Going to Church

Hallie went to church with Nana this morning while Daddy, Mommy, and Sara played hookie. Hallie wore a new dress from Nana--I just love the polka dots!

Everybody Loves Papa

It appears Sara loves her Papa as much as Hallie does.

Sara, Julie, and Jon

Rocking Chair

We arrived in Cookeville yesterday afternoon to enjoy the long holiday weekend. Hallie went right to the little rocking chair. However, she has decided it's more fun to stand in the chair than sit, so we're having to keep a vigilant eye on her.

I've Married a Political Junkie--I Mean, Genius

In light of today's likely announcement from Senator McCain, I have to give an amused shout-out to my husband, who endorsed Sarah Palin wholeheartedly back in June and has stuck by his pick despite negligible mention of her by the mainstream media. As you can imagine, he is thrilled with this morning's news and may be somewhat prone to gloating for the weekend.

I think this is an excellent pick for several reasons. Palin is the first female governor of Alaska. She is a likeable, young, pro-life, sharp mother of 5, who is somewhat of a maverick like McCain. She took on an entrenched incumbent Republican governor in Alaska and won in an upset. She appeals to women and to the Republican base all at once.

So, way to go, honey. You were right.

No Great Shock Here...

When Jason picked Hallie up from school today, the teacher told him that Hallie talks more than any of her Toddler classmates. What can we say? She's a loquacious little woman.

Little Lefty?

Hallie has been feeding herself with a spoon for a few weeks now--such a big girl! She eats with both her right and her left hand, but she seems to do better with her left hand. So just maybe she takes after both of her left-handed granddads. We will see which hand she eventually prefers, but for now she's ambidextrous.

Visit from Miss Gigi

We had a fun visit with our friend Gigi tonight, and Sara sat in her lap for a long time.

Lap Full of Love

It's a shame we snapped this picture after Hallie went to bed, because otherwise she would've been smack in the middle of Daddy's lap too.

And, really, who could ask for anything more?

Sara Meets Duski and Daniel

Duski and Daniel brought us a delicious dinner tonight, and Sara and Hallie enjoyed their visit!

As a Side Note...

I'm pretty sure the beginning of the closing ceremonies was the weirdest thing I've ever seen.

Sleepy Head

If only she looked like this at night.

Lessons from my Shopping Trip

1. My younger daughter is not lacking for lung power. Her new nickname is Ethel Merman.

2. Some people in the checkout line don't read signals that you have your hands full with your fussy infant and don't really want to discuss how loudly their baby cries by comparison.

3. A twenty minute ride home can seem like a forty-five minute ride with a screaming infant.

4. A milkshake from Chick-fil-A is an excellent coping mechanism on said ride home.

5. As frustrating and upsetting as a crying baby is, there will be a day when I will wish I could comfort her completely with a meal and some time in a rocking chair.

Bumblebee Gown

Grandmother came over today and gave Sara this sweet gown with little bees and hives on it. It's very soft.

Rebel in Training

Press "play" to watch Hallie's latest trick.

First Bottle

They say if you're going to go back to work at some point and your baby will need to take a bottle, around 3 weeks is the time to introduce one. So, Miss Sara had her first bottle of breastmilk tonight. Jason gave it to her right before bed. She only took about an ounce from it, but it's a start!

She's snoozing now, so I'd better run and try to get a few minutes of rest while I can.

Night Out on the Town

Maybe I should title this post "Late Afternoon Out on the Town." With our little ones, a "night on the town" ends promptly at 7:30 pm. Regardless, we had fun tonight. We went to eat sushi at a Thai restaurant and then walked across the street for some ice cream.

James and Heather met us for ice cream. You can see Hallie multitasking in one of these pictures--eating her ice cream, while keeping her eyes firmly planted on Uncle James. And then you can see him chasing her around and keeping her off the furniture in the last picture. That's a pretty accurate portrayal of our outing to the ice cream parlor.

Sara, to her credit, slept through the whole event. (Although she's currently making up for lost time, as she tends to have her fussy periods later in the evening.)

As for me, yes, I really am as tired as I look in the picture. :) But we're surviving, and I very much enjoyed getting out with my sweet family. My favorite part of the night was the ride home, during which Hallie and Jason created a game. Jason would say, "Hallieeeee." And Hallie would respond in a little singsong voice, "Daddddyyyyyyy." And on and on they went. She was entirely amused, and Jason and I couldn't help but laugh.

Doctor Visit

Hallie had her 15 month check up today. She weighs 23 pounds and 11 ounces (although I'd swear it was more like 33 pounds after carrying her around lately). She is 31 and a half inches tall.

I am pleased to report that Hallie does not take after her mommy and was very brave about the shots. On the way to the appointment, I had flashbacks to my former full-body tantrums at the pediatrician's office and was more than a little nervous about how Hallie would do. But I was pleasantly surprised that she cried very little and then moved on.

The doctor said that she looks good and that--except for her chronic teary eye, which is caused by a smaller than normal tear duct--she's in great shape. Hopefully the tear duct will correct itself as she grows.

And she was quite cute wandering around the exam room in her diaper and pink sparkly shoes. Unfortunately, I was keeping her out of the trash can and other germy spaces, so I didn't have time to snap a picture...

Froggy Feet

Update

Forgive the lack of posts this week. It's been a little busy...

Sara went to the pediatrician this week for her two week checkup, and she seems to be doing well. She weighs 9 lbs, 13 oz., and she is 22 1/4 inches long. This puts her above the 90% in both categories. The doctor said she looked good--and not jaundiced at all. So, we were pleased.

Hallie started school as a Toddler on Monday, and I'm happy to report that she has adjusted very well. She loves her new teacher, and her classmates seem very sweet. She has been napping on a little cot like a big girl (Jason and I were placing bets as to whether she'd go for this, but it appears that Miss Toni has a magic tuck-in system that convinced Hallie to go to sleep instead of getting up and wandering during nap time). Unfortunately, the one nap per day doesn't seem to be sufficient for her--she's a little tired and cranky by the time she gets home in the afternoon. But hopefully she will get used to it as the year goes by.

Hallie has stayed home from school two days this week because she wasn't feeling well. But she was feeling fine by the time she went to bed tonight. And I even managed to get both of the girls through Publix and home by myself today, which was no small feat!

So, that's the latest with us. I'll do my best to get some pictures on here soon--Sara gets more beautiful by the day, and I can't wait to post a recent photo!

Bath Time!

Sara's new belly button meant it was time for her first tub bath! She tolerated it very well, although I don't think she quite knew what to make of it.

Brand New Belly Button!

Sara's cord fell off on Friday morning, leaving her with a charming little belly button.

Party Animal

Sara had one of her (seemingly rare) extended wake periods on Friday night while we had company. Here she is staring down Mama Pat and cuddling with Grumpy.

Stylish

Thanks to Aunt Julie for this cute suit (and matching socks).

Bouncy Seat

Sara loves her bouncy seat!

Dinner from the Sandersons

Tommy and Amanda Hutton brought us a delicious dinner tonight!

Fun with Gray and Gigi

Gigi and Uncle Gray came over today to keep us company and entertain Hallie while she was out of school. And Aunt Melissa came over after work for a few minutes. Thank you for your help, Gigi and Gray!

Cupcake

Hallie took cupcakes to school yesterday in celebration of her last day in her Infant I class. On Monday, she will officially be a Toddler I. Such a big girl! Today, she ate one of the extra cupcakes and made quite a mess.

Family Visit

Aunt Ellen, Uncle Mike, Lane, and Kirk came over last night to meet Sara Frances. And they brought us a delicious dinner!

Aunt Melissa and Sara

Visit from the Bergs

Sweet Sleep

Sara napped on me this afternoon.

Packing Up

I've put away the maternity clothes...for a long time! :)

Visit from Tommy

Curiosity

Bye Bye to Nana and Aunt Julie

"Thank you" isn't enough for all the help Nana and Julie were last week. Hallie and Sara enjoyed their visit--almost as much as their Mommy and Daddy did.