A day without Baby Einstein,

is a good day indeed. Not that I have anything against pulling out the screen-time card when the going gets tough, but when you're going on day nine of at least one person in the house being ill and in no shape to do anything but stare at a screen, you're pretty elated when you can make it through a day without Caillou humming in the background.

I'll spare you the juicy details, but we've been through and the stomach bug, RSV and of course what would all of this be without a token ear infection ... thankfully I've managed to bleach my way out of catching any of the germs and I do not take this for granted.

Emery at a low point ...

We had a high point when Emery was recovering from RSV and Anna Kimball hadn't quite gotten the worst of it yet ... we celebrated by escaping to a coffee shop where none of our friends go so that we wouldn't be caught breaking quarantine. Considerate, I know. But we were going BANANAS cooped up at home. (and truthfully, the doctor only told us to stay away from young children and the elderly, and nary a carseat or cane did I spy at the coffee shop)

A daffodil emerging in our front yard ... maybe a symbol of health and renewal just around the corner?

Anna Kimball at a low point ...

And the requisite cake pop while we wait for our prescription to be filled ...

Here's to many more Baby Einstein-free days to come, right? We can only hope!

Anna Kimball is one!

Yesterday was Anna Kimball's first birthday. I had to laugh, because I woke up yesterday morning after barely having slept at all, thanks to Emery getting sick in the middle of the night, and thought, well, this is exactly how I felt a year ago today! Exhausted from barely sleeping, thanks to labor pains, but also so very thankful.

We are SO very thankful for Anna Kimball and the brightness she brings to our family. Her glee is contagious, the way she lays her head on your chest is divine, her love for Emery makes my days even easier, and more fun, and wow, I really love the fact that she's given up her 5am wakeup calls!

Enthused by some birthday eve cake ...

One member of our family was more interested in cake than making a memory ...

And gladly took care of Anna Kimball's leftovers ... (strangely, neither of my girls were into their first birthday cakes very much. Oh well, more for us!)

So proud to be sitting on her riding toy (and I'm so proud to have thrifted it for $12) ...

Getting to know one of her new dollies ...

Here's to another bright and beautiful year!

She's getting a drawl

It's happening. Our Michigan-born girl is getting a Southern drawl. I started noticing a few weeks ago that Emery would draw one-syllable words like "hand" or "there" into two syllables. At first I thought she was just being funny, but now I'm starting to think this drawl is for real.

All I have to say is this - I promise she's spending more time with me, who doesn't have an accent, than with our angel neighbor and her family, who sure do know how to draw out some vowels. Maybe there's just a little My Fair Lady action going on over there that I don't know about!