Happy Birthday, Ashley!

We made a video for Aunt Ashley's birthday last week,  but the result was so cute, we decided to post it here.

"Happy happy happy happy birthday Ashie!"

Babyfest

BabyToddlerfest returns! We finally had a chance to get together with our fab four babies, moms, and dads for the first time in a while. All of our babies have grown into little toddlers. It is always fun to compare notes and let the kids have a fun time playing together.

Isaac and Sidera, sharing snacks. Isaac is two days younger than Sidera.

Sidera, Selah, and Thurston swinging.

Sidera trying to get the last piece of watermelon.

Trying for a group photo:

From youngest to oldest: Selah, Isaac, Sidera, Thurston

Sidera got distracted by our behind-the-camera antics.

She wanted to dance!

Gender Reveal Party

Last weekend, we went to Parker and Amorette's house for a gender reveal party. Everyone was supposed to dress like the gender that they guessed the baby will be, which is why you see Simone with a mustache in the video below. Sidera's guess (girl) was correct, though--Parker and Amorette are having another girl in October. Simone's been practicing her big sister skills on Sidera.

Animal Sounds

Sidera likes to watch videos with animals (and animal sounds) in them, so she can identify the various animals.

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Boo!

Sidera has rediscovered her love of peekaboo, only now she hides (and reveals) herself.

Mirazozo

Also at the Children's Festival, we had the chance to go into a "luminarium" that was hand-crafted. It was beautiful--it was inspired by Islamic architecture. I was surprised by how much Sidera loved it--she kept lying down on the floor to look up at the ceiling. I took tons of photos, because I loved how surreal everything looked.

Doesn't it look like Sidera and Simone are having an adventure in A Wrinkle In Time?

Psychadelic wormhole.

One small step for babykind...

One of the domed ceilings.

Another ceiling dome.

A "tree."

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Zoo, then Petting Zoo w/ Simone

Two weeks ago, Sidera and I went to the zoo with Amorette and Simone. I neglected to take very many photos, but Sidera really enjoyed being at the zoo and pointing out the animals. She got to see some up close.

Best buds.

This past week, Sidera and I went to the Children's Festival in Pittsburgh twice, the first time with Amorette and Simone. The main attraction for Sidera was a petting zoo of baby animals. She was ecstatically happy! She was not afraid of the animals; she was eager to pet them and speak their language (she correctly yelled, "moo," "baa," or "meh" depending on whether she was talking to a cow, sheep, or goat). It was so cute that I took her back two days later. These pictures are all from the first trip though.

Some very cute piglets.

Baby goat.

Petting a baby goat.

Sidera knows the word soft , but pronounces it "oss," which is something she said a lot while petting the animals.

"Be gentle!"

"Why do I get the feeling I'm being followed?"

This is Sidera hunched over with the power of the massive "BAAAAA!" she is screaming at the sheep.

This baby llama was the "oss"est animal there!

Sidera loved it so much she (later) tried to climb on top of it.

Baby horse.

Surrounded by furry friends.

Some videos of Sidera and the animals in action:

This was a different part of the festival: