A Bummy Bee and a Strawberry

One day a bummy bee and a strawberry decided it would be fun to go around the neighborhood and ask for candy from the neighbors... Everyone thought they were very cute, and didn't mind that the bummy bee forgot how to say trick or treat most of the time. At one house there were a bunch of older kids dressed as scary things (like Jason or monsters), which is when Kensie decided that she was "scared" and didn't like the idea of going to unknown doors and ringing doorbells. We got to do about 10 houses before heading home, which was a good try for our first year of really trick or treating. Clara held up well, not fussing or even spitting up on her berry nice costume!

Devil's night

The day before Halloween we carved our punkins! Daddy did the hard part... scooping the seeds and dumping the guts into a bucket. We didn't save the seeds this year, but I imagine in future years Kensie and Clara will learn about those tasty treats and the process will get a bit more complicated. Anyway, here is our family of witches getting into the Halloween spirit...

Pre-Halloween fun!

We decorated cookies and painted pumpkins for Halloween. Kensie was really into painting one pumpkin completely purple. The blue paint was not her favorite -- she did a few dots and was done. That one looks like a Smurf pooped on it!

Crawling Clara

Clara has been on the move for weeks now, and we are having a hard time deciding if she is "crawling" or not. Last night I decided to make it official. She gets from here to there with will and determination! It's more of a army crawl, I suppose, but who knows if she will ever do the traditional hands and knees thing before she starts to walk! In any case, we are very proud of her progress in mobility... even if Kensie isn't too thrilled that her toys are no longer safe from drooling lips and sticky fingers.

Smiling Clara - Go Blue!

Clara is such a happy baby... so easy to please!

Sisters playing...

In this video Kensie is running toward Clara with her train, stopping just short of running her over. Clara loved it!

Clara the musician

Clara is a very curious baby. And very strong... she grasps things with gusto! I remember Kensie having such a hard time getting this piano to work and make noise. Clara must have a really heavy hand, because she has been playing with it easily for a few months now. I love how her face lights up when she hits the magic button that makes it play the full song!

Our little bambino is also almost crawling, in addition to sitting up on her own. She gets up on her knees and rocks that booty back and forth. I guess its time to start mopping the floors more frequently...

First food for Clara!

Clara is officially eating baby food now. She has been doing so since a few days after she turned 6 months old. Starting with rice cereal and milk. In this video she has baby food for the first time. She is a pretty good eater! But, she is very wiggly and she waves her hands around a lot, so I dare not put the jar on her tray... or it is bound to get knocked around.

Monkey Monkey Monkey!!!

Navy Pier with Snoozer

We went to Navy Pier on Saturday with Aunt Suzanne! Got there before it opened and walked around. Got some popcorn at Garrett's (a Chicago staple) -- MMMM! Kensie road on a little train ride with another kid, which was so cute. We thought she would want to ride again, so we paid for a second turn... but turns out she didn't like it at all without her new friend. And the conductor said, "no mommies on the ride!" So, we tried the carousel ride, which she loved a the zoo a few months ago. But she didn't like being on the moving horse, so she rode it out on the bench with daddy. After that, Suzanne and I went on the BIG swings, while Daddy, Clara and Kensie waited below. Again, Kensie was not happy with the arrangement. She is definitely at an age where she wants to be with mommy all the time...

Awesome sisters...

Active kids

Clara has decided that the "bear chair" isn't so bad after all. We put the chair on Craig's list, in hopes of making some quick cash, but got no serious responses. The daycare we now use also has bear chairs, so maybe seeing how cool the other kids looked in this chair got Clara to change her mind. Anyway, she likes the activity center on the chair and grabs it and looks in the mirror. Clara is also rolling over now... only once all the way that I have seen. But at night, she often rolls on her side to sleep. She is now completely happy sitting up straight when you hold her. Not too long now, and we will be putting her in the high chair and starting some solid foods!

We took the girls to a new park in the area. Kensie really liked the climbing wall... big surprise there! Our little monkey will climb on anything... over and over and over again!

Brookfield Zoo

We finally went to the Brookfield Zoo, which is very close to our house. It was a short trip, because we had to squeeze our trip between opening (10am) and Kensie's nap time (noon), but we did do a few fun things. As part of the admission we picked three special attractions. One was the "Family zoo" that had hands on exhibits about animals in the home. Below is a picture of Kensie trying to spray water on the house plants... not sure how this fit into the theme, since no animals were involved, but Kensie liked it!


Above is Kensie on the carousel... she LOVED it! Both Chris and I got an admission (Kensie was free), so I used both tickets to take her on it twice. I think she would have been happiest if we just got 6 tickets to the carousel! As we went around we waved "Hi" to daddy, who was waiting on the sidelines with sleeping Clara.

Wedding day!!

May 22nd, my brother got married! Of course we dressed up for the occasion... in pink, since that was one of the wedding colors. Kensie was the flower girl, and she did a bang up job running down the aisle and throwing petals at the end. It was really funny because after she threw them, she started to pick them up to put back in her basket... I guess she really was paying attention when we practiced the night before!

Below is Kensie wearing her Grandpa Harry's hat... what a weirdo!

Pretty Clara... not many people saw her fancy little dress, because she was sleeping most of the day. But when my Aunt Shirley was holding her, I was able to get a few pictures!!

Update on the Girls...

Clara is doing great... growing like a weed and such a happy baby! She is sleeping through the night most nights. In fact, we are having to wake her up most mornings to feed her (6-7 ounces at a time!) and get out the door to daycare! She loves spending time in her various bouncy chairs, as well as in our laps where she can look around. I haven't weighed her lately, but she is filling out her 6 month onesies nicely. I'm also ready to crack into the size 2 diapers, since the 1's are pretty snug. Her eyes are still a nice shade of blue, which makes her look a bit like Kensie. But, she is losing what little hair she has, and I am worried she will go bald before long!!

Kensie is developing her language skills at a rapid pace now. While many words may not be understandable to others, I can tell what she is saying so much more now. She is putting on her own shoes now and can put her pants on all the way, except for pulling up over her bum in the back -- darn those poofy diapers! She is drinking from a regular cup (with supervision) and can eat food with a spoon without much mess if she really tries. She often tries to practice her jumping, but still hasn't quite gotten the hang of it! I am pretty sure she still weighs the same as she did 6 months ago, right around 24 pounds, but I still keep buying 24 month and 2 T clothes for her... I just know she is going to have a growth spurt eventually!

Sesame Street Live!

We went to see Sesame Street Live with the Martins in May. Kensie had a really great time after a mini melt down when the lights went down and the "monsters" started singing on stage. She doesn't watch TV, so she wasn't familiar with any of the characters, except Cookie Monster and Elmo. After we pointed them out and she calmed down, Kensie was dancing and enjoying the show right along with Charlie! After the intermission we had to split, because Kensie couldn't keep still anymore. But 45 minutes of cooperative Kensie was more than we expected, so we definitely count this outing as a "win!"



During the show, Chris had Clara in the Baby Bjorn. She was pretty good most of the show, too. I love how "super-dad" Chris looks in this picture, toting around our baby and keeping the Elmo balloon from flying up into the rafters!!

Mother's Day 2010

Mother's Day was very fun this year in the Meyers household! I didn't get breakfast in bed or anything, but I did make pancakes for the family and we had lots of fun playing together all day. I dressed the girls up in matching outfits for a short photo shoot on the couch. Clara put up with a lot of pushing and posing without much trouble. Kensie was her usual rambunctious self!

Kensie's Barbie House

Kensie's summer started out right with a Barbie playhouse that we found on Craig's list. I have been craving this house for Kensie since last summer when I found the same one on Craig's list, but the seller never responded! So, it was so exciting when this time the seller responded promptly and we picked it up a few days later. Every day after I get Kensie from daycare she plays in her house... pretending to wash her hands in the little sink, sitting on the chairs, opening the door, and climbing on the roof (with help of course!).

Clara at 2 months

Clara had her 2 month appointment today. She weighed in at almost 12 pounds (11 lbs 15.5 oz) and 23.25 inches. This puts her in the 80th %. The doctor again commented on how advanced she is for her age, being able to focus and hold her head up and push herself up when on her stomach.

Update on the kiddos

Last weekend Kensie got to meet Kenza! Kenza used to live in Paris, but now lives in Brazil. When Kensie was little, we got many Parisian hand-me-down clothes from Kenza's family. It was such a treat to have some outfits that nobody in our area was wearing! We got so many compliments on Kenza's things... thanks again, Abdel and Karima!

Below are the girls at Cheesecake factory, enjoying brunch together. Kensie actually only lasted about 20 minutes at the table before demanding to walk around the restaurant. Kenza was a doll, and played or ate for most of the meal. Maybe Kensie will learn some patience when she gets a bit older??

Kensie still melts my heart with her smiles, even though she runs me ragged and is quite the drama queen! For example, she is really into "buckles." She wants to do any buckle she sees (car seat, booster chair, etc.), but she can't undo the buckle so she whines until you do it for her... then she promptly does the buckle again!

Kensie is still climbing all over the place -- now she can easily get up on her pony to ride, as well as up and down the bar stool chairs. She is climbing out of her big girl bed once in a while, too. This morning she was knocking on her bedroom door to be let out. I just knocked back... then she knocked... so I knocked "shave and a haircut..." Unfortunately she hadn't heard of that game and just cried to be let out!

At night we read to Kensie. Ever since she has been in her new room, we have been reading a few books in her bed, with her. Her favorite book is Wacky Wednesday. She loves the pictures, and finding the shoes and identifying all sorts of household objects that she can say.

Clara is almost 2 months old now. She has her next doctor appointment on Monday. I haven't actually weighed her since her first month, so have no idea what to expect. She is definitely pushing the limits of her 3 month clothes though -- length and around the middle. There isn't much of a schedule with Clara yet, but some patterns have emerged. She does 3 feedings in a row before it gets dark outside, which we think helps her sleep the 6-7 hours she sometimes does at night. But, it's still a gamble if it happens or not! She is smiling a lot now, especially if you tickle her cheek. She also makes happy baby sounds, and will "talk back" to me if she is in one of her good moods. Tummy time is fun to watch now, because she really does push herself right up. And she will practice for about 5-10 minutes most days. She has rolled herself over, but only when I have been sitting on the couch next to her... so there is a bit of a decline to help her make it happen.

Clara's Sprinkle

Clara's Sprinkle was wonderful! A great way to celebrate her birth and get together with family and friends. Auntie Heather bought Clara this darling cherry outfit for her to wear for the occasion...


As with any trip to Michigan, I always look forward to getting together with my closest friends. After the sprinkle, Heather, Keri, and Sabrina and I got to go out on the town! Having dinner on Main St. in Ann Arbor, drinking Oberon's and catching up on each others' busy lives was a welcome change from my mommy world.

Kensie wore a special dress for the occasion, a Polly Flinders that I found at a consignment shop (with the tags still on!). I know I am biased, but I thought she looked heavenly!

They grow so fast!

Kensie and Clara are growing up...

Kensie still loves to go to the park any chance she gets. She can tell us what she wants to do and not do. She says "wing!!" to go on the swings. We ask if she wants to stop, and she says "Nooo!" She is pretty agile for a toddler, and can run pretty fast and climb just about anything. She can even climb up our bar stool height chairs in the kitchen. This sounds great, I know, but it is also pretty scary, because she can also push the chairs where she wants to go... and that means she can get to just about anything she wants on the counters and shelves. She is also perfectly at ease walking up and down stairs, holding on to the rail or pushing against the wall.

Kensie is also progressing well with feeding herself. She does ok with a fork and spoon, getting most of the food to her mouth and keeping the food on top of the implement from plate to face. She is still a very picky eater and we often have to offer her 5 different things until she agrees to eat a decent amount of dinner. I never thought I would be so accommodating as a mom, but she is so skinny... I truly worry about her calorie intake! She still easily fits into many of her 18 month old clothes, because the waists still fit. Though some of her jeans look like high waters, I don't want to buy her more jeans since summer is just around the corner! For now, she is rocking the "ankle" jean look.

Kensie is getting more interested in learning new things. She asks what things are, over and over again. She doesn't usually say things back, just asks. She will point to my necklace and poke at each stone, one at a time, asking what they are. Stickers are definitely a new favorite thing, which I think is great, since it helps her with fine motor skills. The new stamp set was a big hit... as a puzzle! She didn't quite get the whole concept of stamp the ink, then stamp the paper. She just wanted to stamp the ink a million times. But after I put the ink away, she spent 20 minutes putting the blocks in and out of the case. She also showed me that she could stack them... getting up to 6 on top of each other without crashing!

Clara is growing in less noticeable ways, but surely growing. She sleeps for a 6 hour stretch at night now. I wish I could pick which 6 hours, but it is still kind of random. Sometimes 7pm until 1am. Sometimes midnight to 6am. She is still putting away 5-6oz of milk at each feeding. Her stability and focus still amazes me. She never really felt like a fragile newborn!

Clara's face is looking more and more like a little girl. Her wisps of hair slowly grow and she looks less like a little old man with a receding hair line! She is fitting well into all her 3 month old clothes... which she has a lot of, thanks to the generosity of all our friends and family!

Clara is 1 month old!

Clara had her 1 month appointment yesterday. She weighed 10 lbs 8 oz and was 20.75 inches. That puts her weight in the 90th %, her height at 50%, and her head was in the 75th % (but I can't recall the measurement). The doctor also said that she was extremely alert and observant, really looking at things and focusing like a 2 month old! So yes, she is a genius!

We have also learned the Clara is much happier sprawled out on her play gym than swaddled in her bear chair to sleep. Now that we have given up on the cozy chair swing and just let her hang out on the flat (yet cushioned) floor, she falls alsleep much faster. Perhaps she doesn't want to believe she is a newborn and wants to skip right to baby? Last night she was perfectly happy in her sleep sack... and she let me sleep from 10pm to 4am!

Easter

We had a very happy Easter on Sunday. Clara slept through most of the activity, but she did so in a very cute fuzzy outfit!

Below, Kensie is checking out the presents the Easter bunny brought her. She got MegaBlocks, A play-doh extruder, a book, bubbles, a bendy stuffed flower, some chocolates, and a Little Mermaid snack holder.

After opening presents we went outside for Kensie to search for eggs. It didn't take long for her to realize that each egg had a gummy bunny inside! And yes, we let her eat every single one (12 in all!). Needless to say, she wasn't really hungry for lunch later. Good thing she had a bowl of Cheerios before the egg hunt...

Clara update

Clara is turning out to be quite the night owl. She has good days and bad, but lately they have all been "bad." Meaning, I have to get up 3 or so times a night and she doesn't go back to sleep after she eats. She wants to be held or she cries like the shrieking siren voices trapped in that golden egg from the Harry Potter movie. She is definitely gaining a lot of weight, though I won't know her new stats until her appointment on Monday. During the day, Clara doesn't mind a good amount of tummy time, which is a good thing developmentally. She will bob her head and kick her legs --- and even almost roll herself over if you let her!

The weather is getting quite warm here, so I don't think I will have many more pictures of her in cute winter clothes and onsies. Who knows why I bought so many things for her! I totally forgot how fast they grow at this age... and sometimes only wear something once before it gets packed away. I will miss this little elephant pj outfit. It is so soft and fuzzy...