D

Here's a little video of David. It's classic D: throwing whatever he gets his hands on, laughing, babbling, and getting mauled by his brother.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

That's Havilah's voice in the background, informing me that "butt and buddy are the same word." Then, because she's not supposed to say butt, she uses the proper term many times ("buttocks. buttocks. buttocks.") Thanks Hava--what a sweet addition to our video.

This baby will be one in just a few weeks...I'm savoring his last moments of babyhood (our last family moments of babyhood) but am also looking forward to David being able to run and play with his siblings. Good thing my friends are having babies now (congratulations Stephanie and Steve!!!) or I would be sad to see this stage leaving. Dear sweet David, for as long as you'll let me, I will baby you and kiss your sweet fat cheeks!

sugar, sugar

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A couple days ago we had a snow flurry here in the Valley of the Sun, which resulted in me mopping my floor (twice!) and baths for two adorable--and sticky--children.

I was innocently cleaning out the pantry, and Havilah spilled powdered sugar as she was carrying it to the trash. The rest, as they say, is history.

**please excuse the sideways video at the beginning. I did not initially realize the camera was set to video.**

Graduation!

Goodbye cubby...

Goodbye name tag:

Goodbye bus...

Goodbye Ms. Kim...

Goodbye Ms. Nancy...

Goodbye Ms. Martin...

That's right--the end of school arrived a few weeks ago and we are still sad to see it go. But we were blessed to end the school year with a bang. First, the preschool graduation ceremony.

Look who came to watch the festivities--Jenny!

(Yes, Jenny is wearing an outfit. I cut up one of Hava's old onesies and sewed it into a little outfit for The Beloved. Next, Jenny got a quilt.... Either I have a sewing problem or John is seriously addicted to that monkey--or both!)

My aunt Elise and cousin Kelson came to watch too.

Four preschool classes graduated at the same time. All fifty or so kids walked into and around the cafeteria dancing to the chicken dance. Hilarious!

John with his "diploma":

On the last day of school (a week after the promotion), all the preschool families were invited for an ice cream sundae party, complete with a slideshow of pictures from the last two years. We were the only family members that came so we had the party to ourselves. It was such a nice way to say goodbye to the people and experience that were such a huge part of our lives. (This is Ms. Jenny holding David below:)

Ms. Nancy put on her sunglasses and pulled out her kleenex when it was time for the final goodbyes. We were all a little choked up, really.

Although we gave the teachers thank-you gifts and told them how much they have meant to all of us--and especially John--I don't think we can ever fully appreciate or communicate our gratitude for all the love, energy, and attention they poured into our John. We sure will miss preschool!

9 months

Now that the baby is, well, almost 10 months old, I thought I would share a few photos of the little guy at 9 months:

David loves his big brother (and sister)...and has lately been interested in watching/getting involved in everything they do.

The sidekick below is Jenny, who will be featured in another post tomorrow (John's preschool graduation!):

David weighed 21.5 pounds at his nine month check-up, and was 28.5 inches long (or would that be high?). He's pulling himself up on everything and is a very fast crawler. He has started to wave (when he feels like it) and is getting used to nursery too. Overall, he is still a happy, easy-going kid who just likes to watch all the action around him. I love you DS!

edible

David's black-bean-fest a few nights ago turned into an immediate bath-in-the-sink:

I don't really think he's edible, but it is tempting to nibble on such a cute baby!

Name banners

My latest sewing project was name banners for John and Havilah. They're simple, but the kids love seeing their names on the wall.

The many faces of Havilah

This girl. She is what we affectionately call a "piece of work." That means she wears her emotions on her sleeve, she has high highs and low lows, and she...well, she's darling.

Havilah's passion is food, no doubt. She loves to eat!

This sad face is so sad to see...brother John can't handle it and will often give Hava her way just to make the crying stop.

And then there's her wild side. I was trying to take a picture of Hava in her corner of the kids' room, which has been newly converted to a "big girl" bed. This is the best I got:

Yeah, that's Sweetie Pie being hung by her toes. Poor baby.

Hava's a smarty pants and loves to listen to books. Lately we've been overdosing on Clifford.

My sweet girl--what would I do without her?