Another walker on the block!

Here is the latest video of Emma walking around. She is so cute- she kind of stomps her feet and walks really stiff-legged sometimes. But the most important thing is she is happier now!! Now I'm sure life will really pick up.

The Beach House

Well, the beach house was fantastic as usual!! Here are some highlights of the trip....

Our first night there was crazy for the girls- so much to see, new people, new house to explore and destroy, new things to play with. And I guess Bella had a little "unwinding" to do before bedtime so she broke into the refrigerator when no one was looking!

The beach was not their favorite activity but by the end of the trip they were starting to get used to the idea. I'm not sure if it was the heat or the sunscreen plastered over every square inch of their bodies or the water was scary or the sand was sticky, but whatever the reason they were NOT beach girls this year.... maybe next year!

Play Day

We had all the kids over to play at our house before we left for vacation and it was so much fun! They all had a good time playing with new toys and us moms got to relax a little and chat. All of the babies have grown so much- its hard to believe they were so little not too long ago!

New walker on the block...

We have a pretty good walker on our hands! She can even stop and pick something up off the floor and keep going. She LOVES her new freedom & Emma loves watching her. We got them walking toys that they can push around together so Emma will be right behind her I'm sure. But for now, one walker is enough!! We just thought she was nosy beforehand, now she is FAST and nosy.

Rather than catch up....

Rather than try to catch up on all the things that have happened lately, I'm just going to start new. They are 9 1/2 months now and looking back the time has really flown by. Bella took her first steps, to Daddy of course, on Tuesday night, June 17. She took about 3 then sat down and then a little later took 3 more and went down on her hands and knees to crawl the rest. She walks while only holding on to us with one hand now so her balance is getting exponentially better. Since then she has taken several steps and gets so excited at her accomplishments! Emma loves watching her walk and I'm sure she will be following suit soon.


The walker has been given two new roles in their entertainment vault as well. We didn't know it but Bella is a NASCAR fan and loves to go around and around the kitchen. Are we safe and protective parents or what??

And it also has become an HOV walker. Of course it was only meant to be a one-person walker but the inventor of this toy didn't know our girls. Emma won't drive with Bella on back but she has no problem hitching a ride of her own.

Emma has gotten so good at playing peek-a-boo. She can't pass up seeing a blanket without putting it over her head and laughing hysterically. Her hair is finally laying down, which is oddly disappointing to me. I thought it was cute when it was all crazy but that phase has passed. On the upside, I can get bows in her hair and they actually stay for a while before she notices them.


Fathers Day was spent picnic-ing on the James River with the girls. They love being outside and love being with daddy, so it was a great day overall. Then we went to the new Jamestown museum which was pretty impressive. The boat replicas were there for you to board and tour as well as several artifacts. They even had "real" indian girls outside making beaded necklaces and showing visitors the indian lifestyle. It was pretty cool- definitely recommended to anyone who comes to visit this summer.

Laundry Day

The girls are always helping out around the house....

Appropriate Shirts

Aunt Michelle brought these shirts to the girls. They were so appropriate & I think Bella wore hers well while Emma held her head high in spite of hers!!

Tulip Time

Well we are back from Michigan and our Tulip Time activities! It was a lot of fun- the girls had a great time visiting with their Aunt Michelle & G-mama & G-daddy! They were dressed up in their dutch costumes and looked so adorable. They even had little wooden shoes with their names on them.

Tulip Time was very interesting- the dancers were so cool to watch. They are all high school students and volunteer to do this every year. They have to purchase their own outfits and shoes so they are pretty serious about it. There aren't too many boy dancers so you will notice in the video that there are girls dressed up in the boys clothes to make it even. And each outfit represents the different class of citizen you are. If you have a lace bonnet & apron you are one of the richer kids but if you have the multi colored clown-type outfits you are one of the poorer kids. And with the boys, if you have brown pants you are more of a "worker bee" but if you have the gold pocket watch chain and black pants, etc. you are a higher-class citizen. All very technical! :)

And for other news- Emma is now eating solids and she crawls like a regular baby now on all fours. I think the carpet at Grandma & Grandpa's house helped that issue. She is REALLY slow when she crawls but I'm sure that will change soon.

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

Well, all its done the past 2 days now is rain! So needless to say we are stuck indoors looking for entertainment. The girls are handling it better than I am though. And who doesn't like sleeping in the rain... who doesn't sleep better in the rain... with the pitter patter on the roof.... and the dripping outside the window.... I'll let you take one guess!!! Actually I guess that should be 2 guesses!! You got it- MY DAUGHTERS!!!!!

A couple of weeks ago Emma started to babble "Da da da" at lunch one day while we were at lunch with daddy. And then the following week Bella started babbling it as well. Of course they say Da-da first!! Well, I think they actually know what they are saying. They no longer babble it aimlessly throughout the day- they only say it when he is around now. And this morning- guess what Emma said as Bella attacked her for her pacifier??? MAMA!!!! YAY!!!!! Finally I am starting to get a little recognition around here! :)


Do you notice anything different about Emma in this picture? Doesn't she look happy? Can you tell what is different about our chunky monkey???

Her hair is laying down!!! Granted, its wet from taking a bath and the second it dried it went back to its usual craziness but I thought I would get a picture of what she would look like if she hadn't inherited my wild hair.

And the video below is of Emma playing with one of her toys. She goes around the play table and masters each toy individually until she can make it play music over and over again. Then she goes on to the next side of the table to learn the next thing. I was so proud of her- I thought it was so cool that she figured out how to do this and she usually even waits until it stops spinning to do it again. We have such smart babies!!

Virginia Living Museum

Shanna and I took the girls to the Virginia Living Museum on Wednesday. It was a really good museum with a lot of animals inside and outside! The first fish tank was a Chesapeake Bay tank and after seeing what is in the bay I will never get in that water again!!! Those fish were HUMONGALOID and didn't look very nice! The only cute thing in that tank was the sea turtle. This picture is blurry but still cute.

And this was my favorite animal at the museum....

He was so cute & desperately looking for a way out of his cage.

New Car Seats

We got the girls new car seats and they are much happier in the car now. Bella can finally see out the window and Emma isn't squished into her seat anymore. Now all we need to do is hook up the portable DVD player and we are ready for our road trip!

Big Mess

The girls have gotten so fun lately! Bella loves her newfound independence and she is exploring everything she can get to. She is getting faster and faster every day but still doesn't leave the living room area unless she's in her walker. And Emma is getting more and more frustrated that she can't move. She rolls over on her belly and then screams because she's stuck. Bella still pulls up on everything she can. This morning she climbed INTO her bouncy seat after whining to get out then used it to stand up and reach up onto the couch. Don't worry I was watching her the whole time and right there if she would have fallen, but I just had to see how far she would go. She also climbs onto a box we have all their books in and she looks inside but then realizes she's stuck so she cries until you come get her out. They are just getting to be so much fun- all those people that said "it's worth it" were definitely right. And now that they can sit and play on their own they are SO much easier. They love eating their biter biscuits and puffs so I did a little video of them eating and making a big mess before bath time the other night.

The lastest...

Bella learned to pull herself up last night so we are in for a busy month ahead. I think Mary said Michelle walked at 8 months so she is following in her aunts footsteps yet again!!! She is just never satisfied with her latest accomplishment- as soon as she masters something its "on to the next!" She is so curious and busy and just full of energy, but she is getting to be so much fun too.

And Emma is a whole other baby- she is so comfortable to just watch the world around her. I know she is just soaking it all in and one day she is going to say something great! We finally found some things that she will eat- those wagon wheels and puffs & she LOVES biter biscuits as you can see in the picture. She does get up on all 4's and rock now, almost like she watched bella struggle and struggle to figure that out and now she is reaping the benefits without all the work. I have a feeling Bella will be the one looking out for her "older" sister a lot in the future. Either that or she will continue terrorizing Emma so much that they will be enemies from now on!

Bella is just such a bully, even if she has the identical toy that Emma is playing with she crawls over and steals Emmas. And for a child that won't take a pacifier she doesn't hesitate to take Emma's right out of her mouth any chance she gets. You can't leave them alone in a room without a referee for a second. Bella's new thing is to get the magazines out of the basket and rip them up. She thinks that is so funny & I can't keep her out of them! My poor People magazines are getting shredded but I don't want to take everything from her- she needs to learn "No!" sooner rather than later!!! We have yet to get a baby gate but that is on the list for the weekend.

And we ordered new car seats so maybe there won't be such a scene when they have to go for a ride. Hopefully they will be nice and comfy for our trip to MICHIGAN!!! I am so excited to get a vacation- even if its ends up being cold & rains every day I don't care- any kind of break is welcome!!!

The Little Munchkin

Ok- Hope you are ready for a HUGE laugh. I supposedly did this when I was a baby as well. I just hate that I passed on such an embarassing trait- but at least it is entertaining for us. Sorry its kind of shaky, I was trying not to laugh so she wouldn't stop. If you turn up the volume you can hear the snorting along with the face which is the best part.

Emma Sits

Emma has learned to sit up on her own as well! She also learned yesterday to roll from her tummy to her back. She watches Bella crawl but hasn't figured out just how to do it herself and that frustrates her somewhat. She can go backwards or roll from point A to point B but actually getting her chubby belly off the floor is going to be a whole new accomplishment in itself. But as laid back as she is, she seems fairly content just seeing the world from a sitting position.... after all, if there is anywhere she needs to be she knows I will just take her there. At least someone is enjoying being a baby and taking full advantage of that situation!!!

She Crawls!!

Well, we all knew the day was coming fast but it has finally gotten here. Bella can officially crawl on all fours! Here is a video of the latest!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

The girls cooperated for about 15 seconds to get this picture for John's office. They are so nosy- Bella wanted to eat the paper and Emma wanted out of the chair. The cats kept walking by so that was distracting and getting them both to smile at the same time is no small feat! But we finally got a shot that worked well and made Daddy's office a little brighter!!!

Crazy weeks

The last few weeks have been a little hectic so I'm sorry I haven't posted much. Both girls have been sick and Mimi was here for Easter and we haven't had a lot of down time. But here are some pictures of the things the girls are up to now...



















Bella has learned to chase the cats with her newfound mobility! So needless to say they either stay outside or they have learned a few hiding spots around the house that her walker can't reach. She has also learned to open the cabinets but luckily the walker is in her way so she can only open them a few inches. I'm sure within the next few weeks she will learn to overcome that obstacle as well.

Lunch with Dad

We met John for lunch last week and the girls LOVE the treat of seeing him in the middle of the day. They are getting really good at sitting in their highchairs and playing while we eat. It gives us more time to enjoy our food with both hands so its great for us too!

Walker

We got a walker for the girls & so far Bella is enjoying her newfound freedom. She has learned to go forward and backward and even turn towards the objects she wants. You can even lure her with the remote control but her favorite new toy is the cats. She likes to corner them in so she can try to pet them from her seat. The cats are learning to run when she gets in there now so she doesn't have as much fun as she did the first week we had it! But she still enjoys the challenge!!

Tropilo Family

Well Grandma & Grandpa Tropilo and Aunt Michelle visited this past weekend. It was so great to see family and see their reactions to the girls and how much they have grown up. The last time they saw the girls they were only 9 weeks old so they do a LOT more now. Bella was especially partial to G-Mama :) and Grandpa- I think she knew they were Tropilos like her. And Michelle painted some awesome pictures of them while she was here that I will post soon.

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We tried to take pictures of the girls with an Easter setup but Emma was a little uncooperative. Bella was her usual "hammy" self with the camera so I got some great shots of her...bunny ears and all!

It was a great weekend and Michelle summed it up perfectly: "It flew by, it always does!"

Shanna & the girls

Shanna and I took the girls to Colonial Williamsburg and just walked around and showed them "the sights." They had a good time getting out of the house & seeing new stuff. And Bella always has fun seeing Shanna and seeing what new thing Shanna will give her to play with.

Shots & Weights

Well the girls went in this morning for their 6 month shots. I'm so glad that's over- they don't have to go back now until they're 1. So the weights are in and Emma is 20 lbs even. That puts her in the 100th percentile for her age! So those of you that don't have kids, that translates to = Emma weighs more than 100% of other babies her age!! Bella was 17 lbs 12 oz which is in the 75th percentile, so she is a good size as well.

Otherwise, the doctor visit went fine. The doctor was happy with their obvious growth & confirmed that Bella is over her ear infection. Hopefully it will be her last & with warm weather on the way I think they are going to be fine from here on out.

Other than that we are anxiously awaiting a visit from Grandma & Grandpa Tropilo and Aunt "Shell" next week. Have a great weekend!

6 Whole Months

We actually made it another month! Supposedly this is the magical month- they are supposed to sleep through the night (which they are getting very close) and they should be sitting up well soon, and eating more and more food. So needless to say we are very excited they are finally at this milestone. They have so much personality now and aren't afraid to express their attitudes either. And as much personality as they have they are still so different- if I hadn't carried them myself I would swear they aren't even related. But they are so much fun- they laugh at us and interact with each other and it is so awesome to see every new thing they discover. Each day is an adventure and we are loving it!

Sitting Up & Playing

Both girls are starting to sit up on their own. Bella can sit for about 30 seconds before she tips over and Emma can make it about 15 seconds. But at least Emma only tips forward- Bella tips sideways or back & we have learned she has a REALLY hard head!


Now that Bella is a little bit mobile she ends up stealing all of the toys away from Emma. She even steals her pacifiers out of her mouth! But Emma is easy-going and laid back so she doesn't complain too much. She just watches Bella play with everything!

Playdate

We met up with our friends for a playdate last week to let the babies play and the moms have adult conversation! Bella is at the top trying to take a nap, then Emma, Franny, Kennedy & Ashlyn. Kennedy and Ashlyn are twins as well, about 2 weeks younger than our girls and 3 and 5 pounds lighter!

Busy Week

We all went for a walk on President's Day since John was off work. It was great weather & those are so few and far between this time of year we decided to take advantage of it. The girls love their walks- they are entertained with all of the cars, trees, squirrels, and people that they don't even notice they are strapped into a stroller!
















The girls are starting to notice each other now, they stare at each other and sometimes Bella even checks to make sure Emma is in the stroller with her.

Bella is definitely a daddy's girl already! She gets so excited when he comes home from work. He is more fun than mommy obviously!

Funny Videos

Emma still won't eat solid food. Instead of eating it she leaves it on her tongue and lets it fall back out of her mouth. If it wasn't so funny it would be frustrating, but every bite of anything we have tried ends up the same way... all over her bib and clothes instead of in her belly. We have tried sweet potatoes, bananas, applesauce, pears and peaches and nothing has worked so far! However, Bella has eaten everything except the peaches. I don't think she is happy about it but she doesn't seem to know that she can spit it out- so once I get it in she swallows it.

And this video was too funny- I know all babies do this but Bella has a habit of doing it OFTEN! And we just crack up watching her because she will do it the entire time she is asleep in the car seat.

These little bloomers were made by a friend of mine & they turned out so cute! Now the girls wear them to baby yoga/massage so they aren't just in their diapers. They were the hit of the class last week & its obvious why!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from Emma & Bella!

Sleeping and Solids!

We had our first night of sleep Tuesday night! Both girls went to bed at 7:15 and Emma didn't wake up until 4:30 a.m. and Bella woke up at 6:00 a.m. It was GREAT! I don't think our bodies knew what to do with 8 hours of consecutive sleep.

The girls started solids this week as well. Emma is not as excited about them as I thought she would be, but Bella is eating well. She likes bananas well enough, but HATES peaches. And Emma hates both so far, as you can see.

We also had lunch with the girls at Moe's and both girls did great. They sat in highchairs like big girls and voiced their opinions like little adults! From left, Adrianne with Bella, Kendra, Kris, Georganna and Sarah with Emma. Actually Emma had Sarah by the hair!!

A Day Outside

We joined a few other moms yesterday for a walk in Colonial Williamsburg. It was so great to get out of the house as well as have some adult conversation. And Colonial Williamsburg is perfect because there is no traffic, the roads are wide enough we can walk next to each other, and its okay if a baby cries because we're outside!!

Jump Jump!!

I couldn't get a good video of Bella really jumping so this one will have to work until I can get her to do it well. She suddenly got camera shy for no reason so I will try again later.

Well, we have survived another month!

The girls are growing like crazy and doing new things all the time. Their motor skills are improving every day which is so cool to see. They use both hands to grab onto things and it usually goes straight to their mouth when they do get ahold of something. Bella's favorite toy right now is a red, white and blue horse with stars all over it. She likes to eat his nose! (The one Emma is holding in the picture) And Emma has recently attached herself to a duck with colored wires going all different directions so she can hold onto it easily and still have her choice of what to chew on.

They had their first daycare/nursery experience. We went to church this past Sunday and actually worked up the nerve to leave them in the nursery. They did very well (we were told! :)) and by the time we got back from the service one of the volunteers was rocking both of them and they were sound asleep!

They also started sitting in their highchairs this week- they are still a little too small so we have to stuff blankets around them but Bella likes being up high where she can oversee Emma & I to make sure we are doing everything she wants us to do! And while Bella found her toes last week, Emma found hers on Monday so now they have new built-in toys to play with. Which works out well for me since they like to throw their toys down so I will pick them up.

And unfortunately Emma is sick... so I'm sure Bella is not too far behind. The nurse said it sounds viral so hopefully it will be over soon. Emma's good nature is helping her take it like a champ though. Maybe Bella will be just as good when its her turn!