August...

August...I'm almost caught up. WOOHOO! Girls, I promise to be better now that we are home. We love the above picture and my quote made me giggle. I just picture these two 90 years from now pushing each other in a different kind of "stroller." So cute! (not cute that they are 90 as I don't like to think of that at all...1. I'm not with them.)

August was a great month. We finished up camp out in Lampe and headed back home. I was so so excited to be home to have normal routine, not having a list of 50 things and 50 schedules in my head at all times...Shay was devastated and already dreading working in the office for 9 months. But we were both so in need of our community here in Branson land. We love our friends and for us we missed that fellowship more than ever this summer.

Belle:
You are 9 months old. You are so very strong. You are starting to scooch across the floor. You pull with your hands to anything you can grab and then push with your little feet (beginning of August). It's pretty cute. You are starting to pull up on baskets, strollers, anything you can reach. I think you are just itchin' to be running and playing with your sister. You watch Lulu a lot but also can play on your own perfectly content. You, like 99% of babies, put everything in your mouth. EVERYTHING. You are still eating wonderfully and are gaining weight, I think, since I added formula supplement bottles. You are still figuring out naps and at first you two were taking naps in the same room but you were just entertaining each other the whole time. So you nap in the extra room with your pack and play but sleep in ya'lls room for night time. You are our squealer still and you have 2 teeth popping up. I think you have been more affected by teeth than your sister was. You are such a content baby (except when hungry) and there have been moments this past week that you just are fussy. Even being held by mommy (which is the solution to everything :) doesn't work for a bit. Your 2 bottom teeth are coming in super crooked but we have heard that doesn't mean anything for future adult teeth...prayerfully that is true. You just now are starting to take 2-3 moves of crawling (end of August). Full hands and knees. You fall pretty quick but you are really wanting to crawl...we can just tell. You are smiling more, laughing so much and all in all just another precious joyful girl. You and Lulu ADORE each other and even in the past 96 hours it has gotten even more sweet. Lulu just loves on you and you just wrestle her down. You, not understanding the word gentle yet, are pretty "rough" with getting Lulu's attention. You climb over, up and under her just to get closer to her. PRECIOUS. You are laid back and yet energetic...even going to bed you are still laughing and all smiles. You are our sweet secondborn.

Lulu:
You are 21 months old. You are coming up on being 2 so quickly! You our precious firstborn continue to amaze us with all you are learning. You are constantly imitating...which is amazing accoutability in our lives. I want you to hear sweet and kind words from your mom and dad...even down to how we speak of others, to each other and obviously to you. Your newest words are home, boo boo, out, read, book, and she still loves to say shoe...all.the.time. She got spoiled with some new shoes from nana and poppa d and she loves putting them on, again, all.the.time. Her pigtails are still melting hearts everywhere she goes. She is understanding things everyday...things I haven't sat down and taught her. She just is watching and learning so much every day. It continually amazes us as parents. Lulu you are the BEST big sister. You won't really know/remember life without Belle. You two will always have each other and I already see a sweet friendship, even at almost 2 and 1. You will run over to her and hug her, try and pick her up, and bring her toys all the time. You make faces to her to make her laugh, you cuddle with her and your blankies and you say "hi" 700 times when she gets up after you from a nap. You our precious firstborn amaze us each day.

Here are pictures from the month:

hello sweets!

lulu discovered she can walk around on her tippy toes. so girly and so cute. 

viv + lulu = BFF...sort of. as of now you guys are still learning each other. you two will be quite the pair though, we have no doubt. 

we.heart.your.baby.rolls. 

love this unposed picture. they truly just love each other so much. 

she has such a curious look on her face here. 

such a girly girl. 

oh, gee whiz mommy!

all smiles. 

hello there cuteness. 

sprinkler on a summer day is always a reminder to me of the innocence of being a child.