The beach, park, and playing

Henri and Lili both started a new school year on Monday. Henri is now in the big-boy classroom, where he sits at the table, and starts working on using a spoon to eat. In celebration of the new year, we had one last hurrah at the beach. Here are a few shots from the day...it was raining in Orlando...but beautiful out on the coast.

I think this shot could be an ad for a travel guide:

Here is sweet Lili...she almost fell asleep as we stood in the water...almost:

After playing in the sun all day, both kids were exhausted...and crashed in their stroller as we walked back to our car. Covered in sand and salt water...a great day:

Miss Lili is becoming a professional cereal eater. Here she is, laughing while she eats...it's a little disgusting, but still so cute all at the same time:

Henri has decided that he is big enough to stand/climb on anything and everything he finds. Here he is trying to surf on his car...unfortunately, I caught him in the act:

Last week...Jeff worked late...so we spent extra play-date time with our friends Ron and Nikki and Baby S. Here is Henri at the park...enjoying the swing:

He loves to play...here is his smile up close and personal:

He was trying to "get" me as he would swing back and forth:

Sometimes....I don't think Henri is that much bigger than Lili...and then I see this photo...wow:

While Henri played...Lili decided to catch a few zzz's:

Ron, Nikki, and Baby S. played on the slides:

More sleeping Lili:

We spent one night at the park...and one night at Ron and Nikki's house. Henri was in toy heaven...here he is helping Ron play the piano:

He loves to play music...maybe he will be the musical one of our family:

Yikes...Henri the tornado strikes again:

Here she is...sweet Lili. She is moving like crazy...really starting to crawl. We went grocery shopping, and she found her toes:

Lili and me...look at Lili's pretty hair...so sweet:

And her brother...he loves to play:

Hope you have a great week...more pictures soon!

Basketball, Baths, and Costco...

We had our second-ever babysitter over the weekend. Miss Jodi, Henri's teacher, came over on Saturday to watch the kids so we could meet up with friends. It was great to have her at our house...and although she is only Henri's teacher for the rest of this week (new school year starts on Monday)...she will have Lili starting in January when she transitions from the baby house to the toddler room.

Jodi said that Henri spends all day running around the classroom...which we already had witnessed at pick-up and drop-off...but now have that detail confirmed. :) He loves to go outside, dance to the music, and his favorite part of the day is arts and crafts. :) I'm so excited! Apparently as soon as they start to bring out the paper, crayons, etc...Henri is the first to run to the table to complete his project. She even said his work shows potential...he is one of the few kids that actually colors, with different color crayons. :) He might be our little Matisse. She also said that he sometimes plays so hard during the morning, that he falls asleep during lunch with food in his hands. :) I used to fall asleep at the dinner table when I was young...maybe he has that trait from me.

Here are a few shots from the last few days:

We took Lili and Henri to Costco for the weekly stock-up. Here is sweet little Lili...wonder what she is so happy about....

It's this fabulous puff that she now owns! We try not to go overboard...but we couldn't resist the frills...and she loves it! Wait 'til she is all dressed up....

Here's our big boy, Henri. He's getting so big!

Demonstrating his Shark bite in the bathtub. Thankfully there were no other body parts involved...especially sweet Miss Lili. We started singing "Row, row, row your boat" and Henri jumped right in with arm movements. They had been studying forms of transportation at school...I never thought to sing the song...so cute.

Rub a dub, dub...our two little sweets in the tub...

Henri also rediscovered his basketball hoop this past weekend. Lili was an awesome cheerleader as her brother made some shots. Sometimes...he was a little too close for comfort...here he is trying to give Lili a kiss...

Yikes...he's getting me...he's teaching me how to blow kisses...but it's a little too much....

Ahh....there is the sweet brotherly love...

What is he doing now?! Some people would walk around the jumperoo to get the basketball...but not Henri...he crawled right under...under Lili's legs.

Success! I got it...now to try and make another shot...

Here I am...slam dunk from the right side...

There it goes....I'm getting so big!

And here is my biggest fan...Lili cheering me on! More pictures later this week....

A day of firsts...

It was a big day at our house yesterday...lots of firsts. Little Lili ate her first bowl of rice cereal. She did great...ate right off the spoon...even wanted to feed herself and grabbed at the spoon. She still is working on the swallowing, but did great for her first try. Here she is...cereal mouth and all:


Henri had a big day at home, too. Thanks to the Massey family...we have two awesome new tri-cyles for Henri and Lili. Henri was ready to take his for a spin (even though it was starting to rain). Here is our future athlete, taking his new bike for a ride:

After giving him his first push...I ran inside to help Lili with her bottle. She was exhausted. I came back outside to find Henri and this "first." His first wreck...I'm sure of many...taking out his mom's flower pot in his attempt to take his bike for a ride, all by himself. :)

And...here's sweet Lili...missing all the action while she falls asleep finishing her bottle.

After the wreck...Henri decided he would rather just play in the rain. We started putting together his water table...but it was raining so hard...we had to make a bee-line for the house.

Henri wanted to take one last run in the rain before coming inside.

Once we were inside...and Lili woke up from her cat-nap...we all played on the floor. Here was Lili's other big first...look at our little girl getting up on all fours...about ready to crawl!

It's another rainy day here in Florida...we'll post more photos soon.

Soy milk, shark week

About a week ago, we transitioned Miss Lili onto soy milk, and she has been doing great. Much better for her. Well....I noticed Henri was developing a rash on is back and it was starting to spread to his arms and legs. He wasn't itching...and it didn't look painful...but it was definitely not right. I took him to the doctor...and they think he, too, might have a milk allergy. So....we are now a soy house-hold (except for Jeff...yikes) and hopefully runny noses will improve, too. :)

Since I took Henri to the doctor, I had him all day with me. It was nice...because I have had a lot of Lili time, but not Henri time. After our doctor visit (confirmed he weighs just shy of 27 lbs), I decided to take him to lunch. Henri loves to make everyone laugh...and sometimes it is a bit appalling what your child does...that you don't know.

So we are sitting at McDonald's (I know...great treat) and I am cutting his apple slices into bite size pieces. Lately...when he comes home from school...his hair is a mess...very fuzzy with all sorts of crumbs in it. The other day, I found the tail of a goldfish cracker hiding in his hair. Mystery solved...I look up...and Henri is looking at me with his mischievous eyes, waiting for me to laugh. He has a piece of apple perched in his afro...and he wedged it in the curls so it wouldn't fall out. :) That boy! Had Jeff been there...we'd have a picture. :) I'm sure we'll have another opportunity in the future...

Here is little Lili...our cat-napper. Since she only naps for 30 minutes at school, she is exhausted when she comes home. She sits with her dinner bottle and catches a few winks of shut-eye before we play and take baths:

When she woke up...Jeff put her in the jumperoo...and caught her making this face as he tried to take her picture. Priceless.

So...it's Shark Week on TV. At the doctor's office...Henri started crying (he's a bit theatrical) and threw his head back. I looked in his mouth...and there they were...two white flecks in the back of his mouth. Both upper molars are finally in. Now...we wait for the bottom molars. Is it forboding that he cut his teeth during Shark Week? Yikes.

Here is Lili getting her gums brushed:

Henri brushing his own teeth, and his stomach, and his hair. We're still working on where the tooth brush brushes:

Mommy helping polish those new pearly whites:

Lili...relaxing in the tub...she's so cute!

Henri...our big boy...brushing his teeth.

More pictures to come....

Bath-time fun...

We had a very mellow weekend...Jeff didn't have call...so we just relaxed and tried to withstand the heat. It's really hot here...reallly hot. Our friends from WA, Dana and Tim, sent a sweet little care package in the mail. Here is Henri and his doll, we named Hewitt, after their nanny in Ethiopia. When we said, "Hewitt," Henri's face lit up...I'm hoping he still remembers her.

Sometimes Henri just can't seem to let go of his toys...even if he has outgrown them. And...now that his little sister is playing with them...they are so much more exciting. Here he is in the exersaucer...the great news...he was contained for about 10 minutes and the tornado was not running free through the house. :) Maybe we'll have to let him take another spin....

Kallie bought this sweet dress for Emma-bug when she was little. It's so cute...we couldn't resist having our Lili wear to church this morning.

So sweet....she has started waving. :) Look at those long fingers! She is all length...very lean and thin....

Here she is in the bumbo...not too much longer...she's started to try to wiggle out. Yikes. She is also starting to push herself up on all fours...she might be crawling soon. Watch out, Henri!

Sometimes...the bath is our favorite time of day. Only sometimes...because some days we are splash-a-holics and get water everywhere, or sometimes we take a bath too late...and have already started melt-down mode. Last night Lili and Henri had a great time in the tub...Henri has decided that his sister is OK...and Lili has decided that she no longer has to be scared of her brother. :) Ah...let's hope this continues!

Caught in the act! I'm sure you can imagine what I was saying when this photo was taken...as he was reaching for the faucet...oh my Henri!

Henri teaching Lili how to splash. Look at her laugh at her big brother!

Finally...both getting along and having fun playing together in the tub...

Thank goodness for Baby S's hand-me-downs...including the bath seat. It's a life-saver for little Lili. She loves to sit and play in the tub...and know that her brother can get close...but not squish her. :)

Henri...trying to join Lili in the bath chair...it didn't work. Thankfully.

Brother/sisterly love.

It's amazing how much the kids have grown in just a few short months. We switched Lili to soy milk and she seems to be doing much better. It smells terrible...but she likes it. :) We go back to the doctor in two weeks for a follow-up check...we'll see how much she has grown. We can tell she is getting much taller...still very small. She will definitely will be the lean one of the bunch. Henri sat on the scale this morning...and checked in at a cool 27 lbs. :) He's wearing 18-24 month clothes...although we still try to have him wear a few 12 month pjs...they end up looking like hot pants...but they are so cute...we can't let them go. :) More updates to come....