Bring on the babies

Dad/Larry/Grandpa and I are moping. Hannah Banannah and her parents were due in MN this evening, but little Hannah's bout with a nasty virus postponed their arrival until Saturday. Waaah! Hannah, get better!

We're going to O-Town tomorrow to be present for Great Grandpa Charlie's first meeting with Miles. I'm curious to hear what they'll talk about. Watch for pictures tomorrow evening.

In preparation for a visit from the upgraded version of Hannah--let's call her Hannah 6.5-- we bought a Supergate III, the supposedly-improved successor of Supergates I and II. As you can see from the picture on the box, the Supergate is designed to keep a sheepdog out of the living room. We don't have a sheepdog, so we'll use it to keep Hannah 6.5 at the top of the stairs. Miles is too little to make a break for dangerous places, but that time will come soon.

A week later...

A week has passed since we saw Baby Miles. He's replaced the vacant stare of a newborn with two little eyes that busily look around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Good luck with that, Miles. We're counting the days until Miles and Hannah meet each other...Thursday is the day! I've got to stop procrastinating and get back to grading, so this is it for now. Hmmm...I'm wondering how a person knows when she's STARTED procrastinating? I'm thinking it was about 1978 for me.

Miles, practicing the letter 'S' with his arms
Talking with Grandpa

Showing off how he can suck his thumb and hold

Daddy's finger using only one hand Mommy and Miles

Miles has a busy weekend

Miles and his mommy and daddy are back in Owatonna tonight, and we miss all three of them. Miles was busy, busy, busy this weekend. Not only did he take his first shopping excursion to Sam's Club, he met lots of people on his tour of the Gustavus campus. Mary and Pat came to visit (Pat and Grandpa gave Miles political advice), Uncle Charlie stayed overnight on Saturday, and we celebrated Mommy Annie's birthday on Saturday evening. Auntie Aunchie was visiting sister Brit for part of the weekend, so she'll have to get in some extra Miles-holding time very soon.

Miles and his mommy share some quiet time together in this photo. Miles has on the cutest Snoopy print pants--very Charlie Brown! Great Uncle Mike would approve.
Miles had a minor explosion just as his daddy was served birthday dessert. This event rivaled Hannah's poop extravaganzas. Miles needed cleaning from tummy to toes, and let's just say that we're glad our washing machine works! Tanner is an efficient and effective poop removal expert.Uncle Charlie and Miles relaxed together after the big clean-up. Baby Miles reminds me of Baby Charlie in this picture.
All good things must come to an end. Here is Miles, lost in sleep, practicing the right arm stretch just before leaving to visit Grandma Doreen and then return home to O-Town. When Hannah was not much older than Miles is now, Tanner was amused by her short arms that barely stretched above her head. Now he can enjoy the same characteristic with Miles.
We can barely wait for 10 more days until Miles and Hannah meet each other for the first time. Miles has been practicing holding his head up to impress Hannah, and she's been chewing on toy Menorah candles and crawling in leaves to toughen up for Minnesota weather. I wonder what she'll think of *s*n*o*w*?

Hurry up and get here, Hannah! Miles wants some tips from someone who's recently been through the early months of life.

Happy First Hanukkah, Hannah!

Is this the magic of Christmas, or what?

Belated birthday

Annie is 27. How that happened is a mystery. It seems like only yesterday (okay a few years ago) that she was a pee-soaked wretch, as we affectionately referred to our baby Annie (and our toddler Annie and our teenager Annie). Now she's a mommy herself, and Miles is quickly gaining the reputation of a pee-soaking champ; but hardly a wretch (yet)! In an effort to extend the birthday celebration over several days, Annie opened gifts from Dad/Larry and me last night. Tomorrow is Annie's birthday dinner. As a child, when asked what she wanted for dinner on her birthday, Annie requested hot dogs, wild rice, and black olives (pitted). I think that's the traditional birthday food of Bulgaria.

Excitement over a holiday bowl for M & M's or other treatsThe versatile holiday bowl serves as a ceramic yarmulke for Miles,
who likes to celebrate Hanukkah in style
Annie taking a picture of Miles....Miles, looking like a cuddly bunny rabbit

My favorite Martian

Miles, Tanner, and Annie are here for a few days. We’re lucky grandparents! We’ve noticed that Miles eats, poops, and toots with gusto. No surprise in this family. I've been snapping pictures of the sweetie pie this evening, and somehow this extra-terrestrial creature got into one of the shots. Anyone know who he is??

Grandpa Larry and Miles enjoying each other's company

Str--etch--ing out after a diaper change

Holidays abound

Happy Hannahkuh to the North Carolina branch of the family! Everywhere else in the world, it’s Hanukkah, or some variation. We have the pleasure of baby Hannah in the family now, so the rest of the world will have to deal with it. I have a BIG request for Daddy Evan and Mommy Elisabeth. Please watch sweet Hannah closely so she doesn’t burn her little fingers on candle flames these next several nights. I’m sure her eyes will be wide with wonder at the flickering lights.

Now for Christmakkuh...

The annual Holiday Gift Exchange, or HGE, is coming to a St. Peter home near you. If you’re not nearby, you will be soon, so get ready to participate!

As the official HGE Coordinator (HGEC) once again, I have to say that the back-and-forth over the $$ amount for HGE gifts this year has contributed to my stress level. Except for Evan and Dad, who have stated in no uncertain terms that they want GOOD GIFTS, the rest of you have been too polite. Ahhhhh… I get it now….the rest of you are MINNESOTANS! Well GET OVER IT. Let’s take the leap and go for up to $50.00 from each Gifter to each Giftee, with the exception of the babies. Their range is $32.50 to $37.50. Neither of them has an income, so we’ll cut them a break. If you are the Giftee of one of the babies, NO COMPLAINING about getting a gift of lesser value.

OFFICIAL HGE 2007 RULES & REGULATIONS (patent pending):

1. Gifter may spend up to $50 on his/her Giftee, with the exception of Miley and Hannah, per previous paragraph.

2. Participants must submit a wish list to HGE Coordinator by December 10, which will be forwarded anonymously to appropriate Gifter. Wish list from Giftees of Miles and Hannah will be submitted to a parent of respective baby. That parent will submit wish list for his/her baby to HGE Coordinator.

3. Individual gift items on wish lists may not exceed $50; however, as many gift items as the Giftee wishes to submit is acceptable.

4. To avoid duplicate gifts, Giftees must submit a list that is prepared for the HGE that will not be submitted to other branches of the family. You all want lots of stuff. Divide up your list!

5. Gift certificates do not qualify for this HGE

6. Gifters and Giftees who do not comply with Official HGE 2007 Rules and Regulations will be banished to the Kingdom of Fromage. And that’s all I’ve got to say about it.

Sincerely,
Your HGE 2007 Coordinator

To and fro (or, the working man's jacket gets a workout)

We woke up at the crack of dawn to the sound of our neighbor Darrel, or maybe it was his other brother Darrel, running the snowblower at top speed right outside our bedroom window. It wasn't malicious intent, but it WAS a reminder of winter. Dad/Larry/Grandpa/Paco went back to sleep, perchance to dream about using his snowblower later in the morning. Here he is, blowing to and fro, or fro and to--I'm not sure which is "to" and which is "fro". Now that I think about it, those words sound like hairstyles. Thanks for the driveway clean-up, Larry.