march 5th

it's monday and i'm behind in my weekly update. nothing new about that :)

BUT, something very new is...

HAVEN STARTED SCHOOL! yes, yes we're fully aware it's the middle of the school year-- we're late bloomers, what can i say? ;)

 h started just in time for 'pajama day' -- each week the class learns a new letter. the 'p' week brought pajamas and pancakes, pink and purple paint, and as h calls them-- mashed potato chips.

here she is modeling her tinkerbell footy pj's with snow boots (*no snow in the state, but the only shoes that fit over her pj's)

 true's only pic this week...we'll make up for it next week!

my big girl and me

jon and i both took her to school on the first day and had feelings of anxiety mixed with excitement-- our first baby is growing up! this was her first little step into the world apart from us and i wrestled with wanting to keep her home forever or let her experience school with mrs. fabiano. she took to it beautifully and we followed her lead. she's constantly astonishing me with how adaptive she can be and how easily she handles new situations (aside from doctor's offices of course). 

we did homework together and i worked extra hard to find time for she and i to play a part from true. we had a tea party and painted her nails, cuddled on the couch with a movie, and played grocery store, doctor, dollhouse, and pirate adventures with princess figurines.

true is getting more and more charming by the day. she wrinkles her nose for extra excited smiles, is settling down more for car rides, and discovering her ears. she's stretching her bottles from 11:30p-5:30a pretty regularly now. she's still battling skin issues on her face that keep us putting socks on her hands to keep from scratching, earning her the knickname 'sock monkey.'

jon's role at work has shifted again and i couldn't be more proud of my husband-- for a whole bunch of reasons, but this one in particular this week. 

i'm dying to take the boarder out of the bathrooms but can't quite find the time or empty arm. i am however sneaking out to a sewing class once a week that i l o v e! laura and i had a spa date with chick-fil-a to round it out on leap day--a tradition to begin i hope!

february 19th

what a great week! well, for most of us. true had her 2 month vaccines and a bad reaction to them-- fever and fussy for a couple days, but is now on the mend. she weighs 11 + pounds and has grown almost two inches in the last month. haven started crying in the car on the way to the doctor's office. when i asked her why she was feeling sad, she responded that she was sad for true to have to get shots today. our doctor is SO great and invited haven (who is pretty petrified of the whole doctor's office thing) to help her sort some pens while the nurse came back with true's round of torture. we got a super cute hot pink highlighter family drawing out of the deal and only true had tears at the office. well, me too, but at least not h!

i realized i was getting older when a friend asked how old i was and thirty slipped past my lips. i'm not sad about the big 3-0-- it just felt so different saying it aloud. speaking about birthdays, haven's best bud had his birthday party yesterday and there is nothing cuter than a bunch of four-year-old super heroes bowling!

we dedicated true to God this morning with our church family. it was a sweet time. later, friends came over for chili and brownies. great day. 

 valentine's day was maybe my favorite ever. we surprised haven with cards and a balloon. we made heart shaped cinnamon rolls with pink icing and strawberry milk for breakfast and then joined friends for dinner with a chocolate fountain for dessert! haven gave out cards for her friends and even signed her name.

 h was super quiet last sunday during rest time (not typical) and when i opened the door, this is what i discovered! i had left a basket of clean clothes in the girls' room to put away and haven told me it just looked so cozy... :)

february 10th

thanks for my new blanket, linda!

this is 'mama' h with sara-- most days she's ruby, but today she's 4 weeks old and sara!

mama h's family picture :)

t and her double chin

just a few days away from 2 months! t is finding her hands and putting them in her mouth. h is playing babies a lot this week and her comments are cracking me up as she repeats much of what she hears me say "yea, she's been a little fussy today-- do you need another burp?" "sorry i was crabby, the baby didn't sleep well last night" i have a new favorite song and have been listening to it over and over all week. jon's started playing raquetball with friends and has some pretty amazing blisters to show for it.

february 4th

 God bless the creators of bjorn--t was fussy all day and this is her best shot :)

 h is awesome at hi ho cheerio! maybe because we practice all. the. time

we survived! our first week with jon back to work also happened to be our first week with him out of town-- whew! we have great friends who graciously filled in the gaps whether that was making dinner or feeding t so i could put h to bed/ do her hair; we are so thankful. haven is still up for best-big-sister award, true is growing like a weed and cooing at us, i'm proud that the house is still standing (and not on a foundation of laundry) and jon had a great week at the office with colleagues returning to 'normal'. haven and i learned about the letter 'g' and groundhog's day. i squeezed in a tiny photo session. true slept like a champ two days this week. we visited with new friends and old friends too. played at the park for two beautiful and unseasonably warm days. and lastly was introduced to chocolate pecan pie which i haven't stopped thinking about yet. oh my.