Girls

Brielle has been rolling both ways now for a few weeks. She's a little roly-poly!! Couches are no longer safe. She likes to see what's going on, so she likes hanging out on her belly. It's funny, cuz Hallie was 6 months before she ever was rolling like this, so I'm a little nervous! And she is the SMILIEST baby you'll ever see! Sweet little thing.
Brielle's 1st experience playing 'Princess'.

Hallie is a great big sister--retrieving paci's and getting cloths to clean up spit-up. She's been making progress in the potty-training arena, but not fast enough it seems. She's doing a great job with please & thank-you, thanks to the manners jar (pennies in the jar, then out to icecream)!

Brielle's Blessing

We had Brielle's baby blessing last month when family came into town.

Thanks to everyone for coming! It was such a special day,

and a sweet blessing.

Thanks to Carly and Tay for the picture-taking!

Cheesecake, fudge sauce, whipped cream and berries.

Plus chocolate chip cookies.

Yum!

Lovely Aunt Debbie

Lovely Aunt Sue

Thanks for all your help ladies!

I think she likes Uncle Tay!

Wreath

Well, I finally finished my Easter wreath, a couple weeks after Easter. The ironic thing is that I had most of the materials well before I had Brielle in March--I really should have finished it before then. I guess I'll be ready for next year!

Playin Catchup

Ok, it's been a LONG time since I've posted!
Here's a recap:

John turned 30 on Feb 23. Old man status. I decorated the shower for the occasion, and I must say that I did a pretty good job for being 8 months pregnant at 12:30 at night with reflux.


We had a baby on March 12. We named her Brielle Mckenna. She's a sweet little thing.


5 weeks and smiling.


I turned 23 last weekend.

Okay, okay, 28.

Boo.

I got a lot of ghoodis (as Nacho Libre would say) for my birthday! John's parents came to visit us and we had a lovely time, despite my poor hostessing. I'm sleep-deprived, so that's my excuse!

Brielle is doing great--she's a great little eater and sleeper--I usually get a 4-5 or 6 hour break overnight which I'm grateful for. Hallie loves her too and we're all adjusting well to being a family of 4!!

Decorating a Table

Ok, I really DO love decorating...especially anything having to do with Pottery Barn. Now I don't love ALL of what they do, cuz some of it is just weird in my book, but I love looking through their catalogs and studying the design methods. Are ya with me?

Check out this blogger's post on Pottery Barn's console tables. Such a shareable post!

http://allbowerpower.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/its-the-tops/

She has another post discussing clusters and the use of books...very interesting! She has it down to a science on how they decorate those tables. The only thing that she's missing is how they balance color with neutrals and texture/shine in all the objects on the table. There is probably a formula for that too. NeWays, nice read.

BTW, I love this PB console table (but not as a TV stand):

Baby Sprinkle

Last weekend, my sweet friends threw me an adorable baby 'Sprinkle'. OH my gosh. SO. Adorable. I love you guys!

They did a cookies & milk 'sprinkle' theme with all different types of cookies & milks. So fun! Strawberry, vanilla soy, chocolate and low fat milk were just a few...
The labels and decorations were so adorable!

Cookies & Cream chocolate biscotti, chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, chocolate rolo cookies...is your mouth watering? A quiz about me--

did you know my most commonly craved food this pregnancy was NOT pickles, not brussel sprouts, not french fries (up there), but...get this:

greasy, salty potato chips!?
Yum.

Thank you everyone!

Where Have the Days Gone?

Well, after we got back from Christmas, we've really hit the ground running. I've been pretty busy, and Hallie has been busy too...busy being sick. She was sick with the flu/cold over Christmas, then she got another infection of sorts that included a fever and a trip to the drs. with antibiotics, and now she has another illness I like to call, 'the barfs'. Fever last night, but hopefully we're on the mend. 3 times with sicknesses already this year? RIDICULOUS!

She's pretty happy when she's sick---here she is specifically asking for juice, milk, and water with her string cheese.


January flew by, and I am weeks away from having this little baby. It doesn't seem real. We've been working on the baby room--painting. Still need to get the chair and crown molding done. I hope it turns out cute. I have all sorts of ideas of cute projects to go in the room, let's hope I get funding! hee hee.


Hallie is becoming quite verbal these days. She's understanding cause & effect. She started saying verbs over Christmas (most memorable: 'Hallie, be careful!' (Hallie) 'I didn't fall down! ! ! (vigorously shaking head)) and now she says too many to count. It's fun to have a little person to converse with. Recently, she's started telling me things she likes out of the blue, eg. "Ha-dee yike to sing, dance, jump, eat noonahs (noodles), ownja (orange)..." The list will go on and always makes me snicker. She loves to dance to music and sing songs while running around the room. Her favs: old macdonald (popularized by Grandpa (pa-ta)), baa baa black sheep, jingle bells. Right now there's a cookbook on the floor in the living room that she uses as a song book. She'll turn a few pages then say, 'ok!' and then sing a song, go back, turn a few more pages and then say, ok, jeh jeh bells,' and then start singing that....oh she's too much. I just sit on the couch and am entertained.

Here she is happy to be with Dada.

He is the best at the night-time routine!!!