Happy Easter!

We hope the Easter bunny was as good to you as he was to us!!!

One month

Aubrey turned one month old on Friday! Can it be true? She's still just a bitty thing, but she's spending more and more time awake and alert each day. She's also becoming a little bit more outspoken and demanding about having her needs met. (No more sleeping for hours and hours on end.) Perhaps her older sister is already teaching her and thing or two...?

Egg hunt

On Saturday we participated in an egg hunt with all of Camryn's friends from school, and their families. We had a great time finding TONS of eggs and goodies, and then having a picnic lunch and playing at the park. My favorite part of the day however, was when we got home that afternoon. Everyone was so tired, that the entire family got to enjoy a nap. All at the same time. Ahhh...sweet sleep!

I love my sister

Awwww! Enough said.

Baby crazy

It's safe to say we're a little baby crazy around here lately. Everything seems to revolve around the littlest of people. So it wasn't too much of a stretch when Camryn wanted to play "babies" this afternoon. We spent over an hour dressing every single doll, doing their hair, and arranging them in the "pile." Of course we then had to photograph all of them. Can you tell that somebody is a bit proud of herself?

What do we do with all of these eggs?

This afternoon, while Daddy was coaching baseball, the girls and I dyed Easter eggs (Okay, so really only one girl and I. The other one was snoozing in her swing.) In any case, we came up with some fabulous creations. Now the question remains: What in the world are we going to do with all of these hardboiled eggs?

9 ounces!

Who knew that nine ounces could be such a big deal? We visited the doctor again today for Aubrey's weight check, and she's gained a whopping nine ounces in the last seven days! Hooray! Working that hard is enough to wear a girl out...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Camryn enjoyed her day of green with her friends at school. The kids wore their shamrock hats and found that leprechauns are quite mischievous and difficult to trap! There was some evidence of their visit behind in the traps. Maybe next year we'll get them!

Tiny dancer

We keep hearing from everyone...family, friends, strangers...just how tiny Aubrey is. At nearly three weeks old she weighed a mere 7 pounds; 3 ounces shy of her birth weight. We're headed back to the doctor this week to check her weight and make sure she's gaining well, but it's hard to figure out: Is she extraordinarily petite, or do I just not remember those first few weeks of Camryn's life well enough to recall her size? Was Aubrey's big sister ever this small?

I do admit, the first weeks, or even months of a new baby's life are kind of a blur. I remember being home when Camryn was tiny and thinking I had accomplished a great feat if I made the trek out to the mailbox. I'm kind of in that boat again. Without any "real" nights (more than 2 1/2 hours of sleep in a row), the days all run together. It sometimes feels like it's still the 21st of February (the day Aubrey was born) but that it's just lasting a really long time.

So...we thought we'd put Aubrey's size into perspective. The first photo is of her little bird legs and tiny feet peeking out of her sleeper (note the circumference of the pant legs in relation to the circumference of her ankles). The second shows the size of her tootsies compared to her mom and daddy's wedding rings. The third shows the length of her foot next to Daddy's hand. (Kind of creepy, isn't it?)

Someday we won't believe she was ever this small. But because we can't rely on our failing memories, at least we'll have proof!

Great Grandma's birthday

Happy 75th birthday to Great Grandma Carol! We helped celebrate on Sunday with the entire family. We hope her birthday wishes come true! (P.S. LOVE the tiara!) :)

Mimi & Papa

We were so lucky to have Brian's parents/the girls' Mimi and Papa, visit us this weekend. Camryn got a healthy dose of attention, following her Mimi around like a shadow, and Aubrey got to meet her grandparents for the first time. What fun!

Picture day

Today was our most ambitious day yet with both girls. Not only did we survive a doctor visit, but we also succeeded in getting Camryn's 3 year photos taken, taken well, and with no tears or bribery involved. Yay, us!

The focus of today's "photo shoot" was Camryn, but she wouldn't let us escape without at least one picture of her with her sister. Here are a few of the best shots. Enjoy!

Out of the mouth of our babe

So, we all know that kids say funny things. Camryn is no exception. The trick, we've found, is to try not to laugh when the comments are ill timed, (innocently) inappropriate, or a repeat of what she heard come from our mouths earlier.

Sometimes though, it's the most genuine of remarks that garner the most enthusiastic response. Today the whole family (!) took Aubrey to her two week appointment. Camryn watched intently as the nurse and doctor weighed, measured, and examined her sister. She listened as I answered an entire list of questions. How often is she eating? How long is she sleeping? How much is she pooping? In Camryn's mind, this intense scrutiny of her tiny sister must have been a little anxiety provoking. I could almost hear her asking herself, "Why do they need to know all this stuff?"

When the doctor was finished with the exam, she continued to hold Aubrey to try and soothe her as we made polite small talk. At that point, Camryn looked up at the doctor with her big, round eyes, and said to her, "Um. Can we have her back?"

Of course Brian, Dr. D., and myself all laughed out loud at that one. The doctor confirmed that she had "never been asked that before!" It was so innocent and heartfelt, and perfectly timed, that we couldn't help but be amused. I'm not sure that Camryn saw the humor in the situation though. She just looked at all of us like "Well?"

I think she was afraid we'd be leaving that office without her precious baby sister in hand. (We all know she's got a feisty personality and and hot temper, and I'm just not sure we would've gotten away with that, even if we had wanted to.) All this proud mama can say is...that's my girl! :)

Two weeks old!

I can hardly believe it! Aubrey is two weeks old today! It's all been such a blur... Just one extended feeding, sleeping, pooping cycle that seems never ending. She really is a good baby. She eats well, tolerates the noise in our household, and is a great sleeper (during the day, anyway).

Camryn absolutely adores her baby sister. She is such a good helper. She runs to get burp rags and binkies and blankets as needed. She loves to hold and hug her sister, and when Aubrey cries, Camryn instantly starts up with her own renditions of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," or "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," to help calm her down.

I think as we eventually pull ourselves out of the fog that is called sleep deprivation, and get into more of a routine, life will settle a bit. Perhaps I'll even be able to once again remember what day of the week it is. That would be nice. :)

All hail the elf princess

Alright, so I think I need to clear something up. Brian and I chose both of our daughter's names because we liked them. In our humble opinions, they are both pretty, unique, and came without the baggage of either of us having had a student in the past with those names (a difficult accomplishment for two teachers.) Plus, they're nearly the only ones we could agree on.

Their middle names have significance. History. Family ties. Camryn Elizabeth is named after her auntie Elizabeth. Aubrey Lynn is after myself and her Mimi, Denise Lynn.

Unlike some people, we did not take much stock in the "meaning" of their names. We thought more about the order of their initials, how their names might look and sound on a diploma, what nicknames could(n't) be made from them (remember, we both work in schools). But no, we didn't concern ourselves with their supposed origins.

So it was a surprise to me when an (un-named) family member came to me and said, "How could you name your daughter the elf princess?"

What???

Okay, yes, it's true. Aubrey supposedly means "elf princess." Perhaps even more disturbing, if you break out the baby name book, Camryn supposedly means "crooked nose." Cruel, I know. But she has such a cute, little ski jump nose. Surely we shouldn't worry too much about the "meanings" of these names, right? Right. Or so I thought. Until I took this photo.

Uh oh. What have we done?

Big girl fun

With the tad bit of jealousy and resentment that been aimed my way lately, we've been really trying to reinforce to Camryn the positives of being a big girl.

"Big girls get to eat ice cream!"
"Big girls get to have bathtime in the big tub!"
"Big girls get to ride facing forward in the car!"
"Big girls get to walk instead of ride in the stroller!"

Okay, so some of those things aren't THAT exciting, but anything we can think of, we use to our advantage. I fully admit it. Last weekend though, Camryn really did get to have a "big girl" kind of day. She got to go on a car ride with her Uncle Dan and Aunt Lacey, and attend a friend's birthday party, sans parents or sister. She got lots of attention, and had loads of fun. You can see it in her giant grin. :) Thanks, Dan and Lacey!

I've been a little busy...

Okay, okay. I realize that I've failed to keep up with posting many photos or updates, but come on now. I've been a little busy. Brian's been back at work this week, and Camryn's decided that three is apparently the age at which we no longer take naps. This also means that I have not been taking naps...and most of you know me well enough not to mess with me when I haven't had enough sleep. It isn't pretty. So here are lots of Camryn and Aubrey pictures and tidbits to tide you over until the next time I have five minutes to myself. It may be awhile...