And She Smiles!

Spider Man, Spider Man, Does Whatever a Spider Can...

For Halloween, Cooper chose to be Spider Man. The best part, in my opinion, is the Nacho Libre style mask.

The Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend we visited a pumpkin patch (well, the kind of pumpkin patch available to us in Florida - a church parking lot!), and had a great time picking out pumpkins with Aunt Heather and Uncle JR. I think Aunt Heather has more pictures... I had a little trouble (and I think this could be the story of our lives for a while) trying to hold Chloe, give her a bottle, change positions when she got fussy, and take pictures... Whew!

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"Mommy, I don't think Chloe likes being a pumpkin."

a little pumpkin air guitar

Chloe playing Dress Up

My mom saved several outfits of Heather's and mine, and we've been able to play dress up a bit with Chloe in our old clothes!

Hatching Butterflies

Jason found a butterfly habitat and decided the time was right for hatching some butterflies! Clearly, we didn't have enough to do at our house...

Cooper had a blast learning how caterpillars spin their cocoons and turn into chrysalids (or "kris-lits"), and then hatch to become "bootiful buh-er-flies!" Here are some photos of our release party:

Cooper having fun with Mimi and Pop Pop

Trying to do our best to combat any jealousy or resentment to Chloe getting all the attention, Cooper got to hang out with Mimi and Pop Pop at Disney World!

Swimmin' with Pop Pop 

The awesome splash area at the Saratoga Springs pool 

This is some serious ice cream eating... 

The petting zoo at Animal Kingdom

Who's Who??

Cooper

Chloe

Think these two might be related? This was one of the gender neutral outfits we saved for Chloe, and it's so fun to see how they compare! Watching Chloe is like turning back the clock to when Cooper was brand new - how fun it is to experience again, but in a whole new way!

Tummy Time, with a little help

My favorite part of this picture is her jeans! 

Chloe could turn out to be one of those younger siblings who is late to develop because she has such a helpful big brother. My mom had to tell my sister to stop saying things for me so I would learn to talk. Luckily, Cooper can't really do tummy time FOR Chloe. But he offers great moral support!

Cooper writes his name!

Without any prompting or coaching from us, Cooper wrote his name. And then he came to tell us he had written his name. And you can read it!!! Way to go, Super Cooper!

Happy One Month, Baby Chloe!

Okay, so I missed it by two days... Better late than never. 

Timing is Everything...

Chloe has a gift. I know... All parents think their children are gifted. But really, Chloe is special. She has a real knack for timing. The moment the diaper comes off, it's like the lightbulb turns on. Just when you get her clean, and most often right as you put the new clean diaper down, there she goes again. So more often than not, a simple diaper change ends up going through at least two diapers, although the record so far has been 5. Yes, 5. It's a special talent. We should all hope for such blessings upon our children.

An Outfit for Every Occasion

Certain occasions warrant certain clothing. Clearly, Cooper has very distinct ideas about what to wear when playing with play-doh in the backyard. Batman Underoos, a winter ski cap, and teddy bear slippers are all the rage this season. 

Welcome to our Blog!

I have decided to start a blog!  As I've failed miserably at scrapbooking, this is a way for me to remember things that happen in our family. If along the way you want to know about things in our family, too, feel free to follow!

Life in our house changed drastically one month ago, when our newest little Mann arrived. Chloe Catherine, born August 18, 2010 at 11:30pm, 5lb 3oz, 18 inches long. One might think that having two kids is twice the work. In fact, this is a myth, much like the cheesy composition of the moon, or the woman who has enough shoes . Having two kids is exponentially harder than having one, but exponentially more fun, too!


We're buckled in for a bumpy ride - join us, and we can throw our hands in the air together for the big drops!