The holiday weekend was a girls' weekend as Justin was away on a backpacking trip in Utah... we missed him very much but still had a fun weekend full of chariot rides and playing with toys! Here is Emily (left) entertaining Lauren (right) with a ball.
Emily is turning into quite the athlete. Here she is trying to stand up with the help of Exersaucer.
Contemplative little Lauren prefers to stay in one spot and carefully play with anything that has buttons.The girls are becoming more and more interactive with each other! Sometimes they laugh hysterically at each other... we managed to record a video clip of Lauren laughing for everyone to enjoy. Emily was laughing too, but she became a little camera shy once we started recording.
Justin bought a new piece of equipment for the girls... we call it The Chariot. It is a bike trailer that also converts to a jogging stroller. It is a bit of a monstrosity, but the ride is very smooth and there is even a hand brake which comes in handy on steep hills. This is a picture of Emily (left) and Lauren (right) getting ready for a morning ride.
The interior is very plush! There is also a front mesh covering to keep the girls protected while still allowing them to see outside. We're hoping to make good use of the Chariot this summer. As I learned this morning, pushing the stroller with two babies through a hilly neighborhood is quite the workout! 
Our friend Grant came over to visit today... he was a perfect gentleman and the girls had a great time! Here are the three of them (Emily, Grant, and Lauren from left to right) playing with toys. Grant graciously let the girls play with his prized toy airplane which you can see Lauren holding in this picture. Grant and his family are moving to Texas next month... we will miss them!
Today we took the girls to our favorite farmer's market at the Portland State University park blocks. Lauren loves to ride in her Bjorn!
We also walked around downtown near Pioneer Courthouse Square. Justin usually carries Emily in the Bjorn since she is just a tad heavier. 
Sisters sitting together, Emily on the left and Lauren on the right. Last week they had their nine month checkup... Emily is 18 pounds and 29 1/4 inches and Lauren is 17 pounds, 8 ounces and 28 1/4 inches. They are growing like weeds! Emily's height is 93rd percentile and Lauren's height is 71st percentile, uncorrected for prematurity!
It is so much fun to see Emily (left) and Lauren (right) interact together! Here they are smiling at each other.
Emily is becoming increasingly mobile. She is also quite curious so we have to keep a very close eye on her. 
Emily is now able to get herself into and out of a sitting position which pleases her to no end.
Little sister Lauren is also becoming more mobile. 
She's off!
