Zoo Blooms!

We love April at The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens! It is so beautiful with all the tulips in bloom. It is also a comical time, with droves of parents hauling their kids – cooperative and uncooperative – around for photos. Mine, unfortunately, erred on the uncooperative side today.

Thrilled. Yep. Don’t they look thrilled to be plopped down on mulch and asked to smile? Picture perfect scenery…and all I can get are shot after shot of this…

Nope. Not happening.

Not amused.

This is Benjamin’s new “smile.”

“Please stop Mama!”

But wait…is that a smile?

Halleluiah!

“OK, I am done now. Back in the wagon please.”

Granted, it was 80 degrees and nap time…and Daddy was home sleeping. So, I consider myself lucky to have captured the moment on film…even if it wasn’t all smiles. Plus, we got to see this precious baby giraffe, Lulu. I can’t wait to see the baby gorilla and cheetah when they make their debuts!

Benjamin admired the elephants and the tigers before we left our shortest zoo trip on record.

Abby was so happy to hear we were going home to nap.

Easter Sunday

We had an exciting Easter weekend. Benjamin and Abby went on an Easter “bunny, chick , daffodil and chalk egg hunt” with Grandma Jan and Grandpa Joe. Then, Aunt Keri, Uncle Aric and Uncle Brian joined us for lunch.

We had to promise Benjamin these bunnies weren’t real. They look real enough, though! Abby didn’t really want to get to friendly with the fur ball.

So silly!

Isn’t Benjamin so handsome!? My baby boy is growing up so fast!

It was such a nice visit. Unfortunately, Benjamin caught a stomach bug that struck the next morning. He threw up all over Great Grandma Hilty’s floor. So, we drove back to Cincinnati early Monday. We all seemed to stay healthy, but now Abby has a bad cold/cough. So, we are sticking close to home!

Easter Saturday

I love Easter dresses. The moment I found out I was having a baby girl, all I could think about were the bows and dresses she would get to wear.

And, when I found a matching outfit for Benjamin, I was thrilled.

Unfortunately, Abby was cutting a molar and was fighting off the start of a bad cold. So, she didn’t want smile or be held by anyone but me or Jeremy. And, she wanted to be held most of the time. So, here is what we got…

She did get distracted by an Easter basket from GG and BobBob for a few minutes.

And, she did go to Papa for a while…

Benjamin enjoyed an egg hunt outside, with eggs filled with matchbox cars and chocolate. GG and Bob Bob know him so well!

Great Nancy and her friend came too!

I ordered non-traditional baskets for the kids, and I just loved how they turned out!

GG and Benjamin read a lot of books!

That night, we went to church at Gateway with the kids. We got so many compliments on their matching outfits!

Easter Egg Hunt

Our church had its third annual helicopter Easter Egg drop. This year was extra exciting, because two of my friends are helping me launch a new program for moms and their kids ages birth to kindergarten. We are calling the group Recharge! and so far we have about a dozen moms signed up. The egg hunt attracted nearly 1,000 kids and their parents, so we were able to talk to quite a few moms that morning.

Because I was busy serving coffee, I didn’t get to take many photos. But, Benjamin had a lot of fun running around with Jeremy. He also hung out with his buddies, Eagan and Ivy.

10 months!

It is so crazy to think that Abby is turning 1 year old in just two months. I was just looking back at photos for her baby book, and I can’t believe how time has flown by.

Abby is so close to walking, but she prefers to scoot around the house or push things like her car or walker. She can move really quickly (and comically) on her rear end. However, she is letting go of furniture and balancing on her own for a good amount of time. So, she might surprise us one day and take off.

Abby finally eats solid foods. She seems to prefer the taste of regular food to baby food, but who wouldn’t? This week she ate parts of jambalaya, stuffed peppers and Mexican Manicotti. She also drinks A LOT of formula, so we are looking forward to the transition to milk soon. We will save about $50 a week! I gave up nursing a few weeks ago, and I think we are both appreciating the convenience of a bottle-only diet. Now, we just need her to drink from a sippie cup so we can ditch the bottle in a few months!

Abby has quite the sense of humor. She waited quielty until I noticed her sitting on the vacuum before starting to giggle. She LOVES chasing the vacuum cleaner. I guess it could double as a riding toy too????

Abby also likes to make messes.

We have been collecting Easter and Spring dresses, so I can’t wait for warm weather. Abby wears 12-month clothes now. She weighs about 20 pounds, and she seems to be getting taller all the time. She still has itty bitty feet. She doesn’t get that from me! Abby takes two naps a day, and she is sleeping better at night. We still don’t always make it through the night, but she usually makes it to 4 or 5 a.m. before demanding to eat. She likes to wake up at 6 or 6:30 a.m. much to my dismay.

Abby and Benjamin have their moments, as I am sure all siblings do. But, overall, Abby ADORES Benjamin. She follows him everywhere, and she wants nothing more than to have his attention. Some days, she antagonizes him endlessly just to get him to notice her.

Both kids LOVE spending time with Daddy. I love when he spends time with them too! It is wonderful to stay home with them all day, but there are days I am ready for a break!

Abby is such a joy to all of us!