New Hire!

Abraham Augustus DePasquale

Matchy-Matchy.

Amy and Violet in the photo booth

Violet has hit a particularly dynamic patch. Case in point, Violet convinced Amy that she wanted to take photo booth photos, until the moment that she didn't. When the strip was printed, Violet took it and immediately threw it into the trash. We'll be deducting the five bucks from her college fund.

(This is a test.)

In Case You Forgot What We Look Like

My dear friend Chrissy is no stranger to any readers of this blog. We asked her to do a family portrait of the Sumertons.

The results are here.

Basically, you should have Chrissy Deiger Photography take pictures of your family.

Popular Demand

And this little gem, from our very dear friend Chrissy Deiger, who does this professionally (although this picture was part of a very spur-of-the-moment photo shoot in Toledo):

For the longest time, Violet was what we liked to call "a tough crowd." She smiled a lot, she chuckled quite a bit, but it took a great deal of effort to get a laugh; and if she laughed at something, she only did once. (The second time we got a rolling laugh, for example, she was about three months old. Jason kept saying, "Happy bath! Happy bath!" in this ridiculous, high-pitched voice, and she found it hilarious. For the next two weeks [at least], one or the other of us would try the phrase over and over to no avail.)

It felt like she was thinking, Yeah, I laughed at that. I already laughed at that. What else do you have?


Which was a challenge Jason and I were up to, although I can't say we were regularly successful.

And I loved this about her. I found it cute and smart and probably gave her more credit about it than I should have.

 But do you know what's even better? A baby who laughs often, and -- dare I say? -- this week it seems like we have one of those on our hands.

THIS baby.

THIS one, you guys. THIS baby. THIS is the baby we live with.

Also THIS one...

THIS one...

And THIS one:

Where We Wed

We've been visiting Indiana monthly since Violet was born. On our most recent visit, we took her down to the beach where we got married:

Glass Half-Full...

(Click to enlarge...)

Some People Say Violet Looks Like Her Dad...

...to me, she looks like Violet. (Mostly, she looks like a baby, which means she looks like any number of -- SPOILER ALERT -- old men.)

She has her dad's face shape for sure, but those are definitely Sumerton eyes.

And...you know who else she looks like? Here are a handful of doppelgangers:

And, just so that you don't get the idea that I don't think she's pretty -- because, dear me, she is PRETTY, thegirlisgorgeous -- she also has a striking resemblance to:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to my beloved husband! Together we have made an altogether brilliant (she smiles at the leopard in her book every time -- she's gifted!), funny (the "walking"? the Bee Feet? the thundercloud?), goofy (how about that thing she does with her tongue?!), scary (she rolls her eyes back sometimes when she sleeps in a way that is a little creepy; also it is terrifying to love something THIS MUCH), and incredibly sweet (see: every move she makes!) girl. Thanks for being my fearless partner in the most overwhelming and tear-filled and frightening and JOYFUL thing I've ever done. I love you more than anything, except Violet, with whom you are tied.

P.S. I did this whole thing one-handed.