Six Months of Pippin

You roll over both ways.

You don't sit up yet.

You have two teeth just barely under the gums. (Any day now.)

You decided that your middle finger and ring finger together taste much better than your thumb by itself.

You just today decided to prove how much of an inchy little Pipworm you are, making a circuit halfway around the perimeter of the kitchen.

You are a sympathetic cryer.

You have the best squishy legs.

You are observant and attentive.

You don't like loud noise. Or when you think someone is sad. Or hurt. Or upset.

You love Tadhg; Tadhg loves you. (But someday I'm pretty sure you're going to need a secret hideout for desperate times.)

You are placid, except when a toy doesn't cooperate with your intention for it. (Then you scream.)

You love to smile.

You delight us with your giggle.

And I am still struck at unexpected times at the miracle of your bodily presence here with us. A baby knit together all unseen--made, expected, hoped for, in our hearts for months before you arrived. But never promised to be given into our arms.

And yet here you are.

In our arms, healthy and well and growing.

All the squishy, quiet, smiley joy of you here with us.

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Grab-Bag

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

Rundy's 38!!!

The celebration really gets kicked up a notch when you have children in the house.

Best friend, best daddy. Dear to our hearts. We love you.

Winter's Work

Lugging firewood and (very helpfully) assisting Mama push several wheelbarrow loads full of firewood to the house through the first real snow of the winter earns you a man's wages.

(Hot chocolate, of course.)

Tadhg and Co.

Sometimes the chumminess just can't help but brim up and overflow, and even stuffed bears and plastic frogs feel the love. Tadhg is an attentive friend.

You and Me

Rundy and I were never typical daters. Hanging out in libraries. Walking around cornfields in the dark of winter. Married and two babies later, not much has changed on that front.

We go on an Official Date once in a blue moon, and often we go with progeny in tow simply because we like our progeny. But this time we decided to drop both boys off with Rundy's folks so we could snatch some time for just the two of us. It was one of those honeyed, clear-skied, saturated days that only come at the peak of autumn, the kind that leave you a little bit wind-chapped and a lot alive. We walked the tracks along the river near his family's house before heading to a diner to eat. 

It's good to have moments to remember who we are, who we hope to be.