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!

goofy grin

If Libby looks a little goofy in this latest chair photo, it's because we told her to smile and she gave us her first-ever fake one. The chair photo has become a bit of a challenge, so we were just happy to have her cooperation. It seems she's suddenly able to connect an action with a consequence or reward, so we finally got her to sit still for a quick snap by telling her that she could go to Sydney's birthday party and swim after we were done. Of course, when we start taking chair photos of her little sister, she'll probably try to sit on top of her just to have her own photo taken. She has a bit of a jealous streak!

butterfly show 2010

photo potpourri

We're long overdue for a blog post, but we have some good excuses: Kevin has traveled Monday through Friday 4 out of the last 5 weeks, the hard drive on our one-and-only home computer died last week, and I'm pregnant and tired. So I thought I'd do a quick workday post of some photos from the past week. There's also a new Watch Baby Grow pick to the right, and we'll add Libby's 20-month chair photo next week. Enjoy!

Little Shopper

Shopping in Mommy's Shoes

Strollin' in Style

Silly Girl

Kickin' Back for Some Sesame Street and Snacks

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.