Just Silly

Daddy's Day

Hope you had a chillaxin day!

Homerun!

This spring Jonah completed his final season of little league baseball. Little league continues only to the age of 12, after which the players move on to the Babe Ruth League- here in Lexington since the middle schools do not have baseball.

The league awards all the 12 year olds a Louisville Slugger bat with his or her name engraved on it.

Jonah was awarded a trophy for "Best Sportsmanship." Yay Jonah!

Jonah and the girls pose outside of the Lexington Legends baseball field on Western Little League night. We all had a great time!

Lil' Miss Diva Goes to Ballet Class

Caroline was just as excited to start taking ballet as she has been for her birthday or Christmas. She was also thrilled to see that her friend Beatriz from preschool would be attending the class.

Let the Negotiations Begin!

Grad Night

I think most daycares move kids up to the next level when each child turns a year older. At least that's how Jonah's did it. The girls' school does it a little differently however. They keep all the kids together throughout the year and move them up at the same time the first of summer. And then every May they have a graduation ceremony in which all the kids participate.

Everyone gets dressed up....

Kate's class....

(Oops! Somehow I recorded this sideways!)

Caroline's class...

The K-4 kids all wore caps and gowns to receive their diplomas while a slide show of the kids' baby photos was played. It was very cute and I even got a little teary eyed to which David said, "They're not even your kids!" No, but it was a painful reminder of just how quickly they grow up. Caroline will already "graduate" next year, and I know from Jonah that time goes by even faster once they start elementary school. I am so grateful the girls are able to go to such a caring preschool!

Katie Quote

David: Kate. You are as cute as a button.
Kate: I not a button!

That Little...

Looks like someone in our house has been secretly getting a hold of my camera and recording video footage.

Jonah studying...



Dinner time maybe? Funny coincidence that you can just barely hear David and I debating which of us got less sleep the night before. A conversation we have a lot more than I would like.




The culprit's little feet...

Word-Full Wednesday

I came across this poem at my Granddad's house around the time Jonah was a baby. The title is Big Brother but I think it could easily be Mommy and Daddy. As a parent I have always found it inspiring and I hope you all do too.

Big Brother

Author: Unknown

My little eyes
are watching
All you say and do
And when I grow up
big and tall
I want to be like you.

My little ears
are listening
To everything you say
I am learning how
to grow up
To be like you
someday.

So be careful how
you teach me
To be the person
that you are.
You’re a knight in
shining armor
You’re my brightest
shining star.

Caroline Quote

David: Do you want to play an instrument like Bubby when you get big?
Caroline: Yes.
David: What instrument do you want to play?
Caroline: The microphone.

Animal Lover

I've begun to realize that Kate is becoming my little animal lover. Well don't get me wrong. Jonah and Caroline absolutely love animals too. Kate however seems to be a little more passionate about it.

On our trip to Keeneland I took this picture of the girls watching a horse just on the other side of the fence. I didn't get it on video, but Kate then threw her hands up to the air and began to desperately cry, "I want to touch it! I want to touch it!" I think a trip to the horse park this summer is in order.Then just this past week David discovered a bird's nest in the bushes that run along our back yard. Just a few feet from the ground, where the girls could see them easily, were four baby birds. We kept our distance while the momma bird repeatedly flew in to check on and feed her babes. However whenever the momma bird would leave the nest, Kate would have this reaction...



I think it's very sweet. I wonder if she's going to become one of those kids that regularly brings home stray animals. Uh oh.

Rain! Rain! Go Away!

Handy Dandy

Oh did I fail to mention that David whipped up this playhouse for the girls? Well he did. Good job Dad!

Show!

This week the girls' classes have been having all sorts of horse racing activities to celebrate the upcoming Louisville Derby. In particular Kate's class has been having some pretty serious foot races. Everyday the teacher would tell me how Kate would get totally into the races but only be able to finish fifth at best. Pretty good considering Kate is the very youngest and smallest in her class. Yesterday they had the final competition. The racing grand finale! The Derby! And Kate with all her might performed her personal best and finished THIRD!!! Winning a third place ribbon!!!!! I think Kate may very well have inherited her father's ferocious competitive streak.

Wordless Wednesday

Lexington Tradition

Keeneland. Like everyone else who has been, we love it. And since it's only open two months a year, April and October, you have to go when you get the chance. And yesterday we got the chance. We decided to take the girls, who also loved it. Although taking small children is a somewhat different experience than when we used to skip class in college and go. (Oh wait I never skipped class!) Kate in particular loved the horses, crying out in desperation at one point, "I want to touch it! I want to touch it!" So if you haven't been to Keeneland, GO!

Here they come!And there they go....

See you in the fall!

Say What?!

Four Years Today

Since I went two weeks overdue with my first, my #1 question to my new ob-gyn's office in KY was "How long will you let me go before you induce?" "Oh we never let anyone go over 41 weeks," the nurse replied. Sounded good to me. I was still hopeful that I would this time, with my second, go into labor naturally. Especially since I started feeling contractions around 20 weeks. I even went to my doctor's office at one point to make sure I wasn't experiencing preterm labor. With Jonah I never experienced a contraction until I was induced, just some Braxton Hicks tightening. My due date of April 3 came however with no delivery, and I was scheduled for induction on April 10.

On the evening of April 6, I grew very excited as my contractions grew stronger and more regular. I didn't want to say anything to David until I was sure, so he went to bed while I timed my contractions. Around midnight, the contractions increased to 5-7 minutes apart. It was time I decided. I woke up David. Called the doctor's office. Called my mother-in-law Paula to come on in from Radcliff. Called our friend Phil to sit with Jonah until Paula arrived. Grabbed our packed and ready suitcase and headed to the hospital where they checked me in without delay. And then the contractions just stopped.

My nurse told me I had two choices. Go home, or wait until morning when my ob-gyn could order an induction. Since I was already past my due date, we were already at the hospital, and Paula had come to help with Jonah, David and I decided to go ahead with an induction. Around 10am they started the pitocin. At about 12pm the doctor broke my water, after which the doctor and David watched the announcement of the new UK head coach Billy Gillespie. Sometime between 2:30 and 3, I told the nurse I couldn't take the pain any more and wanted an epidural. Even though I managed to not have one with Jonah, it seemed more painful this time. She checked my cervix and stated, "Well you're only 4cms dilated." I said I didn't care and wanted the epidural. NOW!

What happened in the next 30mins to an hour was just crazy. What seemed like very little time after the nurse left to order the epidural, I remember asking David why did I feel like I needed to push if I was only 4cms. Then I remember screaming and David yelling in the hall for our nurse, any nurse to come and help. A nurse aide came. She looked down to check my progress, saw the baby crowning, and started screaming for my doctor. The delivery room suddenly came alive with medical personnel running around franticly trying to get everything ready. With one foot in a stirrup and one leg hanging off the edge of the table, the baby came. Quickly. I remember someone yelling to the anesthesiologist coming down the hall, "Nevermind too late!" The doctor actually joked that it was a good thing I was induced or I would have given birth on Nicholasville Road. Funny. My nurse just kept repeating, "I just checked her. She was only 4 cms!"

Regardless of the chaotic and painful delivery, everything was better when they put my little Caroline Mae in my arms, so small at 7lb 2oz and 19ins. She was born on Good Friday, and it was truly good. They took me to my room from the delivery room and was immediately amazed to see snow falling from my window. One of those beautiful, peaceful snowfalls. Two days later we took Caroline home to join our family on Easter Sunday morning. The best and most memorable Easter of my life.
Happy Birthday Caroline! I love you so much!

Early Celebration

In lieu of a birthday party this year, I took Caroline and Kate along with my very best friend, Kellie, and her two girls, Sofia and Amelia, to the Disney Princesses on Ice show Saturday. (That's when the girls destroyed the house btw when I was trying to get us all ready to go.) If you didn't know already, little girls LOVE princesses. Just as I was amazed how Jonah innately loved sports, cars, and guns. The girls love babies, the colors pink and purple, and princesses. Even before they can talk, it's weird. Anyway Caroline was thrilled to attend for an early birthday extravaganza.

Before the show.

I can NEVER get them to look at the camera at the same time.

That's all the photos that I managed to get at the show. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to manage two hyped up toddlers, our coats, my purse/diaper bag, and souvenirs? Forget pictures.

After the show, David and Jonah (no they didn't care to see the princesses) met us at our favorite pizza place, Mellow Mushroom, for dinner and birthday cake. Barbie kinda got tilted in the box but Caroline still loved it.

Our fam and Sofia.

Here's Kellie! Trying to help me get some pics.

And Amelia! Ain't she cute? She and Kate were born one week apart.

I think Caroline had a very nice 4th birthday celebration. Even if a week and a half early.
Amber! What's your rate for following around a mom who has her hands full and take photos?

Final Four Baby!!!!

In honor of our glorious UK basketball team, the Zoo Crew will repost our celebrated UK flag changing ceremony...



Dedicated to Dave.