Almost a whole year...

Happy 11 months Maya and Ella -- you're growing up so fast!

Baybay & Baybee: Week 46 (6/20-6/26)

46 weeks old!

As the above photo clearly shows, sometimes life is just exhausting! As the week started out, Mama and Papa left for home. We really had a nice time with them. Besides our busy weekend away at the festival, we enjoyed eating meals together (both at home and out) and spending time playing with the babies. During their visit, (thanks to her Grandma for showing her how) Maya learned how to wave! Ella soon picked it up, too. I haven't gotten a video yet, but let me assure you, it's really cute.

Maya playing outside with Grandma Sherry.

Before Mama and Papa left for the airport on Wednesday, we all cooled off in the river by our house. Thanks to Mama for taking pictures while the rest of us were swimming!

Papa and me with the babies.

Getting warm in Grandpa's arms.

"But I wasn't done swimming!" says Maya.

Our night time sleep has been getting worse over the past few weeks, and these were some of the roughest few nights in a while. I don't know if it was all the new teeth the girls have coming in, our weekend away, so much company, or just a combination of everything that has been going on, but they were back to waking up every two hours. To make things worse, they don't sleep the same two hour stretches during the night, so we're up just about every hour. When they wake up, the only thing that seems to help them calm down and get back to sleep is nursing. Brett has had success sometimes with rocking or walking around until whoever is up falls asleep, but that is exhausting and I can't seem to sleep while he's up with them, so it has been very frustrating. We're not sure what exactly to do. Toward the end of the week, I got another Pack n' Play and we might try having the girls sleep in those. We need to do something different, because this every-two-hour thing isn't working for any of us.

Ella, asleep in our bed in the early morning.

Maya, wide awake: "Mama, why is she still sleeping? Please let me wake her up so we can play!"

Despite our tired and cranky state, we did do some fun things. We finally tried out the bike trailer again and this time it was a success! A tandem ride, with babies in tow, to Look Park on Sunday (for a picnic with the Spring/Summer 2011 babies group we're part of) was a huge highlight of the week. Also, black raspberries are ripe! It's hard to feel down while picking and eating fruit from your own back yard.

Almost ready to go! Ella just needs her helmet. She was busy eating black raspberries while Maya was getting her helmet on.

How we roll! The helmets seem to make the girls heads slump over a bit, but they didn't mind too much. They fell asleep on the way there and on the ride home.

A group shot of parents and babies. This wasn't everyone -- just the folks who showed up in time for the photo. What a great group of people!

Enjoying some watermelon.

Eating and playing in the dirt -- sometimes it's hard to remember what is food and what is dirt.

A quick rinse off in the splash park before we bike home.

It was also very hot this week. We cooled off in the river a few times before bed and the babies are loving the, "BIG splash-splash-splash", as compared with the bath ("splash-splash-splash"). Both girls get excited now when we arrive a the swimming area and they want to jump in the water before I'm ready to get fully wet.

On Friday, Maya very clearly crawled over to me and said, "Mama!". It has only happened that one time so far, but I will remember it forever. Language (along with standing and cruising, which both girls are becoming very skilled at) is a big thing going on for Maya and Ella right now. They are playing with sounds more and more and watching us when we talk. The other night, while transferring a sleeping Ella from the Ergo to her bed, she opened her eyes for a split second, uttered a very clear, "Up!" and fell promptly back to sleep.

Growing up so fast!

Bubbles!

Kathy came over on Friday and brought this tub for the girls to splash around in. I love watching Maya and Ella play with their grandparents.

New skills.

Ella has been practicing and she can stand up all by herself now! She is so happy about it. I love how proud she is.

Baybay & Baybee: Week 45 (6/13-6/19)

45 weeks old!

This was a whirlwind week, full of exhausting and fun-filled days. My parents came up from Florida to visit and we all went to the Clearwater Hudson River Revival festival over the weekend.

Before Mama and Papa arrived on Wednesday, Selena went with me to the last HooteNanny. We hope to do this again next time it is offered -- we all enjoyed it so much!

Eating lunch with Grandma and Grandpa!

We left for Clearwater on Friday afternoon. The drive took a long time because of traffic on the highway, which was especially heavy due to the holiday weekend. We caravanned with Guy who was also coming. Once we arrived, finding a place to set up camp was an ordeal, but we finally found a spot that we thought was good. We set up the tents while my parents went to dinner and brought us back food.

Maya, asleep on the way to the Clearwater Festival.

Ella, also asleep.

The girls LOVED the tents, and had a great time crawling around inside the huge tent we borrowed from Jim for the weekend. They just kept laughing and playing happily, and that was nice to see considering how tired Brett and I were already. We would be much more tired before the weekend was over.

The sleeping arrangements in the tent weren't ideal for us, and the girls both had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. I was worried about waking other people in the camping area up, so I tried quiet the babies as quickly as possible when they woke and cried. This meant a lot of nursing and moving around to try to get comfortable for all of us. The girls ended up taking up most of the room in the middle of our sleeping area and the mats slid around and I ended up on the ground. It pretty much sucked (pun intended) all night long, and by morning I was exhausted. Both mornings (can you really call 5 a.m. morning?) Brett was kind enough to take Maya and Ella for a walk in the stroller while I tried to get another hour or two of rest.

The festival itself was fun! Brett and I enjoyed teaching people how to juggle, and though we really didn't get a chance to sit and watch any music, we could hear many artists and songs that we enjoyed from the juggling area. I think one of my favorite moments of the weekend was dancing a waltz with Brett while Jay Ungar and Molly Mason played in the dance tent. We each had a baby in an Ergo on our back and many pictures were taken of us on the dance floor (though the only one I have is in my mind). It felt magical to be dancing with the three people in my life who I treasure the most. It was also a special moment for Brett in celebration of his first Father's Day.

Napping in the stroller while Brett and I teach juggling.

Future ring juggler?

Maya, practicing her juggling skills.

Maybe rings are easier to start out with.

Ella sleeps in the Ergo while Brett passes clubs.

We had a hard time finding good food to eat from what was offered at the festival. I ended up buying some food from the venders on the second day, but even that wasn't great. Next year I think we'll bring a lot more of our own food. Maya enjoyed this nectarine for breakfast, though!

She pretty much devoured it.

Pacifier in mouth + pacifier in hand + ride in the backpack = sleep for Ella.

This is Aviva. She is 10 years old and came to the juggling area to learn to juggle, but ended up spending lots of time with Maya and Ella instead! She has a way with babies and Maya and Ella adored her. It was fascinating to watch my babies (who are in a very shy phase right now and wouldn't even let their grandparents or Guy hold them most of the weekend) happily hang out in Aviva's arms while I wasn't even right nearby. We wish she lived here so she could come babysit!

Back home, after the festival, one of the lilies in my garden had opened!

All tuckered out.

Kisses.

Baybay & Baybee: Week 44 (6/6-6/12)

44 weeks old!

Timmy was here visiting for the first few days of this week! It was so nice to spend time with him and to watch Maya and Ella get to know their uncle. We had a fun few days and I hope Timmy is able to come visit again soon!

It took a couple days for the girls to warm up to Timmy. They have been shy around people they don't know recently.

Aunt Anne came for a nice visit while Timmy was here. I hope that we can make it down to the Cape sometime this summer to visit Aunt Anne and hopefully see Uncle Harold and Aunt Heidi!

All of us eating lunch together. Ella and I are hiding in the back.

Unfortunately, the girls were pretty cranky all week. They are both getting their top four teeth all at once! I'm sure that is making them feel uncomfortable, plus, they are both (especially Maya) going through a really shy and clingy-to-their-parents phase. They have been sleeping terribly and just aren't their happy, content selves. It's too bad that Timmy had to see them when they were so clingy and fussy.

Timmy's iPhone was fascinating.

On Wednesday, we went to our second to last HooteNanny!

Maya was surprisingly social! She crawled over and sat with some other kids for a few songs.

Ella and Zachary play on the drum together.

Maya LOVES to eat black beans. They are probably her favorite food right now. Here are some pictures of her devouring them:

She eats beans one at a time. But quickly.

Yum!

Taking a break to smile for the camera.

It felt good to accomplish a little bit of yard work this week. The back yard is looking great these days, while the front garden could use a good weeding. My Black-Eyed Susans will be opening soon and morning glory plants are coming up from seeds that were left from last year.

Hey, let us out! We were having fun helping in the garden! (And by "help" we mean trying to eat wood chips and dirt.)

The first bloom opened on my rain lily!

Maya and Brett turn the compost pile.

About to get wet. Swimming, for the second time with the babies in the river by our house. They enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than the first time!