Visit From Family

Nana came for a visit a few weeks ago and it was great to spend time with my mom. I have been a little behind on blog posts, so that's why I am just now getting to it! She couldn't believe how much both Isla and Quin had grown up in the three months that passed between visits. We spent most of her visit hanging out and playing with the kids, but it was nice. Next time, we will have to make it to either the zoo or the natural history museum.

Since my moms visit, we have tried skype a number of times and it is obvious that Isla now recognizes Nana (not to mention the fact that Quin loves seeing Nana and putting on shows for her).

Making Lemonade!

Our little helper was at it again, this time helping to make home-made lemonade with us. He is very handy in the kitchen and loves to help out whenever he can. Not only does he love to help make things, but he love to help consume them too! Last week, he helped me make a cheesecake and was happy to lick the bowl for me. Whenever he helps cook, his first question is always "Mommy, can I lick the scraper thing", and I almost always let him! He really is a great helper!

Quin Working

Quin loves to help Tim and I in whatever we are doing. A few weeks ago, Quin got to help Tim work on our new dining room table. There was a lot of sanding that needed to be done, so Tim was happy for the help! Sure, it might have added time to the overall project, but it was more than worth it for Quin to get to help his daddy!

More Mother's Day Pictures

I finally unloaded my little camera, so here are a few (okay, a lot) more pictures from Mother's Day:

Mother's Day

I know it is almost Father's Day, but I forgot to post about Mother's Day! To celebrate, we joined Carl and Gwen for breakfast. It was a nice breakfast and after, we took the opportunity to take a few pictures. Here are a few:

I will post more when I unload my camera!

Eating

Isla is now eating solids! She is doing great and loves to be part of the family, even sitting with us at the dinner table in the high chair! Just like Quin, she started her adventures in food by sitting in the Bumbo. This was a great way for her to start eating, but she quickly grew and graduated to the high chair. Now, we even get high chairs when we go out to eat! This is the first time she sat in a high chair at a restaurant:

So far, she has had rice cereal, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, apples, prunes, peas, and bananas. We plan on introducing carrots, followed by avocados, in the near future. She has liked everything instantly, with the exception of peas; these took a little getting used to. It wasn't until the peas were mixed with brown rice that she would actually eat them. I am making most of the food, although she doesn't like homemade peas. She still thrusts her tongue a lot, which makes it a bit hard to feed her, but she is getting the hang of it.

I will post more pictures and a video or two when I unload the other card in a few days!

Poor Isla!

This is old news by now, but I never posted about this so you may not have heard: A few weeks ago, Isla got a minor head injury. We were on our way out the door to take Quin to school for his big ice cream day, when a series of events caused a wall sconce to leap off the wall and knock poor little Isla in the head. As I watched the incident unfold, I was horrified. The instant the sconce hit her, blood started to gush. Instantly, Isla and Quin were screaming (Quin can't handle his sister being in pain); not only did I have a bloody girl (who was continuing to gush blood), but I had to calm Quin down. This was the first time I have ever seen one of my kids get injured and I wish that I could protect them and insure their safety at all times, but unfortunately, accidents happen.

After several thick gauze pads and about 15 minutes, I got the bleeding under control and called the doctor. They suggested I bring her in to have her looked at, so I dropped Quin off at school and our friend Jen said she would take him to ice cream day, and I headed off to the doctor.

Since my 5 month old had a head injury, the doctor got us right in. After taking one look at her, he determined that super glue was the way to go. One steri strip and some super glue later and our girl was as good as new! She was less than happy about the situation, but she survived. (I will say that it took me a few days to recover emotionally from the whole event.)

Check out the following video of her after the incident:

I am happy to report that the wound is healing nicely. After about two weeks the steri strip came off (with a little help) and now you can hardly see the mark. She might have a little scar for the next year or so, but it should heal completely in time.

Seeing your kids get hurt is one of the worst feelings, leaving you almost sick to your stomach. I know there will be more accidents in the future, and I am sure I won't be any better prepared for them, but hopefully they too will be minor.

Update

I guess our busy lives are taking their toll on my blog posts; I just don't have time to post anymore! I will try and get a handful of short posts done in the near future, but for now, here is a general update on both Quin and Isla:

Quin is out of school for summer and I am doing all I can to keep him busy. If you had asked me at the start of the school year if I would dread summer vacation, I wouldn't have been able to say no fast enough. Now, I might be changing my answer (and he has only been out of school for a few weeks)! I am really having a hard time coming up with enough activities to keep him busy and out of trouble.

He is still crazy about his sister. By now, I would have thought the novelty would have worn off! I could not have asked for him to be a better big brother. If she cries, he runs to her side and comforts her until she stops. He loves to dance and put on shows for her. I love to watch them together!

Isla is getting big and turning into a little girl. She loves being held and enjoys being outside. I'm doing my best to keep her out of the intense Colorado sun, but that is an almost impossible task with an active 3 1/2 (almost 4!) year old that I am trying to keep busy.

More to come soon, I promise!