Josephine... aka... Joey

 ... And so the new relationship begins! Those of you who have been following the blog know all about Charlie's lovey, Rocky. It has been with him since the beginning, and now Seda is carrying on the tradition. Her lovey is Josephine the elephant, but we call her Joey. Seda is totally into her now. Joey has been in the crib with Seda since day one, and she's just starting to snuggle into her when she sleeps. Yes, she tries to bite at her paws, but we are nipping that habit in the bud before it starts!

Charlie & Mommy

 I had the camera upstairs the other day to take a picture of Seda, and Charlie wanted to see the pictures as he was laying down for a nap. I showed him, and then we decided to take a picture together. I just love this little guy so much!

Attempt at a Good Picture . . .

Eyes closed . . . 

 Charlie was holding Seda the other day, and she was all smiles, so we tried to get a good picture of them both. Why is it that they couldn't both be smiling at the same time? I really wish Charlie had his eyes open in a couple of these, because they are too stinkin' cute!

...eyes open, but not smiling . . . 

He can't smile and keep his eyes open at the same time!

Finally! Eyes open... but Seda's got an evil grin. :)

Seda's Daily Workout

Charlie talking Seda through tummy time.

 Just a little glimpse into the workouts Seda performs daily. At 3 months we are working on tummy time, rolling over, and using our hands. As you can see, her trainer is very encouraging for her!

"You can do it, baby girl! You can roll over!"

"It's OK, baby girl. Don't cry."

Working on our hands and grabbing the ball.

She REALLY concentrates on that ball!

4th of July Week

My cutie pie at the rock beach.

 We had a fun-filled 4th of July week this year. We started the first weekend off with a visit from Grandpa and Grandma. We spent a lot of time outside on the deck, went to the rock beach, and they even helped me to organize our attic! On the 4th, we spent the day with the Tuccini family. We headed into town in the afternoon to watch the parade, then we went to the beach, and then had dinner over at their house. It started to downpour around 8:30 when we were on our way home, so we were hoping the fireworks would be rescheduled until the next night (we were all exhausted), but that didn't happen. Both kiddos fell asleep on the way home and slept in the next morning. It was a great day! The following Friday, Mark, Kelly, Drew and Matthew came up from Manistique to visit. We enjoyed the day with them watching the boys play, going to the beach, and just enjoying each other's company. It wasn't a long enough visit, as usual, but we were glad they made the trip for the day!

Best Buds!

Our smiley little girl!

Waiting for the parade to start... it was VERY hot.

Seda enjoying the parade. :)

Hangin' with Matthew on the playmat.

Bathing beauties under the umbrella at the beach.

Seda fell right to sleep . . . 

Playin' in the waves with Uncle Mark!

Our little string bean!

Daddy and his baby girl checking out the lake.

The water is finally warm enough that she doesn't retract her legs when they touch!

Burying Dad/Uncle Pete.

Race to the water!

... and Matthew joined her.

Uncle Randy & Auntie Cake Visit

LOVE this picture!

We were SO lucky to have Uncle Randy and Auntie Cake come out to Michigan again to visit us this summer. Kathy flew out for a week by herself, and then Randy came out for the second week of her trip. We definitely miss them on a daily basis, but we truly know how much when we get to spend extended time with them and then have to say goodbye again. Being with Kathy and Randy is just so easy... we just all flow nicely together. We can give each other a hard time and be brutally honest, and that's when you know you have a great friend! Of course two weeks didn't seem long enough when they left, but we did our best to do as much as we good. Although . . . my favorite moments were just sitting on the porch, talking, drinking, and watching the kiddos. Pete and I are so lucky that Charlie and Seda have Uncle Randy and Auntie Cake in their lives. Charlie will always have this wonderful connection with them because they have been there since the beginning, and Seda is just following right in those footsteps! Thank you, Kathy and Randy, for making the trip out here to visit us, and most of all for being such a wonderful presence in ours and our kid's lives. We can't imagine our lives without you, and we know you know how hard it is not have you 15 minutes away from us. We love you VERY much, and we are looking forward to hopefully seeing you again in the fall!

Uncle Randy bought Charlie his very first baseball mitt!

Crankin' the ball! Charlie left welts on Pete from hitting it so hard!

Charlie spent many hours splashing in the pool.

Jumpin' in!

Seda time! She was all smiles for Uncle Randy & Auntie Cake!

Seda had her own special Uncle Randy time every evening before dinner. 

Off for a hike up Sugar Loaf!

At the top of Sugar Loaf.

Our first little family shot!

Having a picnic at Wetmore Landing.

Throwing rocks with Uncle Randy. Charlie wants to grow up big and strong just like him!

All smiles... again.

... and a bit of giggling.

Story time with Auntie Cake. She brought some cool books with for the kids.

Walking around with Uncle Randy while Charlie was in swimming lessons.

Ice cream at the "Big Cow" (aka Jilberts).

Seda... 2 months!

It's hard to believe that our little girl is already two months . . . going on three! I realized that I have been bad at updating you all on her monthly achievements and doctor's visits, so I am going to catch up now! Here are the two month stats:

Weight: 12 lbs., 1 oz. - 81%
Height: 23" - 75%
Head: 15.5" - 50-75%

New Skills: smiling like crazy, tracking with eyes, found hands and feet

Places she's been: Traverse City, Brighton, Saulte Saint Marie

Songs she likes: The Muppets Soundtrack, You Are My Sunshine

Sleeping Habits: 8-9 hours at night, long morning nap, short naps throughout day

We could not ask for a better baby! If she gets fussy, it's usually one of four things: she's hungry, she's tired, she pooped, or she needs to burp. Other than that, she is very content. Of course Charlie is completely in love with her, and all he wants to do is kiss her and help me do everything for her. Some days it's a bit much, but all in all he is great with her. I promise to be much better at posting just about Seda! :)

Father's Day 2012

Our little family on a boat ride.

 We had a great Father's Day this year! As always, we are super excited to celebrate Pete because he is the best dad/husband we could ask for! This was the beginning of Auntie Cake's visit too, so she was able to join us for the celebration. We started the day off with a boat ride. It was a beautiful day, so we took advantage of it. Seda slept the entire ride, and Charlie enjoyed driving the boat, fishing, and then taking a snooze at the end. There's just something about being on a boat, out in the lake, in the fresh air, and then hum of the motor that makes a nap so nice! We played out in the yard the rest of the day, and we ended the evening with a yummy dinner on the porch. As I have said before, I can't imagine my life without Pete. He has given me the best life with two of the most amazing kiddos. I can't imagine my life without them, and it's all thanks to my wonderful hubby! You are the best, Pete! I love you more than words can say! Thank you for being the best dad to Charlie, Seda, and Payton that I could ask for!!!

Charlie doing some fishing.

Someone decided to nap in Daddy's lap on the way back in.

Seda is starting to smile like crazy now!

Yummy dinner on the porch to celebrate Dad!

... and it's Seda's turn to snooze on Daddy.

The perfect end to the day... story time with Dad.

Charlie loves holding Seda's hand. Watch out boys... Seda's big brother is going to be a bit protective of her!