Leigh & Lucy Visit

Leigh and Lucy came to visit us.  It was so nice to catch up, because I had not seen them in quite a while.  Lucy enjoyed holding Evelyn.  I have to say that Evelyn was really cozy in her arms.

Lucy was also so great with Miles and Vivienne.  She played with them for quite a while, and Leigh and I took the opportunity to catch up with one another.  Thanks for coming to visit us.  I hope that we can get together again soon!

Counting

I haven't been great at posting developmental updates for Miles and Vivienne.  And that is a shame, because they have developed in their speech and counting at a very fast pace.  I really enjoy watching them count things.  They frequently will count out loud to the upper teens.  Just over the past month or so, they have really grasped the concept of counting objects.  They will count just about anything.  Yesterday, we were at the Farmer's Market and they had these enormous pumpkins.  The kids would walk by them and put their hands on each one and count,"One!  Two!  Three!" and so on.  I think they got up to around 13.

Their language skills are also getting much better very quickly.  Vivienne often speaks in well formed phrases and sentences, though these are still very simple sentences.  Miles usually uses individual words or shorter phrases, but his vocabulary has grown so much.  Jason often teaches him new words by pointing out objects in the illustrations of their books, and Miles retains it very well.  I was surprised one day to have him point out a stringed instrument to me one day and declare "cello!"

It's so fun to watch these two learn and grow.  They are growing up so quickly.  I try to remember to soak up as much of it as I can.

Farmer's Market

We went with Mom and Dad to visit the Farmer's Market in Raleigh.  We love seeing the seasonal produce and all the beautiful plants and flowers they have for sale.  The kids enjoyed sampling the apples and apple cider, and I took the opportunity to buy some mums for the front of our house.

Miles particularly enjoyed watching the construction in the parking lot with Granddad.

Vivienne hijacked the baby stroller and baby from Grandma's house and brought them along for the trip.  She was very proud to show off her little baby to the passers by.

We had a yummy lunch at the seafood restaurant and got home in time for the kids to get in some good naps.

Bond Park

We took the kids to Bond Park to count some ducks and stretch their legs.  Dad met us and brought Mindy along.  The kids love Mindy, and really enjoyed holding her leash and walking her in the field beside the lake.  It was a nice, relaxing evening outside with Miles and Vivienne.

Counting the ducks with Daddy

Proud little guy holding the leash

The cutest little dog walkers I ever did see.

Beach Trip 2012

We just returned from Holden Beach last weekend.  There were many "firsts" on this trip: our first vacation with the big kids, our first photographs as a family of five, all of the kids' first time seeing the beach and the ocean, the kids' first ride on a boat, and everyone's first time seeing baby sea turtles make their way into the ocean after hatching.  We stayed in a house that was right on the beach, which was perfect with little ones.  It was a wonderful week, and I am already looking forward to it next year.

When Miles saw "da beach" for the first time, he just kept saying, "Da beach... da beach..." over and over.

The week provided me many opportunities to go for long walks and jogs.  It was so nice to get into the swing of working out again.  Jason also enjoyed morning swims in the ocean.  The kids loved going to "da beach" to see Daddy come out of the water.

The first few mornings, Miles and Vivienne woke up at 6:30 am.  Initially, this was a little frustrating, but I came to appreciate seeing the sun rise and enjoying the brisk mornings on the sand.

We spent lots of time collecting shells.

We buried each other in the sand and wrote in the sand with our fingers.

We enjoyed lots of time with Grandma and Granddad and tons of giggles and snuggles.

We tracked loads of sand into our beach house.

We hung out and just looked cool together.

We enjoyed the surf and tapped into our "inner fishies".

Evelyn spent most of her time inside the house, just being the most beautiful baby alive and charming whoever had the privilege to hang out with her instead of play in the sand and surf.

We finally got pictures of us as a family of five, though it was certainly a challenge!

We enjoyed some beautiful sunsets.

It was an amazing time to spend together and I can't wait to do it again next year.

Miles and Viv did their regular yoga routine among the shells.

We all really enjoyed seeing sea turtles hatch and make their way to the sea.  Volunteers from the Holden Beach Turtle Watch program were there to make sure that all the babies got into the water without being gulped up by birds or washing back onto the shore.  The kids seemed to enjoy it, though I'm sure they won't remember it.

And, of course, no vacation is complete without a chocolate chip cookie as big as your hand... with a s'more stuffed inside.  The Smith clan rarely meets a dessert that we can't conquer, but none of us could finish these things.  Jason just watched us, shaking his head in disapproval.  I know that he secretly wanted one, though.

Evelyn is 2 Months!

Evelyn is already 2 months old. Her pediatrician appointment was on Friday and went very well.  We have no concerns with her at all at this point.  Here are her stats:

•  Height: 23.5" (93%)
• Weight: 11 lb 4 oz (67%)
• Head Circumference: 15.4 (82%)

Evie has changed so much over the past few weeks, starting to smile and coo.  She is a very calm baby and rarely gets fussy. 

Most nights, we are able to put her down swaddled and she will fall asleep on her own.  Of course, there are times when she is not tired enough and requires a bit more coaxing.  She has been very adaptable to being schlepped all over the place with Miles and Vivienne's playdates and errands. 

Unlike her brother and sister (who both have blue eyes), Evelyn has beautiful deep brown eyes.  Her hair is still very dark, though she has lost much of the longer hair (leaving behind a dark brown peach fuzz).  She has long eyelashes and a smile that could melt any heart.

Evie has gotten a lot more coordination in her arms.  She is able to keep them much steadier and has started to interact with the toys on her bouncy seat (though she is still just at the beginning stages of that).  Her focus has clearly gotten better, because we can see her looking at us from across the room now.  It is amazing to see how quickly new babies develop physically, mentally and socially.  It's a fun ride to be on again.