snapshots and quotables

Grammy came for a visit in March and introduced the girls to their first viewing of the original Sound of Music. Up until now, the girls had only known and loved the Carrie Underwood TV special version. Now, Abby has dreams of visiting Austria and running through the hills like Julie Andrews. Ella is stomping around announcing herself (stomp stomp Marta, stomp stomp Leisel). I love that they love a classic that has always been one of my favorites.
  

Overheard in the kitchen while the girls were having a snack together...
Abby: "Ella, this Go-Go (applesauce packet) reminds me of how when Jesus died on the cross, he unwrapped us from our sin and wrapped us in goodness. When that happened, he made sure we weren't stuck in the sin and yuckiness anymore."
I'm not sure how the applesauce reminded Abby of Jesus dying for us, but it did! I love hearing our girls remind and teach each other about Jesus throughout the day and I love seeing glimpses of ways the truth about Jesus is rooting in their hearts.

Ella had a special morning at Barnes and Nobles with Grammy complete with trains, stories and a Starbucks treat!

Favorite phrases from Ella lately:

• Absolupely.
• Sure! 
• Ella drops the "s" sound before words that begins with "sm" or "sn". ("Can I have a nack?" "Daddy, I want to give you moochy. Will you nuggle me?")

All ready for spring picture day at school!

Pretzel stop with Mommy after running a few errands at the mall.

Abby's friend Maddy turned nine and celebrated with a Parisian themed cupcake decorating party. Abby had so much fun making cute cupcakes and taking pictures with her friends in the photo booth. I think her favorite part was licking off all of the extra frosting.

Abby really enjoys expanding her vocabulary. It wasn't until recently that we realized how intentionally she tries to learn new words and find the right context to use them in. Sometimes she tries it and it doesn't fit. Most times, she uses a new word that surprises us and is completely in the right context. Then, there are the times when she uses the right word in the right context, but Joe and I have to look up the word because we don't really know what it means or the context it should be in. Only to find she is absolutely correct!

Abby (as she runs into the living room and does some gymnastics): "Hey guys, come over here! I have to show you something sprightly."

Definition of sprightly: full of life and energy

Trip to Nana's

In early March, Joe took the girls on a day trip to visit Nana. I was still in the midst of first trimester sickness, so seven hours in the car in one day was not something I could physically do. The girls were so excited to go to Nana's house that they didn't even complain about the hours in the car. They brought their favorite dolls and books to play with and Joe brought ingredients to make Nana one of his favorite meals. The girls love being Nana's helpers. Ella carried Nana's purse and both girls helped her to the car as they all went out to lunch.

From what I hear, the girls spent the afternoon entertaining Uncle John and Nana and keeping them pretty busy!

We're counting down to our next visit with them in just a few weeks!

snapshots

always the comedian

dance class

Warehouse shopping with friends is way more fun!

hanging with her little buddies

Big News...

Big news...

13 weeks

Our littlest love is expected to arrive on (around) October 1.  Even though this is my third pregnancy, this is the first time the doctor's office offered me an 10-week ultrasound. It was such a sweet moment to be able to see and connect with the baby before I could feel anything. Look at our little peanut!

We waited to tell the girls until we had the picture to show them. We showed them the ultrasound picture and asked them to guess what the picture was thinking it wouldn't be as obvious. Abby looked at it and matter of factly said, "Oh Mommy, that's a baby in your belly! You have a baby in your belly?" So much for stumping them. When I asked Abby how she knew, she pointed to the fridge were we have both Abby and Ella's ultrasound pics. Obviously, Mom!

The girls couldn't be more excited. Ella has had baby fever for a while now. Abby is excited at the possibility of having a baby brother and Ella has decided she would like a baby sister. Boy or girl, our girls are already planning how they will take on the big sister role. Our family dinners are filled with conversations about how they will help take care of, teach, sing to, hold and love on the baby. Ella is thrilled by the thought of sitting on the couch with pillows and holding the baby. Their excitement is precious and has helped me through the weeks and weeks of first trimester sickness.

11 week bump

This pregnancy has been the roughest by far and has taken a lot of adjusting (and grace), but I'm thankful to be feeling much better recently! The weeks actually seem to be flying. Just three more weeks until the halfway mark. How did that happen? :)

ella 2.5

Our sweet little two and a half year old Ella,

You bring so much joy to our lives every day. As Abby likes to say you are the funniest person in our family (and we're pretty sure you know it). You walk around making jokes and intentionally pronouncing words in funny ways just to make us laugh. Like "Hey guys, I'm really sleeeeepay!" or "I need to go poo-pay and pay-pay!" You are super sweet (always greeting and offering the first morning hugs to everyone) and strong willed (throwing a huge fit any time you decide you don't want to leave the house when we say it's time).

You have such an empathetic and sensitive heart. When you see someone in pain or facing something hard, it nearly consumes you. It's not limited to real life people, but could be a movie, a book or even a commercial. You feel everyone else's feelings and your most natural reaction is to care for them deeply (even if they are fictional characters). After seeing the scene of A Christmas Story where the boy gets his tongue stuck to the pole, you are still talking about it months later. In your concern, you repeatedly ask if the boy is ok and retell the story of his trauma. After seeing Honey We Shrunk the Kids, you were terribly concerned about the little boy who ended up in his dad's cheerios. The first time we read to you about Jesus dying on the cross, you were so broken by it that you made Daddy turn the the page that showed the tears streaming down Jesus' face. The thought of other people hurting Jesus made you visibly upset. You didn't want to see it and begged us to tell you there was a happy ending. The next day, you started retelling the story to anyone who would listen.

"Jesus died on the cross and he cried for his mommy and daddy. Then, they put him in a rock and when they opened it he was gone. He was ALIVE! And then he lived happily ever after. The end."

Sweet girl, you crave happy endings and goodness...just like your mommy.

You walk around the house with your babies, princess barbies, ponies and little people and call them your "hunnies". Your favorite toy by far is your dollhouse which you play with for hours and beg for when we are away from home for too long.

Recently, you've informed us that:
1. You don't like boys.
2. You are going to give your pa-pa (pacifier) to the fairy when you are 26.
3. You are excited to go to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate being pull-up free...someday soon, but you just didn't feel like getting to pee in the potty and went in your pants.

You always want Mommy to put you to bed. Every now and then, Daddy will ask if he can have the privilege of putting you to bed.  You say yes and then when bedtime comes, you tell us that "you've switched your mind" as you move your hand across the imaginary lever on top of your head and that you want Mommy to put you to bed after all.

The ways you pronounce your words are the best. Our favorite is your substitution of "s" for all "f" sounds ("I'm so sunny (funny)!") and your use of the "n" sound ("Naybe I'll wear my savorite purple neakers today!").

Two of her favorite phrases that she walks around saying are "Szeretlek" (I love you in Hungarian) and "I love you like a rocketship" (one of Grandma's special gems).

We love you "Ella Beanie Cocalini Two Point-tini Jessie Jeanie"!

Daddy turns 32!

Daddy turned 32! We celebrated a bit on Superbowl Sunday, but saved cake and presents for his actual birthday. Asking the girls what they wanted to give their Daddy for his birthday this year was especially fun. They each had very specific (and different) ideas of what he should get. Ella even worked really hard to keep her gift a secret, which is a big challenge for her!

Abby wanted to make Daddy a Syracuse blanket, so we set out to find some blue and orange fleece at Hobby Lobby and she helped me make a fleece tie blanket. It came out so nicely. When I asked Ella what she to give Daddy for his birthday, her immediate response was, "I want to get him a superhero shirt, because he's my superhero!" We ended up with a set of superhero magnets and a superman shirt that still puts on a smile on Ella's face every time she sees her Daddy wearing it.

The girls helped me make Joe's birthday cake. We decided on the Pioneer Woman's Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Icing and it was just as yummy as it sounds.

Operation "Get Out of the Cold"

By the end of February, we were all in need of a break from this long and bitter cold winter, so Daddy booked an overnight at the indoor water park. It doesn't matter that the warm air is manufactured and the sun doesn't exactly feel real because any hint of hopeful weather and fun was just what our winter needed. To say the girls were excited about being in their bathing suits is an understatement.

We didn't tell the girls where we were going until we picked Abby up from school that morning. (insert excited little girl squeals here)

The girls got right in and started splashing away despite the colder than usual temperatures of the water.  Ella's favorite was this little orange slide. Abby's favorite was the big raft slide in the dark tunnel!

Where did our girls get these curls? I love the way their hair naturally curls especially when it is humid or wet. I can't make my hair curl without some serious curlers and hairspray!

 

The greatest proof of a fun filled day in the water: