Grand ol' update

well, clearly going from one easy-going low-maintenance child to adding a high-needs demanding baby has me left with little spare time. Throw in some photog work, enjoying the summer, and well, pure laziness…

this blog has taken a back seat.

That being said, I don’t want Penelope to grow up wondering why Ava got her every moment documented and she didn’t (Nella, it’s called “2nd Child Syndrome”, google it) so I’m going to try to give her something to read down the road.

(sidebar – both girls have emails and FB pages for later. I email them cute piks, adorable things they say, wise words from momma in case I get hit by a bus… so it’s not like they get nuffin. Plus I take them to the beach all the time. That’s gotta buy me some points, right?
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Ava: Age 4y4m right now, and words to describe her now: Creative, fun, active, water-logged, happy, joyful, sunshine.
She loves going to Excelsior Beach, and has, for the most part, gotten over her fear of strangers. She walks up to kids and asks if they want to play, will sit down with others and eat their snacks, lol, and loves to play with all the kids. Never met a stranger. Will now wave to some guys, for some odd reason, (East) Indian men catch her fancy. lol. She leads sometimes, follows others. Has that competitive spirit from Daddy.
She did “bible camp” this summer for a week, and still does her Wed school thing… the rest of the time we get together with Julia, Emma, Cora, Evelyn & Max a lot.
She is doing simple sight words, easy math, and learning things like days of the week, her address, etc.
She LOVES LOVES LOVES her baby sister. Sometimes it’s hard to get her a foot back, lol. She asks “what did she say?” about 900 times a day. Helps pick out outfits and diapers, and dances for her to “Baby Baby” when she cries.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE hanging out with her.

Penelope is 15w4d at writing, and is just a darling little baby. HAPPY. Man, that kid is smiling all the time. Has been since day one. She’s lost most of that “high maintence baby” stuff she had in the beginning… now you just have to feed her (often) and she’s good. She naps well (often) and sleeps about 9pm-3am, then about 5am her and daddy snuggle until we get up at 8am… then another morning nap, too.
She’s nursing well. I’m very proud of our efforts to get breastfeeding established. We’re a good team, me and baby. lol.
I can still see her lagging a bit with milestones, expected with her 6 week early arrival.
She’s still got a bobble head, and won’t lift it up lying on her tummy. But now loves to lay on the floor and kick feet and coo…
and her smiles after she eats – oh my word, that girl just patches up my broken heart on a daily basis!!!
Sometimes I watch her on the monitor, and she’s “gazing” at the little shelf area I have set up for Caden’s things. Sometimes I tell her about her little brother, and remind her how brave and sweet and strong he was. She has his bear, and I like to think she remembers the sound of his heartbeat. The other night she wiggled (IN her swaddle) all the way 180 degrees and stopped when she got to Brudder Bear. She is a very sweet little girl. LOVES watching her big sister. LOVES it when daddy talks to her.
Just a darling baby. With THEEEEE cutest name in the whole world!

Having these two girls makes my heart SING!