Pure sweetness

First Pool Trip

I am usually a stickler on this one...we don't go before May because it is just too cold. But this year, April's weather is May! Our highs have been in the upper 80's for a week! So I broke out the swim stuff, and we headed to the pool yesterday for a quick swim (with Manah's help). The girls were thrilled!

This guy wasn't so sure, especially since Mommy didn't get in. We played on the steps a lot.

Jumping in...

My big Gloria was swimming on her own last year, but I think she needs a few trips to get warmed up before she will be ready this year! I happily put her floaty on since it allowed me a little more relaxation!

Baby moments

Girl talk

I love sleeping baby pictures but have few of Anastasia because she mostly sleeps on me (at least during the day)!

Babies love talking to Pawpaw. She just lit right up.

And just for the record, she slept from 9pm to 6am last night (in her own bed)! Amazing! It may not happen again for a while, but even one night was nice. :)

Early start

Mariana is looking at the American Girl catalog with Anastasia...we better start saving our $ now! ;)

Fun times

We had our Godson, Stephen Patrick, for the day Saturday while his parents went house hunting (they are moving here this summer - yay!). Austin and the children had tons of fun! I was mostly tending to the baby but enjoyed watching them!

Stephen brought his sword and shield, so we brought out our light sabers for some good sword fighting

 Stephen shared his helmet...so cute on Gloria!

They also had a crazy water balloon fight, made a trip to the park (baby & I went along for that), and scootered/walked to Spoons for a treat! Then the rest of the family joined us for dinner, and we were able to chat about their house hunt, before heading back home.

So sweet

What a great big brother...reading her his favorite new truck book from the library. :)

Baby face

Hanging out

Daddy and Anastasia watched part of a movie together. Sometimes a girl just needs some Daddy time.

Chrysalis

A few weeks ago, the girls found a cocoon in the flower bed. They brought it to Austin who hung it in a jar with some air holes, and we waited to see if anything would happen...

This morning as I was kneading some bread dough on the counter, I looked up to discover it had turned from a bright green to a translucent black...there was even a small part with some orange like a monarch wing...so I called the children to take a look.

Just about an hour later, look who we found!

 We waited until the afternoon so she could dry her wings and then set her free! (good luck in this wind! what a blustery day we are having!)

We couldn't have had a better science lesson if I had planned it myself! And I am thankful for an Easter butterfly this year instead of a bunny!

Baby stuff

She is really getting good at pulling her hands to her mouth for sucking and chewing (will we have another thumb sucker? She really doesn't care for the paci at this point).

She has also learned to grab her toys on occasion but usually can't hold on for long! She has that "gotcha" look here.

And here she was just chatting away with Allia. I actually missed the best part of the conversation, but you get the idea. And you can see her get temporarily distracted by the ceiling fan! Cute girl!

Happy Easter!

Here are Stephen and Gloria making their crown of jewels Saturday.

 Easter morning we got dressed for mass and opened Easter gifts. The girls even worked for several weeks earning money to buy everyone gifts themselves! So sweet.

 Baby all ready for mass.

 Cute boy with his new bat and ball

 A new purse from Lita

A quick family photo before we rushed out the door!

After mass some friends from up north joined us for a yummy Easter lunch and an afternoon of relaxing conversation along with the Easter egg hunt of course! The girls were so happy to have a friend to celebrate with!

 I am hoping the rest of the Octave will bring some sleep. The baby is in a funk where she sleeps well a few nights and then goes bonkers a few nights. The last two nights have been bonkers, so I sure hope I can get some rest and be a little more in the "Easter spirit" soon! :)

Holy Saturday

Well, Easter is almost here. We had a tough week, very appropriate for Holy Week, but Easter hope is on the way! Yay! Here are a few bits from the week...

Babies love Pawpaw...and Gloria looooves baby!

The children get such a thrill out of the Holy Thursday foot washing! Stephen kept squealing with delight, followed by the girls! They all helped wash Manah's feet.

Also, a few bits on baby since I was too overwhelmed to include any in her 3 month post. She has had a few more giggles...for me!...she is starting to sleep a little better at night and occasionally put herself to sleep. This is a slooooow process for our babies, but I am hopeful to at least know it is possible! She is also much more alert and is totally intrigued by ceiling fans, so much so that hers has to be off in her room or she won't fall asleep! She still doesn't care for tummy time, and really likes being outside, especially when the birds are singing. She can still only stay awake about an hour before needing a nap, but I suspect she may be lengthening that over the next several weeks...at least I hope so. She is quite a treasure, and we love watching her grow!

3 Months old!

This is her favorite spot besides my arms!

What we've been up to

Gardening...

We have 3 tomato plants, two squash and one eggplant in the big garden. In that pot are the marigolds that are supposed to keep pests away from the tomatoes (I do hope it works...I can't stand those sucker bugs. Ick!)

 Then in this little back addition are thyme, cucumber (so it can climb the fence) and cilantro (a house favorite).

There are also a few plants on the side that Austin planted in the ground with mulch including another tomato, bell pepper and chives :)

Of course there is lots of baby holding going on...

And some touchups from the concrete project. We had some heavy rains that were eroding the bare soil around the porch. So Austin laid some dirt and grass around it to prevent erosion and eventual cracking of the slab....and the constant tracking of mud into the house. :)

Not to mention that Austin is swamped at work with deadlines, and one of their guys quit! Plus preparations for the Triduum and Easter....busy times!