Sadie tried oatmeal cereal, and she didn't like it.

We miss you, Sophia!

We had so much fun with Sophia when she came to visit. We're so glad she stayed with us some. She is a sweet girl. She is always very honest and never tries to be sneaky. And she is very easy going. When something doesn't go her way, she just says "It's fine." She is so pretty and has the cutest hair in the world. Sadie really enjoyed getting to know Sophia. She was quick to smile when Sophia talked to her. Sophia was very brave to be away from her family for two weeks. I know she missed them a lot, but we're sure glad she came.

I think her favorite part of her trip was having her Uncle Bryant's alter ego, Francisco Frederico from Slovenia, come and visit from time to time. She and Sibley would do anything to get Francisco to make an appearance - including cleaning the playroom, etc. And they especially loved for Francisco to take them swimming.

Once Bryant took them to our neighborhood pool and Sophia was yelling things like, "This guy is really freaking me out!" when a guy was swimming laps in the pool. And she also yelled, "Oh great! More people!" when a family came to swim. I thought this was so funny because I am really loud too and for some reason never think other people can hear me. Sophia inherited this from her mother. I love it.

Sophia, come and visit again soon! And bring your family with you. We love you and miss you.

Sadie is 4 months old!

This is what you have been up to the past week:

You got your shots yesterday morning, and you are so sick and sore. Poor baby. I'm glad we got you a swing a couple of days ago. We have sure been using it since you got your shots. You're such a good baby. You sleep all night and you only fuss when you are tired and want us to lay you down. That's how we know you feel so bad from your shots. You have been fussing more and running a high fever.

We have a new pediatrician for you. She could not get over how much you look like your daddy yesterday.

You tried food for the first time. Your sisters gave you a cracker and some juice while you sat at your new high chair by the dinner table.

We got you a Bumbo and you like it.

Today you kept trying to steal my bowl of ice cream and put it to your mouth.

You like to play in your exersaucer now. You are grabbing at your other toys too. You have also been taking your pacifier in and out of your mouth.

You are laughing at your Daddy. You like to smile at everyone else. You are still a big fraidy cat, and you still cry when I laugh.

You suck the fingers on your right hand or the thumb on your left. You like to watch your thumb as you slowly bring it to your face.

You are starting to watch TV. You talk a lot to Yo Gabba Gabba and Special Agent Oso. I think those will be your favorites.

At your appointment yesterday, you weighed 14 lbs and 7 oz. You are so chubby. You are now wearing size 9 month clothes!

Bryant's old job and new phone number...

Bryant is no longer employed with Sentry Insurance. They got to keep his phone number. I loved his old number because the girls could always remember it with no problem. His old number was 480-227-7111 and his new number is 480-327-8064. Also, if you know of any job openings for a bilingual someone with a title license, insurance license, and realtor's license, give him a call on his new cell phone! Thanks!

A Watershed Week-

Boy has it been a busy week. We got back from Alabama on Tuesday, a day later than originally planned due to a flight cancellation. We hit the ground running and went to 5 doctor appointments between then and now. And somehow we managed to give Sadie her first haircut (just getting rid of the super long whispies) and take her swimming for the first time. Also, Sadie has been sleeping all night in her own bed. (Thanks, Jenny, for the scheduling tips. And for the couponing tips, while I'm at it.) Most importantly, though, Sibley decided to stop sucking her thumb this week. She's been very brave and is holding up remarkably well so far. We are so proud of her!

The Family Reunion...

We had the best vacation ever and I don't want to forget a thing. It really was the funnest vacation we've ever taken, not just because of the things we did, but mainly because of who we did them with. I love and miss my family so much. Thanks for everything. Here are some random pictures from the trip that I couldn't categorize. Let's just call this the miscellaneous section.

Minnie Bird Tucker: The Glue That Binds the Enslen Family Together

An Enslen Family Reunion would not have been complete without seeing Minnie. Minnie has been part of the Enslen family for 35 years now, which is longer than me, Jenny, or Joseph. She is our helper, friend, and voice of reason. Heck, she's pretty much our therapist. When I first got pregnant with Sadie and thought it might be twins, which was highly likely at the time due to the fertility treatments, I was going to nix the whole "S" name thing and name my twin girls Minnie Louise and Georgia Sue. But, alas, it was just one baby, so I stuck with the "S" theme. I hate that Sadie was fussy in this picture. She really did like Minnie. She just has a bad temper and something had set her off.

Fun at the Beach

I was bound and determined to go to the beach on this trip, since the last time we went (over two years ago) it was only for a day and I had just had surgery, so that didn't really even count. We had planned to go as part of the reunion, but the reunion committee decided against it at the last minute. Mama took pity on us and carried us down there for a couple of days after the official reunion was over. Georgia was kind enough to loan Emily and Audrey to us. They were such good helpers with Sadie. Thanks again girls!

Despite not being able to get in the water, we had a great time at the beach. I hate to complain about not being able to swim in the ocean when there are so many people whose livelihoods depend on the Gulf and who are really suffering. And that's not to mention the poor animals. It is such a sad situation and the most frustrating part is that the oil is still leaking. We went to the Alabama State Park Pier and I couldn't believe how much oil was in the water. There was not a section anywhere in sight, not even a tiny one, that didn't either have sheen on top of the water or big clumps of oil just beneath the surface. It was strange being at the beach and not seeing people fishing or swimming. Even the seagulls weren't fishing. In fact, I hardly saw any. You could see exactly where the tide came in at night because the white sand was stained brown with oil. It was an eerie feeling to look out into the horizon and see several huge ships as well as numerous smaller boats working hard to try and stop the oil. It looked like we were in wartime. I guess, in a way, we are at war.

Sadie and her Grandaddy

One day at lunchtime Daddy was over at the farmhouse and Sadie was just a crying. I couldn't get her to calm down. Daddy told me to hand her over and I thought, "Yeah right. Like he's gonna be able to calm her down when I can't." But I handed her over anyway, and sure enough she calmed down immediately.

Lukey Dukey and the rest of the Stubbs Clan-

Happy Birthday Troy! And thanks so much Jenny, Troy, Elsa, Isaac, and Lucas for feeding, housing, and just in general letting us interrupt your lives and putting up with us for three weeks. I know that took some patience. Y'all are such good sharers!

Lucas was so sweet with Sadie. All three of Jenny's children were. Lucas loved to pet her and give her the pacifier. First he would suck her pacifier, then try to give it to her. I guess he thought it had to be primed. He liked to help her swing too. One morning Troy walked by Sadie as she was swinging and he noticed a pretzel in her hand. Cute little Lukey must have thought she was hungry. And I have to say something about his sloppiness. He seriously uses his hair as a napkin. Anytime he gets food on his hands, he wipes them directly on top of his head.

Welcome to Forks...

Jenny Sue threw a Twilight party. We all dressed in vampire or werewolf attire and enjoyed some vampire snacks complimented by red blood Fanta. Then we sat and watched New Moon to get us pumped up for Eclipse. The next night we had a girls' night out at the theater and watched Eclipse. It was so much fun. Thanks Aunt Jenny!

El Condo Cerca Del Rio

A year ago my parents took my grandmother to see a condo for sale on the river. Well, they fell in love with it, so when my grandmother didn't buy it, they did. At first I was devastated. I didn't know what would happen to the house I grew up in. Now I feel better, though, because Jenny and Troy bought it. And I do like the river condo. It's beautiful and my parents enjoy being by the river. They even have their own elevator in their unit. They also have three balconies with views overlooking Moccasin Gap, which is one of the prettiest spots on the river. And they have a nice clubhouse and a big pool. There are trails for walking and biking and there's even a tram that takes you down to the water's edge. Here are some pictures of us enjoying the facilities. (Bryant and Daddy especially like the new reclining sofa.)