Postcards from Eli

I've heard several people mention that I'm not doing so great about posting Eli pictures...so if you fall into that particular category of griping, this post's for you.

"Little Buddy", as Norah has dubbed him, has maintained a good appetite, and not lost too much weight in the first few days home from the hospital (he was 7lb. 15oz. at his 3-day weight check, a loss of just 4 oz. since we left the hospital)

He sleeps a good bit of the day, so these are valuable photos of him with his eyes open. His wakeful time is increasing in length each day, though, so we're enjoying watching his precious personality emerge.
This is my favorite photo of the ones I took today because Eli is looking right at the camera.

Naturally, everyone is playing the "who does he look like?" game, so I thought it would be fun to pull out a couple of Norah's newborn photos for comparison. (Especially since I didn't start this blog until she was about 4 months old, so these are making their blogger debut!)


Here is a photo of Norah when she was just 4 days old. Granted, they do have their own unique features, but I definitely see a resemblance. It will be fun to see how much more/less alike they look as time goes by.









Norah, 2 days old












Eli, 6 days old

The Deer-Wrangling, Little Bag-Lady

Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl whose Mommy brought home a new baby brother. For some reason, this made the Mommy very sleepy. So the little girl's Daddy decided to give the Mommy a break so she could get a little rest.

The Daddy carefully dressed the little girl all by himself, making sure that her head was covered and she had her warm coat, and she was wearing her rubber boots, because they were going to play outside at Uncle Grant's farm.



At Uncle Grant's farm, the little girl saw an amazing sight--a six-point deer! She quietly approached him in her array of pinkish non-camouflage, and placed her hand gently on his spine, proclaiming, "Deer! Ride back?"

Naturally, her Daddy had to indulge her--afterall, who could deny such a cute, miniature bag-lady-esque girl's request?





So she mounted the 6-pronged steed, and imagined herself galloping across the countryside.

It was a fun day with Daddy at the farm, and Mommy was much more like her normal self when the little girl returned to her home.

We're Home!

First off, thanks to Jason for picking up the blog torch (with his own personal flare) while I was in the hospital. He did a great job, and in agreement with several of your comments, I agree, he'd be a great full-time blogger...but it will probably take a LOT more convincing.

We made it home from the hospital in time to enjoy a quiet Christmas evening with our newly expanded family of four. Jason, Eli and I arrived home around 3pm and we were joined by Norah (who had been staying with Grammy) a little after 5pm (she was mid-nap when we called, so Grammy waited until N woke up to bring her back).

Things are going great so far. I think we were all pretty interested to see how Norah would react to having her new baby brother in the house, and I'm pleased to report, she's been wonderful (she was a little unsure about him at first-glance yesterday at the hospital, but she's really warmed up to him now!)

She began by checking him out pretty thoroughly. Actual exclamations from her mouth during this period of decided approval:
"Awww, he'ssocute!"
"It'sso widdel!"
"Baby E.Y!" (her version of his name, which by the way, she will now tell you if you ask her)
"Baby E.Y.'s hat, on!" (This was a command which resulted in his donning the red hat she recognized from the last time she'd visited him in the hospital.)
She also LOVES kissing him. I bet she gave him 10-15 in a 5 minute (or less) time span. The kisses were usually staggered between exclamations of "He'sso sweet" or "Ohhhh, it'sso cute!".

Eli, by the way, is a great baby so far. He hardly ever cries, is a great eater, loves to sleep, and he LOVES to cuddle--all of which are traits I literally prayed for and was blessed with (at least so far) with both our children.




One of the sweetest gestures of sisterly love so far was when Norah (completely unprompted) ran and got one of her most treasured, new Christmas gifts--Rocket from Little Einsteins--and stretched it out to Eli, saying, "Share, toy", offering it to him . She seemed a little surprised that he didn't take her up on it, but shrugged it off and went back to kissing him.




As I "swuggled" with her in bed after her story and prayers tonight, she rolled over several times to hug me and say, "I missed you, Mommy"--I didn't even know she knew that phrase, let alone the appropriate context in which to use it. I cried and hugged her, explaining that Mommy and Daddy had missed her too--it was our first overnight separation since her birth. I also told her how proud we were of her for being such a good big sister. Of course, I know she's only 23 months, and we're bound to experience a little sibling rivalry sometime soon, but for now, I'm happy that we have such a special memory of Christmas 2007.

See Jason blog. Blog, Jason blog.

My wife informs me that there are some crazy people out there who check this thing daily, and might send death threats if I did not give you the 411 on our current situation. So here is the rundown.
5:30 (aka. butt crack o dawn) call hospital
6:30 Check in
8:30 Break water
10:30 Slow going. 50% and 3. (I'm told you moms will understand this doctor jargon)
12:15 85% and 6 to 7. Jason goes downstairs to get a quick lunch plate to go.
12:20 Jason gets phone call to get his butt back upstairs cause it is time to push.
12:21 Jason makes world record time back upstairs but stiffs his mom with lunch bill downstairs. Angela now at 100% and 10. Thats right, six minutes!
12:35 Doctor shows up and we begin to push.
12:50 Well, hello there, Eli Henry Robinson.
8lbs 6oz, 21 in long

Mommy, Daddy, Big Sister Norah, and Eli are all doing great and expect to be home for Christmas. Peace out you crazy bloggers, and word to yo mother.

Time to Go!

We're in! Jason called the hospital at 5:30am, and we were given the green light to come in for induction. He cooked me a surprise breakfast while I took a nice, warm shower to wake up, and we'll be off in a few minutes to check in. Updates to follow, dependent on whether or not I can convince my husband he has the makings to be a blogger!

Time to Breathe!

I crossed a major hurdle yesterday when I officially finished my last Christmas sewing project. The house is clean, all of our gifts are wrapped, and there are still a few more days until baby brother's scheduled arrival/Chrismas!

It feels good to come up for a little air! Since I've been neglecting the blog, I thought I could at least put up couple of photos now that I have a little time.

The first shot was taken at Jason's work Christmas dinner back at the beginning of December. We also took some cute photos of each couple, but since the guys were making goofy faces in most of them, I decided to spare them the embarrassment of posting those. (Although, maybe it would have taught them a lesson...but probably not) We are so blessed that Jason works with such a neat group of guys. They are extremely hard workers, but they also have a great time working together because they are all friends.
Here some of my postable (as in--"already been received so I'm not gonna spoil the surprise by posting them") gifts. A coffee cozy for my good friend, Amy, along with 5 pairs of pj pants for each of the Texas Truck Riggins kids. All were well-received, and I've even heard rumors that all of the pjs fit!


I also made a matching pair of pjs for my other good friend, Jenny's twins. These were the first ones I'd tried appliquéing the entire name (as opposed to my usual, "first initial-only) on.

I'm looking forward to finally being able to post all of my Christmas projects...and there were a LOT this year! I just hope I remembered to get photos of them all before I wrapped them!

No Room at the Inn...

The doctor's visit went well...baby brother's heart rate is great and he has a "strong kick", according to my doctor (apparently, he tried to fight her off while she was giving me my exam). She also said that all my vitals are looking good to go for delivery. One minor hitch....the hospital is already booked for the 21st (they have to keep x number of beds empty, just in case someone goes into labor on their own), so they've moved my induction date to...drum roll please....December 24th. I found it mildly humorous that in the season we celebrate Jesus' birth, I too, was hit with a "no room at the inn" situation. One thing is for certain--this will be a Christmas Eve/Day we will always have a very special memory of! (Unless of course, baby brother decides to come before then, in which case, one of those vacant beds will be waiting just for me!)

Pink and Blue

First off to those who have wondered and/or asked: thanks for the concern, but baby brother is still safely tucked in the womb for now.

I've been in blog-hibernation mode while finishing up some final touches on Christmas gifts (and I had 4 cakes this week, to boot!). Please forgive the lack of posting.

I snapped this picture of Norah today while she was "helping" me make pink icing for a couple of my cakes. I thought it was a great representation of life in our house at present date--things are very pink (and no, we haven't learned that baby brother is actually a baby sister). I have 4 pink cake boxes on my kitchen table ready to be delivered (2 of which contain pink cakes), Norah was decked out in pink today, from head to toe. It made me laugh to think of myself 2 years ago, hating pink with a passion, and swearing I would never make my daughter wear it...now I have a girly daughter who loves pink, and I have to admit, I think it's pretty sweet on her, too.

In what I would call an exceptionally blue moment yesterday, I had a little emotional breakdown (long story short--our insurance company is making a lot of changes right now, which can be a little stressful when you know you're about to go into the hospital), which led me to call to Jason at work, sobbing. Norah climbed up in my lap and patted me gently on the leg and shoulder, saying, "Isss okay, Mommy. Don't worry." and "Whassda madder mommy? I love you." The genuine concern in her eyes was priceless, and I'm sure 90% of why I got over my pity party in a relatively short amount of time. I was so proud of my daughter for her compassion. I know she will be such a good sister. She has such a precious, loving, tender heart.

Of course with the addition of baby brother (hopefully) next week, the pink and blue tally in our house will once again be tied. I'm excited to see what changes and blessings this little man will bring to our family. Tomorrow I go in for my final pre-natal doctor's visit...hopefully she'll tell me everything looks great and we're still on for induction on the 21st...I'll be sure to update the blog with the news, either way. I'm also hoping for a sonogram since I haven't gotten to see the little guy since my 20-week appointment, and it would be great to know that he's turned the right way, and a healthy weight/size to boot...but we'll see.

Christmas Craft Party

Tonight is one of my favorite annual Christmas traditions. Our church's Ladies' Christmas Party. Women of all ages will gather at the hostesses' house with wrapped gifts in tow. These gifts are all of the craft variety (some homemade, others that people "could've made"). Name tags will be worn (some, of which, will have been secretively marred with taglines like, "the cheater" or "watch your presents"...let's just say some of these ladies take the present-game pretty seriously, and have earned such treatment/nicknames). Great snacks will be shared, as will lots and lots of laughs and of course, the Chinese present swapping game will be played. It is hilarious every year to watch these ladies "steal" each other's gifts, hear their corny justifications for doing so, as well as pleas for why they should get to keep their coveted items. Bear in mind, the whole thing is all in good fun, and no one ever leaves mad--it's all for show.

I like to bring a homemade gift, and weigh my creation's success on how many times it's stolen. This year's project was a festive, Christmas apron (similar to the one I did for the church auction a few weeks back). It went together quickly (especially considering I only started it yesterday afternoon), but I hope it will be well-received. Any of my local girlfriends are welcome to give me a call and I'll gladly carpool with you tonight--you wont regret it. (And don't worry if you don't have time to make anything, some of the most popular gifts every year are "a la Kirklands"!)

Norah Notes

With little brother's arrival (not to mention Christmas) quickly approaching, I thought now would be a good time to make a few 22month, Norah benchmark/memory notes.

Favorite Breakfast Food: dry blueberry pancakes---she especially likes to "help" make them by sitting on the counter top while they cook (and I'm sure she'd like them even better with syrup, but I'm waiting til she's a little neater eater)

Funny Sayings/New Words of Late:
"Mommy--how are you?" (Translation: "Mommy, where are you? Note: I hear this within seconds, just about anytime I leave the room she's in)

"Daddy/Mommy/Mimi--come back here!" (Again, very frequently spoken if anyone has the audacity to leave the room without taking her along or at least telling her where they're going)

"Pop-starts!"--quick breakfast food she sometimes eats (after, she's licked off all the frosting she possibly can)

"Mac-a-whoa-knee"--a current dinner-time favorite.

"Apottymomma?"--spoken as an all-one-word question, and usually repeated with increasing frequency and volume during the quietest possible portion of our Sunday morning worship service until I relent and take her to the bathroom. (I guess I should just be thankful that we are generally accident-free these days, with the occasional exception of nap/nighttime when she's still in a diaper)

"A bear"--surprisingly has nothing to do with a bear at all. It means "Up there", as in "I want up there". Almost always spoken if we're in the kitchen together (she likes to sit on the counter top while I work), or if she's feeling the need to be held. What's funny is, she's completely capable of saying it correctly. She knows it annoys me for her to say it wrong, so if she tries "a bear" and doesn't get results, she'll look me square in the eyes and annunciate, "Up there", and I almost always cave.

"I fast!"--and she really is. She loves to race up and down the hall to prove it.

"Sew-men"--(Translation: Snowman) also, occasionally mistaken for last season's favorite decoration, "Care-crow".

"Ormnament"--very cute to hear her pronounce this one, but it's easily understandable.

"Oh, no! We lost it!"--she says this anytime anything is missing. Yesterday I asked mom if she had her purse before leaving my house, and she replied it was in her car. Before listening for her answer, Norah had already replied, "Oh no! We lost it! Mimi's purse is missin'!" (I think that was one of the longest phrases I've ever heard her come up with on her own)

"Mota-cycull!"--declared anytime she hears a loud engine of any sort (our house backs up to a fairly busy street, so I hear this several times, daily, even if we don't leave home)

"Baby's cuh-why-in'"--noted almost any time we encounter a fussy infant, or even see a picture of one. She is very concerned about upset babies, I hope this is a clue that she'll be a good, sympathetic big sister. She's also into comforting her stuffed animals ("awww...it's ok, bear. shhh, don't cuh-why")

Favorite kid's shows:
Little Einsteins--just recently discovered this one and it is a perfect fit. She loves the classical music (she can hear the piece at the beginning of the show and will immediately announce which episode it is--and it's not due to the fact that she watches it so much--she recognizes the song after she's seen the show one time!) She also loves to "pat...pat...pat" and "blast-off!" and do all of the dances/hand motions with rocket and the gang.

Backyardigans--still a favorite. With her eyes glued to the tv, she attempts to mimic every, single dance number they do. It is hilarious to watch...and her rhythm is surprisingly good, especially considering she is the offspring of two, incredibly uncoordinated C of C parents!

Other memories of note:
She knows baby brother's name. Don't get too excited and think you can coax it out of her. She overheard us talking about it months back, and picked it up...so occasionally, at random, she'll just start saying it over and over...but unless you know she's saying it, you wouldn't know what it was. And for the record, if you ask her "What is baby brother's name?", her reply is "Boy."

We're still using a pacifier at nap and bedtime. Although, this morning she accidentally flushed one of the remaining 2 that we had. She flushed, then I saw her hand reaching into the toilet, and I shouted, "No, Norah!" which startled her enough to obediently draw back, but she looked up at me with sad eyes and said, "My PACI!" Then I realized why she had been ready to plunge into the depths of the toilet. I explained that her paci was gone, to which she replied, "Get it!" And I restated that it was gone. "Paci GONE!" she repeated, again and again about 30-40 times (Jason was my witness). I was hoping this might be our chance to ween her completely, so I said, "Norah, you might have to be a big girl and sleep without a paci". To which she immediately replied, "My green paci!" The one she flushed was pink, but she had not forgotten about her back-up (green) paci, so I guess we're still stuck with the paci, at least until some other tragedy befalls the backup.

Favorite Benchmark of Late: A few weeks ago she began praying for baby brother, completely unprompted, on her own. She's begun helping us with prayers at bedtime and meals, listing things/people she's thankful for, and she never forgets to mention "baby brudder".

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Those who know me, know that Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the music. I love the decor. I don't even mind being bombarded by it as soon as the stores clear away the school supplies in September. I'd just as soon celebrate it all year long. (This was Norah's "First Christmas" photo taken last year by Jenny...I LOVE it, it is one of my all-time favorites!)




But this year...I've had a little more trouble getting into the mood. While I normally have to twist Jason's arm and beg him to tote our enormous tree down from the attic, this year, he volunteered before I asked. (And I am not entirely sure I would have asked him to do it at all, had he not done so) Then, the tree stood bare in our living room for an entire week before we decorated it (again, Jason finally moved the ritual along, by suggesting that we do it together as a family).



Now that every thing's up, I have to admit, I'm loving it! Norah, of course, makes it the most fun. We've been working on the word "ornament" since Thanksgiving, and she has it down, pat. She had a blast helping us decorate the tree (which resulted in a single, VERY ornament-laden branch in the lower, center portion of our tree), and she's inherited her mommy's love of Christmas music. (Especially "Pah-rum-puh-puh-pum", which she almost always sings along to).

We've been reading "The Nativity Story" together nearly every night for a few weeks now, so it was really fun putting our nativity ornaments on the tree, and naming each one together as they went up ("Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus...")--and no, the penguin's not one of them, that is her ornament from Uncle Grant and Aunt Paige this year.

As Norah grows older and understands more, I am beginning to realize how special it will be to share the true meaning of the "Christmas Season" with her (and baby brother, too!). I'm so thankful that Jason has helped get me "jump started" into our family traditions, because I can tell it will be a real blessing to see Christmas through the eyes of my child. I think i would have gotten there on my own eventually...maybe...but right now, I have to admit 'priority one' weighing on my mind is nesting and preparing for Baby Brother's arrival. I'm glad that Jason's looking out for Norah, too, so I don't jip her out of Christmas this year.

Norah's First Haircut...

Today's post is either titled "Norah's First Haircut"...or "Attack of the Killer Scissors", take your pick.

Last Thursday, I decided to take Norah in for her first professional haircut. I've trimmed it at home before, but thought it might be nice to have someone with a little more skill do it (just to see if it made a difference).

While she ate breakfast, I explained to Norah that I would be taking her to a place where they would put her in a tall chair, and she'd get to wear a cute "cape", and then they'd "snip-snip" (imagine this being said with the appropriate, explanatory hand gestures) her hair with a pair of scissors. At this point in the conversation, Norah began wailing, "No! No! No!", without relenting until I finally asked, "No--what?" To which she replied, "No scissors!"

Ok, have I mentioned I sew....a lot? She has been taught not to touch mommy's scissors--they are big "no-no's" that can "hurt you". So I decided, in light of the involvement of a potentially lethal cutting utensil, a more in-depth explanation was in order. I told her that they would be very gentle and careful with the scissors and it wouldn't hurt at all. (And then I may or may not have promised her some candy if she sat still and was a brave, good girl). Then I asked her if she would be a good girl and go with me to get a haircut, to which she replied, "Ok, Mommy".

When we arrived at the barber shop, she was in a great mood. She even posed for a picture out front (with bear in tow, of course). After we went inside, she was friendly to the other customers, telling everyone "hi". Everything was great. She climbed right up into the chair. And then they put on the smock, and suddenly the world around her went dark. The stylist, sensing things were going downhill, disappeared into the back room, quickly emerging with a different, "jungle animals" smock, in a feeble attempt to make things right. It didn't help.

Norah continued crying, mercilessly, while sobbing, "No scissors" for the duration of her 30-second haircut. (Seriously...I timed it). That would be my hand holding her down in the bottom of the picture. She was totally trying to escape! Finally, when it was all over, she resumed her polite demeanor, reminding me about the aforementioned promise of "candy".

I know I probably seem pretty heartless, standing there snapping photos while my child is coming unglued...but she was really fine, deep down (And there is only one first haircut to photo document, after all). The funny thing is, she loves these pictures. She's asked to see them several times ("Haow-cut pih-tures?") and every time I show them to her she points and says, "Nowah's kah-why-in"". Thanks for rubbing it in, kid.

Honestly, I didn't see much difference in the job the stylist did and what I've been doing at home, all along...I think we may just keep going with the "home barbershop" method, at least until she gets a little more hair. I can't blame her, really...I mean, I guess it does seem pretty logical to fear a stranger with a pair of scissors...

Explanation of Absence...

I'll be the first to admit I've been a pretty poor blogger, come lately. It wasn't intentional...just necessary. I've been busy with lots of sewing and cake decorating, not to mention the holidays are upon us!

So, this post is my explanation for my leave of absence...and an excuse to show of several of the projects I've been toiling over, but had to keep under my hat until they were given as gifts.

This was a onesie for a friend from church. Her grandma name is "Honey".




This set of owl shirts was for three brothers. Their (very unique) names are stitched on the branches the owls are perched on.

I have to admit, these shirts were one of my favorite things I've sewn in a long time. The girls who ordered them (they were early Christmas presents) told me just to have fun and do whatever I want, and the only stipulations I was given were to make them "vintage" and masculine enough for a boy to wear. It was like a blank canvas to play on, and I'd been dying to do something with owls!

This was a cake a did a couple weeks ago for my favorite checker at Wal-mart. (We've been going through her line every week since Norah was a newborn) She's always been really sweet, and I guess because I'm always buying cake supplies, she asked me if I would mind making a "girly quilt cake" for her daughter's 13th birthday party. She loved it, and said it was just what she had envisioned. (And it was fun for me to do something a little different than the norm)




Hannah initial onesie (baby gift for a friend of my sis-in-law, Paige)













Another initial onesie (also for a friend of my SIL), the name is pronounced "Lou-Cheer". It's been a month of unique names for my sewing projects...but I guess that's one of the up-sides of hand-made personalized gifts--while probably wouldn't find anything in the store that said "Luchier", it didn't take too long to make something up!




After all the sewing I'd done for other people, I got to feeling guilty for neglecting my own daughter, so I decided to make a t-shirt to go with a pair of orphaned hand-me-down pj pants we got from Jenny. I just copied the lollipop design from her pants, and stitched "Sweet Dreams" underneath for good measure (she's been waking up in the night with apparent nightmares , lately, poor thing).




Norah was so proud to wear them (which always does mommy's heart good!). She refers to them as her "Can-EE PJ's".

Now, it's on to the mountain of Christmas projects that have been piling up on me! (Not that I'm complaining, I'm loving that my machine is getting so much use!)

Field Trip to the Children's Museum

AA and I took Norah on her first trip to the Children's Museum last Wednesday. It was actually a first for all three of us, but I definitely think we'll be back soon. Norah loved it from the instant we arrived.



The museum has a pathway of large, brightly-colored hands, and Norah preceded to give each and every one a "high five" before allowing us to enter the building. (Honestly, it was pretty amusing to watch, so Amanda and I didn't really mind the wait)


Once we were inside, one of the first things that caught Norah's eye was a dress-up station. (And yes, I let my daughter try-on, with wild abandon, I might add, potentially lice-infested hats and other public-domain clothes & shoes...I'm just wild and crazy that way.). She loved it...but then she spotted something even MORE exciting...


Loads of gooey, wet paint, there for the taking. Norah had never painted before, so this was truly a new frontier. She donned a smock (that's right, more public-use apparel), and set to work on her masterpiece.


She took to painting like a fish to water...but I noticed she was using a LOT of paint, and we'd be there all day long waiting for her work of art to dry if I didn't intervene...


















So, I stepped in, and taught her a new technique...finger painting!



After she got over the fear of getting in trouble for touching something so gloriously cold, wet, and gooey, she really got into it...






Then suddenly, it dawned on her.
"What have I done? I'm a mess!"






...then she realized that with this mess, came power. People would run to avoid her frigid, "green mark". (Sadly, mommy stripped her of her newfound abilities shortly thereafter, by washing her hands thoroughly with soap and water)




Finally, the work of art was hung on a line to dry. AA took Norah over to admire her handy work.


























Here she is, intently listening for her crayon muse while experimenting with a different art medium. (The VW bug in the background is there for kids to paint! The museum staff cleans it off every few months or so to give them a new "blank canvas")















Next, it was on to the chalk wall. Norah opted for a strange, behind-the-back drawing technique, but she seemed happy with it, so we didn't interfere.



Our next discovery was a "toddler zone" designed specifically for kids 2 and under. Maybe that's because they figured they were the only kids in the whole place who wouldn't notice that this switch didn't even turn on the light bulb...





We quickly decided we were way too cool for the confines of the "Toddler Zone", and so we ventured out to the best exhibit so far...MUSIC! Norah didn't waste any time, and dove right in, trying the xylophone.


I'm ashamed to admit that in spite of my adamant love of all things musical (with the possible exception of jazz...another blog subject entirely), I do not know the name of this particular instrument. Norah wasn't overly impressed with it's dull sound either.



"Norah, this is called a tambourine. Hippies and gypsies like to play them...and I'm sure some other nice individuals do too..."



"I need more cow bell!"











Mommy's sober drum solo...













Followed by Norah's lively improv...









The bongos were really fun, too...











but the wood block got the award for causing the strangest reaction...something about it made Norah decide to bust out with a scary impersonation of Steven Tyler!




Here's a shot of her experimenting with the wind chimes (or maybe it's just an excuse to show off a lovely profile of my enormous belly)

Of all the instruments, I think the piano was her favorite. She might have stayed there all day long if we hadn't bribed her with the other lures awaiting us in the museum.



Our last stop? Down the rocket-ship tunnel with AA. (This was a big hit, considering Norah's newfound love of "Little Einsteins")


Finally, here we are leaving the museum-- valuable, "first-edition", original artwork in-hand. (We've decided it is a "turtle" surrounded by "high fives", and Norah is very proud to point him out to anyone who happens into our kitchen to take a gander)

It was such a great day. Thanks, AA for coming along and taking such fantastic pictures...and for being such a fun aunt. We'll definitely have to do it again sometime!