Lydia Louise

Today we finally got to meet baby Lydia! She is 12 days old today. She is so tiny and sweet! I couldn't believe how small she was! I'm sure it's just because Mara is so big now, and Lydia is smaller than Mara ever was, but she seemed just teeny tiny! She is doing well, and Maggie was feeling pretty good too. She is a proud mama! And Marshall is a proud daddy. It will be fun for Mara to have a little girl to play with in the coming years! Kiley and Jeff were there today also, so Mara played with Kaisen. It's fun now that they're both sitting up and interacting a lot more. They are both talking a lot and had fun playing, although Mara was a little fussy today since she has a slight cold.

I was happy to get a photo of the three of us girls with our little ones. Hard to believe that just a few years ago we were in college and living together! Things sure have changed!!

Mara really DOES have a little lamb...

Jay wasn't thrilled when I first brought this home... My lovely friend Andrea gave it to me (since her husband was trying to get rid of it!!). I know we don't really have room for it, but I just thought it was funny, and had to get a picture of Mara with her little lamb! Don't worry, she only balanced on it for a few seconds, and Jay was right next to her the whole time. I'm sure she'll be able to enjoy it a little bit more once she can actually sit and rock on it by herself!

Mara and Oliver

Last night Mara was kind of quiet, I suspected she might not be feeling well. She hadn't eaten much either, which is unlike her. She usually has a ton of energy, but she was happy just lounging on the floor quietly. Oliver joined her after awhile. He puts up with a lot from her already -- she is constantly grabbing his fur (and for those that know her well, you know how strong her grip is!). He doesn't mind though, and will often sit next to her, or walk by her, hoping to get pet. She will usually giggle when she sees him walking towards her, and he will nudge at her with his head, and purr. It's so cute! Last night he plopped down next to her on the floor and hung out.

Picasso is a different story! He keeps a safe distance, and still looks distressed if she's crying or screaming (which she loves to do lately, just for fun!).

By the way, Mara is fine today, and did perk up a little bit last night. Must have just been having 'one of those days' I guess!

Feet!

Apparently feet are an exciting thing lately.... Mara loves when her feet are bare so she can play with her toes! She spent awhile this evening playing with this 'free' toy!

Otherwise today was a pretty quiet day. Jay and I cleaned up downstairs -- moved some of the toys that Mara has outgrown out to the garage, and got things organized a little better so the house isn't so cluttered! Watched the Vikes miraculously beat the Packers, and I ran a few errands around town after the game.

Finishing up some laundry now, and thinking about going to bed a little early again tonight. It seems to be a trend!!

Is it too early to listen to Christmas music?

It definitely felt like winter today! Before I know it, it will be Thanksgiving...and then Christmas!

I feel like I've been really busy lately, but then realize that I've accomplished nothing. After work I get home and hang with Mara until she goes to sleep, and then I'm usually tired and have no motivation to get anything done...

Today I went to visit baby Will Lane...what a cutie he is! So tiny! Got to hang out with Lili too (oh yeah, and Andrea and Shelly!). In a few days we're going to go visit baby Lydia, so I'm looking forward to that!

I didn't see Mara much today since I was gone most of the day, but tomorrow we plan to stay in and 'play' which will be fun!

Elections and Babies!

November 4th 2008 was a fabulous day!!

Maggie and Marshall had baby Lydia Louise at 4:20pm. I can't wait to meet her! I was so surprised to hear it was a girl, and so excited for the two of them! I'm excited for Mara to have a new playmate, and can't wait to snuggle a tiny little baby again!

And America made me proud and happy when they elected Barack Obama as President of the United States!! I couldn't be more thrilled about this!! What a historic moment, and I'm so glad Mara will grow up in a time like this!

I can't stop smiling today!!

Mara the Monkey

Friday was Mara's first Halloween! The weather was beautiful...I couldn't believe how warm it was! We were so excited to get her dressed up and show her off! (Having a baby is sort of like being a kid again yourself!!). We took a few photos and then headed out. We made stops at Aunt Jenna's house, Cousin Bonnie's, and Grandpa and Grandma's house. Mara was thrilled with the bucket that Grandma had her candy in...not interested in what was in it, but loved the bucket (Jay and I were more interested in the actual candy in it!) Quite entertaining for all of us! We also went to visit Great Grandma. Mara was pretty tired by this point (it was after her bedtime), but she still had fun! As you can see from the last photo here, she did start to get a little crabby towards the end of the evening! Overall I'd say her first Halloween was a success! I wonder what she'll dress up as next year...