One week later

Jake has fully mastered that grumpy-old-man baby face.



Lara is the happy recipient of many presents - some from her brother, some from the rest of her family - and has mastered the art of saying "thank you" so cutely that gift givers are inspired to give more.



Lara's family, meanwhile, has mastered the art of appealing to her princess-ballerina side.

Sweet Jakey

It only took two days to get this iconic photo:

Please Welcome Our Little One!

Happy birth day, Jake! Your mommy, daddy, and big sister (who calls you Jakey) love you!

From Sandie's Garden

These flowers from Sandie's garden have lasted for almost two weeks now, starting as bulbs and slowly opening up over the last few days. They are a really extraordinarily beautiful assortment of deep and vibrant pinks and mauves. Watching them bloom on the counter is really joyful....

Little Baby Nook Love

Just wanted to say thank you to the recent blogland attention. The little bedroom corner we set up for the "the baby that is coming to live at my house" (per Lara's description) has been featured on Craftzine, Ohdeedoh, and Spearmint Baby. Yay!

Little Skirt

Anthropologie was having a huge sale on dip-dyed napkins (handkerchiefs?) and I really couldn't resist (each for $1.95!)... Now they are a little skirt for the little girl. And oh, my goodness, is she is a girl - you should have heard the 10 minute shoe discussion this morning as I tried to get her to just put any of them on and get out the door. Am I fueling the fire by making her all these skirts? Probably. Then again, this is about the height of my sewing skills and I don't see myself tackling pants any time soon. I guess this way she'll also appreciate the value of handmade? Or maybe this way I get to do something fun for me and I shouldn't worry about the impact on her so much. That seems sound.

First Franklin Square of the Year

A gorgeous evening well spent. You know what I love most about these pictures? How much of a kid Lara has turned into. Look at her on that spinning tire thing - she just all knees and ankles and kid energy. Nothing baby or toddler about her at all any more. For some reason it stands out more to me in the photos than in real life, although I see it plenty there too.

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Yes, I did chop my hair off even more. I love it. I highly recommend super-short hair to everyone.

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A few days ago:

L: (hugging around my belly and then blowing a raspberry on it) I love you baby brover.
Me: Awww...
(a few seconds pass, and she starts swatting my belly with her open palms)
Me: Ouch, what are you doing?
L: I'm fighting with my brover!

Looks like he's in for some mixed messages...

Happy Mother's Day!

We had a leisurely brunch on this sunny, beautiful day.







Hope your day is just as lovely!

I'm Like Mommy! I'm Like Mommy!

A Walk Through the Hydrangeas

Wouldn't it be lovely to take a walk in a hydrangea forest?

I think these little carved stone animals are enjoying themselves. Misha brought them back from his medical mission trip to Peru a couple of years ago and they usually live in a curio cabinet on our bedroom wall. I thought they'd like some freshly fragrant air.