Madelyn Nicole Smith

Well, we are finally home and happy to be a family of 4!

Madelyn and mommy are doing great. And Abby was very excited to see her little sister for the first time. Her first reaction was adorable, she sang "Rock-a-bye-baby" to her and said "baby, beautiful"! Then she proceeded to give Madelyn all of her princesses and her lovey!

The whole experience went great, but we are happy it is behind us and we can enjoy our little, newest bundle of joy.

Madelyn Nicole Smith

Born Wednesday November 4th @ 6:04am

8lbs, 3oz, 21 inches

In the labor/delivery room.....hours and hours before Maddy's arrival! Total labor time was 16 hours!

Just minutes after birth!

Day 1 of life! She eats and sleeps like a champ.

Chillin' with daddy

Getting dressed and ready to leave the hospital

First time in the car seat...she slept the whole way home

Meeting big sister Abby for the first time

Rocking our babies together

Trick-Or-Treat 2009

We trick-or-treated with Abby earlier in the day for Halloween, as the downtown area had a store-front candy pass out session. Our poor "Unicorn" girl was a bit overheated as it was at least 75 degrees out, so it was a warm halloween....we might have helped her eat some of the candy before it melted :)

Our little Unicorn and daddy walking the streets
Ever see a Unicorn butt before?? Here you go!!

Meeting "Dora The Explorer" for the first time, and willingly gave her a hug!!

Zoo Boo 2009- Norfolk Zoo

Sunday after Grandma Donna got into town the night before, we took part in the local zoo's "Zoo Boo" event. They put on a great performance for the kids, who got to come dressed up (even though Abby did not dress up) and had booths all along the zoo path passing out candy for the kids, and they had special "pumpkin smashing" sessions setup for different animals throughout the zoo.

We got there just in time to witness the pumpkin smashing at the lion exhibit. They put out open pumpkins filled with raw meat to entice the lions and cubs to have fun.

There are 4 cubs, and a mommy & daddy that came out to enjoy the festivities.

Hunt Club Farm- Pumpkin Patch

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

We took Abby to the local pumpkin patch harvest festival today.

We had much more fun than we anticipated, and she really enjoyed each part of the experience, so it was fun to watch her take it all in.

Walking through the parking lot

There was a petting zoo with chickens and goats.....she loved chasing them all!
In the chicken coop she just kept saying "cock-a-doodle-doo" as she chased the chickens

Feeding the goat all by herself

The very cute baby sheep.....he was so little he was still being bottle fed so he didn't know how to eat what we were feeding him.

"Get over here mr.goat.....I'm going to get you" This photo was just before she took a butt-first plunge into the mud at the feeding trough; other than trying to figure out cleaning off her hands, she got right up and continued on chasing. So the rest of the photos for the day show her dirty back/butt!

All the goats were very docile and just her size, so there was no intimidation; although I can't say they weren't scared of this screaming and excited 2 year old

Waiting patiently for the hayride

Playing in the hay mound

Checking out the donkeys with dad

The dirty butt.....it was much worse before it dried up

Loveable even when muddy

The tractor hayride

She loved the small pumpkins..she could pick them up all by herself, even with one hand

Family of ALMOST 4!!!!

"This one's heavy mom!!!"

Hmmm....which way will they go.......

Deep in cupcake

Our friends the Mitzner's had a fun kiddie fall party on Saturday, and Abby had a great time playing with all the kids. Unfortunately the only photos I caught were of her eating (devouring) a cupcake at the end!!

And she stopped to smell the flower while she was chowing down.

Just being silly & cute

This is a classic shot of Abby these days. She loves any opportunity to climb onto Mike whenever he's on the floor. Here he was trying to tape off the baseboards in the living room prior to painting, and she had to climb on.
My 2 kids!! They love each other so much its just fun to watch them interact. Abby had just finished her bath and was out drying off when she sat down to watch tv. Roxy joined her.....only because she had a snack cup of goldfish at her side. Any opportunity for a dropped snack! Cute photo opportuity nonetheless.

Play Kitchen Fun!

Here are some more birthday gift photos!

Grandma Donna & Great Aunt Arlene bought Abby a play kitchen for her 2nd birthday, and Grandma Smith bought her the cute dollie (or in this case, teddy bear) high chair!

She LOVES making pregnant mommy sit on the floor next to her kitchen so she can serve me food and drinks. And it is a requirement that I make noises of enjoyment like slurping and saying "yummy", or the playing is just not fun.

Its funny, she even uses the fake water/ice dispenser on the front of the fridge like I do on our real fridge!! Kids pick up on everything!

Frying up some eggs! The pans audibly sizzle and boil on the stovetop, the microwave and oven have buttons that beep and make appropriate cooking noises, and there is a phone that has buttons as well! She also loves washing her hands in the sink.

Kid Updates

Abby had her 2 year check-up yesterday and (aside from a mild ear infection in one ear, which really hasn't even affected her this time around) she got a clean bill of health. She is 34 1/2" tall (70th percentile), and 26.0 lbs (40th percentile). The doctor was very happy with her growth and development, and she received 2 more immunizations and a flu shot. And finally we start seeing the doctor annually for well-checks, instead of twice a year or more.

And I had my 36-week appointment for Baby Smith #2 today as well as a final growth ultrasound which showed that she is definitely head down. The doctor estimates that she is about 6lbs 14oz right now and should be just under 8lbs if I make it to my scheduled induction on the morning of November 3rd! So I got to see her in 3-D as well, and we think she looks just like Abby did, little round chubby face, and of course with her hand up in front of her nose. And the technician said she has a full head of hair....to be sure I bring a brush to the hospital with me! She pointed out the fuzzy head and it was obvious! So I'm anxious to see if her hair comes out the same color as Abby's was, and if it will stay and grow as much as Abby's has (she really never lost any hair after delivery and it only keeps growing). She is still very active and manages to keep me uncomfortable quite often, so these last 3 weeks (or less) are a true countdown!

The Dollhouse

Abby's gift from us for her birthday was this fun family dollhouse. She loves it and hasn't taken herself away from it since I put it together Sunday morning. She woke up to it and was so excited. Of course the 1" baby dolls are her favorite, but she has learned to incorporate all the pieces for hours of fun. Of course I love that it keeps her busy in her toy room!!

Birthday cards are so much fun

Abby received a few "singing" birthday cards for her birthday, which were a real hit! Here she is enjoying them.....as she has done repeatedly over the last few days! We're just wondering when the batteries will run out.

She gets a real kick out of them, and smiles and often dances everytime she opens them.

Birthday Cake

We had to get a small cake to celebrate her BIG day!

Of course it was yummy, and she devoured almost every last crumb.

Singing "Happy Birthday"

Blowing out candles.....her "blow" feature isn't very effective yet! Maybe next year!!

She started out eating the cake with the fork I provided her......

Then after several fork bites, she suddenly dropped the fork and grabbed the cake with 2 hands and ferociously continued eating it like so.....much more effective at getting the chocolate into the mouth.

She's always good for some funny expressions, so I had to post the sequence of her cake consumption.

And then, it was all over! Til next year! Then we will be celebrating our kids birthdays back to back only a few weeks apart.

Abby's 2nd Birthday....Out to dinner

We took our 2 year old to Red Robin to celebrate her big birthday! She had a great time, loved the balloon of course, and got a yummy dessert with the waitresses singing to her!

And here she is trying to feed me a bite of her sundae......she loves to share!

Day trip to Williamsburg, VA

We took a day trip up to Williamsburg on Friday. Here are some fun memories. Abby had a good time and it was a beautiful day to be outside.

Waiting outside for lunch, collecting rocks.....her new hobby

Ooooh......horsies!

And cows!!! Farm animals are her favorite, so they were a hit.

Walking with Great Grandma Paulette

Mike and I taking a rest

Abby joined in the photo with a funny face

With the great grandparents

"Peekaboo"

And finally a never missed opportunity to eat ice cream! Blue sherbet!! Yummy!!

I caught her talking to herself on the bench....always a classic

East Coast Hawkeye Ball 2009

Well, even being 8 months pregnant and 4 weeks away from delivery, we managed to attend the annual Hawkeye Ball. We haven't been to the large East Coast ball in 3+ years and missed the past 2 West Coast balls due to deployment and Abby's birth, so it was fun to see so many familiar faces that have crossed paths with us over our years in California. This small military community we are in is such a blessing, with such great friends. We didn't stay too late though, my pregnant feet were screaming at me. And the great grandparents stayed and watched Abby for the night. Everyone had a good time.

Visit with Grma & Grmpa Reiss in Virginia

Abby's Great-Grandma and Grandpa Reiss came to visit this past week and Abby has really enjoyed the extra company around the house and our daily outings.

At the beach splashing in the water....which ws amazingly warm for the first week of October!
Great Grandpa Bob showing Abby how to dig a hole and find the little crabs below

Fun walking in the water wih Great Grandma Paulette

Some at-home time with the great grandparents. Abby loves showing off her toys. The funniest thing lately is her insistence on having everyone sit in specific spots on the couch. So she grabs your hand and says "sit" and brings you over to the couch to do just that.

Bedtime reading with Great Grandpa Bob

Last day of Sept...a little Fall-like

We went up to the Navy Base today to meet friends for a craft fair and lunch. The girls ran around outside for a while to burn off some energy.

Covering her ears because a plane was taking off nearby on-base.

Holding hands with her friend Emily

First Salon Haircut!

We took Abby for her first official salon haircut! Until now I've been trimming her bangs regularly, but I've never touched the back, and it was getting a little shaggy and wild, so I decided to have a professional take a stab at it. She trimmed up the back so it was closer to one length, and touched up her layers to take the baby hairs off the ends, and cut her bangs!

Abby was great! SUCH a big girl without a single squirm, worry, or cry. In fact she was silent through the whole thing and sat very still for the stylist. I was worried she would get scared because from the moment we walked into the salon the other 1 year olds getting their haircuts were screaming; not exactly the best first impression of what was to come.

Getting started. She even kept her arms under the cape, even though she kept wondering why she couldn't see her hands.

It was hard to get a smile out of the kid.....this was the closest I got.

Cute piggie tails too!

Her favorite part was definitely the dum-dum pop at the end!

Sept Swimming....

Well, it seems our swimming days are coming to an end this season. Mike took Abby in the pool last night but the water temperature was about 69 degrees.....WAY too cold for mommy!

We hadn't been swimming for about 3 weeks since Grandma was here. Our weather has cooled off so much that we have been able to turn the A/C off for the last few days/nights with the nice breeze that has been in the area.

But Abby never seems to mind the temp and jumps right in! It wasn't until she got out after some time in the water that she realized she was cold and shivering.

So unless we have a random HOT week, I think our water days are numbered. She did have fun with daddy though, as always, he's her favorite swim partner, especially when mommy is a wuss and refuses to be any more uncomfortable than just being pregnant.

Pointing at the airplane flying by!

Girls Rooms COMPLETE!

So my handyman husband has finally finished painting the girls rooms! The rest of the house is on the list, but their rooms were the priority so no one would be put out of their rooms once this baby arrives! We updated the wall color, and changed the trim and baseboards from wood to white.

Abby's room is purple & sage, and the baby's room is two shades of purple.

Abby's 2 closets...so much storage

Baby's room!

Bedroom door on the left and closet on the right.

Puppy and Baby Love

Abby LOVES her baby dolls. And even more, she loves to interact with them like a real baby these days. She even requests (requires!!) to sleep with them sometimes too. Mike caught her in the kitchen saying "Ride Roxy". I was a little worried she was actually trying to ride the real Roxy, but luckily she was just immitating her previous actions and showing her baby how to ride the pull-doggie. Abby has tried on many occasion to straddle and ride Roxy these days, so I wouldn't have been surprised!

And when Roxy is no longer amused with Abby's "affection", she loves dragging this barking dog around the house in circles. Quite the companion.

Funny Sept Shots

Abby in her cowgirl/horse costume that Grma Donna brought for her
Caught being cute watching "Curious George"...one of her favorites

I was fighting with her the other day to get dressed and in protest she managed to get her shirt half off but it got stuck on her head and frustrated her.....so I laughed and grabbed the camera of course.

I heard some cackling in the other room while I was doing dishes, and the dog was missing and I knew Abby had crackers in hand, so of course some teasing was surely going on. I snuck in and caught her teasing Roxy with veggie sticks over the play house, occasionally throwing them at her for fun......2 year olds!! How many times must I tell her "Roxy doesn't eat this, or that, nor does she like it when you sit on her or brush her hair!!!"

I'm sure Roxy is wondering where the next treat will be coming from......over or under....she just waits patiently knowing it will come eventually!

"Hi Mom, no of course I'm not teasing Roxy, she's just watching me eat my snack"

Tiny Dancer in Action

Video clip of Abby's dance moves

Rockin' Out....Rockstar in Training

We had a fun night out for dinner with our friends last night, and headed back to our place for a little "Guitar Hero" fun. As soon as Mike set it up in the family room, Abby was all over the drums and microphone! She was really into the songs while the guys were playing and just had to join in the fun.

Our little singer

Singing along with the big boys! I love the one-handed microphone with the other hand out for musical stability!!!

The Boy Band

Groovin' to the music

Sitting with the cute drummer....she's such a groupie

Philly!!

After the museum we drove into the historic Independence Hall area in downtown Philly, treated ourselves to a traditional Philly Cheesesteak lunch of course, and stopped to see the Liberty Bell exhibit. Abby napped in the stroller after lunch, so it was a good hour of quiet time to see a few walkable sites! But my belly is just too big and my feet were too tired to do much more, so we headed home from there.

Bye Philly! See you again down the road for another visit.....next time with 2 kids in tow!

Mike and I in front of the Liberty Bell.
Benjamin Franklin's gravesite

"Please Touch Museum" in Philadelphia

The morning after Sesame Place, we took Abby to the "Please Touch Museum" in Philadelphia. It was soooo cute! It is a completely hands-on museum for kids age 1 and up. We spent almost 3 hours there enjoying the many touching experiences.

Riding the carousel with daddy
The water tables were lots of fun. They had mechanisms for kids to manipulate the flow of water, to push the boats around. Abby liked picking the boats up out of the water and moving them around.

The rubber ducky pond....the ducks just circulated round and round, but boy was it entertaining for a toddler.

On the "BIG" piano! Just like the movie....it played when you walked on it.

Goldilocks (Abby) and the 3 Bears! So cute!

She climbed right into this canoe and put the life vest on all by herself as if it were 2nd nature...weird!

Sitting on the swan!

Weeeee!!! Down the slide on her back!

This was so cute. They had a whole section based on "Alice in Wonderland" with the Mad Hatter, Tea Party and all!
Here she is with Mike in the shruken room.

Our play tea party with the Mad Hatter and Rabbit. She would have stayed here an hour playing with the cups.

The front porch replica. She had to pick up and move the dog's bowl of all things!

Then she grabbed the broom and started sweeping.

In the Children's Hospital room. She loves babies, so this was probably her favorite part and could have stayed here forever too! Its hard to convince a toddler to move onto another room and leave baby dolls behind!

Doctor Abby! They had dress up clothes in some of the rooms too.

And she's off! The mock grocery store was adorable! You pushed your cart around, filled it up with all the food items you wanted, and then had to put it all back after you "checked-out" at the register.

FRUITS!

In the Kindergarten room, stacking blocks. She kept stacking and the 9th block always made the tower fall down!

Quick Labor Day Weekend Getaway

We made a last minute getaway and drove up to Philadelphia Friday/Saturday to take Abby for a few new experiences, and just to get out of town and do something new. This was an early 2nd birthday celebration! We went to "Sesame Place" the first day and then to the "Please Touch Museum" the second day. She had fun at both, and we have a lot of great memories.

Waiting in line for the "Elmo's Fishbowl" dumbo-like ride!
About to "take-off" in her elmo fish

Gazing up at the next ride as the people before her went up & down!

Locked-in and ready to go! Her first ride with a harness. The only part she didn't like was being confined to a seat with the harness, but she got over it once the ride started. It was a bouncy up/down ride.

Lots of fun in "Elmo's World"- Sesame Place is full of dry attractions/rides as well as many water rides. We tried out the water at the end of the day but she was pretty tired and Mike said the water was cold so she didn't last long.

Here is Abby in one of the toddler tumble zones. She loved stacking and carrying the oversized foam blocks around, sharing with the other kids to build things.

Daddy bought her a build-your-own icee! YUMM!!!

Sitting with mommy on the steps of Sesame Street! There was a cute "Main Street" where characters were available for photos, and you could enjoy the scenes resembling the tv show.

Touching Oscar's trash can

Big Bird's mailbox

Her souvenier of the day! A Grover plush doll with a pink nose and cape! She hasn't let him go since!

Aunt Carol & Grma Donna's Visit Together with us

Aunt Carol and Grandma Donna both arrived on Saturday, and we had a beautiful day Sunday spent together. We went out to dinner, and enjoyed a nice stroll on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront afterwards enjoying the breeze and no sun! And of course Abby enjoyed the chance to run in the sand, chase the birds, and get wet! Her new adventure is the waves which she is no longer afraid of.....so daddy had to get a bit wet too!

30 Weeks......9 or 10 to go....and seriously counting!!

Here is the 30 week baby belly.....yes, still no name yet. Hopefully in the next few weeks we will come up with one just to be on the safe side in case things come a bit earlier then expected.

This new baby loves to be up in my ribs and lungs, and then there's Abby who just likes to use my baby bump as a shelf to sit on. The baby is not very amused and kicks in anger I presume, when Abby takes up the little space she has left in my belly!

Norfolk Botanical Gardens Visit

Abby and I went with my friend Julie and her daughters (Emily & Reese) to the Botanical Gardens on Friday. They have this adorable water fountain area for the kids to play in and it was a very hot day! Abby loved letting loose and running around in the water on her own.

There she is leaning on the rock that had water coming out the top of it!

She and Emily catching the water (Emily is 9 mo's older)

At this point they were both soaked and Abby kept wiping water from her eyes. I was surprised she ventured into this spritzer since you had to walk thru the wall of water to get to the center.....sometimes she's more adventurous with friends!

Taking a break and a drink!

Oreo....

Little miss Abby got to eat her first Oreo cookie and this was the result. Amazingly without any istruction, she first took apart the two cookie pieces and found the creamy center (I SWEAR!! ALL BY HERSELF). She then continued to lick off the cream and was only somewhat interested in the cookies themselves. I really didn't think it would be this messy of a snack....I should have known better.

The Dora Couch

I put Abby down for a nap the other day, and when I came out to clean up the house, Roxy was napping on her Dora couch! I swear she spends more time on that couch than on her own dog bed during the day.
Later, Abby awoke to find her in the Dora couch, and took the opportunity to dress her up with her clothes, and try to put "Mr.Potato Head" pieces in her mouth as if thats where they belonged! Roxy put up with it all for quite some time....she wasn't all that amused though.
And Abby didn't understand why the piece wouldn't fit!! I tried to explain, but it was useless, so I just laughed.

I LOVE to read with my dad!

Abby loves reading, and any chance to read in our arms!

Carousel Ride

A trip to the mall included a fun ride on the carousel! Towards the end of the ride she was saying "all done" and then when it finally stopped, she refused to get off! This horse went up/down too! She held on tight!

Reading at the Library

Video clip of Abby "reading" to herself at the library!

Abby talking to herself

I heard Abby in the dining room "talking" to the pictures the other day, and of course when I went to video tape her, she ceased! But I did get a few good looks from her wondering why I was standing behind her! She cracks me up! She loves spending time alone in her playroom "reading" books to herself, and sometimes even scolding her stuffed animals, so we just hear the activity from afar and giggle.

Beach Play 2

Another cute beach video!

Beach Play 1

Here is the 1st of two cute videos of Abby playing in the water at the beach.

Beach time

Our good Navy friends Scott/Kristen and their son Harrison came down to the area from D.C. to visit her parents her parents for the weekend, so I took Abby up there to visit for a little beach time today! She and Harrison are 8 weeks apart, he's older! They had a great time, and it was Abby's first time venturing into the ocean waves, even though these were quite tame, it was still new for her to let them splash on her willingly. I think being comfortable in the pool was a huge help.

Harrison & Abby playing in the sand

Splashing in the little waves! The water was very warm.

Harrison loved being sandy and gross, so Abby decided to help him along and put more sand on him. Boys and girls are soooooo different! Abby loved to just sit and play in the sand, and Harrison couldn't sit still for 5 seconds! He was always on the go.

CHEESE!

Cheesy girl! At a playdate with her friend Emily

Breakfast at the Zoo

We attended "Breakfast with the Animals" at the zoo this morning. It was a great zoo activity for members only, and included a human breakfast first inside the zoo. Then as you walked around the zoo entrance, there were handlers showing different animals, like turtles, roosters, llama, and even an armadillo! Then the 2 hour event was planned so that every 15 minutes there was another group of animals in an area of the zoo being fed their breakfast. We saw the cow, the giraffe, elephants, meerkat, and kangaroo! Then we let her cool off and get soaked to the bone in the fun water fountains! Her favorite part I'm sure!

6 Month Baby#2 Bump

27 Weeks Along......13 More Weeks to go til the early November due date!!!

Swimming with friends

We had a momentous swimming occasion yesterday! Abby put on her floatie vest and floatie water wings, and realized that she could swim all by herself in the pool and kick to get anywhere she wanted in the pool, even the deep end! Needless to say, she was pooped after swimming so much and slept GREAT last night!! We had Mike's 2 good Navy friends over (Will/Tracey and Dan/Jessica) who he originally went through training with in Pensacola, and we swam all afternoon (literally!!). Abby swam a few hours, then played in the sand box for a while, then it was back in the pool 'til I pulled her out at 7pm for a bath and bedtime! Then the boys stayed in the pool til 9pm when I picked up some dinner.

About to jump in unassisted! Once she could do it on her own with confidence, she didn't even want us to hold her hand at all. And she's in!!!! She loved jumping in off the step, then turning around to swim/kick back to the step to do it over and over.

And back she goes!!

3 Men and a baby!!!! Abby loved being around the guys in the pool. She swam to and from each of them, and was not the least bit hesitant to let them help her!

I swear her tongue was out skimming the water the entire time! It helped her navigate!!!

Daddy kisses!!!!

Chillin' in the "bubble seat" as she calls them!

More daddy kisses....kisses must be better in the pool!

The end of the day.....Will & Mike!

I swear us girls were around too, but its hard to get 3 drunk guys motivated to get out of the pool and hold a camera.....safely!!! All in all it was a very fun day.

Hats are fun!

Abby woke up from her nap yesterday, and when I went to her room to let her out after hearing some noise in there, she emerged with her sun hat and her mr.potato head glasses on, and was saying "Mama, hat!". Very funny. That was the first time she has played by herself in her room after waking up. I guess she's figuring out that the room is still fun even after you wake up.

Playtime

I took Abby over to the local mall to burn off some built up energy yesterday, and she had a great time running around, following, and imitating the other kids there.

First washable tattoo!!

Last weekend we went to a local arts & crafts fair and they had free activities for the kids.

We decided to see how Abby would do with her first face painting experience, although we decided to have it painted on her arm so that she could see it, and so that she wouldn't be touching it constantly. It worked, she sat patiently, and was very curious! She got a few colorful baloons. Unfortunately it was a backwards way of teaching her to paint on herself, so who knows what she will try next at home! She's all about getting messy these days.

As it was, the day was very hot and humid, so you can see how sweaty her hair looks, and the artwork only lasted an hour or so until she sweat it off!

Splashing and Laughing with Daddy

Video clip of Abby slapshing and laughing!

Little Swimmer

Video clip of Abby showing off her swim skills!

Splashing Giggles

Cute video of Abby giggling in the pool! She is finally getting to the point where water in her eyes/face isn't a huge ordeal.

New Swing!!!

I picked up a gently used swing off craigslist today, and Abby was THRILLED!!!

Swinging at the park is her favorite thing, so now its in the backyard.....even better.

Here she is seeing it up for the first time.

Running toward her swing once she saw us pointing at it across the yard.
Saying "Look mama....swing"

Daddy fixing the straps!

And.....WEE!!!!! More more more!!

Thunderstorm leftovers

We waited and waited for rain the last 2 weeks, mostly to help fill the pool water (and of course it always comes a day after you decide to hose-fill it) and finally got a brief whopper of a thunderstorm that rolled through this afternoon for 20 mnutes, quite unannounced! So much for my bathing suits and towels I had laid out to dry from yesterday, Mike said he saw them flying across the yard! Then went the patio chairs!

It was strong enough to take out a tree in our neighbors yard 2 doors down, colliding with his fence....pretty strong. No damage to us, minus Mike fishing chairs out of the pool!

Randoms......

I felt like getting crafty the other day and saw that the Michael's ad had these kids desks on sale. I remember Amy and I had ones that my mom had personalized when we were kids, and I thought Abby might enjoy one too! Not to mention help keep her coloring books and crayons contained in one place!

She really seems to like it. Now I just have to convince her it is not something to sit on!

CAUGHT!!!!! She is little miss climber these days, and took it upon herself to pull out a kitchen chair and climb onto the table today to get to what she wanted. She is very sneaky!

Swimming in bubbles!! Now that she has the idea of what to do in the pool, she has started applying herself in the tub! Splashing around on her tummy!! I love that little butt!!

Pretty, Pretty......ROXY!

Well, the day has come, and Roxy is finally learning that she may have been put on this earth to entertain Abby! And she is very patient with her as always!

Today Abby decided to wrap her new pink feather boa all over Roxy, and put her bracelets on her too! Roxy tried to get away a few times, then Abby cornered her at the door and she gave in for a few moments of Abby enjoyment!! They have been playing a lot lately, with dog and kid toys back and forth and Abby gets a real kick/giggle out of it!

For me, it keeps them both entertained for moments at a time which is nice.

Little does Roxy know that a new little person to pick on will be around soon enough!!

And then before we know it they will both me playing dress up with the dog together! YIKES!

Can't you just see the terror in her eyes!!!!

Pudding & Playdough!

This was Abby's first time playing with playdough! At first I was afraid of the mess, but realized afterwards it is the easiest messy thing of all to clean (on a solid surface of course).

She had fun and only tried to eat it once! Then kept trying to feed it to Roxy, not understanding why Roxy eats everything else she gives her except for playdough.....smart dog!!

Then it was onto the pudding. This was NOT supposed to be an art project, but simply a snack.

But earlier that day we had a playdate at a friends house where we did a painted handprint on a piece of paper, so I think she got inspired and turned into little miss artiste!!

I caught her using the spoon as a paint brush, going up and down her arm until it was covered! I should have known that the quiet snack was all too good to be true (I was sitting across the room on the computer, and I guess pudding time requires more attention).

Dentist!!

Abby had her first dentist check-up appointment this morning! I was hesitant and worried that she would be scared, but she was a very big girl, and followed directions like an old pro.

She made out good too, taking home 2 toothbrushes and 3 toys as prizes!!

The doctor said all her teeth look great! No cavities, and great spacing. She has all her teeth, just waiting on her last set of back molars to come in at some point!

Ken's Pics.....A few more!!

Here are a few more photos from our visit with Ken and the family! Too cute not to share!

Day out to the beach with the kiddos!

As you can see, Abby had a GREAT time at the all you can eat seafood buffet! She ate her fair share that night, and she was FREE! Even better.

Virginia Bch Aquarium- Anniversary Day Out

We decided to celebrate this 5 year wedding anniversary as a family, and it turned out great!

We started with a visit to the Virginia Beach Aquarium here in town and Abby encountered some fun animals. Then we went out for dinner and ice cream, and to our surprise she did great at the restaurant, entertaining herself with the food of course!

Next year we will be celebrating with 2 kids!! YIKES!

Abby and daddy checking out the turtles
This kid loves anything water related

Touching her first horseshoe crab! Not a bit scared! The handler was even shocked she wanted to do it! Such a big girl.....she probably thinks..."if I can handle Roxy, I can handle a silly crab!!"

She wasn't too excited to pose, as she became more interested in the steps at this shark tank exhibit, teaching herself to go up and down the steps upright without putting her hands down! Thats a new trick! Once she figured out she could handle it, she attempted it over and over and over.

HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY TO US!!!!!

Not looking so bad after 5 years, having moved 3 times, and about to have baby #2!

Finally a family shot! Even if she does look a little shocked! Maybe a shark swam by behind the camera, who knows!

A mouthful!!! This was some feat! I had to crawl under this silly shark exhibit on my knees, and Mike handed her to me through the teeth!! Not made for pregnant mommies! Oh well, it was cute!!

Checking out the small fish

Her first snake exhibit!! He was lively and moved his head right toward her!

So the color came out funny, I think because of the odd lighting in the restaurant, but this was a funny moment of self-entertainment at its best. After becoming bored with the crayons and paper and the books that I brought, she decided to try dipping spreadable butter into melted butter, and eat it!! It was a hit, and it kept her quiet and occupied for a good 20 minutes!! We will discuss her cholesterol in 20 years or so!! All I cared about was that I got to finish my meal for once and didn't have to clean up any spills!

Yum!!! Different forms of lard!!!!

Relaxing!!

Abby cracked us up today while we were outside swimming! She sat on the top step and was actually laying with her legs straight out before this photo, then I told her to lay down to reinact the cuteness, and this is what I got! She pretended to be asleep! As if we sleep in the pool!! Too funny.

Library Storytime

I took Abby to our local youth libary down the road this past week for her first library storytime experience. She loved it! It was stationed out with different toys to play with for 30 minutes, then the librarian gathered the kids to put the toys away, then sat on the rug for a story, then played with the parachute, then a finale with the bubble machine! Abby had a great time, and enjoyed reading through new books afterwards (see pic below) in the main part of the library. Its great because since it is a youth library, there is really no need to worry about noise level, so the kids just run free.

New Playgroup-Pool/Beachside

Today we attended our first Norfolk squadron instructor's wives playgroup out here and had a great time. It was held at a family's condo down at the waterfront, and the condo pool is right on the beach! Very fun, Abby loved spending time with the other girls! All the kids are 1-4 months apart, so it is a perfect group of girls for her right at her age!

I LOVE these ruffly butts!!!! Summertime at its best for the kids!

Hmmm....what's going on over there????

Lots of "home" time!

The month of June and July have been filled with lots of time spent at home, so we've loved having the pool to relax in, but most of all, Abby and I have LOVED having daddy around to play with! We're still getting used to him being around SO much!! But its growing on us...hehe!

Miss Rolly Polly in our bed watching cartoons
Storytime with daddy

Watching daddy jump in off the diving board!

"Where'd he go?" and "There he is".... 2 of her new phrases she uses when something leaves and returns to her line of sight! Here she watched Mike dive into the water to disappear, only to reappear moments later from under the water! She's getting very good at putting her words together. We've been working a lot on the 2-phrase words, adding please and/or more to her demands.....and its working!

She has that finger point down pat!

This was a beautiful evening for an after dinner swim.

Chasing after her "hippo" toy as a reward for kicking.

Ahhhh....I hate when I squirt myself with my toys!! These aren't tears though, just wiping the water away!

Dora bottle!!

Grandma Donna sent Abby a package full of her favorite items.......anything "DORA"!!!

Her favorite item was the Dora water bottle. Thanks Grandma!!

Child labor at its best!

Abby is all about copying mommy these days! Mostly just excited to try new things!

I took advantage of her interest in the hand vac and put her to good use while I was cleaning house! I was surprised that the noise didn't scare her off.

Arizona Reiss Family Visit

We've had a wonderful visit with my Uncle Ken & Aunt Joanne and my Cousin Erin from Arizona. Erin brought her 7 month old son Andrew along for the fun too! Abby has had a great time interacting with "baby Andrew".

Floor time fun! Abby finally enjoying being close to Andrew. She is still a little hesitant to share her toys with him, as if he might take them! Too cute.

Loving on Andrew

Huh???? (Someone looks just like his daddy!!)

Two peanuts on the floor!!

Baby Bump-23 Weeks

Okay, so this photo came out a little shadowed, but it gets the point across! We went to a friend's wedding last night and got dressed up a bit! This is after an afternoon at the beach on a beautiful day, hence Mike's sunburned face! He wanted "a little" color, so thats what you get for being stubborn!! My baby bump is about 23 weeks! Just under 4 months to go!!

And then there's our munchkin who loves her "Mr.Potato Head" glasses and especially loves wearing two pair at once!

Being floppy silly with daddy

Abby and Mike flopping on the bed this morning

Swimming so far....

I don't have any photos to share, but Abby finished her 2nd week of mommy-and-me swim lessons yesterday (2 more weeks to go!), and is doing sooo much better. She cried and screamed through the first 3 days of lessons, and finally at this last one she relaxed and joined in the fun.

Yesterday she learned and successfully held onto the edge of the pool on her own and climbed out of the pool at the edge all by herself by swinging her knee up onto the ledge and pulling out!

I was a proud mommy to watch her since she had only learned how to do it 2 days before. I can't wait to see her progress in 2 more weeks.

Quiet times!

Mike caught us taking a nap on the couch yesterday! Abby woke up from her nap and was still sleepy and fell asleep right in my lap, so I decided to take advantage of the moment and get some shut-eye too! Roxy joined us to snuggle.

Here we are doing our bedtime routine, reading books. Abby wanted to say goodnight to her baby sister, and was rubbing on my tummy just before Mike took this photo. She is beginning to learn that the "baby" is in mommy's tummy, and frequently points to my belly and kisses it/her!

More Zoo Fun

We met my friend Julie and her daughters at the zoo this week. Abby and Emily had a great time following each other around and walked the whole zoo by themselves with barely any stroller assistance.

Here they are holding hands, walking together as we entered the zoo.
The bald eagle enclosure!

The girls are so cute! Emily is 10 months older than Abby.

BIG Uh Oh!!!!

This week we had our first ugly encounter with Mr.Crayola! He "mysteriously" showed up on our family room wall, which is Abby's playroom. I went into the room to clean up while Abby was napping yesterday and I actually gasped in shock and Mike was like "what's wrong?" He came to see what made my jaw drop and we both giggled for a while. We never actually saw her do it, but now she is on crayon restriction and may only color during supervised visits!

By the way, she even got creative and used two colors! So I figure she must have been standing there for a good while doing this. I guess I learned my lesson that silent play is never a good thing.

Just for fun

Abby decided to wear her new purse as a hat....cousin Emily joined in the fun.
Boots and a hat! All a girl needs!

I am finally able to get all of Abby's hair in 1 ponytail! Well at least for a few hours until the whispy sides start to fall out!

This morning before our swim lesson....goofing around