5 Months Old

I have graduated to my very own seat at the table. If I don't get fed along with everyone else, I yell! And if the food isn't spooned into my open mouth fast enough, I yell some more!

I am 5 months old now! I can roll over but I don't do it very often. I can almost sit up, and that comes in handy because I love to eat! I am very vocal, I coo and talk and laugh and squeal but I also yell when I want some attention. If the yelling doesn't work then I cry. Mommy calls me her sugar bear and my big sister Emma only wants people to call me Libby or Libby Loo. I have just switched from taking a few short naps a day to taking one short in the morning and one long one in the afternoon. I still get up at night but sometimes I don't need a bottle, just my pacifier. I really like to watch Shelby and Dot, and I love to be outdoors. My hair is growing back in and it is still red - mommy seems very happy with it! I love to take baths and splash everyone with my kicking legs. My eyes are dark blue and some days they look kind of hazel. Mommy says watching me change everyday is one of the best things in life - even though she tells me to slow down and to stop growing sometimes! I guess she just loves me so much the way that I am.

Tball, week 3

Daddy and Emma run to first base:

Pep talk from daddy before hitting the ball.

Dedication Sunday

Today was a very busy day. We all piled in the van, along with our bags and dishes of food, and we were actually early for church today. We participated in a dedication service for children, and our children were actually the well behaved ones. Because things went so smoothly during the service, the rest of the day was not quite as smooth. After church we all gathered at Amy’s house for lunch, where something in her oven caught on fire and two plates of food were spilled. When we arrived home, we discovered that Libby had messed up her diaper, diaper cover, slip, dress, and car seat. We rushed around cleaning and washing and changing and hurried back to the car to head to the next function – a birthday party that we were already late for.

During all the cleaning, the back hatch of the minivan was left open, so the battery was dead. Chucky tried to jump start us with the lawn mower, which did not work. After several attempts we finally got charged up by the truck and were off to the party – where our luck turned around. Emma was not overwhelmed by all the people (lots of people and kids and newborn babies – 6 or 7!), she even took turns on the swings and slide and climbing wall and even did it by herself, without me hovering over her, as she usually insists. I sat in a chair with Libby and talked to a friend, watching Emma have a great time. She even sat and ate cake and ice cream by herself. She is a needy 3 year old, as 3 year olds go. But not today – today she was happy and taking care of herself (except the potty of course). It was actually the most relaxing moment I’ve had in several days. When we got home, things got crazy again but the best thing of all is that today, Emma was good. I had almost forgotten how sweet and kind and nice and good she can be. She has been bad lately. There, I said it. It’s hard to say your child is bad. I know it’s a phase and she needs more sleep and Libby takes a lot of her mommy’s time – but today, today she melted me. I love our family. Two sweet girls. I could not ask for more.

Our family, outside after the church service.


Cousins Mason and Libby.

Tball game #2

The wind blew so much today, the kids couldn't keep their hats on! I was thankful for my "coaches hat" as it kept my hair out of my face. Hair touching me drives me crazy. I am very close to cutting it off again. Anyway, back to tball. . . Emma did much better this week. She hit the ball all by herself and didn't insist that I hold her if she wasn't running the bases. I can't wait for Chucky to see her play next Saturday.

These pictures need no explanation

... except to tell you that Libby is not naked, she's just chubby, so you can't see her diaper. This is how we feed her!

Two Websites I Found Today

www.howmanyofme.com and

http://www.sfpg.com/animation/litebrite.html - to play litebrite online - I think Emma will like this

Play ball!

It's time for Bam-bam Tball again! This year the Southside Sentinel sponsored a team, so Emma and several of her friends are "Southside Sentinel Headliners"! My friend Sharon and I are the coaches, but at this age all the coaches have to do is wear the tshirt and organize who is bringing snacks and drinks for the next game. Although Sharon did break up one little wrestling match over the ball today! We had a big crowd in our bleachers today (not pictured). Lots of grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, etc! Plenty of people to keep on eye on Libby, who stayed happy in the shaded stroller the entire time. Here is Emma running to first base:

Blue lights and love notes

This morning on the way to my doctor's appointment in Goucester, I was driving down route 17 in Gloucester, chatting away on my cell phone when I ended up driving behind a state trooper. Oh la-di-da I keep talking and driving on the down the road. Pretty soon, he pulls over to the side of the road, then promptly pulls out behind me and turns on his blue lights. I'm getting pulled over, I tell my friend and I hang up the phone. I look at my stickers - nope, they are not expired. What is wrong, I wonder? I fish around for the registration (never taking off my seatbelt of course), so I have that ready by the time he reaches my window. "Registration and license, please." OK ok so long story short, I am an idiot. There you go. I got a ticket for "following too close." That's right, I was tailing a state trooper. My husand asked me "was it marked?" Yes, honey that's how stupid I am! I tailed a marked state trooper and got a ticket for it! I was just in my own little world talking on my cell phone. Damn. Well I thought it was all pretty funny since I am a good driver and have only gotten one other ticket for speeding, and that was almost 10 years ago. My mother did not find it quite as funny - her facial expression was one she usually gives my brother!

I made my way in to the doctor's office, where she had a student trailing along, so there were two people, not just one, peering at me during my exam. THEN since I am now 30, she tells me I need a baseline mammogram, given my family history. Ok so now I'm OLD and can't drive. The day is not getting off to a great start but I am in a good mood and determined to continue on to Newport News for some shopping. (Emma needs fall clothes, I need shoes and Libby needs a new car seat. Chucky called this "playing" before I left the house. It wouldn't be called playing if I made him come along)

Shopping goes along uneventfully, thank goodness. I even have a bonus and manage to meet Kristyn and baby Aubrey for lunch. YAY! Aubrey is a very happy baby and her mother knows it and appreciates it. She was an angel of a baby and sat through an hour long meal in her high chair with no problem. Once, she bounced in her seat a little and made a slightly unhappy face and Kristyn said, "I've never seen her act antsy before!" OK that just makes me want to leave Emma with her for an hour!

When I arrived home, I found what Chucky and I call "a love note from the bank" in the mail with my name on it! They usually come for Chucky! I had non-sufficient funds because I used my debit card and forgot to write it down in my checkbook. This is a very big deal! If you know me at all, you know my checkbook must balance to the penny or I don't sleep! And they charged me $30! $30 down the drain, gone. Damn.

The day started with a ticket and ended with a bad love note, but I shopped and lunched with a friend. It was a great day!

Ellie

Libby's newest friend was born last week! Welcome to the world Ellie Grace Franklin. She was born Monday, August 27 and weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces! Congratulations to big sister Ashtyn and mom and dad Leslie and Blake.

Quotes from Emma

Mommy, your feet are like pickers! (after I picked up a ball with my feet)

I'm a good drooler! (while dribbling a basketball)

Whoa - lots of poop . . . melting! (looking in the potty before she wiped)

Well I don't know which one I'm going to or where I'm going or both or what and I just don't know! (after I tried to explain that she would be at preschool in the morning and with Ghee in the afternoon)

It's not like that, mom! (all the time)

Well I don't want to. (all the time)

Emma put on her Dora backpack, so I said, "Where are you going today, Emma?" She replied, "ginia and stralia!" That means Virginia and Australia! I have no idea where she has heard about Australia. A few days ago, she imagined she was stuck in the mud. She told me she was stuck in the "Deltaville mud!"