"i aohld him"

Brianna is constantly asking to hold Carl - she thinks he is the greatest and wants to be close to him. Normally, Carl is so on the move that for him to sit still long enough to even get him in her arms would be a miracle. But the other day while playing outside I just couldn't say no, it seemed to be a perfect situation.

She wanted to share her car with him and asked if she could "aohld him." Since they would be squished in the one little seat with sides to help prop and activity to keep attention, it was a no brainer.

Immediately they both were smiling and giggling. They sat there for almost 7 minutes honking the horn and turning the wheel. She couldn't quite move her feet enough to move the Flintstone car, but she was content enough that she was holding him. After a while, she opened the door and said, "I'm done." In which case, I ran quickly to the side in order to catch him from falling out sideways. She did however want to continue the fun and insisted I put him back in by himself so she could push him. He was a little unstable and kept getting his feet caught under the car, but LOVED it. 

It's so fun to see them playing together and loving it. Hopefully this is a good sign for the future!

Who Wants to Walk!

He Does, He Does!

Carl has been working diligently on his walking. On one hand it's SO exciting and on the other it's life as we known it - over. 

I'm 98% sure I'm ready for it. It's summer time and he's ready to move and chase his fabulous big sister. She has been doing great with him; she's been sharing, bringing him things, and making sure to play around him with care. Carl is ready to keep pace with her. It took Brianna 15 months and a younger cousin to decide she was ready to walk on her own, but I'm pretty sure Carl will take the plunge well before that. 

Personally, I just love his technique. Notice the fancy footwork AND the tippy toes! If he gets stopped he thinks if his feet keep moving, the momentum will shift the walker just enough to keep going. Yeah Carl!

Just Perfect!

Here's our sweet little girl singing "Jesus Loves Me" - with backup singers.

She is simply wonderful and amazes me everyday!

P.S. Shelley, thanks to your amazing talents and your daughter's, B requests "little turtle ad big turtle song" daily. Good thing I listened closely when you sang it and could repeat it. But I think she knows it's not you singing it to her. I don't get the laughter like you did!

Just Me and Carl

Here's our little man! How we love him so. Only 2 more months until he turns 1. It's gone SO fast!

Now that I look at this picture, does anyone else think Mr. Potato head looks, well... what do you think?

Movie Star at the Dentist

Early last month I went to my regularly scheduled dentist appointment. The last time I was in, my fabulous dental hygienist asked me if I wanted to schedule a "happy visit" for Brianna the next time I went in. I said yes, so the whole week leading up to the appt. we were talking about where we were going and what we would be doing at the dentist. The day came and she was ready! The happy visit consisted of them putting super sweet "movie star" sunglasses on her, turning on the camera thing they use for the mouth so she could see herself on tv, and actually using "Mr. Tickles" and "Mrs. Thirsty." I went first (so she could see how it's done), then it was her turn.

She did amazing. She had some spots the hygienist was able to get off because she sat so still and opened wide. It's encouraging to hear your dentist say, "whatever you're doing, keep it up - her teeth look great, pleanty of room for growth." Now the second part to that I don't have much control over, but as challenging as it is some nights to keep up with the regular brushing routine makes it all worth it. As for our fabulous hygienist, she is simply that. I am so thankful for her. She was incredibly patient with her, talked Brianna through the whole thing, and waited while she got a little skiddish then just continued on.

I'd say she loves brushing her teeth even more now after the visit than before. Having such a positive experience for something that can be not so pleasant is truly a blessing.