Couple New Words

Since we flew up here to Portland, Esther's learned a couple new words. She now says "sirsty" for "thirsty," which is cute because it's exactly the way Abby pronounces it.

She also notices the planes that fly over G&G's house, and she loudly proclaims, in a gutteral voice, "De plane," pointing high overhead, sometimes in the wrong direction. Uncle Bret's been calling her Tattoo ever since. :)

This morning, she got into a rocking chair and couldn't get out, so when Daddy came to see what the rucus was about, she said, "Stuck."

She also knows "want," so when she wants something she precedes it with "want __________," like "want milk" or "want nigh-nigh (blankie)."

Cute as can be!

"That's a...."

Esther's latest phrase is, "That's a ______." For example, when we were at the airport, awaiting our flight to Portland, she kept going up to an outlet that was along one wall, and I had to redirect her attention elsewhere by saying, "No, Esther, that's a no-no." So she picked it up; as clear as a bell, she pointed at it and said loudly, "That's a no-no!!"

Now she's saying it for other things, like "That's a seat" (for chair) or "That's mine" and "That's milk," appropriately leaving off articles where necessary.

We're amazed by her early verbal skills. Maybe she'll become an English major like Mama was. ;)

Poolside

We finally got the traditional hard-plastic swimming pool this year. Every other year we were dumbed into buying a soft-plastic, blow-up type, but never again. After fighting with where to put the pool (because deflating it was too cumbersome an option), fighting with re-blowing it up each time, just to get the pool to stay up, and many other issues with these kinds of pools, including, but not limited to, having the wind blow it on the grass while we were on vacation and turning the grass brown, we have now opted for the original sturdy pool, no assembly required.

All this to say, as you'll notice, the girls thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

We kept telling Essie to sit in the water, so she took us literally and brought in a chair. :)

Finally ditched the chair. :)

So I made her sit down in the water, actually guided her in, and she finally got what we meant by sitting. She never went back to that chair after that.

Uncle Nathan was here to visit for Father's Day.

He was so sweet, giving the girls his undivided attention the entire time!

Father's Day

Daddy and his girls on Father's Day

I "want" to too!

Abby asked us if she could eat her breakfast on her little table in her room (we, of course, would bring it into the dining room). So we said she could. So Daddy brought in the little table and one chair for Abby. I said to Eric, "I don't think we should have Esther eat at the little table too; they're eating oatmeal, and that could be disastrous." Esther overheard and said, "I [gobbly gook] to too! I to too!" Haha! No getting this one past her!

My Good Sharer

I brought some Cheez-Its outside to snack on while watching Abby play in the backyard. Abby noticed I had them, so she came up to me and said, "We can share, Mama." Laughingly, I agreed we could share. So she ate one and then handed me one. Then she ate another one and handed me another one, all the way down to the last Cheez-It. I was curious as to what she would do when it came to the last Cheez-It. She, then, broke it in half and gave each of us half. :0) Cute, huh?

Abby's "New" Bike

Daddy found this bike at the local thrift store, and it works great. Her response was a little anticlimactic, though, when she first saw it. She said, "Not ANOTHER one!" Heehee! She already has a small tricycle (which will soon be Esther's). And although she is still feeling a little scared being so high off the ground, she definitely likes being a "big" girl now. :)

New Driveway

I know; I know. It's a driveway; why so many pictures? This post is mainly for my in-laws in Portland who haven't seen the new driveway. With their blood, sweat, and some tears, I'm sure, they have really helped to make our house a home, and so I know they're going to be very interested in the new driveway -- well, the 2/3 new driveway.

This is for you, Dad and Mom Carmichael. Thanks for all your help with our home!

And many thanks to my folks, too, who have definitely given a lot to the cause!

Splish Splash

So we took the girls to the pool last weekend, and they really had a blast. There are two pools: a kiddie pool and a regular pool. We took them to the kiddie pool for Esther's sake, and then later, we let them experience the bigger pool (no photos of that). Abby loves the deeper water, probably too much -- she kept going under, which caused us repeated episodes of panic. :(

Esther wasn't so crazy about the bigger pool. :) She clung to me the whole time. Cute.

Esther was trying so hard to "get in" the water like big sissie.
The water was a bit on the chillie side, though. :)







Yes, that is Eric with an umbrella.

He's my burn-even-with-50-SPF-on boy. :)

Monkey see; monkey do. :)

Backyardigans

Some more fun shots of the girls outdoors...

Nocturnal

I think if I were to be a bat, my life would make a bit more sense. :) It's 4:00 am, and I haven't slept yet. I am such a night owl. Unfortunately, at the moment it's because I have indigestion really bad...a fun byproduct in the first trimester. Ugh!

Outnumbered

Well, it's official. We are hereby outnumbered, at least when the new baby comes.

I'll be 9 weeks tomorrow. The baby is due on January 13, 2009.

Here are some photos of the "nugget." I was talking on the phone to Eric, telling him I got "to see the baby -- well, the nugget" at the first doctor's appointment, and Abby overheard me, so she's been calling it the nugget ever since.

When we asked her if it was going to be a little brother or sister, she responded, "I already have a sister, so it's going to be a brother." And that's what she tells everybody now, "We're having a little brother," even people we never meant to tell, like strangers at the pool. :)

I could swear this one looks like a Greek head bust, like Hera or something. :)

This one shows the fetal heart beat at 162bpm...could it be a boy?

Here's the official "nugget" photo. :)