For the folks.

Cause, really, when was the last time you had a good picture of the two of us? Thanks, Ronald.

Love affair.

This is day two of Fisher's wonderfully gorgeous creamy clear skin, and I know this is a silly superficial thing, but it is making me super happy and I can't keep from kissing that smooth skin (Ron is no longer calling him Gravel Face) and just burying my face in his. It's just beautiful, like, well, baby skin. So I'm taking pictures. Lots. And, yes, whenever we go outside, he spends most of that time in the stroller. The grass is too mosquito-y, holding him while I chase Alla is impossibly ridiculous and let's not forget that I'm a sun-nazi, and since we're in the delicate period where he can't yet have sunscreen, no sun for you!

I am also at the beginning of a love affair with the thumb-suck. Oh so cute. And when he's holding onto his monkey blanket while sucking his thumb, I just can't resist the cuteness. I am really pushing this monkey as his future lovey. I'm like a lovey pimp.

Here...love this little birthmark on his forearm. I have the same one on the opposite arm:)Enjoying some time with his Gymini. He likes it about second, as far as entertainment goes, first being the mobile in his crib.

Everyone here is excited for Uncle John and Aunt Jenn to come visit tomorrow!

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Woke up this morning feeling that if I got through the day without selling my children to the gypsies then it would be a good day. Translation: I was sooooo tired.

2. However, as luck or the sleep gods would have it, Mama got a 90-minute nap today. I know! Unheard of. But I will take it, thankyouverymuch. And then got to run in the evening, too. I didn't even complain that it was still 85 degrees. I. just. ran.

3. Fisher is utterly, hopelessly addicted to his swaddle blanket. Except for the feet. Gotta kick those out before I even finish wrapping him up.
4. Speaking of utter, hopeless addictions.
5. Not just her to him, but him to her. He knows her voice, he looks for her. I daresay he misses her.
6. Took Fisher to the doctor yesterday because his skin continues to flare up/break out. After one night of prescription strength hydrocortisone, it is like a miracle. That creamy baby skin is back and I have photographic proof...but you'll have to wait til another post for that.7. I believe I mentioned the cutest habit ever, the thumb sucking while rubbing the head. Can't seem to get him doing both at the same time when I have my camera on him, but the thumb sucking is like second nature now, I don't even know if he realizes he's doing it.8. And if he isn't rubbing his head, then he's grabbed onto this shirt with the same hand that he sucks, his left. However, if he is being held by one of us, on our left shoulders, then it's fine to suck the right (free) hand.9. Did you need a close-up? I told you, he's really figured it out.10. Alla is SO excited...Uncle John and Aunt Jenn come to visit in two days. And, get this, she tells me she will teach Uncle John to play baseball. Ha!

Three months.

Someone turned three months old today. He's pretty darn cute, so I won't go into the whole he-didn't-ask-permission-thing. We'll just leave it at, he's our cutie and I love it when he sucks his first two fingers and his onesie that he's picked up with his thumb, and with the other hand rubs his head with those baby fingers. Call it cute habit #1.

Love you, little man.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. The big girl riding her big girl bike.
2. Today, erasing all the ant hills in our driveway with her neighbor friend, Raj.
3. Trouble is, that makes for a sand-slippery driveway, and the little girl slipped a few times on her buns-huns.
4. Fisher gets to come outside, too, and sit in his stroller gazing at all the play he'll be able to do one day.
5. Raj drew a hopscotch game that was a tad too teensy, so I made a lifesized one. And forgot what the heck you do in this game anyway, with rocks that you throw and all? Luckily three, four and five-year-olds just make up their own rules anyway and tell you things like, "Hopscotch is just a contest kind of game." That was Carter, the five-year-old.

6. A little pool action on a warm Sunday.
7. This weekend she starts swimming lessons again!
8. Rediscovering Pepito whom she'd left in the garage. Now it's a real decision to make, to sleep with Pepito or Zebra. Tough choices on a three-year-old. 9. Apparently Pepito needs to be strolled. 10. Three months ago, I looked like this.Today, we look like this!

Happy Father's Day, Love.

We hope you had a 'mahvelous' day.

Our children are lucky to have such an amazing Daddy.

We love you!

The verdict: mongolian beef.

Yum. Try it soon. We served ours over brown rice with edamame. The meat was a tad spicy for the wee one, but not too spicy for a nursing mama. Not to worry, though, the wee one got her fill on edamame. The way it works around here is you basically have to take what you want from the start, cause she pretty much lays claim to the entire bowl thereafter. This is her bowl of empty pods.

In other news, Alla has discovered comedy. Somewhat. OK, we've been reading the comics to her for a long time now - she's a huge fan of Charlie Brown (he's a clown) and Garfield. And we kind of limit it to that because, honestly, we would sit there for like two hours and read the comics over and over. So yesterday she decided to 'read' us the comics, which she did backwards, but it was not a bit less funny. She just kind of looks at the pictures and makes up some things that she thinks it might be about.And when she gets to the end she always chuckles. And then she looks at you and says, "Was that a funny one!?!!" Can't you just hear it looking at this picture! Too much.

Random Wednesday post.

I'm not even going to front and say that this isn't a Ten on Tuesday post, because, well, it is. Since it's actually Wednesday, we'll just call it something else but still put numbers there to keep things nice and tidy. At least I'm not locked into ten this way. And, who knows, you might even get more than ten.

1. Some outside time yesterday. I swear if the wind even slightly whips at her bare arms, a sweatshirt must be put on. Stat. 2. I'm not sure why the long face. Maybe the gloomy weather. Maybe the fact that I made her put her wormies back in the ground before we came in. I swear, if she could find a way to keep them inside, we'd have more worms than people living in here. 3. There we go, a little happier-looking:) 4. Another first for me - an infant carseat. We borrowed one from friends and though I'm not a fan for regular use - i.e. trying to hold onto Alla's hand, carry that monstrous thing with my fifteen-pound baby in it, and a diaper bag all the while trying to push the right button on the remote to lock the car - I did take Ron's car to Walgreens the other evening, with just my son in the infant carseat. And, no, when we got there I didn't carry the whole dang thing in with us, I took him out of the seatbelt and carried him. Reminded me of those old days with Alla when she was itty bitty and I took her everywhere and probably thought it was hectic. But boy did I mosy through Walgreens, taking my sweet ol' time, because holding just him felt pretty easy. And nice. 5. Got some new diapers, thanks to Megan, the Happy Hempy, for nighttime. Tried it last night for the first time and FINALLY no leaks! That is one super thick, absorbant diaper.

6. All you have to do is give her a paintbrush and some water and she's content for like an hour.7. Don't you love the concentration face?8. The two Killins kids have been roomies for a week now. And that's what I call them, The Killins Kids. As in, "Come on, Killins Kids, time to go!" But I don't say that too often cause I don't actually GO too often.

9. What are 12-week-olds supposed to play with? Fisher is pretty content to forcefully and methodically shove the same thing into his mouth over and over until he drops it and then it's like he never even had it. Ah, the memory of a 12-week-old.

10. He loves toys that play music. We might need a toy that plays Bob Marley.

11. A great find for all my foodie friends: A Year of Crockpotting. But you must report back on what you tried and loved. I believe we have Mongolian Beef on the menu for tomorrow.

12. I am loving the not-too-warm weather around here where you can just take it outside: morning cup of tea [that you've reheated at least three times], dinner a couple times a week, watercolors. She's in love with watercolors.
13. (Thirteen? See, just wait an extra day and I have more to share.) I somehow let my Real Simple subscription lapse (my last issue was March, when I suddenly became a little bit busier) and am deeply perturbed by thisl. How on earth did I not realize I hadn't read an April or May, and now June, issue? I feel like I have truly missed out.

I had never given a baby a bath in the sink.

Until tonight.And oooh are sink baths better for photographs.

Since Mama's obviously not going to get a nap today.

Might as well post some pics of what the kiddos do all day long at home. Since we do spend an awful lot of time at home.

The Stahrs have gone.

But look-y what they left us! How happy am I that my eleven-week-old is smiling in our new family photo! Very!And just in case you were wondering what Alla is holding in her hands in that family portrait...yes, apparently wormies have a place in our family, too ;-)

Thanks Megan + Jeremiah, Jacob, Jamie, and Maz...we love you and are so glad you got to share some days with us! We miss you already. Who is Alla going to sing to sleep tonight? Oh, right, Daddy says Fish is moving in there. More on that, stay tuned...

Ten on Tuesday: The Stahr-Killins Edition!

1. This is Jamie's nanny nanny boo boo face: bet you wish you were here, too! Too bad for you!
2. Old friends getting to be friends in person again.
3. Built in playmates for 3 days.

4. Well Fish isn't playing too much, exactly, but he did get to come along for a stroller ride to the stream.
5. Where they found tons of dandelions. Are they still called dandelions when they look like this? I call them blowers because, well, Alla blows them.6. This is the waiting for the Stahrs face. We just sat in the garage on chairs waiting patiently for them to pull up.
7. And when they arrived, we put Mazie right to work on the weeds.8. But we let her take breaks. Short ones.9. And look at this "little" guy with his mama.
10. Isn't he stunning? If you hadn't noticed, we're having a blast:)