18 to 1

Months, that is...

Although she is still a pipsqueak size-wise (last week she was 20lbs 2 ozs), Bella is more and more a big girl. She can follow directions, throw things away, fetch diapers (important!) and knows when she has done something wrong. She's growing acutely aware of when she's "messy" and will tell us almost all the time. Miss Personality plays pretend with her baby doll, sings songs (we hear a LOT of "row row row your boat... capsize!" and "ring around the rosie" and "baa baa black sheep") and tells me "that's silly" when we're goofing around. Books, songs, and applesauce all remain big hits, and now puzzles have joined the ranks of favorite toys. I have finally learned to watch my language, since Bella is a walking tape recorder - we're never quite sure what she will say next, but it almost always makes us smile. Still a Daddy's girl, the highlight of her day is when her hero walks through the door, greeting him with a big hug/kiss and commands "wrestle!"

Anastasia is, well, 1 month old, and running pretty par for the course for a one-month-old. She is 9lbs 2 ozs (50%) and 20 3/4 inches (25%). (that's short and squat like Mama.) She can raise her head high off my chest, makes great eye contact with those beautiful eyes, and follows voices and lights. With all her happy smiles lately, I think we'll keep her. :) Looking for jobs that can help pay for her proficiency in excreting, though... :)

I LOVE having "the girls!" I adore the way Bella insists on kissing "Stacy" all the time and gets very concerned when she cries. Anastasia looked right at Bella this morning, their faces inches apart. While Bella was thrilled, I think Anastasia was simply sizing her big sister up. Meanwhile, I am starting to feel alive occasionally - I even took them both to the doc's yesterday (in the rain, yuck!) and am cooking an actual dinner tonight! We've been eating very well, but we are running out of leftovers from the kind souls who had stocked our freezer. Eventually I have to grocery shop, too, but let's not get too hasty. In the meantime, I am content to spend my day chasing Bella, holding Anastasia, and drinking a lot of coffee.