THE TOG SPOT

All about Stelly!

2009-09-19T13:58:00.005-06:00

Our little Stella has been quite busy herself!! She is so silly and wild and crazy and funny and NAUGHTY...in a mostly funny sort of way. Little Stelly (18 months now) is starting to talk more, and her words are just so cute. At the beginning of the summer, she used to call Sophia and Sasha "Daaaah" and "Daaaaah" respectively (note the extra 'a' in Sasha's name). Now she can clearly say "Sa-sha" in a very sing-songy way, and we're still not quite sure what she calls Sophia...and that is quite possibly because they are both "Sa-sha" to her. She is our fall-down-and-get-right-up girl, and has sported more injuries this summer alone than the other two kids combined. She tries so hard to keep up with them!

My favorite thing she does now is nod "yes" to questions...but she nods with her WHOLE body. Very cute and it looks like such hard work for her.

We're enjoying our special time together while the big sisters are at school in the morning. Sasha is only gone until 10:45, so the two of them also have some bonding time before Sophia comes home in the afternoon.

Bonding with Dad at the campfire

yummy...

carrots and hummus...no biggie

Sasha's first day of preschool!

2009-09-19T13:45:00.003-06:00

The day after Sophia started K, Sasha started ECE 3 (early childhood education for 3 year olds) at the same school! It is so nice having them in the same building, with the same administrators, and the same PTA, etc....

Sasha looooooves school!! For the past two years she has had to "help" me drop off and pick up Sophia at preschool. Now it is her turn, and she couldn't be happier.

Sophia's First day of Kindergarten

2009-09-19T11:27:00.005-06:00

Sophia started Kindergarten on her birthday, so she was excited to have birthday treats with her new class on the first day of school. Her teacher, Ms. Piazza, is great, ....and she has a small'ish class this year (19 kiddos). Another new thing is that Soph is riding the bus to school now - which is such a big girl thing, and she is loving the independence. It is soooo helpful to me, too, since I can let the other two girls nap in the afternoon rather than having to pack them up to head to the school at 3:15. Even though she has been going to preschool for 2 years before this, I feel like Kindergarten is such a big leap for her and for me. She used to be gone for 2.5 hours at most, and now she catches the bus at 7:40am and comes home at 3:40pm!! It is hard being away from her for so long each day, but I think she was ready for it.

Birthday breakfast!

Sophia, Alex and Anna....ready to catch the bus!

still waiting for the bus

here it is!

...and off she goes!! xoxo

Sophia's 5th birthday

2009-09-19T11:07:00.005-06:00

Sophia turned 5 on August 19th, the same day she started Kindergarten! We had her party the weekend before, and it was a PRINCESS PANCAKE PARTY...with pink pancakes, princess costumes, nail polishing, and pin the crown on the princess. As if he isn't normally outnumbered enough, Michael at one point was the lone male in the house with 12 other girls. Here are some of the highlights....

Random, silly summer pics

2009-09-19T10:45:00.006-06:00

Here are some of my favorite shots from this summer...and also a link to ALL of the albums I've been hoarding since May. ;-)

South Dakota trip!

2009-09-19T10:22:00.007-06:00

Our annual summer trip to South Dakota was great this year....Missy, Cas, Jackson and Mila were there the whole time we were there, Edie and Adam came up, so the whole gang was together. Grammy Cathie and Papa Jim's house was bursting at the seams with kids/diapers/toys/books/pack'n'plays everywhere...but it was perfect.

Jackson and Stelly playing with the trains...a morning ritual

Great Grandma Sweety and the great grandkids

Ta da!

Papa Joe, Grandma Honey, and the Greats

Sasha...Preschooler by day, Artist by night

2009-09-19T09:54:00.005-06:00

One night, I set Sasha loose with her sketch pad and pencil while I was making dinner. About ten minutes later, she said "Mom,I drawed a picture of Daddy." Pretty accurate, don't you think??

Rewind your clocks 3.5 months....

2009-09-19T09:42:00.005-06:00

Sophia had her very first dance recital in June, and it was so fun to see her perform up on stage with her class buddies. She LOVED that she got to wear real make-up two days in a row (for rehearsal and the performance). Below is a video of her routine -- it was taped at the dress rehearsal, because video cameras weren't allowed at the recital. There is a lot of background noise/talking/shuffling around/etc....but at least for the first half you can see Soph do her thing; she ends the routine in the back row, so you don't see much of her there. Little ballerinas are SO CUTE!

Summer hiatus

2009-09-19T09:36:00.003-06:00

Like many of my favorite tv shows, I decided to go on hiatus from blog writing for a few months. BUT, I'm back...so hold on to your butts. I have a quiet house, a cup of coffee, and lots to update you on. First, a new family picture that we had taken the other day at Sophia's kindergarten potluck.

Sasha's 3rd birthday

2009-06-09T17:31:00.003-06:00

Sasha turned 3 on May 25th, so we had a fun little party at one of our neighborhood parks. It was chilly, but the kiddos insisted on playing in the fountains. We also got to celebrate with Grammy and Papa before they had to head home to South Dakota. Happy 3rd Birthday, Sasha Kay!

3-0

2009-06-09T17:17:00.005-06:00

I turned THIRTY in May...and Michael planned an awesome surprise party! Missy and Mila flew in from San Fran, and my parents drove in for the weekend to babysit the girls (I had no idea any of them were coming). The party was great...especially the part at the end of the night where Edie and Adam took Michael, Mis and I out in LoDo, and we acted like college kids. The next day, Michael and I took a quick (surprise) trip to the mountains with another couple. We relaxed, ate a nice looooooooong dinner, watched basketball, hiked, slept in. It was perfect. Thanks, Michael. xoxo

Moving on to May....

2009-06-09T16:53:00.004-06:00

May was full of lots of fun stuff...Mother's Day, a 1/2 marathon, a few surprises and birthdays!

In mid-May I ran my first half marathon, and as part of the pre-race activities there was a kids' 1/4 mile fun run. Sophia had so much fun and smiled the whole time. The next day, I had my race with my friend, Lindsay. We had so much fun, that we're now training for full marathon in October (Edie is going to run that one with us, too, right Edie??).

Sophia and Beckham -- ready to go!

Pep talk from Dad

Finishing up...phew

Sasha and Laila...the cheering section (Stella in background)

Lindsay and I pre-race

Greetings, Blogfans!

2009-06-09T16:33:00.007-06:00

Hello, hello! We're still alive... Lots to report since the last posting, so I'll try to keep the stories short and sweet.

EASTER....

We spent Easter in Montana this year with the Tognetti crew. The girls are getting to be such great little roadtrippers...with the exception of having to stop about 5 times for Sasha to pee on the way home, everything went smoothly, and it beats being stuck in a teeny row of airplane seats.

Here are some picture highlights from the trip, as well as a link to the whole set (there are a bunch of pictures in this set of the girls with a teddy bear -- this was part of a preschool project for Sophia. Cubby the bear had to go everywhere with us for 2 days, and we had to keep a pohto journal of our adventures.)

Stella's Up-do

2009-04-02T15:36:00.002-06:00

I gave Stella a quick haircut the other day...perhaps better stated as performing "mullet control". Afterwards, I decided it was time for her first pretty-pretty. She seems to have a weak scalp and hated every minute of me trying to pull her hair up into the piggy tail. The girl has to learn that being fashionable isn't always easy.

Mila May's Baptism

2009-04-02T15:20:00.002-06:00

We took a trip to South Dakota last weekend to visit the family...Missy, Cas, and the kids, AND Edie and Adam went as well, so it was a nice, little family reunion. All 9 (10 counting Dudley) grandkids were in the same place for the first time -- and do you think we got a picture of it? Of course not.

Mila was baptized while we were there, and Michael and I were very happy to be her Godparents. Here is a picture link from the fun weekend!

February - March Picture Set

2009-03-24T15:57:00.003-06:00

Here is a link to pictures from the last few weeks. Lots of good stuff on here, including Sasha's soccer practice pics...I love how cute the littles look in their "official" uniforms; Stella's first shiner; poodle dress pics - Thanks, Grandma Cathie!; and some highlights from Stella's birthday.

Happy 1st Birthday, Stelly!!!

2009-03-24T10:14:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Stella's 1st birthday on March 8th!! Edie and Adam came up for pizza, cake and presents... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STELLA!!! You are getting so big so fast! xoxox

March visitors...

2009-03-24T10:03:00.004-06:00

We've had a couple of visitors the past few weeks.

First, our Chicago friend, Kelly, came to visit us...we had so much fun with her. Thanks for coming out, Kel!
Then Grammy Cathie flew down to visit us for a few days, too. The girls loooooove when she comes, because she lets them play in her make-up....so, in some of the pictures you'll notice eye shadow and lipstick on #1 and #2. Needless to say, Stella is pretty excited about the day when she gets to take part in the fun, too.

Wheeeeeeeee!

2009-02-18T09:25:00.002-07:00

New Jammies

2009-02-18T09:15:00.002-07:00

Michael gave all of us girls new jammies for Valentine's Day. Sophia and Sasha were so excited that they all matched!

Updates

2009-02-15T14:34:00.004-07:00

Stella is a full-blown walker now. She strolls around the house like she owns the place...almost like she is supervising the rest of us as we go about our day. She officially started walking the first week of February, a few days before her 11 month mark.

Sasha is now a big girl....i.e., no more diapers!!! Potty training only took a few days. After a slow start, she took to it pretty quickly. We didn't even have to bribe her with "potty treats" like we did Sophia. Yeah, Sash!

Sophia is doing great, too. She is learning so much this year. She has been reading beginner books to us for a couple of months (books with mostly 3 and 4 letter words that she can sound out). She can get through all of "Hop on Pop" without any help!! Michael and I are starting to realize that our days of spelling out things we don't want the kids to hear/understand are numbered.

Videos!

2009-02-15T14:16:00.003-07:00

We spent some time this weekend taping some silly stuff...

1.) Sophia's rendition of "A-too-tee-tah"...I have no idea if that is how you spell it, but it is a little ditty she learned at school. She told me her teacher has the kids sing it when they need to get their wiggles out.

2.) Sasha's prayer that she says every night at bedtime.

3.) The following is a clip of Stella's training regimen we've started her on in order to prepare her for the 2012 Olympics. We're not sure which sport she'll be trying out for just yet, but we thought a Rocky IV'esque work-out is just what she needs to get herself into shape. Unfortunately, we don't have any footage of her doing sit-ups from the rafters or drinking egg yolk from her bottle.

Photo Shoot

2009-02-14T14:11:00.003-07:00

We had fun day on Thursday with Sophia out of school. We visited Auntie Edie and Dudley and then went to Lollilocks for little girl haircuts. The girls wanted to pose for pictures when we got home, so here you are....

Deliquent blogger

2009-01-27T14:42:00.004-07:00

Apparently this blog is on the "one update per month" plan. Hey, you get what you pay for.

After Christmas we took a trip north to see our families in both Montana and South Dakota. We once again managed to grace the doctors in Deadwood with our presence. Stella was the perpetrator (again), and she is now the proud owner of a "regular patient" file at the Deadwood Clinic. Before heading home, we managed to spread the bug to: Sasha, Grandma Inger, Michael, Uncle Nic, Laurie, Grammy Cathie, Aunt Mary, Grandma Lil and Hannah. You're welcome. ;-)

Now we're home and re-settled into our regular schedules again. Sasha started potty training this weekend, and it is coming along verrrrry slowly...this kid definitely has her own plan. Soph potty trained a bit earlier in age and pretty quickly. It is interesting to see the personality differences continuing to appear.

Stella has been close to walking for about a month. She can take 3-4 steps on her own, but she doesn't know how to put the brakes on yet. She ends up diving into the couch or whoever is waiting to catch her. You can see in her eyes how badly she wants to be up and running around with her big sisters.

We are very excited to have a new niece!! Congrats to Missy, Cas and Jackson on Mila May's arrival. I can't wait to meet her soon!!!

Everything else is status quo...see ya in a month!

Stella's cute puppy slippers

The girls like to push Stella around in her new wagon

...and vice versa

Christmas...etc..2008

2008-12-28T15:21:00.008-07:00

Here are our most recent pictures.

We hope everyone had a great Christmas!! We missed seeing our families, but we really enjoyed staying home and not having to white knuckle the roads through Wyoming, SoDak, and Montana with the three meatballs this year.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-03T21:57:00.003-07:00

Not much time to write....but here are a few sets of pictures from the past month.

We had a great time with the Aberle crew over Thanksgiving -- we're so lucky that everyone traveled to Denver this year!! Click here for pictures.

ALSO, since I didn't take many pictures of the girls over Halloween, here is Laurie's Kodak album. The girls and I took our first road trip without Daddy to SD at the end of October. Stella ended up getting croup while we were there, and she was soooo miserable on Halloween. I didn't even put her costume on...poor kid. Soph and Sash had a blast trick or treating with their cousins, and I was pleasantly surprised it didn't blizzard while we were there.

Sophia's Story

2008-11-21T16:12:00.001-07:00

Not to be outdone by little sis, here is Sophia's Voice Thread.

Mornings with Sasha

2008-11-21T15:35:00.003-07:00

Since Sasha and I get to spend our mornings together while Soph is at school and Stella is napping, we have a lot of time to try out new things....such as new computer programs! Here is a sampling of our latest venture.

I'll have another one soon, so Sophia can tell her OWN story. :-)

School Pics 2008

2008-11-05T16:20:00.002-07:00

Sophia's school pictures are in from her ECE 4 class!

Pumpkins!!!!!

2008-10-19T21:04:00.006-06:00

We had a great time carving pumpkins over the weekend. As a kid, it was definitely my least favorite holiday activity (second only to having to decorate a bazillion Christmas sugar cookies for my mom every year)....the pumpkin smell and the mess grossed me out. Plus, I usually managed to screw up my pumpkin somehow before it was time to display it.

Well this year it was actually fun...the smell and mess don't hold a candle to the things I clean up on a daily basis anymore. The girls were really into it, but they also thought the pumpkins stunk and were"ewwwwwey".

Here are some more pictures.

Presenting...Sasha

2008-10-19T10:43:00.001-06:00

Bundled Up!

2008-10-16T14:22:00.004-06:00

Here are a couple of pics of Stella after her brisk run with Michael! She caught a little shut-eye and was toasty warm when he took her out of the stroller. Next time, I think I'll wear her outfit and have Michael push me around the neighborhood for an hour.

Fall is here....

2008-10-09T15:39:00.005-06:00

We have some new pics and stories to share. The girls are anxiously awaiting Halloween this year. Costumes are ready and have been tried on daily, the house is decorated, and Sasha drop-kicked her trick-or-treat bucket down the stairs today after yelling "Stinky punkin!" at it. Sophia is going to be Cinderella this year, which is no surprise to us. Her princess fixation is still going strong, as is her bossy side.....she not only decided what she will be for Halloween, but also what Sasha will be: Tinkerbell. Good thing Sasha likes fairies and the color green. Stella is going to be a monkey, thanks to a hand-me-down costume from some friends. :-)

Sophia is loving school....she especially loves an enrichment class she is taking called "Nature Rangers". Today when I picked her up, the kids were watching a praying mantis devour a cricket. Aw, to be a kid again. Today she colored a picture and told me she wanted to send it to Santa Clause for his birthday on Christmas. I guess that means we need to talk a little more about the meaning of Christmas.

Sasha is a funny and happy kid. I found her swinging from a bar in our closet this morning, so I think it is time for gymnastics class. She loooooves singing to Stella, and she does a lovely rendition of "Wind the Bobbin," which we hope to get on film soon. Today when she woke up from her nap, she needed me to reassure her that there weren't "spiderwebs" in her eyes. She must have had some crusties.

Stella started sitting up by herself two days ago, and she started army crawling yesterday. Big changes for her! It means we have to dust off the baby gates and baby proof again. The big girls will be sad when I have to take away all of their Polly Pockets, too (sorry, Aunt Mary!).

Enjoy the new pictures!!!

Lazy Sunday

2008-09-28T14:44:00.004-06:00

Michael and I are enjoying a quiet afternoon watching a little NFL....Stella is taking her 2nd nap, and the big two are downstairs having "quiet time". Sash normally naps everyday, but we're letting her skip today, so we can put them to bed at 7pm rather than 8. The early evenings are always pretty interesting on Sasha's non-nap days. She gets really surly and tries to pick fights with Sophia by chest bumping her, or she'll do belly flops on Stella, or she may put pretend food in the toilet. We call all of those things BAD CHOICES. :-)

My parents were in town last weekend for the Broncos game. We took some fun pictures of the girls....mostly of Sophia, b/c she loooooves to vamp it up for the camera. Michael and I were able to sneak away one of the nights to go to a fun party in the neighborhood with a bunch of other parents from Soph's school. That's apparently what you do when your kids are school aged....hang out with the PTA.

Here is a picture from the night. The theme was "Wear your Favorite T-shirt". There were all kinds of good ones, including one that said "Don't hit your kids....No seriously, don't....Kids carry guns these days." Don't be jealous of my rockin' bod.

Finally...a NEW post!!!

2008-09-14T16:37:00.008-06:00

Hi!! I have a few good excuses for our long absence and one really lame one...

The good ones: school, birthdays, 3 kids age 4 and under, sleep deprivation.
The bad one: Facebook.

Things are good in Tognetti-land. Stella crossed the 6month mark last week, and we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel....for now at least. :-) She is sleeping better, eating solids well, and her schedule is slowly starting to resemble somewhat of a pattern. Sasha is telling stories, mimicking Sophia, and making us all laugh. Sophia is one month into her 2nd year of preschool, and she looooooooves it!

Michael and I crossed the 5 yr anniversary mark last month, too. To celebrate we had a sitter come over, and we drove the van to a quiet parking lot and took a nap. Not really, but it was tempting.

We went to a Rockies game last weekend as a family and had a great time!! Soph and Sash were singing and dancing, eating popcorn, and yelling "GO TULO!! Get a hit!" They would ask for one of everything that the vendors were selling...we told them no, and promptly gave them a good lesson about the value of a dollar and making good economic choices. Being mature 4 and 2 year olds, they seemed to understand quite well.

Here is a picture link for last month's adventures. :-)

Watch this....if you can-can

2008-08-14T15:25:00.001-06:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Tres chic

2008-08-08T09:31:00.004-06:00

Sasha Kay....Style Icon.

Owl rainboots are the must-have this season.

August pics and stories

2008-08-03T15:05:00.004-06:00

We have a new set of pictures to share...click here.

Here are a couple of new stories from the girlies:

Yesterday, Sophia was engaging in the age old activity of nose picking. Sasha looked at her and said very matter-of-factly: "Sobia Rose....don' pick yers nose....dats grosssss." I love that our 2 yr old is disciplining her big sis.

At lunch today, Sasha and Sophia were sitting at the table conversing about a picture of Michael and me. Sophia was explaining to Sasha that "first Daddy and Mommy got married....then they went to the moon....and then they got me." The whole going to the moon bit was where she meant to say that we went on our honeymoon. Sasha believed every word. Reminded me of the days when I could tell Edie just about anything, and she'd believe it. ;-)

Stella is doing great - still trying to get those two bottom teeth in, which isn't fun for anyone. She's getting up twice a night; one time more than she was 2 months ago. The girl is H-U-N-G-R-Y. She'll be 5 months old on Friday!

Lunching with Edie

2008-07-24T22:01:00.005-06:00

The girls and I try to meet up with Edie at least once every few weeks for lunch. We drive down to her apartment, eat some food, play with Dudley, mess her kid-free home up a bit, then drive home for naptime. Here are a few pictures from our latest lunch date with Auntie E.

PS: Edie wanted me to let everyone know that the only reason her recliner has a sheet on it, is so Adam wouldn't get dog hair on him while he is recuperating. You see...the chair is technically Dudley's, but Adam had a rib removed (yes...haha..."Adam's Rib" was literally removed from his person to correct some freak circulatory disorder he has), so he has been recovering at home for the past couple of weeks. He could only get comfortable in the recliner, so Dudley was demoted to the floor. THUS, the need for the sheet. Phew.

Sasha stories

2008-07-24T21:56:00.003-06:00

Today Sophia went to a movie with a friend, so Sasha and I were able to spend some quality time together talking about life's issues...such as the struggling economy, the high cost of fuel, and the return of Beverly Hills 90210.

At one point, Sash climbed into Stella's carseat and said, "Mom, I be a baby." I said "Sasha, are you pretending to be a baby??" She replied, "Yaaah, I be baby Jesus."

Later on in the afternoon, I heard her say this to Michael: "Daddy....Where's Nat?" Michael said "ummm...you mean, where's Mom?" I was laughing from the other room, so she found me! :-)

Favorite pic

2008-07-16T11:33:00.003-06:00

Our friend, Augy, snapped this one!!!! Definitely a keeper.

Family fun runs

2008-07-10T14:36:00.004-06:00

For the past month or so, as soon as Michael gets home from work we load up the girls in the joggers and go for a run. Michael usually pushes the double with Sash and Stella, and I push Soph in the single. Both have pros and cons: the double is heavier, but pushing Sophia requires you to engage in conversation with her the WHOLE way. Here is a conversation we had a few weeks ago...

The scene: we're running on a little trail, and we see a teenage boy put his arm around a teenage girl as they're walking in front of us.

Sophia: Mama?
N: Yes, Sophia.
S: Boys love girls.
N: Yes they do.
S: Mama?
N: Yeeeees, Sophia.
S: Boys and girls get married and then get kids.
N: That's right, honey.
S: Mama?
N: Yes?
S: I want another baby in our house.
N: Um.....don't you think we have enough for now?
S: Nope. I want another girl baby.
N: Wellll, we'll see.
S: Mama?
N: Sophia.
S: The world would be sad if it were just regular.
N: uh...by regular do you mean no colors?? (sometimes she calls "clear" things "regular" - like water, for instance.)
S: Yeah. Colors make the world good.
N: Yes they do. Is your favorite color still red, Soph?
S: Yeah. and Daddy's favorite is blue, and yours is purple, and Sasha's is orange, and Stella's is yellow...just like Mrs. Smith.
N: Sophia...see if you can count all the birds we see.
S: Okay, mom.
SILENCE. :-)

Sophia catching some zzzzz's

Sasha and Stella

Flexing for the camera

"helping" Daddy stretch

Who's who??

2008-07-09T10:47:00.008-06:00

Check out the pictures below.... We've gotten quite a few comments regarding who Stella looks more like - Sophia or Sasha. I found some pictures that might solve the dilemma - all the photos are from around the 4 month mark. Let me know who you think Stella looks the most like in the poll to the right.

Stella Pearl

Sasha Kay

Sophia Rose

We got back to Denver on Monday from our July vacation blitz...the girls and I spent most of the trip in SDakota while Michael was on his Montana golf trip with Uncle Nic. Sophia and Sasha had a BLAST with all of their cousins. They even decided to let "Gack" (Jackson in Sasha-ese) in on some of their secrets at Grandma's house. Even though he just started walking, he kept up with them pretty well. Stella and I made a quick trip with Auntie Missy to Chicago for Marita's wedding on July 5th, then back to SDakota for a day, then home the next. Phew! Here is a picture link.

Next on the schedule is gymnastics camp, which begins for Sophia this Thursday. She can't wait. I'm also going to try to see if Sasha is at all ready to potty train. We tried a month ago, but she had no interest, other than not wanting to wear a diaper. Oh and she has also unraveled the toilet paper roll a few dozen times. Does that count as showing interest?

I'll try to get some live action footage of the girls soon to fulfill the fans' requests....any particular things you'd like to see her doing, Kelly?? ;-)

One final thing...HI, JEN!!!!!!

Summer!

2008-06-15T14:48:00.005-06:00

Summer is off to a great start for us. We've been busy busy busy with little things around the house. The biggest thing has probably been that we've moved Sophia and Sasha into a room together. The new roomies have new bunk beds, which they love. In fact, Sophia now asks if she can take a nap even if it is a "quiet time" day. Sasha has adjusted well so far to her new big girl bed, too! We were a little nervous about the transition from her crib, but she hasn't made any middle of the night escapes yet (other than a few trips up to the top bunk to visit Sophia). I'm sure there will be some eventually!

We made a fun trip to South Dakota during the first week of June. We had a little party for Sasha's 2nd Birthday and spent lots of time with all of our relatives up there.

Here are pictures from the last few weeks.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the wonderful dads and grandpas!!

Sasha and Stella buddy up

2008-05-13T14:11:00.004-06:00

Here is a link to a new set of pictures.

Sasha can't stand to wear diapers anymore, yet she shows no interest in going potty like a big girl either. There seems to be a disconnect. :-) Anyway, if she ran the world, she'd be able to be naked all the time and everywhere. With a booty like that, I can't say I blame her.

Lots of new pictures to share!

2008-05-04T16:07:00.007-06:00

First of all, look at how big Stella is getting!!

We've been busy the past few weeks with 1.) Stella's baptism, 2.) Uncle Nic and Aunt Erin's wedding in Montana, and 3.) passing the flu around the house (no pics for this one).

Can't believe it is already May. Today is the one year mark since Sasha's cranial surgery. All is well, and we go in for her 1 yr post-op check-up in a couple of weeks. This is just a routine appointment to allow her surgeons to see how her head has healed and progessed over the last year. We think she looks great!!

The art of swaddling

2008-04-27T18:42:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, Michael and I are huge fans of the swaddle as a calming method for our babies. WELL, the other day Sophia, Sasha and Stella were going a little nuts, so we thought we'd give the old "tried and true" a shot on all of them. Here are the results:

Three cute little burritos.

SURPRISINGLY, Stella is the only one who fell asleep after all was said and done.

To sum it all up

2008-04-21T21:01:00.002-06:00

This is exactly how Michael and I feel lately.... :-)

Sophia's Class Picture

2008-04-14T13:34:00.007-06:00

This scan doesn't do the picture justice (you can click on it to make it larger)...the faces and smiles these kiddos are flashing are sooooooo funny!!!! I'm so glad my kid isn't the only one with a silly cheese face. Sophia is in the front row, 2nd from the left. Also in her row are Alexa (next to Soph, first one on the left) and Jayla (first one on the right). Apparently the three of them have a "potty party" every morning, and they all hang out in the bathroom until each one of them poops...hehe. Kind of like water cooler talk, but in preschool terms....

Jackson does Denver

2008-04-07T14:36:00.006-06:00

Cousin Jackson and Auntie Missy visited us from San Fran this week...AND Auntie Laurie and Papa Jim came down from SD, too.

Here are the pictures from the weekend.

Also...here is a new picture of our little Stella. She is 4 weeks old already!!

Easter Pics

2008-03-27T17:07:00.003-06:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. My parents were in town for the NCAA tourney to watch ND, so they stayed through Easter and helped us out a ton with the girls!

Stella is doing great - she is growing and packing on weight like a champ. Sasha was Papa's little buddy while he was in town. She called him "Goooey Goose" (silly goose). Sophia is on Spring Break this week, so we've had a lot of much-needed slow mornings around the house. We're back to our fully loaded schedule next week.

Here is a link to the latest set of pictures!

Stella Pearl Tognetti

2008-03-13T09:55:00.006-06:00

We now have some pictures uploaded of our new little princess. Stella is doing great, and we are so happy she is finally here. Sophia and Sasha are in love with baby sis.

Sophia asks us almost everyday if we get to keep Stella "for alot of days". We keep reassuring her that she's here for good. Soph also said that "Stella is so pretty, because she has polk-a-dots on her belly." She was referring to her newborn rash. So cute.

Sasha calls Stella "Studdah", and whenever someone is holding her, she puts her hands out as if to say "okay, my turn...just give her to me." This morning when Sash came downstairs after waking up, she looked at Stella in the swing and said "Hi goooey!" -- we're pretty sure that meant "Hi, cutie."

Thanks to everyone for all of your well wishes!!

Party of Five

2008-03-09T21:18:00.004-06:00

Stella Pearl Tognetti joined our family on Saturday, March 8, 2008 @ 1:24 a.m. She is 6 lbs, 14 oz; 19.5 inches. HEALTHY!!! Michael is thrilled that the male to female ratio in this house is now 1:4.

We'll have more posts soon....just got home from the hospital, and we are all tiiiiiiiiiiired.

XOXO

Mad Dancin' Skilllllllz

2008-03-07T10:57:00.003-07:00

Michael and the girls have been in rehearsals for weeks.....we hope you enjoy their performance.

CLICK HERE!

Cousin Weekend 2008

2008-02-28T11:43:00.002-07:00

Laurie and the gang came to Denver over President's Day weekend, and we had a lovely time. Here is the link to the set of pics.

And the answer is...

2008-02-27T13:54:00.006-07:00

Ok, so Edie didn't know (too young - apparently she was born AFTER the movie came out....what a baby). Missy didn't know either. Laurie guessed Dirty Dancing - WRONG. Carla, I think my "most excellent" comment threw you off. The only one who got it after a clue was everyone's favorite tv/movie buff....Kelly Rizo.

The answer is:

SPLASH!

Here is the screen shot from the scene I thought of when Sasha was wearing her outfit yesterday.

It wasn't THAT hard, was it?!?!

What movie?

2008-02-26T16:15:00.003-07:00

This was Sasha's outfit of choice today -- isn't it perrrrrty? It reminds me of a scene from a most excellent 80's movie. Any guesses?

More pics from the month

2008-02-14T17:05:00.008-07:00

"Cupcake?? What makes you think I ate a cupcake?!"

Laila, Michael and Sasha jumpin' at the birthday party.

The girls preparing to kamikaze dive off the couch into the mountain of pillows.

After this jump, we had to retire the sport of couch diving due to an injured/bleeding knee.
two peas in a pod

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T16:53:00.004-07:00

Finally

2008-01-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here are links to photo albums from our 2007 Christmas trip.

Tognetti Christmas

Aberle Christmas

Also, here are some pics from the last few weeks.

Sophia concentrating on her "work".

She is getting so good at using the laptop by herself.

Oh Daddy, you are lovely.

Daddy and Sasha showing each other their sad faces.

Soph, Sash and Dad having a meeting in the playhouse.

From the archives...

2008-01-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

Have any of you seen the commercial with the little kid laughing his head off when his dad rips paper?? (check it out here.) It is HILARIOUS...contagious laughter....and everytime Michael and I see it, we are reminded of this video we captured of Sophia when she was a baby.

Back in the swing of things...

2008-01-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it has taken me a while to get back to updating since our whirlwind of travels over the holidays. Things are pretty much back to normal - preschool started up again on Tuesday, and Sophia definitely was looking forward to seeing her class buddies after the long break. Both girls are doing great lately - Sasha talks alot and is signing less frequently...she manages to get her point across pretty well with words now. She calls Sophia "Beese" - and we're not sure how she came up with that, but we like it and hope it sticks! Today while Sophia was at school, I found Sasha holding the door to the garage open and shouting "Beese....Beeese??" She was looking for her best bud.

Sophia is still in princess mode. If we're home, she has a princess dress, tiara, and shoes on, and we have to call her by the particular princess's name or she won't respond (this all started at Disneyland). Sometimes I'll find her just looking at herself in the mirror, and she'll say "MAMA!! I'm booootiful!" It was cute at first...

Nothing new on the baby #3 front. We're down to single digits in the "weeks remaining" count, and our check-ups have all been great. I feel good but tired. I'm sure much of it has to do with chasing these two little fireballs around everyday. Sash is soooooo much more active (read: crazy - or "spirited" as the parenting books like to nicely put it) than Sophia ever was!!! She is really giving me a run for my money.

Happy 2008!! More to come soon.

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

2007-12-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Had to share this pic from Missy. Jackson and his two buddies.* Aren't they the cutest?!?!

*Fauxhawks created by Missy.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

2007-12-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

We want to wish all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We're leaving for Montana on Friday morning, so we likely won't have chance to post between now and when we get back home on the 31st.

Unfortunately, the girls both have the stomach flu this week. We're hoping it all passes by the time we need to start driving in two days. We also have our fingers crossed that Michael and I somehow don't catch the bug. That doesn't usually work out the way we we'd like it to.

Here are just a couple of pictures from last week.

Laila and The Shirtless Wonders (Becks and Soph) playing Hungry Hungry Hippos.

Sophia helping Sasha take her first stroll in Mama's high heels.

Looks like we have another camera ham on our hands.

Yes, we're still in princess mode. This is not Sophia, it is Princess Luciana.

Pure joy. I love this one.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

2007-12-11T16:02:00.001-07:00

We had a great family vacation to Southern California last week. The girls LOVED Disneyland...well....we think they did anyway. It is really pretty funny what excited them - Sasha liked the drinking fountains, the birdies, and climbing on the benches. Ya know, things you can do FOR FREE at a city park or a shopping mall. Sophia looooooved the princesses. She wore her Belle princess everyday we went to either Disneyland or California Adventure...AND we had to call her Belle - no exceptions. She called Michael "Daddy, the prince" and me "Mama, the queen". We have no worries about her ability to use her imagination. Sasha liked seeing the Disney characters, too, but only if they kept their distance. If they invaded her bubble, she'd start shaking her head and saying "no, no, no, no, no, no."

I LOOOOOVED being back at Disneyland. It reminded me of all of the family vacations we took as a kid. Part of me can't believe my parents attempted a theme park with FOUR kids...we had a tough time with just 2!! It really was fun experiencing it as a parent, though, and I hope we can make it back there again in a few years.

San Diego was great, although it was pretty chilly there. At Sea World...once again, the birds proved to be the big hit. So much for Shamu...Sasha wanted to feed the pigeons and Soph wanted to catch a sea gull.

The girls traveled really well on the plane. At one point, I looked at Sasha and she had the laptop on her tray (watching an Elmo dvd), headphones on, a bag a chips in her lap and sippy in hand. A seasoned vet at air travel. Sophia slept through the whole flight home - mouth open and all.

We had a great great week, but it felt so nice to get back home to our beds and schedules. Now it's time to gear up for our Christmas road trip to Montana and South Dakota in a couple of weeks.

Enjoy the pics!!!!

3 lbs.

2007-11-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

The subject of this post is the weight differential between Sasha and Sophia. Our sweet Sasha-ball weighs 26 pounds, and the little peanut Sophia is only 29 pounds. I wondered why I felt so "balanced" while carrying them at the same time...

Sophia should take caution because I'm afraid Sash is going to start holding her own. She is not chubby or soft...rather....she is built a bit like Brian Urlacher. We'll be posting their respective times for a 40 yd dash soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Family Feast

2007-11-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! For the first time ever, we spent the holiday by ourselves...no traveling, no visitors. Sophia helped me put up and decorate our Christmas tree today, and she was so excited. "Mama, it is BEAUTIFUL!" I loved seeing her face light up after adding each ornament. When Sasha saw it, she said "WOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" These girls are really growing up. As much as we missed seeing our families, we managed to have a lot of fun today!

Practicing for #3

2007-11-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

We had a cute little visitor staying with us last week...and the girls had a great time. Mostly because we broke out all of the baby gear -- who knew an infant carseat could provide hours of entertainment for a toddler and preschooler?! Little Jackson is soooooooo cute, and we loved having him here. I have a feeling Sasha is going to have a tough time when her little brother or sister arrives in a few short months. Every time I was holding or snuggling Jack, she would cry and make it clear she wanted me to put him down NOW. Funny at the time...won't be so funny in March.

THANKS FOR VISITING, JACK! Tell your mohawk 'hi'. Oh yeah, Missy was here, too....forgot.

Trick or Treat 2007

2007-11-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is a bit late, but we hope you enjoy seeing our little goblins all decked out!!! (by the way, we didn't buy them ALL of those costumes...most of them are from the dress-up bin in the toy room).

Sophia's school picture

2007-11-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

I think the photographer had her say "stinky monkey"....and it worked!!!!

This one is for you, Edie

2007-11-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

After much harrassing from a certain sister of mine, I was finally able to post our pictures from the rest of October. You'll be happy that I cut down the batch from 160 to 57...however, I did not have it in me to do any fun captions this time. They are boring, straightforward and concise. Hopefully we'll have a new video up for you soon, too.

We had a great ultrasound this morning, and the baby looks good! Michael and I had to rush out of the appointment to make sure we could pick up Sophia from school on time, so we didn't have a chance to get a picture....but this might help you get a visual. Think: Skeletor with all of the grace of the ballerinas in Swan Lake. I kid...the baby is just as beautiful as our other two babies, and we are VERY excited to meet him...or her......

Happy November - stay warm!

So much for the "Boppies"

2007-10-29T14:39:00.000-06:00

Well, unfortunately, the Rockies (or the "Boppies", as Sasha likes to call them) were swept by the Red Sox on Sunday. It actually comes as a blessing in disguise to me, because I was getting too tired to keep staying up until 11pm watching baseball night after night. I don't know how those east coasters do it 2 hrs later!

We had a crazy weekend....but thankfully, we only have Halloween to conquer this week. Speaking of Halloween, here is last year's spooooooky video.

Tognetti Halloween 2006

We'll have the 2007 version up and some pics to share sometime after tomorrow. Enjoy!!

Oh, our baby check-up went just fine. The four of us also managed to get our flu shots while we were there, and I think the girls did better than I did. Sophia didn't even cry, she just reached for her sucker and said "that kinda pinched."

October pictures are in...

2007-10-15T21:26:00.000-06:00

Hello....here is a link to some new pics. We've been busy lately, and I haven't had a lot of time to post anything new and interesting. BUT....with Halloween right around the corner, we should have a new cute kid video up soon!

The pic above is of Sasha "tappin' the Rockies" in South Dakota this past weekend.

Things we do when we're bored....

2007-10-01T16:16:00.000-06:00

STROLLER DERBY in the house!!! Good luck navigating around all of those chairs.

Sash, you better buckle up. It's gonna get bumpy.

In case of a water landing, this couch pillow can be used as a floatation device.

And.....off they go. Sasha, you are a brave one.

Best Wishes!

2007-09-26T14:17:00.000-06:00

Uncle Nic and his wondeful girlfriend Erin are now engaged!!! I have ZERO details on when or where they are planning to get married.....apparently brothers don't talk about these kinds of details. :-) We're so happy for them!!

Update

2007-09-19T20:58:00.000-06:00

Tonight on the the way home from the park, "Soph" informed Michael and me that she would like to be called "Sophia" again. Pretty soon she is going to ask for her name to be changed to a symbol that no one can pronounce.

ALSO, Sasha had her 4 month post-op check-up today with her neuro and plastic surgeons. Both of them were really pleased with her progress, and they were surprised at the symmetry her head has this early. We don't have to go back until next May for a 1 year check-up. Michael and I had a lot of memories of her operation rush back to us when we were walking through the hospital again today. We are so thankful it all went so smoothly.

Soph's homework

2007-09-17T16:19:00.000-06:00

Sophia's homework for this week was to tell a story about her house. Here is what she came up with. Enjoy.

"My name is Soph, and I live in a house. My house looks like a caterpillar. It is green with a purple door. Inside the house I eat grapes and play with bears. I live with Mommy, Daddy and Sasha. Sasha takes naps in her purple room, and I take naps in my pink room. My favorite thing to do with Sasha is to dump out all the puzzles in the living room. I like to dance in my house and play with babies in the basement, too. Eating dinner is fun at my house because I like to eat food. I feel happy in my house."

By the way, she told her teacher today that she'd like her name to be "Soph" (rhymes with loaf) instead of "Sophia". We're hoping she grows out of this.

Picture time!

2007-09-13T21:01:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to a new set of pics....there aren't many, but there are some keepers. Happy weekend!!!

Check up

2007-09-11T20:50:00.000-06:00

Hello out there....
Today we had a 13 week baby check-up. Smidge's heartbeat was good and strong -- and for all you Old Wives' Tale people out there that believe the heart rate can tell you the sex of the baby, the rate was 160 bpm. Now keep in mind....Sophia's hb throughout the pregnancy was almost always about 150. She was well into the "girl range". Sasha on the other hand was cool, calm and collected, and she usually clocked in at 130 bpm -- the BOY range. SO, although for a time I was a believer in the heart rate theory, Sasha blew it.

On a sad note, Michael and both lost our season openers in fantasy football. I think I need to focus more on football and less on these kids. Thoughts?

New pictures to share...

2007-08-26T13:14:00.000-06:00

Hello! I've finally uploaded the pictures from Sophia's birthday party last weekend. We had a great time ... Sophia was over the moon. Click here for a photo link.

Also, Sophia started school on Thursday. On the first day her teacher, Mrs. Smith, read a book ("The Kissing Hand") to the kids and the mommies and daddies about a little raccoon who is about to start school. The racoon's mommy gives him a kiss on his hand that he can keep with him while they are away. It is a sweet story. When she was done reading, she told all the kids to go give their mommy and/or daddy a kiss on their hand, so we woulnd't miss them too much. Sophia came up to me, kissed my hand and said "Mommy, you keep this all day. You'll be just fine." It was too sweet.

Sophia enjoyed her first two days of school, and Sasha enjoyed having her run of the house for the time she was away. Everybody wins.

Pictures are here.

Oh, and in case you missed the news....make sure you check out the post below.

Tognetti Movie Trailer

2007-08-25T13:00:00.000-06:00

Turn on the sound and enjoy...

http://

Sophia's 3rd Birthday Party!!

2007-08-19T21:22:00.000-06:00

Watch the new 3-year old blow the candle out on her cake (you're never too old to need good ol' Dad's help)! Turn up sound to let the pretty song set the mood.

http://

Weekend at last!

2007-08-17T21:06:00.000-06:00

Well this week has been a long one for me....but I suppose that is good because I think from here on out we will have lots of weeks that just zoom by. Sophia starts preschool on Thursday! Can't believe it.... She will go 5 days a week for 2.5 hrs. Such a big girl!

We finished out pool season with a bang yesterday. I was apparently nominated to be "that mom" with "those kids" as Sasha threw the best (i.e., WORST) temper tantrum of her life...and while doing so, poor Sophia was stung by a bee! Luckily, some friends were there to help me out. Sasha eventually calmed down, and Sophia only had a few tears....and then she was off bragging about her war wound from the bee.

I was able to take some cute pictures today of the girls while we walked to the mailbox. They both had their strollers and babies. Until today, the girls shared a stroller between the two of them. We'd probably have about 5 fights a day over it...so hopefully now that we have two (Thanks, Aunt Mary), we'll limit the pushing and shoving a bit...but I'm sure they'll just find something else to not share.

FINALLY -- tonight Michael and Sophia are camping out in the backyard! Sophia could not have been more excited. She would not stop talking... "MOM, look at my pajamas. Do you have pajamas like this? They're pretty aren't they? I'm going to sleep in the backyard, Mom. With Daddy. Hey Mom, did you know I get to sleep in the backyard tonight? With Dad? I'm going to be three in 2 days. Do you like my jammies, Mom? Hey mom, why do we brush our teeth? I'm going to sleep in the backyard!!! IN A TENT!!!!! YAY!!! Can I have some ice cream?"

On that note. I'm off to enjoy a big king bed....all to myself tonight...hopefully. :-)

Happy Weekend!

Our new buddy is here!

2007-08-09T20:40:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Missy and Cas on their new little bundle, Jackson Paul, who was born this morning (August 9th). Click here to check their blog for updates and pictures.

Since it has been over 4 years since one of my sisters has had a baby (or in other words, since Laurie decided to stop having babies), I had forgotten how much fun it is to be a new aunt! We are SO excited for the new family of three. I'm sure Morgan is ecstatic that he is no longer the only boy grandkid on the Aberle side. He's been crossing his fingers for another boy since Hannah was born, I think. ;-)

Good work, guys - we can't wait to meet the little guy!

Hugs and kisses to all!

Sophia's Busy Day

2007-08-06T14:33:00.000-06:00

On Saturday afternoon, I took Sophia and her buddy, Avarie, to see Dora and Boots at the mall near us. Sophia gave one of her signature "smiles" in the picture. It looks more like a snarl than a smile to me.

Later that night we had Avarie and her family over for dinner. While the four of us parents were downstairs enjoying a peaceful meal, Avarie's mom and I were commenting on how nice it was that the girls were playing so nicely and quietly in Sophia's room. Well...as it turns out...the "precious, little angels" were being so quiet because they were busy removing EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE of clothing from both Sophia's dresser and Sasha's dresser - socks, undies, shirts, pants, pj's, swimsuits, dresses on hangers, EVERYTHING. Their plan was to make Avarie a bed to take a nap in, while Sophia took a nap in her real bed. I must say, that as mad as I was at the huge mess, the girls get an "A+" for creativity.

Below are some new pictures of the Sophia and Sasha being dancing queens together. There is also one picture of them wearing their helmets around the house together....just for fun.

Not much else to report. We're still waiting on Baby "Doughnut" Schneller to pop into this world. Can't wait.

July pictures!

2007-07-31T09:50:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to some new pics taken during July...hope you enjoy them! Oh, and if you missed the first set of Slip'n'Slide pics sent out by Edie earlier this month....please click here.

We're going to attempt to post some video pretty soon, too, as we've recently gotten some "good film" (as Michael would say).

Can't believe August starts tomorrow! A certain someone will be having her baby ANY DAY NOW! Go, Missy and Cas!

sweet things

2007-07-18T20:47:00.001-06:00

Just a short story to share tonight. For the first time today Sophia and Sasha played babies together. They sat side by side, each equipped with a baby in one hand and a toy bottle in the other. Sasha kept putting the bottle in the babies' eyes and making a sound like she was eating. Sophia later started yelling at Sasha and me to "SHHHHHHHHHHHH!! THE BABY IS SLEEPING!" It really was cute.

The latest

2007-07-16T19:38:00.000-06:00

We are back in Denver after a long trip to South Dakota (the girls and I) and Montana (Michael). We all had a great time seeing our family! Sophia and Sasha both braved the crowds and heat at Mt. Rushmore to see the 3rd of July Fireworks Extravaganza. I was a little skeptical about taking them both up, but it turned out to be a great time...popsicles, hotdogs, great music, a B1 Bomber flyover....can't beat that with a stick.

Michael had a nice trip, too. Apparently his index is ALMOST to single digits. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I guess it is a good thing. The new golf clubs must be working. I actually squeezed in a round of golf with Edie while we were in SD. It was actually just 9 holes, but to me, 9 holes is a round. Edie plays my kind of golf -- unlimited mulligans, kick your ball out of the rough and any other tough spot, and MAYBE keep score. We had a blast.

Now we're back in Denver, and we've had a fun week at home. We've had a few summer birthday parties and some relaxing nights at home as a family. Sasha is all over the place -- walking, signing and blabbing. She has about 15-20 signs now, and she picks them up so easily! It is fun to watch. Sophia is fully potty trained - even at night. That is big relief and a big milestone we've been eager to reach!

This weekend is the 3rd Annual Moonlight for M&M, so we're heading back to South Dakota to take part in the festivities! Should be a great time, and we hope they make a ton of money to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Not much else to report...I think Michael and I are going to figure out how to get rid of a wasp's nest tonight. SCAAAAAAARYYYYYY!!!!!

Ciao!

Bump Update

2007-06-29T10:14:00.000-06:00

Thought many of you would be interested in how Baby Doughnut is growing these days...he or she is set to make a debut in about a month!

In the picture, Missy is rockin' out to the unforgettable 80's ballad "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". No soothing Baby Einstein lullabies for this kid; just a little Guns n Roses, Skid Row and Motley Crue.

We can't wait to meet you, Baby Schneller.
xo

Happy 4th of July

2007-06-28T14:38:00.000-06:00

Well, the year is already halfway over! Tomorrow the four of us are heading out of town - the girls and I will be visiting our family in South Dakota for the week, and Michael will be embarking on his 4th or 5th...or is it the 6th annual Insane Golf Tour through Montana. He and Uncle Nic will be playing something like 13 rounds of golf at about as many different courses in 7 days. Sophia, Sasha and I, on the other hand, will be playing no golf...however, we get to ride the 1880 Train in Hill City, SD with all of the cousins, Honey, Papa Joe and Mary. We also get to visit Mount Rushmore for the July 3rd celebration. My 10 year class reunion is happening while we're visiting, too. I'm excited to see all of my old classmates! The week should be really fun.

We've been having a great summer so far, and we hope everyone else is, too. Despite the Yankees going 0-3 against the Rox, we had a blast during my parents visit to Denver. Michael and I even snuck away for a night in the mountains at an awesome little resort called Gold Lake! We had a cute little cabin, spent some time in the hillside hot pools by the lake, played bocce ball and horse shoes, and just relaxed without the pitter patter of little feet. The time away was great - we hadn't been away together since before Sophia was born...

Last night Michael was doing his back exercises in the basement, and Sophia decided to join him with her own "equipment" - a baby blanket for yoga mat, and a small purple ball for her exercise ball....she did a great job doing all of the stretches, and I had a good laugh watching them together. The girls really love their daddy.

Sasha is a full-blown walker now. She decided to really start walking on Monday. We got some great video footage the other night of the two girls chasing each other around the kitchen island. They were both letting out the best belly laughs....it really is fun watching them play together. Makes a good argument for having more...but not yet. :-)

Happy 4th of July to you all!! HOOTIE HOO! (that is shout out to my good buddy Marita)

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-17T13:11:00.000-06:00

Happy Father's Day to all you dads! I'd especially like to send love to not only Michael, but also Papa Jim, Papa Tony, Papa Joe and Papa Wendy! Big hugs to all of you.

We have been enjoying the beautiful HOT weather in Denver lately. The girls and I have become regulars at the pool, and they both love the water. It is 95 degrees here today, so we'll probably head there for bit this afternoon when the girls wake up from their naps. Michael is at the horse races today with some other dads from the neighborhood. Hopefully he'll come home with some winnings...Mama needs some new shoes.

Yesterday Michael and Sasha went out running errands together, and they came home with an early birthday present for Sophia - a new set of REAL golf clubs! Quite a step up from her old plastic Snoopy set! She is VERY excited about them...and Michael too. I think we'll head to the range tonight, so she can attempt to hit a couple of balls. We'll see how that goes!!! Pictured below is the Father/Daughter golf club arrangement...displayed by Sasha.

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer so far. We're excited for my mom, dad and Edie to be coming to town this week for the Yankees vs. Rockies games!!! GOOOOOOOO YANKEES!

xoxo

And....she's off!

2007-06-03T12:46:00.000-06:00

Sasha started walking this week!! Although it isn't her preferred method of travel, she can do it...and she is actually pretty good at it. I think it will probably be another couple of weeks until she chooses to walk on her own, rather than crawling or cruising from one piece of furniture to the next.

This morning the four of us made a fun trip to the zoo. We got there just after opening, so it wasn't crowded, and many of the animals were out and about eating their breakfast. Sophia told us today that the buffalo are her favorite. That's a new and interesting choice...maybe because of her South Dakota and Montana roots???

We are hoping to make it to the pool this afternoon, although it is starting to get breezy and cool...and we all know what a big wuss I am.

Big week of birthdays -- Happy Birthday to Mary, Jerry, Papa Jim and Granny Cathie!

See ya'll soon!

Happy Birthday, Sasha Kay!

2007-05-26T11:32:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, May 25th, was Sasha's first birthday. Nothing says Happy Birthday better than 4 shots in the legs. That's right....we scheduled Sasha's 12 month well-baby exam for yesterday. Even after being through this with Sophia, I still HATE it when they have to get shots. She took them like a champ, and we were able to go out for dinner afterwards to celebrate her being 1. Tonight we're going to let her dive into the birthday cake that Sophia baked for her. Kids birthdays are so much fun!

Not much else new to report. Daddy took Sophia to see Shrek the Third today. I think he might have been more excited about it than she was. I'm sure they are having fun...and I'm also sure Sophia is getting all of the treats an almost 3 yr. old could dream of.

We are laying low this weekend. My 10K is Monday morning, and that is only major event we have planned. We hope you all enjoy your long Memorial Day weekend, too. We wish we could have joined Madelaine & Co. in the Great Strides Walk this weekend in South Dakota. Hopefully someone will send me some pictures (hint, hint...Mary?? Edie?? Laurie??)

Love to you all.

Back in town

2007-05-21T13:18:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone!!!
We are back home after a week in South Dakota!! What a fun trip...we were able to spend so much time with grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins! I know the girls had a blast. Sophia keeps asking if we're going to go back to South Dakota tomorrow. I don't think she realizes that doing that would require her to sit in her carseat for another 6 hrs.

Sasha had a great check-up with the neurosurgeon's clinic before we left. The Nurse Practioner is very happy with her progress and with the way her incision is healing. She told us that we need to wait a full year from the time of surgery until we will know what her head and face shape will be. Currently, her right eye is still a bit smaller than her left eye, and we asked the NP if that is permanent. She told us that since her right eye has had that shape for almost her full first year since birth, it won't just automatically take a "normal" shape immediately after surgery. Her head needs time to grow into the new space the surgery created. Some good advice she gave us is to take a picture of Sasha once a month and compare how her face is changing. Since we see her everyday, the changes will not be obvious to us. Comparing pictures taken one month apart will show us more significant changes.

While were in SD, Sasha learned a few things.... She learned how to say "papa" - "BA-BA"; how to sign dog and what a dog says (thanks to Dudley); she learned what a monkey says; and she also took a couple of steps. We're not sure if she'll actually walk soon....but she is doing all of the things a 1 year old should be doing!

Sophia is doing great, too. She hasn't stopped pushing her new baby (Baby Madelaine) and stroller around since we got home! She has also named Sasha's new baby "Baby Oven" and Missy's real baby "Shirt-Pants". For those who don't know, she named the baby at Grandma Cathie's house "Couchies". I used to think she might be a Mensa, but now I'm having second thoughts.....

OH, and special thanks to Grandma Sweetie, Papa Wendy, Grandma Honey, Papa Joe and Aunt Mary for making the special trip down to Denver after Edie's graduation!! It was fun having you here.

TGIF

2007-05-11T11:37:00.000-06:00

This week has flown by!! The girls are both doing fantastic. Sasha has been a champ - she is sleeping great, babbling, chasing Sophia around like never before, and she is completely off all pain meds. Her head still has a bit of swelling; mostly around her right eye where they did most of the reconstuctive work. We have a check-up today with the the neurosurgery clinic to make sure her incision is doing well (it looks good to us) and to ask any post-op questions we have.

Sophia had her program at school this week. The kids sang all of the songs they have learned throughout the year. Sophia didn't really sing...she just kind of sat and stared at all of the parents watching. That is actually what most of the kids from her class did, so maybe it is an age thing?? Everytime she saw Michael in the crowd she would brighten up and point at him...I'm so glad he was able to come and watch.

CONGRATULATIONS to Edie on graduating from college!!! We're heading to Fort Collins tonight, and graduation is bright and early tomorrow morning. Nice work, Edie....

The picture above is of Sophia and her good buddy Aidan...playing doctor. I couldn't miss the photo op.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Feeling refreshed

2007-05-08T08:55:00.000-06:00

Surprisingly, Miss Sasha slept through the night last night! She woke up fussing a few times, but nothing lasted long enough for us to have to go in her room. I think we're all feeling pretty good today! The picture above was taken yesterday.

Sophia is doing well...although she had a bit of a grumpy wake up today. Probably because she skipped dinner last night. She kept saying she couldn't eat dinner because her tummy was full of cookies. Cute.

Home Sweet Home

2007-05-07T18:40:00.000-06:00

Sasha is home! We were discharged from the hospital late this morning, and it feels so good to have everyone under one roof again. Sasha's swelling has really decreased, and today she is looking good. Her forehead is still puffy, and her head is a little "alien shaped"...but it will continue to improve each day. She has a black and blue eyelid on the right side, but otherwise no other bruising yet.

Sophia is happy to have her buddy back. We are keeping a very close eye on them together, a.) because Sasha is fearless and will try anything Sophia doeas, and b.) because Sophia likes to body slam her little sister on occasion. Michael and I are working on finding a good balance of protecting Sasha's head, but still allowing her to explore and be a kid.

Michael and I are off to bed soon. We're both in need of some shut-eye. Hospitals are like Vegas...time stands still and nobody sleeps.

Talk to you all soon! I'll post some pictures and send an ofoto link when I have a chance.

xoxo

Sasha Balboa

2007-05-06T12:54:00.000-06:00

Hi!

First of all, we want to thank everyone for all of their thoughts, prayers and support before/during/after Sasha's surgery.

Sasha is doing fantastic; she is smiling and happy...and shouting orders in Russian.

For those who don't know, the operation lasted from 7:30 am Friday until about 12:30pm...a long 5 hours for us, to say the least. We were able to see Sasha in the recovery room at about 1pm, and she looked better than we expected. Her face and head had not yet started to swell at this point. Her incision is a wavy line that goes from ear to ear (like a headband), and it is held together by stitches that will dissolve (we have pictures if you'd like to see the incision, let me know).

Because of all of the lines, IVs, monitors, drains, and such that she had connected to her, we weren't able to hold her right away. She spent the first full day in the Pediatric ICU (PICU), where she had one-on-one nurse care. She slept a lot, and ate very little early on. I spent the night with her, while Michael went home to spend time with Sophia. At about 2am Saturday morning (18 hrs post-op), I woke up to Sasha sitting up in her crib saying "ba-ba-ba-ba-ba". It was the best sound ever....she sounded so happy.

Saturday, the swelling in Sasha's head and face worsened. Her left eye was completely closed, and her head and forehead were very puffy. Late Saturday afternoon, both eyes were completely swollen shut. It didn't seem to bother Sasha too much. I think she decided that since she couldn't open her eyes, she'd just sleep. She slept from noon Saturday until about 8pm that night. She proceeded to wake up, drink a bottle....throw up the entire bottle (on me), and then go back to sleep until about 2am again. At 2, she wanted to eat, talk and play. I was able to get her back to bed at 5 until 6:30. It was a long night for me, but the relief of her being ok is overshadowing the exhaustion.

Sasha is now only on oral Tylenol and Motrin for pain relief. As of late this morning, she can see out of a teeny tiny opening in her left eye(see picture above - taken this morning in the cafeteria). Being able to see helps her mood tremendously. She also saw Sophia for the first time today, and she changed from extremely fussy to happy and blowing raspberries. It is amazing what a strong bond these two have already...and it choked me up to see how quickly Sophia was able to make Sasha giggle.

Sasha is at 48 hours post-op right now, and we think that her swelling has peaked. Daddy is at the hospital with her, and I'm home with Sophia spending some much-needed time with her and time away from the hospital. We think Sasha will be discharged tomorrow. The doctors would like to see both eyes open, and they want to be sure she can tolerate her pain with over the counter medicine. So far so good.

We again want to thank everyone for their thoughts. Thanks also to Grandma Cathie and Papa Jim for coming down and taking such great care of Sophia. She had a blast.

On another note, Michael, the girls and I want to wish Madelaine a speedy recovery. Hugs and get well kisses are coming your way. We can't wait to see you all this weekend.

Love you all.

Baby Schneller Update

2007-05-01T14:14:00.000-06:00

Well, the Little Shrimp is due to make his or her debut in about 3 months, so I thought I'd post a picture of Missy's bump for all those who haven't seen her in awhile. Cute, huh?? Hey Mis, eat some doughnuts.

We are all so excited to meet the newest little member of the family. Sophia thinks Missy has "boy baby" in her tummy. I think it is a girl with "Papa Jim goes here" written on her little pinky.

Busy week ahead...

2007-04-28T21:38:00.000-06:00

This Friday is Sasha's surgery to correct her craniosynostosis. The term craniosynostosis refers to the premature union (syn-ostosis) of two or more of the bones of the skull of an infant's head. This condition leads to restricted skull growth often resulting in an abnormal head shape. In Sasha's case, it is the coronal suture on the left side of her head that fused prematurely (the picture shows where each suture is located).

We'll be having the surgery at Children's Hospital, and we feel very lucky to have such a great hospital so close. Sasha has lab work and a physical to make sure she is in good health on Thursday, and the actual procedure is at 5:30 a.m. on Friday. My parents will be coming into town on Thursday night to help out with Sophia while Michael and I are at the hospital with Sasha. We were told to expect that Sasha will need to spend 3-5 nights in the hospital following the operation. However, I talked to another mom of a little girl who had the same operation done, and she said that they were able to go home on the 2nd day post-op. I'm hoping for the same, but obviously we don't want to rush the healing process.

We'll try to write more this week before Friday, but if not, definitely check back after Friday for updates and pictures about Sasha's recovery.

In other news.....

We are having some family photos taken at a park tomorrow. It is supposed to be a gorgeous 80+ degree day! The last time we had pictures taken, Sophia was sooooooooo grumpy...we could barely squeeze a smile out of her. Bribing her with Yogos didn't even work. Let's hope things go better this time.

Tonight Sophia told her daddy to "dance like a white boy" when she pushed a button on a toy that plays music. I had told her to say that a while before, but I didn't think she really heard me. Turns out she did...and it was hilarious (or at least I thought so!).