It's a Rough Life

It's not easy being a baby.

Sometimes you just crash in your mama's arms and even drool on her shirt a little.
Other times, you get so tired that you just fall asleep in the jumperoo.

Who ever said being a baby is easy?

Grammy & Grampy and Alex too!

Sorry we've been MIA for a while. We were busy getting ready for Grammy, Grampy, and Alex to come visit August 19th - 23rd and have since been busy recovering and getting back into our routine.

The kids were super excited to see everyone. They spent weeks planning out the sleeping arrangements. Ellie was to sleep with Grammy, Carter with Grampy, and Ava with Alex. Of course, it really went: Grammy with Ellie and Ava, Carter with Jake and I, Grampy in Carter's bed, and Alex on our couch! But the kids are all old enough that not seeing everyone for a few months doesn't seem to phaze them or have them make strange anymore.

You can decide who I look more like. I think I am a mutt but lean towards my Dad. However, my parents picked Ellie up at a birthday party and the mom said she could tell that my mom was my mother as we look similar. All I know is I got all the looks and Alex got the leftovers!!
Alex pile-up

Wrestling with Grampy

Attacking Grampy's hair

I gave my mom the idea to turn her wedding dress into purses for all the girls to have to use for their weddings. When they moved, she left the dress at my grandma's house. She brought it back so she could ship it to herself. I made her try it on and took this picture! The zipper got stuck halfway up over her ribcage, but not bad 26 years later! Except for the style of course. The dress is pretty but what was going on with the sleeves?! Crazy stuff going on in the 80's for sure!

We also had the Majeski reunion that Sunday. The kids had a blast running around and Ellie even went camping Saturday night.

Some of the great-grandchildren.

There are 17 total!

Some of the grandchildren.

With Joel's stepchildren, there are now 24 with a 25th due in the spring! Yikes!

What are we all laughing at you might wonder?

This guy, who took his role of making silly faces at us seriously!

We had a great visit and can't wait until Grammy, Grampy, and even Alex return for another visit!

Morning Glory

These two are early birds, up by 7 most mornings.

These two are not. Ellie will get up by 8 am but Ava will sleep until 9 if permitted.

The early bird gets to watch Mickey Mouse and Jake and the Neverland Pirates.
The late sleeper usually gets to finish waking up while we run errands or go to the gym.

Snippets

• Hannah can roll back to tummy now.


• Hannah is working on getting her knees under her body so she can crawl. She also does the turtle, which is what we call it when she lays on her tummy and continuously swipes her right arm across the floor. Once she can put it all together, she will be off.


• I picked an eyelash off of Ava's cheek the other day and told her to make a wish and blow it off. She wished for "flowers and princesses"!


• Carter woke me up around 3 am last night to ask me if he could have a real puppy.


• Carter is very big into dreams. His catch phrase when he comes downstairs at night when he is supposed to be in bed is "I had a bad dream." Apparently that gives him permission to be out of bed!


• Ellie and I had an interesting discussion about viruses and bacteria the other day. She got a little lost when I said that the rash Ava had could also just be a heat rash and not a virus but it amazes me how much she understands now! We've also discussed time zones and what happens when a plane flies across several time zones.

Biking Pros

The twinks are biking pros!

Ava likes to go all the way down to the mailbox and back. Carter is a little hesitant. A car might come by, which causes a panic attack for him and usually results in an abandoned bike on the side of the street and a squealing little boy in someone else's driveway.

What, you don't bike in your jersey or ballerina dress?

6 Months Already?

Hannah is 6 months old today! Where has the time gone? Next thing I know, it will be time to plan her first birthday party. She's getting to be so big and can sit up with no support at all. I don't always stick pillows behind her anymore as she seldom tips back.

If you look close enough in the first picture, you might see a little white in her mouth. Yes, this little lady has two teeth already! The first popped through July 22 and the second on August 1. No real fussiness, no warning, nothing. I was sitting on the couch with her on the 22nd and noticed something glistening on her gums. Lo and behold, it was a tooth, completely through! Little scamp!

In other news, Hannah has now been invited to join her siblings in play. She has been typecast as the baby in all their games but at least they try to include her!

Carter has even gone so far as to allow Hannah to wear his wolf hat. This is one of his exclusive items and he holds its possession dearly and tightly, so a huge honor to let the baby wear it.

Hannah had her first grass experience, which she loved! In sharp contrast to Carter, who screamed the very first time he touched grass A memory burned in my mind and my eardrums! (Ava didn't mind the feel of grass when she was a baby and Ellie is a May baby so too little to lay/sit in the grass her first summer of life and walking the next summer)

The baby gets to sit up in the tub now too! Which makes bathtime even more fun for a girl who already loved her bath.

She's also learning to become an expert cooking utensil holder. It's her favorite thing to play with while she helps me make dinner.

Here's the little man pretending to have his baby in a sling/baby bjorn. It's actually a part of the doll swing but this works as well! Also, do you love his vibrant yellow outfit? Papa bought it for him. Ironically, or maybe not ;), Papa has a similar outfit!

Grammy sent another care package. This one included terrycloth dresses for the older girls and their dolls and more pirate gear for Carter. He now has a bonavide treasure chest for his gold doubloons, a hat, and a map! The kids have been going on lots of adventures now that there is map in the house.

Halloween costumes are potentially settled on now. Ellie- still deciding, Ava- says she'll be Wendy, Carter- either Peter Pan or Captain Hook, Hannah- Tinkerbell. Booya! How's that for a cool idea?! Dang, I'm good. I'd like to make Carter be Peter Pan to flow more with the girls but I showed him a photo of me and Alex as Pan and Hook when we were younger and he loves Alex's outfit. So we'll see which he'll go with as the time comes near.