Norah 3 weeks already?

Did she really just smile at me? The skeptics among you will say it was just gas, but I promise- Norah just smiled at me. And Liliana definitely smiled at me. . . just before she pushed her cousin down, and just after she threw a fit for reasons that we could not actually determine. Yes, such is life with a 2 1/2 year old and a 3-week old. I'll back up a bit. Norah is an angel- she eats like a champ, and has gained almost 2 pounds already. She slept 4 1/2 hours straight at the start of last night, and usually stays asleep (outside of 1 or 2 snacks/diaper changes) for around 7 hours. We DO think she's getting ready to smile, although who knows- could be a bit of wishful thinking. Still, we'll take what we can get.

The big kids adore her- Kaya's favorite word these days- Naw-uh, Naw-uh. Logan usually runs up to her at full speed screaming, stops on a dime, and proceeds to give her the sweetest kiss you can imagine. And Lily? She often wakes up yelling "Mama. . . Sister. . .I'm ready to get up! She is constantly trying to make Norah laugh (undeterred by her lack of success thus far), and sings Norah songs when she's crying to cheer her up. We feel very lucky to have 3 children in our house who totally embrace and love our newest addition. Of course, sometimes we have to remind them not to embrace her quite so rough, but c'mon-what did you expect from a pack of toddlers ( :

Marita is great- her body has been healing well, and her energy, per usual, is amazing. I've been back at work for 4 days, and am constantly reminded of how naturally and expertly Marita handles our children, our house, and the challenges of a new-born. Whether seeing her change Kaya's diaper with one hand while feeding Norah, or coming home to find her making dinner, leading play-dough games, and checking her email all at once, her ability to function in chaos, and turn that chaos into an adventure for the kids is a wonder to see.

It won't suprise any of you who know us that things are busy, crazy, and wonderful, and as we wander into summer. . . any minute now. . . Whenever you're ready to stop raining. . . Mother Nature, I'm looking at you, here. . . Little help? . . . Anyway. As we wander into summer, we're ready for more of the same. Pop-Pop is here. Grandma Alice and Aunt Janet arrive next week. Auntie Gabby makes her annual summer visit in early July (with G-Mo in tow). We have our first big trip with both kids in late July for Ben and Pancham's wedding, a visit with Ramona and Lucy, and Janet's big family BBQ. Whew. Makes me tired just thinking about it. Anyway, see you all soon. Thanks for visiting.

Oh, yeah- one more thing. You'll notice from here on out, we're just going to put all the Liliana pictures and the Norah pictures mixed into one post. Enjoy!

love.

norah, liliana, marita, and ian