It is official...

Mark Daniel Sanofsky, Attorney at Law

Settlin' down

Life has been pretty good since we got back from Utah. We have actually cleaned our house. Other then that we have been laying low and hanging out. Mark doesn't start work until mid-Oct so he is going to be around for the next little bit. He has been getting his fill of the kids while I spend my time working-YUCK.

Miss Addison took her first step three days ago. I was not there, and I am so upset! She has proceeded to take more steps--no more then 3-4 at a time. But she still refuses to walk when we hold on to her hands, she is a stubborn little thing. She has also started biting. My sister, Sarah, babysat for us over the weekend and Addy left a bruise on her arm. Today, at church, she bit me so hard on my leg I almost yelped out loud--I have a bruise as well.
Our trouble maker, pulling all the bags out from under the sink and opening all the cabinets.

Marcus isn't up to anything new, he is still content crawling and letting me be his legs. He has a love for trucks and cars and spends a lot of his day driving them around on the floor.

Katie has had a busy week. Monday she had orientation for preschool, she was happy to have me by her side for the first day, but ready to get rid of me after that.
Orientation day

First day of school
Tues she started school. Katie goes to school Mon-Thurs 9-1. She loves every min of it. She also managed to fit in 9 holes with Daddy on the golf course,
I don't know why we keeping taking pictures of her in front of this window

and a family hike on Sat morning.

It was a fun little hike, we meant to hike a 'moderate' trail, but half-way up realized we were on a 'strenuous' path--poor Katie had to walk it. We made it almost all the way to the top of the mountain, but then Katie started whining about being tired, we were going to force her to keep going until we saw a sign that mentioned something about "Caution" and "falling of the cliff resulting in death", we figured that wouldn't be the best place to take a whining 3-yr old.
Addy and Marcus both passed out on the way back down.

They're ours forever!

A brief explanation for those who may not be familiar--our church has various temples throughout the world. One of the many important things done in a temple is the marriage ceremony. Our church believes when a couple is married in the temple they are married forever (beyond this lifetime) and children born to the couple also become sealed to the family (hence a popular Mormon phrase "Families can be together forever"). When children are adopted or parents later become members of the church, you can have your children "sealed" to you in a ceremony in the temple (for more info). We had to wait until after the adoption was finalized to be able to seal Marcus and Addy to our family. We decided to go to the Bountiful, Utah temple while we were in Utah visiting Mark's family. August 6, 2009 was the big day!

Mark's brother, Mike, flew in for the event, and his grandparents happened to be in town as well. Aunts Kara and Emily and Cousin Nick met us outside.

Mark's parents

The great-grand kids and parents.
Marcus is the first fourth-generation Sanofsky born in the US

Addy showing off her wave

Uncle Mike

There are a lot of pictures--but they are so cute!!!

The Perfect Storm

We are calling the month of July the "perfect storm" in our house. We moved here, got enough settled that we could survive Mark studying for the bar, and got into a routine with the kids and work. I even pulled off a trip to Maine for one of my high school friend's wedding, the weekend of July 4th--all by myself!

My girls from highschool-Go Posse!

I forgot how cold it can get in Maine, even in the middle of the summer.
Yes, that is the bride wrapped up with us in the dirty blanket.

Starting the Monday I got back we felt prepared enough for Mark to start studying 9am-9pm. As soon as he stopped coming home, my job that has been perfectly "slow' for the last 4 months kicked in. I really don't know how we survived. I had one of the busiest months of work that I have had in the past year. Luckily my sister Heather was in and out of our house the month of July, so she spent a lot of time watching MTV (or whatever it is teenagers watch these days) with the kids crawling around/on her. Our house officially didn't get cleaned for the last two weeks of this month. But Mark is done now, and we are so happy!

All the kids had check ups this month.

Katie had her three year. She was 29.8 lbs and 36 1/2 in tall.

Marcus and Addy had their 9 month (a couple weeks late)
Marcus was 22.5lbs and 28 1/2 ins--this puts him in the 75th percentile for both weight and height, Mark is so proud. Marcus is now crawling. After studying Addy for a while it took him a week total to get up on his knees and start moving. He says "Mama" and "Dada" and means us. He has two teeth on the bottom. He was a cranky little boy the whole weekend I was in Maine--we thought it was just teething but when I came home he started being an angel again. My little boy loves his Mama.

Addy was 19.9 lbs and 28 ins-she is in the 50th for weight and 75th for height. Addy is pulling up on everything and can walk along stuff, she lets go every once in a while. We have great hopes of her walking if she can get off her tip toes. I think she spent a little too much time in the bouncer and jumperoo because when we hold her hand to try to help her stand she jumps. She has two teeth on the bottom and one on the top. She still doesn't say any words.

While Mark was in Raleigh taking the bar Flossie came down with her kids and Scotia and hung out for a couple days. We went outlet shopping with Sarah and Talia. Three moms, 6kids and 2 teenagers does not make for a fun trip. I think we almost went crazy. The next day we laid low and just went swimming.

Katie holding cousin Cooper-Addy is trying to get in on the action. Addy could never tell if he was real or not-she was always thrown off that he would cried when she grabbed his face

Carson showing his mom what he is going to wear for the day-a pink shirt and pink skirt, Katie sure has a talent for helping other kids get dressed

I finally got pictures at the pool--only because Flossie brought her camera. (This is where me and the kids played all summer.)

Katie and Carson on the slide

Happy Birthday Katie V. -July 2

Another year has come and gone. I can't believe that my Katie is 3 years old. It seems like just yesterday we were pushing her around in the stroller to get her to stop crying, now we can't get her to stop talking. I remember trying to get her to say "ma ma", now she speaks full, intelligent sentences and counts to 13 (next comes 18, 21), and when she wants to, she knows her ABC's and how to spell her name ("k", "a", "t"" what comes next?... I don't know"). She loved being an only child but graciously moved into the big sister role. She loves to create things and pretend, she loves to read books. She asks me to define words or phrases that she doesn't understand. She is stubborn and independent and feisty and loving and unbelievably kind. Basically to sum it all up we love Katie, our family wouldn't be the same without her amazing personality.

To celebrate her 3rd birthday we kicked it off with a Birthday Eve party with my family at a park in between my house and theirs; my mom and younger siblings, Flossie and kids, and Crystal and kids came to join the fun.

Carson and Gabby are on the other end

Marcus and Addy hanging in the swings

Baleigh trying to entertain Marcus and Addy

Gabby and Katie picking out which cupcake they want

Baleigh, Karleigh, Seth, Gabby and Emmie

Scotia and Addy

Marcus enjoying my cupcake (I think Katie took these last two pictures)

After lunch and cupcakes all the kids found their way down to the river
Katie, Gabby, Alisa, Carson, Emmie and Cohen
Yes, Katie took her pants off!


The next morning was the big day that we have been talking about for months...Katie's birthday!

It started with breakfast and then opening some presents from us and then some that Grammy and Grandpa sent her.

Katie has been asking for Thomas the Train and train tracks for longer then we have been talking about her birthday. She got Thomas and George and a bunch of cars. Then we took her upstairs for the real surprise...

She was so excited!

Then we made her birthday cake
Katie (wearing the outfit she got the day before from cousin Karleigh) helped out with the whisk from her kitchen--it gave her an extra thing to lick.

Mark came home early from studying for the bar and we took Katie to see the movie "Up". My sister Heather watched Marcus and Addy for us.
After the movie and picking up balloons we were ready for the main event.

Talia came to help celebrate

Addy is ready to eat some of the cake

Happy Daddy's Day-June 21

We love Mark. He is a favorite of the kids. He wishes he was with us when he is gone. When he is home he spends his time cooking or cleaning or changing diapers or eating the food Katie makes him in her kitchen or playing hide and seek with Addy or wrestling with Marcus or just trying to make me happy. He is doing a good job!

Katie after her Daddy's Day art project.

Her project in our tomato garden.

When Mom's away

Mark has been threatening to do this for a while,

I took Katie to the pool and came home to this.

Marcus has a new face to go with his tough image.