Kevin and Alison

Chloe has learned to clap and I think it's so cute to watch her. She claps when she's happy about something or thinks she's clapping along with us (when we're really just clapping to see if she'll start).

What have we been up to lately? Well, I've yet to catch it on camera, but Chloe is getting a little closer to crawling. She will lean forward on her hands and lift up her bottom....and then sit back down :) She also can turn herself in a circle and is rolling all over the place these days. We've also been playing outside in between the raindrops... (cutie-patootie jean shorts from Auntie Erin!) and celebrating Michelle's graduation with a trip to Red Robin! (yes this is the best picture I have of the two of them!! :) )

We had Chloe's 9 month appointment yesterday. This little girl is 17 pounds, 2 ounces and 27 1/2 inches long. She just keeps getting bigger and bigger! We had one shot yesterday - and she DID NOT CRY. Can you believe it? She took it like a champ! No tears, no cries, just a look of shock and then waving to the nurses. Chloe is a busy little girl ~ she likes to sit with a basket of toys and take each item out and then play with the basket :) She likes music (you've seen the dancing!) and singing ~ we start each day with "This is the day the Lord has made" and sing other things throughout the day. She has started pulling up on her exosaucer and loves 'walking' with us. She has started eating foods by herself ~ peas, cheese, grapes, pears, and cheerios (of course). In the last few days she has started signing "more" when she finishes what is on her highchair tray. Although not a cuddler, Chloe has learned to give kisses and has started giving her ...

Mark came for a visit this week and we had a great time hanging out. We had dinner with my parents on Wednesday night and then.....we started....: "RISK: The Game of World Domination" Mark was carefully weighing every move... but Kevin ended up being the winner: I spent most of the game attempting to hold onto North and South America (at one point, there was talk among the brothers as to how THEY were going to attack ME! Can you believe it!) ...but also left plenty of time for arranging my soldiers: Thursday afternoon we went bowling (Kevin and Mark bowled, Chloe and I watched): Michelle came over for dinner on Thursday night and we enjoyed the nice evening by sitting outside.... Once Chloe went to bed, we started another game.... You guessed it! Star Wars Monopoly! Michelle was the Grand Champion. Some of her property is shown in the picture below....Those gray ships are the equivalent to hotels in regular Monopoly. Friday morning we got to meet Mark's girlfriend using...

Chloe met Uncle Mark when she was a day old....but she hasn't seen him since then. Mark works out of the country and he's home for the month of May. Over the weekend, we got together with Kevin's family and Chloe had fun visiting with Uncle Mark. Chloe got a lot of walking in too: She also got to hang out with Noah, her second-cousin: I also have to post a picture of the dining room table. After I joined the family, Kevin's grandparents volunteered to sit at a card table in the living room because the table was too crowded. I've been horrified that I was the cause of splitting up the family, and Poppop found a way to extend the table and add in extra leaves. We can all fit now!

When a child is born, so is a grandmother....And Chloe has two wonderful grandmothers ~ look at these pros: Grandma B. Grandma S. These two are willing to play on the floor and feed Chloe. We couldn't ask for better Moms...who are now great Grandmas!

Recently, we've had some really nice weather and Chloe loves to be outside. One of her favorite things to do while we're outside is watch anyone cut grass - especially when it's her dad, she shouts to him the whole time :) If our neighbors are out with their lawn mowers, she's always trying to find them. Here she is - on our 'concrete beach' - watching Kevin mow our backyard: We took a trip to visit one of my grandma's neighbors and I got Chloe's picture on the frogs ~ something that my sisters and I enjoyed playing on when we were young. Kevin had a truckload of dirt delivered for the gardens and Chloe got her first ride in a wheelbarrow. Don't worry, he drove slowly and Chloe hung on: