Smiles and Stitches

August. Only three more weeks before school starts up again, but it feels like the summer is just starting to get good!

Valerie is as cute as ever! She loves being in the exersaucer, even though she needs a couple books under her feet to fit. She is getting so expressive now, too, and smiles all the time. She is just the best baby.

George and I are still hitting the gym. I'm trying hard to get back to where I was before I delivered Valerie, but it's been slower than I thought. All my lifts are down about 15-20% and my energy level has tanked. Probably the lack of sleep and the extra tax of feeding another human being with my body. I sent this picture to George one day after working upper body. I'm grateful I'm able to do what I love and that my body works!

Smiley baby!

The girls love to take pictures with my phone and occasionally we capture a gem:

Love these girls of mine!

We were invited over to George's friends' house one day for a BBQ. The kids had a blast swimming in the pool and loved chasing after these blue-tailed skinks:

Our neighborhood is home to a cute family of deer. It's been fun to see the buck and doe running around in the morning with their two fawns.

We were visiting Mom and Dad in Ashburn and came across this picture of George. I think he looks so much like Cole.

Little Lexi is starting to turn a corner as far as behavior goes. We are seeing glimmers of her sweet self peeking through. Her nights are still miserable, often waking up and crying for an hour or more before falling back asleep. We've started giving her melatonin before bed and I think it's helping. 

Baby fat rolls are just the best.

Ha! This picture makes me laugh every time. Between all the smiles and fun, we definitely have our share of moments like this: 

And really there is nothing for it but to laugh (and maybe take a picture), 

Sweet little toes:

Lexi still thinks this pacifier is for her. She couldn't be bothered with it when she was tiny, but now that Valerie LOVES them, Lexi is convinced she needs "Lamby" to sleep. 

Bath time with sister!

Jude and Lily are usually at each others throats, so moments like this are precious:

Honestly, I think they will be best friends in just a couple years. If they both survive each other until then. 

I was out running errands one night and came home to this:

Apparently Cole was upset and chased Lily away who subsequently fell and hit her head on the corner of a desk. Thank goodness for Doctor Daddy! 

When Lily gets hurt, she NEVER lets us look at it without screaming and trying to run away. George dosed this poor girl up with Benadryl and melatonin so by the time he came back with some sutures, she was practically asleep. Thank goodness for drugs and lidocaine gel. She held perfectly still for the three stitches George had to put in.

Whew! I think this makes at least three times Doctor Daddy has come to Lily's rescue in the last year.