Who's the big girl?

After a week preparing Izzy for her big transition, we have success! Slowly, we have been moving her books, her stuffed animals and tonight her night light & cozies (read: frogger dogger, her blankie and her baby doll). We read lots of books to get her good and tired and I left her the way I'd normally leave her in her crib: flat on her back with her cozies in each arm with a blanket over her. She gave me big eyes like she was saying, "Mommy, why are you leaving me here?!" I went down for dinner and waiting to hear something on the monitor or overhead. And waited. And waited. Nothing. An hour later I went in to check on her and the picture above is what I saw. Peace. I can't believe what a big girl she has become! Her teachers at school are telling us that Izzy shows her "baby" to everyone at school (her belly). Guess she's getting ready for her little sister's arrival in a short 6 weeks. So stinkin' cute!

Bathing buddies

Monday night Mike and I wanted to visit our friends, the Falciones, at the hospital. They had a perfect little boy on Sunday night and we couldn't wait to get our hands on the newborn. So what's a girl to do who has zero family in town? Call her bestie and have her pick up Izzalicious from school, since her son is in Izzy's class. I was secretly envious of Jaime that she got to pick up two of the cutest kids and drive home with them for a night of dinner, playing and tub time. Fortunately, Jaim is a GREAT story teller and remembers ALL details for years...so she gave me a great play-by-play of the fun playdate they had. The picture above just makes me melt...Izzy looks at Luke like this all the time. She just adores him.

I'm so thankful that we have such great friends right around the block...they are our family.

Weekend of preparations...

We had a three-day weekend (thank you for summer hours!) filled with LOTS of fun times and lots of preparing for the next few months. Friday Izzy and I spent the morning on a long walk and then at the pool (such a different crowd from the normal weekenders... stay-at-home-moms and nannies galore) while Mike stayed home to begin painting Izzy's "big girl" room. That night (and Saturday night) we painted Izzy's headboard, dresser and mirror.

Saturday it rained pretty much the entire day, so we got creative; we spent a few hours at the library for song/story time, we had manicures and pedicures, we ran many errands to get items for Izzy's new room and watched movies.

And thankfully today was a gorgeous day, so we again spent it at the pool and in the backyard in our own mini pool. Today we also had a 2nd interview with a nanny so she could have a playdate with Izzy. Turns out Iz loves her and so do we. We have offered her a job and are waiting to hear her final decision (she has another family she is waiting to hear from). Stay tuned to find out if she will be the latest addition to our family.

Izzy helping daddy cut fruit (you can also see our new backsplash, sink and faucet)
Such a big girl...she wants to be a part of everything we do

Here is a picture of Izzy's big girl bedroom. We've just finished the paint on the walls and the furniture. Now we have to get the finishing touches: Mount the headboard, install window treatment, hang mirror and wall decor, figure out how to attach the guard rail and move all of Izzy's things into the room. We spent a lot of time in her room today to get her acclimated and she seems to be taking to the bed quite well; she climbs up, crawls to the pillows, lays down, stands up and jumps and then climbs down. We're hoping to transition her in the next few days, as we'd like her to have the most time to adjust before baby Mac #2 arrives. (Which, p.s., we still haven't decided on a name yet!!!)

Here's a picture of Katie Monster sleeping in Izzy's chair. This chair will eventually make its way up to Izzy's room - to the foot of her bed. We're hoping she'll use this to climb up into her bed and a way to safeguard her if she (by chance) falls out near the foot of her bed.

Speaking of Katie...our friends, Katie & Rick, are in the hospital as we speak laboring their first baby. Katie was due last Monday (6 days ago) and was going to be induced tomorrow. Fortunately, Katie called me last night telling me she'd started laboring on her own. Phew! We're so excited for them and can't wait to meet their little man soon!

Weekend with the McCullochs

Daddy and Izzy at dinner
Izzy's big cheese

Izzy loves to play the piano

Playing in the backyard

Iz, Mike and Grandpa Bob
Great Grandma Betty & Grandma Laura

Cousin Laura (who surprised me with news she is expecting!!!)

After a few days with friends on Lake Tippy, we ventured into Fort Wayne for a weekend with Mike's dad. Mike's family always gets together at the lake each 4th of July weekend and this weekend didn't disappoint (minus the lack of sun). It was so much fun to see Mike's aunt and uncles, cousins and grandma, as we won't be able to see them later in the summer at the annual McCulloch Open in Wisconsin (as we'll have a new bambino). We ate a delicious (fresh) fish fry, played cornhole and dominos and caught up on life. Was a perfect relaxing weekend!

After we got back into Indy this afternoon, Izzy and I decided to head to the pool and enjoy the beautiful weather. Mike was home putting in a new sump pump...so he missed out on a non-packed pool!

Also, Mike and I have both noticed after a week of spending time with other kids (bigger than her) that her vocabulary has increased 10 fold. Seems she has turned into a 3 year old overnight. Painted nails. Sunglasses. Telling us when she's gone potty so we can go sit on the potty. It's truly incredible to watch. We're so in love with her!!! More today than yesterday. Amazing how much love can keep growing! So exciting that we get to do this AGAIN very soon!

Visiting the Tynans on Tippy

Izzy & Maggie watching the water during a boat ride
Grace & Iz playing on the boat

Bridget giving Izzy her very first pedicure...

And she LOVED it...here are her toes...

...and here are her fingers...she showed EVERYONE all week long

Making S'mores

Breakfast with all the bambinos minus Max

Bridge & Kelly on the putt-putt course

Sam, Big Joe & Mike before a round of golf at the country club

This picture is indicative of the weekend...Izzy played in the mini kitchen and the floaty constantly

Iz & Daddy

The girls on the trampoline. Izzy wasn't a fan (but she did like the bounce house).

Mike and Iz in front of the miniature golf course out back

Bridget, Maggie and Sam on Big Joe's new toy: the Agitator (Chris Craft)

Enjoying a ride on the Agitator

Izzy wasn't a huge fan of being agitated

...so she snugged with daddy

Walking back to the house

Playing in the sand

Driving a mini Chris Craft

Helping Sam drive

Luke learned how to knee board...and was a pro at it by the end of the day!

I had to post this pic....we forgot an adult-size life jacket for Bridge to tube in with Maggie. So she sported an old-school/retro jacket. Nice.

Bridget snuggling with Iz

This past week we were able to spend several days with the Tynans on Lake Tippy. Let me just tell you, we had such a fun time with them. Although the weather wasn't pefect, we managed to pack quite a bit of activity and fun into the 3 days we were there. Boat rides, cornhole, Bingo at the country club (with 350+ other people!!!), mani/pedis, making yummy food, S'mores, bounce houses, trampolines, miniature golf...I could go on forever. We spent so much quality time with the Tynans that it makes me sad we only see them once (sometimes twice) a year. So. Much. Fun. Thank you guys for having us up for so long...it was truly a pleasure!!!

Mom's surgery update...

Most of you know that my mom had back surgery last Tuesday in San Francisco, CA. She had spinal fusions on several of her vertabrae and the surgery lasted only 1.5 hours. They originally told her it would take 4 hours; however, since there were no residents attending the surgery (UCSF is a teaching hospital/medical school) the doctors said it took far less time b/c they didn't have to explain each step of the way. That, and the synthetic material they used adhered perfectly to her spine/vertabrae and therefore they didn't have to take any bone grafts from her hip. Phew! She stayed in the hospital for 4 days on a morphine drip and was release this last weekend. As of last night, she's feeling a lot better than she expected (could be the pain meds?!) and doing very well. Not sleeping much and doesn't have much of an appetite. She is staying with a friend about an hour from the hospital for a few more days until she's recovered a bit more to make the long journey back to Tahoe. She's quite nervous about the hairpin turns through the mountains...can you blame her?!

My Aunt Gail is flying out to be with her for the next week, once she's home, as she is the most able of all our family to take care of mom (my aunt is a triathlete and quite frankly, is super woman!!!). My sister is working full time and in school several days a week, and I'm 31 weeks pregnant and unable to help her get up and out of bed. Although Kim and I both wanted to be there with her, mom told us to stay home. Mom has a long recovery (the rest of the summer and then some!) and we hope to see her at the holidays!!!

Unfortunately she'll miss the birth of Baby Mac #2...but just like I was there with her in spirit for her surgery, she'll be here with me during labor & delivery.

Here's to a quick recovery and a much healthier back for mom!!!

Last weekend of June

This weekend we hit the pool 3 days in a row. We're pretty much experts at packing a lunch (or dinner) and a swim bag and heading to the pool. We're regulars and are becoming friends with the regulars. I love this weekend routine. Izzy loves the pool and I love the sun (and Mikey gets a workout in, too!). Today, when Iz woke from her nap, we decided to bring the pool to us: Mike set up the Kangaroo Climber to slide into the kiddie pool. Izzy loved it; her own person slide and pool. Was fun.

Other fun weekend activities included attending a local Fish Fry (we have started doing this each summer, and pick a different church each time - so yummy!), buying the bedding and paint for Izzy's new big girl room (paint is a pale lilac and bedding is purple and green stripes/polka dots), and we had our first nanny interview. We both REALLY liked her (and have more interviews set up with other gals), so I went ahead and wrote a letter to the Goddard School that we'd be leaving come Sept. 1st. So sad, as Izzy loves it there...but it's really for the best. Won't be permanent. But it's still tough to do; pull Izzy out of a school where she thrives.

As for Izzy's make-believe infatuation...this weekend she has taken it to another level. First, she has FINALLY started taking an interest in her stuffed animals and babies. She kisses and hugs them and then makes them kiss and hug each other. She has taken to dressing them up in her dress-up hats, sharing her sippy cup with them and even covering them up with her blanket. Also, while doing her laundry, she started taking article by article to daddy and he'd put them on her. She just loves to dress up!