I think this should be mandatory attire for fence painting...

Looking good, Mr. Merriman.

Four months

Happy 4 months to our smiley girl!

You are such a little ray of sunshine, staring constantly with your big blue eyes (so happy they are staying such a brilliant colour!). Your brother keeps you very entertained, the giggles are now coming out for him — which he is liking.

You are having successful day time naps (well, going on the second day) thanks to an afternoon bottle. Yesterday you ate a big bottle from Daddy and then peacefully slept for almost 3 hours! This is out of the norm for you. I was able to give you a bottle today, too, and you fell asleep all on your own! Good girl!

I think we will be shopping for a new booster seat/highchair for you soon, you are showing interest in food already, but we need to wait a *bit* more! Your eyes follow our spoons all the time!

Rolling over is a breeze for you now, easily going from back to tummy and vice versa. Your neck is so strong, you have no problem laying on your front looking around — at least you don't hate it as much! And you are already getting your knees under you and your little bum in the air. My goodness you are going to be a mover!

Party on, Daisy girl.

My Wordle

Thanks Tam for sharing the Wordle site :D

I think it is hilarious how Ben's name is front and centre.. a lot like his personality, non?!?

My funny dude...

Ben has been so hilariously entertaining lately that I am afraid I am going to forget some of the things he says to me! These are just a couple things he said today..

While eating pizza for dinner (trying Wild Mike's! Ben picked it out at the store, saying "Hi Guy!" to the character on the box LOL!), he took a bite and said "Hmm.. Not bad" and carried on eating a ton more. It is such a Mike thing to say.

Later on, while he was eating a freezie at the table, he got a bit too wiggly and nearly fell off of the chair, I managed to get an arm and a foot out to save him (I swear I do this daily and avoid near disasters! Cat like reflexes!). He sighed and said "Good catching, Mommy!".

We watched Mary Poppins this morning (his choice!) while I fed Daisy. Dick Van Dyke came on singing a song, and Ben got into it, wiggling away. He said to me "Dance your head, Mommy!" so I wiggled my head/shoulders, playing along. He laughed and then praised me in a super squealy voice saying "Good!". He then asked me to dance my feet, dance my arms, dance my toes, dance my tongue, all the while he is giggling and dancing away himself.

I know there is more, and will be so for many many years, and perhaps these aren't as funny reading, but if you know Ben, you can picture him doing these :)

My funny dude.

I came out from the bathroom the other morning, and I couldn't find Ben. Instantly I thought that he went outside (which he has been known to do in the past!) so I searched, nothing. I heard a giggle and he was hiding so carefully behind the table. PEEK A BOO!

3 months, 1 week and 4 days old...

... and Daisy rolled over!

She has been working on it for a couple days, but this afternoon she officially did it all by herself while we were playing on a blanket outside! Mike's dad caught the sequence on his camera :D

I think she is trying to go for a record — or at least beat her brother. Ben was *just* shy of 4 months (two days before his birthday) when he rolled from his back to his tummy. We'll see if she does the tummy to back in the next bit!

Bye Bye Bucka

This past Saturday, a dear family member passed away. Don was my mum's boyfriend, I had known him for nearly 15 years, and he was family. After my mum died, he was left heartbroken, and never really got over it.

Within a year of her passing he was diagnosed with lung cancer, which he courageously fought and it went into remission. He had such a wonderful attitude about it all, despite us all being so upset this happening to him. But then the cancer came back, this time in his brain. The doctors told him treatment might not help, but he did it anyways. On April 21st, he was given a letter saying he had 1 year to live. He got swelling and fluid on the brain, and when they tried to drain the fluid, they hit a small artery. His condition worsened and he was hospitalized, then transfered to Hospice care shortly there after. Once there, his spirit got a bit brighter, being in a much better environment, but it started to wear on him seeing the people around him dying.

We all went to see him on Tuesday, and I am so glad we did. I knew deep down after that visit that it wouldn't be too long before he died. He looked so tired and thin. Not a nice way to remember someone, but we saw him nonetheless. Ben was so sweet with him, sitting on his bed watching cartoons, sharing candies, giving big hugs.

I am glad he isn't in pain anymore, and he is with my mum. It was so hard losing my mum so suddenly, but in some ways this way was even more difficult, seeing the suffering and unhappiness.

We love you and miss you Bucka (my nephew couldn't say 'Grandpa' as a toddler, and this is what stuck :D ) and will remember you forever.

Allco Park

Thursday was beautifully sunny here, and not as hot as the previous days, so the kids and I ventured to Allco Park down the road from us. A short drive, but worth it. It's right off of the river, with lots of trails and paths to explore.

We found a nice rocky shore that Ben could play in (and fall in!) while throwing rocks and sticks. Daisy quite enjoyed herself in the Kangaroo carrier :)

Three months

Our little sunshine is three months already! As always, time is flying by but I am excited to see what she will be like at 6 months, 1 year and all the milestones after that! She is such a sweet baby, cooing and talking a ton, discovering her hands. She is drooling like mad, possibly starting to teeth like her brother. Maybe a tooth like he did at just over 4 months? Hmm.

Her eyes are still as blue as ever, and I really think they will be staying blue. That is so exciting to me... we don't have blue eyes (mine are brown, as is Ben's and Mike's are hazel/green) but my Grandpa and Mike's Grandad both had big blues.

She has been sleeping great still, but have had a few nights of waking up. It's really not like her, so it makes me wonder if the teething is beginning, but she is also fighting the swaddling. She gets her arm(s) out and then doesn't know what to do. I have a sleep cozy for her, but the one or two times I put her in it she didn't like it. But then again if she is not digging the swaddling anymore, then might as well get her into this seeing as she is already waking in the night! We'll see how that goes.

Daisy + Sophie

Love at first sight.

Excuse while I suck on your face.