one fine summer day in our backyard

happy summer!

Well, it's officially summer at our house! I just picked our first tomato from the garden. What a beauty!

And, judging by the looks of those vines, there'll be plenty more where that came from!

happy one month, mabel!

smilin' . . .

chatting with big sister . . .

smiling at each other . . .

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strawberry day

Hey, all! We had a hot, fun, summer-y day! After Brant left for work, I packed up the girls and took my first trip alone with the two of them since Mabel was born. Deep breath! I can do this! And off we went to Arendtsville to pick strawberries! (Mabel only screamed for about a half-hour of the drive.) We met up with my parents, who had already filled a bunch of baskets. After spending a lovely morning outside in the sunshine, we went over to this awesome restaurant, The Apple Bin, for lunch and then headed back to my parents with all the delicious strawberry loot. We all played for a while--Mabel was sooo content at my parents' house. She was an angel the whole afternoon. Then we got all packed back up to come home!

And if only you could smell them too . . . mmmm :)

A lovely day. And cute little Mabes is exhausted . . . 

we love our Mabel!

Maybe a little too much!  :)

one week old!

Little Mabel is one week old today! She is happy and alert and changing so much every day. We took her to her first doctor's appointment this week, and she passed with flying colors! The doctor even said she gained her weight back so fast that we can skip the usual 2-week appointment and just come back in a month. :) She is certainly an eater! I have to say, I really like this newborn stuff more the second time around. Way easier. Except that I have to juggle Annie and her varied two-year-old emotions, but she's a huge help and keeps me grounded and feeling loved. She adores her new baby sister. And Mabel seems to know Annie's voice, more than Brant's or mine, in fact. She always turns her head and follows the sound when she hears Annie. It's really sweet.

Here Annie is showing Mabel how to do the upside-down two-finger suck, which Annie mastered so well. It may be a little early still. :)

She's here!

Mabel Rose Ellsworth
born May 14, 2011 at 2:02pm
7 lbs, 19 in long