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!

 

Music

So Anneke loves music as much as we do.  Here are a couple of videos of the jam session we had in our kitchen tonight.

 

Snow fun

Anneke has become considerably more brave in the snow this year.  Last year, she'd hardly touch the stuff (except with a shovel, she liked shovelling the driveway last year...).  This year, it's hard to get her to come back inside.  In this video, she demonstrates the proper way to go down a slide!
Enjoy!

Picture Comparisons

Today I thought it'd be neat to see pictures of the girls side by side at the same age.  So here are pictures, the first set is of them at the hospital and the second set at 3 months.   (I had nothing but problems formatting this entry, so sorry but I couldn't get them side-by-side).

 (Anneke)

(Kaelyn)

 
(Anneke)

(Kaelyn)

So what does everyone think?  Similar?  Different?  Does one look more like Dave or I?