Can it really be March?!?

Somehow the last umm 3 months have flown by so quickly!! 

Here's a quick rundown of what's happened:

• We got to see cousins! Melina LOVED getting to play with her beloved cousins when they came to visit us for Thanksgiving. 
• We had a wonderful trip to Yellow Springs for post-Christmas. It was so good to see Papa, Bubbie and all of our YS people, it's always too short! One of the highlights for Melina was visiting the Wright Flyer III and replicas of Orville and Wilbur's bicycle shop and workshop at Carillon Historical Park.
• The only downside of the trip was Tish getting the flu at the very end and proceeding to be very sick for about a week after we returned to Seattle. Morgan, Melina and Misha (our cat) were all excellent nurses and very thankfully, none of them got it. 
• Tish is 25 weeks pregnant (that's about 6 months for you non-baby folks) and finally (as of about 5 weeks ago) not throwing up every single day.  We are very excited to welcome this baby into our family, due in mid-June.  Melina has come up with some great names for the baby, including "Diaper", "Nice Baby" and most recently, "Adelda". 
• Melina now uses the potty - what?! We really thought we were in it for the long haul with this kiddo and diapers.  Then, on Super Bowl weekend, as we lounged around watching football and eating snacks.... she decided it was time, and has been rocking it ever since. 
• And.. she had her first hair cut!  It was really more of a trim, but exciting for all involved nonetheless. 

Riding the sleigh at Swansons.

Post-Thanksgiving frolicking in the leaves.....

 ... with cousins! The biggest and the smallest.

Riding the carousel at the zoo.

Stacking to the heavens! Love those megablocks.

Fixing her airplane.

Misha enjoys the new playhouse, made by T-Ma!

An uneasy sharing of space.

Getting some tricycle time in.

Making Linzer Torte...This was a Christmas tradition was I was a kid and it was fun to continue it with Melina.

Second Christmas in Yellow Springs!

At the newly renovated Raptor Center.

Playing with Bubbie.

Walking around YS.

In the Ergo with Auntie!

Baby Vaughn!

Playing at Carillon Park with Eli and Violet.

Wright Brothers' workshop.

Checking out the Wright Flyer III.

The bicycle shop where it all began.

 

Wearing a pilot's hat in the cockpit on the way home! 

Making phone calls from the train.

Getting ready for her haircut!

 So exciting.

Ta-da!

Feeling the baby.

Fun times at the park.

Making Valentines.

The muses are fickle....

At the symphony kids program!

Post-symphony hanging out with Sofia.

Lunch at Pike's Place Market.

At the zoo with Henley! These kids were friends before they were born.  Jennie, Lauren and Katy, I'm really missing our Greenlake walks this time around!

 Heart-melting big eyes on Baby Gabe.

Lunar New Year! Melina was so fascinated by the Lion Dancers but also a little scared.

We've been having a gorgeously sunny winter (so sorry, East coast/Midwesterners!), and we finally took advantage of it by going for a hike.

Avele showed Melina all the tricks of hanging out in the woods, including encouraging her to have her very first outdoor pee.

Jameal and Farouq gearing up.

Such a beautiful day!

Throwing rocks into the river.

Stopping for a snack.. about 1/2 miles in. :-)