The was our first week with Ligia (Kai and Sierra's babysitter). Carla stayed home to "train" her and had "mom hours" the remainder of the time (these were the first days Carla was on her own). Ligia will be watching the babies for 17 hours a week and then Jim and Carla will watch them the remainder of the time. We feel fortunate to have such good care for them while we have to work but also to have the flexibility with work to spend more time at home ourselves.

Parenthood suits us both well. We're settling into our schedule well. Here are some strides we've made this week:

• The babies are crawling all over the place - you can't turn away for long or they're gone.
• They love practicing their walking - holding our fingers.
• Kai is sitting up good on his own. Sierra is sitting up on her own for about 10 seconds, then starts to teeter, but she catches herself on her hands and goes into a crawl.
• Kai likes to roll a golf ball to you and have you roll it back.
• Sierra can pick Cheerios up on her own and put them in her mouth.
• Both babies are sleeping through the night from 800 pm until 730 am. Occasionally, Sierra wakes up when she's lost her pacifier but usually can get herself back to sleep without us (although we have had to "re-plug" on some nights).
• Kai and Sierra are both doing well in their car seats. Last week, Sierra would go nuts in hers but this week, they sit in the back and jabber. We'll be glad when we can turn the seats around and see them in the rear view mirror. Currently, they still have to face backwards.
• On PawPaw and MeMaw's last night, we went to Gators for dinner. Both babies did really well. Sierra "talked" loudly at times but the restaurant was "family friendly" so she blended. Later in the week, we met Daddy and Kathy for lunch at Moe's and they did great as well.
• Kai and Sierra both have great appetites. They eat baby food (for their "meat dish") and we make our own veggie and fruit baby food.
• Naps are not that great. We can hear Sierra playing on her mobile and talking for the first 30 minutes and then usually the last 30 minutes before we get her up. Kai and Sierra have both started to wake up about 30 minutes early and talk to each other while throwing their pacifiers across to one another. It's really funny.
• They both are talking alot. Kai surprised us this week with all his jabbering - he's really coming out of his shell. He likes to see how high he can make his voice, while Sierra likes to see how low she can make hers - it's entertaining.
• Both babies get very excited to see Jim when he gets home from work. It's a highlight of the day.

Kai loves playing with balloons - it's the first thing he goes for in the playroom. He'll lay on the floor and yank it down to the floor then let it go back up again - never ending game...

"I'm coming to get you - hurry and take the picture before it gets out of focus."

30 minutes until nap time.

Babies chillin' by the pool

Sierra's excited about the exercauser butterfly.

"I love Mama's old Donald Duck piggy bank - I'm going to give it a kiss."

"Is this where the money comes out?"

Oatmeal head (Sierra head-butted the spoon at breakfast).

Ligia, Kai and Sierra at 2nd breakfast.

"Me first," "No, me," "I want to be first..."

"I'll show you - now try to go somewhere."

Holding hands at lunch.

Mama's taking pictures again - I want the camera.

Self portrait of the ladies.

Kai and Elmo.

Sad attempt at a self portrait - Kai and Sierra are more interested in the camera strap.

"I love it when Daddy swings me like tihis."

New game -- Peek-a-boo around the coffee table.

"Can I help you?"

"Let me out."

"I'm going to get you..."

More peek-a-boo.

Daddy and Sierra in her 'Little House on the Prairie" bonnet. The bonnet was Ligia's when she was little. Rebecca gave it to Sierra. It's a little big but we couldn't resist trying it on her.

So cute...

Laura Ingles or Holly Hobbie? You decide.