A-Tisket, A-Tasket

Addy and Ree in a basket!

Since the girls are only taking 2 naps a day now, I was having a harder time prepping dinner with the girls awake. I tried making and eating dinner after the girls went to bed, but an 8:30ish dinner time is not ideal for us. So, James came up with a solution for the girls to be well-entertained in the kitchen while I cook... and they love it!

and so do I.

This idea all started with a box.... what was known at our house as "Ree in a box".

When Kristen was first learning to sit up, she was a bit wobbly and would fall over, bonk her head and start crying alligator tears. One night while James was working, Kristen was fussy from falling over a few times and I thought Kristen needs something to protect her on all sides. So I cleared out the toy box, put her in it with a few toys... and it was perfect!

But Adelyn decided she wanted to get in too. So I cleared out another box, put her in it with a few toys...


...and they love it!
Even now, almost a month after first putting Ree in a box, we will still put them in their box to play for fun. and in the evenings if they are fussy, it's amazing how they will stop as soon as we put them in the box. We even took the boxes and toys to our Lifegroup's potluck dinner recently at a friend's house so that they could play (sitting on the floor by us) and we could eat!

Happy Fall!

Kristen & Adelyn

Kristen

Adelyn

We took Kristen and Adelyn to our friends' house who were hosting their annual Fall pumpkin carving party. In all fun, we took the girls as....

The girls also visited their grandparents and a few close friends dressed as Thing 1 and Thng 2.

What surprised everyone was how the girls did not pull on their wigs. well...they pulled on each other's wig, but not their own.

Sissy, you have blue feathers on your head!

I ordered the Thing 1 and Thing 2 onesies online. and the wigs... it's a blue boa hot glued to a beanie hat. so simple, right?!(all credit due to the brilliant moms who posted their how-to online via Google search)

7 months with Kristen & Adelyn

All About Kristen:

• She is sitting up on her own! She was a little wobbly at first and would sometimes tip over, bonk her head and cry alligator tears. but now she is sitting without any help. I'm so proud of her!
• Kristen is now eating all kinds of fruits and vegetables: squash, sweet potatoes, green peas, green beans, apples, pears and peaches! Her favorite beginner foods are green peas and pears...she loves the pears! She will stick her tongue out while she eats or she will grab the spoon and try to feed herself. so she still gets food all over her mouth, face, bib. everywhere!
• She is getting her 2nd tooth! Her 2 bottom teeth are sharp! She has made a few teeth indentions when chewing on my hand.
  
  
  

All About Adelyn:

• She loves to sit up! She is sitting up all on her own and prefers it to laying on her back...
• ...but when she is laying on her back, she rolls around everywhere! She rolls off the pallet, all around the living room and even rolls into a different room. (she's done that before! I watched her the entire time in amazement, asking where are you going?!)
• Adelyn started to pull her knees up under her in the crawl stance. She is so cute as she rocks back and forth. She can tell by Mommy's squeals of delight that she is doing something good -- and it puts a big grin on her face. :)
• She is budding her 1st tooth... AND her 2nd tooth! both at the same time. (ouchy!) She has been chewing on everything!
• Adelyn is now eating all kinds of fruits and vegetables: squash, sweet potatoes, green peas, green beans, apples, pears and peaches! Her favorite beginner foods are...everything! She LOVES eating from a spoon!
  
  
  
  
  
  

Kristen & Adelyn ready to eat lunch. yum!

Homecoming Parade

Kristen and Adelyn watched their first Baylor Homecoming parade this morning! We dressed them in their cute Baylor onesies (from Uncle Robert) and braved the crowds and the rain. We joined friends on campus to watch the decorated floats, BIG inflatables, the Homecoming court, excited students and cheering fans. We had a great time! There was so much for the girls to take in. and we can't wait for next year when the girls will be able to enjoy it even more.

The Baylor Bears are 5-2, close to getting a spot in a Bowl Game. So let's go Baylor!

Love. and its Languages.

Lately, verses in the Bible about LOVE have been on my mind. As I hold Kristen and Adelyn, one verse that I memorized as a young child keeps coming back to memory. "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4.19) I want Kristen and Adelyn to know what love is. Initially, they have no understanding of what it is. but they will learn what love is from Mommy and Daddy. (wow. humbling!) I want to show them love by giving them hugs and kisses, serving them, being patient and kind, playing with them, telling them "I love you". and one day, from the small ways that I show them love now, I pray that Kristen and Adelyn would comprehend the endless, greater love that God has for them.

1 John 4.9 - 12: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Aleady I'm discovering the ways that Kristen and Adelyn are showing love. Each person gives and receives love in different ways, or "languages": quality time, physical touch, acts of service, words of encouragement, and gifts.
Kristen LOVES to give wide-open mouth kisses. and it makes my morning when I pick her up out of her crib and get one of her wet, slobbery kisses. Oh I could give her a thousand kisses for every one kiss that she gives me!
Adelyn LOVES physical touch and closeness. While playing on a floor pallet, Adelyn will "chase" or roll over to be close to Kristen. Adelyn reaches for Kristen and loves to hold her hand. and she gives the best hugs to Mommy and Daddy! I could hug and hold her all day!

My Little Pumpkins

It was a *perfect* Fall Saturday morning to visit a pumpkin patch. James and I took the girls to one about 30 minutes from our home -- where they grow pumpkins, have a corn maze, hay rides, inflatable jumpers, and so much more.

"I want this pumpkin, Daddy"



Or maybe Adelyn wants this bigger pumpkin instead...
since she was trying to bite it!

The sun was shining in the girls' faces while we were in the pumpkin patch. and Kristen was getting hot, tired and fussy. We ate our picnic lunch so that we could get out of the sun and take a little break. Then back to the pumpkin patch for one last attempt at pictures of Kristen...

...we tried.

Time to go home.

We picked out two little baby pumpkins (little pumpkins for little girls) and headed home. We hope to be back next year -- they will be the perfect age for enjoying more of the fun activities they have to offer. a new family tradition.

After the girls napped, they ate their first veggie... green peas. Yum.

6 months with Kristen & Adelyn

wow. We have reached a big milestone -- celebrating 6 months with Kristen and Adelyn! It doesn't seem like it should be time for them to eat solid foods, or roll over, or even sit up on their own. These itty bitty 6 lb girls have grown! (with so much personality and character too!) I think Kristen and Adelyn changed the most between their 5th month and 6th month birthday. I'm amazed at how much they learned in these past 30 days -- and I cant even imagine what the next 30 days, or even the next 6 months are going to be like!

All About Kristen:

• She thinks Mommy and Daddy are silly! She laughs at us all the time, especially when we blow on her neck or tummy, or when we play peek-a-boo. I LOVE her little giggles! :)
• She loves to talk! and I love to talk to her.
• She has a greater awareness of Adelyn now. She will watch her, talk to her, and grab her hands or feet.
• She is starting to sit up on her own with little assistance from Mommy. Not much longer till she will be doing it on her own!
• She is budding her first tooth! (and with that, there has been a lot of drool and fuss!)
• Kristen gives the sweetest open mouth kisses -- they are wet and slobbery. but still the sweetest!
• She started eating rice cereal this week. and she gets it all over her mouth, face, bib. everywhere!
• Kristen weighs 15 lbs, 3 oz and 24 1/2 inches long. a perfectly healthy and growing girl!

All About Adelyn:

• Adelyn is starting to sit up on her own with little assistance from Mommy. Not much longer till she will be doing it on her own!
• She is such a Daddy's girl. It's so sweet to see her love on him.
• She has a greater awareness of Kristen now. She will watch her, talk to her, or grab her hair. Adelyn LOVES to pull on Kristen's hair.
• She is chewing on her fingers a lot. Maybe a tooth is coming in soon?
• She started eating rice cereal this week. and she loves it! She gets it all over her mouth, face, bib. everywhere!
• Adelyn weighs 15 lbs, 12 oz and 24 3/4 inches long. a perfectly healthy and growing girl!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

*Thank you Aunt Carolyn for our dresses. We are beautiful girls in our pretty dresses!