little mommy

Ever since Gabe arrived, Julia's little maternal tendencies have really surfaced. I've written about her "nursing" dolls and toys, but she also puts blocks (or any other toy) to sleep in the swing, changes diapers on her dolls (just fiddles her fingers around as if changing a diaper), and yesterday I caught her putting four dolls to bed in her room and going through our entire nap time routine.

Today, this little mommy and I went on a walk with our babies. When I suggested an afternoon walk, she hurried away and came back with her little stroller and doll. I explained that I would do the walking while she and Gabe sat in the stroller (as usual), but she would not have it. So we headed out, Julia strolling behind Gabe and me. Just like all walking moms do, we chatted as we walked. She commented on every bike we passed, noted the flowers, said "Bye-bye, water" to the sprinklers, and counted the flags that lined the streets today. (Her counting went like this, "One, two, three, four, five, six... two flags!" She can count to ten, but if there is more than one of anything, it's always "two!") It took us quite a while to walk around the block, but it was quite pleasant. And I couldn't help but remember my days as a girl pushing my own doll and stroller around the neighborhood. (Ashley, we don't have to tell anyone exactly how old we were when we did that. Ha.)

And another motherly instinct came out when we watched Dumbo today. During the "Baby Mine" scene Julia was in tears! She snuggled close to me and cried for the "mommy and baby." I admit I may have shed a tear or two myself.

Although not directly related to this post, I've included a slide show of a photo shoot by Jonny a few weeks ago that I discovered on the camera. I love all the different expressions.



Okay, Gabe's expression is pretty much the same in every picture! But it really is so easy to get a smile out of him these days. Most of the time, all you have to do is give him one and he'll giggle and freely smile back.

lunchtime

What could be better than eating a fresh-from-the-garden-tomato, sprouts, ham, and cheese sandwich with cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots, and Hint of Lime chips on the side? Sharing it all with Julia, of course. Remember when I wrote a post about my picky eater? Well, I am very happy to announce that she is certainly over that phase. She's back to eating the good stuff, and is even willing to try new things. (No, she won't eat everything, but neither will her Daddy. Ahem.) I love sharing lunch with Julia. We take bites of things at the same time, say "Ahhh" after drinking our watered-down lemonade, and use napkins when our faces get messy. Gabe watches happily from his bouncer. I love lunchtime with my little friends.

Our Favorite Oregonians

Last weekend we were so happy to spend time with Jonny's sister Sarah, her husband Jesse, and their beautiful dog Bella. (And of course, we always love having Rudi around.) Thanks to you all for making the trip! It really means a lot to us that you'd take the time to drive all the way out here. Please know you are welcome anytime. We love you!

P.S. Julia loves her new dolly. She named it "Sarah" and is always doing the name sign. She really loved having you three around. (Even though she didn't quite take to Bella, she likes to talk about the "doggy that yicks (licks) you!"

P.P.S. Sorry about your car troubles. That is never convenient, but especially on a road trip. You handled it well though, way to go. (As you can see from the picture of Jonny and Jesse, Jonny felt a little foolish for causing another little problem after the main problem was just fixed. I say, don't be so hard on yourself, honey! You and Jesse did a great job.)

Hello, Dolly

Julia seems to think everyone loves dolls
as much as she does.

Pumpkins, anyone?

I guess we decided to grow a few pumpkins in our garden this year. And I guess they've decided to take over! Who knew pumpkins would do so well in our little patch. They've certainly outdone the cucumbers and green beans that never showed, as well as the spinach that dried up pretty quickly. I think the beets are still down there somewhere, below the pumpkin vines. And luckily the tomatoes aren't suffering. We have several wild tomato plants just like last year. (Julia loves the cherry tomatoes, or "No-nos.") Looks like we'll be eating BLTs for the next several weeks and have a large family of jack-o-lanterns on our porch this October. Not too bad for second-year gardeners, I suppose.

Oh, and please don't pay too much attention to the neglected state of the garden. Since Jonny spotted some voles, I haven't had the guts to step foot in there. A few weeks ago I somehow gathered up enough courage to grab some parsley. My heart was racing. Yes, for those who don't know, I do have a borderline-irrational fear of rodents. I mean, these ugly guys have made a path from their home underneath the tramp straight to the tomato plants. (Siblings, it looks just like a miniature "Toby Highway!") Fortunately, Jonny's not afraid of them in the least. But he did declare war when a beautiful, firm green pepper had a huge hole eaten out of it. Now it's my job to keep Julia away from the traps. Yikes.

bookworm phase

I do love to read. But I go through phases. Once I am into a good book (it usually takes a few months and some rereading of the first few chapters) I am totally into it. I look forward to reading it at most any spare moment. (Like right now, when both kids are sleeping. Why am I blogging!? Better make this short so I can get a few pages in.) And while I am reading it I realize how much I love being captivated by a good story. Then I quickly finish the book, and am left with a lonely feeling after the initial thrill from the story's culminating events. You'd think I'd pick up another as quickly as possible, but it usually takes me another few months before I am in another reading phase.

Right now I am intrigued by Wilkie Collins' classic mystery The Woman in White. (Thanks for the recommendation, Cami! I think it may just top The Moonstone for me. Will you be thinking of what I should read next? I really don't want to go through another drought. Don't allow me to!) I thought I didn't have time to read with these two little ones keeping me busy. But I really do. Maybe not every day, but that makes the snippets of free time all the more precious. And while I could be cleaning or sneaking in a power nap, I'm glad I take the time to escape into some excellent literature. And now, to see what Count Fosco is up to...

recycled nickname

The title of my previous post has me thinking about nicknames. Babies naturally lend themselves to a variety of pet names. I think we call them sweet and silly things almost subconsciously. I can't even remember all the nicknames Julia had as an infant. But I was reminded of one the other day when it came out for Gabe. "Happiness." I was always calling Julia my "Happiness Baby" or just plain "Happiness." It just described her perfectly as she'd wake up in the morning smiling and squirming, still swaddled like a burrito. Gabe is a "Happiness Baby" too. A lot of people say he looks so serious, with his furrowed brow and seemingly "old soul." But when he cracks a smile and lets out a belly-laugh, you know he is perfectly happy. We can't get enough of his smiles. Luckily, he gives them out pretty freely around here.