Crawling

Learning to read (sort of)

I have a new favorite book, "Snug House, Bug House." I help Mommy read it, as you can see in the video.

Fun at FestivALL

Belle

Today, downtown Charleston turned into a work of art. Mommy and Daddy took us downtown to watch clowns and belly dancers. I jumped briefly on an inflatable obstacle course. I held onto my orange balloon for about 30 seconds before it floated away in the air, much to my dismay. It sure was fun. We enjoyed listening to a local band at Davis Park and I even danced some before I realized Daddy was filming me. We were in awe of the really tall man walking around. He was pretty funny.

To learn more about FestivALL ( and see an interactive map that Mommy's friend, M.K., designed) visit http://media.cnpapers.com/festivall/

Becoming friends

Belle

Lilly and I are quickly becoming friends. We laugh together. Sometimes I share toys with her. We swim together in our new swimming pool that Aunt KaKa gave us. And occasionally, I'll keep her company while she plays in her playpen. She sometimes gets upset that she's cooped up in the playpen and I can run around. I overheard Daddy telling her it was time to get mobile. It sure will be fun when we can chase each other around the house. For now, Granny helps Lilly chase after me.

Lilly

I had a break-through with Mommy and Daddy yesterday at dinner. They finally are starting to understand that I'm trying to communicate with them when I babble -- that I'm not just trying to overpower Belle's screams. Mommy realized I was signing "please" at dinner the other night -- trying to get Daddy to give me some more puffs. I kept signing and was rewarded each time with a delicious puff. I said delicious, because that's what Belle says when food is good. She says, "This pizza is delicious," or "This grape is delicious."

It's been so hot lately. We sure had fun playing in our new swimming pool. It's like a mini-water amusement park -- right in our back yard.

Hot days!

It's been so hot lately that Mommy and Daddy took us swimming on Friday. We visited the Wave Pool in Hurricane. It was so exciting to see this big area of water! I could hardly contain myself. I just jumped right in and headed full force into the water. Mommy tried to explain to me that the water gets deeper and would go over my head, but I didn't care. Water went into my mouth a few times, but it only distracted me shortly. Daddy stayed with me in the deep end for a while, while Mommy played with Lilly near the shallow end. I was not a happy camper when we had to leave because the pool was closing.

On Sunday, Mommy and Daddy tried to take us on a walk along the Boulevard, which one half is closed on Sundays for families to walk, ride bikes, etc. As soon as I saw the river, I was excited. I thought we were going swimming. I tried to head straight over the hill to the water, but Mommy wouldn't let me. So we came home and played in our water tower and Elmo sprinkler instead.

Our new swing set!

It took Grandpa, Daddy, Aunt Sara, Grandma and Pawpaw all helping (but mostly Grandpa and Daddy) and two days to assemble but we finally have a new swing set. (and of course, I had to get in the mix and help Grandpa too).) Mommy wasn't sure about getting a swing set for big kids, but I showed her I'm old enough to handle this fun toy. I easily climbed the rock wall and flew down the slide. Whee! It's so much fun. Aunt Sara pushed me on the glider. Tomorrow, we're adding a swing for Lilly. She had fun watching me play on it today!

That's some good chin

When I get around Mommy, I just can't resist. I love the taste of her chin. We had a busy weekend around here. Lots of folks visiting us.... Belle had a party. I got a present from Aunt KaKa too, though. We each got a stuffed kitty. Grandma says those are the best pets because they're easy to take care of. In Belle's entry you can learn more about our weekend and her(our) new toy.

It's Nemo('s cousin)

I turned 2 today. To celebrate my special day, Mommy and Daddy gave me a special friend -- Nemo. It's not exactly Nemo, but he is orange and white. I was so excited to see my new fish friend that I squealed and shook with joy! He has a special glass home and lives on the mantle in the living room now. I tried to play with him, but Mommy kept telling me, "don't touch." She said I could hurt him if I tried to grab him. So once a day I'll get to help feed him.

I'm 2!

I turn two today. Mommy said she's can't believe how big I'm getting. Each day is a new adventure. Today, we went to Granny's house to hang out. I realized it shortly after we reached Institute and started asking for Granny. And then Mommy told me we were going to see Granny. So I replied, "Okay, we'll go see Granny." Later, I told Granny I didn't like pears. Besides my conversation skills, here are some other skills I'm working on. (Note from Mommy: Belle knows the "northern version" of Pattycake that ends with "roll it, pat it, mark it with a B for Belle and me."

Growing up

Lilly

I'm not too fond of this getting older stufff. I mean Mommy and Daddy seem to really be pushing for me to "grow up." I had an accident in the bumbo chair so now I have to sit in the high chair. I really don't like it and I let them know about it. One thing I do like about growing up and getting bigger -- I finally get to turn my seat around in the car too. Now I can see all the things that Belle sees when we travel in the car. I was happy as a jaybird on the way home from Granny and Pawpaw's Saturday.

Belle

Lilly and I are both growing up -- too fast Mommy says. I'll turn 2 on Thursday. They keep telling me I'm going to have a birthday party. I'm not sure what that means but we're working on saying "Happy Birthday" and "I'm two." One other task Mommy and Daddy are trying to train me in is going to the potty. They say I understand just fine how it works I just need to go. I know you go "pee-pee and poo-poo" or "wee-wee and woo-woo" on the potty. I'll even sit and read a book on the potty, but I just don't feel like using the potty yet.

One area that Lilly and I are both struggling is in sharing toys. She wants to play with all of my toys now. And I don't like her to play with them. I often get in trouble for taking them away. Yesterday, though, we did share a bit and colored in my new Dora coloring book together.

First surgery

It isn't the most flattering picture, but we wanted everyone to see the results of my first surgery today. Mommy said I was a brave girl. It sure was a long wait to see the doctor. I waited for nearly 4 hours. I couldn't eat or drink and I was getting upset about it. Then Mommy took me back to a bright room with a bunch of nurses. They had already asked me if I like bubblegum, cherry or strawberry for the scent of my mask. I chose strawberry because I really like them. Even that wasn't enough to keep me calm though. I cried and it took longer for the medicine to put me under. Dr. Taraji said I had "pimple" on all four lids. He had to clean them all out. They water a lot now. He also told Mommy and Daddy that I have to go back to the dermatologist to figure out what's causing these pimples so they don't come back or I could have to have this surgery again. We definitely don't want to do that!

High Maintenance

We're not spoiled. We're just high maintenance. That's us -- HMGs (high maintenance girls). Granny found us these matching cute onesies. We're doing pretty well. My eyes (Belle) are still giving me trouble. I have to have surgery on Tuesday to alleviate the swelling on my eyelid. Mommy said she's upset that they will have to put me to sleep, but she wants my eyes to get better. This has gone on for too long, she says.

Lilly sits up well now and laughs a lot. She likes to grab at me. I don't like her to touch me. I only give her a kiss goodnight and say, "night, night, lilly." We're looking forward to playing this weekend -- since Mommy and Daddy both have the day off on Monday now. Yeah!

First movie

Belle

Today was an exciting day. I saw my first movie in a theater. Mommy and Daddy took a chance and let me go see Shrek the Third. We ate popcorn and Raisinettes and drank some Icee, which I got on my shirt. I was so excited when the kitty came on the screen that I yelled Meoow for the whole audience to hear. It was pretty neat, but after about an hour I wanted to run up to the front of the theater. So we didn't get to see the ending. Daddy says we'll have to wait for it to come out on video.

Sitting on my own!

Finally! I can sit on my own for a good 30 seconds at a time. I do better, however, when I'm distracted by a toy or watching Belle get into trouble. I still would prefer to be cuddled or just hang out on the floor where I can roll around easily or learn how to crawl.

We had such a nice visit with Grandma Bott last weekend. It was pretty outside so she took us for a wagon ride. Since it was so sunny, Mommy made me wear this hat so I wouldn't get sunburned. I didn't care to wear it, but every time I took it off she just put it right back on my head.

Meow!

Well, we have to share this tragic story with you. A neighborhood cat (read: stray) came to our house last Friday. So we decided to befriend it (read: feed and pet it). Belle, of course, loved this since she doesn't have any of her own pets. Everything was going along just fine... until I go to get the camera. I'm trying to take pictures of Belle with the cat and it gets annoyed with her and attacks her right arm. Needless to say, I was upset. Belle cried and ran to me. Andrew was inside, but was ready to track down the animal and end its life. The cat scratched and bit her a few times on the arm. It bled a little. We called the Humane Society and her pediatrician's office to confirm we were handling the situation correctly, including trapping the animal to be quarrantined. Belle wasn't happy when we had to clean her wounds with alcohol. The sad thing is she was more upset that the kitty she loved so much decided to be mean to her and then left. She kept going to the door and saying, "Kitty, where are you?" And now, she goes around the house saying, "Meeooow" in the most adorable voice. We're just happy she wasn't hurt more seriously and that it didn't scar her for life.

Play time

It's been so nice lately, that we've been able to get out in the backyard and play. I (Lilly) simply roll around on the blanket. Belle, as you know, can't sit still so she roams the entire yard -- just looking for trouble. Mommy and Daddy are pushing hard on this sitting up business. Today, I sat up for them for a little bit. I guess you have to grow up sometime. I'd rather just skip the sitting and move on to crawling. I'm trying to figure out how to get my legs to work so I can try to keep up with Belle. She sure is fun. We laugh and play together now. Sometimes, she comes up and tries to tickle me. Daddy is pretty good at letting us have a good time. Like today, we played with coffee filters. They make great hats!

Duo bath

Belle

Lilly still isn't sitting up, but Mommy is doing everything she can to encourage her to become a little independent (like making her sit up in the bathtub). I don't understand why she doesn't want to sit up, or crawl -- or just try to get anywhere. I'm always on the go. In fact, Daddy says I can't sit still for five seconds. I had to visit Dr. Jeff (Whittington) from church again today. My left eye is still infected and swollen. Lucky me! I get to have Mommy and Daddy put their finger in my eye while I sleep to get the medicine down under the flap. I'm also now on oral antibiotics to try to kill the infection. Dr. Jeff -- a whats-a-mologist -- someone who looks at eyes -- says if this doesn't work, then we'll have to have the infection surgically removed. I sure hope it goes away because that doesn't sound like fun. Daddy said I gave him and the doctors a work out today. Even three grown-ups couldn't get me to open my eye for the exam.

Lilly

Boy, Mommy just won't let up. She keeps telling me I'm going to be 7 months old next week and I'm still not sitting up. I mean, what's the big deal? What's the rush to grow up? I like being carried around and cuddled. In fact, I like it so much that I'm demanding extra attention at night now. Belle would be mad if she found out, so don't tell her. But I was up hanging out with Mommy and Daddy at midnight last night. And they gave me a bottle to boot! Woo-hoo! I just laughed and played on the bed. They finally gave up and put me in the swing to get me to go to sleep. I sure like hanging out with Belle. She is funny. We had a good time in the bath together. I suppose Mommy does have a point. I have grown too long to lie down in the infant tub. It was more comfortable to have my feet hanging out of the seat. I really liked playing with the rubber ducky. Belle is funny and I like her, but she sure doesn't like to share her toys with me.

A special note from Mommy: If you haven't yet seen this video, take a minute to watch it. While I sometimes moan about getting up in the middle of the night with one or the other girl, or dealing with one illness or symptom of another, this video made me realize we should celebrate the girls' lives and be thankful for what we have.

"Are you okay?"

That's my new catchphrase -- "Are you okay?" I often ask Puppy (my stuffed dog), or lamb, Mommy or Daddy, "Are you okay," even though they haven't fallen. Then sometimes I decide to throw myself down and ask myself, "Are you okay?" I also say "scuse me" when I burp, cough or make a noise.

You can't tell from this mugshot photo that I've been spending time behind bars, can you? When I say bars, I mean Mommy and Daddy keep sticking me in time out and I get put in my crib. I mean, what's a nearly 2-year-old girl supposed to do to have fun around here? They keep torturing me with different medicines. I'm on my third round of medicine for the sty on my left eye. Can you see the puffiness in the photo?

We've been pretty busy working around the house. We had a nice visit from Grandpa this weekend. I really like it when he comes because he takes me outside to play. I've been pretty unhappy since the weather has turned cold again. But we bundled up this weekend and Grandpa took me out. We went to the neighbor's house where I slid down the slide on my own. Then when we visited Rippling Waters to see Grandma and Sara during their retreat, I played on the big kid gym set outside. I think I've conned Grandpa Bott into getting my own set!! Happy birthday to me! Grandma and Sara attended a spiritual retreat this weekend so we prayed a lot for them. I have my prayers down now. Sometimes, I have to remind Mommy, Daddy and even Grandpa to pray -- like when we had dinner at Wendy's Saturday night. I placed my hands together and say, "I pray. Jesus, I pray. Amen." Then we all applaud!

How I'm growing...

Well, I'm still not sitting up... but Dr. Rubin assures Mommy that I'm not behind schedule. He did ask me today at my 6-month check-up if I'm "milking it." I'm not sure what that means, but yeah, I would have liked to have some milk at that point. The good news is I'm quite healthy. Everything is as it should be. And Dr. Rubin was determined to make me sit up, but I showed him how stubborn I can be and I wouldn't put my hands down for him. I'm measuring "tall and slim." I weigh 15 lbs. 4 oz. and I am 27 3/4 inches long. The bad news (at least for me) was I had two shots and one oral vaccine today. One shot in each leg. Pretty painful stuff. It's made me kind of cranky today.

Other exciting developments... my first tooth broke through the gum this weekend. A tooth is coming in on the bottom right of my mouth. It's exciting, but it adds to my crankiness.

We had a nice visit with Grandpa Bott this weekend. We visited with Aunt Sara and Grandma Bott some too, but they attended a retreat so we didn't see much of them. We did go visit them at certain points though. I enjoyed meeting new friends and helping Mommy serve breakfast to the people on the retreat. Unfortunately it rained all weekend, so we didn't get out much. In fact, the area where the retreat was held flooded a bit. So we hung out in the house with Grandpa, Mommy and Daddy and watched Mommy make Grandpa and Daddy work like slaves as they redecorated our kitchen.

Balancing act

Lilly

Life sure is a balancing act. From the looks of it, Mommy has had some trouble balancing all her duties lately. Daddy was in NY for a week to watch the Mountaineers win the NIT. So Granny watched us a lot again. Mommy spent a lot of time at work, or the grocery store. Now that Daddy is finally home, life is returning to normal a bit. I'm not sure I like all the attention, though. For some reason, the 'rents are really focused on my motor skill development. Mommy said I have three weeks to learn how to sit up. As you can see, I'm not real interested in it. I wobble and fall over onto the boppy. I chatted with Elmo about it tonight and he said I have time and not to sweat it. I turned six months old on Monday. Daddy and Granny discovered why I have been so cranky lately. I have some teeth developing and nearly break through on the top.

Belle

Hiya! Life at the Beckner house has been crazy. Daddy has been gone so much lately. I sure did miss him. When he came home last week, I couldn't wait to get downstairs to see him. I ran to him, hugged him and kissed him. Mommy celebrated a birthday recently. Unfortunately (for both of us), I had to have a serious and very unpleasant test performed on her birthday. I didn't like the test and the results showed that I still have stage two reflux in my left kidney. But because I haven't had a UTI, I don't have to continue taking antibiotics. On top of all that, I have an eye infection. Every day, Mommy and Daddy have to wrestle me to the ground to put the drops in my eyes. The good news is the weather was nice recently and I was very happy to get outdoors. Now, that Mommy and Daddy are home we'll try to write more.