According to the calendar, it will be Spring in two days. According to the thermometer, not so much. Despite the dismal April weather, there have been a few Spring-like days for Libby and Mary to enjoy thus far. Last Sunday was especially nice, so after Dad got home from work, Libby spent plenty of time outside, first shooting hoops and then cruising the neighborhood in her souped-up Radio Flyer. Despite what the picture might suggest, Libby is not trying out for the Amish Basketball Team. She has really become enamored with the Disney princesses, and to that end, she will only wear dresses.
So, in the past few weeks, Mom and Dad have had to go out and buy skirts, dresses, nightgowns, and various tops, shirts, and leggings to match. It was cute for a while, now it's just out of control. Libby even upped the ante today, by choosing to wear her Christmas dress to daycare. Nothing like wearing your Sunday best to daycare on a Monday morning! The wardrobe isn't the only thing that's changed, however. Libby is currently strutting around the house with purple toe nails, and she is starting to communicate even more. She is speaking in complete sentences (sometimes) and (usually) expresses complete thoughts when she talks. She has become quite the proficient counter and pretty much has the alphabet down.
Mary has been keeping pace with her big sister. She has gotten her first two teeth, she is sitting up by herself, and, just the other day, she started clapping. Mary has also started blabbering quite a bit. Just last night she dropped her first "Da-Da." She wasn't calling for Dad necessarily, but it's definitely a start! Speaking of starts, yesterday officially kicked off the Easter season, as Libby and Mary got their picture taken with the Easter Bunny at Great Northern Mall. It was the first time for either of them, and they did better than Mom and Dad could have hoped. The picture is absolutely adorable. And finally, a special thanks to Aunt Reen for getting Libby tickets to Sesame Street Live for Christmas. Mom, Dad and Libby went to the show Saturday morning. While the show was probably a little too long for Libby's patience, she really enjoyed it, especially getting to see her buddies Cookie, Elmo and Ernie!
Another holiday has come and gone and, for the second year in a row, Libby spent her Easter being sick. It all started with Mary getting a cold. It turned in to a week-long series of coughs, sneezes, runny noses, headaches and long, long nights. The good news is that Libby and Mary did get to see their family on Easter Sunday. Unfortunately, the ladies just weren't at their best.
Both girls were great at Mass and were as good as could be expected at Grammie and Papa Yandek's for dinner. And while their coughing and sneezing put an end to any thoughts of going out for Easter Brunch, it was still a nice day for everyone. Despite the sickness, the girls have been very good, as evidenced by the absolute killing they made on their Easter baskets. They were obviously rewarded for taking such a good picture with the Easter Bunny the week before!
The great thing about the last few weeks is that with Spring Break, Easter and the sickness (hello silver lining!), Mom and Dad have both gotten to spend a lot of extra time with Libby and Mary. This is even more meaningful now as the girls are really developing a relationship with one another. While Libby has always been fond of her little sister, she has taken even more of an interest in her lately. Whenever Libby escapes to her Hippo Tent, she always invites Mary and even brings her toys for her to play with. Libby "reads" to Mary and is always sure to point out airplanes, birds, or any other exciting thing that she sees. For bath time, Libby helps wash Mary's hair and shares all the bath toys so they can play together. It is seeing them together like this that makes up for all the frustration and lost sleep of having two little ones so close together!
Hopefully, the rain will finally go away (everytime Libby goes outside, she points at the sky and yells "Stop raining!") so the girls can have more outside time. More than anything, Libby hates being stuck in the house all the time. Everyone is definitely in need of some serious Spring weather!
