In a co-sleeping family!

We are definitely a co-sleeping family. E has been in our "big bed" since birth. The crib (yes, we had one) just never felt right for us. So naturally L started in our bed too. With E. It's a little crowded but I really do enjoy cuddling all night long. It's especially nice for me to be able to cuddle and reconnect with E, who is a busy, wiggly, always moving four year old. I'm glad we get to cuddle at night, for sure.
So this is our bed on a typical night.  I squeeze in between the two kids, and K is on the other side of E.

 And here is a picture of E's bedtime story session with Grammy the other night!  Too cute not to share!

Just another week gone by!

Last weekend we had a visit from Uncle Sam and Aunt Chelle!  E was thrilled to have "personal playmates" that have more attention for her than Mommy does with little brother around now.  She played with some playdoh with them, and spent a good amount of the gorgeous day outside with them as well!  They swang (swung?) in the hammock and played in Aunt Chelle's car--E "drove" them to Five Guys.  When L was happy and not napping and/or nursing, he hung out with them too, and Mommy did boring things like laundry and cleaning the kitchen (and boy was I grateful to be doing those things without a 20 lb baby on my hip!). 

I also sunned diapers to get some of the stains out.  I feel like they get cleaner in the sun too, with those super UV rays killing any lingering germs!  I hope to get more sunning time in as the weather is more cooperative!  I was kinda shocked at the number of diapers I have (which still doesn't seem like quite enough).  

Later in the week, E and L played with Daddy in the extra bedroom while Mommy showered and swept the kitchen after dinner one day!  L is really starting to move around, army-crawl style, and Daddy and E were very amused with this!  They put things on the opposite side of the room, and waited for L to move to the things, and then they would move them, so he had to start again!  L was in good spirits though (isn't he always), and they enjoyed playing all together on the floor! 

Thursday, E requested to play with some dried lentils and dried beans (that we have been pretending we would eat at some point, but they've been in the cabinet for 2+ years now).  She really enjoyed pouring them into cups and bowls, and using measuring spoons and cups to test the different amounts.  It was a good, impromptu homeschool lesson in measuring, one that we definitely stumbled onto because E asked to do it--child-led learning at its best!

 

The weather has been gorgeous this week--we've logged quite a few park hours, and we've  really enjoyed being outside (E always has, and L seems to go right along with her about that).  E has been making new friends everywhere we go--she is not a shy child by far.  I'm glad she didn't inherit my shyness, but listening to her conversations with anyone who will look at her often leave me laughing (or cringing--like when she invited the neighbor to the park with us today).  L is such a happy baby!  He loves people (oh geez, just like his sister), and even yells (in baby talk of course) when they ignore him or stop talking to him.  He definitely wants his fair share (or probably more) of the attention.  I can't believe its been 6 months since he was born--such a delightful baby, and so very different from his sister!!  He LOVES her so much--it amazes me to be able to already see the love in his eyes for her when she is in his face, picking on him or talking loudly, or other things that would be irritating to most anyone--he loves it--he's smiling and laughing at her the whole time.  Its hard to tell her "Brother doesn't like that; be gentle, you're going to hurt him" when he is grinning.  My favorite is when she says "He's a smiley (smiwey--the way she says it) smiley baby!"

E's Twirly Dress!

I made a dress for E the other day!  I had seen the fabric on Hawthorne Threads and wanted to make something from it, but was apprehensive to do much--E is notorious for refusing to wear/play with almost anything I make her (although that doesn't stop her from asking for me to make her things).  But I had been eying this tute for a while, and I started to have visions of a cute little twirly tiered dress for E in my waking/nursing hours in the early morning.  So here's what we got:

It turned out really cute, and E loves it!!  She took it as soon as it was off my machine, and put it on!!  Wouldn't even let me trim the threads off it.  I'm planning to try a few others with different necklines (and fabrics, obviously) in my spare time.  Ha, spare time--thats funny.