Toddler Party and Baby Party

Any time multiple toddlers or babies get together, it feels like a party! Here are some recent "parties" that Eli and Evelyn enjoyed with their friends.

Snack time with buddies 

Alyssa and Evelyn doing some tummy time push ups

Sideways baby party (perhaps because I took this on my phone)

 Toddlers get their own picture

The dads get in on the baby party fun

Two Little Sweet Peas

With babies, people seem to be very interested in identifying who the little peanut looks like. Do they have daddy's chin? Grandma's nose? Mommy's eyes? Second babies also have the added element of sibling comparisons.

Although I am able to see resemblances in other people's children, for whatever reason, I usually do not see these physical similarities when it comes to my own kids. Occasionally, while Evelyn is nursing, she'll make a little face up at me that does trigger a memory of her brother at this age, and this seems to occur even more so if she is wearing a pair of his old jammies (Girls can totally wear blue animal jammies. Especially when they go. through. so. many. pairs. I briefly thought our clothes washer was broken this week, and it inspired panicked visions of trying to cart mountains of laundry, a toddler, and an infant through the ridiculously cold weather to a laundromat where we would then have to keep that spirited group entertained for an hour while still somehow managing to return from the adventure with many loads of clean and dry clothes. And then repeating this journey multiple times in one week. )

Just for fun, here are a few pictures of the kids in the same (or similar) outfits as infants, plus a couple photos from deep within the family vault. At least I have the pictures labeled now so when they are adults and ask me whose baby picture we are looking at, I won't have to take an educated guess!

 

Ladies first

Our little boy

 Evelyn making a grumpy old man face

 Back to being our sweet little lady

Eli on the go

Evelyn on the go

Baby Cory

Baby Katie (and two great godparents!)

Playtime

While Eli and Evelyn enjoyed the holidays, it has also been nice to enjoy some low-key fun around the house.

 This picture reminds me of the cell phone "number of bars" commercials

Oof - Pushups are hard work

Getting bundled up for an adventure outside

Catching a snooze on the go

And another snooze

Giddy-up! Ride 'em cowboy! (direct quote from the cowboy himself)

Cousins!

Eli and Evelyn enjoyed hosting their cousins (and aunt and uncle) for the first few days of the new year. Eli definitely learned a lot from the older boys: how to go sledding, how to play basement hockey/golf, how to run a drive-thru window out of a play kitchen. Evelyn enjoyed cuddling with her aunt and for the most part just enjoyed watching the mayhem unfold around her.

 Cooper and Eli cooking up tasty treats at the "drive-thru"

So excited to see that the cousins like ipads too

Presents!

Evelyn is the only one paying attention in our first attempt at a cousins group photo

Breakfast at the kid table

Cousin Cooper has fun ideas!

Checkmate!

This is as close as we got to a cousins group photo...we'll take it!

Our stealth attempt at a group picture

Two Months Later

Amidst all the holiday activities and merriment, Evelyn turned two months old. Here's a peak at her professional newborn pictures and the more recent two-month-old pictures.

Peaceful little lady

Already has him wrapped around her little finger

With Mommy

Hello, world!

 Smiley Lady

Relaxing with Sofie

Looks like "the talent" needs a break from the photo shoot

Happiness is...

...trying hot cocoa for the first time (and second time...within a week), sporting lots of Elmo gear, and working out at the activity gym with your sibling!

Mmm...hot cocoa after playing outside with Daddy and Grandpa

Hot cocoa, round two, this time at home

Elmo makes us happy

Who knew that baby toys could be so intriguing for toddlers as well

Sibling time at the gym

 Baby smile!