Growing up fast

Teanna and Zari are growing up very quick...

They hang out on the couch together...



They experiment with different hairstyles...





They even write emails....



They are almost getting too big to fit on Daddy John's lap!



They rock out to music on their own CD player



Zari says, "I'm a big boy!"

August pics

Just a few pics from the last few weeks:


Zari pimpin' on the princess couch


Teanna berry picking (aka berry eating)


Attempting to pick blueberries


Big Z


Bro and sis lounging at home

What the kids are doing

So the big news of the last few weeks is that the kids were assigned a permanency worker (read: adoption worker) to their case. We were told that it is likely that DCF will file for Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) in December. We have been asked if we would like to be the adoptive resource for the kids, and of course we said yes. We are trying to temper our excitement because we know things can always change, but it is definitely a good sign for us.

Now for what the kids are doing:

Teanna-
You are talking more and more. You say a lot of 2 and 3 word phrases now. "More snack please" is a common one. When you want a different snack, you say "sing else" for something else. You are so funny with Zari. Now that he grabs things more (like your eyeball) you are very wary of him! When he grabs your face you shout "NOT NICE!" and when he grabs your toys you say "let it go!" One time you even told him "easy, honey!" Some of our favorite words to hear you say are applesauce (just because it sounds cute), pancake (panty-cake), and flower (flaffer). You can sing the ABCs on your own and count to 10, although you sometimes leave out 5 and 6 in order to get to your favorite number SEVEN faster. You are working on your colors, shapes, and animal sounds now. So much to learn! After a couple weeks of boycotting the potty, the other night you went over to the bathroom and said "pee pee potty" and when we sat you down on it, low and behold you peed! It was pretty awesome. You were very proud of yourself and thoroughly enjoyed your M&M.

Zari-
This weekend you will be 8 months! You have almost doubled your weight in the last 4 months. We are anxiously awaiting the day when we can say you have been with us for most of your life. You are still the most smiley, sweet, and cuddly baby. You have finally gotten interested in toys, and your favorite thing is to chew on them. You have a rattle that you love but we need to be careful because you get so excited with it, you inevitably whack yourself in the face with it. You are rolling from front to back and back to front now, but you don't do it very often. Some people would call you lazy, I prefer to say you're "energy efficient". You are getting better at sitting on your own. You can stay sitting for a minute or so but sometimes you fall straight forward onto your head. Instead of crying you just decide to start playing on your tummy. You have finally started letting us sleep at night. After going to bed at 7 you get up once for a bottle around 10/11 and then you sleep until 6:30. We are trying to get you to eat more during the day so you can sleep straight through the night, but you are stubborn!

Princess Teanna turns 2!

Teanna turns 2 this Tuesday and we had her birthday party yesterday. The theme was Princess Tiana from Disney's The Princess and the Frog, which she has never seen but is obsessed with nonetheless. Once we started cleaning the house and blowing up the balloons, she totally knew something was up and she was PUMPED. When the guests arrived she got excited about all the presents but she was good about waiting until it was time to open them. Teanna LOVED all her presents! She was very skeptical of the cake (maybe because we've never given her any?) but after she tasted a tiny bite she discovered it was good and ate her whole piece. At that point it was after 8 and she was on the verge of meltdown city from fatigue so the birthday girl bid all her guests "night night" and after prying her new toys from her hands she went to bed.


Trying on her "birthday girl" shirt


Balloons!!!


In full birthday attire


Little brother with Auntie JJ


Princess Tiana cake


Finally time to open presents!


Oooh, what is it?


A Princess backpack!


"Happy Birthday to you..."


Blow out the candle


Yummy!

Fun in the Sun

We just got back from a week in Maine with our friends Crista and Bryan and their baby girl Laila. There were so many awesome "firsts" during the week: Teanna going in the ocean, Zari swimming in the pool, both kids going to restaurants and trying new foods. Teanna discovered the joys of seafood! She loved lobster and calamari. Zari also had some new foods as he is now eating baby oatmeal and baby food. They are both growing so quickly. Now that we are back from vacation Teanna is missing her "Uncle Bry" and the rest of the Cauley crew.


Teanna "reading" to Laila and Zari


The first picture we have of all four of us!


Teanna and I (with identical facial expressions) at Billy's Clam Shack


John, Crista, Zari, and Laila


Big Z beachin' it up


All of us on Ogunquit beach


Walking Marginal Way


John building sand castles with T


Zari snoozing in the beach tent


Beach Plum farm


Teanna and I on the deck before dinner


Zari and I at dinner


Playing tug of war on the beach


Best buddies hanging out by the pool


Mommy, Daddy, and Teanna taking a dip


Zari having a big boy bath

Zari: Then and Now

Yesterday marked Zari turning 6 months old, and being with us for 8 weeks. We can not believe how much he has changed! When we got him he weighed 9 pounds, he now weighs 14. He was like a newborn when we got him, could barely hold his head and and didn't do much of anything. Now he rolls over, grabs things, kicks, babbles, puts things in his mouth, chews on his hands, smiles, and laughs. We are so proud of all the progess he has made.


Zari when he was skinny


Our chubby man now


Me and Zari in April


Me and Zari in June (his first time at the beach!)


Little Z tummy time


Big Z in the high chair

John and I love this baby so much!

Busy times

It has been a crazy last couple of weeks. John's brother was in town for his sister's wedding so we had a whole week of fun family time. We finally got to meet our niece Julianna! She and Zari were too cute together. Teanna loves John's father- he blows bubbles with her, and now when she sees him she requests "bubbles?" She also likes to sit in my lap when I go on facebook and when she sees a picture of John she shouts "Dada!" Both kids have definitely settled in here now and they are just so happy and fun to be around.

John and I call Zari "the President" and we like to make him talk in outrageous voices while we wave his fist around dramatically. We also dub each other things like "Secretary of Pacifiers" and "Secretary of Puke" and have him yell at the us when we don't perform our jobs to his satisfaction.

We have tons of new pictures so I will have to do my best to narrow it down!


Teanna and I had a girls' day at the beach... she had an awesome time dumping sand onto the blanket!


I love my chocolate muffin!


Teanna with her Mets hat


Big Z napping on the couch


Teanna "holding" Zari


"Hey guys, who wants to hit up the golf course?"


Cousins!


"Aw come on, no cameras around my fat rolls!"


Teanna wearing Crista's sweatshirt


T with her braids out

We also got some professional pictures taken of the kids... I am hoping to figure out a way to post them! They were like little models hamming it up for the camera!