post nap portrait, take 2

Abby: sipping milk with bedhead and spring dress, after waking up from her nap this afternoon. Nate: chewing on his rattle secured to the chair with boppy (loving these pre-mobility days).

Did we fix our problem? Is the picture here??

outdoors

Oh March and your topsy turvy weather tease. Here we are just a few days ago, enjoying dinner outside on the patio on a warm evening.
 

Nate bangs his tray in approval of eating outside. 

Fast forward to today when we awoke to a little bit of wet snow sticking to the grass outside. We decided to pack in the car and go see the cherry blossoms in a nearby neighborhood. Having heard that the Tidal Basin is in full bloom we assumed that other cherry trees would be too. Turns out we were wrong about that. After a mega-whiny car ride to the blossoms, Abigail gets even whinier when it turns out there are only blossom buds to be seen. Whiny ride home: check!
 

Abigail says: "I don't see any blossoms... Why????"

Nate's all bundled up in his seat, unsure what all the fuss is about.

Post nap, with the sun poking out, Abigail does get some outside playtime today ... in her "hammock" aka sandbox lid. Oh March.

more family fun

We packed a lot of family fun in last week when everyone was in town....

Dee Dee is surrounded by grandchildren and great-grandchildren:

Fun on the fountain ... won't be long until the weather is warm enough for the water part of the fountain to be working....

Double strolling, Nate rides in the jump seat for the first time...

Stroller: view from above.

Everyone had fun at dinner at a local wine bar ...

We enjoyed our sweet potato fries. Nate enjoyed his sweet potato puree.

Getting ready to head home to bed, Abby says good night to Pop Pop and the rest of the gang.

7 months, new 'do

Someone is 7 months old!

Someone's hair was getting a little shaggy.

So, snip snip snip and voila - Nate has a new 'do! Grandma did a great job, despite gasps from Sarah as the clipping and snipping was happening. Don't take TOO much off on this first trim!

Nate seems to like being able to see the world unobstructed by his bangs.

He's a pretty sweet guy.

And, hold your horses - he's not the only one in this house with a shorter spring cut. Abigail got 3 or 4 inches chopped off, and we think she looks very cute too! Since Nate's birth Abigail's hair keeps getting shorter and shorter and lower maintenance ... Direct correlation? Absolutely!

PS - note Abby's own little toddler sized Ergo baby doll carrier - birthday present from mama and papa, now that Nate is spending more time in "her" Ergo.

cousins

Nate and Walter: these two fellas seem like such different ages now ... it's hard to believe that it will even out in a couple of years and they'll be the "same" age, both being 2010 babies. For now, Walter enjoys showing his stuff now that he can walk and everything. Nate's saying, hey, check it out W - I can sit up, how cool is that?! Also note the rare photo documentation of Nate sporting a bow in his hair - not that this is uncommon (hello, big sister!) but it doesn't get captured on film very often.

The gang, getting ready for carry-out dinner chez DD and PP's hotel room - fun!

Four generations.

The gang, minus photographer Grandma and Abby and Papa who were home recouping from aforementioned stomach bug.

Dee Dee feeds Nate some squash.

Grandad and Nate, hanging out on the couch.

neighborhood adventures, family style

Not only were Grandma, Grandad, Dee Dee and Pop Pop all here last week .... but Uncle Dan, Aunt Anna and Walter came for the weekend too! We went to the playground.

Many, many trips down the slide.

Dee Dee, Grandad, and Pop Pop relax in the lovely (if unexpected) 70+ degree weather

Abby and Walter perform their coordinated "sippy cup strut". Walter prefers pants-free.

Then after playground time we're all off to Roscoe's for a lovely pizza dinner!

Nate and his seven-months-older cousin Walter share a moment. Nate wonders when he'll get to eat pizza.

More dinner action....and a shot of some of the yummy pizzas.

Getting sleepy, Nate shows all the other babies at the restaurant how to catch some snuggles in the Ergo.

oh, birthday!

Oh where to begin.....? Abigail had a GREAT 3rd birthday, beginning with morning snuggles from Grandad before heading off to school for the AM:

A lunchtime cupcake back at home after singing and dancing time at school with fellow Bluebirds - papa brought a portable piano in and took requests from the 3 year old set. Pictures and videos to follow!

Present time before dinner ... Abigail got a lovely riddle book from Great Grandmother Dee Dee, inscribed from 1926 when she was 3! How fun!

Birthday cake after dinner! "Granola cake" per Abby's request ... made by Grandma - delicious!

Abigail sang along to Happy Birthday and then blew out the candles...

Two dapper gents enjoy their birthday cake.

We never would have guessed that mere hours after this fun birthday celebration that the stomach flu would strike this happy home - Abigail's illness added another layer of complexity to an already complicated schedule of four generation outings and gatherings. But we survived! Abigail bounced back. Grandma did a TON of laundry. Nate also got it several days later, but now seems to be on the mend. Nothing like a birthday stomach bug to keep things interesting!

family love

So, so, so many adventures to catch up on here in blogland ... but bedtime calls.
We had a fun week of four generations. We sure do love this gang and thank everyone for traveling to us!

birthday girl

Happy 3rd birthday Abigail!
A few days earlier, Abigail ponders the big three and decides that the future looks bright!

It is sure to hold lots of action....

.... sneaky adventures....

... funky self-selected outfits, and big smiles!

Papa and Mama and Nate sure do love Abby!

Wish us luck as we plunge head first into the next year of adventures!