Cousins

Naomi visited her cousin Duncan today. This is Naomi with her grandfather (my Dad) and Duncan with his grandmother (my Dad's sister, thus my Aunt Sassy).
Duncan was born about three weeks after Naomi.








They had a good time playing together. Duncan shared his toys, and Naomi tried to use his pacifier -- but it was attached to Duncan!

Bluebonnets

There She Goes

Naomi has a new toy! Check out her growing skills -- we predict she'll go pro.

Herself

Naomi is at a place (that she has been growing into) of really showing preferences, and what she wants. She has always shown some of that (mouth closed, not wanting to eat, when she was a month old!), and has continued. This morning I was trying to get ready for work, and she just wanted to cuddle - protesting when I put her down, crawling over to me and climbing in my lap to be held. We got to her school to drop her off, and she reached out for her teacher. She digs through her toy basket to find her rattle, and always takes the top block from a tower I build. At school they say she likes to dance to hip hop!

It is the coolest thing in the world to be part of someone else's "becoming". To watch the process and see her discover her world. She surprises me all the time, from her blond, blond hair, to her passion for the cats, to her ability to crawl through the house looking for us, to her obvious love of Mark and I. I love her so much, but she reminds me daily that she is her own little self - not the person I could imagine she is. She is making herself her own! I am so curious about this little one.

Naptime

Mark caught this reconnasaince video of Naomi at naptime. She is telling a bedtime story to her napping buddies, Lion and Sock Monkey. Evidently it was a good one - they are all asleep.

Laughter

Impatience

Spring

Spring is here! Suddenly daylight savings time is here, spring rain has started, and the air smells that sweet smell of Mountain Laurels. And its time to garden. We had to show Naomi there is more to food than her big toe. We planted pole beans, sugar snap peas, lettuce, and spinach. Our collards and cilantro are doing great already, and we have plans for tomatoes and basil.

Can we get some Wendell love?

Wendell really is a patient cat. Sometimes I have to remind him that if he lays down next to Naomi, he WILL get loved on in her own special way (note the fistfull of cat). We do all love Wendell.

Sippy Cup

Naomi held her sippy cup on her own today! She is also eating better - she's been sick the past week, and not really in the mood for food. But today she even tried black beans! Doesn't she look like such a big girl?

Brownies

I can't share the brownies we made tonight with all of you (although you are more than welcome to stop by and get some - we should have some though tomorrow). But I have found the BEST Brownie recipe for those nights when you have no brownie mix and no baking chocolate and are having a huge chocolate brownie craving. Seriously, and I've tried a bunch. Here ya go:

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
In a large bowl, blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, cocoa, and salt. Gradually blend into the egg mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let brownies cool, then cut into squares. Enjoy

I get by with a little help from my friends

Naomi is a busy girl...
Climbing into her toy basket and reading the paper with Mark. She also has a new "stuffed animal" in her room, and she and sock monkey love to nap!

Behind you!

Sand, Sand, more Sand... and a Mission

On Saturday we drove south, to Laguna Beach and then San Juan Capistrano, where there is an old Mission. So that all meant, of course, stopping at a couple of beaches and a tour of the Mission. And there were poppies.