Sunny days!

Another fun week at the Ash house. This is such a fun age! Addy's crawling (well, right now it looks like part army crawl, part inch worm, but she's moving forward on her belly and I think that counts). Ms. Lilly surprised us both on Saturday while we were driving, she blurted "Da Da." It was clear as anything and it was very cool that Jeremy and I were both with her (there was a witness!). She proceeded on blabbing it most of the weekend in a way that really said to Addy, "Look what I can do that you can't." Otherwise, we spent the weekend doing laundry, yardwork, vacumning, grocery shopping, cooking, etc. It felt like a lot of family quality time, but was absolutely perfect.

"Dad, you need to be working a little faster, I heard we were going to the park after this."

Lilly sitting in the grass to the left, Addy 'working' in the exersaucer on the right.

"Oh my god, that's the best news I've heard since Aunt Cat told me they made Juicy sweatsuits for babies."--Lilly
"If I try really hard to stare at the camera, maybe she'll get that thing out of my face"--Addy

The shirt says it all... (Lilly)

"Seriously?"--Addy

"This is great, mom, just keep me away from that green prickly stuff, it totally freaks me out."--Addy

All better!

The thrush is disappearing and life is good! Addy is getting louder and louder, the girl has so much to say and is frustrated because she can't get it out. Lilly's grins will just melt any heart and she literally shakes when she's excited. I had them both "standing" holding the window looking out when dad pulled into the driveway today. They were smiling and he came right up to the outside of the window, they shrieked and squawked, it was hilarious. Here's some pictures from bath night (Addy top, Lilly bottom)...

Great-Grandma Mickey and Great-Grandpa Bill are back from their winter in Florida. They couldn't believe how much the girls had grown.

White dots on tongue and babies' first...earthquake?

Yes, today brought new firsts...a diagnosis of THRUSH in both babies and Addy & Lilly's first earthquake!

I'm only posting this poor picture of Addy because when I was googling "white spots on tongue" yesterday, it would have been helpful to see a picture. Excuse the snotty nose...sometimes I think these girls will spend years in therapy because of this whole blogging thing.

The good news is, they are still happy babies and apparently this is a pretty common illness, but a complete sterilization of toys and all that has gone in their mouths is in order for the weekend.

8 Month Birthday

Thanks to all who played along with my roll call, who knew there was such a following? We'll be printing fan club cards before too long. Well, another month has come and gone and we are celebrating the 8 month milestone. Jeremy and I are very conscience of the fact that within weeks this house will need babyproofed, the girls are definately beginning to move. Lilly still won't roll on a regular basis, but we are convinced she may be waiting for her moment to get up and walk. She can pull herself up with just a little support. For anyone expecting or looking for a gift for someone expecting, I highly recommend the Around We Go. Here's Ms. Lilly and just a small sampling of what is occupying HOURS of her day right now (Don't mind Dad's butt in the way).

It is a riot to watch her go! Meanwhile, Addy is rolling and gets up on her knees and rocks like a crawl could happen at any moment. They've both mastered the "Snatch and Grab" and sharing is going to be a BIG lesson in this house. Here's a sneak peak at one of their first classes...

So, yes, they are very happy babies most of the time, but we still struggle with bedtime and occasionally naptime. I never thought I'd be able to listen to a crying baby and not immediate rush to soothe, but I'm really trying not to do this, knowing that in the long run it will be worth it. Lilly is getting better with nights and we no longer have to go in to put her pacifier back in (victory #1), and sometimes she goes to bed without a fight, but other nights she screams like something you would hear in a horror movie. We think she'll be our strong-willed child. I'm taken back to the days whenever I was young and got a compliment on my red hair, my mom would always chime in and say "Yes, it's beautiful, but be careful, she's got a temper to match it." Maybe, my Lilly is just following in her mom's footsteps? Meanwhile, Addy is pretty low key, it takes a lot to really upset her, she's observing everything these days. She'll get her eye on something across the room (usually not a toy, but a camera or cell phone instead) and work like hell to get to it. She's also very vocal, she shouts like she has so much to say and is frustrated that no one is listening and she can't get it out. We had a play date with Jack Watko and Jacob Dumas on Sunday. After some reflection with Michelle and Jeremy, we realized that personality-wise, Jacob is a lot like Lilly and Jack is a lot like Addy, so these pictures are appropriate.

"I want to be a member of a BIG 'OL band"--Lilly & Jacob

"Hang onto me Jack, I'll show you the ropes around here"--Addy & Jack

"Aunt Becky raided my closet and look what she found..."--Addy

Roll Call

I'm in the process of re-vamping the blog with the help of Blogs for a Cause, so I'm putting a new challenge out there to EVERYONE who reads this--I want to hear from you. Sometimes I feel like I'm blogging to myself, so it is important you play along. PLEASE comment on this blog. I've set it up so you don't have to have an account, click the comments link at the bottom of the post and you can simply put your name and location in the comment section and submit as an anonymous identity.

Also, if you have any name ideas for the blog, put those in the comment as well. I'm not sure I'll stick with "A Whole New World"...I'm open to suggestions.

Don't make me hold back adorable pictures of those girls until I hear from you...

Go Tarheels!

The girls sported their t-shirts from Aunty Yen (AKA Jenny Levering) today to support UNC as they battle in the Final 4. We also sported hats from Aunt Cat, because it might actually be Spring in Indiana! We spent the afternoon at an event at Ball State, making new friends and hamming for the camera.

"I'm ready for my close-up, mom"--Addy
"This toe isn't bad compared to some of the other stuff they have me eating."--Lilly

Lastly, I continue to be impressed with Mom-invented products I come across...here's one that was tagged, in a store in Boston, with "Made in Maine by a Mom who knows."