Tashi Has Arrived!

A week ago we welcomed a new little girl into our family. 

We had carefully planned the arrival of our Baby Tashi, but she had her own plans. We had planned for her to arrive via C-Section on April 20; however, she made us rush to the hospital on the night of April 19 and she arrived on her own terms on April 20 (no C-Section necessary).

We arranged for Big Sister to have private time with Baby Sister, and she was very excited. She came running into the room, jumped in the bed and just wanted to hug and kiss her baby sister.

She loves holding her Baby Sister.

After a stressful and thrilling date, Daddy finally gets to relax with his Baby Girl.

We had a very successful recuperation and after 28 hours, we were discharged from the hospital. 

A Toddler's Life - Enjoying the Little Things - From Last Week

It is so refreshing to spend a day with a toddler enjoying the simple things in life. 

Who remembered that sitting on the floor with eggs could be so entertaining?

Or going for a walk and finding a creek so exciting?

Or stopping to look at the flowers so invigorating?

At the Doctor with Mommy - From last week

These days Mommy has to visit the doctor twice a week to monitor Tashi's development. Noodle rarely comes but every once in a while, she is my guest during my visits. 

Last week was one of those times she came along...

She was very excited to come with Mommy and brought her doctor's kit along with a patient (the elephant). 

We sat together during the 20 minutes they performed the fetal non-stress test 

She was very good, patiently waiting and getting off the way whenever the nurse needed some space. 

She also got to see again the doctor that delivered her. 

Noodle and Tashi

This past week our Noodle became a Big Sister! 

Photos to come soon...

Strawberry Fields

Last week the strawberry picking season began in Georgia. 

We visited a local farm and picked our own fresh strawberries for the week.

To pick or not to pick? 

At first Noodle wasn't sure she wanted to get dirty and kneel down to pick anything. 

Then we found her friend Efra who showed her how it is done. 

 You can see by her face she still wasn't convinced...

But she gave it a try!

 She didn't like getting dirty and after each strawberry I had to wipe her hand.

 It was also a bit hotter than we expected it to be for early April.

Nevertheless we got some very tasty strawberries!

 

 She loved walking around the fields.

Specially when Efra agreed to hold her hand and walk with her.

 She made sure horsie joined in for some of the fun.

 The highlight of the visit for her was the visit to the hens and roosters.

On the Boat

For the first time in our lives, we are now boat owners.

Our first time driving the boat. 

 After Mommy and Daddy became familiar with the boat, we took Noodle and the doggies for their first ride.

Our mini captain

She loves the boat rides

Talking to the ducks as they swim behind the boat

At the Zoo

We have been enjoying the fantastic Spring weather at the zoo.

She gets to drive her car from animal exhibit to exhibit. 

Among our new friends are the loud parakeets,

roaring lions,

playful pandas,

sleeping tortouises,

elegant flamingos,

and smelly elephants among others.

 In the petting zoo, Noodle gets to pet the pigs,

 comb the goats,

and feed them too.

She has been having a blast meeting all the animals and from week to week she has established a few favorites. 

We are looking forward to experiencing the new giraffe feeding station that is about to open, in the mid-time the statue of the giraffe has been entertaining enough. 

Reading

Noodle LOVES books. 

Lately she has branched out from only listening to stories, to pretending she can read them. 

When she "reads", she is only is narrating from memory what she has understood the story to be and most times she does a really good job of relating the essence of the story.

With Mommy's new phone I can film Noodle and she can see herself as I film her,  she is having fun with the new "toy"