Annabelle 5 months

It seems like Annabelle has been with us for a lot longer than 5 months. We love having her in our family. She is such a joy to be with. Her first tooth has finally come through and she is sleeping better again. She weighs 13 lbs and 12 oz. and is almost ready for a size 3 diaper. She has enough hair, just on top, to put a little bow in. She is a total momma's girl right now. She will follow me around and cry if I leave the room. She is reaching for toys and putting everything in her mouth. She loves Oatmeal and her bottle. She is just now on all formula. She is trying to sit up on her own. She holds her head up really well!

1st Haircut

We took Brooke to get her first haircut yesterday. I know that she doesn't have much hair but she does have a lot of stringy pieces and 2 crazy cowlicks. The lady who cut Brooke's hair was great with kids. She let her side in a firetruck seat and ring the bell in between cuts. She let us know that Brooke's hair is going to be a bit tricky. She actually identified a 3rd cowlick in the front of Brooke's hair. Sadly, she has an extremely boyish haircut right now. It will take awhile to thicken up and grown in. Thank goodness for all the cute headbands so we can make sure people know she is a girl. I was very impressed with how still she sat so the lady could cut her hair. Maybe we'll have a real ponytail before kindergarten.

Grammy is back!

We are so glad to have my mom back in Texas for a visit. She is spending her fall break from school with us. On Thursday we went to the library for story time and then the park. Brooke was actually pretty good this time. The last time we went to story time she ran all around the room and ripped a frog off the felt board during the frog story. The weather has just started to cool off, so we could enjoy being outside.

First time with Oatmeal

Now that Annabelle is 5 months she seems to be more interested in everyone's food. She has been attacking her bottle and chugging it down at lightning speed. We decided to try giving her oatmeal this week. She made a pretty big mess but she loved it! She kept shoving her hands in her mouth in

between each bite. What a messy little cutie!

Nanny Val

Nanny Val comes to take care of Annabelle on Mon/Wed but she loves to spend time with Brooke too. She brought Brooke a pair of princess sunglasses this week. Brooke was so proud to show them off at school. Thanks Nanny Val!

1st time in the jumparoo

We put Annabelle in the jumparoo for the first time last week. I was surprised that her feet could touch the ground. She was a little unsure at first, but now she loves it!

Work Conference in Dallas

We had our annual Leadership meeting in Dallas with Encompass. I was excited to take a kid-free trip for a few days. We had a great meeting as always! One of the big themes was to focus on time management in your work and home life. I took away quite a few tips on how to be more productive. Encompass hosted delicious dinners after the meeting each night. I enjoyed getting to catch up with all my work friends. One of the gals on my Ops Team made Brooke and Annabelle matching Owl hats. How cute!!

Halloween Preview

I found a "Little Chef" outfit at the children's consignment store here. I know Brooke will love wearing it for Halloween and playing dress up.

Cuddle time in the big chair

We just had to snap a few shots of Brooke and Annabelle sitting in Keith's recliner. Annabelle loves to watch Brooke and sit with her.

Lazy Parenting

It is a challenge to try and feed Annabelle when I am getting dinner ready and trying to eat too. So, I rigged up her boppy pillow to hold the bottle for her. We call it lazy parenting, buy hey - it does the job!

Brooke's school work and water time

Brooke love playing the water at the kitchen sink. She brings all her plastic bowls and cups to pour the water. I have turned playing in the water into reward for her pooping on the potty. It actually works to motivate her about 90% of the time. Here is a happy gram from her lead teacher at school Ms. Lisa.

Keith research Published

Keith worked on a research project as a resident in Pittsburgh. I was excited to see his work published in the National Foot and Ankle Journal last month. He is going to speak at a Podiatry conference in November to discuss the research the was published. Great job Keith!!

Bath Time

I needed to bathe both girls and trying to maximize my time; so I put the both in my bathtub. Brooke loved getting to take a bath with her sister.

Sweet Sisters

Brooke loves playing with Annabelle on our bed. She wants to be a helper to get diapers, bibs, and toys are Annabelle. Annebelle loves to look at Brooke and "talk" with her. They are so cute together.