We'll be juggling lots of events, but that also means lots of pictures and updates on our growing girls!

Charlie

If you recall, a couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to Chester the Caterpillar. He is one of Samantha's most favorite projects to date. He continues to reside in the living room, proudly on display, and is introduced to every new person that comes into our house. Sam is so proud of him.

Last night before bed, Sam asked me if we could "make another Chester." I smiled and promised that we would do that today. After all, Chester needs a friend, right? She practically leaped out of bed while shouting, "Yay! A project!" If you don't know by now, I am telling you: My girl LOVES a good project. And Mommy is happy to oblige.

And so, the work began:

(You'll notice that we were also in the throes of designing/decorating a flower pot).


And the final masterpiece, Charlie: (on the left, next to Chester)

The Girls and Their New "Friends"

Last week, Steve had to travel to Florida for work. He was gone for a few days (not as long as he usually is), and the girls were so excited to see him when he came back on Friday. Well, Sam was definitely happy that he was home; I don't know that Sophia really noticed that he was gone, but she did have a lot of smiles for him ...

Steve was so thoughtful and brought back a stuffed animal for each one of the girls. Samantha's new friend is named Gus the Gator:

Gus has gone EVERYWHERE with Samantha ever since he made his debut in our household three days ago. Gus even has tea parties with us and last night, he was clutched tightly in Sam's arms when I checked on her before going to bed.

Sophia's new "friend" is Frannie the Flamingo:

Frannie is perfect for Sophia because her neck is long and skinny -- ideal for squeezing her little fingers around her. Sometimes Frannie has tea parties with us too, but Sam is very careful to remind me that "Daddy brought 'fla-mink-o' Sophia." In other words, she knows that the flamingo is Sophia's toy.

Oh, notice how strong Sophia is getting these days! She can sit in her bumbo seat and hold her head up for short periods of time all by herself! She is still a little wobbly and I have to be sure to sit close-by when she is in her seat. But I have no doubt that in another week or so, she will be an expert in that chair!

Springtime Festival

Every year, the city of Laingsburg puts on a Springtime Festival downtown. There are crafts, carnival rides and various activities. We were so lucky to have nice weather yesterday (after days and days of rain), so we headed out with the girls in the morning and went downtown.

Our first stop was a pancake breakfast (which Samantha thoroughly enjoyed). After that, we ran back home to feed Sophia and to get our chairs and sunglasses. After that, we were off to the parade!

While we waited for the parade to start, there were a few farm animals nearby that Sam LOVED petting. Her favorite animals were the sheep:

I wasn't sure if Sam would like the parade because she is going through a little phase right now where she doesn't like loud noises, but she really enjoyed it!

Waving to everyone:

Of course, the best part was running out into the street to get candy:

Sharing her loot with Daddy:

Having a sucker for the first time:

Sophia slept most of the time in her stroller. The loud noises woke her up a couple of times, but for the most part, she was a quiet spectator. She really is such a content baby -- it makes going anywhere with her relatively easy ...

2 1/2

Samantha is exactly 2 1/2 years old today. And I taught her to say that too.

I couldn't help but get a little nostalgic today as I thought back ... not to her birth date (because that is in November) ... but rather, to this time exactly two years ago. May 2009 was a big month for her.

Probably the biggest milestone that month was that she tried rice cereal for the first time. Yes, it was her first time with solids, her first time with a spoon and her first time in her high chair. It was a momentous event.

Mother's Day that month marked the first time that Samantha and I traveled together and spent the night away from home. We stayed overnight at a hotel in Grand Rapids with my sister-in-law (and her kids). It was definitely a fun time and Samantha used her bathing suit (and ladybug float) for the first time.

Finally, May 2009 was a big month for Samantha because she got her ears pierced. She did great -- she cried for about 10 seconds and then she stopped. She never tried to pull her earrings out or even touched them until she turned two years old. By that time, I was able to explain to her (and have her understand me) that her earrings can only be removed by Mommy.

I will always have a very special place in my heart for this little girl, for she is the one who made me a mama for the very first time. Deep inside, I truly believe in heaven. And someday when I cross over there, I'd like to think that my moment of entrance will be experiencing again those precious minutes when I became a mother. All of my wanting, hoping and wishing came true as her little body was placed in my arms and I cradled her so close to me.

All of the pain and the long hours of pushing -- well, I would go back and do it a million times over just to remember again what it was like to be changed so instantly. I've never been so overwhelmed by love.

And somehow, that overwhelming feeling continues to be there every day; it has never gone away. If possible, it has only gotten stronger as I watch her grow, change and blossom into a beautiful little girl ... She brings me such joy and I know that I couldn't imagine being any happier.

Happy 2 1/2 years, Samantha!

Sophia and Her Playmat

Sophia has really started liking her playmat lately. I used to put her on it simply for "tummy time," but now that she has an interest in reaching for her toys, she loves to play there. I try to change out some of the hanging toys to prevent any boredom, and it is so fun to watch Sophia as she uses her total concentration (she even sticks her tongue out) for reaching.

On some days, the playtime is so stimulating for her, that I often find that she falls asleep in the middle of it.

You will notice that in any "action shots" that are taken of Sophia these days, she is always wearing a bib. We have a BIG drooler on our hands and I must change those bibs a good twenty, well, maybe 5 times a day. It just seems like 20 times some days.

Keeping It Real

I love to blog. Sometimes I do it because I want to be sure to save all of these precious memories, and sometimes I do it because it serves as a means of keeping all of our family and friends updated with pictures of our girls (who seem to be growing up way too fast for me).

Regardless, I realize that through the blog, it may seem as though our lives are just filled with happy moments and lots of activities at all times. It may seem as though it is just a lot of picnics:

followed by creative days using sidewalk chalk to design masterpieces:

interspersed with days that are so sunny that we need an umbrella to block out some bright rays of sunshine:

But, the truth is that there are definitely days when I wonder if one more thing can possibly go wrong; if there is one more mess that I can possibly clean up; if there is one more diaper that I can possibly change. And on those days, I take a deep breath and try to smell the flowers:

On those days, I take a second look at my two girls sitting together:

It's then that I realize that while some days don't seem as rewarding as others, the number of good days far outweigh the not-so-good days here. We can always find something fun to do (while the messes pile up) and this mama always manages to take a picture to remember it by ... After all, that's why I blog.

It's A Great Day For ...

... a picnic!

The weather was so nice the other day that I asked Sam if she would like to have a picnic. Of course, she answered with a resounding, "YES!" and immediately set to work helping me gather everything for the picnic in our front yard.

We had so much fun that day that I have promised that there will be many more picnics to come. Of course, the weather needs to cooperate. And right now, it's looking like today might just be one of those picnic days!

While Sophia had already had her lunch, she kept us company during our picnic. Before long, the excitement for her had worn off and she decided to take a little snooze:

It worked out nicely because I moved Sophia to a nice shady area while Sam and I cleaned up. Afterwards, we played a few games of catch and she rode her tricycle around before she was tired enough to take her nap. I can't wait for more days like this -- just a chance to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air ...

Mother's Day Weekend

What a wonderful weekend we had! The weather was beautiful, which meant that we got to spend some quality time outside, and we also got to spend time with family. My brother, Zach, came over for a visit on Saturday afternoon and Sam was SO excited about the gifts that he brought for her (some sunglasses and new flip-flops for summer). The new flip-slops already resulted in a skinned knee ... the first of many more to come this summer, I am sure.

Later that afternoon, we met up with Steve's parents to celebrate the holiday. We had an early dinner and then headed back to their house ...

... but not before Sam spent a little bit of time playing arcade games.

While we were at their house, "Grandma's Little Love Bug" got some extra attention from Grandma.

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The next morning, Steve made breakfast for all of us while I opened my cards (I even got a special card from our cats, Mia and Watson). Then we got dressed and headed to church.

I couldn't resist getting a picture with just my two girls and me. I love them dearly ...

After church, we went to the local greenhouse to look at flowers and shubbery for our house. Sam loved running around looking at and smelling all of the flowers. Sophia slept most of the time in her carseat, but it was so nice to just get out and enjoy the weather.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home, watching the Tigers play baseball. We also managed to fit a little walk down to the park in there. All in all, it was the perfect way to spend my Mother's Day!

(Note: We will be celebrating Mother's Day with MY mom later this week).

Big Bird

When Samantha was about 5 months old, I purchased a stuffed Big Bird for her because she had already taken a real interest in that particular character on Sesame Street. We often wondered what she was so drawn to with him; was it his color? Was it his size? Or was it his voice? Regardless, she loved him -- so much so, that her first birthday celebration was a Big Bird themed party.


Here is a picture of Samantha taken 2 years ago with her new friend:

We still have him (I don't know that she would ever be willing to part with him entirely), and she brought him downstairs last night to play with in our living room. It was then that I watched the most wonderful thing happen: My firstborn little girl openly shared her favorite stuffed animal with her little sister. And guess what? Sophia seems to really like him too:

We have a lot of Sesame Street memorabilia in our home because of the fact that Sam is such a big fan of the show and all of the characters. Hopefully Sophia will be just as interested and will continue to share Sam's toys and DVDs. That way, we will be sure to get our money's worth out of them!

Chester the Caterpillar

Samantha and I did a special project together the other day (while Sophia supervised from her bouncy chair)-- we constructed "Chester the Caterpillar." We had a lot of egg cartons left over from Easter, so we took one and she designed Chester.

A little bit of paint, some pipe cleaners and a few feathers later ... and Chester came to life. Sam was so pleased with him! (Yes, she was insistent that Chester have feathers on him!).

A close-up of the masterpiece that is now proudly on dispay in my living room:

I was amazed at how much fun Sam had painting him. I had some acrylic paints laying around and a spare paintbrush and Samantha knew exactly what to do with them. It was like watching Picasso in action -- the way she blended the paints and strategically layered the colors. This definitely means that we have more painting projects in store for the future.