Belle's somersault

Date night

Girls are sleeping and in the care of a sitter. We are in Brooklyn at a Guster, Ben Folds Five, BNL concert. It is a perfect night for an outdoor concert. Good times. 

Sister love

Pearly whites

Belle went to the dentist today. She was a real champ. Despite warning me that she was a little afraid of the experience, Belle was brave and cooperative.

Belle biked herself to and from the playground

Emily's 9-month check-up = IRONIC

Emily went to the pediatrician today for her 9-month well visit.  I never in a million years thought I'd hear a medical professional tell me what the pediatrician told me:  Emily needs more calories.  I find it ironic that my child needs more calories.  Really ironic.  I have been laughing about it all day (though, of course, taking it seriously).

Emily is overall doing great.  She is developing well and looking healthy.  She overcame a bad virus earlier this month (likely Coxsackie: fever for 5-6 days followed by a rash and spots) and is back in tip top health.  She showed the doctor how she smiles and coos and stands and scooches (not yet actually crawling, but moving).  The doctor was pleased by all of this.

However, she is only 27 inches long (16th percentile) and weighed in at 15.5 pounds (12th percentile).  So she's a little girl.  And her percentiles in both areas have decreased, so it's time to step up the feeding (more proteins and more invitations to eat).  Emily will be weighed again when we are back at the pediatrician's office for Belle's 3-year-old check-up next month to see Emily's growth progress.

Some of us need to eat more, others need to eat less.  But we're all doing well and in reasonably good health, and there's lots of smiles which I think counts for something significant.

Belle laughs while eating yogurt for breakfast

At the Mystic Aquarium

Trying to pet the sharks and rays.

Marc and his parents came to visit

We visited Judge Eginton

Fun in the sun

We visited Grampy's office

Our little slugger

Emily is 9 months old today!

My kite

Growth Chart

Belle July 2012

Belle July 2013

Yum! Chocolate ice cream!

Beach bum!

Jumping for joy

Rides

Belle begged us to try a ride on the mini dinosaur roller coaster. We let her try, but she wasn't prepared for how scary it was. The ride conductor stopped the ride after one trip around the track and gave us our token back. We took the token and enjoyed a ride on the carousel. MUCH better.

Beach play date

Molly (from school) came to play today.

Beach baby

My, how you've grown

Belle wasn't tall enough last summer.

Captain Belle

Yummy toes and binoculars

Emily's toes are so yummy.
And Belle's new toy? Purple binoculars. She had fun looking through both ends of them, especially after she enjoyed a cup of chocolate ice cream (much of which remains on her face and arm)

Best shopping cart

The Mystic Whaler

We stopped in New London and visited an old whaling ship, the Mystic Whaler. The last time Craig and I enjoyed an evening sail on the Mystic Whaler, I was 9-months pregnant with Belle.

The Essex Steam Train

We took a ride on the Essex Steam Train. Belle was especially excited to hear the conductor yell, "all aboard," just like in her Goodnight, Connecticut book.

Joyful Belle

Belle isn't even three and already I love going to the mall with her.

When the oil change, which was supposed to take 20 minutes, turned into a much longer endeavor, I scooted across the street to the mall with the girls I wore Emily in my wrap and she slept nearly the whole time. Belle, on the other hand, was keen to shop (we bought her new sneakers-purple, of course), sample, and explore at the mall. In this pic, she is playing with her "friends" (a statue on a bench).

Belle = joy.

Smiling blue-eyed Emily

Enjoying Washington Square Park with her cousins.

Legomania runs in the family

Craig used every Lego piece we had to build this tower that is nearly as tall as Belle. No wonder Belle is a master Lego builder.

Belle the master Lego builder

Outing to Stamford

We visited Great-Grandma Ann in Stamford,CT on Tuesday. So did Cousins Diana, Izzy and Owen. It was a hot day, but cool in the shade and with a Popsicle (purple for Belle, of course).

We hosted music class this week

Our living room was fun!

Mundane tasks made more fun

Laundry and grocery shopping are less efficient but way cuter with kiddos. Belle, by the way, is riding in the toy car attached to the front of the shopping cart, and this was Emily's first ride in the cart's seat.

Bellerina

Belle fits perfectly in my very old ballet slippers, as well as the tiara I wore to the first day of my senior year of high school. Belle whirls and twirls like a princess ballerina.

So many generations

Belle, Emily, and Sasha represent a fifth generation of friendship.

Emily and Charlotte bond