August Pictures

It's been a hot month around here but we've managed to have some fun with lots of swimming, a trip to the Children's Museum, the Aquarium, and the start of school. Actually, it was more of a continuation of preschool for Brian since he had been going two mornings a week all summer just to get out of the house since I knew we wouldn't be doing much with a new little one and 115 degree weather. He's now going to school 3 mornings a week and he still loves it, has lots of little friends that he talks about nonstop. Today he came home super excited about a giant dancing car!?! I finally got around to making his flightsuit backpack. Every time he sees me working on a purse he says "make me one!" so he finally got his own backpack from a flightsuit. At first he wouldn't take it to school because "I don't want it to get yucky" but he eventually decided to take it a show it off. He told all 3 teachers about his new backpack everyday for two weeks, he was so proud of it!

Emily is doing great and changing so much. She turned 4 months old on the 12th and weighed in at 13 lbs and 24.25 inches long at her 4 month doctor visit. She's super long like her brother was, but lean and dainty--tiny features, hands and feet. Her eyes are getting very light blue but we aren't making any bets yet because Brian's eyes were dark blue until about 18 months, when they turned hazel like mine. Her's are much lighter than his were though, so maybe she'll end up with Daddy's blue eyes. If you ever told me I'd have a blonde haired, blue eyed daughter, I wouldn't have believed you. The Hurt genes run strong in this little one! She's rolling all over the place now and has recently started scooting around by tucking her legs under her butt and pushing off. It's insane how mobile she is, Brian didn't scoot until about 7 months and didn't crawl until 9 months, so little Emily is going to be crawling much sooner I think. She is just so determined to get to her brother and his toys. She still LOVES her brother, just lights up when he's around, looks for him everywhere. It's so cute. She's grabbing everything now and it all goes straight to her mouth of course. We have an exciting and busy month ahead with a squadron trip to San Diego over Labor Day and a 10-day trip to NC to go to the beach with Steve's family.

Phoenix Children's Museum with cousin Jake

Brian loved the "Noodle Forest"--a sea of hanging pool noodles!

Found my feet this day!

Brother stealing a kiss

Emily's first pretend phone call

Brian's "don't take my picture" face

Brian's "okay, just kidding, take my picture" face

4 month's old this day

Emily's first real nummies--Daddy got the honors this time since I got to do it for Brian's first solids

Yuck!

She wasn't a fan but they never are this young, so I'm actually going to hold off a little longer on the baby food, until we are back from our trips and she is more into it. I'm pretty sure she swallowed nothing during this first feeding!

First time in her saucer of exercise, loves it!

Brian getting creative making a dinner table from a Sam's Club box, he made me eat there too, ugh, my knees!

Wow, so far behind!

Time to get caught up! Here are some pictures from the past 6 weeks, starting at the least recent. Emily is 3.5 months now and is rolling over both ways, likes sleeping on her tummy, is sleeping through the night (yay!), drinking bottles like crazy. She's grabbing at shirts and hands and toys, LOVES her big brother and loves to chit chat. It is so fun to watch her and Brian interact, he is the best big brother ever. He never says a cross word about her, wants to talk to her and play with her all the time, wants to share food and toys with her (gonna have to watch that). He helps me with her, even when I don't ask. Today we were in the car and she spit up and Brian says "uh-oh, mom, the baby is spitting up, hand me a wipe and I'll clean her!" He really is a super sweet little boy, I never thought he would love having a little sister so much. He calls her pretty princess and gives her more kisses and hugs than anyone else. He tells me daily of all the things he's going to teach her and play with her once she's "big like me." So proud of the cute and sweet boy he's becoming!

Not happy but looking super cute in her first swimsuit

This was over 4th of July weekend at my parent's house and he asked if he could feed her, I thought he would become uninterested after a minute, but he sat in that chair and fed his sister an entire 4 oz bottle with no help. He wouldn't even let me touch the bottle! He only got distracted once and the nipple hit her in the eye, but he got right back to work and finished the feeding.

Look at me! I'm feeding Emy!

Me and the kids with GGPa Lefty

Me and the kids visiting GGMa Bunny

Brian and Emy with their Great Grandma Helen

Going to see his first movie, Toy Story 3

Brian with Grandpa and Grandma (Emy was with Aunt Laura and Uncle Allan)

Look at my popcorn Mom!

Four Generations

2 Tired Kids, one with lunch still on his face = reality

Brian and his friend Dylan

Our good friends that we met in Germany, Heather and John, drove through Phoenix during their PCS from Washington State to Texas and we got to spend a few days hanging out with them and their kids and our other friends from Germany, the Browns

Brian and Addy

The whole group

Brian, Dylan, Ashley, Addy, and Hayley

Emy and Heather

Loves her Bumbo seat! Actually she does like it, she was just doing her Mel Gibson impersonation

Such a happy girl!

Emy meeting her cousin, Baby Alani, who was 2 days old here. Alani makes Emily look like a bald, albino giant!

Chilling in her highchair for the first time while I cook

3 months old

Holy Produce Batman!

So today I did something I've been wanting to try for years, I signed up for a produce co-op in our area. I heard about it through Brian's preschool teacher, who is always feeding the kids the most amazing, fresh-looking fruit (not that he'll eat any of it). I got enough fruit and veggies to overfill two Longaberger Market Baskets plus a bag of potatoes. All this for $15!!! It is at least $50 in produce, probably more. And the best part is that everything is so fresh and yummy looking. A few things need a little time to ripen, but we'll be eating good this week! I only had to drive about 10 minutes away and Brian came along with me to "help." I tried to get him to carry the 5 lb bag of potatoes but it was too heavy for him, so he settled for carrying his hot wheels truck and providing a commentary of how dusty the ground was and how many cars were driving down the nearby road and then explaining to me the dangers of not looking both ways before crossing the street. It was a little adventure for him, and he's super excited about our grape acquisition. We were out in the "sticks" (Buckeye) and Brian goes "why do people live here mommy? It's like so far away!" That's my city boy!!! He's just worried about their proximity to a McDonald's playplace in case they ever need to eat nuggets and slide at the same time.

The only produce I'm not sure what it is, guava? (below)


Hope the phone doesn't ring, we'll have to fight through all the fruit to get to it


Our full veggie drawers


This is the next best thing to having a garden, Steve has tried to raise peppers and tomatoes with very little luck in this heat.

Here's a list of everything we got for $15:
Bunch of green Grapes
2 Pinneapples
9 Peaches
6 Limes (Corona anyone?)
7 Plums
6 Bananas
2 Guavas?
3 giant Butternut Squash
White Asparagus bunch
5 lb bag of Potatoes
Cauliflower Head (yuck)
Romaine Lettuce Head
Pint of Cherry Tomatoes

Steve's only comment was "Please don't take up another hobby" (i.e. canning) and "we didn't get a watermelon?"

Here the website for the co-op in case you are interested:
http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/

I promise new pictures of the kids soon, fruit and veggies were just so exciting this morning!