2009/2010

There must be a conspiracy to keep me from updating the blog. No internet connection for a number of days and now Windows won't allow me to cut and paste the update I wrote. So here's the "the girls are going to wake up any minute" version.

Emily, at four months, is a lively and happy little girl. She loves riding in the Baby Bjorn facing outward because she doesn't want to miss anything. With her innate curiosity, Emily has also decided that sleeping is not nearly as much fun as being front and center in whatever is going on, especially if it involves her big sister, Katie. I am trying to teach her the merit of regular naps, but Emily still thinks trying to stay awake is more fun. Emily loves to blow bubbles, grab the zebra toy that hangs from her playmat, practice pushing up with her legs, and sticking her fingers in her month. She is full of smiles and happy coos & squeals, especially at 5 AM!

Katie, at two years and three months, is taking off. She is a proud momma to her bear and dollies. She makes sure they use the potty (although she does not want to!), get bathed (still trying to convince her that she can bath them without water), are swaddled and fed, and put to bed.

Her language skills have started to take off. I enjoy hearing her put together phrases and little sentences, as well as switch back and forth between English and Spanish depending on the person with whom she is talking. She definitely speaks more in English, but she surprises me at times with what she knows in Spanish.

When she isn't tending to her little charges, Katie loves to be read to and to make up stories based on pictures she sees in her books. Katie also enjoys helping me measure, mix, and taste whatever I am making in the kitchen. One of my favorite gifts for her this Christmas were two mommy and me cookbooks. Lastly, nearly every day, Katie can be found sitting at the piano "playing"songs and singing. Many of the songs sound very similar to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," but hey, it's a start.

Christmas, this year, was a delight. Katie could not get enough of the lights, trees, reindeer, Santas, and creches. During the month of December, we played Christmas carols and lit the tree each morning while reading Christmas stories ranging from Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer to the Christmas Story. Katie and I baked many different cookies to share with neighbors, Ben's co-workers, and friends. And we tried to finish dinner early at least one day a week so that we could stroll through the neighborhood and enjoy the lights.

On Christmas Eve, after dinner, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and had cinnamon rolls (a Christmas tradition from my childhood) and then we opened stockings. Little did Katie know that there would be more presents on Christmas morning. She knew she would like Christmas! :-) Emily liked looking at the lights on our Christmas tree, but she was a bit young to understand much of what was going on.

The last photos that I will include are from the days after Christmas when Ben was home from work and we went out and about to various parks and a petting zoo to enjoy picnics and family/friend time. I'll try to post more pictures later this week!