September

We are getting back into the swing of things around here.  I thought that it was about time for an update on everyone!
Dave has returned to work and things are off to a good start there.  He has a class of 24, which is a great size and he doesn't have a crazy amount of technology stuff to start off the year like he did last year, which is super nice!
I'm still loving mat. leave and am returning to work at the beginning of November.  I will be going back part-time, which is a huge change for me, but a good one for our family for now.  I'll still be teaching French, but will only be in 3 days/week.  I'm also in the process of registering for my Special Education Specialist, which will involve course work for October-December.  It will make things super busy again, but it'll be good to get it over with!
Anneke is learning so much!  She's talking in complete sentences and knows so many things.  She has an amazing memory, remembering even the smallest details.  We've been starting to do some preschool stuff, like letters, colours, shapes, and mazes among other things.  She already knows so much and she never ceases to amaze me because a lot of these things we've never deliberately taught her.  Potty training has had its successful days and those that are far from it, which is frustrating for me and her.  But we're hoping to be more successful than not before I go back to work.  She's been having a great time playing with friends lately.  It seems that over the summer she's grown up a bit more and now is willing to play with them rather than stay close by me all the time.
Kaelyn is also getting so big!  She's crawling around on all fours, pulling herself up on everything, and walking around furniture.  The last few weeks she's really moved into the "mess-making"stage--she gets into absolutely everything and leaves a trail of things behind her.  She's really starting to interact with Anneke more now, crawling around after her and laughing at her antics.  They love each other!  It so fun seeing them interact and play together!
Here are a couple of pictures from September so far!

Summer

Okay, so I am again WAY past due for a blog post.....Our summer was great!  July was fairly slow.  Dave built us a beautiful deck and the girls and I went to VBS.  August on the other hand was super busy--but awesome!  We managed to pack the month full of fun memories, including:
~Geertsema camping:  Anneke had an awesome time playing with all of her cousins--she's still talking about it!
~VandenDool cottage:  With not so many cousins to play with, Anneke loved boat rides with anyone who would take her, and swimming in the small kiddie pool when we weren't at the beach.  Kaelyn loved playing with Abigail!
~Camping with the Smith's:  Although cool, we had an awesome time together, exploring the park and having nice warm campfires!
~Hamilton for a weekend of a wedding and family gathering:  Anneke had a great time with Aunt Judy and Beppe while we were at a wedding, and then we all had an awesome day poolside with the other side of the family the next day!
~Finally we wanted to do something together with just our family of four, but had trouble finding something that would be fun, but not super expensive.  We settled on visiting Centre Island, where neither of us had ever been.  It's so cool!  We would definitely recommend it!  Anneke loved the rides, and we loved exploring the park while the girls napped in the stroller.  And taking the ferry was also a fun experience!  This is definitely something we plan on doing again, although finding a cheaper place to park will be high on our list!
So since I've already posted a bunch of pictures on facebook from our summer, I'll just finish with some from Centre Island. Enjoy!

June

Here's what we've been up to this June:

 Everything goes in my mouth (except a bottle, soother or sippy cup--well to be fair, they go in my mouth but I chew on them rather than suck on them).

 Oma and Opa came for a nice visit.  We were supposed to go to the zoo, but it was rainy...

 Look at me with my cool shades!

 Anneke reading Kaelyn a story.

 Corn on the cob--she loved it!

 I love my exersaucer (applesaucer :), it's super fun to bounce in!

 We got off to a slow start with food but she's really warmed up to the idea in the last week.  She likes to try to get her hands in the bowl--food is fun to play with!

 Anneke made muffins in her kitchen yesterday.  She even had a recipe book out!

 She likes to help--blowing Kaelyn's peas because they were too hot.

Our big girl at 7.5 months!  She continues to be super happy and easy going.

Six Months

So I am just realizing that I really haven't done any "Kaelyn Updates" on our blog.  Terrible!  So since it's past due, here it is!
She just turned six months and continues to be a super happy smiley-pants!  She smiles at everyone, but particularly loves smiling at her sister!  She laughs at Anneke no matter what she's doing to her.  The other day I turned around to find Anneke pulling Kaelyn across the living room floor by her arms, and Kaelyn was laughing.  So we are really having to keep a close eye on the two of them since Kaelyn doesn't cry when she's being tormented!
We just had her 6 month appointment yesterday.  She weighs 19lbs 15oz (in the 85th percentile) and is 70 cm long (27.5 inches-90th percentile).
She LOVES the jolly jumper and the exersaucer (applesaucer, in Anneke's terms).
She is rolling, mostly just from her back to her stomach but the past couple of days she's started going from her stomach to her back more frequently, which is nice for me.  She's already moving around when she's on her stomach--she pushes herself backwards and can get across the room pretty quickly, but then also pushes herself away from her toys, which she doesn't like.
She likes the swing outside.
We started rice cereal last week.  She's not a huge fan, but she doesn't spit it out either.
She still won't take a bottle or a soother.  Mom V got her to take a bottle once while she was sleeping when we were at a concert, but it didn't work a second time (she won't be fooled!).
She is having a bit of trouble with a cough that won't go away.  The doctor thinks it might be reactive airway disease, which clears up as they get older.  But since yesterday she's on two puffers and acid reflux medication and we're being referred to the asthma clinic at the hospital to see the pediatrician there (although the doctor doesn't think it's asthma).  The coughing is really starting to impede on her (and our) sleeping though, so we're hoping something works!
Anyways, here are some pictures of our happy girl--enjoy!

Video Time

I'll post April's pictures on facebook, so I thought I'd put some videos here.  Enjoy!

March Fun

March.  Wow.  I can't believe how fast time is going!  Having said that, I am really wishing for Spring--not that I want to wish my mat leave away, but it would be really nice to get outside!  But in the meantime--March.  We had a great March Break.  After an absolutely crazy month and a half, it was great to have Dave home and to be a family for a week!  We didn't do anything terribly exciting, but it was still really nice. 
The girls are growing and learning every day!  Anneke is putting more an more words together and often shocks us with her complete phrases and sentences.  She's learned so many words--the other day she opened a plastic Easter egg and said "the egg is hatching", we have no idea where the word hatching came from but it's great!
Kaelyn is growing like crazy--at her 4.5 month appointment she weighed 18 lbs!  (3 lbs more than Anneke at that age).  But she continues to be a super happy and fairly easy going baby, so much so that she laughed through her 4 month shots!  She's making movements to roll over, but hasn't got all the way over yet.  She much prefers to be sitting up, which I think she'll be doing on her own soon enough!  This week she really found her legs--she started pushing up into a standing position and when she's laying on the floor or in her bouncy seat her legs are always moving.  She's also really started to grab onto toys, which is fun, although she gets really mad when she can't get them to her mouth.  The only challenge that she's giving me is that she refuses to take a bottle.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that.  We keep trying but she's stubborn!  And I probably wouldn't be too worried but we have a concert to go to in a month so we'll have to figure something out!
So all in all it's been a great month!