plie and step....or pile and step

here is caroline doing some ballet moves...or as she says "pile and step". the funniest part of this video is that 2 minutes later she and susanna were both crying and screaming. caroline dropped my camera, i scolded her, she burst into tears at the top of her lungs, which scared susanna to death and made her cry so hard her whole head turned red. fun times and it always seems to happen while i'm trying to cook dinner :)

(at dusk, on the way home from church)

caroline: mommy, the sun has a scratch
mommy: oh, really
caroline: yeah and it's crying
mommy: well, that's sad
caroline: it's okay, the mommy sun will take care of the baby sun and make it all better. i think the mommy sun will give the baby sun a dora band aid

as susanna is screaming in the car....

caroline: hush now, hush now....take a deep breaf, take a deep breaf

caroline: mommy, my tummy hurts
mommy: i'm so sorry, i hope it feels better soon.
caroline: maybe there's a baby in there.

a few updates

daddy and caroline
how appropriate! she loves this sign at target b/c it was pink and had sequins :)

caroline and emma on their first day of ballet

susanna banana...10 weeks, 3 days

i should be doing so many other things right now while caroline is at school, but oh well. i'd rather update the blog b/c laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc is no fun :) here are a few pixs of the girls and a video of susanna cooing and being adorable as usual. caroline started ballet and LOVES it! she only goes once a week, but would go every day if she could. she loves everything about it...the leotard, the shoes, the teachers, the other little girls. susanna went to the dr last friday (9weeks, 5 days old) and is healthy as can be. she weighed 11lbs, 2 oz and is 22 inches long. caroline weighed 10lbs and was 22.5 inches at 9weeks. my mom looked back at my baby book and i was 11lbs 13oz at 10 weeks and taller than both my girls...can't remember the height mom told me.

(in the car)
caroline: mommy, we forgot to pray!
mommy: we did? well, let's pray then.
caroline: it's okay, i'll pray on sunday.
mommy: baby, we can pray whenever and wherever we want to...do you want to pray right now?
caroline: no, that's okay, i'll just do it next week.

....doesn't say much for a few minutes until susanna starts to cray...

caroline: mommy, it's okay to cry.
mommy: you're right, it is okay.
caroline: you can cry when you're sad.
mommy: yes, you can.
caroline: you can cry when someone hurts your feelings.
mommy: that's right...you can cry whenever you need to. there is nothing wrong with crying sometimes.
caroline: you can cry when you're scared, too.
mommy: yes, you can.
caroline: but jesus will protect you. from the dinosaurs and lizards.
mommy: that's right, jesus will protect you.
caroline: jesus saves, end of story.
mommy: couldn't have said it better myself!

caroline: i'm going to be a doctor when i grow up
daddy: really, good!
caroline: i'm going to be a doctor and a dentist
daddy: i thought you wanted to be a turtle doctor (loves this one book we have about loggerhead turtles)
caroline: oh yeah...i'm going to be a doctor, dentist and turtle doctor

due date

as this photo shows, susanna was born on july 8 and daddy was there :)

this conversation actually just took place in our kitchen between me and john...

lauren: i still think it's crazy that susanna was actually born on her due date
john looks at me slightly puzzled
lauren: please tell me that you know she was born on her due date
john shakes his head no and we both start to laugh
lauren: you do know what date she was born on, right?
john: (looking less than confident) the 9th? no, the 10th?
lauren: (laughing hysterically and shaking my head no) no, baby, it was the 8th...not even 2 months ago
john: (laughing) it's not easy like caroline's being on tax day. i'll never forget that. i went the wrong way (meaning when he guessed the 10th after getting the 9th wrong)
lauren: do you remember caroline's due date? (now i'm just having fun looking for more laughs, but know he will get this one right b/c she was due on his b'day)
john: (once again not looking very confident) well, i know she came a week late
lauren: good job, baby...but what was the date? (now i'm just having fun with this)
john: my b'day, april 8
lauren: you got it! now, i'm going to post this on the blog b/c this is most worthy of being the quote the day

my man is the bomb!

my man is amazing...here are 2 videos of him from this past weekend in georgia barefoot skiing. how cool is that? he hasn't gotten to barefoot in a long time, but it looks like he still remembers how. as caroline says, "my daddy is the bomb" and i agree!! i'll post more from our long weekend at home later :)

first day of school

first day of 3k preschool

showing me her dora backpack

she wanted to pose by the plant :)

she and her new friend abby heading into school

ms. perle and caroline

making herself at home :)

this is how susanna napped this am

nice and clean!

today was caroline's first day of 3k preschool...and she loved it! i took a few pictures on our front porch, which made us late, but it's worth it to have those pixs :) like i expected, she had no problem at all leaving me and waved good bye at the door. i had to make her come back and give me a hug and kiss and take a pix with her teacher, mrs. emily perle (who is wonderful!). she has yet to ever cry going to "school". susanna and i had just enough time to go to the grocery, come home, drink a bottle, unload clean dishes, load dirty dishes, do laundry, make up beds and then it was time to go back and get sister. caroline was so excited to see us when we got to her room to pick her up. she jabbered the whole way home. i asked her if she wanted to go back to school again or stay at home with me and she said, "mommy, i'm going to go to school, but you can always come back and get me when i'm done every day"...there is not a chance this girl would be happy at home with me every day, she is way too social for her own good (and mine)!

quote of the day

caroline: mommy, i'm going to be a doctor when i grow up
mommy: that's great, sounds good
caroline: mommy, what are you going to be when you grow up?
mommy: i'm not sure, but i know i'll always be you and susanna's mommy
caroline: you can't be our mommy all the time...well, i'm going to grow up, but then you can be with susanna. i think maybe you should be a firefighter
mommy: oh really, i'm not sure i would be a good firefighter
caroline: what is grandad going to be when he grows up?
mommy: i don't know, what do you think he should be?
caroline: a firefighter...and grandma can be a donut maker. i'm going to be a ballet girl, a teacher girl and a doctor

and she smiles.....

thinking about smiling...

and she smiles!!! precious :)

sissy wiped that smile away

several in a row so it's official

caroline loves riding on the ponies at the market

she likes the playgym

first time swimming...she's winking at me :)

eskimo kisses with daddy

love this one...taking it all in

precious!!

i've been waiting and it has finally happened...susanna is smiling!! i love it. i remember the first time caroline did and my world changed. you finally get a reaction after all those weeks and sleepless nights. it's the best and sweetest thing ever. melts my heart every time. she smiled at caroline yesterday morning and caroline literally screamed with delight she was so excited. sisters are the best :) also, here are some pixs of susanna's first einstein playgym experience and first time in the pool. caroline was beside herself that susanna was swimming with her. she thought is was so neat. thank you, Lord for these precious girls....we are in love with both of them!

like mommy, like daughter...her eyelids don't fit over her eyes either :)

read herself to sleep...it's almost midnight in this pix

i like to call this baby mummy or baby straight jacket

daddy and s do a little reading before bedtime

it's amazing what can get done before 8:30am these days....
* feed susanna
* feed caroline
* feed myself
* put angelina ballerina video on for caroline
* take a shower and get dressed (even put lotion on my legs)
* fold and hang up laundry from dryer
* put susanna down for a nap
* color with caroline
* listened to my sweet caroline sing "hallelujah, your love is amazing" - the best part of my morning by far...nothing can make me cry faster than hearing her sing praises unconsciously to our deserving God. can you imagine how that kind of praise sounds to Him?
* wash bottles
* make up caroline's bed and straighten up her room
* make my bed
* put breakfast dishes in the dishwasher
* get diaper bag ready for our outing today - 2 bottles, formula, change of clothes for each girl, pull up for caroline just in case, 4 diapers and case of wipes for susanna, wallet, camera, phone, keys, sunglasses, snack and some fruit for caroline, burp cloth, blanket
* clean out car from day before to make room for today's trash :)
* lay out ham from freezer for dinner
* check email

6 weeks, 1 day

grandad and s

princess c

s and papa

great grandmother dot and s

napping on great grandmother's sofa

c, grandmother, s and mommy

c and sarah

sarah, luke and c

luke and sarah meeting s for the first time

playing in sarah and luke's cool pool

here comes papa

c loved the slide

s snoozing on grammie's lap at the pool

playing dress up...make sure to look at luke's shoes

aunt kristen and s

sarah is a pro at dressing up!

bekah dunking uncle john

caleb doing a flip

bekah perfecting her dive

the b'day girl and her "helpers"

aunt rachel and s

the b'day girl...can't believe she's 11 :)

kaitlin at the lake

c on the dock

kaitlin and c jumping in the lake...one of my fav pixs ever!!

c floating...she loves to float on her back :)

hanging out with bek...always a good time!

s's first time on the boat...she liked it!

sitting on the pontoon looking cute

partners in crime

papa has his hands full

mommy definitely has her hands full!!

daddy and s napping before church

all the girls are ready to go...s's first time at church

c and emma chilling out after church...two new big sisters hanging out

emma's little bro joshua...adorable!

s doing what she does best