Happy Half-Birthday!

Double the pleasure.

Double the fun.

It's hard to believe

We're half-way to One!

A Dialogue by Strawberry Shortcakes

Aren't these hats adorable? They were made by an acquaintance of Grandma A's. A little too big just now, but they remind me of Strawberry Shortcake. My attempt at a photo shoot yielded some pretty amusing photos. Enjoy! (PS: Anni is on the left and Elli is on the right.)

Anni: Elli, mom is scaring me.
Elli: Close your eyes, sis, while I figure this out.


Anni: Okay, tell me when it's safe to look!


Elli: You should just open them, because I don't think mom is going to stop anytime soon.


Anni (in a Pee-Wee Herman scream): AHHHHHHHHH!


Elli: Don't worry. Let's hold hands.


Anni: Binkies make everything better, don't they?
Elli: Rock on.

Cafe Doubleshot

The service is slow here at Cafe Doubleshot, which is strange considering there is only 1 item on the menu: mush. Anyway, it forces us into our cups and into chatting up the staff.

Six Months

We met our new pediatrician today for our six-month appointments. Anneli is starting to close the gap between herself and Ellsa. She was around the 5th percentile for all of her measurements: 22.9 inches long and 12.08 pounds. Elli is at 24.5 inches and 13.5 pounds - the 10th percentile for all of her measurements, including her head circumference. It would seem she has grown into her head a bit since our last appointment. Ha!

The girls are now very aware of and curious about their surroundings. They like to be able to see out the windows in the car now, and look around when they are shopping or in a restaurant. Several strangers have called them "bright-eyed" (and "the most beautiful" and "perfect" babies... I can't disagree). Those bright eyes have started to change from steel gray. Just glancing, you would say they look olive green, but a closer look reveals a lot of brown in there.

We started up exercising again yesterday after a few days break because Daddy is on vacation. They can sit up if each hand is gripping one of my index fingers for balance, or if I hold their hips. Both girls bear all of their weight on their legs and love to stand, especially Elli. She has also just started to become interested in grabbing anything I have in my hands: spoon, diaper, whatever. This, I think, is the beginning of the end of me having my own things. Anyway, they are really working hard at grabbing and holding things with two hands. With the discovery of squealing/screaming/whining, babbling has become somewhat "uncool" and I kind of miss it. A surprise to both Luke and myself is that Anni is turning out to be the more passive and calm of the two. Perhaps all of that Tai-Chi in the womb paid off? Or, maybe it was Elli kicking Anni the whole time and I was just feeling Anni being jostled around by her sister?

Anni demonstrates her 2-hand grasp. Elli collects all of her ducky items.

Elli sits, unassisted, for the first time...


Dear God, What's happening to me? Love, Anni


Anni decides she's cool with sitting.


Thank goodness for our "crash mats"!!!

Happy V-Day!

Our first attempt at making Valentines was an epic failure, and one that I am blaming on the Crayola brand.

Another epic failure? Dressing up in our cute holiday outfits, which were purchased over 2 months ago for the occasion. Shortly after donning them, Anni elected to blow out of her diaper in multiple directions.

But, what would a holiday be without a holiday bib or two? And, now that we're eating, we can use them as intended.

The Befores...

Anni <> Elli

And the Afters...

What the Funk?

We started on rice cereal about 2 weeks ago. If you had smelled what I just smelled during a diaper change (and even leading up to the diaper change), you would:

(a) wonder whether my sweet baby had been possessed
(b) assist me in immediately evacuating the garbage to the outdoors
(c) question the necessity of moving on to green and yellow vegetables this week
(d) all of the above

It was funky, indeed.

Do not be fooled by these ruffles!