8th month pictures, 9 month Birthday

-She loves to hang upside down. Maybe she just hasn't figured out that the sensation of the blood rushing to her head is not a good sensation. All she knows is, she likes it.

-Lemon is a new favorite, maybe I should mix it with her cereal to get her to eat it!

-Eating is a winning situation every time--some times she wins, sometimes I win.  She always loves fruit & crackers. Everything else is a toss-up.

-This girl can NOT sit still. If you've held her, you know what I'm talking about. If not, you need to experience it to believe it (or maybe you have your own energizer wiggler in your family?)

-As of two days ago, she is officially a want-ONLY-mommy girl. It sounds so cute in theory, in reality? Hmmm...

-Her hair is now drooping in her eyes so she sports the 'fountain pony' everywhere we go until the rest of her tendrils catch up so I can play with them as well.

-She does the squinty-eye look on demand. So cute!

-For documentation purposes...she sleeps from 6:30pm to 6:00am (not my most favorite time to get up) & takes 2 naps a day (most of the time they are 2-2 1/2 hrs, but sometimes she wakes up cranky at the 1 1/2 hr mark) at 9 & 1-1:30.

-She's in the grabbing stage, especially paper & pointy objects I don't want her to have 

-Mobile she is, crawling, still is not. Her rolling is at the 'expert' level, she has started the inch-worm thing, & she especially likes to have her front hands down while standing up the back end of her body. It looks like some aerobics move. She loves to stand & take those cute little baby steps while we hold on--maybe she'll end up like Jaydon who crawled for 2 weeks & then went straight to walking.

-NO teeth! Maybe that's why eating is an issue...though interestingly she 'chews' EVERYTHING, or should I say 'gums' everything before swallowing. She wants to be ready for those puppies when they finally decide to make their appearance.

-Her legs are so chubby they get caught in the rails of her crib way more often than I'd like to admit.

-She loves to copy-cat sounds we make & my favorite favoritest of her new tricks? She holds out her arms & says 'ma ma ma ma!!!' Instantaneous melting of my heart!

We musn't forget the cake

Since it was too crazy around their birthday we put off 'the cake' until the weekend after my Mom & sister left. And, this was actually their first b-day they invited 'friends' over. They chose the bowling cake & super cool! it was the easiest one I've done yet! My Mom found $1 "finger bowling" for the topper (which was also the party favor for the friends). So, they jumped on the tramp, played "Fox & Geese" in the grass & ate sugar until they could stand no more. Hooray for simplicity & F-U-N! Talk about 'boy spoilage alert'--I'm going to have the boys go dig in the dirt with a plastic spoon for a week just so they'll remember what 'normal life' is...

And here's one of those awkward pictures you wonder what in the heck you're doing, but you're oh-so-glad to have it for posterity for some reason or another

The Week-Long Party...the final chapter

On their last night we went to the local TinCaps baseball game (we had 4 free tickets, & the boys got meal vouchers--rock on Ft. Wayne!). It's been forever since I have attended a 'real' version of this All-American activity & it was superb! The entertainment that seemed to take place every 10 minutes was just as great as the game itself (nobody hurt me). 

Phase 2 of:  'Party-Like-It's-the-Last-Night-Cuz-it-Wuz' After the boys were a snoozing we brought out the...popsicles & Karaoke!!

Tony brought home a nice speaker & some great mics so we blasted it (honestly, I don't know how the kids slept through it but the boys insisted they didn't hear a thing & the baby didn't stir!). Yeah, I don't like to brag, but we were pretty sweet...

As an afterthought...My Birthday/Mother's Day!

Somewhere amongst all the festivities/activities I did have a birthday that marked the start of my last year in 'the twenties!' Awesomely, it was also Mother's Day. What better way to spend it than with my own wonderful mother, sister & family (the boys came back for a couple hours because they were with their Dad still). Our bishop gave the traditional carnation along with the not-so-traditional "Take 5" candy bar (both boys immediately tried to claim it for their own) one-at-a-time as he pronounced every woman's name in the congregation (even the visitors)! He's a great bishop & I was duly impressed! 

DeBrand is DeLish!

I don't know if it's famous anywhere else, but here, it's all about DeBrand chocolates & Vera Bradley. We went on the tour & got some amazing taste-tests as well as a coupon so of course we had to buy some yummies afterward! My favorites were the Cassia (chocolate cinnamon goodness) & their tart raspberry/dark chocolate combo complete with raspberry seeds!

The Scavenger Hunt

 

What a good Auntie Sarin to take them all over Woodburn on bikes to find, "a man on a motorcycle, an orange mail box, and don't forget, something valuable on the ground (that's the picture of Jyson, after he lay down on the ground he said, "Look, I'm valuable, & I'm on the ground!). The last clue led them to a sweet treat! 

The Playing continues...in collage form

Let's not forget this mallow-shaping contest. The boys like toothpicks with their mallows. Looking at these guys, I discovered it's kind of like cloud gazing...if you look at them long enough you start to imagine you see shapes. But I'll give you a couple hints--look for: 2 monsters, a purse, a cheeseburger, a popcorn kernel/brain, a tulip & a blob. Ready, go!

Baptism

The official invite

 

Cobia Tradition says the grandparents give the baptism-ees their own quad with their names engraved on the front. Then, all the grandparents on both sides write their testimonies inside. The boys got theirs before they left for the weekend so they could bring them to the baptism.

This is my Mum & I hemming the baptismal jumpers so the boys would be able to walk in them!

The boys were so fortunate to be supported by so much family when we live so far away! My Mom & sister came--my Dad had to cancel at the last minute :(, the boys' Dad & step-mom, two grandmas & a grandpa. Wow! It all went so smoothly. Tony gave a fabulous little talk on baptism that was a hit with the kids & the boys' primary class sang the musical number. You can see evidence of the boys' 'baptism makeover'--their first suits, new shirts & CTR tie tacks. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the ensemble!!

And here we have the two newest members of the church going incognito. I'm sure they're planning their next acts of service for someone in need...

Beginning of the "Remember Me" Moments

The boys had a cute event called "Muffins w/ Mom" through their school. That day their 'moms' numbered 3! 

"Nana, now we need a 'hug' picture." ~Jyson

Here is what I like to think of as the European's version of a happy meal: a mini toy in a chocolate egg (Nana brought back "Kinder" from her recent trip to France after picking Devin up from his mission in S. Africa). Isn't this kid adorable?? 

Lots of Nana time, the boys sure love her.

Here is one thing Indiana definitely doesn't have: my favorite sister who is willing to play anything I have the inclination to sing for any number of hours on end including all my beloved songs of classical, broadway, jazz, and pop origin. Ahhh...I got my musical fix at long last! 

The Week-Long Birthday Bash, Pt 1

Nana Cobia & Aunt Sarin arrived in time to have an early b-day celebration the night before the boys went with their Dad for the weekend. Further celebrations to be continued...

Free birthday meal at the restaurant "Bob Evans." Homestyle food with varied options such as "Potato-Encrusted Tilapia" & sides of blueberry bread made it a happy meal indeed!

Don't forget the water lemons that Ari absolutely loved...and without even a hint of a pucker!

For the love of Grass

Can you spy the special design of love left by my creative mower-husband for me?

Ever played Fox n' Geese in the snow where you tramp down the pathways & the fox has to chase the geese on those paths? Well, our grass was so long I cut paths in the grass & we played it 'summer style!'

Grass brings out the love