When a Little Boy has a Big Sister.....

Two Cutie Pies

New Addition

A few weeks after giving birth to Tommy, Brandon took Ellie on one of their Daddy-daughter dates. They came home with the above addition to the family. As soon as Marla (named by Ellie :) ) entered the house I made it known I would have no responsibility for this new addition. I had too many other people to take care of! I wasn't about to add a fish to my list. Ellie promised she would feed it. It is in the fishbowl in her bathroom. Occasionally I'll ask her if she has fed it. In all honesty, I have no idea how it is still alive!

Miss Ellie turns 4!

We celebrated with friends and cousins at the water splash park.  Ellie decided on cupcakes and popsicles for her yummy treats.  The kids braved the clouds and had a fun time running around.

Then off to ice cream as a family.

Then we celebrated with Grandma & Grandpa the next day.

I can't believe my little girl is 4 already.  She is loving it.  She is officially a "big girl" now.  She is declaring her new age to anyone with listening ears including all grocery store clerks, little old ladies sitting on benches at the mall and anyone working on their yard during our daily strolls around the neighborhood.

1 Month Old

A Perfect Day...

We set a new record in Seattle yesterday.  It was 91 degrees on June 4th.  We loved it :)  Ellie, Tommy & I headed down to Grandma's house and cooled off in the pool for the afternoon.  Ellie and I swam while Tommy got to chill out in Grandma's arms.  It was a nice for Ellie and I to get a chance to play together while Tommy was otherwise entertained.  And it was a special treat for Ellie to get to see her Grandma mid-week.  Thanks Judi!  We had a great time!

Sleepy Head

I love seeing the sleeping positions of little ones.... from the roller coaster ride to sweet dreams.

Hanging on...

Tommy LOVES to chill out in the Baby Bjorn.  He seems to fall asleep instantly whenever he gets in that contraption.   I don't know how I would get through a trip to Costco without it.  Tommy isn't too fond of his car seat so shopping in the car seat doesn't happen much.

A Day at the Beach...

We went to the beach this week to cool off.  Ellie and Hazel had a great time :)  Tommy was such a great sport.  He didn't complain until he got a little too hot at the end.  

The Big Sister

You know a big sister loves her little brother when.....

-she showers him with kisses to the point that no one else gets a turn

-whenever you are otherwise occupied and the baby is fussy she runs to get a pacifier or toy to   

  keep the baby happy

-she covers the baby with her absolute favorite thing on this earth (her gappy aka blanket) and dog dog

Ellie has been such a great sport with the transition of this new addition to our family. She is such a great little helper!

My favorite quotes from the big sister:

On the day Ellie first met him she was instantly in love.  She and Brandon went to preschool that day and upon returning to the hospital she said, "I love Tommy. He is my best friend."  It didn't take long for that to happen :)

When we first brought Tommy home and he was crying in my arms Ellie said with a bit of a twisted face, "Mommy, he doesn't really like you very much."

When a friend of mine asked Ellie what she thought of being a big sister she sighed and said, "It's a lot of hard work."