Approved!

Exciting news: We're adding on to our house! And yep, that means we're moving in with my parents (for the third time- but who's counting?). Apparently you're not really a Patterson until you're living with Grandma and Grandpa in your first year of life.

Since January we've been working with our architect, builders, the city and the Historic Preservation Commission to develop a plan for a master bedroom suite addition, a mudroom, laundry room and playroom. We're also ripping off our nasty brown siding and getting all new siding and windows. Can you hear the angels in the heavens singing praises? Oh wait, that's just our neighbors.

On Tuesday, the Historic Preservation Commission approved our plans. We're finalizing permits and construction drawings and if all goes as planned, we should be breaking ground in April. Since there will be some kind of work (large or small) being done to every single room in our house, we have to essentially move all of our furniture into two rooms and cover everything with plastic. I'm not emptying out kitchen cupboards, but everything else has to come down off the walls and shelves. And then we have to get all of our clothes and toiletries for two adults, two kids and the dog to my parents house. I'm not looking forward to that part. But, if all goes well, we should be back in by Halloween.

I've already decorated the entire thing in my head. Is that weird? Marin is excited too. She's told everyone that we're getting a bigger house because Daddy's clothes are in her closet. You know you need more space when your three year old is in tune with what is and isn't normal. Marin also has her own set of blue prints that she calls her "plans" and has decorated with Tinkerbell stickers. I can't wait for it to be done. Of course we'll share pictures as we progress. So, stay tuned!

Emilie- Ten Months Old!

Ten months old already! I'm already planning her first birthday party. Where in the world did this year go?!

At least time isn't flying with a lack of adventure. Emilie sure has been busy this last month. Here are some of the highlights:

-She's pulling herself up! She pulled herself up for the first time on the dishwasher. Probably not very good for the dishwasher but who cares. She's not quite pulling herself up on higher things like the couch or the coffee table, but I think that's because she really isn't on her knees enough. She still has her hilarious yet completely efficient modified army crawl. This girl loves to stand. Once she is standing she would literally stand all day if you let her.

-Emilie has a tooth! Coming in at two months before her sister's first tooth, I was totally shocked when I felt a tiny little bud coming in on the bottom. It is the right middle bottom tooth, and I think the other bottom tooth will be close behind as well as the top two middle teeth. I'm fairly confident that's technical dental terms. Top Middle Right and Bottom Middle Left. :)

-We had our first trip to the Emergency Room. This is what I call a mom's "Oh Shit" moment. Because almost every mom I talk to has had it. It's that moment when you hear a bang, or a thud followed by tears and you think, "Oh Shit". Emilie fell off of her changing table earlier this week. I was right next to her, but I took my hand off of her for literally one second and that girl does NOT like to sit still. Of course I should have known, of course it was my fault, of course I felt terribly. "Oh Shit!" Luckily, she is okay. Thank you Jesus.

- She says "ma ma". Yes, despite me letting her fall from four feet off the ground onto a hardwood floor, she still loves me. I love when she says ma ma. Although da da is still her word of choice, but we're not talking about that right now. We'll also not talk about the fact that she really only says ma ma when she's upset.

-Emilie claps her hands and does "so big!" Emilie loves to clap her hands and does so all the time, especially when we sing this song from library class about clapping hands. She just beams an enormous smile and claps away. She also loves to do, "How big is Baby Emilie? S00000 Big!" and puts her hands in the air. Although Marin is quick to remind us that Emilie is little and Marin is big. Uh huh. We're there.

- Emilie and Marin are still very much a happy little sister team, however. Marin loves to kiss her and hold her and help her stand, and Emilie could watch Marin all day long. She watches her every move. There are even times when I am feeding Emilie and Marin is across the room, that I have to ask Marin to come sit by us so that Emilie will eat better. Because her head will be totally turned in Marin's direction watching what she is doing. Just smiling at her.

-Emilie is learning sign language. I didn't start with Marin until about a year, but I am starting a little earlier with Emilie. She gets her point across, but she doesn't exactly do the signs as they were intended. Soon enough.

- Emilie is still just such a happy little baby. She smiles all the time all day long and is so easy going. She sleeps well, eats well for the most part and is pure joy. We love you, Emmie Cakes.

The 'Apolises...

You know when you get so behind that procrastinating just becomes easier and easier and next thing you know a whole month has passed? Yeah, that just happened. Here's some catch up.

At the beginning of this month Jason and I left the girls with my parents and flew to Minneapolis for the weekend to visit our friends Ross and Emilie. We loved their new condo in the heart of downtown Minneapolis and had a great time eating at great restaurants, laughing, and even accepting a couple dares. We spent all day Saturday at a wine festival at Target Field and even snuck in a dinner with Bob, Gretchen, and the most adorable two year old twins on the planet.

We ended Saturday night at a bar in the oldest building in Minneapolis which was super cool, and rounded out a great weekend and a scrumptious breakfast place on the University of Minnesota campus.

My parents enjoyed the weekend with the girls very much, the highlight of which was a Grandma and Marin day on Saturday where they went to a children's play, and for lunch. Grandpa and Emilie had their own day too- where Emilie showed off all of her new tricks, most of which means not wanting to ever sit still. Ever. They played games and dolls, and took both girls to church with them on Sunday. When Jason and I got home Sunday night Marin was full of stories for us.

A few weekends later, the four of us hit the road to Indianapolis to visit friends Mike, Becky and Joel in their new home. Marin had an absolute blast playing with Joel all weekend long, and Emilie hung in there trying desperately to keep up with them. Emilie especially enjoyed some snuggle time with her Godfather. The very best part about Mike and Becky's new sprawling estate is the absolutely amazing backyard- complete with a built in outdoor grill, a 20 foot stone fireplace, an incredible patio and screened in porch, a hot tub, and an acre of grass to run in- at the back of which is a creek. Of course they have an amazing playset, that Marin went to bed talking about and woke up doing the same. They played house in there and by the end of the weekend made it their school, too. Becky made delicious dinners both nights, and Mike made awesome breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday morning.

We spent Saturday afternoon at the Indianapolis Zoo, where Marin had a chance to pet a shark, but got shy. I can't say I blame her. The kids rode the Merry-Go-Round, saw all the animals including unusually active hippos, and a baby elephant who won everyone's hearts. Uncle Mike treated all of the kids to anything in the gift shop that they chose- Marin chose a stuffed elephant that she named "Ellie" and a stuffed monkey for her sister that she named "Finn" (after her neighbor friend).

Each night when the kids were all tuckered out, we gave them a group bath and then tucked them in. And then we listened to Marin and Joel talking to each other from their rooms for about an hour until the dads put the smack down. Then the adults enjoyed fabulous wine and roaring fires on the patio, and took a few dips in the hot tub as well.

The kids played so well together and we all had such a great time, that I tried to will Sunday morning not to come. But of course it did, and we're already planning our next trip back.

We've been busy this month, but there is nothing better than catching up with great friends! Thank you Ross and Emilie and Mike and Becky!