The Man of The Hour

Mr. Emmett was so well behaved in church. Actually, all of the kiddies were.

Godparents Aunt Erin and Uncle Scott with Emmett, who did not let out a peep.

Modeling his handmade hat by Grammie.

Tyler, (10) was all about feeding Emmett, burping him, and even changing a dirty diaper. What a great kid!

Where's Emmett? And who is this porcelain doll in his place?

There you are. Apologies for the photo shoot. Totally annoying, I know.

The jumpy made a return appearance, courtesy of the Goetz's.

No balloon was safe with Liv around.

Totally trying to pretend that she didn't just let Esme's balloon go.

Esme's trying to get into the garage, Liv is doing the "thriller" dance, and Hailey's on to bigger and better things. Per usual.

We had a beautiful Sunday celebrating Emmett's baptism with family and friends. It's hard to believe he'll be 4 months next weekend. But I have a feeling he'll be catching up to these girlies in no time.

They Don't Call Him Sausage and Peps for Nothing

Breathtaking

Liv says Navy Pier waved at her. I believe it.

Ah good ol' North Ave Beach. Many memories made at Castaways. It seems like just yesterday we were masterminding sneaking a keg there and burying it in the sand.

Oh how I love Chicago. I feel so lucky to get to share it with Liv - who loves it just as much as I do. We went to the Hancock observatory, and Olivia was thrilled. She felt she was in prime position to spy on Superman.

First and Last

I

Liv and I ventured into the city today for a little gal pal time while Steve went fishing. Our first stop was American Girl, and boy oh boy do I hope she never gets into the dolls. Olivia has Bitty Baby, who got a "back to school" outfit and a puppy. Bitty's cute, and isn't over the top. In fact, she's inside - as in Liv's tummy. But that's a story for a different day. There was something about the ridiculous prices, doll hospital, doll hair salon (with a line 20 deep of unsuspecting tourists), and 10 yr old girls dressed to match their dolls that did us both in.

Outnumbered

Can you see his silent plea for help?

The look of a disappointed infant. Auntie did not come to his rescue.

Well there's no hope. Esme's coming in, and coming in fast.

Eating Our Words

Oh boy did we promise the world over these past few months of potty training. And with good ol' never-forgets-a-thing Liv, we've got to make good on whatever we said. Here is one of Liv's first bribes, a Cinderella dress. Liv asked for it after another visit to the toilet today. When I said yes, she responded with: "oh, it's a dream come true!" Make note of her shiny make-up, which she is putting on with a shovel, I think.

Baby Blues

These pictures of Liv are taken a little over 2 years apart. It's amazing how she can look so different, but still so much the same. Also, I know the vaseline/glitter sheen on Liv's cheeks is distracting.

Sunday Dinner

One of our favorite summer salads is this panzanella recipe. Tonight was the perfect occasion to make it, as we we were lucky enough to get fresh peppers, cucumber and tomatoes from Papa's garden.

This Just In: Liv Pees on The Potty, Bones Returns Indefinitely

Thank you princess make-up. Thank you.

We earmarked today as *the* day to do some serious toilet training. Not that we haven't been trying for, say, 8 months. We've done everything from major bribes, to promises of ice cream and candy, to a sticker chart (which I now see pales in comparison to a new jumpy). What really worked was Bones' return. When Olivia saw him, she cried tears of happiness. Sobbed, really. We've never seen any emotion like it from her - it was part adult and part innocent toddler who missed her pal terribly. After a nice nap, it was off to the potty chair. I am not ashamed to admit I cried tears of happiness myself. Liv won herself some fancy make-up, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to paint Steve's fingernails.

Pet The Pig, Go Buy A Hotdog

Look at how much Liv has grown! Gone are the curly locks and baby face. Sigh.

Our 2nd annual County Fair fest was better than last year - cooler weather and a more adventurous Liv. She really wanted to get fancy for the occasion, per usual.