Brother, Sister, Mother Time.

These photos are from the first weekend of March, when Dan was busy doing urban search and rescue training.  The kids and I had a lot of time together, and it was one of the first times I felt as if we were a threesome enjoying each other's company. 

We had such a pleasant Saturday that I took the kids to their first restaurant experience with me - Taco Store aka El Jimador.  They both enjoyed the food, and we split ONE meal the three of us! 

Nostalgia - October 2010

Its February, but I am just now catching up with ordering photos from October.  I clicked through the 853 photos I took (mostly of you, Daniel), and selected 171 that are wonderful and capture the month. It was so pleasant to go back and look at the weekend trips we took.  In nearly every photo, your mouth is open in laughter.  You are so full of glee!  The other photos show you looking serious and studying something new.  You were such a sponge that month, too.  We didn't have any behavior issues with you at all this month.  You napped, ate, and played like clockwork.  You were such a blessing in our lives this month!

I am happy to have these photos of you looking so joyful.  I also appreciate how you've grown and changed in the last several months.  Your hair is now longer, and your facial features are more slim and boy-like.  You still had a lot of baby left at 15 months!

You are such a great kiddo, Daniel.

How Daniel and His Mother Spent All of August and Most of September...

Snuggling and nursing in the large, lovely lounge chair in her bedroom.

Posing for photo opportunities.

Eating frequently, usually less than 2 hours between meals for both of us!

Examining his tiny features.

Being surprised and entertained by the expressions he made while sleeping.

Learning the best way to feed, burp, and comfort him.

Holding hands.

Memorizing all his features and marveling as they changed.

In love.

Not included in the fuzzy-charming-haze of memories pictures, but definitely happend in the first six weeks...  freqent burp ups with corresponding clothing changes for both mom and baby, doing an absurd amount of laundry, missing the company and extra help of Daniel's grandmas after they left in week 3, missing the companionship and love of Dan while he was at work, drinking lots of Pepsi and eating fresh fruit salad for nearly every meal (Bethany, obviously!), struggling to find a normal pattern of events for the day and nights, wondering if Daniel's sleeping and eating habits and personal appearance were normal and healthy and age appropriate, super frequent nursings that were more of a snack and proved to be a difficult habit to break, changing diapers and studying them to make sure he was getting enough nutrition and had passed all the meconium, learning the curve of cloth diapering, changing clothes for no other reason that we had many newborn outfits and wanted to see them all, and toting the baby around on errands that took easily three times longer with a newborn!