twenty-three months

I didn't cry, but I wanted to, when I realized our computer hadn't copied all of our photos from the camera and I had already formatted, which deletes all photos on the memory card. I lost everything taken from May 7th (our moving day) through May 20th!

I had adored a 23-month-day picture my husband took of L -- actually smiling a normal smile -- and Shboogoo and me outside the library. L was wearing a red and white striped henley, and when her sister saw it she changed into her own red and silver striped shirt, also long-sleeved. I chose to wear my red cardigan, not realizing right away that I matched them. Oh, and it was a great picture because all three of us had our hair done well.

So I had to take some new monthday pictures the day after, on the day we let my parents discover that I'm pregnant with baby #3 (we went to my in-laws' homes the next day).

[Not related to the photo above] At 23 months, one of her favorite videos is Blue's Clues. She puts the VHS tape by my face so I'll play it for her. She can say blue, but usually just calls it Loo Loo. Signing Time is another favorite.

 I think she was just looking at the shirt. At this age she loves being nay-nay (naked), though. Or to have any amount of clothing on as long as she gets to wear her shoes, her new obsession. She brings me a pair and says, "Help! Help!" but it sounds more like "hey-oh! hey-oh!"

She likes her baby cousin.  It's interesting that it hasn't been very long since she found out I have a baby inside, yet if I ask her where it is she touches my belly.

She does this all the time -- pulls her lower lip back behind her teeth. She usually makes a weird sound at the same time, which I guess just comes from the movement and her saliva. She also still loves sucking her thumb.

When she likes a particular part of an illustration or something, she points to it and does the cutest little "hee hee" chuckle. Other things she really enjoys are Pat-a-Cake, and coming to me from another room and saying, "hi."

 This is our favorite 23-month picture. L was outside my mom's house. I zoomed in for it.

Mother's* Day, then and now

Here I am with Shboogoo on Mother's Day in 2009. It was a little over a month before L was born.

2010 (we took just a couple -- not good -- photos on Mother's Day; this was a little later):

2011. We had lunch at my mom's house. We wanted a picture of my mom with her daughters and their kids. I love how it turned out! My mom and my sister are two of my best friends. This was the third time that I was pregnant on Mother's Day. However, only my husband and I knew at the time that there are seven people in this picture!

,

* I looked it up so I would spell it right (see also here).

crafty projects

I haven't finished the second jumper yet. Or started any training underwear. Here's what I have made.

I scrapbooked a card for my husband using supplies I already had.

I added applique to this plain white shirt for L. I think it looks really cute, and cost basically under $1. We had the shirt and yellow thread. The pear (which was easy to iron on) cost 25 cents at the scrapbook expo. The striped fabric was free because it was a hand-me-down pair of pants, and the green fabric came from a really large women's tank top that I bought for 99 cents so I could sew with the material. I found a blog post that helped me understand how to use the Stable Stuff I bought two years ago and had not even opened until now. Quick explanation: I had to cut letters out of the Stable Stuff, then cut fabric around each Stable Stuff letter, big enough to fold it over the edges and glue it down. I sewed the letters on using a zig-zag stitch.

Yes, I'm pregnant, and due on Christmas! :o)

Easter 2011

Our family had a very simple Easter this year because we were preparing to move out of our house within a couple of weeks. We reminded the kids that at Easter time we celebrate our Savior's atoning sacrifice, resurrection, and love for us. 

Easter Sunday morning they woke up soon after we did. A little later we told each girl to go in her room and find her Easter basket. They were excited!

We gave (we don't talk about a bunny bringing gifts) Shboogoo some new white dress shoes and pretty white socks. She and L each got a bag of gummy bears, an apple, a bag of grapes, a kiwi, and a few kumquats.

My mom and my husband's dad had both invited us over. We went to my father-in-law's ward because it starts earlier than ours does. It was fun for Shboogoo and me to see friends; it's the ward we were in for 9 months during the second deployment. I see about 10-20 of the members almost every month when I attend their book club. We hung out at my father-in-law's after. They had dyed eggs the night before, so some of us adults hid the eggs in the house and my kids and sister-in-law found them. We ate a little bit. 

Next we went to my mom's house to spend time and eat a delicious dinner. She gave each of our girls a cute little (like 3 inches by 3 inches) square wooden Easter basket with a big chocolate bunny in it.

Oh, I almost forgot! Two days before Easter the girls' jumper pattern I had ordered arrived in the mail and we bought fabric. I couldn't get them made in time, so the girls wore floral dresses that we already had. Shboogoo's jumper was all done by the next Sunday. I'm close to finishing L's, but haven't worked on it since before we moved on May 7th.