It's Official!...

Exciting news!!!

Hope said her OFFICIAL first word.  Babbling words doesn't count to us if she doesn't know what the word is attached to.  But... it was no surprise that her first word was DADA because SHE is attached to her DADDY!!!!  Hope is such a Daddy's girl - it's so adorable.  This past Thursday night we were all at Brian's tee ball practice when it happened.  The video doesn't do it justice, really.  She just didn't perform as well for the camera.  When I asked her "Where is your Daddy?" she looked right at Ed, touched his face and said "Dada."  It took our breath away!

Listen to her sweet little voice...

I love that she is so enamored with her Daddy.  I was, too, with my Dad!  I hope it never changes.

Brian is doing so well in Tee Ball this year.  What a difference it makes being one year older.  He knows more, he can run faster, he throws better - and he's a great hitter!

It's a big switch from last season when he was collecting sticks and rocks in the outfield!

Brian is also doing really well adjusting to Kindergarten and the new routine.  He gets up with his alarm clock every day at 6:30 - and his bus arrives at 7:20ish.  It's just enough time to get dressed, eat and have time to read some books or play before heading out to the driveway.  I don't enjoy "let's go - let's go!  LET'S GO!!!!!!!!"  Our mornings are a bit early (more for me than him!) but relaxed.  Hope has only woken up one time to see him off.  Most of the time she's sound asleep until close to 8am!

Brian gave mini pumpkins to his new bus drivers (who are both very nice!).

This past week was the first week of real learning (the first week was all play and "getting to know you").  He has math and religion, science and gym, music and library, spanish and more!  He came home enthusiastic every day.  We have fallen into a routine when he gets home - Hope and I have a snack with him and he (sometimes) tells me about his day... then we play or read for a while, where he (sometimes) tells me more...

and then we do his "homework!"  He loves the homework (which is very minimal) portion!  Let's hope that enthusiasm stays with him for his entire school career!  

This past week I also had my first day of "lunch duty!"  I volunteered to go once a week to help with the students' lunch and recess periods.  It was fun to see Brian interact with his classmates in the lunchroom and on the playground.  I had Hope in my Ergo carrier and she had a blast taking everything in - not to mention seeing her brother!!

My days have definitely been different.  Hope and I have been having such a fun time playing during the day and have fallen into quite a routine already - playtime and naptime and even grocery shopping, just the two of us!

It's so interesting to watch her play in the playroom.  She has soooo many toys - but she inevitably ends up around Brian's toys!!  

Just the other day, I introduced her to a new toy.  Well, an old toy - but new to her.  You can see them in the above photo - top right.  They are a set of Gavin's stacking blocks and it brings tears to my eyes just to type that.  They are damaged where he put his mouth on them and are so sentimental to me.  Not the kind of sentimental that makes me want to preserve them and keep anyone from touching them.  Quite the opposite.  

It actually brings me excruciating joy to see Hope pick them up and... you guessed it... put them right in her mouth.

We had fun...

Hope's naptimes have brought a peace to our house that isn't always present.  For a good hour - sometimes two - sometimes twice a day - it's just me and my thoughts.  Some days that's good... other days, not so good.  On the good days, I get things done!  They aren't always the easiest things.  Like putting Gavin's clothes into a storage box...

...as if a box can contain any part of him.  Before you suggest we have someone make a quilt out of his clothes (which is a lovely suggestion) - we aren't interested.  We also aren't ready to get rid of his clothes.  One day we will be able to give them to someone special so that little person can wear them.  But now is not that time... and that's okay.

On the bad days, (which are sometimes the good days - I know, it confuses me too) I end up parked in front of our new ant farm.  Seriously - it's the new way to meditate (and have your eyes cross pretty quickly).

Check out the progression from Day one...

(before the ants went in)

(Dropped the ants in after putting them to sleep for 1 minute in the refrigerator!)

to Day two...

Came down the next morning to find THIS!

There is an entire tunnel down both sides and across the bottom.  Two of the ants died and they were picked up and put in the "ant graveyard" and buried.  I'm not even joking - these ants are so smart!!  Brian and I are loving this.

Today is Saturday, so you know what that means!  We celebrate another week with Hope.  She is 42 weeks today, which means that there are only ten more Saturday photo shoots before she turns ONE!

I said this last week, but it is near impossible to capture her photo. She's one big blur because she's always on the move!!  

Hope still has light eyes - and eyes that light up, coincidentally.  She also has two little bottom teeth, as you can see...

...and she loves to use them!

Her new favorite foods are boiled, soft carrots cut into sticks...

...hard boiled eggs, brown rice and broccoli!

Hope loves things that have faces - dolls, stuffed animals, etc. - and loves to give them kisses and hugs.  Her favorite doll is actually the first thing that Brian picked out for her the very day we told him we were expecting his little sister!  We've named her Katrina, a nickname from my childhood between my Mom and me.

This seems like a lifetime ago.

Hope is also taking an interest in books, which makes me so happy.  We are a HUGE children's book family.  I have so many books that I can rotate them with the seasons!

At the moment, Hope's favorite book (based on the way she sits for it and smiles a lot!) happens to be one of Gavin's all time favorite books:  "Eight Silly Monkeys."  It makes me cry typing that, too!

Enjoy the rest of our photo shoot!

And enjoy the rest of your weekend! Don't forget to laugh - even if you have to force it.  Sometimes that's the secret to my success on a hard day - I fake it until I make it.