We're Back!

We have not done a great job of updating the blog over the last several (ok...many) months, but we're back! Isabel keeps us very busy, and the big news is that we're expecting #2. Old news, I suppose, since he's due in about 2 weeks in early August. Yup, a boy this time. :-)

While we wait for #2 to arrive (no name yet!), we've been enjoying the last days of the "Isabel Era". It's bittersweet bringing a new member into our family. It's hard to imagine splitting our love and energy with another child, and we're expecting that the adjustment period will be challenging. Maybe we'll be surprised. Isabel has been talking a lot about her baby brother and how she wants to take care of him and teach him things. So sweet. She's such an angel. I really love the age she's at. She talks so much and says the most hilarious things. It's incredible how articulate and creative she is. She's still feisty and high maintenance, but I don't think I'd have her any other way. She has this great energy and spirit. I wonder how #2 will be...

Here are some recent pics to show you how much Isabel has grown since our last post in November. Her babyness is gone. She's a big girl now!

Isabel went to her first movie at the theater! Toy Story 3! She watched the whole movie from start to finish!

Daddy has been taking Isabel to our pool a lot. She's comfortable swimming around with her "noodle" keeping her afloat. Time for swim lessons!

One of the benefits of having a pregnant mama is lots of ice cream! :-)

Isabel is no doubt a ham. She loves attention!

This month, Isabel graduated from the Green Room to the Yellow Room. Here she is with the teachers who took such great care of her while she was in the Green Room. Thanks Miss Grace and Miss Hannah!

More Dan the Man!

Here's a vid of Isabel's class this week at Dan the Man. The activity this time was an obstacle course where she got to climb, somersault, try a handstand, walk a balance beam and have fun! :-)

Halloween 2009

We had a fun Halloween season this year. We went to a couple of pumpkin patches -- one in the neighborhood and one at a big farm, had a little party with our playgroup and then went trick-or-treating for the first time! Isabel dressed up as a firefighter. We originally got her a butterfly costume, but she didn't seem that interested in it by the time Halloween rolled around. When she mentioned "fireman", I jumped on it. I liked that she wanted to be something not so "girlie". She loved everything about Halloween: the pumpkins/jack-o-laterns, houses dressed up with "monsters", costumes, seeing her friends and trick-or-treating! She even learned the word "candy". I have to admit that I'm a bit proud that she hadn't learned the word until then. :-) Enjoy our pics!

Superkid!

I took Isabel to this awesome kiddie gym today, called Dan the Man Superkids. It took Isabel no time at all to get warmed up and she was so excited to try all the cool things that Dan had the kids do. Check out the pictures below!

Little Gems in a Tough Day

Isabel hasn't been feeling well, but is on the mend. She gets pretty fussy when she's not 100% and without a good nap, today was a tough one. But, there were two little gems she gave us today that reminded us of how incredible she is.

First, i put a dragonfly hairclip in her hair and she pointed to it and said "dinosaur-fly". I don't blame her for getting "dragon" and "dinosaur" mixed up. Aren't dragon's just dinosaurs with wings? It was so sweet.

Second, I made a turkey-veggie stir fry for dinner and Isabel was at her high chair eating. All of a sudden, I hear her say "happy face". I look down at her tray and she had made a happy face with two carrots and a zucchini. I LOVE that she's an early-ish talker because we get to hear some of what's going on in her head and it's so amazing.

Potty Time!

Isabel is peeing on the potty! It's so exciting! The amazing part is that she is doing it all on her own, no potty "training". We've had a couple of potties around the house for a long time. I was worried that she would think it was a toy and not know what to do with it, since they've been sitting there for so long. But, one night about a week ago, before her bath, she sat down on her potty and went shee-shee. Yay Isabel! She's been doing it throughout the week. Yesterday, we were home so I had her diaperless and she went a couple of times. No poo-poo yet. Waiting for that to happen a few times before we go completely diaperless at home. I love that she's doing this on her own time and there's no pressure on either her nor us. :-)

ABCDEFGHIJKmelomelomeloPQRSTUVWXYZ

Isabel likes to sing along to this video of Elmo and India.Arie singing the ABCs. I love how she does the "LMNO" part. She used to sing it more precisely before, but started doing this funny tongue thing lately at that part. Of course, at the end, she grabs the camera.