sisters

If Katie looks a little worried in this picture....

...it's because Meg sneak attacks her with "love". My germophobe self doesn't condone the mouth kissing between sisters. Katie looks like she doesn't condone it either.

the pool

Since I haven't figured out how to have both girls at the pool, Meg and I have been setting up the baby pool in the backyard most afternoons when Katie is sleeping. I really miss a real pool but this will tide me over until next summer! Meg enjoys dumping most of the water out on the grass with her little pitcher.

getting closer

A full night's sleep is almost within reach! Katie went 8 hours last night between feedings. She probably won't give us a repeat performance tonight, but I have HOPE for better nights ahead!

nectarines

One of my very favorite things about summertime.

every 4th of july needs...

...a cake decorated like a flag with blueberries and strawberries,

root beer floats,

lots of flags,

and rocking chairs with family on breezy back porches.

fireworks

We had such a great time with our family on the 4th! The picture below is so funny...Mark is the culprit (above), shooting off pretty tame fireworks at the end of the dock...

...and then look at all the kids versus all the adults who don't seem to care that the kids don't like it!

functioning again

It has been ages since I've been able to blog, for all sorts of reasons...poor Katie was sick, I was with the girls in South Carolina for 2 weeks, then my computer software has been down for the past week, and on top of it all I just don't function very well on little sleep. But now, thankfully, Katie is well, I am slightly more rested thanks to my wonderful family who have helped me take care of Meg and Katie, and my camera is up and running again. The picture above is my mom, thinking she had the baby bjorn on the right way, all ready to put Katie in there and go for a walk!

My parents have a playroom with toys for all of their grandkids, and this doll kept fooling us - I kept doing a double-take, thinking it was Katie! I actually did put Katie to sleep in this doll's cradle one night!