introducing...

meet my nephew, Brennan

(or Brenno, Brenns, B Boy, Brenno Bug, Brenno Bear etc, etc, etc)

you saw him once already, sort of, here

he's 4 months younger than my girlies, 

almost to the day

and he's already bigger than they are

(he's a big boy)

and we love every bit of him!

we're not sure what he thinks of us, yet

what we do know, though,

is that he loves to sitting in a Bumbo

like any big boy would

i love that little man - how could you not?

an update...

...on this whole eating solids thing.  a couple of posts ago, i mentioned that we were going to try rice cereal as our first solid food.  and we did. since then we've tried carrots and even sweet potatoes.  and every time, we get the same reactions:  Aria is all over it, while Ives is a bit more hesitant.   

i read somewhere that it takes at least ten tries before a baby is set on whether or not they like a food, so i keep trying.  and she responds better every time...turns out she's just not too keen on change (got that from her mama), but she's being a good sport about it.  i've got the pictures to prove it.  

can you guess who's who?

dear summer

you finally arrived!

(we were beginning to wonder after that "june-uary" stunt you pulled!)

but we all know you tend to be fleeting around here

which is why we've been busy enjoying it while it lasts

here is a glimpse of what we've been enjoying:

ahhh, it's been nice!

feel free to stick around a bit longer - pretty please?

six

these little girlies are six months old today

happy half birthday, girlies!

today we have rice cereal on the menu - their first "solids"

we've been counting down to this

at the same time, momma is a bit sad because it means my babies are a little less baby-ish

you're growing up too fast, baby girls, i know it's just rice cereal to you and everyone else, but to me it's a reminder to cherish every single moment  

because once it's gone, it's gone

thank you, Jesus, for my baby girls - please help me to enjoy every minute of every day with them and to look forward to all that's in store for us in the days, weeks, months and years (gulp!) to come.  

*photo by green ginger photography*

a very happy un-birthday to you!

dear beautiful baby girls,

its been five and a half months since i last wrote you a letter.  and wow, has life changed since then or what?  we actually made it through those dark first few months of the year - your first year...and tomorrow you'll be six months old!  i just can't believe it... i know i say it all the time, but really, where has all the time gone?!?!  you're SO big now - you fit into outfits i thought you'd never fill out, have mini conversations with each other, roll around in your crib, chew on each others hands, suck on your toes and grin at me and daddy when we walk into the room.  you love bathtime and playtime - ivy, your favorite is the jolly jumper and aria, yours is the exersaucer.  our days are full of little giggles, screeches and squeals as you continue to grow and learn new things.


we're hoping to start solids right around your half-birthday so i've been reading up on them.  we'll start with rice cereal, i think, then maybe some pureed veggies.  i'm eager to get you eating avocados and bananas - because those are convenient and travel friendly (i.e. i don't have to worry about them going bad  if they're not kept cool and i don't have to find a way to warm them up when you're hungry).  plus, they are full of great nutrition and happen to be favorite foods of mine.  :)  daddy and i are hoping that with some solids in your system, we'll all get better sleep...you never know!  i think you're ready - you stare at everything we eat and you're obviously teething; we're even starting to see teeth break through your gums!  


i was looking through our delivery photos just the other night and it brought back SO many memories.  i remember arriving at the hospital on that sunny friday afternoon - daddy and i grabbed mcdonalds on the way there (terrible, i know, but i just couldn't keep up with all the calories i had to eat to keep you two growing!).  we checked in and got set up in our room; i remember being hooked up to the IV shortly afterwards - the midwife accidentally went right through my vein with the needle (ouch!)..."not a good start," i thought to myself. but i knew it would end well - i would get to meet my baby girls, after thirty eight weeks of anticipation.  i actually haven't written down our birth story - i should probably do that someday soon, before i forget all the details. then one day, if you're interested, i can tell you all about it.  


anyway, that's all i have time to write for now.  know that daddy and i love you two so very much and pray for you every day.  you are our little blessing babies and we are so thankful for all that the Lord has used you to teach us as we've figured out this whole parenting thing over the last six months.  


love, 
your mom

So long, farewell: An ode, to Agnes

Yesterday we handed Agnes over to our local car dealer in exchange for keys to the new guy (yet to be named)

Agnes was Daniel's little red civic, his first car.

She facilitated many a ride home, allowing me and Daniel to get to know each other.

She came along for our first date, 

Listened as first "I love you's" were muttered, 

Stood by as I fell in love with "Daniel from Florida with the really blue eyes."

She hummed along while we had our first major fight, 

Each of us sitting on our side of the car in silence,

Then finally, slowly reaching out a hand of apology.

She drove us to the beach - rain or shine (or snow, if Daniel would let me!)

Rugby games, BBQs, parties,

Took us camping, to picnics, on countless road trips and day trips to Seattle, Whistler, the Okanagan, Whidbey Island etc etc etc 

She's helped us build many a great memory.

She came along as we ferried over to the island for yet another daytrip:  

the museum, organic pizza, sightseeing, a nap on a park bench, 

dinner with a view, a walk along a breathtaking cliffside, 

then finally, a ring, lovely words, some tears, a "yes!", more tears...

we left home that morning as boyfriend and girlfriend and came back as fiances.  

She took us to meet vendors, see venues, plan a wedding. 

Helped us look at countless places before picking out our first place together.

Matched my first car, the little green civic.

Saw us through our first couple years of marriage, a pregnancy, twins!

Like any good civic, she was still kickin' at almost 400,000 kilometers.

She may have needed a facelift, but she was still a great car.

I've known her for as long as I've known Daniel - almost 10 years now!

Great as she was, she wasn't up to the task of lugging around our growing family so we had to let her go.

Farewell, Agnes - you were a very special car and will be missed!