Tofu?

A new weekend, and another fun food to try. We've been trying to work the girls up to the "rake" motion with eating, and decided itsy bitsy squares of tofu might be a good way to start. Elena liked the tofu okay (although not nearly as much as carrots or Mango Madness) but couldn't get any into her mouth by herself.

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Clara, on the other hand, keeps up her ban on all things non-formula. She got the hang of picking up the tofu (can you see the piece near her hand dropping back to the tray?) but didn't want them anywhere near her mouth, even with Christina's help.

Christina got back home from helping out cousins Suki, Grace, and Kate late last night, and was so happy to see her girls this morning. Really, who could be less than ecstatic to come home to faces like these?

Today was Nana Rose's final day of her visit, so we just had a quiet day with the girls and enjoyed our time together. Elena has been making all kinds of progress with eating. Here she is enjoying some "Mango Madness," which what Nana Rose called Steve's concoction of mango and banana all smashed together. Leni loved it, and ate the whole thing. About half-way through it, she grabbed the spoon out of Steve's hand and jammed it in her mouth. Here she is feeling very satisfied with herself.


While Leni was feeding herself, Clara played with Nana Rose. This may be one of the biggest smiles Clara has given us yet.

Later, we took a walk down to our local park. The big deal there is this double-child swing they have.
It may very well have been put there just for our two sweet girls.

Some time with Nana

The girls are having tons of fun with their Nana Rose this week (and Nana Rose is having a little fun too!).


Today, we went on a riverside picnic. It was still a litlle cold for the girls, so we bundled them up, but still a beautiful, sunny, and warmer day than we've had in recent months. Notice the kayaker in the background!


We also had some fun at home between walks, eating, and naps. Elena laughs hysterically when Steve kisses the back of her neck.



Of course, no day would be complete around here without a little academic work. So today we had some physics lessons. Here, Elena learns about the dynamics of static electricity!

As spring comes around, we're enjoying the longer days, brighter sunshine, and greener grass. We can hardly wait to start taking the girls outside more and showing them the wonders of the world.

Happy Easter and Seven Months Old

Today the girls got to celebrate both their first Easter and the day they turn seven months old. We can't believe how many things they can do now and how big they are- they are becoming such individuals right before our eyes.

The girls woke up to see that the Easter Bunny had come to visit them. Since they are so little, he brought them only carrots in their baskets. Each girl took a good study of the baskets, then waited until Christina cooked up the carrots for them to try before they got interested again.

Eating carrots with Mom:




We went to church for Easter mass and Elena and Clara were both beautifully behaved (if you can overlook Clara pulling the hair of a sweet boy in front of her). Then after a nice nap, they took a walk with Nana Rose who is out visiting, while Christina and Steve got Easter dinner ready. The girls ate mashed potatoes with us at the table, and held their own throughout the meal. They are just getting so interactive and grown up that it's hard to take in except in brief moments like dinner tonight.

Unfortunately, we didn't quite get the warm weather we wished we would, and the girls had to go out bundled in snowsuits today - but it was fun to see them roly-poly and all wrapped up one more time before spring really hits.

We are just so glad Nana Rose came out to celebrate Easter and help with the girls - it's always a wonderful time to have more family around.

Happy Day

Today was a run-of-the-mill, nothing special day - but it was SO FUN! Each girl got some one-on-one time with us, and we all just had a great time.

Here's Elena in a flower hat Christina knit her - she needed one to match her sweater, and then she and Steve had a funny time posing.

Clara preferred her posing on the bed. The sun was illuminating her little face just so sweetly, Christina couldn't stop taking pictures. Thank goodness for digital cameras!

And although the girls like one-on-one time with us, they have a fantastic time together. Here are a few shots of a sisterly-wrestle:

Guess what we're trying again? Yes, eating (semi)solid foods! Elena is completely on board and eats whatever we offer her. Clara isn't sure she likes eating from a spoon now, and tends to push out everything we try to put in that cute little mouth. Still, we keep offering her a few bites, and Elena is more than happy to eat whatever Clara doesn't want.

So far they are have had: rice cereal, yogurt, sweet potatoes, mangoes, bananas, and avocado. But they are still happiest with the bottles when they want some cuddles and comfort.

The girls were invited to their first easter egg dying party last weekend. We didn't get pictures of them there, but we did get some pictures of them playing earlier in the day before we left. We kept their dresses off until right before we went to the party, but they looked so cute in their shirts and tights - like little ballerinas, somehow!


This is just such a silly shot - but Clara adores looking at herself in the mirror, and so Christina was playing with her trying to catch that funny look. This was obviously minimal success, but it was too funny a picture not to share.

What could it be over on the left that causes such interest? Of course, it was one of the dogs. The girls stop whatever they are doing to just STARE whenever one of them comes along - then they both burst into smiles and giggles. Here, Amore is off camera lying on his back, and the girls couldn't get over looking at his belly.

And here's a shot of Elena just because she's cute - how much of a giraffe can she fit in her mouth? It's like she and Clara are constantly being scientists, trying to experiment with all of their surroundings.

No Theme, Just Pictures

We've been having a tough time around here overall. Both girls caught a version of the cold called RSV, which we have to keep a close eye on. There was some worry of Elena having pneumonia, but thankfully she didn't. Steve and Christina both caught a sore throat and coughs from the girls, so we haven't been up to a lot around here. But, the girls have still been adorable, so here are some shots:

Elena in pj's (when they feel sick, why torture them with real clothes?):

While Elena was taking a nap, Christina tried to teach Clara how to bang on a pot. Clara thought looking at Amore was more fun:
Although, on closer inspection the pot WAS kind of interesting:
Christina had knit some baby clothes before the girls arrived, and just re-earthed them. They are almost too small already! Here's Clara in some hand-knits:
Elena in her hand-knit kimono sweater:

And one shot of both together - aren't they just too cute for words, even when they aren't feeling well?