Learning and some fun pics

I've been amazed lately by Esme's language acquisition. Every day I hear her say a new word that I didn't even know she knew.
Today when her babysitter Sara (otherwise known as YaYa) was leaving she sad "See you later alligator" to which Esme promptly responded cahc-cahc (obviously crocodile :))

When her Godmother Kit was here she spent the whole day teaching Esme to say "Shake, shake, shake. Shake, shake, shake. Shake your booty". I just walked into the bathroom the other day in time to hear Esme, shaking a hotel size shampoo bottle, say "shake, shake, shake, boo, boo"

Ya Ya has been working on letters with Esme and Andrew has been working on numbers (my focus is shopping just in case I was sounding delinquent for a moment) so the other day over lunch Andrew said "1" and Esme said "2" (which is her favorite of all numbers), Andrew said "3" and Esme said "4", Andrew said "5" and as my jaw started to drop Esme said "6", Andrew said "7" and Esme said "B"...we'll keep working :)

Another new favorite pastime is cuddling...she'll throw her arm over my shoulder, give me a bear hug, and say "cu".
I'm still waiting for the second syllable to kick in but it is amazing to see her pride when she uses a new word and her joy for learning!

Esme and Ya Ya all ready for their girls night in!

Esme's been very into hat's lately...
here she is all ready to go bye bye with her hat hat

Sara helped me build Esme's new trike and we thought we'd take it for a spin
Now that the rain is gone I'll be sure to get a picture of Esme on her trike.


Andrew and I ready to go out to the Spring Orpheus Club Concert


Ready for her own hot date!
I didn't realize that Esme found my lipstick today...
Not bad for her first try I think, we'll still hold off a few years though.

bubbles

Esme's been working very hard on blowing bubbles in the bath for months.
Last week she finally got it, boy was she proud!!

The grand finale

Our trip ended in Arizona with two weeks visiting my sister.
I know you all have heard plenty about Esme's illness while we were there so I just wanted to share some of the actual fun things we did, and pass along some pictures:

We got to see my Dad's sister Aunt Loretta for the first time in a few years and she met Esme (and Cameron) for the first time.
You can also see my dad in this picture, turns out we didn't do such a great job getting pictures of him!

We ate breakfast one morning at the Wild Horse Cafe where Esme was obsessed with the Ozhos

This may have been the end of a long hot day for everyone but boy does Ahma/Grandma look happy!

Esme & Cameron's first baseball game

accompanied by Uncle Art (U-ya) Auntie Melanie (Ah-Ma) Shawn, Becky & Mama
Please note the new Orla Kiely bag, my super exciting $40 Last Chance find!!

One more happy sunshiney baseball picture

On day two of Esme's illness when she actually seemed better and coincidentally the one day that I was sick. Everyone went to the Renaissance Festival, Esme has been in a Elephant phase so here's everyone checking out the "Ella's"

My brother in law expressed his regret that he did not manage to get a picture of me throwing up in one of the festival garbage cans, which is sort of amusing since in the hour and bit I spent inside the festival I think I did manage to hit just about every one they had...I think the world can live without that picture though :)

A dubious Esme getting a foot rub from Auntie Melanie...wait who's been in the stroller all day here?

Here's Esme in her renaissance outfit

We had a great time swimming in Grandpa's pool

The cousins first meeting, Cameron seems a bit more sure than Esme

Esme came around though as she was soon willing to share her chair

All tired out after her first day at the ball park
(if you ask her what they're doing on the field she says 'ball')

This is my very favorite 'save until she's 16 and has a first boyfriend' blackmail photo.
Her little (and by little I mean big) belly is tooo cute!

Okay...I feel a lot of pressure relieved now that you all finally know about this trip, we can move on! Are you all as glad as I am?

The next phase

I am confident that one thing will soon become clear to all of you and so I'm just going to fess up right off the batt...Esme has four Godmothers!! I've come clean I've said it...there were too many wonderful women in our lives to choose from.
Perhaps it's my own lack of Godparents coupled with all the amazing stand in mothers I've had over the years but, in retrospect I'm as thrilled as I could be that this strong willed young girl will grow up surrounded by such a wonderful, diverse group of role-models! Not that they wouldn't be there anyway but we just wanted to make sure ;)
Personally I also think it's hillarious that she also has 1 Godfather and when I think about him, in my head he is always The Godfather (you know there's this Italian, jersey voice that says it like in the movie)...anyway all this to say that in one short week Esme saw all four of her Godmothers, who incidentally live in four different states pretty much covering the four corners of the country.
You already saw the pictures of Amy (from Chicago) and Sara (from Denver).
Next we went to Emily's ordination to the Priesthood in Louisville, this also incidentally was my first time in Louisville and it was pretty exciting to me to visit a city I've never been to, that doesn't happen to me very often anymore!
Emily, and Esme's fourth Godmother Kit were both at General Seminary in New York while we were there for Andrew's last year. On more than one occasion confused fellow students had to ask Andrew or I exactly how many people lived in our apartment as Kit and Emily pretty much had their own keys and acted as live-in nannies/dog love givers/sanity providers (like the night the three of us did baby yoga with Esme while drinking our chocolate martini's, but that's totally a different story). Kit and Emily were there for most of my labor, Emily kept Francis for the first few weeks we were home, when he was convinced we had brought home a small woodland creature that he should be playing with.
Anyway, we went to Emily's beautiful ordination in Louisville and enjoyed 3 beautiful days playing at the park, relaxing, walking around Emily's neighborhood, eating caramel frosted upside down cupcakes from the pie kitchen (best thing ever and not to be missed if you find yourself in Louisville). Most importantly we finally go to meet Chloe, Emily's dog (who is much better behaved than our two monsters) and Esme and I got to present Emily for her ordination, along with other friends and family and were very proud to be there and support her. Calvary is a lucky church to have her and it was great to see a slice of her life.

From there it was on to Phoenix which definitely requires a post of it's own so more to come tomorrow!
Esme is getting better and better at the slide


Sharing a little laugh


A little dance

A little dip

Esme and Emily after their little dance

Our future with Esme as simply a blur upon the church carpet

Funny little Esme

A Bubble Crown

I've got the next segment of our travels ready to post I'm just waiting for some pictures from friends as I am almost as delinquent in picture taking as I am in blogging.

So I thought I'd get us through the down time by relaying my favorite new Esme doings.

• Often lately Esme will pick up a book go sit down and commence saying "do do do do do do do" as she turns through the pages. (This sometimes make me think perhaps I sound like the grownups on Peanuts when I'm reading to her but it is too cute!)
• A few nights ago as we got ready for bed I set Esme down on the bed and said "lets read our nigh nigh books", while I went and turned off the overhead light she grabbed the book we always read first, opened it emphatically in her lap and said Oh-Kay!
• We've been practicing counting by starting to count the "three little bears sitting in chairs" when we read Goodnight Moon every night. Every time we get to that page I point to the bears individually and say "One, Two, Three" then Esme points to each of the bears and says "Two, Two, Two".
• Sara our babysitter reported that yesterday when they were out for a walk Esme saw a tractor coming toward them from a work site, she proceeded to make kissing noises for the full two minutes it took for the tractor to pass them and turn the corner, this is a love affair I never would have anticipated.

• Ever since Esme learned how easy it was to say her Auntie Anna's name (back in January) she has been insistent on repeating that name as often as possible. Anyone with brown hair is Anna, anyone who's name starts with "A" is Anna, when I do something she doesn't like she screams out "Anna" (as if she will rush in and save her). Esme is intent on repeating every word we say and learns 2-3 new words a day, the one word she will not repeat no matter how hard we try? Her name...every time we try, no matter who tries, she insists on calling herself Anna! She even says it with that I know I'm doing what I want, not what you want glimmer in her eye as she looks so proud!

Mmm...Mashed Potatoes!