pre-christmas activities

Yesterday we took the girls downtown to see the Duke Energy train display and to see Santa at Macy's. The line was way long for the train, and Libby isn't really a train-enthusiast—just a big Polar Express fan—so she was satisfied to peek through the window. Then we walked across Fountain Square so Libby could watch the ice skaters on our way to Macy's. This is the third year we've taken Libby to see Santa there, and it's the same Santa every year, which we love. Plus, there's nothing for sale—you see Santa, take your own photos and get a candy cane. You can even write a letter while you wait. And we did have to wait a while this year, but Libby was very, very good in line. Lilah slept from the time we left the house until it was her turn to sit on Santa's lap, then went back in her stroller and fell asleep again. She's a super easygoing baby! As you can see from the photos, Lilah grinned away on Santa's lap and Libby told him exactly what she wanted this year: "presents." More specifically, "two presents." I suppose we should appreciate her lack of specificity for now because I'm sure it will only be a year or two before she has a list a mile long with princess this and princess that on it.

When we got home we baked cut-out cookies and plan to decorate them tonight. We'll also be partaking in our annual Christmas Eve dinner of all appetizers and snacks. We'll post cookie-decorating photos and Christmas morning photos soon. Until then, Merry Christmas to all!

lilah's 4-month stats

Lilah had her 4-month check-up today, and she's growing like crazy! She weighs 13 pounds, 13 ounces and is 25.25 inches long. That's the 75th percentile for weight and the 90th percentile for height! You can definitely tell she's chubbier and taller than Libby was at this age. Lilah has long arms too, and she's outgrowing her sleepers sooner than Libby did. Libby weighed 12 pounds, 6 ounces and was 23.25 inches long at her 4-month visit, so Lilah is a pound and a half heavier and two inches longer!

Lilah looked great and was smiling and laughing at Dr. Z the whole time. And she only cried for about 10 seconds when she got her 4 shots. She and Libby both have little colds (our new constant reality), but no fever or chest congestion. I'm hoping we can all stay relatively healthy through Christmas and New Year's this year. If so, it will be a first since Libby was born.

play date with maddie & sydney

We had Maddie & Sydney—my friend Melissa's little girls—over for a play date this morning. Libby ADORES Maddie, who is 4, (and Maddie adores Lilah, lol) and she loved swimming with the girls at their grandma's pool this summer, so we thought we should host. It's hard to get posed shots of two 2-year-olds and a 4-year-old, but here are a few and some candids from our fun morning!

little mama

Libby has been very into mothering her dolls since Lilah was born and has been mimicking everything we do to care for Lilah, including changing their diapers in the pack n play (we have to keep the diaper ointment out of reach) and "nursing," which mostly involves using the Boppy pillow to feed her babies bottles. Here's a pictorial of "daycare" with Libby.

fingerpainting

It was 80 degrees yesterday, so I decided it would be fun to take Libby outside and introduce her to fingerpainting. She was super excited about the Crayola "art dress" I bought for her to wear. When I first squirted the red paint onto the paper plate, she happily exclaimed, "ketchup!" I think her favorite part was mixing the colors together on the plates. It was a quick project, but I think she had fun because first thing this morning she said, "Mommy: color outside. Get shoes on!"

pre-painting snack

testing out the "ketchup"

hard at work

all done and ready for more snacks

Libby's masterpieces

welcome lilah

Here's a video of Lilah's first moments in the world.


And here's another with Libby's first moments with Lilah.

introducing lilah grace whitman

Our latest addition arrived yesterday morning. Lilah Grace Whitman was born August 17, 2010 at 9:27 in the morning, weighing in at 7 pounds, three ounces and measuring 21 inches long (another string bean).
Mother and baby are doing fine, recovering well in the hospital. Libby is having a blast hanging out with Pop Pop & Grandma Whitman, so I'm sure she hardly misses us. We're looking forward to coming home on Friday so "our girls" can meet for the first time. Here are a couple of photos to wet your appetite, but check back often at our Mobile Me Gallery (see link on the right) for new photos and video. Cheers!

toddler tunes

I babysat Casey and Morgan (and Libby) for a few hours a couple of weeks ago while Kevin and Katie helped move my mom into an apartment down the street from us. (We're excited to have her so close by now instead of all the way up in Middletown!) The kids love the piano, and it's hard to keep them all in one room or chase them around while I'm pregnant, so I broke out the piano rolls and lined them all up on the bench. They loved playing along to the music. Here are a few photos and a short video. Enjoy the performance!

fifth third day at the zoo

Fifth Third held its annual picnic at the Cincinnati Zoo this year. We skipped the picnic lunch because it fell during Libby's nap time and the hottest part of the day, but we took advantage of the 2 extra hours the zoo was open just for Fifth Third employees in the evening. It wasn't crowded at all, so Libby got to see lots of animals up close, including several big cats, which is usually a challenge from her stroller-bound vantage point. There were lots of zookeepers out with animals, so she got to pet a baby crocodile and meet a real bearcat. We also went to Lorakeet landing where you can feed the birds seeds and nectar, and they'll land right on you. Libby LOVED this part, including the bird that sat on her head and tried to steal her barette, until a bird actually landed on the stick she was holding and she kind of freaked out. After that we rode the train, fed some goats and sheep in the Children's Zoo and played on the brand-new playground. We had such a fun time and, even though we have a zoo membership, it was well worth the price of our picnic tickets to enjoy the extended hours!

swimming

Last weekend Libby kicked off summer with 2 days of swimming. On Saturday, we broke out the awesome inflatable pool Daddy got on clearance at the end of last summer that has not one, but two flower sprinklers! Libby loved splashing in the pool and getting sprayed! On Sunday, Libby went to Sydney's 2nd birthday party and got to swim in a big pool for the very first time (at the Carusos' house). She loved floating around in the little inflatable boat with Daddy. She can't wait to swim with Sydney and Maddie again this summer!

getting sprayed!

flower power

having a blast

pimped out for the pool party

not so sure about getting in the water but her suit sure is cute!

of course, she loved it

posing with daddy

refreshment break!