A Month's Worth of Pictures

Violet in her brand new tubbie.

The garden where we took care of our dog-friend, Baxter.

A leek!

I am so longing for a garden like this!

Pen enjoying a bean from the garden at Baxter's house.

Penelope walking Baxter to the beach.

Pen on the beach.

She was so happy here.

Spending long hours just playing in the sand.

Running with Baxter.

Rinsing sand and salt off Baxter.

Hanging out on the floor with Baxter.

My brother Charles with our aunts on a walk.

Pretty

Pretty

Maisie and Pen enjoying a book.

Gailsie and Pen enjoying a book.

Steve and Violet

Cutie Pie

Slide

Trike she scored at the flea market.

Violet receiving her adoring fans, this is her cousin Deagan.

Violet receiving her adoring fans, this is her cousin Celeste.

Violet and her cousins.

Getting candy at the Bristol walkabout.

Pen and Deagan tired after the walkabout.

We stopped at the beach on the way home.

Walking home, Aunt Linda with Celeste, Pen and Deagan being pushed by Jess, and I was carrying Violet.

Cousins playing in the driveway.

After the excitement, eating bread and hummus, and wearing the darling sweater my mom made for my cousin Melissa, which was passed onto Pen.

Even though I'm sure Pig didn't come to the walkabout I still found her like this, on Pen's table, wearing Violet's pumpkin hat, in an obvious sugar coma, clutching a lollipop and sticky as anything.

Pumpkin Baby

My darling Violet Punkin Pie

Waiting for the Toe Jam Puppet Band to begin it's show.

The girls being surprised as someone experienced a suspenders malfunction with their costume, thank goodness for the real pants under the costume pants!

Violet fell asleep promptly as the show began and did her very good snooty old British guy impression.

Violet awakened at the end of the show by silly string.

Pen not digging the silly string, but trying to.

Twirling.

She didn't really get the concept of diving for candy, getting only a single lollipop while everyone else got handfuls of goodies, but she didn't even notice and was thrilled with her treat.

Pen after the show with Pig, a ghost, a pumpkin, and her lollipop.

My cuties.

Pen and her friend, two very different winged beings in pink leggings.

Violet on the way home from our last visit with our midwives.

Pen and Pig on the way home from our last visit with our midwives.

October has been crazy. We house/dog sat for a week, which was great because Penelope and I both really miss having a dog, since our sweet Rowan died in May. It was nice for Pen to get to play with Baxter, and good for me to be reminded that we are not ready to get a dog yet. We loved walking on the beach every day and I adored the garden at Baxter's house

We also had a visit from The Albuquerque Turkeys, Pen's great aunties from New Mexico. We spent a lovely day on the beach, had some nice walks, nice dinners, lots of books were read, Pen learned to play I spy, sort of. Sadly I didn't take many pictures during their visit and I am mad at myself for it, but Maisie and Gailsie got some great ones.

The Bristol walkabout happened and Aunt Linda, Jess, Celeste and Deagan came. Penelope tried almost all of her candy when we got home and spit it all out in the trash, except the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, which she liked. She hated all the rest and after throwing it all away asked me for some hummus instead. Maybe after trick or treating I can trade her a container of hummus for her bag of candy and dispose of it? Hmmm.

I was very sick for much of this month. I learned that it really is true that the mama can't get sick. Everything sort of falls apart when Mama can't function. And it is pretty scary to be so sick that you can't even take care of yourself and you have two baby girls depending on you. We finally found out I had Lyme Disease, and I'm feeling much better now, but still not 100%. And I'm very tired still, but is that from Lyme Disease or because I have a newborn and the wildest toddler in the world to keep up with? Probably both.

We had our last visit with our midwives and it made me a little sad that that whole chapter of my life is over. I really liked it, having the midwives I had, having the wonderful home birth I so wanted. It was a wonderful experience that I am so grateful to have had.

And so now we have Halloween to look forward to, and then it will be a new month full of wonders and surprises!

Sisters

The Foot

Relaxing in the Backyard

Cuddle

Sideways Sisters or I Don't Know How to Turn the Photos

I always wished I had a sister. I love my brothers and I'm glad I have them. I wouldn't trade them for anything, but I still wish I had a sister. I always felt like I was missing something special by not having one. I guess maybe that's why I was so thrilled when Penelope was born a girl. Or maybe I just really wanted a daughter as much as I'd always wanted a sister. During Violet's pregnancy I was sure we would have a boy. All I wanted was a healthy baby, but Pen kept telling me she was going to have a baby sister and I felt a little sad for her. I thought she might not be happy with a baby brother at first after having her heart set on a sister. And secretly I hoped for another girl so they could be sisters. And for me too, to have another sweet baby girl to dress in the precious little clothes that Pen outgrew all to quickly. When Violet slipped out into the world I couldn't quite believe she was a girl. I'd felt so sure she was a boy, I had to keep checking her girl parts to make sure I wasn't missing something. Yes, she was really a baby girl, and I was SO HAPPY! Penelope, on the other hand, had decided about a week before the baby was born that she really wanted a brother. I'm not sure if she really minded not getting a brother, but she kept telling people for weeks "I wanted a brother but I got a sister".

Adjusting to Violet has been rough for Penelope. The tiny, pink thing that only nursed and slept and cried was not what she had been waiting all those months for. Penelope was waiting for a friend, someone she could play with, someone to laugh with. Instead she got someone who took so much of her parents time, all of which used to be hers. And she got over tired and less patient than usual parents. She has felt sad and confused and angry. It has been hard. But just recently I have been noticing something. I have been catching little exchanges between them. Penelope sings to Violet and does finger play songs that make Violet smile. When Violet has been sleeping for a long time Pen finds it hard to wait for her to wake up. When I suggest that she and I go out together to run an errand while Violet stays home with Steve she wants Violet to come with us. And Violet loves Penelope. She looks for her when she hears her, and smiles when she finds her. Violet talks to Pen, and when Pen talks back Violet is thrilled. They have begun to laugh and play together. They are beginning to bond, developing what I hope will be a lifelong friendship. They are starting to be sisters. And every time I see them having one of these little moments it makes my heart so happy. I don't know how I got so lucky to have not one but two beautiful, darling little girls.