The McEwans: Pretty Pretty Princess

We took the girls to the zoo for the first time yesterday. We decided to go to the Santa Barbara Zoo as it was Princess Day and we were able to meet up with a friend. I've known Shandi since I was about 6 and she has a daughter who is just 9 days older than our girls so it was a perfect opportunity for the girls to reunite since they last saw each other when they were just a few months old. It was a GORGEOUS day but uber packed with tons of pretty pretty princesses :-) We took turns carrying one and pushing the other in the stroller because they preferred being out to see everything. When I carried Lu she was so hyper and excited she just kept trying to hop all over and watch everything. When it was Emma's turn she let us know very clearly she did NOT care for the reptile exhibit, uh-uh, no way, not at all. Whether it was the darkness or dampness or the reptiles themselves, who knows, but she wanted out of that place and fast. However, we next went to the elephants and she found true love. I think she liked seeing some fellow big-boned mammals :-) She kept laughing and then looking back to daddy and then back at the elephants--we stayed there for quite a few minutes just watching her. While the mommas and babies finished lunch, daddy took Emma to get some stuffed animals. Emma picked a giraffe for herself and a monkey for Lu. Overall it was such a nice day and the girls were troopers. We can't wait to take them to our zoo on a weekday so we can do less stroller wrangling!

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The girls have made a number of changes in the last few weeks so I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some of them:

Olivia:
*She loves saying da-da. She can say it all day now! Sometimes she'll alternate between that and ba-ba but mostly it's da-da.
*To my horror one evening, while getting pjs for a bath, I stuck Lu in her crib only to watch her sit herself up, pull herself up, then lean over the edge of her still-raised crib. I honestly stopped breathing! I snatched her up, yelled for Alex, and said "You have to lower it right this instance." Prior to this she never even attempted to get out so to watch her do it in a matter of seconds scared me to death.
*Her bottom right tooth finally broke through on March 9 and her bottom left is almost out.
*She is now wearing 9 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

Emma:
* She could sit and play in the bath all day if we let her, she also likes to splash and make her toys fight (or kiss, I can't really ask her what she's doing but for the most part it kinda seems violent!)
*She is so in love with Mickey that if she hears the Hot Dog song come on she will come running (via walker) from another room
*She says ba-ba and ma-ma
*She was so sad when we lowered her crib (blame it on sister!)
*Absolutely hated her first taste of meat, literally threw up :-(
* She is now wearing 12 month clothes and size 4 diapers