Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!

Today was another hot one. Addie has been telling us every time we get in the car, "its hot in here, Mommy, Daddy are you hot?". Tonight when I put her into bed she said "Addison's hot, Mommy". We are just not prepared for hot weather, and it gets quite hot in our upstairs bedrooms.

We are enjoying the heat, despite the toasty sleeping arrangements. The kids and I did another water park trip today, and then spent the afternoon in the paddling pool with iced coffee and popsicles.

Addison continues to be very attentive to her best buddy, Finn. When I brought him down this morning she said, "Addison wants to see Tubbers, Mommy" and she has been by his side during all his awake hours today. I love to watch them interact more as he is so sociable now. Nobody can make Finn laugh like Addison. I love it!

Sunscreen

Popsicles in the Pool

Mmmm

Keeping Cool in the Guestroom

"Tubbers"

Hot Summer Day

We are really loving the hot weather we are having. Today after we came home from the airport, the kids and I met up with some girlfriends and their children at the forest park. Addie just loves the sprinklers and will run through them for hours. Both kids were exhausted from all the action they took 3 hour naps and I enjoyed the downtime. We spent the evening picking plums off our tree and having dinner outside, anything to stay outside!

Water Park

Keeping Cool

Plums!

Friday Night with the Gilfillans

Tonight we picked Blake up at work and headed to Seattle for Daddy's hair appt with Todd (or Podd as Addison calls him). Afterwards we headed to Macaroni Grill for a little dinner. Addison and I shared spaghetti which she had some difficulty eating with her fork. She kept dropping noodles and saying "this is so embarrassing Mommy". I'm still surprised with words I've never heard her say-I didn't know she knew "embarrassing", and she could use it in the correct context!

Little Finn has taken to eating with spoon and ate a full serving of homemade applesauce at dinner, which pleased Addison. She loves to see him eat real food.

Our Wiggly Boy

Enjoying each Bite

My Little Girl

Aunt Jacey came to Play!

We don't often get to spend time with my sister as she lives in Florida and works in Washington DC. Its a special treat when she flies to Seattle and comes in for a visit. Yesterday morning Addie was overjoyed to wake up and find that Jacey was in our living room having coffee. She has been attached at the hip ever since, even making poor Jacey accompany her to the bathroom.

Yesterday we went to the zoo with Grammy and Jacey, came home for naps and dinner and then Addison and Jacey made cookies and had a dance party in our living room. Miss Addie likes her Michael Jackson and is quite the life of the party!

Baking Cookies (and some batter eating)

Waiting for Instructions

Our Cook

My Sister and I

Growing like a Weed!

Its been amazing to watch how quickly Finn grows. He was born just two weeks before his due date and was only 6 lbs 14 oz and 19.5 in. At two days of age he dropped down to 6 lbs 12 oz and was up to 21 in. (odd that he grew 1.5 in in two days-perhaps he was measured wrong initially). By the time his due date rolled around, and his 2 week well check, he was over 9 lbs and 22 in. When he went in for his 6 week check he was up to 13 lbs and 23.5 in, and at his 4 month he weighed in at 19 lbs and was 26 in. Addie never grew this fast, so watching it has been quite entertaining for us, though we know it wont be long and he will become more active and thin out. Blake loves to poke fun at his size and has taken to calling him "Tubs".

Here are some pictures of him from the past 5 months:

Brand New Finn

Two-Weeks

One Month Old

Two Months Old

Three Months

Four Months

Five Months

First Solids

We are looking for new drapes for our family room and doing a lot of shopping around. Our kids have been quite the troopers going from store to store this weekend. We are very pleased that Addison has taken so easily to using the public bathrooms. Its hard to see her growing up so fast!

Finn has been showing a strong desire to try eating solid foods for over a month now. He lustfully watches us eat, opening his mouth and smacking his lips and even trying to intercept foods from mom and dad. We have been waiting to get him to the 6 month mark, but today we gave in and let him have a taste 2 weeks ahead of schedule. He was excited to see the spoon coming toward him...but was not thrilled with the taste!

On our front porch

Its so difficult to get two kids smiling at the camera

Finn always has a smile for his Daddy

Ready for my spoon feeding

First bite

He's not so sure about the avocado

My guys

Addison got chilly and needed a Daddy snuggle

Work Day

I have been working about 1-2 days a week this month, trying to keep my foot in the door just a bit. Its hard for me to tear myself away from my kids (especially Finn at his young age) and feel like I am bouncing between the busy working world and the joys of being at home with my little ones and keeping a home. I feel lucky to be at home most of the time and have a job that allows me to work whenever and however much I like.

We are also so very blessed to have my mom willing to babysit on my workdays, otherwise I would not be working at all. Addison loves her Grammy days and is especially joyful and energetic. She gave mom and I quite a laugh this morning while we were visiting over lattes. Addie had gone in to use the pot and had put socks on her hands and started clapping. She was saying over and over "I'm clapping"... only it didn't sound like I'm clapping...it sounded like a verbal diary of what was happening in there. Only once I checked on her did I discover the socks and clapping and was ever so relieved that she hadn't in fact learned her first coarse word!

Spending a last couple minutes with my wiggly before work

Grammy time!

July Sunshine

We are enjoying the beautiful Weather ever so much here in Everett. We pretty much head outside right after breakfast and stay there until Miss Addie's naptime. Addie loves playing in the sprinkler, her playhouse and the paddling pool and she is ever so eager to check our vegetable garden each morning.

Heres our princess all dressed and ready for some sun

During Finn's long morning nap we get many things done; but my favorite part is our coffee/snack break on the back porch.

Finn is enjoying the feel of the grass on his toes

He's not so sure he likes it on his face and neck though

Its amazing what a little sun can do for my garden!

Buddies

We have so enjoyed watching Addison and Finn bond over the past 5 months. Addison loves to love on her brother and help take care of him. She loves bathing him, changing his diapers, giving him toys and holding him. This morning we had a first when she offered to nurse him, and she seemed quite sad when she learned that only Mommy can do that. She has come up with different pet names over the months; the first was "Yellow Bottom", and then "Baby Finn", and now currently she calls him "Chubby Cheekers". Here are some of our favorite pictures of them together from the last 5 months:

First Touch

Holding her 1-day old brother

Checking each other out

Laughing at his newborn hiccups

Helping him with his swing

Giving him a hand to chew on

Sharing our Daddy

And our Mommy

Reading Finn stories

Having a morning chat

He's getting bigger

I love this baby

Sharing our Grandma

Playtime together

Holding him is getting harder

Sharing Elmo chair

Sharing bathtime

Kisses

A lazy morning

Watching a whale movie together

Addison's naptime snuggles

Goofing around

Ooh kisses

"Bear hugs"