Swimming and Mangos...not together silly

Darla captured annie's adventures with a mango seed the other day. PERFECT!



No we did not bleach our child for this shot...our camera has a feature that allows you to capture a single color in a shot and here the obvious choice was yellow!



We have a great community center a mile from our new house and Annie and I took our first swim there soon after Joseph was born. Hitching a ride on dad's back was a BIG hit. She's still figuring out the water, but she loves the water noodles (especially the PINK ones).

Grandma and Poppop (or Pops as annie says) Summer 2011

My folks came into town for a week long visit and a GREAT time was had by all. This will be my first of two posts on the grandparents visit.

Annie got right down to it and made sure she had lots of book time with Grandma.



Dad couldn't have been happier with a lapful of grandchildren on a nice cool day.



It is HARD work being this cute...Joseph needed a nap to recover his strength for all the kisses he got from grandma and pop pop.



All in all I think we went to three different parks. Annie showed off her swinging skills and laughed and laughed!



Grandma never passes up a chance to hold the little guy. I think they look good together!



Joseph is always thinking deep thoughts. He'll tell us in about three or four years...don't worry they will be great ideas so it will be worth the wait!



Annie and Pops worked on playdough cherry pie, pops would make the cherries and annie would smash them...they had a good system.



Annie got this perfect summer dress from Grandma and she couldn't wait to wear it! Trying to keep clean...welll that was another chore entirely!

First Bath!

It happens to the best of us...water a little soap and the dangers of being anywhere near these items and an older sibling...fortunately no one was injured in the taking of this bath.

Joseph is giving us the kind of look that says...have you really though this through or can I lobby for different parents at this stage in the game. Yes and no. We love you son!



Annie is loving the chance to GENTLY wash her brother's head and ears...Oh how she wants to dump that green cup on his head...you can feel it in the air!




Annie climbed in the baby bath to prove to us, something we know very well, "Look how much I've grown."



Drying off the littlest Baliko...a successful bath...I think he liked it.

Joseph...yup that's my name

Continuing in the proud tradition of baliko children and letter blocks...behold JOSEPH. Kinda fun to go back MANY posts ago and see how annie and he look posing next to their names







He looks a lot bigger but I think that's a trick of the perspective the photos were taken. She was two days old and 21" and he's seven days old and 22".

Annie and Joseph: First week

Wow! This first week has been wonderful. Darla is doing well, Joseph is doing all the things he's supposed to and Annie is beside herself with all the fun of being a big sister. I feel so blessed to have been home this past week to enjoy all this time together. Here a few shots from the past few days.

An early morning shot, I think both of us would rather be sleeping...



What may be his first documented smile...



Annie has been loving her boots, which previously had been too big, but now are perfect for bounding around the house and backyard!



Annie likes to share...here she is convinced that Joseph wants a sip of her milk. He looks a bit concerned. Wise baby!



Ok these next few maybe be too cute for those that don't like flowers, babies or flowers and babies...but bear with us...we couldn't help ourselves.




Annie's first time holding Joseph...she did great!




Annie took a break from all this baby stuff to go swimming at her aunt and uncle's house...on one of our rare warm days this summer...75 degrees feels like the elusive holy grail this year.



Annie and I have matching baby slings. I've got Joseph and she's got one of here many baby dolls in tow as we head off to the park. I like to call mine chicken wrap 2.0 (see previous posts to see version 1.0)



At the Woodstock Park...too much fun as Annie becomes more and more adventurous. Her favorite thing to say at the park is, "Again!"





After reading a Curious George story about making a cake Annie and I decided to make our very own lemon blueberry cake for Joseph...we ate it for him...sorry Joseph we'll make you another one.



He's wearing a shirt that reads...what happens at Grandmas stays at Grandma's...I have no idea who gave him this shirt!



Annie wanted to help me water some of our geraniums. So she picked one and gave it all the water she had. She's a big helper out in the yard!



Evidence that Big sis and little bro are on the same page...I'm not sure what they were looking at but it was something infinitely more interesting than dad.



We now present the Living Room Chair session: Annie and Joseph sharing the spot light and a big red chair.






We love that these two wonderful children get to be siblings. Darla and I love our brothers and sisters and it is so exciting to get to see them grow up knowing each other and learning about life together. Ok more pics in a few days.

"Grow bigger and bigger and then come out..."

These are the words that Annie used to talked about what was going to happen with the baby. And since May 22 we've been wondering and waiting for Baliko baby #2 to make an appearance. And waiting can look like a lot of different things...

Sometimes you rock back and forth...



Sometimes you pick flowers (we have beautiful poppies in our backyard!)



Sometimes you eat as many strawberries as you can...



There is a LOT of just sitting around...



Sometimes you just get working on new projects...here's Darla working on sanding a bookshelf she is turing into a dollhouse for Annie.



Mostly, you make sure you laugh a bunch...



And play as much as possible!



The birth room was all set up for days and days...great birth pool, soft lights, flowers and music.



And then when you least expect it...out comes a beautiful baby boy...(this photo was taken about two hours after he was born)
Joseph Steven Tiller Baliko, born June 3rd, at 6:14 am, weighing 9lbs and 9 oz, 22" long.



It is a lot of hard work being born, so he needed a nice long nap!





When he woke up Annie gave him a present she picked out all by herself for him...she calls this toy "animal."



Annie LOVES her new baby brother!




Darla and I do to! We consider two of the greatest moments in our lives...the birth of Annie and Joseph...what rich blessings to be there as they come into this world, to help them be born and share the deep joy of being parents...again.




Thanks for all of you love and prayers. More pictures coming soon. Darla is doing well. She is of course tired but recovering great. It has been sweet time as a family to rest together and get started on the next chapter in the life of Team Baliko. Stay tuned.