Franny's new suit

Among other "big sister" goodies, Auntie brought over a new swim suit for Franny during her visit this week.

And how pleased Franny was! We thought she would insist on wearing it to bed, but in the end, it came off, as all clothes do.

A rare mellow moment

Franny and her daddy enjoying a lazy morning.

It all depends on your perspective...

Franny is slowly adjusting to the arrival of her new little brother. She can be very sweet with him, but it has been very hard for her, as well. Although things are smoothing out a bit now, her temperment has been best described by her daddy as "unreasonable!". Although toddlers are unreasonable by nature, his assessment has merit. One way it has manifested itself is in her bedtime routine. She now is sleeping with her doll, Elmo, four plastic ducks, any combination of four blankets, two pillows, the same pair of PJs every night, as well as her favorite sweater and a water bottle. Keeping track of the location of all these things is a challenge in itself. An additional bedtime story is also frequently requested. She has also had some difficulty falling asleep--or, more likely, is fighting sleep--which has led to some interesting conversations with herself (or doll or Elmo or whoever) and some interesting sleep positions. I am a big believer in wisely picking my battles with Franny, so unless she is trying to push her limits, I try to let her do her thing and give her as much control as is reasonable. With sleep-deprived parents, however, the line between reasonable and unreasonable can be very fuzzy.

The pool was a big splash

This past weekend, Franny went to a birthday party of one of her playgroup friends. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and they were able to use the blow-up swim pool. Franny was in heaven. They climbed in and out, threw the ball at each other, scooted around on their tummies, and did A LOT of splashing and cannonballs. It's wonderful to see her have such a good time, after the hard week she had watching us come and go from the hospital. And having her come to the side of the pool and yell "Hi Mama!" made my heart melt and allowed me to escape a bit from reality's chaos. Not to mention that smile!