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I try not to let Natalie play with my phone, but after a long day of a teachers strike and a headache courtesy of Pinto, I did. And this pic resulted. 🙂

Natalie has news to share…

Yep, that's right - I'm going to be a big sister! As long as I don't have to share my bubbles...

Natalie will be a fantastic big sister!  She likes babies and is increasingly compassionate.  She is very concerned whenever someone else is crying – she often thinks its due to a boo boo.  She is quick to send her “Mousey” over for some kisses to make the person feel better.  We’re still working on sharing, but what 20-month-old isn’t?  She also has a lot of fun tricks to share with a little sibling… for example, just this morning at the Children’s Museum, Natalie invented a nose-picking device!

See, you insert it in your nostril like this....

However, Natalie has about six months to wait before she really puts her big sisterhood into action… “Pinto” (bean’s) is expected to arrive around:

So, Natalie and “Pinto” will be about 2 years, 3 months apart.  We’re hoping – close enough to be friends with each other, but far enough away that they have their own space.

My pregnancy has been going well so far – I was tired in the first trimester, of course, but getting less so now.  My food aversions haven’t been nearly as strong as the first time around, but oddly enough, are pretty similar (e.g. Cracklin Oat Bran – my fav non-pregnancy cereal – and coffee – not for me, but anyone around me).  At just more than 13 weeks old, Pinto is weighing in at 1 oz. and is 3 inches long.  S/he is definitely eager to show everyone that s/he is here – I feel like my belly has been sticking out for at least a month.

Thanks for sharing in this fun news with us!  Love, Erin, Jordan and Natalie

Pa and Ma came to visit! Ma spoiled Natalie with new Dora and Minnie clothes – her favs!

Cheese! I just learned how to do this for pics! Speaking of cheese, can I have some? Please?

I’m a big girl now! It’s ponytail time!

Check out this great stoop I found!

Thanks for visiting Ma and Pa! Come back soon!!! And bring baby Trevor with you. I miss him and want to take him to the zoo.

Photo and quote credit: Kaila

Natalie and Kaila love to see Mr Singer at the Farm Zoo! Cows are her fav animal right now. Today, she was particularly amazed with cow poo, which ended up being our entire dinner conversation. Cow poo. Poo poo cow. Poo poo. Cow poo pie. You get her point!

A little impromptu gymnastics.

Natalie loves playing hide and seek. A new favorite spot:

She is a surprise I am happy to see every time!

Mom, I will go out to dinner anytime you let me have a mango smoothie!!! Yum!

Apologies for the blog hiatus – this one is overdue.  On the weekend of Fourth of July, we drove down to Indianapolis to go to my Aunt Marilyn’s farm.  A little context first….

Every year growing up, Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Steve would throw a party on their farm in Noblesville and my entire Mom’s family would come. We’d play volleyball, ride horses, swim in the pool, roast a pig and cap it off with a hayride where my uncle would lift my 90 yr old Mammaw II into the wagon with some kind of bobcat bulldozer.  So pretty much, the best weekend of the summer for a kid. We stopped having them sometime in the mid-90’s, so bringing it back was a big deal.  Over 70 family members came in town for it!

Needless to say, it was an AWESOME weekend.  We were able to:

• Stay with the Sterley family (Jasper and Nat had so much fun)
• Play with the Davis family
• Meet Ali Marten and see their awesome new house
• FARM PARTY!  Meaning: swim, eat Indiana corn, make tie-dye tshirts, bounce in a moonwalk, and play with our cousins
• Hang out with the Linville family at Grandpa and Grandma’s house and see our other cousins!
• See the Bolings and meet a tall drink of water named baby Quincy

I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves, but needless to say, it’s always a little bittersweet to go to Indy and see so many great friends that we rarely get to spend time with.  And there were even more that we didn’t have a chance to see in the 48 hours there.

But the great news?  The Florida family came up, including Mammaw and Pappaw who are coming to Chicago for two weeks!  It will be great for Natalie to get to spend some time with her Mammaw and Pappaw.  And great for me!