East Coast Thanksgiving

Mama apologizes for the delay in posts, she said she will try harder to update more frequently in the new year. Onto more important matters...we went to NJ for Thanksgiving and it was awesome! Jilly and I did very well on the plane, except for a few meltdowns, and loved staying at Uncle Benny's house in Jersey City. We got so much quality time with friends and family but always wish it was longer. We spent a couple of days in NYC with Aunt Judi and Uncle Shel and that was really exciting. Aunt Judi took Thea, Jilly and I to a Berenstein Bears musical and then to Mama's favorite Jewish deli for lunch. We ate a ton of great food on the trip! In a few days Auntie Kerry arrives for Christmas and Mama says she will post those pictures much sooner than these.

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San Juan Island trip

We just enjoyed a week away on San Juan Island to celebrate Mimi's 85th birthday. It was so fun to take the ferry over and stay in a big house with our Mimi, Granny, Grandpa Frank and Auntie Kerry. We got to sleep in big girl beds and had a blast exploring new adventures. Some of the things we did were a Whale Museum, beaches, alpaca farm, and a cool event where we got to go in all different kinds of trucks. Most importantly we got to spend such quality time with our family and make very special memories!

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Uncle Luke and Cousin Thea visit

We just had the best two weeks with our Uncle Luke and Cousin Thea! There were so many good times it's hard to share them all. A few highlights were a trip to the Aquarium, the beach, a road trip/overnight to Leavonworth, lots of parks and just hanging in the back yard. We miss them lots and can't wait to create more memories when we visit NJ for Thanksgiving.

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New beginnings

It has been a very big week for me so I thought I'd report. I started wearing underwear all the time now, no more diapers during the day! I've been working very hard on it and am proud of myself. I also moved up to my big girl bed, no more crib. I really love being able to get in and out by myself. Jilly and I also love reading and putting our babies to sleep in it. We had school pictures at my class recently so Mama posted those pictures for you. She says I look like a big girl in them.

Jillian turns two

Jilly here to share with you my photos from my awesome birthday celebrations! Mama and Daddy threw me a party at a play area with my friend Laurel, who also turned two. We had lots of our friends there and of course our older sisters, who enjoyed the party as much as us. A few days later my Granny, Grandpa Frank and Auntie Kerry came out from CA to celebrate my birthday with me. I was so happy to see them and was blown away by my super duper new little cottage they built for me in the backyard. I have to share it with Nina, but that's okay as long as she isn't slamming my hand in the door. On my actual birthday we had a beach day with my friend Pip and her family and then went to dinner at Red Robin, doesn't get better than that. I liked when they sang to me and the ice cream wasn't bad either. It was a very special birthday though the biggest memory of it by far was my Elmo cupcake. I mention it at least twice a day.

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Cali fun

We had a wonderful time on our trip to CA. It was action packed but well worth it. LA with our Aunties Leslie and Mary was very special. They took us to this awesome train museum where Jilly and I got to run around on actual trains and we really enjoyed singing and dancing together. Shabbot dinner was especially nice as we got to meet my Mama's Uncle Alan. The only downside was when Mama got mad at me for making poopy jokes during dinner, I really do need to work on my table manners. I also got to visit with my Great Grandpa John who was really sick. I was very grateful for the time since he passed on a few days ago. Our long road trip to Sacramento went really well, I watched a ton of tv and Jilly slept on and off. We loved the swings and all the outdoor activities at Granny and Grandpa Frank's house. A trip to the river was really fun. Auntie Kerry bought us awesome life vests and rafts and we had a blast throwing rocks and swimming with our family. Mimi came to spend time with us too and I liked swinging with her and chatting. Granny had a little BBQ so we got to see all of our old friends, including our buddy Grant. We enjoyed popsicles, swimming and playing in the yard for hours. Jilly and I also had our first chicken drumsticks and we loved them! Poor Daddy, his hope of us being meat-free is fading fast. We ended our amazing trip with a visit to the zoo with Granny and Grandpa Frank and a train ride. We miss everyone a lot but were very grateful for creating so many new memories with our family. Here are the photos, there are a lot but Mama just couldn't narrow it down.

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Just another Thursday

Mama caught this video of Jilly and I hanging out in my room. I'm singing an original song I wrote about sharing, dresses and other such important things. For some odd reason neither Jilly or I wanted pants on, so I hope you all aren't offended. Enjoy!

Spring update

We are all crawling out of our winter hibernation here and thoroughly enjoying the amazing spring weather we are having here in Seattle! It's been awesome getting to play outside so much lately. A lot of things have been happening....Jilly and I started gymnastics class and we love it! After the first class I got moved up to the next level, so Mommy was very proud. I am really strong and love climbing and hanging from the rings. Jilly is having a blast too, especially standing on her head. Mama put up a video below of us practicing our gymnastics in the living room. We were so lucky to have a visit from Granny recently and loved playing with her and showing her all of our new developments. Passover and Easter were great too, even though I got a bad stomach virus at the end of our Passover seder. You can see from the attached photo with Miya and Ava that I wasn't feeling my best. I made up for it on Easter though enjoying LOTS of candy and a fun egg hunt in the backyard that Daddy made for us. We finished up the day with a picnic at Greenlake, taking full advantage of every ray of sunshine we have. Love to all and check back soon!

Nina turns three

Like I said when I walked into school last week, "I turned three!" It was an exciting celebration this year starting with a circus themed party on my actual birthday. Mama and Daddy threw me a super fun bash with lots of my friends. We had face painting and music and cake, all of my favorite things. Auntie Kerry came from CA to celebrate with me which made me so happy. The best part was that she bought me a bike and a helmet for my birthday! I have been wanting one for awhile and am anxiously learning how to pedal. We went to Red Robin for my birthday dinner and the staff came and sang to me and brought me yummy ice cream. I gave Jilly the cherry. Mama came to my school with cupcakes for a birthday celebration there and it was so fun to share all of my friends and activities with she and Jilly. Mama brought my favorite book to read to everyone and Jilly took a seat on my teacher's lap. She was very sad to leave, I think she wants to come to school with me. Lastly I had my three year old doctor's appointment last week and I am in the 90th percentile in weight and 75th in height! The doctor said I was looking very healthy and when she talked to me about potty training I told her, "I don't really want to do that Dr. Levitt." So that sums that subject up.

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Nina's first manicure

When the ultrasound technician said "it's a girl" during my first pregnancy I immediately thought two things, I can't wait to take her to ballet class and for her first manicure. Today one of those dreams came true! Nina loved the nail salon and enjoyed chatting with lots of people. She chose a sparkly purple color and sat very still when they painted her nails. We had a wonderful time...now onto ballet!

Holiday firsts

Happy New Year to all of our friends and family! We had a very busy holiday season full of lots of special memories. Jilly and I are real buddies lately and we thoroughly enjoyed all of our new fun together. Hanukkah started early this year and we had a party at my school that Daddy and Jilly came to (Mama was doing her "doula work" as I like to say.) A few days later we had a party at our house with my best friend Miya and her sister Ava. We ate a lot of latkes and opened presents, it was great. We also went to a gingerbread house decorating event where I ate all the candy that was supposed to go on my house. Jilly thought that was a good idea and did the same. Mama and Daddy introduced me to carousels and that is my new favorite! We rode a holiday one downtown and now I'm obsessed. The same day we checked out the "Teddy Bear Suite" at the Fairmont Hotel downtown and had lunch. It was a very special downtown day and we decided to make it a yearly tradition. The following weekend we went to cut down our Christmas tree and I loved the train ride through the trees as well as my tree cookie. Christmas was super fun b/c my Mimi, Granny, Grandpa Frank and Auntie Kerry came to visit us from CA! We had a wonderful week together playing, laughing and listening to me talk. Jilly was the friendliest she's been with everyone and Granny was very happy she got to hold her so much. Santa came and Jilly and I got SO many presents, we are very lucky. We also went to our first movie on Christmas Day and up to a ski resort to play in the snow. Jilly and I liked when Auntie pulled us in the sled but we got cold and cranky soon after. Mama has something to say to finish up: This holiday season was extremely special for us and I hope the photos help to capture some of it. We were especially touched by the generosity and love of friends and family this year and are feeling very grateful for all that we have. Here's to an even better 2013 with a lot more happy times! Love to you all.

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