New every morning

My total lack of perfection in, well, many of the things I'm trying to do right now is one reason my word for 2017 is grace.

We may be disorganized around here, but we're looking forward to 2017.

Helper

Evelyn is now at the age where she's much happier if she can help out while I'm working in the kitchen. Sponging off the counter is worth whole minutes of entertainment.

Loving potato

I love both how happy Evelyn is looking at Ben in this picture and also how much at one month old she resembled an adorably lumpy potato.

Surreal

It doesn't feel like it's been a whole year since Evelyn and I were just hanging out in bed together taking lots of naps all day.

Dignified

Habibti really appreciated how dignified Evelyn's birthday party was.

Advanced

Evelyn thinks that swim class is pretty awesome.

Evelyn moved up to the level two swim class today. Apparently, that entails a certificate, even at the tender age of one. What a gifted child. =D

Dated

Ben was looking for a family photo to put on his teacher website yesterday. This is the most recent picture of the three of us that I could find. Evelyn is three months old here. Perhaps it's time to take a new picture of us!

One

One year ago today our lives suddenly got a lot more complicated, sleep-deprived, and absolutely delightful.

Balloons

Evelyn had a great time with the balloons from the joint birthday party a couple weeks ago!

Different

I'm not saying that having a baby has changed absolutely every aspect of our lives, but I will say that Ben and I never felt the need to keep a duck and a pail in our bathtub before...

Home

Just over a year ago, we moved to our house. Moving when you're almost nine months pregnant is pretty exciting, but we have loved being in more space with a yard and a park right out the back gate.

Waiting

Evelyn is all ready for Grandma and Grandpa to arrive tomorrow... (Mommy and Daddy are pretty excited to see them too.)

Bonding

Today the cousins hung out for a while. They are pretty cute together!

Tiny

One of my favorite pictures of Evelyn, taken when she was only a week and a half old. She still really likes napping with her arms over her head.

Reading

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is some pretty engrossing literature these days.

Cousins

I only had my phone with me, so the pictures are not great quality, but Evelyn got to spend time with her cousin, Edmund. She was nonplussed.

Change

Our laundry is looking a little different these days...

Snuggly

The weather forecast claims that the summer temperatures are supposed to break tomorrow! Here's to cooler fall weather and snuggling under blankets - I hope.

Morning

I fell asleep at 6:30 yesterday, so I woke up very refreshed and ready to take Habibti on a sunrise walk this morning.

Calm

Today is the first day of school for my campus. This is my first year as an administrator, and there is still a lot that needs to be accomplished. I am hoping that everything goes smoothly and calmly, like this untroubled cloud.

Untroubled cloud (Not pictured, the brewing thunderstorm underneath.)