Parental leave week 2

We've had a bit of a sick week. Cara had a cold then Gwen got it and Daddy and Mommy are starting to get it now...so not many pictures on this post.

We did get Gwen's highchair set up for her and she's joining us for supper now. She really enjoys watching us eat and has been trying a bottle while in her chair every day. She is starting to take some out of the bottle easier so we'll keep working on it.

To help Cara deal with her cold we got her Toy Story 3 to watch. This movie has turned the girls into huge fans of Woody and Buzz!

This weekend our friends Verity, Rod and Freya came over for a visit. Cara and Freya had a great time playing. Gwen watched them play and is looking forward to joining in soon!

They are begging to play together again soon!

Parental leave week one!

We started Daddy's parental leave with a trip to Stir Crazy (an indoor play park here). Cara loved playing with Daddy in the structure and Daddy had alot of fun too.

A big announcement for Cara this week:
She has started using her potty! She was having some success lately but she woke up on Thursday and figured out how to pull her own pants down and she just kept going to the potty when she needed to. It was incredible. Like a switch flipped in her brain and she just was ready. We are so proud and she is so proud of herself!

Daddy got to take her down this slide over and over and over again!

Gwen looked on thinking "when is it MY turn?!?!?".

As a follow-up to last week's snowman. Snow started to melt this week and it was perfect for making snowmen. Daddy and Cara made a big snowman and a snow kid!

Gwen makes some great faces while jolly jumping!

Loves to move!

The melt that happened this week was amazing! We ventured out to the play ground for the first time since October and it was a lake! Cara was prepared though with rubber pants and boots. Here she is playing "hop-splash"!!

Then it snowed....and snowed and snowed. We got 20 cm which is alot here. This was a "clearing off of the car and shoveling" mid-storm moment. It was heavy wet snow...very maritime-like.

Since we were stuck inside with the storm we got the exersaucer out for Gwen. It was love at first play!

So so so happy! And Cara helped show her how everything worked :)

Cara wanted a turn sitting in it but when we said that she was too big she said "I'm not too big to go under there!" and so she went under and then didn't know how to get out!

It'd been awhile since Cara tried to hold Gwen. Gwen has grown alot and Cara couldn't hoist her. Gwen really liked having her favourite person hold her though :)

After the new snow started to melt it was time to resurrect a new even bigger snowman (since the first one had melted away). Here is our latest snowman who half melted away today with our nice warm temps.

Gwen's 4 month shots and passport photos!

A serious princess :)
We had the girls' passport photos done this weekend so before we went we had Cara practice not smiling for a photo. It worked and it only took 2 shots to get a good one for her passport.

Gwen was pretty good too. She took a few more shots to get a keeper but not bad for a 4.5 month old!

Cara had a lunch guest this week. Lion joined her and she thought he looked like he needed some spaghetti.

We also made some really awesome play dough this week. It is as good as the real stuff! Cara has been having lots of fun sculpting and cutting out shapes.

Gwen is doing great. She had her 4 month shots on Friday (even though she is 4.5 months). She weighed in at 18lb 2oz and was 24 3/4 inches. She is above the 97th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for length...hence her round appearance :) We love her cuddles! She is rolling over to her tummy all the time now and lifting her head way up now.

Thursday was Daddy's last day of work so we celebrated with pizza and cupcakes! He is off now until end of May and we're very happy to have him home with us (even if it is snowing).

On Friday Cara had a check-up at the dentist. She was awesome. As you can see she laid in the chair and had her teeth polished and poked at. She followed the hygienist's and dentist's instructions and did fantastic. The dentist said she had perfect teeth :)

Daddy and Cara trying out the kid carrier that Daddy borrowed from a co-worker. Once it gets nicer we're going hiking!

Wet snow finally fell so Cara and Daddy attempted a snowman...the snow wasn't quite right yet so it was a snowman-lump. The snow was great today though so look for a pic of our much improved and gorgeous snowman they made today on next week's update!

St Patrick's Day

Gwen continues to keep rolling...back to front then she is stuck!

She tried out the Jolly Jumper this week too. She is a great jumper!

Cara wanted a turn in the Jolly Jumper...instead we played Ring Around the Rosie!

Cara liked the "all fall down part"!

Happy St Patrick's Day!
All dressed in green!

Cara is a happy Irish Lass!

Gwen in her green St Paddy's diaper!
(to compare with Cara on her first St Patrick's Day click here.)

Byrne girls!

Cara dancing with Daddy!

A video of Cara and Gwen playing "Ring Around the Rosie", some jumping from Gwen and Cara jumping into the couch cushions that were once a tent but she found jumping into the pile of cushions a lot more fun! Enjoy!

Gwen is 4 months old!

Gwen is getting so grown up now. She's started joining us for supper.

She is napping in her crib during the day now.

And is putting herself to sleep some nights without crying! She's even had a few 12+ hours of straight sleeping - such a sleeping champ!

Cara is being a good girl and has a new goal of cleaning her plate at meal times.

And now that her hair is filling in we are enjoying getting all girly with the accessories :)

Gwen has really been trying to roll (back to front) for a while now. She'd get to her side and grunt and groan but not get all the way over.....

Well, that changed today!!! She is on a roll now! She did a flip this afternoon and has done a few more since too. Growing up!

Time to burn off energy!

Since we were still in a deep freeze this week we needed to get out and do some running around. We went to an indoor play park with our friends Rebecca and Leah. Cara and Leah are taking a break from all the playing they did.

Gwen taking a break too ;)

Cara running around!

Cara climbing!

On Friday we went to the mall with Nana. Cara had a good play there too in their kid area. (Thanks to Nana for the pictures!)

Cara burning off some cabin fever!

Gwen - sleeping :)

Cara "resting" on the moose!

Chowing down on a chocolate egg!

A girl who likes shoe shopping!

Back home to the table for some colouring.

Sweet little, Gwen. She's getting stronger all the time - getting her head up higher and she likes sitting upright now. She is kicking her feet up too so rolling might be in the near future.

Those cheeks are heavy though!
She is sleeping really well (10+ hours a night un-interrupted!!)

Cara trying to jump for a picture :)