September Highlights

Oh September. It seems like yesterday, but it's already been two and a half months since you came. 

Maybe, someday I'll blog about what's currently happening in our lives. Just maybe. 

Anna started smiling, and she hasn't stopped. She always gives the camera a big grin. 

We celebrated my birthday. David bought me a Kindle, and I love it. I'm starting to read again, because I can do it one handed. 

Grandma Stathis and Anna cuddling. 

Sarah and Anna chilling in the morning. 

Preschool orientation. David's holding the baby and taking the picture.

Leah looked so grown up, and she took it very seriously. 

Sarah started to enjoy playing whatever she wants however she wants on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning while Leah is at preschool and Anna naps. 

We laugh a lot together which is so fun. Sarah also hates when I take pictures and reminds me often to put my phone away when we are together. 

A friend called one Saturday morning and said they had a few toys they wanted to drop off. The girls were in heaven as they watched them unload a kitchen, vanities, playhouses. 

Leah got right to work. 

Cute girls the first day of preschool 

Sisters.

Preschool carpool buddies! I love filling our van up with kids. 

Sarah reading to Anna. Adorable. 

Dress ups in my old ballet costumes. Leah is the green musketeer from a Barbie movie. 

Daddy daughter pic. 

Anna

Mommy daughter pic.

Dress up again. 

Games. Sarah is hilarious playing this game, and Leah is really good at it. 

Leah

Leah or "L" (Aunt Lisa calls her this) or Eah or Leah Lou

Leah is almost five, and she is a very independent girl who knows what she wants. 

She started preschool this year at Bethel Lutheran Church. She has a lot of friends that go there so it's been nice for her to be around some familiar faces. It also helps to have people to carpool. At least two days a week, we have extra friends that come over to eat lunch and play with the girls. 

She loves learning and looks forward to her classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. I wasn't super excited about preschool when we started thinking about it last year. Now, I'm glad we did it, because I see how much she loves it, and it's nice to have something for her to do.  

Leah is super stylish. 

She picks out her own clothes every morning -- and she usually changes them two to three times a day. I'm usually surprised at what she puts together. 

Her outfits are usually creative. She mixes colors and patterns and rolls up leggings, ties shirts, uses belts in creative ways. Sometimes she wants to cut up clothes or gloves or scarves to change them -- I haven't given in to that yet. 

Once she begged for some adult socks that were left over from the young women gifts. I told her over and over that they wouldn't fit her. She insisted. I gave in. As soon as we got home, she cut the foot part off and made them into adorable leggings. 

See Mom. They fit. Of course they do. 

She loves shoes, and she has about six pairs (thanks Aunt Lisa and the JCrew warehouse sale). She still wants more. Girly ones with heals and glitter and flashing lights. She's claimed three pairs of mine that I don't wear much when she gets old enough to wear them. 

Leah loves her sisters. She watches out for Sarah. She loves on Anna and loves to hold her and make her laugh and be around her when she's awake. 

Leah likes her space. She doesn't love to cuddle or hug or give kisses. Every once and a while, she'll put her arm around you or sit extra close to you on the couch. 

Unless you are Anna, then she kisses you nonstop all day long.  

She loves her family, and she loves being home. 

She has lots of friends and people like to be around her. 

At the mall food court once a girl came up to us and said to Leah, "Hey! I saw you leaving the play area, and I wanted to play with you. Can I eat lunch with you?" It's nice that so many kids come up and want to play with her, because she isn't one to go up to others. 

She is courteous and kind and attentive and very, very cautious. 

She is smart and inquisitive and obedient. 

Two Month Stats

Height: 24 inches, 54th percentile
Weight 11 pounds, 2 ounces, 8th percentile

Anna Lyn

or Anna Banana Bo Banna

Does anyone else take a series of pictures and have a hard time deleting them?

I love these pictures of Anna, because they capture her personality at this moment in her life. 

She smiles a lot and giggles and generally is really happy.

Anna is so slobbery! She is always blowing raspberries and drooling. She's the first of my babies to have a wet shirt by the middle of the day from her slobber!

She loves to stand and jump. 

We got the jumperoo out a couple of weeks ago, and she stands in it while we eat dinner. It will keep her happy for quite a while. 

She is really strong. She holds her neck up like a baby twice her age and can almost sit up on her own. 

She sucks her fingers and chews on toys like Flounder the Fish, her Duckie, Elephant, and teething keys.

She doesn't really like a binkie, but will suck on it for a little bit before she starts chewing it. 

She doesn't like riding in the car when she should be sleeping. It's about the only time she cries. 

She likes to nap in her room. 

She has a good routine, and she is always asleep sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 depending on her naps that day. She'll sleep until 11. After that feeding, she's been waking up every two hours or so for the last couple of weeks, and that's been exhausting. I'm hoping it's a growth spurt, and she will grow out of it soon. 

When you smile at her, she can't help but give you a smile so big back that it forces her to look away. It's adorable and just melts your heart. 

She seems to talk the most to David when he gets home from work just chatting away about her day. 

She loves her sisters, and they love her so much.