Sister Love

Rolling

Teo rolled over on Father's Day! And it wasn't just a fluke - he's been rolling all over the place since. When he first did it, I realized that Sapphie's first roll was on Mother's Day, when we were visiting Ree and Dick. Pretty cool!
I don't have a video of him rolling yet, but I did get one of him giggling when I talked to him in a very low voice. He loves it when you make low, deep-voiced noises

Papa

I don't know about you, but as long as I can remember, I was always a papa's girl. Well, not during my teen years of course, when I hated both my parents and everyone in my family, but when I was little. I loved my papa. Maybe it's because we're so much alike? I don't know. Of course, now that I'm a mummy, I have a whole new appreciation for my mummy. I now have strong relationships with both!

Recently, Papa has really started to bond with Sapphie. I don't know what it is about men and babies, but in my experience it seems like the man-baby bond doesn't really start - or doesn't become visibile - until the baby can talk. Now, Papa and Sapphie have a blast together. He brings her cookies from the truckstop. Model airplanes. They sing together, and horse around. She loves him so much. Now, she's learning to count in Spanish and she is so excited to show him! I recently witnessed a play date, and it was the coolest thing ever.

I'm gonna get you!

The bumble bee goes around the tree goes around the tree...

Fly like an airplane!

Again!!!!

I think she's a Papa's girl...although she does love her LaLa!! xo

I did it. I went for a run

For the first time in a year, I went running today. It was a huge ice breaker for me. I have always loved to run, but running with a jogging stroller is just not all it's cracked up to be. It's fine, and can sometimes be fun, but I'm constantly stopping to give Sapphie some more crackers, some water, to give Teo his nuk, etc....so I haven't even tried going running with the double jogger. We go walking every day, and that's been fine with me.
Before having kids, like Soe, my favorite thing to do was go running in the rain. Now, my favorite thing to do is go running without my jogger. But shortly after I got pregnant with Teo, my back was too sore to run at all and since he was born, I've been sticking to yoga and walking for exercise.
Today, I had a haircut at 5pm. I was SO tired (didn't sleep well last night), but I thought "you know, I should jog to my appointment." Then I kept thinking about how tired I was, and I used Soe's strategy! I decided to put my running gear on, and I would start walking. If I felt like running, I would! I ran all the way to the salon (not far! probably only 1.5miles), and felt amazing.

You've never felt freedom until you go running, by yourself, without your jogger and without your phone, after you've had a baby. I wanted to yell "I'm free!!!" to every person I passed! I refrained of course, and focused on keeping my abs tight and my shoulders back. It was fantastic and I feel great.

I can't wait to go again.

Reading all together

My babies love to read. I started reading to Sapphie when she was just a few weeks old, because I loved lounging on the bed with her and showing her colorful pictures. Now, she's a huge reader and books are her favorite toys. I have a friend who says her daughter isn't interested in books, and I just can't relate. It seems like if you start them early, it just becomes part of the day. Teo too, from day one, has been entranced when I would hold a book over his head. We often read all together, but we have to lay down so Teo can see the pictures and I don't have to slouch and kill my back.

Reading "The Very Busy Spider"

Meow...wanna take a nap? That's in the book

Hello, Teo!

My Jlellies

I just got Sapphie a new pair of shoes since Cabot ate her slip-flops. She loves her new "jlellies" and is so proud of them! Here she is today at the playground with Ruby and Lauren. She's so cute.

That's my hand

Teo has found his hands and is memorized with them. He'll slowly lift his arm into the air and stare at his little fist, trying to move it with all his might. It's so funny! If he is able to get it to move, his fist will smack him in the face and then he'll stick the whole thing in his mouth and start sucking on it like crazy.

When I hold him up to look at me, he slowly reaches out to touch my face. He's getting better at it! It's so amazing how quickly their coordination develops.

Willing the hand to move...



Hello!!



He got it!!

Special moments

I'm always telling Kevin about the cool things he misses out on since he doesn't get to breastfeed the babies. Teo is in such a funny stage so I've got to document some of the adorable things he does.
One of my favorite moments is in the mornings, around 8. If Teo is fussy (which he often is), Kevin will take him when he gets up at 6. They'll play for a couple hours while I sleep, and Kevin will bring him back to me at 8 for a snack and a nap. Teo's feet will be freezing (because daddies don't notice these things), and you can see him go into ecstasy as I snuggle him in with his cold toes against my belly. We'll lay down together and huddle under the covers, and he'll start nursing. His eyes start rolling back in his head because he is SO tired, but he fights it so hard so he can stay up and eat some more. Then his eyebrows do these amazing waggles (Sapphie used to do this too). You can see him savoring every single sip, and you know he would stay down there forever if he could.

Other times, when I pull him up for air to burp him or switch sides, he get so upset! His little lip curls and and he starts up with the most pathetic cry you've ever heard as if he hasn't eaten in days. When I let him nurse for too long, even if he isn't hungry he stays there playing around and having fun. Then when I pull him up he's got milk all over his face and he looks half drunk he's so full.

Babies are so funny. At least for mine, they have both been so passionate and serious about nursing. It's like as long as they have the boob, all is right in the world.

In ecstasy after filling up...


Favorite spot to sleep

Hilarious phrases by Sapphie

I'm so scared I'm going to forget the latest and funniest of Sapphie's vocabulary. Here are my favorites:

When she's feeling sorry for Teo - "poor guy"

When Kevin is talking too loud while Teo is sleeping - "No daddy stop that! That's not nice per Teo! He needs a good nap!"...or "no daddy that's not true!"

When she's been whining and I am visibly tired of it, she'll suddenly start talking in the sweetest little voice and say "Mummy, I'm talking like a normal person per you!"

When Cabot chews her shoes - "Babot, you're a bad boy up there!"

"No teeth at-all!"
"Mummy, I want some gunk (gum)"

Sapphie: "This goes in here."
Me: "No Sapphie, it doesn't."
Sapphie: "It dooze mummy, it dooze!" "I think so!"

When she first wakes up in the morning - "Wanna go for a walk or somefing?"

When we're hanging out doing nothing - "Can we go for a walk so I can enjoy my day?"

When she loves what I'm wearing, or likes the bag I'm carrying - "I love that mummy"

Often, she says "I want all them all"

When we are wearing the same shoes - "We all both have slip-flops!"

Almost daily now, when she gets the tofuti cuties out of the freezer by herself and it's not time for dessert so I take it away...she says "Gimme my ice cweam samich!!!!"

"Mummy, can we watch a show? I'm in charge!"

And she's always walking around like she is in charge. It's so funny. Here she is visiting a farm with Kevin, walking to give the goats some water, as if she owns the place!

Sapphie takes Sadie for a walk

This is the cutest video of Sapphie taking Sadie for a walk:

Cheese

My kids have the best cheese faces...

Isaacus

We grew up with Isaac, and so he's like our brother. My dad calls him "Isaccus" - he loves Isaac. And for Sapphie, Isaac is quickly becoming her best friend. She loves him so much and he loves her, except when she calls him "miss Isaac".
As many of you know, Isaac is a professional photographer. He's shot some great photos of Sapphie, and the thing I just love about the pictures he takes is that in addition to being beautiful, they totally capture her spirit and her love for life. Here she is in our back yard on Memorial Day, playing with the airplane Papa got for her.

I keep telling him...you've got a gift for shooting kids...see for yourself:

Two little characters

I am so behind on posting photos and updates. It's so funny how life is a roller coaster. Sometimes I'm feeling so on top of things, organized, and in charge of my life, and other times I feel like I'm drowning in things to do and my life is spiraling out of control.
Behind on work.
Behind on Life.
Not enough time in the day to finish my to-do lists.

I guess that's what happens when you're working from home. There's no refrain for catching up! Don't get me wrong - I am so grateful to have such a flexible job - but working from home is twice as much work as being a stay-at-home mom. You've got two big jobs to do, and half the time to do it!

Today, I decided to post an update while the babies are napping. My two little ones are truly so amazing to watch. While Sapphie is developing into a sassy little know-it-all, Teo is clearly a little man who doesn't want any trouble, just a long snuggle...all day long. These pictures totally depict what I've got on my hands:

Lil' Missy

Liz calls Sapphie "little missy". I used to think it was kind of funny, but now I realize it totally suits her. To say that Sapphie is a firecracker is an understatement. She knows what she wants, when she wants it, and watch out if you get in her way. She wants to play, learn, and laugh, all the time. Her spirit is absolutely the sweetest and most life-loving one I've ever met. Her passion comes out playing dress up, playing catch-the-marshmallow-in-your-mouth with Isaac, and, of course, when she needs to put her parents in their place.

If you say her name with a tone, she snaps her head around and says "Don't talka me dat way!"

She is also obsessed with learning, and she is constantly saying "I'm gonna do it all by myself! I'm a big girl!" She loves to talk about which animals make milk and which ones don't. She's almost fully potty trained, since she refused to wear her diaper the day after she turned two. A friend came over recently and said she didn't need the baby seat, so now Sapphie refuses to use it. She thinks is so funny when things move. She goes "wow that's really moving!!"
The other thing that I find so interesting is how much Sapphie likes to imitate me. She loves to have her "coffee" in the morning (I make her chamomile tea and she thinks it's coffee). She also loves the wine (pear juice) that I've started letting her drink out of a little port glass during dinner. She puts on make-up and lotion every day, especially right before we go somewhere or a friend comes over.

...and, Lil' Lover

One of Sapphie's biggest obsessions, I'm happy to say, is her baby brother. She loves to read to him, feed him from a bottle, tickle him, and sing him songs. If he's crying, she yells at me to give him mama's milk. She will be bossing him around in no time, I'm sure. This picture totally shows what a sweet little man Teo is! I think he was just crying in this picture because I had put him down. Almost every time I put him down, his bottom lip curls up and he starts to cry. He loves to be held and snuggled. He puts his arms straight down like that when you look at him, and his legs go stiff. He's so funny. Recently, he's noticed his hands and will stare at them, trying to get them to move with all his might. I think he's going to be the sweetest and most sensitive little boy - who will be constantly bossed around by his sister...just like Max and Ruby!

"Say smile Teo!!!"