Time's A-Flyin'

The hours pass like days and the days pass like hours.  Turns out life with a new baby fits this little saying to a T.  You'd think I'd remember, you know, having done this all twice before.  Either I was more out of it than usual during those first few weeks of having both Abby and Ellie and simply cannot recall the blur, or one's mind really is wiped clean with each child born into the world so that the species can and will continue.  Or both.  In any case, 8 hours a day spent feeding and 8 more hours dealing with what happens while the feeding is going on tends to leave little time for much else - including blogging.  Which means, it's time to catch up on 5 weeks of...?  Let's see what I can recall:

We said good-bye to Nana, who kept us all cleaned and fed and loved while Patrick entered the world; Abby finished Kindergarten and immediately assumed the title of "First-grader"; we took our first walk to the park; Cousin Mollie was born - 9 days after Patrick, but 3 weeks early!; after losing 1/2 lb his first week, Patrick gained back 3 1/2 lbs during the following 2 weeks and began his journey as our Chubba Bubba; we celebrated the 4th of July, complete with Abby breaking both bones in her lower right arm after slipping on a blow-up water slide;  we got new carpet in the toy room and on the stairs (hooray!);  Nana came back up to our house to attend the Hill Cumorah Pageant with us and take everyone but Daddy back to VA with her;  Mommy had a great week of relaxation in VA and took Patrick on his first plane ride back to Buffalo;  the girls had a super fun time giving Nana and Granddad a run for their money during their second week in VA - a camping trip to Jellystone Park the definite highlight;  we were reunited (thanks to Nana's brave flight back with the girls) once again AND...last, but certainly not least, Patrick started to smile!!!  (Good thing I take pictures to remind me, eh?)

4th of July spent in downtown Buffalo - and at 3 different medical facilities!

Ellie's idea of "playing" at the park in VA, Abby's idea of camping (flowers encircling the fire pit, wearing a dress - and of course playing with fire), and face/arm painting at Jellystone.  Too much fun!!!

And finally, a look at our big boy getting bigger from weeks 2-6:

QFTD

Abby, watching me scroll through photos on my phone: "Even if you see a picture that you took that you think looks junky, you can't displete it.  Except if someone's head is cut in half - then you can displete."

Abby: "When are we going to move to a new house?"  Me: "What new house would we move to?"  Abby: "We could move to a house in Bah-jinia."  Me: "What would Daddy do about work?"  Abby: "Well, he could just drive up here."

Me, after picking up the girls at the airport with Nana: "Were you girls well behaved?" Abby: "Yep."  Me: "And, if I ask Nana if you were well behaved?"  Abby, voice level dropping: "Well, kind of. (quietly)...No."

Abby, while we drove home: "Mom, can we go to the park?"  Me: "No. Not right now.  I need to go home and organize my life."  Abby: "What does 'organize your life' mean?"

Ellie: "Oh yeah - Abby's karate skills are comin' back!  Are you ready for the ninja?"  (Abby does karate move, resulting in a crash landing.) Ellie:  "Nope. Not ready for the ninja."

Me, in response to one of Patrick's explosions: "Uh-oh."  Abby: "You can say that again."

Abby:  "I have two talents. One is, that I can hear a story and picture it in my mind!  The other one is that I can go upside down and still picture the story in my mind."

Ellie, observing me coo over Patrick: "Why do you love him more-ther?"

Ellie, watching me transfer pumped milk into freezer storage bags: "What are you doing with that milk?"  Me: "Putting it in the freezer to save."  Ellie: "Oh! You're storing it for winter?"

Ellie, listening to me answer the phone when Grammy called: "No - you're supposed to say "Mom" and she's supposed to say "Honey.""

Abby: "Dad, you and me need to have a talk."  Adam, caught by surprise: "Ohh. What about?"  Abby: "We need to have a talk about saving my money.  Mommy said...we need to talk about things we need and things we want."  Adam:  "Okay...What is something you need?"  Abby: "An alarm clock."  Adam: "And why do you need an alarm clock?"  Abby:  "To tell me when to wake up for school.  They sell them at Toys R Us in the section by the dolls and I need to buy one."

Abby: "When I grow up I want to be a ninja."  Me: "Really?  Why a ninja?"  Abby:  "So I can walk upside-down and on the walls."  Me: "I thought you wanted to be a missionary?"  Abby: "I want to be both."


Abby, utterly overcome with excitement: "Mom! Ellie has a freckle on her hand JUST LIKE ME!!! That's what she's been waiting for all these years - to be like me - and now she has one!"  Ellie: "Look Mom!  A freckle like Abby's!" Abby: "Now we are twins in our hearts."