*my little 6th grader

Last week at the co-op Vera was playing in this big box [telling her there will be big boxes to play in and pink bagels to eat is the only way to get her to go willingly] and decorated it with all our names. I don't know if she saw this kind of lettering somewhere or if she thought of it herself. Maybe it's inborn in all little girls? I can totally see her writing notes to her friends in Middle School...

Of course we brought the box home. This is what we should have given our friends for their birthdays!

*Easter bunnies

I bought this fabric a year ago when I found out I was having another girl - with specific plans to make matching Easter dresses. I don't know if I loved it at the time, but now I love seeing pictures of Liz and I in our matching smocked dresses. I can't believe how ridiculous I am - I cannot finish anything unless there is a serious deadline. I stayed up until midnight Saturday working on the dress and then finished it around 10am and made Edie's matching bow [glad I

realized ahead of time that was all I could handle] about 30 minutes before we left for church. It was worth it, they looked so sweet! The pattern for Vera's is called "Miss Mary" - it's pretty easy [though I still managed to mess it up several times] - from The Handmade Dress. Her dress two years ago was from there also. I'll have to get a better picture of the dress itself, but here's the matching sister pictures:

ok, Edie, no more pictures!

first tulips!

Vera please let me take a picture of your dress:

I can't get enough of this little bunny!!!!!! I can't choose just one picture:

*huevitos

I love coloring Easter eggs! I'm always inspired by Martha Stewart's and save clippings every year for the next year... and then I end up forgetting about them [or not wanting to spend any $] and just do what I know: food coloring and crayons. This year we sprinkled some salt on a few of them which was fun because it makes them all speckly. I had fun spending time with just Vera while Edie slept :)

*joyful joyful!

I always love Easter Sunday so much and really looked forward to going to church today. This hymn particularly resonated with me this year. Read it to yourself humming Ode to Joy :) ::

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.

Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,

Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,

Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;

Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;

Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.

Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,

Joyful music leads us sun-ward in the triumph song of life.

*

*primera vez

I had to be at a training all day yesterday and Ben sent me this picture of Edie on the swing for the first time. Obviously, it made my day:

*la niña

Just some random things to remember about Vera. We LOVE this little girl so much!!!

Quote from today: "Food and water help you grow and stay alive. That's very nice of them! They help you grow and grow and grow until you're big enough to have gumballs! I can have gumballs when I'm 16."

She's been in a rather nice ultra-polite stage lately, a lot of it I think trying to mimic being a grownup. "Thank you, Mom, for being so patient." - "Sam, I know you want to hold the snacks right now, but you can't, sometimes you just can't" - "Excuse me, Mom, after you do something on the computer, may I do something?" - "I have an idea! How about I watch something after my quiet time?" It's funny at times, but a lot better than the alternative :)

Today she sounded out a word for the first time. When she gets it in her head to figure out how to do something, she practices and practices over and over - I have a feeling this will be her new endeavor. We were making a card for Auntie Carol and I was about to spell it for her and she said she could do it: AT KL. Not bad!

Another first I thought was exciting was on our way home from California last month. Did I already tell this? Anyway I said there was going to be 2 girls and 2 boys at the place we were staying that night. She put 2 fingers on one hand, 2 on the other and said, "that's 4!" Her first math problem :)

This was the "palace" that she made today with a block puzzle and a pillow - very extravagant right? She was so excited about it, she ran to get her Cinderella dress and exclaimed, "I'm the luckiest girl I've ever seen!"

*bebitos

More little babies around here....

baby spinach...

...baby arugula

We also have some itty bitty pea plants and planted cilantro, carrots and beets today. Oh and those are baby garlic plants in front of Vera here! and I think I spilled a packet of thyme seeds or something last year, there are a bunch of baby somethings all over one area that smell real nice...

It was seriously a wonderful, sunny, full day and I feel really happy and contented tonight. I rode my bike to work for a couple hours, walked to the park with the girls, worked in the garden a little, went to my favorite fabric store, anthropologie [took back those shoes... got myself a cute washcloth instead] and Ben took Vera in the bike trailer to ice cream and to pick up Thai food [in that order]. We fit a lot into one day and it felt great to be outside for most of it. Spring is so amazing.

*

This big stuffed puppy is perfect for holding a wobbly sitter in place. Yesterday she took a little digger face first into our friend's wood floor [my fault: sorry, baby :( ] - she must have learned something from it though because today she was even steadier and only tipped over a couple times. It's so much fun all over again to go through these little developmental milestones!

*feliz

and HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY today to some of our favorite friends!! 4 - wow it is really unbelievable that these little guys I've watched grow up together with Vera are 4 years old!

Henry, Vera and Jack at Jacks' pool party Saturday.

Sam and Amelia over for lunch last week.

*1/2

Like I will say her whole life "I can't believe she's already..." 6 months! I have to say I have really really enjoyed Edie in the last couple weeks. She's connecting with us a lot more, engaging and really just waking up to the world around her in new ways. She's finally not randomly fussy all day and has settled into a kind-of nap schedule. My favorite things are still nuzzling my nose into her super-soft little tummy, listening to her giggle, how she sputters/spits/blows raspberries when she's getting tired or mad, how she loves to be naked [you should have seen her when I put a onesie on after these pictures], how she goes, 'ooohhhh' and kicks her legs when she's excited - like when she wants to touch the thermostat, watching her wiggle and squirm trying to reach a toy, and throwing her up in to the air and getting her to laugh :)

As far as sleeping goes [since I want to document, go ahead and skip...], she is taking longer naps!! We started trying to let her cry back to sleep if it had been 30 minutes or less - it didn't work well at first, she would cry for 20 minutes and sleep another 10 :( I hate doing it, but I also don't like having a baby who is grumpy and needing to be more rested!! So we would just give it another try every few days or so - Ben being a lot better at it than me. She then started sometimes sleeping straight for an hour, sometimes crying for about 5 minutes and sleeping another hour or more. It was so worth it to teach her to fall back asleep!! Nighttime has actually gotten worse in the last couple days and I'm not sure why, maybe just her stuffy nose. Also, she's woken Vera up a couple times which hasn't been a huge deal, but I don't want it to get worse. Not really sure what to do...

*verde

I've always wanted to make Thai curry but never remember to figure out how to do it [any non-American, non-Italian food intimidates me]. Tonight I finally used my brain and remembered we had frozen chicken, green beans [frozen from our garden!] and coconut milk on hand. I searched green curry on chowhound and found this recipe. We have a really great, authentic Asian supermarket up the street and so I went there for a few things. There's always so many options -like a half a row for just soy sauce- I chose this one which wasn't the cheapest or the most expensive. It doesn't have any preservatives or fake ingredients and I bet at Whole Foods it would be 4x as much! Anyway, I didn't find kafir limes, leaves or basil and substituted green beans and sweet potato for the eggplant and peas. It was so good and I was really proud of myself :) Hopefully I can remember to add it to the list of regulars....

I also made Strawberry Shortcake last night and it was pretty delicious. I know I've made "perfect" biscuits at least once, but I can never remember where I found the recipe... these were from Joy of Cooking and were just decent. That didn't stop me from having thirds. Seriously, you have no idea how much I loved whipped cream. Thankfully I'm on the breastfeeding diet!!

*unos libros

Vera had a very productive quiet time yesterday! She made each of us our own book, even Bunny. She was so pleased and proud of herself - "Mom should I put your book in your room?"

"Once upon a time, there was a Bunny and a Square. And a Callapillar that wanted to eat them. And so they ran and ran and ran and ran. The end."

*la segunda

We are both feeling more and more in love with Eden every day. I know they say dads don't bond as much until a little later - today Ben said he really felt like she was his little girl [obviously he's loved her since the beginning, but I totally understand these moments of realization of just how much you love them]. I was holding her for a minute in his office and it was so stinkin cute - he was making little silly noises and she laughed at every single thing. I'll have to get a video of it. Really, all she has to do it catch his eye and will smile or let out a little "ooohh!"

These pictures have nothing to do with that... Really she just looked so cute in this kimono that my sister made for Vera that I couldn't resist taking pictures! She's probably a couple weeks away from sitting up well on her own, but it's fun to prop her up and help her learn her balance.

*oops!*

I mean seriously, I could look at this little face all day long.

*

.:today:.

Every time we go to the park, Vera is on the lookout for a new friend. The innocence in this little emerging social being is so sweet, it makes my heart ache a little. Sometimes she'll go right up to a little girl and ask, "will you play with me?" Other times she kind of just 'flirts' for lack of a better word: she'll try to show she's having a lot of fun, like yelling an emphatic woohoo! down the slide. A little while ago (maybe last summer), Ben said she did the cutest little twirl in front of some older girls trying to get their attention. Today there were some girls chasing each other down the slide, laughing real hard - Vera watched and then let out an audible breath of air [like whew I'm tired too!], totally trying to get their attention. Sometimes they reciprocate and she'll have a little 15 minute friend, other times her efforts go totally unnoticed and once or twice they've been older and look at her like, you don't just ask someone to play!

It's just so cute and so innocent and adorable - seriously it makes my heart hurt! I guess I can just foresee the day when she understands that she is hurt or embarrassed by someone not wanting to play. It's like I already want to protect her from it - which obviously I know you shouldn't do. Anyway she's still a little oblivious and I love it, makes me want to give my little girl a big HUG and kiss.

On another note, Edie is starting to have fun watching the kids play at the park. She was super cute and innocent today too - someone would come down the slide and after a long pause she would 'get it' and laugh and kick her little legs.

*primavera

One of my very favorite times of year is the day I put up my fake forsythia wreath. I have both a Winter and a Fall wreath too that I love, but the Spring is my favorite. It's like a little victory against wintery weather and just makes me feel sunny and happy. We may have had a couple of inches of snow this morning and continuous snowfall and hail all day, but I know Spring will win and the snow can't stay!

This picture was actually from a couple weeks ago. Notice also my dead orchid - doesn't really go with my statement of Spring/new life/growth etc. :)

*mr. mom

Ben's been able to go skiing several times in the last weeks and so I was due for a full "personal day." It was so nice to get some things done without having to get kids in and out of carseats and race home for naps and feedings. Ben and the girls had a nice day too going to Red Butte Gardens, Einsteins and then of course, Edie took a 2.5 hour nap for him! Anyway this is just what Ben looked like when I walked in the door this afternoon - I love it!

for old times sake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=solr1W5idNY - thank you Jessie!

*salta salta

Edie finally figured out how to bounce a little in her jumper:



Here's Vera about the same age:




*I wouldn't actually recommend this particular jumper - it's too hard for the baby to stay level!

*preciosa

*el cuarto de las niñas

From the moment I knew I was pregnant I couldn't stop wondering how we were going to have them share a room.... I was really scared, to be honest! How are we going to do it?? Especially being so freaked out about Vera's sleep when she was a baby - we wouldn't talk above a whisper if we were upstairs. Well it's done, and I just wanted to record how we did it and how it has gone. Since like I've said previously, none of my siblings ever remember how these things went!

I should tell that first, while we were in California I started putting her down awake at bedtime. I had thought everything needed to be "perfect" when we initiated real "sleep training," but really I learned that it would work out and I needn't obsess over it so much. Her whole little life I had been kind of sleep training anyway in that I would always try to put her down awake for naps - it worked pretty well until she got a little bigger and more aware [and more overtired from her short little naps]. Anyway, the first night she fussed about 10 minutes, then slept for her usual 25 minute "nap" and then cried for 45 minutes :( It took several nights of figuring things out, though she never cried as much as the first night. Ever since though she will fuss a little when I put her down and usually sleep past that 30 minute mark [ok I am realizing mid-sentence that these are boring details....sorry!] or once in a while let out a little cry for a minute or two. If she does wake up before it's been 3-4 hours I let her go back to sleep on her own. Unless it really seems like she is upset, then I'll go in to feed her. I also used that time to 'wean' her out of being swaddled. She was sleeping so poorly, I figured it couldn't get any worse. I'd swaddle her at bedtime so she knew it was bedtime, but then she obviously broke out of it in her fussing and I just wouldn't re-swaddle in the middle of the night. SO all that was fairly settled when we got home.

While we were gone she had grown out of the bassinette, so we had to do something. I figured it was as good a time as any to have them start sharing. That first night I put her down in their room and then would go get her when she woke, bring her to the rocking chair in our room to nurse and then take her back. It seemed kind of silly to walk back and forth, so I just moved the rocking chair in there. Seriously, it is all working so well! I don't know if you caught through all my complaining how TIREd I was. In CA she would wake up like 8 times a night!! After the 2-3am feeding, I would bring her to sleep next to me because I just couldn't get up anymore. I knew I was making it worse because every time she'd wake up - every 45 minutes - I would

nurse her back to sleep. Neither of us slept well at all and I felt like I was drunk all day long from being tired. It has been so good for both of us to sleep separately! She's only waking 2-3x a night now. If she wakes up and it's been just a short time since feeding her, I try to let her fuss back to sleep which usually works really well. If she starts seriously crying I go feed her, though that doesn't really happen. I do sometimes bring her into our bed around 5am to nurse her back to sleep. I'm just not ready to risk her AND Vera waking up at 5:00 :) It's pretty amazing though, Vera always sleeps right through everything and we don't even have a good white noise machine just a humidifier. Edie usually goes down an hour or more before Vera does which helps too. I will also add that Vera has only woken up in the night to call us since they've been in the same room! I think she must subconsciously know she needs to be quiet 'for the baby' - or maybe she just feels secure knowing she's sharing a room with her sister.

It is definitely my goal to have her sleep in her crib until morning, but in the meantime I will savor these sweet little moments sleeping with her! What a little sweetie. I took this picture this morning before I left for work. Can't wait to tell you all about my new job!

*los piecitos

I really really love the toe-grabbing stage:

*fotobooth

A few weeks ago I showed Vera photobooth on the laptop. I didn't show her how to get there or how to use the mousepad thing. Yet an hour or so later walked in the room and found her on my computer, having found the application and taking pictures of herself and Bunny. She even knew how to change to different effects! This was her first time ever on a computer - I cannot believe how she figured it out on her own. I'm sure 'grownups' like us say this all the time about kids and technology.

Anyway, here they are. The first few are from that first time. I love love this first one: