solids

Here's Liv trying rice cereal for the first time...

Since this, she's tried sweet potatoes, butternut squash, avocado, pears, apples, and bananas.  She's a big fan of sweet potatoes.  Not a pear lover.

zoo day with daddy

Just enjoying our membership at John Ball Zoo on a Saturday morning.  We even got to see the tigers this time.  Kate LOVED getting up close and personal with one of the grizzly bears:)

oh, the cuteness...

These girls are just so precious.  So frustrating at times, and yet so very precious:) I love them with all of my heart.

sorting books into hard and soft cover piles

marker fingers!

yay for wagon rides!

Home Depot!

"I just need to see all of them to choose which one I want"

Our Big Girl

Kate is potty trained! We attempted to potty train her back in June, during a week Matt was off work, and she was just not ready yet.  It was frustrating for all of us, and afterwards, Kate wanted nothing to do with the potty.  For a long time.  She was 100% aware of the whole potty situation, but just refused to use the potty.  She would ask us if she could pee or poop in her diaper and then ask to be changed.  It got pretty ridiculous.  But, then she was starting to get a diaper rash one morning and I told her we needed to take a break from diapers and wear undies instead.  She peed on the potty all that day, so we went out for frozen yogurt to celebrate!

She still didn't want to poop in the potty, so for a few days, we had to put on a diaper for her to poop.  But, then the day we got home from Laura and Sash's wedding, she just started going on the potty.  A few days later, we transitioned her to the big potty, and we haven't looked back! She must have really been ready because she's been accident free and we are so excited to only have one munchkin in diapers.  Her reward for pooping in the potty was ice cream:)

Labor Day Wedding Weekend

Matt's cousin, Laura, got married (to Sasha) on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend.  The wedding was down in Columbus, so we drove down on Saturday afternoon after naps.  It sounded like a great plan: leave around 4:00 and be there around 9:00 so that Kate only goes to bed a little late, and hopefully Livvy falls asleep in the car.  That even gave us time for a quick dinner stop.  Well, Kate was ready to potty train the Thursday before Labor Day, so our 5 hour trip turned into a 7 hour trip and we didn't roll into Columbus until 10:30 pm.  Kate didn't sleep the whole way down.  But, she also didn't have any accidents! We stopped quite a few times, and usually she did actually have to go.  We were very proud of our big girl.

Kate also had an extra special fun time at the wedding because she got to be the flower girl.  She was a little nervous to let go of daddy's hand and actually walk down the aisle, but you pretty much couldn't find a cuter flower girl, so it doesn't really matter.

Here comes the bride!

Liv hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa

Kate and Hadley coloring at the reception

love our little our family:)

this was Kate all night - a blur on the dance floor!

new friends - Claire and Eric

Liv was a champ and stayed out extra late for the party

Kate with the Bride & Groom

Monday morning brunch with Bri Guy

After two nights of going to bed after 10:00, this girl was TIRED! 

Being in Columbus was so much fun - we just wish we would have had a little bit more time to see old friends, but it just didn't work out this trip.  Congratulations, Laura and Sash!

flashback

Found Livvy like this after a nap and it totally reminded me of Kate's attempted jailbreak a few years back:)

Liv - 6 months

Kate - 4 months

Happy Half Birthday, Olivia!

Did you know my daughter is the cutest girl in the whole world? Well, she is.  Look at this girl's cheeks.  And her dimples.  And her eyes.  I just love her.  Here are her six month photos:

mug shot?

At six months, Liv is sitting up unsupported and doesn't care much to lie down to play any more.  She is super curious and wants to see everything that's going on.  Every sound grabs her attention.  She's quite entertained by her crazy older sister.  She likes to watch me cook in the kitchen, and her current favorite toys include:

• Sophie the Giraffe
• The Very Hungry Catepillar plush toys from Aunt Barb
• Foam letters
• Mr. Man (a teething toy from Aunt Becky)
• Anything that rattles or makes noise
• Mirrors
• Straps

Sleepwise, Livvy is starting to get into a routine (I think) and her morning nap seems to be developing.  Night time is another story...still up twice a night.  And she started doing this crazy thing where she rolls onto her stomach and gets mad, but won't roll back over.  She cries until someone comes in and flips her over.  Come on, baby girl.

Liv is looking like a redhead so far.  She's wearing six month clothes and cloth diapers.  She seems like she's getting over her stranger danger phase, and has successfully gone in the church nursery twice.  She's still a happy, sweet girl with lots and lots of smiles and jabbers and squeals, and we love her so much.