Lily Go Potty, Mama

This phrase is being heard on repeat around here and it's music to our ears.  Last Monday when I picked up the kids from school (it's daycare but we sophisticate it up by calling it school), Lillian's teacher Miss Red said she thinks Lillian's ready to get potty trained.  It took a little while for me to get to the store, but Thursday morning when Lillian woke up, she found a stack of 16 pairs of panties waiting for her on the coffee table.  You'd have thought it was Christmas morning or something!  Her eyes opened wide, she started tugging at her pajama zipper and saying, "Lily go potty, Lily go potty".  We pulled off her pj's and sure enough, she went.  Afterwards she stood up and said, "Lily go potty, Mama" with a slightly different inflection.  We couldn't get a diaper back on her after that.  She went to school in real underpants - we were of course nervous, but the drive is only a couple blocks from here and she made it just fine.
Saturday morning, I took the kids to the zoo.  Somewhere in the far corner of the zoo, deep in Monkey, Gorilla and Ape heaven, I heard, "Lily Go Potty, Mama".  I said, "Ok, sweetie, let's go".  It took me a full 10 minutes or more to find a bathroom....but she made it!  My eyes welled up with tears and I got goosebumps telling her how proud I was of her.  Isn't it amazing the things that can make a mom proud?  We, of course, do the typical let's call Daddy, Grammie, Aunt Casey, etc. and tell them.  When she gets the phone in her hand, can you guess what she says?  Ah, yeah, I'll spare you from reading it again.  If you don't know, just check out this blogs title.
That little girl isn't even two yet and she's gone & potty trained herself.  A little peer pressure isn't always a bad thing.  She simply wanted to be just like Levi and AJ in her class.  She's been accident free a couple of days now at school and she even woke up with a dry diaper overnight this morning.  Way to go Lil!  This picture is a thing of the past....but a great memorable moment!

By the way, I should mention, Amanda gave this purse to Lillian as a thank you for being in my wedding gift.  Lillian takes her purse, with the keys and cellphone that came with it and says, "Bye, Bye, going shopping now, Bye Bye" over and over again.  She gets to the front door, puts her hand on the knob, then says, "Kiss!" and comes back to get the kiss goodbye she almost forgot.  Then goes back to the door and says, "Hug!" and comes back for a hug.  Mike & I love it - we get hugs and kisses over and over again!  Thanks Amanda!

Welcome Carolyn Jean Hanou!

 
  BIG Congratulations to Uncle Severin and Aunt Colleen who welcomed Carolyn Jean Hanou at 12 noon on Wednesday, April 24th.  Though the Colorado Kerschens weren't able to be in Maryland for her arrival, Grandma and Opa Hanou were!  And Casey, Rob & Keira almost were - they missed Carolyn's arrival by 4 days.  Carolyn took her time getting here.  Poor Colleen started feeling contractions around midnight Monday night.  You can't tell by looking at the proud new parents, but Severin and Colleen slept very little in the 35 hours it took for Carolyn to make her debut! 

We love the family name - Carolyn was my grandma's name (Carolyn Stockover Lerch ) and Jean is Colleen's mother's name. 

5 Pounds 12 Ounces - 19 inches

Carolyn's deep blue eyes are striking.  She is so alert and only 3 days old in this picture!

 We couldn't be happier for the new parents.  And it sounds like they're both loving their new role as well!

Baby Ava

You may think this is a picture of Lillian and baby Keira, but Lillian will quickly correct you.  She insists on calling Keira, Baby Ava.  The Director of Lillian and Jaks daycare had a baby girl, named Ava a few months ago. Since then all new baby girls are named Ava in Lillians mind.  Casey & I correct Lillian over and over again.  And Lillian continues to hug, kiss and snuggle her new cousin, Baby Ava.   We can't win!
 

1st School Picture!

 

Jak at 8 Months

Jak continues to grow like crazy!   Mike and I get such a kick out of the "He's such a big baby" comments we receive.  We just chuckle when we think of the tiny 4 lb package he came into this world as!  Jak is sitting up on his own, rolling over and loves to stand.  He isn't pulling up on his own yet, nor can we leave him standing on his own but he sure is proud of himself with this new take on the world!  Jak loves to flip over on his belly and rotate clockwise around and around.  He flips around so quick we really have to keep a hand on him at all times!  He'd lunge right off furniture if you turn your back. 
Lillian is Jak's favorite person in the world.  He smiles for nearly everyone but no one comes close to making him as happy as Lillian.

Easter in the Hood

I haven't felt brave enough to officially post on this blog any details about our new house. I don't want to jinx our phenomenal good fortune!  Mike's hard work and our mutual obsession with "The Pond" neighborhood in north Arvada has finally paid off.  As you know, we walked the neighborhood back in November, delivering postcards to all the houses expressing our desire to live there.  We received quite a bit of responses and toured a few homes, but didn't find what we were looking for.  Mike mailed letters again in March, reminding people that we are still interested, and Debbie Byrd gave us a jingle :)  We loved her house, loved her stories about the neighborhood (she grew up there) and best of all we loved her asking price.  We made her an offer and shook on it right there in her kitchen - soon to be OUR kitchen!  We are set to close on Friday, April 26th.

We snapped this picture from our car window as we drove away after making our verbal purchase!

Of course, we won't move in for a couple of weeks, because my contractor husband has to make a couple of adjustments first.  But we can't wait to be in our "20 year home" as we refer to it. We have 4 bedrooms and an unfinished basement (someday to have an additional guest room) so all you out of town friends - come see us!
The neighborhood has a private pond, two playgrounds, an outdoor swimming pool (with a swim team), a moms co-op and regular neighborhood parties and social gatherings.  Easter Sunday was a gorgeous sunny day.  After church and a yummy IHOP breakfast, we took Ian, Kim, Casey, Rob and the kids over to play at the park.

First family picture in front of the lake.

Great picture of the Burns family...Keira is a month old!

The Colorado cousins loved playing on the playground, and being outside.  Welcome Spring!

Lillian took a 3 1/2 hour nap after playing with her cousins, then she discovered that the Easter Bunny had come.

And he brought her some really yummy treats!