painting with alice

While my mom was cleaning a few things out of her home, she came across this watercolor set. She called me and asked me if I wanted it. It wasn't until she brought it over that I realized it wasn't some leftover plastic watercolor set from my childhood, but this beautifully illustrated tin set from my mothers. I love that now the third generation gets to enjoy it.

smiles

This morning Bentley joined Emery for her tummy/floor time.

3 friends and 3 babies in January

Myself, along with two of my dear friends, Sondra and Kathy (respectively after me in the photo below), all happened to get pregnant around the same time. So close to the same time in fact, we even had due dates in January within a week of each other! Sondra and Kathy both already had two boys each, and with Drew and I already having Bentley, we were anxiously texting each other after each 20 week anatomy appointment. First Sondra... another boy. Then me... another girl. Then Kathy... another boy! (The photo below was taken the first week of January)

And here they are, born all within one week!
Pearce Quinn, born January 21 (Sondra's son)
Emery Anne, born January 25
Gavin William, born January 28 (Kathy's son)

the big sister

The jealousy of the big sister that people, magazines, blogs, etc, cautioned me about, I recently witnessed emerge from Bentley. In the last two days, once Emery even makes the slightest noise like a cry, Bentley positions herself between Emery and I in the room, looks up at me, her arms up-stretched, saying "Mommy, get up, please." Even, glancing back at Emery and then back to me. I pick Bentley up, tell her I love her, and then gently let her know that I need to take care of Emery too. It makes me wonder what I was like when little Joshy showed up in my life...

cooking with aunt pammy

My aunt came over two nights ago and taught Bentley and I how to make an organic spaghetti sauce from scratch. Bentley helped pull the stickers off the tomatoes, peel garlic, separate the cloves, put the tomato slices into the bullet blender and how to fashionably wear as many patterns as humanly possible. My aunt, on the other hand, learned how to keep knives and kitchen scissors away from a 2 1/2 year old. With dinner we also enjoyed homemade organic garlic butter on toasted kalamata olive bread and steamed carrots and broccoli. yum. Thank you aunt pammy!