Springtime Goodbyes

We are now living in an empty house. We packed up everything except a few essentials for the week, and the pod left today. If you're in Atlanta, give us a call. Armed with our Georgia Aquarium passes and our swimsuits, we are ready to enjoy our last week here.

My computer is packed and gone, but I did upload some pictures so I can post via Michael's laptop this week. I'm still trying to finish up our photographic documentation of May.

Decatur Concerts on the Square
The girls and I enjoyed picnic lunches around the gazebo in downtown Decatur on Wednesday afternoons.

Sisters enjoy listening to music and being outdoors


Silly Bella would rather eat wood chips than applesauce

Atlanta Braves Baseball
Cheering on the Braves at Turner Field is a wonderful family outing. Daddy follows the team closely throughout the season. This Spring, we've been enjoying our chance to watch live baseball.

Bella likes being outside and people-watching


Mom and the girls enjoy family time and getting out of the house
(and maybe some ballpark treats)


Gabi likes the Tomahawk Chop and individualized parental attention

Going-Away Moms' Night for Amie and Melissa
The playgroup moms threw a party for Amie and me since we are both moving away from Atlanta. These friends have been absolutely amazing, and I will truly miss each one of them.

Amie and Melissa celebrating our wonderful friends here in Atlanta


Is this quilt for me, or do I have to give it to Gabi?


Our quilts with all the playgroup kids' names and handprints (or footprints)


Kristin, Leslie Jo, Maura, Debbie, Marti, Kristen, Barbara, Lisa
Rebecca, Melissa, and Amie

Peek-a-Boo!
And some more pictures of Bella's game of peek-a-boo because she is so cute when she hides and smiles, and then when she peeks and laughs. :)



Where's Bella? Peek-a-boo!

Braves Baseball for Daddy's Birthday

Daddy was working night shift his entire birthday week, so we celebrated a week late. We took the girls to a Braves game, and Gabi and Daddy did the Tomahawk Chop together.


Annabelle and Daddy outside Turner Field


Annabelle chants the Tomahawk Chop "Aaaah-ah Ah-ah-ah..."


Gabi really does enjoy the Braves games
(just not turning around to take a picture)


Annabelle enjoys being outside and watching all the people


Girls running the bases in the kids' area


Daddy chasing Gabi to first base


After the game -- Braves won!

Annabelle likes to find herself in mirrors almost as much as she enjoys playing with her toes. She also is at the stage where she puts everything in her mouth.


Mirror kisses?

Annabelle really wants to stand up and walk. If she's sitting, she'll pull up and try to let go. If you try to put her down, she locks her legs straight so that you are just holding her in standing position instead of sitting. The day she turned eight months was the first time I saw her pull up in her crib (but not the first time she pulled-up -- she's been using me as a crutch before). We've had to lower her crib mattress for safety.


Bella's first "pull-up" in the crib
(she just sat back down before I got the camera)

One thing Bella doesn't do yet is babble. She coos (vowel sounds: "aaah" and "oooh"), and she does make one consonant ("mmmm"), but she doesn't yet put them together to make babbling sounds ("baba" or "dada"). Maybe that's because Big Sister is always talking for her, so she doesn't need speech. Maybe it's because she has had so much fluid in her ears. We'll have to ask Dr. Tim about it at her nine-month check-up next week. She's probably fine, but you know us Mommies have to make sure. Bella does communicate with lots of arm flapping, though; sometimes I almost expect she'll lift herself off the ground and fly.


Gabi loves her butterfly room

I'll probably paint Gabi's new room a lighter lavender and then paint some butterflies on unframed canvas to hang on the wall rather than painting a border again. I think it will look more modern and also make the house easier to sell. (No, I will NOT paint over my butterfly border in this house just because we are selling it!) I hope she likes her new room as much as she likes her room here.


Happy birthday, Daddy!

Braves, Bubbles, y Bailando

Gabi and Annabelle with Lola when she came to visit the first of September
Although Grampa did fly to Atlanta to see Annabelle the day she was born, he had to return to Texas to work until the baptism. While Gramma Jane was staying with us, Grampa had to make do without his wife as well as forego leisure time with his granddaughters. We were very happy to welcome Grampa back for Annabelle's baptismal weekend.


Grampa and Gabi reading her "puppy book" -- which comes with a puppy puppet with a magnetic nose to answer questions on each page
Although Lola came to visit when Annabelle was one week old, the weekend of her baptism was the first time that Lolo met our little Squeaker.


Lola watches Lolo meeting Annabelle for the first time


Lolo and Annabelle sleeping on the couch
Braves Baseball
Our little family took Grampa and Gramma Jane to a Braves game on Friday night. We always go on Friday nights because Gabi loves the fireworks afterwards. Fortunately, Annabelle did not seem too alarmed by the booming noise.


Gabi, Grampa, and me at the Braves game


Grampa, Daddy, and Gabriella do the Tomahawk Chop


Our girls with their grandparents


Gabi likes to get cotton candy at the ball game


Annabelle is a good sport at this noisy event
(I love this little "oooh" face she makes when she's happy and alert!)


Grampa and the two sisters


Gabi giving Annabelle a kiss


The crew at the ballpark


Lay, Daddy's co-worker, watched the game with us
Kindermusik
Tita Chrissie was invited to join Daddy and Gabi at the weekly Kindermusik class. Music class is Gabi's very favorite activity, and she now attends a class within walking distance of our house. This class is on Saturday mornings, so Daddy has been able to take her and participate this semester.


Gabi selecting a percussive instrument


Gabi rocking to the music on Daddy's back
Bubbles!
Gabi's Ninong and Ninang, along with Cousin Steven, also came to Atlanta for Annabelle's baptism. We were so happy to see them again and introduce them to our little one.


Gabi's Ninong holding Annabelle


Ninang and Ninong admire Annabelle


Cousin Steven checks out the baby, too
Gabi and Cousin Steven love bubbles! The weather was nice, so they entertained us on the patio with bubbles before Annabelle's baptism.


Gabi trying to blow bubbles


Ninang shows Gabi all the bubbles that Tita and Cousin Steven are making
Godparents
Annabelle's godparents travelled all the way from Denver with their six-month-old son just for the baptism! We were lucky to see them again, after having met up in Dallas just six weeks prior for Uncle Stephen's wedding. They enjoyed meeting Annabelle for the first time, even if we had to quarantine them from holding her.


Cousin Joseph with his dad and Annabelle's godfather, Patrick


Annabelle's godmother, Ashley, gets to hold her briefly


Cousin Joseph is wiped out
after we stay up so late visiting with Ashley and Patrick
Dancing
One of the many privileges of having all these visitors, as far as Gabi is concerned, is the fact that she has so many dance partners! Since only one person can hold Annabelle at a time, Gabi recruited everyone else to join her in song and dance.


Lola holding bella Annabelle.


Gabi singing to Grampa (and anyone else who will listen)


Tita takes a turn with Annabelle


Gabi rocking Annabelle in her carseat


Tita hugging Gabriella


Gabi dancing


Tito and Tita dancing with Gabi


Gabi asking Grampa to dance, too


Lolo, Tita, and Gabi dance like ducks in a row


Grampa resting on the couch with Annabelle
(This seems to be a favorite passtime of everyone!)
And that concludes Gramma Jane's four-week visit. Gramma Jane had volunteered to come whenever we wanted her to help watch Gabi and cook dinner for us. When we went to the hospital two weeks early and asked her to come keep Gabi for us during Annabelle's birth and stay through Annabelle's baptism (so she'd be here during Michael's interview trip as well), she warned us that a month would be a long time for her to stay in our house. We insisted that she would be welcome and even needed. Mommy was in great need of a break from our garrulous and energetic toddler. (Ah, parenthood; a wonderful job, but it doesn't allow any vacations.) However, we didn't count on Gabi specifically requiring Mommy's attention. Gramma Jane also assigned herself outdoor gardening tasks, which was greatly appreciated, as I didn't do any weeding in the triple-digit temperatures while I was 8- and 9-months pregnant. That, combined with Michael's mulch-laying, made the outside of the house much more presentable for our guests for Annabelle's baptism.

Now that help in the form of grandparents has expired, my playgroup friends are kicking in to make the adjustment to "new" motherhood easier. Every other night, someone brings us a meal, which is absolutely fabulous! Not only does that limit our trips to the grocery store and keep me out of a hot kitchen, but it greatly reduces clean-up time. We have been very fortunate to have such extensive help from family despite their living far away, but we are also excited to have our house back now.