Sparklers, scooting, sushi, and sisters

Brooklyn is 6 months old, almost 7 months. She is trying to crawl these days. She is scooting more and more everyday. Brooklyn wants to play with Bailey's toys, which doesn't make Bailey too happy. Bailey will be 4 in a couple weeks. So crazy how fast they grow. 

We had fun with sparklers on the 4th of July!

Wes had a campout with Bailey in the backyard, so we roasted some marshmallows!

   Bailey wanted to feed Brooklyn dinner, such a good big sisters.

            Someone loves the swings!

                         Sisterly love!

Brooklyn is playing with her sisters toys while she is supposed to be in bed.

              Learning to crawl...

               And sit up....

           Picking our first tomato...

         and squash...

Yesterday we celebrated our 7th anniversary. We went to sushi with the girls. This was only about a quarter of what we ate. Yum!

Bailey loved the first bite, but I think the rice was a bit much (probably because she shoved the whole piece in) for her so she only ate the middle part of her California roll.

Summer fun!

It is not very often that we all get to hang out as a family. I sure cherish these moments with our family. These are pictures of us from our day of playing outside. Wes wore Brooklyn in the amazing Ergo for the first time. I think he is hooked! 

Yummy food!

6 months and she loves her food!! She is eating like a little piggy. So far she has had carrots, oatmeal, and avocado. She loves to grab the spoon and chew on it. 

In the blink of an eye

I am sitting outside watching B1 (Bailey) play, rocking B2 (Brooklyn, and listening to music while taking a break from putting in grades that I have piled up. As if I don't have enough going on, I am starting graduate school in two weeks.

A lady in the store today told me I look great for just having a baby, that it doesn't even look like I just had one. I thanked her and told it was because with two I forget to eat, drink, let alone breath. Who needs to work out when you have young kids? I feel like I am working out all day long, even when I am working. I try to keep the attention of 23 6-7 year olds all day long and then come home to hold a baby all night while entertaining a toddler/preschooler. Good thing I like kids...

Every blog post is the same... I say I will try to be more consistant with blogging, but in all reality... it's not happening. It will happen when it happens. :)

So I blinked and Brooklyn turned 5 months old...then I realized Bailey will be FOUR in 2 months.

Bailey is still in Ballet and absolutely LOVES it. I am so glad that we signed her up. She is going to be so bummed when she realized ballet is over during summer. I want to sign her up for summer classes, but I will be in summer classes myself. She has become such an independent little girl. She now dresses herself without being asked and does her hair (brushes it and throws a headband in). She loves to wear dresses while playing outside in the dirt. She is an amazing little girl and I am so proud of the little girl she is becoming. She may be disobedient and crazy at home, but she makes sure she is respectful in ballet and at school. She definitely has her moments of sassiness, rudeness, etc. but don't we all??

Brooklyn has grown so much as well! She is rolling around the floor, trying to sit up, more interactive, and probably one of the happiest babies I have ever seen. She loves smiling at everyone, especially her big sister. I don't think there is any greater love than the love you feel when you see your children love each other. It is truly an amazing feeling.

This past week, my sister and her HUSBAND came to town and got to meet B2 for the first time. It was a great visit and I am sad to see them go. Bailey adores her Aunt so much!

Hide and Seek with Aunt Ali-Sun

Smiles and Ballet

Brooklyn is almost 3 months old! Where has the time gone? Time has flown by now that I am back at work. I have been back for a month and I feel like I haven't stopped going. I came back to work during a crazy time! I have been trying to get back into the swing of things while trying to catch up and keep my head above water. I am looking forward to our two week long spring break to decompress a bit and start our 4th quarter fresh. But who wants to hear about me and my work? Let's get to the little cuties that have become the center of our world.

Brooklyn a.k.a B2 (credit goes to my brother Pete on the nickname) rolled over a few weeks ago and has yet to do it again. Little stinker! She has been chewing on her hands and drooling like crazy. Possible teeth soon? Or maybe she is just discovering her little cute hands. She has also found her thumb and has been sucking on that here and there. I think my favorite milestone so far that she has been doing more and more is all the smiling!!  Our hearts melt when she smiles at us when we first walk into the room, change her, or make silly sounds at her. She is pretty stinking cute! I have even been able to get a chuckle out of her by tickling her neck.

At her two month appointment she was 11 pounds. She is already bigger than Bailey was! She is completely out of her newborn clothes. Bailey even helped me box them up the other day. I have to say, it was less emotional this time than it was when I packed them away when Bailey was a baby.

She has been doing great at school and seems to have adjusted well to going twice a week. Bailey gets to see her once in awhile during the day. I love that both my girls get to spend the day at the same place while Wes and I are at work.

Bailey has been a great big sister. She LOVES her sister SO much. She truly adores her, always wants to hug and kiss her, and loves to help me with her. I am thankful that she too has done well adjusting to new things. I thought for sure, we would be having jealousy issues by now. Instead, we are enjoying the wonderful behavior that comes with being 3. Whoever said terrible two's were wrong...it is the "Trying Three's". WOW Every button I have, she has pushed...multiple times. She is a very bright girl, too smart at times. I do love watching her personality come out and exploring who she is. She is such a sweet girl and my heart swells every time she randomly tells me "Mommy....I love you". She has me wrapped around her finger with those words.

Bailey just started ballet this month and she is having a blast. When Bailey walks into the place where she takes ballet class, she walks in confident and happy, ready to get started. This is a different Bailey than I see when I drop her off at school or take her somewhere else other than the house. She is normally extremely shy and emotional when we are in a different territory. So, when I saw how comfortable she was in her ballet class, I couldn't keep from smiling. She has found something that she truly enjoys and is a part of her. Tomorrow she is going to do a little dance at the convention center. When I say dance, I mean she will twirl and jump around like every other 3 year old there. She does try hard to follow the teacher though and wants to do everything she is doing. She has to be the cutest ballerina EVER!

Homemade Thing 1 costume for Dr. Seuss Day!

Brooklyn's 1st Month

With Bailey, I was updating weekly or even daily on here. With Bailey AND Brooklyn, I am lucky if I can finish a cup of coffee in peace or even use the restroom more than once during the day! While Brooklyn is sleeping and Bailey is content watching a movie, I thought "Now I have my chance!". I wonder how long this post will sit in my blog as a "draft" before I can actually publish it.

Brooklyn is now a month old! That month FLEW by!! I went to my brother's house yesterday and the first thing my niece said (after the routine "Hi Aunt Hairy") was how big she has gotten. It made me go back into my pictures and she is right, Brooklyn is really growing. Makes me sad because these first weeks and months are so precious and special. I even have to go back to work in less than 4 weeks!! I am thankful that Brooklyn will be going to the same place as Bailey (our wallet will not be happy!), it will make leaving her a little bit easier.
                     
Brooklyn and I have been doing better nursing than Bailey and I ever did. By this point with Bailey I was starting to just use the pump and only bottle feed Bailey. With Brooklyn, we are just now getting the hang of it and I don't have any intention of stopping any time soon! I am shocked I made it this far since I was having issues by the 2nd-3rd week. Thankful for my mommy friends who gave me the confidence to keep pushing through because it would get easier.

Brooklyn has been more alert lately and has started to check things out. She LOVES the black and white picture of Wes and I that we have on our wall (was also a favorite of Bailey's) and she loves reflections of light. She is sleeping a bit longer at night, which is nice! Her Newborn clothes are becoming a bit more snug, so it may be time to pull out the 3 month clothes *sniffle*.

Bailey loves her little sister and constantly wants to kiss her, poke her, give her toys, etc. Sometimes I have to remind her to be careful around her since she is still so little. The other day Bailey was getting upset and kept pushing toys at Brooklyn. I asked her what was going on and she said "I just want her to play with me!". She is so excited for her sister, that she doesn't understand that she needs to wait a bit before Brooklyn will be old enough to play with. By the time she is old enough, Bailey will probably be asking me to put her back into my belly.
      

           

She is a great helper!!

                    

It has been so nice being home when Wes is home because we are able to do things as a family. This is a rare occasion since we have opposite schedules most of the year. Lately, we have been going on walks around the neighborhood in the afternoon. The other day we decided to go take a walk on a trail we went on years ago. It has been nice having such an easy recovery this time and able to be active! The weather has also been so warm, very Spring-like, so we have been able to get outside more. I got a new carrier to carry Brooklyn in and I LOVE it! So much more comfortable than other carriers I have used. It makes taking walks, so much more enjoyable.
               

Brooklyn is surrounded by some awesome family!

                 
       

 Brooklyn's first bath!

                           

                            

 Some Brooklyn cuteness during her first month...