Julie and Kalyn

The grand finale to my awesome summer was a visit from Aunt Julie and Cousin Kalyn. It just doesn't get any better than this! Lucky for us, their flight home to Boston was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene, so I got to play with Kalyn for 2 extra days! We watched the movie, Rio, and sang all of the songs in the car on Mom's ipod. Kalyn let me dress her long hair like Rapunzel, with a thousand hair bow/barrettes. We went to the zoo on the hottest day of the decade, and we swam every day until I collapsed with exhaustion. One morning I even slept late, until 7:37am (Mom will never forget it, first time past 7am.)!
Ryan was happy, too, judging Aunt Julie's shoulder as a perfect napping spot (this kid loves to sleep on good shoulders). He didn't do any serious swimming... but I amazed everyone with my brand new swim lesson skills:

Kelsey the Little Fish

Marmee and Poppy

Last week Marmee and Poppy drove all the way from Georgia to meet Ryan and see how big I have become!
I was thrilled to show off the new member of our family, and Mom was thrilled to watch Marmee create magic in the kitchen. Marmee made her famous lasagna (I call it "Ya-zon-yala"), while Poppy found fresh seafood takeout and extra to grill one night. Ryan was a very happy baby during their visit, he had two new cozy shoulders to sleep on!We wish they could visit every week! Mom says we are going to spend Christmas at their house this year, so it won't be long until we see them again!

Ryan at 6 Weeks

Our baby is growing up so fast! He is a smiley, sweet, cuddly little man. We love his shiny bald baby head and big curious eyes. He seems to like us pretty well, too!
While Ryan is getting a majority of the attention around here lately, I am still coming up with new hilarious ways to amuse my parents. Mom wrote down some recent favorites:

• Stomping out of the bathroom with hands on my hips: "Dad, we don't leave the toilet seat up!".
• In the car asking for the "Fa Da Yun" song ("If I Die Young" by The Band Perry).
• Panicked after overhearing my parents discuss how my ear tubes will eventually fall out onto my pillow one night: "Is my tooth going to fall out of my ear tonight?!".
• Teaching Dad how to do the "hoop-a-loop" (hula hoop).
• Styling Mom's hair as the "Making Your Hair Girl" or the "Hair Cut Thinker".
• And the best: my reply to Dad's frustrated "whatever, Kelsey", "what NOT ever, Dad!".
  

Tennis

Being 3 years old means I get to do awesome Big Girl stuff, like tennis lessons! We get to do fun warm-ups like the monkey walk and hopping on one leg. Our coaches teach us how to point at the ball to serve, and then practice our forehand.Legend has it that my Nana was wicked mega good at tennis back in the day, so Dad thinks that I will be a natural. He tells me every week to go work on my college scholarship! Ryan is a whole month old now, and still a little young to start sports. Luckily, he has a generous big sister with a treasure trove of girl toys. The other day I told Mom that I was good at sharing with my brother, and this is what she found...

Sweet Face

Who can resist these bright eyes? He uses them to get exactly what he wants around here: total domination! His soft baby hair is falling out on top, and Dad says the new hairline makes him look like Ben Bernanke. A cute Episcopal version, anyway. It's hard to predict what his personality will be, but he has already revealed a few quirks. The car is only good if it is moving (red lights are the enemy), the bottle is only good for sending him into a rage (a difficult challenge so far), and the 5:00 to 9:00pm window is reserved exclusively for cuddle time with Mom.

Little Fish

Mom and Dad decided it was time to get me out of the house early on Saturday mornings (and learning a valuable life skill would be bonus)... so I started swim lessons! They have both tried unsuccessfully to teach me the basics like kicking my feet, floating, and dunking under water, so they figured peer pressure in a group with a neutral teacher was the best approach. They were right. I love it!
Mom and Dad said it would be easier if we simply had regular access to a pool so I could learn to swim on my own. But neither one of them is willing to commit to installation and/or maintenance of a pool in our yard. Maybe I can talk them into it in a few years.
If Olympic swimming doesn't work out, I can fall back on my natural flair for drama and dance to pursue a career on Broadway!

Ryan at 1 Month

He's 1 month old and thriving! Mom and Dad took a moment to be grateful that we all survived the exhausting first month. Ryan seems to like us, and has starting giving out brilliant smiles each day. We can't catch his smile in a picture because we are mesmerized every time he does it, and forget to grab the camera.
The best part of my day is when I get to hold him. My parents catch themselves constantly saying "Be careful. Watch his head. Gentle. Don't get in his face.". They forget that I genuinely love the little guy and just want to hug him! In fact, he has inspired me to become a better Mommy to all of my dolls. Now I make sure they get time in the swing (Ryan has to wait his turn just like everyone else). And I make sure they are cozy in their beds at night. Mom thinks I laid these babies out in two straight lines, just like in my book, Madeline.