table & chairs

Libby got lots of new, fun things last weekend. Sunday, Kevin, Libby and I made a trip to IKEA and got her a table and chair set. We thought it would be nice for her to have one for snacks and art projects, and for when other kids her age come over for meals. She seems to like it, as you can see here. We also got her potty chairs for the bathrooms. We're not planning on potty training her until she's 2, since there will be so many other changes going on between now and then (new daycare, transition to toddler bed, new sibling, holidays), but she's started to show some recognition when she poops in her diaper and is signing "potty." So her doctor said we should go ahead and get a chair so she can check it out and get used to it.

IKEA is sooo kid-friendly, by the way. We ate lunch in their cafeteria, and they offered your choice of 3 kids items for $2.50, plus they supplied high chairs, bibs and kid-sized silverware. And they offer free Huggies diapers in both the men's and women's restrooms in case you're out.

Katie and I also went to a "Mother's Swap" at Lakota High School on Saturday. Basically it was a big, very organized yard sale inside the school. I scored lots of very gently used toys, including a Fisher Price Little People Farm (without the people), a Fisher Price Little People Plane (without the people), a Fisher Price train track/train station set (with most of the people and accessories), a Melissa & Doug wooden Noah's Ark, a Fisher Price ride/pull toy for outside, a Matchbox Car race track, and "The Aristocats" (on VHS), all for $25! I don't really mind that the people are missing from the Fisher Price sets, since the ones we already have work with these sets too—and we paid $3 for the farm instead of $40. They have these sales a few times a year, so we definitely plan to go again. They also have lots of clothes, but it was all summer stuff at this one, and we're pretty set for summer.

it's a girl! again!

I'm sure most of you have heard the news by now, but we found out on Tuesday that we're having another girl! I can honestly say I don't know when I've seen Sarah get so visibly excited -- if she hadn't been laying down, I'm sure she'd have been jumping around the room during the ultrasound. I honestly didn't have a strong preference, but I'm very happy that Libby's going to have a little sister and I'm always going to have "my girls." (And I'm happy that Libby's adorable bedroom won't have to be "neutralized" by sharing with a boy.)
Here are a few shots from the ultrasound, I'll spare you from the creepy frontal face shot and the very personal shot that proves we're having a girl, but I thought these were too good not to share.

tiny hand...

...tiny foot...

...perfect baby.

libby at the library

Last weekend we discovered that they have story time at the downtown library every weekend. We weren't sure how Libby would do, but we decided to give it a try. She loved it!
They had a big saltwater aquarium and she loved checking out the fish. When we walked in to story time, she squatted down, looked over at the little boy next to her and said, "hi!" She was certainly the most animated, but overall was very well behaved (pardoning a few awkward moments where she'd stand in front of another kid and just stare at them).
After story time, we looked at a few books (see photos and video below). If we had let her, she'd probably still be there. Taking a book off the shelf, walking over to the table, opening one page of the book and returning to the bookshelf for another book. Over. And over. And over.
Because she had so much fun, we're heading back tomorrow and meeting up with our dear friends the Whites for a little story time followed by lunch at Lavomatic, one of our favorite weekend restaurants.
Here's to enjoying our city now that it's finally thawed out!