3 Years Old

Zoe is finally 3! She's been asking for weeks if she's three yet, and Zoe was thrilled to get to celebrate her "real" birthday. She also was excited to get her birthday present from mommy and daddy: a princess vanity. Zoe has lots of jewelry and lip gloss, so she really needed a place to keep all her girly stuff. She spent a lot of time today sitting on the stool and looking in the mirror. When I asked her what the best part of her birthday was, she said, "Just playing." Zoe is pretty easy going and very easy to please!

3 Months Old

Chloe is 1/4th of the way to her first birthday. She knows all about birthdays because we've spent the last 2 weeks celebrating all of the May babies. Chloe has some new achievements in the last month. She's been sleeping through the night for a couple of weeks now, she can roll over from her tummy to her back, and she can hold toys and put them in her mouth. Chloe loves to talk and can carry on a conversation with anyone who will listen to her. She's a happy baby with a great smile and we just love her to pieces!

4 Years Old

Check out our oldest girl! Say bye-bye to the toddler years, because Sophie is all big girl now! On her 4th birthday, she got on her 2 wheel princess bike (no training wheels) and rode off like a pro. She was so proud of herself. A couple of months ago she also learned how to get on the swing by herself and pump her legs to get going. This is a big help to me, and one of my favorite things to watch her do now. Sophie is fearless, determined, strong, smart and so loving. She started piano lessons a few weeks ago and can already play the first part of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star all by herself. Sophie's favorite thing about being 4?? Being allowed to chew gum, which for the first few days she asked for about every hour! The novelty seems to have worn off, but I've discovered that the reward of getting to chew a piece of gum sure does come in handy!

New bike!

Sophie's birthday present from mommy and daddy was a 2 wheel bike. She's been riding her balance bike since her 3rd birthday and loved it, but she outgrew it and we couldn't raise the seat any higher. So she asked for a Disney Princess bike and was thrilled to try it out today. She did awesome riding it. In fact, mommy couldn't run fast enough to keep up with her! She rode through the neighborhood and round and round the cul-de-sac. She even learned how to use her hand brake to stop. Now mommy and daddy will have to get new bikes so we can go for family rides!

Is it summer now?

The girls are confused about the seasons, but that's understandable when you grow up in Tucson! We got out the kiddie pool over the weekend and the girls asked, "Is it summer now?" Well, no it's not. Yes, it was 94 degrees out, but no, it's not summer yet.

Grandma Ann and Chloe

Chloe's looking comfy and happy with her Grandma!

Papa's Girls

Here's Papa Clark reading to the Gieseke girls.

Birthday Party

Yesterday was the girls' birthday party. It was a princess party, and they had lots of fun. We started by making sugar cube castles. We used frosting as the mortar, sugar cubes as the bricks, and a variety of candies for embellishment. After that we played a game I call Princess March. The kids all marched in a circle where I had taped down pictures of all the Disney Princesses while the song "Heigh Ho" played. When the music stopped, whoever was on Snow White got a prize. Then it was time to eat delicious burgers and hotdogs that Andy had grilled. The evening ended with cake and opening presents, and the girls got some great presents! All in all it was a great party for our almost 3 and almost 4 year olds!

The Cake

The main attraction at the girls' birthday party was the cake and cupcakes. It took 2 days to get it all done, and I even had help from Grandma Ann! I think I might make the princess castle cake again for Chloe's 1 year birthday and see if I can get it to look a little better. The girls loved it, and so did the guests, so I guess that's all that matters!

Chloe's Naming Ceremony

Chloe received her Hebrew name in the Temple on Friday night, and the two people she's named after got to be there: Grandma Laura and Grandma Ann! Her Hebrew name is Leah Chana, and we hope that she embodies some of her their best traits: love and generosity.

Cutie Pie

Happy Mother's Day!

Here are four generations of girls at our family dinner tonight.

Tummy Time

Chloe is getting really good at lifting up her head during tummy time. And check out the blanket she's lying on - it's Andy's baby blanket!

Sick Day

Today was a disaster. Neither of the big girls wanted to eat breakfast (that was my first clue something was wrong) and both were complaining that their tummies hurt and that they were tired. Zoe took herself back to bed, Andy left for work, and Sophie promptly began puking. Zoe was next, and it was a free for all from there. Fortunately, Chloe was perfect - staying on her 3 hour routine the entire day, and as happy as could be during her awake time. We survived 12 hours by ourselves until Andy got home and said, "I think I'm getting sick." Is it Mother's Day yet??