Just like Mommy

Today we played dress-up and Ava wanted to dress up just like mommy... well, like mommy the princess version :)

She was trying out my lipgloss while I was feeding Caitlin with the strict instructions for her to ONLY put it on her lips- how do you think she did?

Go Braves!

To continue enjoying the gorgeous weekend, we took Caitlin to her first Braves game! Jason was able to get great tickets from his company with 755 club access. We invited Uncle Tony and Aunt Alina to join us- Ava was so excited to hang out with them. We had fun teaching Ava how to do the tomahawk chop, running the base on top of the stadium and running through the misters. Caitlin was so good and slept through most of the game despite the roar of the crowd. It was a perfect evening and the best part was the Braves beat the Giants 11-3! Go Braves!

Ava and I shared a yummy ice cream sandwich sundae at the 755 club. She's definitely my daughter- she has a huge sweet tooth just like me!

Caitlin was doing her usual snuggle on daddy- she never gets this comfortable on me!

Love squeezes

Ava ran the base a million times- she loved running with the big kids!

"Come and get me Daddy!"

Hi, Mom!

A family pic- jason and I have this picture of us sitting in these chairs from about 6 years ago, how times have changed!

Ava LOVED the misters!

Aren't they cute?

Ava could have cared less about watching the game, she loved sitting there talking to all four of us at the same time and being the center of attention

this would be the place that I would normally make a comment about how they look like naturals holding the baby and put pressure on them about having one of their own, but... I'm not going to do that

Ava is so sleepy in this picture, but I love the look on her precious face

I can't until we go again!

The Laser Show 2009

This weekend, the weather was gorgeous! It was in the low 80's with a breeze so we decided to take advantage and go to the laser show at Stone Mountain. The laser show is an Atlanta summer tradition that Jason and I hadn't been to in a couple of years. So, we loaded up the car and the girls and headed down to meet the Bishops. Everyone else had the same brilliant idea that we did so we had to fight through the crowds to find parking and a space on the lawn. We ended up finding a great space where the kids could get up and dance and play and not bother any of our neighbors. We ate the traditional meal of KFC (yum!) and only had about 30 minutes until the show started! Perfect timing... The show was fantastic as always- my favorite song is always Georgia on My Mind and the Devil Went Down to Georgia. Ava thought the lasers were scary and wouldn't watch the show. About halfway through, she started watching the fireworks and ended up really enjoying the experience. What a great night- hopefully it will turn into something that we do every summer as a family.

We brought the wagon- it was a genius idea. Ava and Christian were having fun riding in the wagon and it also held several of our bags. You would not believe how much we felt we had to take to survive the laser show- seriously, you would think we were going on a trip for several days.

Just enjoying some fresh air


Hopefully these two will enjoy hanging out as much as Ava and Christian do...

They really do love hanging out together- aren't they adorable?

Jason and Caitlin

I wish I had filmed them dancing to the music- they were shaking their cute booties!

Everyone's awake- quick, take a picture!

Ben and his boys

They were sharing so well- it made me proud!

The fireworks were so fun!

Diva!

We asked Ava to pose in her sunglasses and this is what she came up with... very vogue don't you think?

check out this hottie!

Little Diva in training

Our 2 week (really 3 week) Doctor's appointment

We went for our 2 week appointment today. Caitlin was great- she was sleeping and quiet the whole time. She is really growing and Dr. Kim was really happy with her progress. She is now 8 pounds, 9 ounces and 21 inches long!! Someone's measurements have got to be off since she was only 18 inches 3 weeks ago... or maybe we'll have a supermodel on our hands? :)

We LOVE our pediatrician Dr. Kim- he's so calm, all the babies seem to be mesmerized by him...

Yes, for those without children, they really do use puppy pads to keep the infants from having accidents on their equipment :)

The Park is Always More Fun with Daddies...

Kim and I are very fortunate to get to meet often at Monkey Joe's to let the girls run around and play. They play so well together and are so cute that we wanted to give Jason and Len a chance to watch and join in the fun. The plan started out as dinner and a trip to Monkey Joe's, but to our dismay, Monkey Joe's closes at 6 on Thursdays. So, we ended up at Chick-fil-A and Swift-Cantrell Park! It was a beautiful evening, but still really hot and humid. Jason and Len didn't care. They ran and chased after Ava and Emmie and wore the girls and themselves out!

Ava and her Daddy

Len and sweet Emmie

Two peas in a pod

This is what they do the whole time- follow each other around and around and around...

She's definitely up to something!

Caitlin enjoying the park...

This is why Daddy is WAY more fun than Mommy at the park- I would never attempt this with Ava, but she LOVED it. I wish I had gotten pictures of her trying to walk after spinning- it looked like something we will be seeing in 20 years after a fun night out :)

A Fun Day with Friends

On Saturday, the Bishops came over to see Caitlin and let the kids play. We hung out at the pool for a little while and then ate a delicious lasagna and peach cobbler made by Nikki- thanks guys! Ava adores Christian and gets so excited to see him- they really play well together. Ava even shared her fruit snacks with Christian, which in her world is a really big deal! It was a great afternoon spent with friends, which was made even better by not having to cook. There are some serious perks to having a newborn :)

Seriously, aren't they adorable together?

Ben, Nikki and Collin

Ava and her Daddy

This is why Ava has more fun at the pool with her Daddy than with me- he throws her around the whole time!

Ava loved having the boys in her bath tub. Jason made it very clear to her that this was the last time any boy would see her naked

Our Second Week

We survived our second week! It has been a busy week that has passed by in a sleepy blur :) Caitlin has been eating every 3 hours and has started sleeping 5-6 hours in a row at night! We definitely can't complain. I made it a point to get out of the house with Caitlin and Ava and we went to the park and Monkey Joe's and to Publix (trust me, even going to the grocery store is a big deal!). It definitely takes a lot of planning and patience, but I'm getting the hang of it.
We are getting into the swing of things and learning how to handle two little ones. Some of the things we've learned are that Caitlin loves to sleep in her swing or laying on mine or Jason's shoulder, it takes us at least 3.5 hours to get ready if I want to take both girls somewhere and always, always pack 2 bottles (Caitlin's cries are even louder in an enclosed space if she's not fed).
Lots of family and friends were able to meet Caitlin this week, here are a few of the pics!

Aunt Lauri is Caitlin's godmother

This is the super-cute, super yummy cookie bouquet from Lauri

Ava was so excited to introduce Carol and Kristin to her baby sister

Caitlin really liked Kristin- she spit up and pottied on her in a span of about 10 minutes :)

We met Kim and Emmie at Chick-fil-A before going to Monkey Joe's! The day we went, Chick-fil-A was offering free meals to anyone that dressed up like a cow- it kept the girls entertained for the whole meal.

Our little sweetheart

Daddy snuggling with his two little girls

The East Cobb Park

One of the things I was determined to do once Jason went back to work was to get out of the house with the girls as much as possible. On my first trip flying solo, we met Kim and Emmie at the East Cobb Park. Kim was so patient- we were 30 minutes late!! It was supposed to be overcast and cooler that day, but of course the sun came out- it was a scorcher. We only stayed long enough to let the girls play for an hour and to eat lunch at the picnic table. Then we headed to chick-fil-a to cool off with ice cream and to play on the indoor playground. Emmie and Ava played so well together- I loved watching them run after one another.

Aren't they sweet??
Best Friends

I love the look on Emmie's face!

Caitlin slept most of the time in the shade

Wheee!!

Meet Ava Heart

Meet the newest member of our family- Ava Heart! We brought her home from the store this weekend as a big sister present for Ava. We had so much fun going to build-a-bear as a family- it was our first outing all together. Jason and I considered it a successful trip- no major tears, meltdowns, or blow out diapers. In fact, Caitlin slept the whole time and Ava was so excited to go to build-a-bear that she behaved the entire time. What more could we ask for?

Ava loved watching Ava Heart come to life with the fluffing machine

Daddy helped give Ava Heart a bath

Ava skillfully applies lipstick to her bear

Caitlin's Room

I thought I would post some pics of Caitlin's room. It is a work in progress and I wanted to wait until I was completely done, but I've since had a reality check and realized that it may never actually be completely done! We (ok, I) decided to go with purple since I was kind of pink-ed out after Ava's room. After we painted and put in the bedding, I really fell in love with Caitlin's room- it feels so soothing! Caitlin is trying out her crib- she ws mesmorized by the butterflies

Ava wanted to show Caitlin how to work the aquarium- it actually looks like Caitlin is paying attention!

I love the letters over Caitlin's bed!

The changing table...

Since taking this picture I have found the most perfect lamp to go beside the rocking chair- I'll have to post it when I get a chance

As always, loving all things personalized...

Caitlin's First Bath

Caitlin loved her first bath. She was really alert and watched her big sister most of the time. It took me a few minutes to remember how to wash a newborn- Caitlin was so slippery!

Ava was really excited to take a bath with Caitlin. She helped wash her and kept pouring water on her to keep her warm. Then she decided that Caitlin's tub looked so nice and cozy that she just had to try it out for herself. A good time was had by all... until Caitlin peed on Jason. I guess no one warned him that it's not just little boys that react to the cold air :)

I was super excited to find these towels for Caitlin- two years after buying them for Ava! Seeing them hang next to each other made having two little girls seem a little bit more real. Jason and I are already talking about how we can renovate and make their bathroom bigger- the joys of having two girls... :)

My two bathing beauties

Kicking and splashing

What does this soap taste like?

This bathtub is just my size...

Feeling clean, refreshed and sleepy... after peeing on daddy, I'm ready for bed!

Happy 4th of July and Happy 90th Birthday Grandma!!

Our Little Firecracker :)

On July 4th, we celebrated Grandma's 90th birthday at our house! Yes, that's right- one week after having Caitlin, we decided it would be a great idea to have 18 people over for dinner. It has been such a long time since all of my mom's side of the family has gotten together to visit and it was such a fun reason that everyone came in town. Grandma turned 90!! She normally hates to have any attention on her, much less BE the center of attention, but I know she was happy to have all of her kids and grandkids and great grandkids around her. All of my family came over in the afternoon for an early dinner of Williamson Brothers BBQ (the best barbeque in the south in my opinion!), pasta salad, corn on the cobb, fresh veggies and fresh fruit. Yummy! And for dessert, strawberry pretzel salad- always my birthday cake of choice, too. A huge thank you to Alina for providing most of the food- it was delicious! Everyone stayed to try to watch fireworks, but we could only see a few over the tree tops around our house.
While it was pretty hard on Jason and I to get the house cleaned and some of the food prepared all while adjusting to Caitlin, entertaining and hosting everyone at our house is one of my favorite things to do. I love having a busy and bustling house full of friends and family. Hopefully we will get everyone together again soon and not have to wait for Grandma's 95th for another reunion!

The birthday girl blowing out her candles- she had some help from Gavin and Ava

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Alina and my cousin Tommy starting the food line

Ava got in the spirit of the holiday and wore her crown (her words) most of the day

Feeding time was a family affair

Yes, that's Luke again, really enjoying the boppy


This picture is what started my aunt Bonnie harassing Lori about grandkids... you're next! :)

My Little Swoozie's Girl

I just love this little sleeper! I wish I had it in bigger sizes :)

Our first week home

The first week went by in such a blur! I can honestly say that it definitely wasn't as bad as I remember with Ava. I was on such a mommy high (you moms out there know what I'm talking about!) that I hardly felt tired. The second time around has been much more calm and laid back- those feelings of anxiety over every little cry are gone and so are the feelings of helplessness when you can't make the crying stop! So far, the transitions for everyone in the house (Ava and puppies included) have had few bumps in the road and we all seem to be adjusting nicely. Jason has been at home all week- thank goodness!- so he's been able to spend a lot of time with Ava and get her out of the house to play and get rid of some of her energy. Ava is in love with her little sister and has really been helpful with Caitlin. I'd say all in all we couldn't ask for a better response from Ava and hope that this trend continues!

Caitlin continues to grow and is sleeping really well- sometimes 5 hours in a row! We took her for her follow up doctor appointment and she has already gained an ounce. It doesn't seem like much, but I'd say majority of all babies lose weight after they leave the hospital, so our pediatrician was really pleased that she hadn't. I can already tell she will be a great eater. We got out Ava's baby pictures and Caitlin looks almost identical to her sister- only her face is a tiny bit rounder. Her hair doesn't seem like it will fall out, but I guess only time will tell. It's already a little bit lighter. Maybe she'll be a little blondie too?

These are some of our pics from the first week- lots of friends and family were able to stop by and visit. It was great to see everyone- thanks again for all the meals and presents and support!

We love you!

All dressed up and ready to go to the pediatrician- this was her first time out!

Weighing in at the doctors office- you can already see her double chin! :)

Ava and our sweet neighbor Abby eating popsicles. Jason took Ava to the pool with our neighbors three mornings in a row- Ava loved it! She will be so sad when Daddy has to go back to work!

Sisterly Love- Ava always wants to hug and kiss on Caitlin. Here she asked Caitlin to give her a hug.

We spent a lot of time sitting exactly like this, this week. I don't know if you can tell, but Luke is actually sitting ON the boppy pillow. He doesn't seem to mind Caitlin at all!

Our sleeping beauty
Caitlin is chillng with her Daddy- you can tell she's really enjoying watching that golf tournament!

Caitlin's Birthday Party

In the hospital, when Caitlin arrived, we told Ava that it was her actual BIRTH-day. Ava LOVES to sing happy birthday and go to birthday parties and almost every other day it is Ava's birthday and we have to sing happy birthday to her (isn't it amazing what you will go along with as parents to keep your child happy??). So, Ava was very excited that it was Caitlin's birthday and asked if we could have a party for her. On the way home from the hospital, Alina (the best aunt ever!) picked up some cupcakes and we had an impromptu party for Caitlin.

Somehow, I don't think Ava cared who's birthday it was, just as long as she got to eat a cupcake! :)

More Hospital Pictures

Uncle Tony was our first visitor right after Caitlin was born
Papa and Linda got to the hospital just as Caitlin was arriving

Ava wanted to help feed Caitlin, but she was too distracted by the cartoons on TV

Ava loved pushing all the buttons on the bed- here she's eating pancakes from my oh so delicious hospital breakfast- apparently Ava likes the hospital food!

Uncle Jeremy came for a visit

Jen came too!

Aunt Alina

I love this picture!

Here's Ava trying to "help" with feeding again

Nonna and her 4th grandchild!

Bobbilin and Caitlin- we were glad she and Matt got a chance to stop by before they left for the summer!

Kim and Len came by to visit

Check out Caitlin's purple toes!

Pretty in Purple

This is Caitlin's Popeye look- she gives it to us all the time. I have a feeling that it will develop into the one eyebrow raise as soon as she can master the muscles :)

Catching one more nap before heading home from the hospital

Going home with my girls

OMG!! Two carseats!!

Caitlin Della Stein

Caitlin Della Stein ... our sweet angel

Caitlin is here!! Our sweet baby girl arrived on Friday night, June 26 at 10:29 pm. She was 7 pounds, 5 ounces and 18 inches long- a whole pound bigger than her sister!

Caitlin has a head full of dark hair (we already knew that, thanks to all the heartburn) and beautiful big eyes. For right now, they are dark, but they already look like they will turn blue soon. She has two scabs on the insides of both of her wrists from sucking on them in utero- she has definitely taken to her pacifier and we're trying to use that instead of her wrists or thumb!

Labor and delivery was a much better experience this time around and Caitlin came in just 6 and a half hours- half the time it took for Ava! Caitlin arrived in this world screaming- you should hear her screech! We have nicknamed her Caitlin-saurus because she sounds like a teradactyl whenever she's upset. Ava thinks that it's hilarious when Caitlin cries and giggles everytime Caitlin makes a peep. Jason and I are taking bets on how long it will take Ava to move from laughing when Caitlin cries to asking us to take her back to where she came from.

We were discharged on Sunday morning and it was a little surreal to put both girls in the backseat and drive home as a family of four.

We are all already in love with this sweet little wad of a person who has turned our world as we know it upside down- we can't wait to learn who Caitlin is and what her personality will be. She is changing daily and I wish we could freeze each precious moment- it already feels like time is moving too fast!

Thank you to all of our family and friends who helped watch Ava over the weekend, brought us delicious dinners and lots of flowers and presents- we are truly blessed and appreciate all the phone calls, texts, well wishes, and most of all love.

Our first meeting

Weighing in
Falling in love

Caitlin's First Bath- she did not like it!

This was the only pic we got where she wasn't screaming!
The new big sister was so excited to meet and hold Caitlin!

Snoozing on Daddy- the best place to be

4th of July Parade

This morning Ava had her 4th of July parade at school. She was so excited about her parade that she marched all around the house before we left for school. Jason and Tony met us there- Ava was so excited that her Uncle came to see her parade. I think that it really made her feel special that he was there.

As always, going to the parades and seeing all the creative art projects and fun that Ava has makes Jason and I very grateful that she goes to the school that she does.

Check out the cool shaker and hat she made!

Ava and all her friends marching

Too cool in my Ariel sunglasses...

Ava was so excited that Uncle Tony came

Mommy, Daddy and Ava- I promise we did not plan to match today :)

Tickled Pink!

Today I had a beautiful shower hosted by Lauri~ everything was perfect, right down to the cookie cake! It was so fun to get together with everyone for a relaxing afternoon and celebrate Caitlin's upcoming arrival. Seeing her name monogrammed on blankets, hooded towels, tote bags and chair covers (thanks Carmen!) :) made it finally seem real that we're about to be a family of four. I really loved the gorgeous book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, that everyone signed- it will be so fun to read everyone's message to Caitlin and I'm sure the book will become a treasure for years to come.

Everyone was so generous, we have everything that we need except for the baby! I'm looking forward to organizing and putting away everything in Caitlin's nursery. I can't wait for Caitlin to meet all of her sweet aunts!

The adorable cookie cake- yum, my favorite!

My sweet hostesses- Lauri and Mrs. Rainbow

Carmen and Nikki

The fam- mom and aunt 'lina'

Alina and Lauri

my zeta girls- melissa and ashley

'Twas the night before Christmas...

How many of Santa's elves does it take to put together Ava's Christmas presents?? :)
I love these two pictures of the boys hard at work. Jason and I thought we did so well this year- we didn't buy a single present that required batteries. Little did we know that what we did buy would take so much work to put together. Lesson learned for next year...


Hard at work :)

Dinner with the Rainbows

Ava and I had dinner with Lauri and her parents at our favorite place- Chili's! Over the summer the Rainbows did some major renovations on their house and since I spent most of my high school years there, I was dying to see it!
It didn't disappoint- their new kitchen and family room are gorgeous! If they had had the amazing bar set-up in high school that they do now, maybe Lauri could have been talked into hosting a few more parties :)
Lauri and the Rainbows were so sweet to have Christmas presents for Ava- she loved the Elmo book, the cute pink wagon with building blocks and the aqua doodle. Ok, it was more than sweet- they spoiled her rotten! Their house must have made an impact on Ava, whenever I bring up the Rainbows, she talks about their grass- she must have really liked their backyard!

From their house we went to dinner at Chili's- it felt just like old times, except with a two year old sitting at the table :)

Hopefully we'll get together again soon!

The Rainbows and Little Miss

Of course, I was mid-sentence in this picture, but Ava looks cute and that's all that really matters anyway, right? :)

December Parties- busy, busy, busy...

December always brings Christmas parties, crazy hours at Swoozies, shopping, decorating and for us lots of birthday parties! Ava's social calendar was very full this year with back to back Saturday birthday parties for Kyle Fischer and Zach and Bryce Taneri. Kyle's 3rd birthday party was at DacKids, a fun pirate themed place that's like a big indoor sandbox. Zach (who turned 5) and Bryce (who turned 3) had a reptile themed party at JumpIts, with lots of jumpees. With all of the fun things to do at both places, Ava's favorite part of birthday parties is the birthday cake! She loves to sing happy birthday because she knows what comes after. She definitely has my sweet tooth :)

We had so much fun celebrating with all of our friends! Happy Birthday Kyle, Zach and Bryce!

Uncle Tony is Ava's favorite friend to play with!

Ava and Dylan could barely see over the table,

but there was no way they were missing out on cake!!

Yummy!

Ava climbing through the jungle gym at JumpIts

Ava going down the slide with Daddy- for some reason she is being a big scaredy cat and won't go down any slide (no matter how big) by herself.

The birthday boys Zach and Bryce

Again, patiently waiting on cake...

Dylan was driving Ava on their first date- needless to say, Jason was not happy about this! :)

Hi Jeremy and Isa!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

One of my favorite things to get me in the holiday spirit is decorating the Christmas tree. I love unpacking the ornaments, one by one, and remembering who gave it to us or where we bought it or the memory behind it. It's actually a long and torturous process- Jason hates decorating the Christmas tree (don't tell him, but I don't really blame him!), so Gigi and Grandma came over to help. My favorite ornaments are the ones that I order each year that are personalized with whatever happens to be going on in our lives that year. We have a new house one, a new baby one, a pregnant mom one, Ava's first Christmas and a few others... I love them!

As you can see, Ava was a big helper- she especially liked hanging the gold beads around the tree and modeled them for us as jewelry. She was very opinionated about ornament placement and moved the bottom ornaments around to her liking. In fact, she moved them around almost every day- we only had two casualties the entire month. Overall, I'd say it was a successful christmas tree experience with a toddler!

Modeling the beads

Our little decorator

The final product

My favorite part of our tree

Look, I'm a Big Girl!

Ava started sitting at the table with us like a big girl. No more high chair tray for her! She loves her new placemats, personalized with her name of course :)