Cherry Blossoms

This morning, half the members of our family took a trip into D.C. to see the beautiful cherry blossoms  which are in full bloom.  Unfortunately, the other half of our family had to go to school and work (sorry guys!).   So Sebastian, Josephine, Veronica and I headed into the city on our own and had a great morning.  With spring here and the weather being as warm as it's been, we've been taking Veronica out more, which has been good for all of us.  And I no longer worry as much about RSV which feels liberating in a way.   It's almost as though I forget she was born 16 weeks early....almost, but not quite.  

Sebastian - happy to get his photo taken.

Josephine - no interest in getting her photo taken.

With a little encouragement (o.k., a LOT of encouragement), Josephine finally agreed to a photo.

A picnic by the Tidal Basin.

The food definitely put Josephine in a better mood. 

Beautiful!

I took this before I read the sign posted which said not to climb on the trees.  Whoops!

What's a trip to the nation's capitol without a visit to the GW NICU?   This was the highlight of my day!
Don't their smiles speak volumes?  

Poor Josephine fell in the mud right after we left the hospital.  She was so cute I just had to take a picture!

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Yesterday was Andrew's birthday.  We celebrated by going out to dinner at one of our favorite DC restaurants - all eight of us.  Afterwards, we took the kids to a nearby playground and enjoyed the record temperature.  It was so great getting out and just being together.   As RSV season is nearing the end, we have been going out more and it has been fabulous.

Andrew is an amazing father and I feel so blessed to have him as my husband.  For those of you who don't know, I work at night.  This means that Andrew is responsible for making sure homework gets done, dinner is on the table, table is cleared, kids are bathed, stories are read, teeth are brushed and prayers are said - times six!  In the morning, I get to sleep in while Andrew ensures that the oldest three get ready for school while he packs their lunches.  He is usually up by 5:30am as we have some early risers in our house.  He does all of this without complaint.  What a guy!  Thank you, Andrew!

Theodore, Andrew, Josephine

Veronica (trying her first nacho chip) and Liesl

Linus and Theodore

Me and Sebastian

Andrew can always make her smile!



I love her toothless grin!



Andrew is wondering what it would be like to only have one child :)



The birthday cake - chocolate torte with rasberries and almonds

Liesl designed this t-shirt for her father - the front.....

...and the back



Some Firsts and a Last

This week Veronica finally discovered she has feet.  I'm hoping she will realize that she can use them to help herself rolll.  But if not, that's ok.  Oh, please take note of her chubby thighs.  We're quite proud of those :)  

She also went on an outdoor swing for the first time and loved it.  All smiles and giggles!

Veronica had her last synagis shot this week and weighed in at a whopping 18 lbs!  Wow!  As much as I won't miss her getting those monthly shots, I will miss the monthly weight checks.  Even though I know she is growing and thriving, it is still so reassuring to actually see the growth in numbers.  She won't be seen again until her 1-year-old appointment which is in less than 6 weeks.  I can't believe we are getting that close.  It's  hard to believe that it will be a year since the day she was born.  I look forward to that day and I know it will be a day to celebrate, but it's sure to be an emotional one as well.