transitioning

for the record, i know some of you (ahem, grandparents?) are itching for new photos. i am working on that, i promise! but it's a week of transitions around here and we are working hard on getting out of the summer mindset and into that whole Fall/Back to School thing. granted, isa is the only one going to school but the change of pace trickles over into everyone's daily life. that means a new schedule, new childcare, new places, new people, new work... you get the point right?

and then there are the normal, every day changes that occur with two little ones. sylvi is starting to stand on her own for several seconds at a time and is figuring out how to balance herself. she is eating table foods with us at dinner (like rice, corn, bananas, beans) and has mastered the sippy cup. isa has had yet another verbal leap and is recounting things and imagining things and expressing things like a child much older than herself. her memory is incredible and she recalls minute details about animals and people and places in her imaginary play. meanwhile phil and i stand by and watch in utter amazement, feeling very proud of how great these two are and also shocked at how incredibly fast it's all flying by!

details, details, details.

or should i say... details, details, details and lack of sleep? that might be more accurate. this is a weekend of tying up loose ends. there are alot of things we need to get done around here and just haven't had the time to complete. you know-- that whole parenthood thing and all, it keeps you pretty busy. so it's been a weekend of fence building, car cleaning, general work stuff, house maintenance, etc. all on top of very little sleep. sylvi's teeth are giving her hell and the mommy and daddy are riding it out with her. in addition to the fact that she is getting used to sharing a room with her sister. speaking of which, the room sharing is going quite well honestly. isa loves the fact that sylvi is now sharing her room and has been really great about staying quite at bedtime and not getting upset if she's woken by sylvi in the middle of the night. with one exception, she's not been bothered in the slightest by the noise and general commotion of having a fitful baby snoozing (or not snoozing) in the same room. it's a big relief on our part and we're hoping that as soon as the littlest one is resting easier, the shared bedroom will be even better!

and on that note... it's time for bed. goodnight.

happy NINE months sylvi!

a little smirk for the camera.

i can hardly believe it's true. the rooster is NINE months old today! that's way too close to one year for my liking, but i guess that's the way it goes. someone commented recently that, "she's almost a year old!" and it was like getting hit in the stomach. how could it possibly be? she was just born yesterday, i swear to it!

but enough of the boohoo-ing... sylvi at nine months is so sweet it makes my teeth hurt. she is still just as happy and loving as can be. she smiles at anyone who looks her way and is perfectly content to sit back and absorb the world around her. although she is doing alot less actual sitting these days. she still hasn't really gotten the crawling thing down, but instead does some creative scooting (sometimes on her bottom, sometimes on her belly, and occasionally a combo of both) to get to where she wants to be. i am really starting to think that she may walk before she actually crawls. the first thing she does when she gets close to someone or something is to reach up and out, grab hold, and pull herself up. she's a strong little booger for her size too! she can stand and hold on for longer periods of time now and will occasionally cruise for a step or two if something interesting catches her eye.

you can't see it in these pictures, but her first tooth is coming in! and the second one isn't far behind. so far she seems to be a faster teether than her sister (thank goodness!) but that doesn't mean they aren't keep us all up at night. we'll be happy when those two come in and she can hopefully get a break and sleep a little more.

so that's the roo at nine months... HAPPY NINE MONTHS SYLVI!

smarty pants and preschool

isa had her three year old/preschool screening this afternoon. she got to play games and answer questions and even check out her new classroom. we met her teachers and some of the other specialists and took a general look around the place. apparently we have a smarty pants on our hands (ok, we knew that) as everyone kept commenting on how "exceptional" and "off the charts" she was. what's that you say? i am shamelessly gloating about my child? yeah well, i am. ahem... anyway...

it was really great and we are SO excited and relieved that she will be attending preschool there. the facilities are amazing (her classroom is incredible!), the teachers and staff are fantastic, and it's just a really great set up. and it's affordable, which is even better. phil and i aren't the only ones that are thrilled-- isa is beyond herself with excitement. after seeing her classroom i didn't think i was going to be able to drag her out of there!

so that's the scoop on preschool prep. she starts on september 8th, so stay tuned for more details and of course some ridiculously cute First Day of School photos as well!

maiden voyage

sylvi makes a funny face in celebration of the new ride.

isa enjoys a little Sesame Street from the back seat.

Sylvi says, "Oh look at this leg room!"

this weekend was also the maiden voyage for the new (to us) mini van! that's right... we've joined the throngs of other parents, in search of much needed space and seating options... and switched out the suv for a Toyota Sienna. so what was the report from the first road trip? a definite A plus! and while it didn't quell all of the whining that inevitably accompanies many hours on the road, it did make the trip alot more enjoyable.

Tracy and Alex's Wedding

we headed over the hill this weekend to the wedding of our friends Tracy and Alex! it was a beautiful wedding and we were so pleased to be able to attend. not only did we get to see them get hitched but we also got to hang out with lots of great friends in a very beautiful place! we even got to see our good friends Matt and Jami and their twin girls-- who made the trip all the way up from southern california! both isa and sylvi did fabulously, even though they stayed up way past their bedtimes and spend alot of time in the car. isa and daddy even got to camp out saturday night after the festivities.

Isa at Three Years...

since we weren't around the computer on Isa's actual birthday, we wanted to be sure to follow up with a special Isa At Three Years post. hard to believe she actually turned three a few days ago, but it sure is fun to think about what she's like now! here are some of the words that come to mind: boisterous, creative, energetic, empathetic, firey, sensitive, active, intellegent, sweet, sassy, determined, strong willed and beautiful. that pretty much sums it up!

isa continues to be a little star in our lives. she most certainly keeps us on our toes with her constant flow of high energy and attitude (some times good, some times not so good!). she is always surprising us with the things that she observes and says. she loves anything and everything involving animals and art. she also likes to put things in order, whether than means lining up her paintbrushes by size and color or making little families out of her dolls. she loves her sister more than anyone else and is exceedingly patient and gentle with her. isa is a social butterfly but also knows when she needs her space-- and isn't afraid to tell you so! she entertains herself very well but still enjoys being the baby when possible too!

so that's Isa At Three Years, in a nutshell. we can't wait to see what this next year will bring for her. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOOSE, WE LOVE YOU!