Julie and her Family

This is the only family shot we've had since Mom took the coming home shots. Julie's only 10 days old. Maybe we should take another one.

I love this one of me and my girls. Julie's 22 days old. Look at her little smile.

Daddy, multitasking. This was Daddy's birthday, but we were heading to Danny's birthday party. Look! Julie's out of her pj's! This was her FMG debut. She slept through it.

There was a visit from Auntie Kathleen and Uncle Scot. Julie's 24 days.

This is not Julie. This is another shot of Gwen on Scot's shoulders. Is good, no? My brother is a weirdo, but Gwen thinks he's cool.

There was not one but two visits from Grandma Jill in January, and I didn't get any pictures of her with Julie. There's only one of her with Gwen, and you can't see either of their faces. Fail.

And then there the pictures of my girls. The sisters.

Julie says, "What's that on your face, Gwennie?" Gwennie says, "Probably peanut butter." Julie's 3 weeks old.

First day of preschool! (More on that soon. Oops, broke my new rule.) 5 weeks old.

And that last one is today - Julie's two days short of 7 weeks. Both girls have clean faces! WIN! Plus, you know, they're beautiful. New wallpaper.

And I tried to get all fancy with the layout, but I either need to actually learn how to do this stuff, or give up. Haven't made a decision yet.

November so Far

We went up to Scot and Kathleen's cabin (which is really a very nice house, but still - vacation home in the woods=cabin to me) to hang out with Uncle Ed last weekend. It was a long drive with plenty of traffic, but once we got there, it was nothing but relaxation.
Gwennie played with blocks.....

Scot and Uncle Ed played cribbage. I wanted in on that action, but the timing was never quite right. Which was fine. I'm over on the couch, hanging out with my belly-baby kicking the bejeebers out of me.
(Can I just say once more how much easier this pregnancy is than the last one? I was completely done traveling by this point with Gwen. Trips to the mall were too much for me to take. This time, I'm planning on Thanksgiving in Sacramento. And boy, I hope I haven't jinxed it.)
We didn't do anything huge or too exciting, but it was really great to see my uncle. I don't think I've gone this long without a trip to see the Rabago clan since I was travelling in 1990. I miss everyone. So just hanging out, checking out movie trailers on the Internet and playing cards was a real treat. One of my favorite things about the trip?

This. It isn't as if Gwen doesn't know Uncle Ed (he's been there from the day one, after all) but 11 months is a long time when you're not quite three. But she wasn't shy with him at all. He's "my uncle, and mama's uncle. He's my family!" and that's all she needed to know. She walked right up to him with her favorite Max and Ruby book (the beauty kit one, no less) and demanded he read it to her. Priceless look on his face for that!








She's a snugglebug, that girl.












Gwen loves to visit her Auntie Kathleen and Uncle Scot, because they're so silly.

The hardest part of the whole weekend for the girl was the trip home. There were lots of tears, and lots of requests to stop by the beach on the way. Clearly, we need some work in the geography department.







Luckily, the next day'snature class was at Natural Bridges. We took a hike, did our project, and visited the monarch butterflies. After the class, Gwen and I headed to the beach. The weather's been getting cooler, so I was careful to dress her warmly for the hike. Didn't do such a good job remembering clothes for the beach. And since she is newly enamored of the ocean itself, we stripped her down. We had a great time. It was sunny and beautiful, and somehow the ocean doesn't seem so chilly when the air's a bit cooler.

She's so pretty, my girl.















Other favorite Gwennie tricks, besides the "yes, she dooz!" phrase that pops up frequently:

-kissing, splodging and generally loving on her sister in my belly. She can't wait to meet her, and I can't wait to see the two of them together.

-Calling her Daddy her prince. Today, specifically, he is her Mermaid Prince, because she is Ariel. I am not allowed to call him anything else, and she corrects herself if she forgets.

-The Mermaid Prince just walked by, wondering which pajamas to put on her. She chased him down, yelling, I want to make my choice! Th'at's my opinionated little person.

-She's still shunning her bed in favor of a "nesty" on the floor - a king sized quilt that she wraps around herself.

-Baby Jaguar has become Baby Lion's big sister.


Ok, so go back and look at the pictures so far. Because the latest thing we did in November so far? Just this morning, in fact?



We got my baby her first real, more-than-bangs, haircut. Doesn't she look grown up? (And yes, I saved a ringlet.)