Warning--Long Post

Well a lot has happened since I last updated you, so I'll try and hit the highlights...

Jeremy and I successfully vacationed--yes, we made it 6 whole days! We've made a habit of summarizing our trips in numbers, so here goes:

• 1 enormous boat
• 3500 people on ship
• 3 destinations--Ft. Lauderdale, Cozumel Mexico, Belize City Belize
• 1 dolphin spotting
• 6 Rainforest Zip Lines conquered (Belize)
• 2 new Swedish friends--Kenny & Jenny, are you reading this?
• 1 run in with a Senator (Evan Bayh)
• 1 New York Yankee spotting (Derek Jeter)
• 1 of the best meals of our life (and I'm not exagerating)
• 5 phone calls home (only--this was very good considering they were 8 bucks a minute)
• Countless cocktails
• 2 great massages
• 80 times one of us asked "I wonder what Lilly & Addy are doing now" (at least)
• 17 four letter words said to the Delta agent who told us that we would be delayed 24 hours in Atlanta, have to pay for a hotel ourselves, stop in 2 cities to get home an entire day later than planned
• 1 option from there...
• $214 dollars for a rental car and within 8 hours we were home with our girls

Parenthood makes you do crazy things? It probably won't go down as my most rational decision to date, but when I was ready to come home, I was ready to come home.

Before our trip, we the girls were baptised. This was such a fun celebration with family. The girls were so good despite a very LONG Easter Vigil service. After the service they even entertained everyone 2 hours past their bedtime with no meltdowns! This was also coupled with Aunt Cat's visit to Indy. It was beyond wonderful to see them with their Aunt Cat. They took to her right away and she had them giggling during readings of "Beach Babies Wear Shades" within no time. They also appreciated her alternative nursery rhymes from a book entitled "This Little Piggy Went to Prada".

We've been expanding our horizons with food. Sweet potatos are still a favorite, but carrots and squash tie for second. As for apples, avocados, peas and bananas, they'll both pass. Each meal time with them is a blast. They love sitting in their high chairs and being a part of the action in the kitchen.

Both girls have cut both bottom teeth. I look at them and the past toothless grins are gone and both my babies have teeth! It really is sweet, then one gets my finger in their mouth and it isn't sweet anymore, it just hurts like hell.

Lilly has become more and more high maintance as she likes to be held all the time and rocked to sleep. We made a resolution that this wasn't going to work for the next year, so she's officially "crying it out". This applies to naptime as well as waking in the middle night and wanting to come into bed with mom and dad. The rule is if she's healthy and wakes before 6, she stays put...this was advice given to me by Senator Bayh's wife about their twin boys and we figured if she could do it, we could too. I'll keep you posted on our progress. She LOVES books and everyone is convinced she'll be a book worm. And no, she's still not rolling.

Addy is quite the wiggle worm and almost squirmed right out of our minister's hands during the baptism. She loves a good game of peek-a-boo and her hair is finally beginning to come in. She's content sitting on the floor for hours, but has recently began the "snatch and grab" game with her sister.

The other major milestone in the Ash world, is I've resigned from Ball State. I adore my job, but leaving these girls for 10 hours a day and making just a little bit more than what daycare times 2 costs just wasn't working for me. I hope to stay involved with education in one way or another and I'm keeping my options open, but I couldn't continue doing what I'm doing now. Think of me as I transition into a stay-at-home mom! Anyone who knew me years ago would say it would NEVER happen and up until a month or so ago, I didn't believe it either. Again, parenthood makes you do crazy things.

Here is just a sampling of pictures--too many good ones to include!

Lilly during the baptism

Addy during the baptism

"Who me? I swear mom, Lilly did it."


Fun times with our friend Jen and a good view of my 2 new teeth--Lilly

Vacationing, the rainforest shots were in Belize, the underwater shot in Mexico. We had to take these pictures to prove to the girls later in life that their mom & dad were cool once.