She reads...

And by she...I don't mean Cupcake.

Cutie Pie doesn't get near as much time with only me as Cupcake did so the time we do get just us I try to make count. Almost every day she wakes up from afternoon nap about 30 minutes to 1 hour before Cupcake. I do the same thing in that block of time because I feel like the predictablity is good for Cutie Pie's age. One of the things we do in that block is sit on the floor and read through 2 books and sign the words that I think she should be learning. For months she just looks at me with big eyes and smiles. 

Recently though she decided she had enough of my reading and now...everyday I read one page and she grabs the book and takes over. I know I'm biased. I know you might gag a little. I don't care. When she takes over....I AM OVERCOME BY HER CUTENESS.  She really thinks she is taking her turn and reading to me. It is so so so cute that I just had to make a video.


What can I say? I LOVE it when she reads....

Ouchie Mommy!

Still playing catch up....

When this Cutie Pie had her 9 month check up she continued to follow her big sisters footsteps. She was in the 11% for weight. This meant the thumb prick to check iron levels was mandatory.

Hello? Can I be on a soap box for one paragraph here? My girls are petite...not malnourished. They eat kale, spinach, and broccoli...some of the iron powerhouses for their age group. They gain weight at their constant rate even if that is slower than average. Last time I checked we have an obesity problem in this country. When someone comes in a little below average it's pretty sad that the flags of concern are waved.

Never mind.

Anyway, the 9 month finger prick was mandatory. I'm not sure what the numbers mean. I just know that 14 is the top of the range and anything less than 8 and they put you on vitamins. My 11% Cutie Pie scored a 12. No vitamins. Duh.

She also came home with this little finger cast. Her tiny thumb would not stop bleeding. It bled so much big sister started crying for her. The nurse tried to get it to stop and finally wrapped it all up like a finger cast. Cutie Pie could not stop looking at her thumb cast. Then everytime I walked by her as I was making lunch she would hold it up to me as if to say "Fix this!" She held it just so with her pointer and middle finger. This picture doesn't quite do it justice. It was the cutest little thumb cast ever and her tiny little hands holding it so delicately made me want to hold her all afternoon. She was so concerned for her thumb. Look at her face....

I finally took it off...she looked at her thumb for a long time to make sure it was intact and then for good measure ate some kale.

What you said?

She's growing up....fast.

When she was younger, much younger, she would say Elephant "F(say the letter)-A(short a)-Lent(rhymes with tent)." We thought it was precious. I'm not really sure when it stopped but it did. In the past month she's stopped saying something else:

When she didn't listen to or hear what someone said to her she would stop and ask "What you said?" In the cutest little voice. Sometimes when I don't hear the hubs I say it just like her. It's not as cute when I do it. Anyway, just this week she misheard me and quick as a flash said "Excuse me, what did you say, Mom?" Sigh. I should be overjoyed with the manners, sentence structure, and constant forward movement. Instead I feel like my little one is growing up too fast.

School starts in a couple weeks. I can't talk about it yet.

When Daddy comes home...

When Daddy comes home each night from work Cupcake goes running full speed ahead to welcome him home with hugs and kisses. Often times I'm right on her trail. I want kisses too, you know. Cutie Pie is still immobile so she sits and waits. On occassion I wait with her. A few weeks ago, I waited with a camera in hand so you could see the cutest that is an immobile welcome home:

Mom, why is that camera in my face? (Excuse the cover-up. We were headed to the pool)

Is that a key in the lock? Is Dada here?

 Sissy is running for the door. It must be Dada!

I hear him! I hear his voice. (Wiggling like crazy). DADA IS HOME!!!!!

 And I see him! It's him! Dada, dada! Me next! I want hugs and kisses! Soooo happy to see Dada!!!

In case there was any room for doubt...Dada coming home is a grand event in our place. We are so proud of and thankful for the hard work he does outside the home but we especially love when he comes home!

Just Prunes

This little cutie is 10 months today.
10 months people.

Excuse me for a moment while I go to Target and puruse the tiny 0-3 month sleepers and cry because my baby is getting so so big.

Ok...back.

Here she is last week at Grandma and Grandpa's house enjoying some Prunes. Have you seen these baby food pouches? Pure organic goodness in a pouch with a little sipper attached. Why did it take us until 2012 to figure out this genius idea?

Anyway, Cutie Pie loves to eat all kinds of pouches. Here she's enjoying Prunes....hands free.

She makes me laugh. She is sooooo happy.

August...what, what?

Oh...hello August. Nice to see you, I think. I'm not really sure where our June or July went but since we are here all I can do is try to catch up. Hang in there with me!

After the Hubs had a 2 week stint in Europe we were more than ready for our long anticipated family trip to the beach. We survived a 14 hour road trip that should have taken 10 and arrived just in time for a tropical storm. Our dreams of whitesand beaches had been replaced with double red flags, high tides, and a full day stuck inside our well decorated (not for kids) beach house. Luckily it only lasted a day and we had a fabulous week.

Both girls loved the beach and with the exception of two small splinters on Cupcakes feet. We have nothing but sweet beach memories.

I'm still sorting through all the pictures but here are a few favorites:

Family fun - June 2012

Cutie Cousins on the porch itching for some beach time:

Exploring the waves with Dad:

Serious cute. This is such an acurate snapshot of our life right now....two sisters who LOVE each other and are so happy to be together anywhere.

This little one loved the sand. She's so curious it was fun to explore the wonders of sand!

Gigi helps Cutie Pie splash in the water. She loved the water even more than the sand.

Squint. On the right. In the hat. It's Papa. It's not that he's anti-social. He just LOVES being out in the ocean.

I'll do my best to catch up in the coming weeks....I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are!