Carly Walks

A few days before she turned 10 months old (on Sept 10th), Carly started full-on walking. She still doesn't walk as her main mode of transportation, but it's pretty close. She walks in and out of rooms, all around the house throughout the day. If she's in a hurry or doesn't want to miss something, she'll do her speed crawl. Otherwise, she's on her feet.

As of her turning 10 months old, she also claps when we say clap and waves "bye-bye" when someone is leaving.

Becoming a Lego Expert

Maddie and Carly play with Legos every day. I'm always amazed at the buildings and "towers" Maddie puts together all by herself these days.

Trip to Minneapolis

Just before Maddie started back at school, we took a trip to Minneapolis to escape the hot Texas summer. We chose Minneapolis for its lovely Summer weather, Mall of America kid-friendly attractions and so we could visit with a friend of mine and her family who used to live in Austin.

Both girls were great on the plane rides to and from MN and we had a busy, fun-fulled five days. We swam, visited the Minneapolis Zoo, enjoyed Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America, spent an afternoon with the Stephens family, including a trip to nearby Wayzata for ice cream and outdoor fun. We also visited a park and tried to spend as much time outside as possible in the 80 degree weather.

It was a wonderful vacation!

Visiting with Stephens Family:





Park:




Mall of America:






Zoo:

First Day Back to School

Maddie started back to school yesterday in the Ladybug class. Thankfully, all of her former Honeybee class friends are also Ladybugs now as well as five or six new kids. Hopefully this transition into the new class shouldn't be too difficult since Maddie already knew the teachers from playground and music time. I'm excited about this school year, as Maddie continues to become more of a "big girl" every day.

Maddie's End of School Year Picnic

Today was Maddie's last day as a honey bee at her preschool. She becomes a Ladybug in late August (the 2yr olds becoming 3-yr olds class). We had a swim party and picnic with all the kids and parents, which was a lot of fun.

Eric and I really like Maddie's preschool and are thankful we found such a great place with great teachers, kids and parents.

Carly Turns 9 Months Old

Carly turned 9 months old on August 10th. What a sweet & amazing little person she's developing into. Eric and I fall more in love with her every day.




Things we'd like to remember about Carly at 9 months old:

• She can take 4-5 steps by herself without holding on to anything or anyone.
• She's curious about everything and gets into everything. Keeps us busy!
• She loves to laugh and be tickled.
• Says "Momma and Dadda" and babbles a few other words.
• Eats like a champ! Can now eat small pieces of chicken or veggies, cheese, cheerios, etc.
• Has two bottom teeth and two top teeth are almost in.
• Has gotten over a lot of her attachment fears and no longer cries when left with a sitter at the gym daycare.
• Loves to play peak-a-boo
• Will dance anytime she hears music.
• Is learning to use a sippy cup. She prefers to use it as a pacifier for now.
• She LOVES her big sister, Maddie, even though Maddie enjoys sitting on her and pushing her around a bit. They play together so well.
• Eyes still blue.
• Seems to prefer her left hand for eating and playing. Let's see if she'll be left-handed like me.
• Still nurses every 3-4 hrs (except at night). I have a feeling that weening will be more difficult than it was with Maddie
• Is still not a great sleeper. Naps short and infrequently and wakes 1-2 times at night. We're still working on it. :-)

Stats:
Weight: 18.6 lbs (50%)
Height: 27.5 in (50%)
Head: 17.25 cm (50%)

Carly takes a few steps with toy car

A couple of days before she turned 9 months old, I filmed Carly practicing her walking skills. She pushes various toys around every day and gets so excited each time she adds another step.

Pool Time in the Back Yard

I finally purchased a plastic pool big enough for me or Eric to be able to sit in it and play with the girls while they swim. The pool was a hit this morning!

It's nice to be able to simply go into the backyard and cool off in the little pool on days we don't feel like leaving home.




(The owie on Maddie's chin is from a minor fall in the kitchen last night. As usual, her trusty ice pack saved the day.)

Rolly Pollies Playdate

The girls and I met Michelle and Erica at Rolly Pollies for some indoor fun. It's hot, hot, hot in Austin these days (105 or hotter everyday), so our time outside is minimal.

Today's playdate was extra special because Carly was able to play on some of the gym equipment for the first time. In the past, she kinda sat around or I held her while Maddie played.

It's so fun to see Carly interact with other kids and her sister and friends. Life with our girls keeps getting more fun.

Michelle's Baby Shower and Playdate

On Sunday, I hosted a shower for baby Arvesen to be and decided to get all the kids together too.

Michelle looked lovely and baby Arvesen should be arriving in just a few weeks, so it was nice for all of us to get her some baby essentials and enjoy a delicious brunch too. Thanks to all the Mommies who were able to come celebrate and a special thanks to Jen and Nikki for all your help!

Seeing all the kids together was so cute. They're all so big and smart and funny. We're all so lucky to have such great kids. It's hard to believe that 3rd birthdays are just around the corner. Life is good!