{eight} months

I'm exhausted...
...just look at me...

{don't I look tired? ...I am}

I've told Alex... I've told Emily...
...and for the last eight months...I've been telling Elizabeth the exact same thing...and I get so tired of repeating myself...

Stop. Growing. Up!

{What do you want me to do about it?!}

In only a matter of four more months she will be a one-year-old! 
I love love this age...she is so much fun and so super sweet! 
I mean...c'mon...look at that sweet precious baby chub! 
{I know she needs a mini-bra... bless her heart!}

Precious!
{my only complaint now... it's getting a little harder to photograph her!  She wants to be on the move!}

I love her gummy smile...but her two bottom teeth are really showing off now...and I'm feeling them too!  {ouch!}

Remember when I said that I couldn't wait until she could sit up and start fitting into her clothes here?
Well...I'm taking it all back!  She is sitting up now...and she is growing out of her clothes! 
Look at her tutu now...it's covered up by her belly!  ha!

She talks and talks and talks...dadda...bubba...hey...hi...{no mama...yet...but I'm working on it!} ...and I'm just amazed at how much I think she really knows what we're saying and how much she responds! 
But like I said before... she doesn't respond well to the phrase...
Stop. Growing. Up!

But I love seeing all the changes and milestones happening each day...they put a smile on my face!

And when I see how much her big brother and sister make her smile...it makes me a little teary-eyed that I get to witness these special little moments every single day!

Believe me...there are many many moments when I'm not smiling...like when I'm not sleeping at night, or ever...and there's lots of crying...lots of crying some days!  {Ellie is pretty attached to her mommy...so it's hard to leave the room a lot of the time... she is spoiled that way!}

But these moments far surpass the other ones...

...by far!
{I'm not sure who is going to be more upset when school starts...Alex and Emily because school is starting...Elizabeth because she loves having them around...they spoil her more than I do...or me because I love having them all here at home!  It will be quite a transition ...sigh...}

Happy {eight} months little {big} Ellie bean!  We love you more and more each day!

{...but...seriously...stop. growing. up!}

*Wordless Wednesday {Quiet Time}

However we choose to spend it...

{playing computer games...}

{playing with make-up...}

{...she begged to go to ice-skating like this... nope...sorry...}

{napping...}

{...the only way she knows how ...sigh...}

{napping...}

{...wherever...}

{...she feels like it!}

{giving myself a pedicure...}

{...with Emily's color choice!}

...we always make time in our day...for a little bit of quiet time!

{* okay...there are some words... whatever!}

ilove weekends

it's still hot...really hot...but i see that as an opportunity to slow down and chill out...especially when it's the weekend!

{dan, on the other hand...doesn't sit still for long...and thought it was a great time to stain the deck!  blah!}

{emily was super excited!  or is that a giant butterfly?  hmmm...}

we tried to stay cool in the pool...but it was still pretty warm...but alex and i picked up some misting fans at walmart yesterday and lounged poolside with popsicles...it was perfect!

then time to cool off in the basement with a game of bingo and harry potter on the big screen!  i decided to get some of alex's and emily's old toys out too for ellie to play with...you tell me who had more fun?

{it was so funny!  neither one of them wanted to play with those toys when they were toddlers...but they are having a ball with them now!  ellie was laughing out loud at that caterpillar!  ithink she has a new favorite toy!}

since it's still too hot for cooking {ilove that excuse!} we had pizza for dinner.  and we planned on a movie night...but dan was in the zone and wanted to keep working on the deck...and alex was told to take a little time-out for not doing what he was told {ihate when that happens}  when he didn't come asking "can i come down now?"  i found this...

{he will kill me when he sees this!}

...so i let him take his time-out for a little bit longer while i cleaned up the paper plates dishes.

the kids and i decided to take a walk after dinner instead and enjoy the {somewhat} cooler temps and the beautiful sunset...

{yes...emily really went for our walk like this...but if you know emily by now...it's not really a surprise!}

{she stopped to collect these little fuzzy weeds along the way!}

alex and emily had a slumber party in the family room with the air mattress and watched the end of another harry potter movie and we all watched an old original smurfs cartoon from ondemand!  dan and i were loving it!  the year said 1984 and alex said "wow...did you really watch this in the olden days?"  ...thanks

it has been a wonderful weekend!  ilove summer...and with only 3 weeks left until school starts...the weekends will be even more precious!

{these moments captured with my ipod...ilove!}

Oh, {Don't} Grow Up!

First of all...it is hot!  I mean...I went outside to water our flowers this evening, and the water was literally sizzling on the sidewalk...boiling...I'm serious!   HOT!

It might not be that bad since we have a pool and everything...but even the pool water is warm...

{It sure looks refreshing anyway!}

It didn't stop Alex and Emily from giving Ellie a lift though!  She loved it!

And Emily keeps getting better at her diving...but still needs some practice!

The hose was a great alternative to the lukewarm pool water...and I think has always been Alex's favorite way to cool off anyway!

Second of all...the heat has been a great excuse to take it easy...lay off the laundry so the dryer isn't running...and slow down on cooking dinner so the oven doesn't heat up the house...right?!  Plus we've been on the go with Emily's ice-skating and the kids' check-ups this week...

And they continue to grow up...seriously...how many times must I tell them to stop doing that?! 
...sigh...

Alex has grown over 2 inches and is now at 51 inches tall...in the 25th percentile

...and weighs almost 52 pounds...in the 10th percentile

He will be tall and lean...just like I used to be.  {used to be...ha!}

He's growing up so fast...and just looks like such a big kid now.  He was so relieved that he didn't have to get any shots...again...this year, and didn't have to pee in a cup!  ha!  We had a talk ahead of time about how he needed to behave if those were to happen...for someone who gets allergy shots every 2-3 weeks, you'd think one more would be no big deal...but he truly hates them from the pediatrician...go figure!

Emily is now at 44 1/2 inches tall...{finally taller than most preschoolers...ha!}...in the 3rd percentile

...and weighs 41.2 pounds...in the 3rd percentile...she is such a little sweetie!

Emily...on the other hand...loves getting shots, and was a little bummed that she didn't need one...weird!

 I am missing our little Emily more and more each day...she is just becoming such a little lady!  She fusses with her hair and clothes...but can care less if she still has peanut butter on her face after lunch!  She wants to wear dangly earrings and make-up like her mommy...but still loves to dress up her Barbies and dolls. 

I wish I could keep her little forever...I know school can mature them alot faster than I want it to...but she is a genuine sweetheart...and I'm hanging onto the very last few days our summer has to offer!

And this one...well...she definitely has no say on whether she is allowed to grow up!

She thinks she can just get up and start crawling around like nobody's business...

...think again little sister! 

{...sigh...}

I hope we can stay cool and enjoy the rest of our fleeting summer...we certainly need to take a cue from Snowball...

{that's the life!}