One of my favorite ways to carry little Esme' around during the day is in her little sling. It allows me to cuddle her, and still have available hands to do the many tasks I have. Tessa has obviously seen me carry her this way, and insists on doing it herself. Whenever she finds the sling laying around, she wraps it around her tiny little self. It is so precious, and the other day she actually got a stuffed bunny to cuddle for herself. I just had to post this, it's adorable!
I love fall!! It is absolutely my favorite season for many reasons. The air is crisp, the colors are beautiful, and....well...some of my favorite treats are specifically "fall fare!" We had a rainy day recently, and what better thing to do on a rainy day in the fall....make caramel apples! We had never attempted this before, but the kids were eager to give it a try. It was actually really simple to do. The three oldest spent quite some time unwrapping all the caramels, and all Mommy had to do was add a little water and pop them in the microwave! Jack, Eli and Ava each had a great time pouring the caramel over their apples. There were even enough sticks so Mommy and Daddy could each have one. Obviously Esme' couldn't share in the fun, and Tessa is still a little bit small to partake. She also had a difficult eating the apple on a stick, next year I guess!
Last week our precious Ava FINALLY had her chance to go to school. I tell ya, there sure is a huge difference between our boys and our little girl. While they usually drag their feet and fret about going to school, Ava on the other hand bounces out the door with a huge smile on her face eager for her day to begin. She had her backpack ready and clothes laid out the night before so she could get ready on time in the morning. Mommy dropped her off without a single tear from sweet Ava. When it was then time to go home, she said that it was the best day ever and she LOVES school.....what joy!!
Last week, Mommy took the two big girls down to the local salon for a haircut. Tessa has never officially had her haircut by a professional...unless you want to call Mommy professional! She has just had her bangs trimmed a few times, but nothing major. So, it was time to get those cute toddler curls trimmed up. She did such an awesome job, sitting perfectly still, letting the stylist work her magic! 
Well...the Grabinski family would like to PROUDLY announce the birth of our beautiful new daughter. Esme Lucille was born on August 28th, weighing a respectable 6 lbs. 13 oz (how's that for being 4 weeks early!) Everything went very smoothly, and Mommy and Esme are feeling great, just a little bit sleep deprived:) The children absolutely adore her, especially the newest big sister, Tessa. She loves patting her back saying "good girl." It is precious to see how much love they have for this new little life. Elijah was the only one a little hesitant to hold, or even look at her at first. Mommy quickly figured that this had something to do with Tessa. He is so close to Tessa, that I figured he would be afraid that he couldn't love another little one. I sat him down and told him that you don't have to divide your love when new people come into your life, God simply gives you more love to share. That little pep talk seemed to do the trick. Now, the first thing he does when he gets home from school is check on his newest little sis. They all love her so much, it really is the sweetest thing!
