Funny Girl...

Ivy brings so much fun to our lives. She makes us laugh at the simplest things, and what a blessing humor can be! This week she teaches us how to have a ton of fun with a Kleenex box.

Find a Kleenex Box and make your way over to it...


Taste it to confirm that it is a Kleenex box...


When the box jumps from your hand you must pursue it...


Recapture the runaway box for further exploration...


Abandon the box in favor of something nearby...


Who needs a Kleenex box when you can play with Momma's toes?!


Ivy makes yard work more enjoyable, too, just sitting there taking everything in (literally including a few blades of grass that her mommy didn't see her pull).




She's still really enjoying her swimming lessons. They've practiced "jumping" in and grabbing the side of the wall for safety. Ivy held herself on the wall this week...no hands from dad!



She's transferred her learning now grabbing the wall of the bathtub and pulling herself right up to standing.


Thank God for the fun of discovery that we are sharing with our precious girl!

7 months

Ivy turned 7 months old on Friday and with that came a second haircut and the accomplishment of many little milestones! She is now attempting to crawl....




which means she can get into the toy box on her own......





and she can explore the kitchen.......




She is attempting to brush her teeth. (She kept trying to chew on her hairbrush, so I thought I'd just get her a toothbrush!) It's a good habit to start since she is experiencing more table foods now. Raw cauliflower and cheerios kept her occupied this week. The first day with cheerios was a learning curve, but this morning she made it to her mouth with several O's on her own!



She's also learned how to take off her diaper as soon as I put it on. There's no picture of that!

On Saturday we had company when our Mommy, Daddy, and Baby friends came for a cookout. It was so much fun to watch the babies play together. I'm excited for all the good times they'll have in the future!




Here are the fellas (Ivy is the lone female) on approach to their first Father's Day. They look like they've got it all under control!




Ivy and Alex enjoyed spending Father's Day together as well. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and father in our lives. Alex's relationship with Ivy will give her a strong foundation to build her own relationships on later. How lucky she and I are to share our lives with him.

A wonderful weekend!

We've had a wonderful weekend! School ended on Thursday, I had my last twentieth birthday on Friday, and friends came over to make a few more fun memories with our colleagues who are moving away.

(Please note the super-cute kicks that Alex and Ivy gave me for my birthday!)






Ivy hung out watching a little Baby Einstein while Alex readied the outside and I finished cleaning before guests arrived.



I didn't leave her for too long, though!


Here's a precious bathtime pic of our little ducky.

Ivy and the Pups

Ivy's spent some time enjoying the beautiful weather this week, strolling in her wagon.


It's funny how life changes... A friend whom I met while pregnant (about a year ago now) just learned that Alex and I also have dogs! The funny thing about that is that anyone who knew us pre-baby knew that our dogs were our stand in children. Since Ivy's arrival they have been demoted to their status as dogs, relegated to the kitchen - their pillows moved from the living room to the garage - apparently left out of everything...even conversation! Ivy has had a growing interest in them for quite some time, but this week she's really been getting to know them. The pictures show her budding friendship with Bojangles. (I'm sure she'd be friends with Max too, if he would ever get up!)


Visiting the pups on the back porch.


Talking to Bo as he strolled by.


She navigated over by herself to say, "Hey, notice me!"


Up close and personal...


We only have one photo of Alex as a baby and for so long now we haven't compared it to Ivy because she's been so little, but now she is 6 months old, the same age as Alex's baby photo. When asked about Alex as a baby, it reminded me of this picture so I'm posting it along with those of Ivy and myself so you can see that she's a bit of us both. She definitely has the shape of his eyes, his nose and lips. Forgive me for posting the same pictures over again...