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!