Happy Birthday - NINE months old!!!!

Gosh, I can't even believe that TJ and Ella are nine months old. (...and I also can't believe that I really don't blog more than their 'monthly' birthdays...the intent is there - just not the time). I'll be sure to add some of our favorites from the past few months over the course of the next week or so because we've celebrated a lot of firsts recently (first trip to the zoo, first swings, first ice cream shop, first bruises!!, first oreos, first haircut). In the meantime, happy birthday little ones - complete with your first cannoli :)

Happy Birthday - Eight months old!!!!

Blog entries are few and far between the monthly birthday updates these days. Things are just literally moving along too fast to write about :) Everybody is moving swiftly...the twins are crawling everywhere, pulling up on the furniture (YIKES!!), and attempting to get up the step out of the family room (see proof below).

Francesca continues to talk (repeat!) more and more every day. She is full of all kinds of spunk...to put it mildly. TJ is a sweet little boy. There are a lot of pictures below of him b/c he has been so lovable! (Please take a look and help me solve the debate of whether or not we should get his hair trimmed...come on, really a boy his age doesn't need a ponytail?!?) And Ella, sweet little curly haired Ella, she is a star like no other. More than anything, I can tell that she wants to be just like her big sister when she grows up - believe me, I know the feeling :) I love them all to pieces...even on the hardest days :)
Who needs a dog?!? TJ gladly cleans up his own crumbs!Some of my favorites of the month...And away they go...Memorial Day Weekend - We had a ton of fun in the new wagon. (I'm not sure why TJ got the purple cart...)After a long day outside, it was bathtime!!!Time for a haircut?!?!?

Happy Birthday - Seven months old!!!!

...and getting busier by the month! Everyone continues to do well. The twins are sitting up and starting to crawl (TJ first but Ella is starting to figure it out.). It is a whole new ball game when mobility is involved. Francesca is doing well too. She wants to go outside every moment she can and continues to love the babies the very best ways a big sister can :)

These monthly pictures get harder to take the more and more they are starting to move around...

The playground is our very favorite place...

Teething face...

It's a bird...it's a plane...it's SUPER ELLA!!!

T.J.'s very favorite place to play...

Francesca, look at the camera!!

Ella, look at the camera!!

Sweet little T.J.

The funny part of this pic isn't the shorts on her head, it's the 6-9mo size onesie of the twins that she is wearing...

Francesca loved that they had matching pajamas...

Hippity Hoppity!!!

Happy Easter! The '3 Musketeers' all enjoyed their Easter yesterday - for the twins, it was another first! The Easter Bunny must have known that Francesca was going to be a FANTASTIC egg hunter b/c he left her A LOT of eggs to find. It was a busy day for her! She can't wait until next year when her brother and sister can join in the fun! We're all looking forward to Daddy being home from school this week and hope the warmer weather will allow us to spend a lot of time outside!! Hope the Bunny was good to you all!!!

We loved dying Easter eggs!!!

Look at my loot!!

Cheers, Aunt Joy!

This is why we had to get a chair for Francesca!

Brian's third daughter...

It has been a long winter...

I am so ready to post pictures of spring, of us outside, of flowers blooming, etc., but instead, today, we get snow. We have all had colds and are trying to recuperate. The twins are sitting up and Ella is starting to crawl...backwards anyway. She is also waving a bit. I forget how wonderful it is to watch her watch her own hand. Francesca continues to try her very best to stay out of trouble :) Here are some of my favorite pictures this week - perhaps a little bias toward Ella but she just seems to like the camera the most!

Happy Birthday - Two years old!!!!

I know it has been over 2 weeks since Francesca's birthday, but just because I'm behind in my blogging doesn't mean that we didn't have a SWEET time in Candyland for Francesca's 2nd birthday!!! I've attached some birthday pictures below, but first, I want to share some thoughts about our little princess. She is really becoming quite a character (and can be a little devilish at times)! She loves to play with dolls, wear dresses, run around outside and EAT (especially candy)! She does not like to get her diaper changed, have her hair brushed (or pulled back) or sleep in her own bed. She is my biggest helper - bringing me things, playing with the babies, helping me unload the dishwasher, folding clothes, cooking etc. She can't wait until she can do more. She is VERY tall and thin (38 inches and 25 1/2 pounds) and thinks she is a gymnast (jumping off furniture and doing summersaults). She thinks she can count, say her ABCs and knows her colors - but she isn't quite there yet. Her favorite day of the week is TUESDAY - because she gets to go to the library!!! It's a half hour story and song session, and she now leads the class in song - complete with the motions! Most importantly, she ADORES her brother and sister. She kisses them and hugs them and makes them laugh like no one else can. Even on the craziest of days, these are some of the reasons I love that they will be so close in age. Happy Birthday sweetie!!