40 weeks and 2 days

Yes, Trudy has decided to stay a little longer in her comfy, snug spot and we're officially overdue. And while that's fairly normal (both my brother and I were late pregnancies for my mom), it's maddeningly frustrating! Anyway, here we are:

Time to catch up....

It seems like every few months or so I'm putting up a post that starts out, "So I know it's been a long while, but..." Well, it has been a long while, almost all summer, but we've been out enjoying ourselves, so there's no crime in that. To cover the backlog of photos (something I wanted to do before Trudy shows up), let's just get started.

Here's Faye dressed up in her jams and my heels.










Faye makes her fish face at Lenny as he angles for a spot in the toy box.






But as you can see he eventually gets in.






Then they settle in for some goofing around on the couch.




I decided to take an art class on Saturdays this summer, so Ed got to spend Saturday mornings with the kids (which they all loved). Here they are at the mini-airplane field by our house.



Faye is astonished by the small planes.











And Lenny was equally entranced.







Even though our summer has been mild, Lenny and Faye enjoyed celebrating the Fourth of July with popsicles in our backyard.




As you can see, they were thoroughly enjoyed. Yeah, Kool-Aid popsicles!!!!






The week after the 4th is usually when all the Bannon grandkids come into town for Grandparents Camp. As their "camp site" was more of a swamp this year due to the Rock River flooding, they spent the week doing different activities around Chicago. Here's a picture of 10 of the 14 grandkids at the Lincoln Park Zoo. What a day that was!!!!!

Later in July, we got together for a small welcome party for Trudy (like a baby shower but not quite). Here's Nana with her first three grandkids, all three just as cute as can be!







As July rolled on, we wound up spending a lot of our time in the back yard, sucking down popsicles, playing in the sandbox and being hosed down by Mommy. Faye takes a moment to savor her treat.







Lenny, looking like a hippy because I haven't gotten around to getting his hair cut, enjoys a cool treat too!








The sandbox is always popular.







But not nearly as much as the sprinkler on a hot, sunny afternoon!










Lenny and Faye amuse each other through the sliding doors at our house.










Finally, here I am (with Trudy) at 36 weeks. You can see I've soaked up some sun running around with the kids this summer. It's been great and now we're just waiting for Trudy to make her appearance in order to make everything complete!

Tubby time...

Since the babes were born, I've been waiting for them to wear these bath towels of their own volition and finally (with the help of a bedtime story that talks about being wrapped up "cozy warm" in a towel after a bath) they let me.

Faye actually smiles in her bunny towel instead of ripping it off of her head as she has every other time she's worn the towel.








Then a big yawn.










A view of the bunny head.










And a shot of her name on the back.










Lenny just barely tolerates his hippo.










A shot of the hippo head.










And the best we could do at getting his name. I guess cozy warm just isn't Lenny's style!

We turned TWO!!!!!

Yes, that's right, we've survived two whole years together!! I don't know if that's a bigger accomplishment for Ed and me or Lenny and Faye but regardless we're all happy, healthy and ready for many more years to come. Woo-hoo!

Our day started out with lots of smiles from both Faye and Lenny.




















Then we headed over to the Kohl's Children's Museum for the morning. Lenny LOVED finding the trains in the interactive room.




While the ever orderly Faye enjoyed "cleaning up" the pegs at the table next to the trains.





Then we were off to the nursery where Faye decided to try her hand at mothering two babies at once.








"Nap time," she repeatedly told them.










Faye tried and tried to pedal the machine that filled tubes up with air, but her legs just weren't long enough.






So she settled down to read a few good books.






The reading area is right next to the water room, so it wasn't long before Lenny found his way in there.








He loves scooping boats out of the water, and then tossing them back in.









And Faye loves to help him out.








I think she really enjoys the cleaning aspect of her scoop.

















Next up, the music room. Faye tries out some drums.






And Lenny says, "No, Faye, bang it LOUDER!!!!!"









Faye pleased her mother by posing in front of her musical composition.





Then pleased herself by learning about the windy nature of reed instruments!






Off to the Clifford the Big Red Dog special exhibit!









Lenny played with his reflection for awhile. It's nice to have another boy around once in a while.








Then it was down the Clifford slide. Thankfully, Faye did not slide down head first, her preferred sliding position. Instead she ran down screaming, "Whee!!!!"


Lenny however couldn't resist and did slide down head first.









Before we left the exhibit, Faye gave Clifford's little girl a nice kiss good-bye!









Last stop: the car room, of course! Faye takes the wheel . . .









but generously turns it over to her brother when he wanted a turn.






First girl in . . . last girl out.






Lenny gets a chance to drive the big wheels!








Faye raced back and forth through the simulated car wash. What is it with this girl and cleaning????








After a long morning of running around the Children's Museum, you would think the birthday kids would have been exhausted and ready for a nice, long nap. You would have been WRONG! In fact, these two didn't sleep a wink from when they woke up on their birthday at 6am to when they collapsed in their cribs at 7:45pm. That's will power! I wish I could stay up as well as they can!
But a crabby evening was fortunately avoided by having their cousins, Tommy and Joey over.

All four kids dig into their post-pizza cupcakes.





Faye eyes her father suspiciously as if to say, "Keep your mits off my cake, Daddy!"







Lenny leans back enjoying his sugar buzz!







Happy 2nd Birthday, babies!!!!!!!!!!!!