21 Months!

In a couple days the girls will be 21 months, 18 adjusted! When strangers ask how old they are I have to stop telling them in months at this point!   Things have been really busy with trips and illnesses so I didn't get to the blog until now. I don't like getting behind! A couple weekends ago we brought the girls to my parents' cabin close to Ely (waaay up north, 5 hour plus drive from here with the freeway construction). Our friends Marie and Adam came with their two kids too (Luke, 4-almost 5 and Eva, 2 1/2). We missed some of the warm days they had been getting there, but at least it didn't rain during the day. I stayed an extra day because my parents and brother Ben were arriving the cabin. Ben lives in Portland right now so I don't get to see him much!

Sofia on left, Maddie on right. The background is my parent's cabin.

Josie on the dock

Madeline (and Sofia's profile). What a pretty lake!!

Mom, we found some flowers! (Josie on left, Sofia on right)

The girls have been doing well besides the sicknesses (fevers and bad cold/cough).

Sofia is obsessed with shoes. She'll try to get in the mud room where we keep shoes and she'll muster all her concentration to say "shoes". So, I'll put some sandals on her... but that won't keep her satisfied for long. She'll want to put a different pair on. Sometimes she'll go through 3 or 4 shoes in an hour (only outside because some are too dirty for inside). She still babbles a bunch- working on real words!

Miss Sofia!

Madeline was the sickest with her cough. Every time she gets a cold, her cough sounds like croup, but the doctors agree that the specific sound of her cough is from the surgery way back in the NICU (she had a gap between the esaphogus and trachea, and a gap between the esophagus and the stomach that they fixed). She must have scar tissue or abnormal structures still but it's supposed to get better with time. 

Madeline!

Josephine is working on words, along with her sisters. Among the words they say/try to say: mama, daddy, baby, hello, dog, duck, quack, woof, shoes, Elmo, diaper... I know there are more but I can't remember them all! Oh, and of the three, she loves to give "sister hugs" the most when we ask her to! I have to show a video of that!

Josie managing the rough terrain!

Josephine and Sofia holding hands. *heart melts*

Lara, Charie and their boys Dane and Peter came to stay with us for almost a week since Charlie had to work in the cities. We had one busy but fun house! It's great having another adult around during the day too!

Awwww... Sofia and Dane (what a good big cousin!)

Awwww again! Dane, Sofia, Josie, Madeline

Pools are fun to play in even without water!

The cousins watching Sesame (Josephine, Dane, Madeline, Sofia, and Peter)

   We all went to the Minnesota State Fair when they were in town. What a zoo! It was so crowded and we still brought our triple stroller. You would NOT believe the looks and overheard comments! I don't know if I'll ever be fully used to it. I'm sure we'll be back next year, though. Fun times!

Little farmers at the Minnesota State Fair! (on top: Peter, Dane, bottom: Sofia, Josephine, Madeline)

They look thrilled... :)

Ok, I have to add this video of my nephew, Peter! Isn't he the best dancer?? (It's also on YouTube)