This is what's horrifying about babies!

This was taken 2 weeks ago today. Violet is a scrawny, pink, blotchy newborn.

Here she is today, looking like not 2 weeks, but 2 months have gone by! I ask you, is this not horrifying?

Look at the cheeks!

O.K., so she wears her pants like an old man. Her shirt is a size 0-3 months. Her pants are 3-6 months. It's the cloth diaper bum, it makes buying outfits difficults sometimes, but damn it's cute!

I didn't buy them matching sister hats, I just happen to like red sunhats on my babies. Pen is wearing her new hat, and Violet is wearing Penelope's first red hat.

Penelope is watching a movie, while holding her sister and stroking her foot like it is a silky blankie or something. She can't get over how soft Violet's feet are and is constantly feeling them. It's a little wierd, but cute.

I realize it is probably mainly due to post partum hormones, but honestly I could just burst into tears about 20 times a day. I feel like I want to slam on the brakes of life and stop everything right where it is so I can be with it just a little longer. I find myself painfully aware of how fleeting all of this is, and I am so loving right now with my babies. I still can't believe my little Violet, that she is even here, that she is growing so fast, that she is so precious and perfect. I am just absolutely in love with her. And Pen is definately sporting the baby angel look lately with her huge blue eyes and the 'fro she has going on currently. She is just too much fun right now, she sings constantly, she is always staring in her own musical. There are so many things that she does that make me laugh or break my heart with their cuteness. I want to catch them with the camera but she stops it all when she sees me filming her so I don't even try. Instead I am attempting to burn these moments into my brain as they happen so I'll always have them. I have a strong suspicion that years down the road right now will be the time I look back on the fondest. That this, right now, is the sweetest time, the most precious.

Seaweed

Marching down State st. in the library parade with her friends Lila and Serrin.

Look at them march!

Seaweed hugging Mermaid Princess

Pen nursing Pig

Watching the Jester doing his fabulous after parade show.

Pen and Pig walking home.

Today was the big end of the summer reading program parade at our library. The theme this year was Splash! so basically anything having to do with water was o.k. Pen decided to be seaweed. Last night she and I left Baby with Steve for the first time and dashed off to the fabric store where we got 2 types of green fabric and some elastic. There was no sewing involved, just some elastic around the waist and fabric tied to that, as well as a few slipper shells with holes worn in them we found on the beach. I made a crown too. She was thrilled with it, which is what matters. I love that our library does this. All the libraries follow the same theme every summer, but most of them just don't really get into it like they could, know what I mean? But our library has prizes to be won, games to be played and wonderful programs going on. But the best part by far is the parade. I've taken many kids to it over the years but it was more fun taking Pen. It really is great, the street gets closed off so everyone can march in it, people dress up and then there is a show after the parade and frozen lemonade for all! We have used our library a lot this year. Penelope went to story time all fall, winter and spring, Steve took out everything they had to offer on buddhism in both book and c.d. form and I took out a bunch of stuff too, but I couldn't for the life of me tell you what. I do know that most of their Angelina Ballerina books live at our house much of the time. They go back briefly to visit the library, but they really live at our house. I love that libraries exist, that you can actually go there and borrow books, music, movies, and it is all free for everyone! I also love that it is the same library I went to when I was a child, and now my little girl goes there for her storytime. And I got a treat later in the day. Earlier in the week Pen got an invitation from our dear neighbor, Renee inviting Pen to come over today after nap to make a family dinner for all of us. And so I had about 3 hours to myself while they worked away. Nevermind that the time was spent nursing Violet, it was still peaceful, and then an invitation was delivered and Baby and I headed over to Renee's for the nicest dinner ever! There was amazing homemade bread and olive tapinade and incredible hummus and an awesome couscous salad and tomatoe salad over spinach and dill sauce with veggies to dip in it, including yellow carrots - which I've never had before - and a peach and blueberry crumble kind of thing which was divine for dessert. Poor Steve had to work late and missed it, but Renee sent us home with a ton of food, so he wasn't completely deprived.

Baby Violet

Penelope and Pig

Things are going well at our house, more chaotic than ever before, but good just the same. Penelope loves her sister, wants to hold her constantly, and beams with pride when others remark on how alert or pretty she is. I wondered if we were lucky beyond belief and had somehow escaped New Big Sister Jealousy, but then last night while I nursed Baby on the couch with Pen reading Angelina Ballerina books to her dolls, Pig leaned over and said very quietly to Baby "Go back in Mama's belly Violet". So we have a normal 3 year old after all. I love that Pen has Pig. Pig says and does all the naughty and not so nice things that Pen would like to do and say. Pig routinely shocks us all with her terrible displays and outbursts. We've all grown extremely fond of pig. I am adjusting to life with a newborn again, I'd forgotten just how much they nurse. I'd say 80% of my day is sitting on the couch nursing the baby. I can do a lot of other things at the same time though. Most importantly, as it turns out,I can read Angelina Ballerina books while I nurse Violet. Violet was born on July 29 at 8 lbs. 12 ounces,her weight went down to 8lbs. 5 ounces, and today at 12 days old she is a whopping 9lbs.7ounces. How crazy is that! Steve had his first day back at work yesterday, and it was just fine. The girls and I went for a walk to the bagel shop. For the first time I had both of my little darlings screaming hysterically at once in a public place. Pen was screaming because the hummus was squishing out from her spinach bagel and mushing everywhere, Violet because she woke up in the baby wrap and was angry about that and also because she wanted to nurse. I remained very calm, there wasn't really anything else I could do, aside from screaming too. I offered to hold Pen's bagel for her while she took bites of it, which she found to be an acceptable arrangement, and Violet was removed from the wrap and plugged into her breakfast, which she found to be acceptable as well. After everyone was fed, we moved on to the playground where I pushed Pen on the swing for like 45 minutes, then I had to stop to nurse Miss Violet and Pig did some naughty mulch throwing (it was o.k. as there was nobody else there) and then began some super naughty leaping off the top of the tall slide. This was great because Pen had to keep climbing down to retrieve Pig and climb back up again, so that when we got home at 12:00 she had worn herself out and was very ready for her nap. We all slept soundly until Steve returned from work bearing Pizza for dinner. So our first day home alone went rather smoothly. I'm sure there will be more exciting things to post, and certainly more pictures, but for now this is about as exciting as it gets.