I can't think of anything creative to call this post.

It's been a while since we last caught you up on our growing girls!  

I hope to have more time to do things like this now that I am done with my 2 month grout cleaning and resealing project, though Emma is now in preschool 5 days a week and has gymnastics and swim lessons.... so maybe not!

Mia has changed so much.  She is not the easy to manage little baby anymore.  She is scooting (rather than crawling), walking behind push-carts unassisted, signing and talking, and has figured out how to unfasten her diaper faster than I can refasten it (even through her pajamas!).  Dressing her is what I imagine a cage match with an orangutan would be like.  She also now enjoys using her food as an art medium, wrecking anything Emma is playing with,   and throwing things just so she can say, "Uh-Oh!".  I guess this is the one my brothers were hoping I'd get as a payback...

In the 2 months since our last entry, I have learned and relearned a few things.  

1- Never, ever, ever leave the house without diapers and wipes.  That's asking for it.

2- You can never have too many wipes, but you sure can have too few.

3- Never feed a baby probiotics or lots of raisins before going somewhere.

4- Baby toothbrushes, the kind that slip over your finger, offer absolutely no protection against painful bites.

5- White grout is never a good choice.

 

Mia discovers the joys of chocolate ice cream on one of our Ice Cream Sundays.  Emma insisted on observing Ice Cream Sunday even on this rainy and cold January day!
Sharing baths has been fun now that Mia sits up well.  The days of separate baths may return soon, however, as Mia now likes to scoot into Emma's space and grab her toys.  You can imagine how well this goes over...
But how could anyone be upset with this face?
They really do seem to like each other!  (For now).

Not a patient patient.
That's better Mia.

We have been practicing riding the new "pedal bike". 

At first, Emma would not even climb up onto it unless I had a grip on the handlebars.  Now I have to run to keep up with her.
The gals get some together time in the running stroller as I go for a run.  
Mia seems to enjoy singing to music.  
She also enjoys scheming as you can tell by her expression here.
"My name is Emma Savina Pagano the Rock Star and Photographer".
Gotta love the Skuut bike!  She is at her bravest when riding downhill.
Not so much into IMAX, however.    Under The Sea 3-D scared the sh*t out of her.  I guess she really thought those giant fish were going to gobble her up!
Mia loves to use her signs to tell us when she is all done!
Woo!  Record time!
She does NOT like asparagus.
Emma started preschool in February and loves loves loves it!  Here she is on parents' night showing me some of the work she is learning to do.

Mia continues to want to be big.  Baby sized apple chunks?  No thanks, but she looks happy when Mommy gives into her request for the whole apple.
Cheers!
Emma plays the good and gentle big sister as she gives Mia a ride on the cart.
Check out this intent glare as Mia signs "MORE" for chocolate ice cream.

I realize that most pictures of Mia are in this high chair, but it is one of the few times my hands are free to use the camera!
Mia now has 4 teeth and is working on 2 more.
We recently had a big snow storm here in VA!  
This is the most snow we've seen here this year, and resulted in Emma's first ever snow day.
"Snow day!  Snow day!"

Exactly one week later, the snow was completely gone and it was 80 degrees!

Mia even wakes up happy.
She loves to play and say "ball".  
And sing slow sappy Korean karaoke songs.
Nothing is beyond her reach, well nothing under 2' tall at least.
An apparent comedian, she practices her new favorite word, "uh-oh" as she makes faces and throws her dinner overboard.
Some razzing to go along with it.
And a wrinkle-face to keep her audience (sister) in hysterics.

Minor Adjustments

So!  A few things have changed since our last post.  

To start with, Tom is at Camp Victory in Iraq.  He is working with the Army as an ALO, a job that he further describes in his first newsletter, and hopes to be home sometime in mid-May.  This was a rather short-notice deployment but we were still able to enjoy some time in Colorado together for Christmas.  Tom had to leave a few days before us girls in order to catch his sweet ol' military flight to Iraq, but we gals made it back alright on our own!  Until May (or whenever he returns), look for his crazy newsletters and feel free to send him communication either by email or through the good old USPS.  (contact me if you need his info)

If there is a silver lining to this deployment, it is that we were able to use the Soldiers and Sailors' Act to get out of the lease with our CRAZY, horrible landlords in Poquoson.  The house was packed up before we left for Christmas vacation and upon our return from Colorado, Tom's office moved all of our stuff to our new place in Yorktown.  We are SO VERY grateful to be out of that stressful situation and into a seemingly normal house with a seemingly normal landlord.

Here's a little recap of the last 3 months!

Back in November, we loaded up the car and headed down to Shaw AFB where Tom was able to do some flying.  We had a blast and were hosted by the incredibly generous Phillips, who even let us bring Shorty along as we invaded their quiet house for 10 days.

After describing in great detail to Mary Ann how funny Tom thought all those hillbillies were who we'd seen driving their home-painted camo trucks down the highway, Cooter rolled home in this Beauty.  I just clapped real slow and nodded.
Emma spent many hours trying to gather up all the straw the Phillips had spread over their yard in hopes of cultivating some grass.
Emma loved how Cooter started a big fire in his own backyard (using gasoline from a big red can to start it) and then pulled up some lawn furniture and roasted marshmallows.  
Mia loved snuggling up to Mary Ann!  
Along with the camo truck, backyard marshmallow roast/stump burning, and hound dogs, Tom was treated to a bow hunting exposition as well.  
Emma was a huge fan of this country livin'.
Ah ha!  Cooter is NOT allergic to babies!  Looks good on ya, Cooter.
T and the gals swing in the hammock.
Mia loved feeding the critters at the local nursery.  That deer better watch its ass around there.  
We were happy to meet up with our pals from Korea, the Russells!  Emma and Audrey were able to feed the ducks, but ate way more bread than they distributed.  Seriously.
Getting 3 girls to pay attention to the camera proved impossible.  
Cooter and Mary Ann took us all out for an awesome pontoon boat ride!  This was a first for Emma and Mia- but they took to it straight away.  Mia would like to have been able to bend at the waist, but her life jacket would just not allow it.
If she could have moved her arms, I bet she would have ripped off that hat and sunglasses.
Cooter was catching fish left and right- Emma even got close enough to touch one of them.  
Here's Emma driving the boat.  This was her very favorite thing about the day.  
Cooter and Mary Ann stuck around for a couple of hours after our boat ride in an effort to drown every single worm they'd bought.  They succeeded in the drowning worms, but the fish would not be caught.
Back at home, we quickly got back to life as usual (note the beer).  Here's a profile shot of our Mia.  She is a lady of substance.  At 8 months old, she is wearing 12-18 month clothes and size 4 diapers, which are quickly becoming too small.  She is awesome!
Check out this smile!  It's her first day with a tooth.  I know, you can't see it, but it is in there.
No more Baby Bjorn for me.  Mia is now sitting up in the carts at the grocery store.  In case you were wondering, yes that IS my grocery cart loaded up with beef jerky in the background.
Showing off her little tooth.
This is one happy baby!  She seems to be smiling all of the time.
Mia has added standing to her list of accomplishments.
Santa delivered this rockin' pink electric guitar to Emma.  

While on Christmas vacation, Mia discovered her love of teething biscuits.  And I discovered how difficult it is to scrub them off of her and the highchair.

Tom took Emma skiing for the first time!  She loved it, even the falling down parts.
She needs a chrome helmet like her dad's.
Here's Mia on our trip home.  I was a little unsure of how the three of us would do, but the gals were great!  
Giving Emma a lollypop didn't hurt, either.
Here's a nice shot of Mia's two little teeth.
Her morning hair is fantastic.
"You bang on it like this, Mia".
Emma loves her karaoke machine.
If you're happy and you know it jump real high!
Emma rocks the mic!
Mia refused all baby foods- but eats great when I give her toddler-sized bites.
What Prince could resist that smile?
Rocking out is even more fun with friends.

Emma acts as the Damsel in Distress as her pal Braden keeps the home fires burnin'.