Victory at last

After days of trying, Lindita can now grab her feet. She first noticed them about a week ago. She stared and stared. Since then she's been trying to operate her hands, aiming for them. Yesterday she finally grasped them, both of them. Then she smiled. We cheered. Her big sister is proud. She even lets Lindita wear her socks from when she was a baby.

Here she is the day she noticed her feet:



Evelyn has been sick for a few days. We have a virus, and she had a high fever for a long time. She laid in bed with me and told me about parades, fireworks, sledding, and many other things she does with Pa-Pa, Uncle Seth, Mama Cat, and Bean Dog. She wants her purple butterfly blanket when she's sick. Mama Cat bought that for her years ago.

Today I had a beautiful lunch. I had my hair cut, then walked to the hot dog place for a lamb gyro and chili dog. It was gorgeous, 69 and sunny. The guy on the radio says low of 14 tonight and 30% chance of snow by midnight -- crazy!

Another wonderful weekend

The girls are getting smarter and smarter. Evelyn is now sleeping in panties, and she is using the big potty instead of the little potty chair. She has begun asking, "Why?" She wants us to make up stories about Diego and Dora, in which Evelyn rides her "yellow skateboard with yellow knee pads and yellow elbow pads and a yellow helmet with a black three" or her pink horse or Lightning McQueen the famous race car. In these stories, Evelyn is always the fastest. Sometimes while riding her yellow skateboard she races with Lightning McQueen, and Evelyn is still the fastest.

Lindita, um, well, she looks at us and smiles. She has outgrown all the small diapers and is almost too big for 3-6 month clothing. She coos at us, and squeals and chirps like a wild bird.

Evelyn turns three in about two weeks. She is excited about turning three, because then she can be a baseball batter. That's what she wants to be when she grows up, and she thinks that three is grown up. She dismisses any notion of being five or six; three is all she needs.

Three months, and still alive

Today Linda Estrella is 3 months old. Evelyn is 2 years and 11 months. They're both alive and well, growing and learning. Evelyn adores her sister. She plays with her, tries not to squish her or kick her, and exclaims, "She smiled at me!" Yesterday she took a drawing to her, saying, "I will give it to my best friend, Lindita."

Lindita is smiley. She sleeps well at night, eats well, and spits up a lot. That's from overeating. She's wearing 3-6 month clothes and medium diapers. She has both parents, her sister, and her Nana securely charmed.

Evelyn is excited about turning 3 in February. "When I'm 3, then I will be a baseball batter." (She thinks 3 is grown up.) She loved Christmas, and she loved spending time in Hannibal with Mama Cat, Pa-Pa, Uncle Seth, Aunt Bunny, Jeremy, and Bean. When she came home, she hugged Daddy, hugged Mama, and then asked, "Is Lindita here?"