Pinata!

Nadia saw an episode of Caillou where there was a pinata ("comada" in Nad's description) at Leo's Mexican Fiesta Birthday party. She was recapping this information to Nana and mom immediately said, "We'll make a pinata the next time I see you!"

When Nana and Granddaddy came for my birthday, Nana brought all the supplies for Nadia to make her very own pinata!

Very exciting and very messy!

Lydi thought it was pretty exciting too, but she decided just to watch from the sidelines this time.

The next day after it had dried, she filled it with candy!

Then there were extra decorations and getting ready to "hit it with a stick!"

Thanks for such fun Nana!

"Hit it with a stick!"

Getting closer!

Success!

Super Nad and Super Jor - drawn by the amazing Uncle Jordan who kept the girls for an entire day by himself with great gusto and success. The girls had a great day!

Nad's Easter Egg hunt at school. She had good strategy, moving away from the group to get eggs no one else was going for. (They re-divide the eggs after the hunt to be sure everyone goes home with the same number. She knew "her" eggs were missing but was okay when we explained she had to share with her friends.)

Lydi is sitting up unassisted now! It's given her so much more freedom to play - she LOVES it!

Nadia's drawing of a person. She called me back to her room to see her drawing last weekend.

Once I was sitting beside her, she added "the sun and some food for him to eat."

Andy took about 20 pics last Sunday morning as we were trying to run out the door to church, and none of them had both girls looking in the same picture, but what I was most taken by in these pics were how similar the girls look in their face shape, noses, foreheads and cheeks.

There is NO denying these girls are sisters in so many many ways!

5 months!

Five months old! Growing up so quickly!

Such a sweetheart! Lydi is sitting up, rolling over, babbling, playing, grabbing toys, eating baby food and puffs, and laughing hysterically at Nad, dancing and peek-a-boo.

Feeding the ducks

Strollin!

Yeah for spring!

Miscellaneous Catch-Up

These are the miscellaneous pics from my phone from the last couple months... Snuggle bugs!

Nadia reading to Lydi

Hanging out in Nad's big bed together

St. Patrick's Day parade at school

Nad's class

She sat down on the driveway, facing the road and said, "I'm upset!" I asked, "Why?" She said, "I want Nenee!" (aka Nana)

Lydi with Poppa

At the Children's Museum in Norfolk. There is an amazing train room with LOTS and LOTS of trains!

The Bubble room at the museum - giant bubbles, little bubbles, bubbles in all shapes and sizes!

Lydi's first trip to the beach!

We ate dinner at Virginia Beach and ran down to the water's edge to "touch it".

Nadia reading to Lydi again. I LOVE it - Nad initiates is on her own and usually when I'm not right with them. She is very selective in the books she chooses.

This sign was in a mall in Norfolk. When we saw it the first time, Nadia SAID, "Food." I thought maybe it was just coincidence until we went back and saw the same sign the next day and she said, "Food" again!

Museum of Natural History in DC

Strollin'

Riding the Metro

Ice cream at the Gaylord Opry Land Hotel in Nashville

Opryland

"I want to hold her," Nad's famous daily words.

Making a tortilla at Chuy's restaurant in Atlanta

Watching tortilla making at Chuy's

Sabbatical in summary - 30 days, 12 cities, 11 churches, 2 conferences, 1 seminary! Lots learned, lots of fun times with family and lots of packing/unpacking and hauling of stuff. It was a great month for which we are very grateful.

4 months/Home Sweet Home/Potty Time!

4 Months Old! Lydia is babbling away, blowing bubbles, trying to sit up, holding toys, loving playing with Nadia, trying cereal and bananas (not really getting it yet, but interested), enjoying music and dancing, jumping in the bouncy seat, twisting in the exersaucer and sleeping through the night.

She is trying hard to sit up on her own but continues to tip forward eventually.

She likes her doorway jumpy seat!

At her 4 month check-up she got 2 shots and an oral vaccine. She weighed 14 lbs and 13 oz (65%ile), was 24 inches long (50%ile), and her head was 16 1/2" (65%ile). She's doing great!

Our final stop on sabbatical was at Granddaddy and Nana's house. We loved getting to see them and play in their big backyard.

Cuddling with Granddaddy

All smiles with Nana

Do you notice something new??? Don't they look cute!?!

It's Potty Time! Nadia started potty training on our last week of sabbatical and has been doing great! She had a quick interest with the singing potty, cute panties and bunny marshmallow rewards. On the third day in we were accident free all day even staying dry at nap and overnight. We put her in a pull-up for the long final ride home and she stayed dry for 3 1/2 hours in the car until we stopped, and she had access to a potty. Since being home she continues to do GREAT when she's with us, but has had some set-backs at school, church and with other babysitters. I think its because everyone has a different system, a different expectation (and not always an amazing singing potty with marshmallows to follow!) but overall she's doing wonderfully.

I found her washing her hands (and apparently feet) by herself after one potty time - she got herself up on the sink and was playing with the soap and water.

Her hair is getting sooo long! Here it was still slightly damp so it hadn't curled back up yet. She's getting so growny in so many ways - sleeping in her toddler bed, talking up a storm, singing all kinds of songs on her own initiative, wanting to help any way she can (with cooking (cracking her own eggs), playing with Lydi (she will choose picture books to read to her all day long), cleaning (today she got her own washcloth wet and went all over the house "cleaning" things)and remains our cuddle bug who loves to snuggle. She is a happy, delightful, oh so outgoing people lover.