Isabelle's 3rd Birthday

For Izzy's birthday, we decided to get a bounce house. When it arrived, Isabelle wanted nothing to do with it. We tried everything - including a couple of minutes of Travis and I jumping and sliding down.  Her decision was final (or so we thought) and this is the way she was for most of the party.  That is, until little Claire asked her to go in. Isabelle, I am told, quickly said "ok" as if there was nothing to it.  Aahh...peer pressure! We did learn that Isabelle does not like to be the center of attention. In fact, she was pretty excited about her cake right up until we all started singing "Happy Birthday".  At that point, she withdrew and asked that I blow the candle for her. Instead, we had Erik blow it out for her.  It was pretty much the same reaction with the pinata.

But overall, it was a pretty fun day for her! 

Here is a slideshow of her Birthday Party on YouTube: birthday or you can view it below:

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Keating's First Haircut

Keating had his first haircut at Cool Cuts on 7/18. He was pretty happy for most of the session except towards the very end when he decided he wanted to be in my arms. 

Before......

Had enough! 

All Done....

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Going for a Drive

Up until two weeks ago, we had only one toy car in the house. It was given to Isabelle on her 2nd birthday.  Recently, it has been Isabelle's favorite toy. Only problem is that our little 9 month old, who apparently thinks he is 1+,  also enjoys driving it.  But Isabelle has not been too keen on sharing this toy (at least not all the time!) So what were we to do :)  Conchita showed up with a new car and we now have two little drivers in the house! 

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Warm Hugs

Isabelle just loves her time with grandma and abuelita or "abili" as she calls her.  Here are some cute pictures of Isabelle with them:

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Not enough Sleep

For the past 5 or 6 months, Isabelle decided that she would no longer nap.  Even when it is clear that she is just drop dead tired (excessive yawning, resting her head everywhere she can, etc.), she still refuses to nap.  The only way we have gotten her to sleep is in the car on the way home - usually at around 3 or 4pm. But this backfires on us since we found that it is harder to get her to sleep at night.

This picture was taken of Isabelle just moments before she was about to eat. Conchita (nanny) had turned around to cut an avocado and when she turned around, Isabelle had fallen asleep :( My poor baby! 

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Fun with Bubbles

Isabelle and Keating spend time bathing in bubbles! 

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A Brother is a Gift

Isabelle and Keating are closer than ever. No one can make Keating smile like she can. Isabelle has taken the role of a big sister pretty seriously. She has learned to tell us when Keating has something in his mouth that he shouldn't (which has come in handy on more than one occasion!), will comfort him when he is upset and tries to teach him the more important skills in life - like how to "whack-a-mole" and drink tea!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Have a  Cup of Tea

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Best Buddies!

After a rough start (the first 3 months), Isabelle and Keating are now inseparable. Isabelle is so proud of her little brother, often showing him off to anyone that comes to visit. She is the first to want to go into her brother's room in the morning or after a nap to greet him with a very loud mixture of screams, laughter as she says "Good morning little buddie!" All the while she is climbing the crib rails to try and touch her brother. She constantly tries to make him laugh either by standing in front of him and making loud noises such as clapping, jumping, hopping and laughing. Then there is the constant need to kiss her baby brother in the face , Keating objects to this at times when he is not in the mood to be grabbed and have her sister's face right in his. He's got quite a little temper my little boy! But there is no denying that just as much as Isabelle loves him, Keating only needs to see her to get a smile on his face and arouse an episode of a mile-a-minute kicks. So adorable!

The following are a series of pictures of the two taken from the time Keating was born until now (he is 8 months and Isabelle soon to be 3 in July)

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