March 12th

Rachel is almost always the first person to get up in the morning.  She usually comes into our room and wakes us up.  We often encourage her to go do some reading while we try to roll ourselves out of bed.  I stumble bleary eyed into the bathroom then weigh in on the wii.

Rachel listens intently then runs into Joseph's room the moment he makes a sound.


It's easy to see that she is not the only one that looks forward to this ritual.


After breakfast Rachel played with the balloons left over from Joseph's birthday party while I exercised.


Today was Joseph's 1 year baby wellness visit with the pediatrician.   They measured his head and his height.


Then he faced the scale.  Joe weighed in at 17 lbs even.  I'd hoped he would weigh more but it seems most of his calories are going to energy usage or head growth.


Dr. Virginia Vierra is THE BEST!  She is wonderful.  The only problem is that everyone else knows it too.  She is booked for 2 months out.


Rachel kept herself busy while Dr. Vierra examined Joseph and talked to mom and dad.    She was satisfied that he is growing well and didn't request a bunch of blood draws.


After her nap, Rachel wanted to talk to Grandmother South. 


This kid really likes to talk on the phone.  She tells stories and sings songs.


"Say Hi Dumbo."


She loves it when Grandmother sings to her.


Rachel is not the only one that loves the phone.  Joseph doesn't want to talk.  He is all about the noises and lights.  "I got it!"
 

Joe likes to have something in his mouth at all times.
 

We went for a walk as a family. 
 

Rachel loves her car.  Once she gets the steering down then we'll introduce her to a tricycle.
 

Doug fixed my computer.
 

Rachel played with the cords.


They were perfect for discussing longer and shorter.  "This one is loonnggeer."
 

Doug was wonderful and watched the kids and put them to bed while I went to Weight Watchers.  I dropped 3.2 pounds!  It was a huge relief after a gain of 2.2 pounds the week before.

January 12

My day always begins with a finger prick to check my blood sugar.  So far I've been able to keep my gestational diabetes under control without insulin.

Rachel has oatmeal and applesauce for breakfast.

Rachel takes care of her dolly while I slave away cleaning out her bedroom.  I need to make room for all of Joseph's stuff.

The first task is just straightening up.  Before and after.

Rachel keeps me company while I fix lunch.

Peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches with a side of grapes.  She doesn't eat the grapes but at least she doesn't discard them off of her plate.

Yummmmmmmmm.

After her nap Rachel takes some time to read.

I wasn't feeling well so Doug took Rachel downstairs for an hour. 

When I came down to check on them Doug was trying to rest while Rachel was crawling all over him and watching "Signing Time."

Doug got a new shipment of computer cooling fans.

Rachel is a fan of fans and was very unhappy when we took them away.

 We had nachos for dinner; refried beans, chips and cheese.

 

After dinner we all went into my office.  I hung out while Doug worked on souping up my computer.  Yes, I am spoiled.

Rachel spent the time trying on hats.

Doug heroically put the Christmas tree in the rafters of the garage.

Rachel and I took some time to read, "Are You My Mother?"

Rachel checked out her reflection in the oven.

All in all, it was a good day.

Photo Favorites (Feb-March)

Rachel likes to "help" her dad with computer work.

Zoe thinks she should be as close to a human as she can possibly be at all times.

This sweet little dress was a "hand-me-down" from Rachel's cousins.  She looked so darling I couldn't pass up the photo op.  She is playing with two baby ankle bracelets from India.  One of Doug's co-workers sent them to Rachel as a gift.  I can hardly wait until I hear the anklets tinkling as Rachel moves about the room.

I'm really excited about spring and am trying to ignore the current snowstorm outside.

Rachel is growing and learning at a crazy fast pace.  It seems like yesterday she was barely holding her head up and now she is kneeling to dig toys out of her basket.

I can't get over how cute and photogenic she is.

This little crocheted dress was made for me when I was a baby.

Doug, Rachel and I attended Bethany's wedding over the weekend.  (More to come on that later.)

Rachel met up with a new beau.

She explored her ever expanding love of flowers.

She relaxed in her daddy's arms.

And she admired the beautiful bride.