Snow Days & 'Nastics!'

This week bad weather changed our plans slightly but the girls were able to spend an extra day at home with their dad which can't be beat!  Friday we spent the night at Grammie and Pa's house.  Stella always loves spending time with them!  On Saturday Stella tried out 'nastics' for the first time.  She wouldn't participate for the first 20 minutes but after that she got into it and loved it so much she got upset because she had to wait her turn.  We are excited about how much she will benefit from this program and because she has started with a parent-tot class it is something fun we get to do together!  Claire is growing and we can tell she is really starting to take things in during her wakeful periods, especially what her lively sister is up to!

Dull Winter Days

It was a quiet week so we don't have much to share.  Both girls are doing great.  Mom and Dad got to have a 'date night' this weekend and had dinner out with friends.  Stella is being challenged by what it means to share, and Claire is starting to sleep 7-8 hour stretches at night.  Check back next week for a more exciting update - this week we will start to plan Claire's baptism, will spend the night at Grammie and Pa's, and Stella will attend her first Gymnastics class!

Fun at Home

We've had some extra time together this week as a family due to snow days, plus Mom was home on Wednesday with the girls.  We also were able to keep the girls home this weekend so all this one-on-one time with them has been really fun.  We did have the BMC/St. Lawrence Central Coaches vs. Cancer Basketball Festival on Saturday but Grammie and Pa came over for a few hours to play with the girls so Mom could go help out.  Both girls are growing and changing and fulfilling our lives in more ways than we ever could have imagined!

Claire having tummy time!

Stella loves to have chips for a snack.

Our happy girl!

On Sunday, the New York Giants won their playoff game.  During our football dinner, Daddy taught Stella something about football...

Happy 2nd Birthday Stella!

This week Stella turned 2 years old and we held a small party for her on Saturday afternoon with some family and friends.  Since she loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so much we decided to have a Mickey themed party again this year.  We think she had lots of fun at her party!  Here are a few pictures from the day:

Our Pretty Birthday Girl!

Air Walker Mickey was lots of fun!

Happy Birthday Song Accessories

Thank you Aunt MaryJane for the yummy birthday cake!

Party Favors

Party Food with Mickey Flair...

 Thanks so much to Grammie Goolden for all of her help getting ready for the party and cleaning up afterward.

Stella's birthday party wasn't the only spectacular event of the weekend.  We are fortunate to have Community Performance Series on the campus of SUNY Potsdam nearby.  It just so happens that this weekend they featured John Tartaglia's 'Imaginocean'.  This off-broadway production is a live, black-light puppet show about three fish who go on an adventure to find a treasure and discover a deeper meaning of friendship.  We weren't sure how Stella would react to a dark, loud theater but she did great!  We had a little trouble finding seats when we arrived but once we got settled Stella had a blast!  Needless to say, it was a great weekend!

Stella as a jellyfish with 'Tank' & 'Dorsel' from ImaginOcean

Christmas In Ohio

Stella and her cousin Cailin

This year we traveled to Ohio to celebrate the Christmas Holiday with family.  It was a long trip but the girls were great and we all had a nice time.

Claire Bear getting love from her cousins Dana and Cailin

 

While we were there we figured since Stella's first bath in the kitchen sink was at Aunt Melissa and Uncle Dan's, Claire's first should be there too.  As you can see, she loves bath time!

We can hardly believe that Claire will be 12-weeks old in a few short days.  The time has sure flown by!  She is growing and doing well and will join Stell-Belle at Neice's this week during the day.   She is starting to sleep longer stretches at night and she and her sister are working on their friendship daily - it is super special to watch!

 

Believe it or not it has been just about two-years since our twins were born.  This week we will celebrate Stella's second birthday, and remember our sweet sweet Trey.  Even though Christmas just passed we are looking forward to Stella's excitement on another day with family, friends, and surprises!