Surprise!

A week ago my parents came up and helped me build a veggie garden in my backyard. Dad and I had a lot of "fun" measuring twice and cutting 3-4 times since we "only" had a circular saw to cut through 4x6es. Mom shoveled dirt like she was in Nica again.



String to keep things level. The first 22.5 degree cut. Plastic bag on foot to keep the boot clean.



Siena helped facilitate. :)



This is supposed to look like that farmer painting with our improv pitchforks.



The finished product, complete with peppers, rubarb, strawberries, tomatoes, squash and basil! See more pictures on the Nicholson smugmug.

The weekend forcast was for sun, but we sure had some showers! (Bad, baaaad joke.) The Armstrong/Sorbello men were esentially banished from the Sorbello (Sr.) house because it hosted a shower for Jen (and Emma) Jarvis and Saturday, then Kelly (and baby girl #2) Ludwick on Sunday.



Jen had a lot of old college friends come up for her shower, here with Aubrey, Megan and Wyatt!



FBC ladies



Fun/gross game: Guess the type of candy bar melted in a diaper.



Jen's twin sister Ashley was a great emcee.



And Siena was there, too. :)



(Saturday night we went to the Keefers to watch a JoshHamilton documentary (so good!) and Siena and Cody did some bonding.)

The instructions for Kelly's shower were to come dressed 9+ months prego and bearing only diapers as gifts. Kelly knew about the diapers, but not about the wonderful bellies...



Kelly and her mama



Aunt Sarah and Siena hanging out before the party started.



Nope, it's not real, but very convincing.



Bellies!



Sunday night after Bible study, Siena practiced her first consonant while sitting on Jen's lap.

Between baby showers, parent-visits, and our general social pandemonium, last week/end wiped me out. So on Monday morning, as any mother of a sweet, happy-to-stay-in-bed-babe would do, I slept in until nearly 10:30. I might have slept the day away if it weren't for a knock on the front door that sent me scrambling for some decent clothes. After a few knocks, the door opened and a familiar voice called hello. I thought it was Bethany, but noted that her voice sounded strangely like someone else's...and then around the corner came the gallivanting wonder herself: Gracie! (very "coincidental" since I had overheard Grammy telling Liz King that she didn't expect to see Gracie any time soon, even a year, perhaps.)



*Later on Monday I took Siena to her 6 month doctor's appointment. She weighs 18lbs 13.2 oz and is 28 inches long. Contrary to popular belief, her head circumference is in the normal range (75%ile) while her height is 95% and weight is somewhere in between. No heart murmur was detected and I'll call to make her cardiology appointment later this month. She had her third round of vaccinations which she recovered from much faster than the first two times, and doesn't need any more until 12 months. Yahoo.*

On Tuesday nights we go to the Jarvis abode to watch American Idol, but we stopped by the Sorbellos' first where they were having dinner since Patty (Richie's mom) is in town.



I had Gracie hold Siena up with a backdrop of cherry blossoms* because I liked Sydney's pictures so much, but she wasn't really feeeelin' it. *Mom, do these blossoms look like yours?



We had better luck a few minutes later in the wisteria.



Got it!



Since we don't know when she might breeze through town again, we had to get some shots of Auntie Gracie with all the kiddies (and their holders).



Breakdown for Siena. Grace sympathizing.



The toddler "10" in motion



YaYa (Patty) and the Armstrong fam.

And then we were off to South Davis for Idol and other activities...



...like Shiloh giving Jeremy a mowhawk.



...and Siena reppin' UCD Wrestling (with the usual drool dripping from her chin).

Today I joined Sarah and Gracie at In N Out for lunch. Siena loves Gracie! You can tell because she's either laughing at her or going in for the kiss/suction. Our joke is that "if you come 90, Siena will come 40" (from Hitch).



lick the auntie.



suck the nose.



embrace it.



Nothing puts a smile on Sarah's face like a little Diet Coke.

Nothing puts a smile on MY face like a baby sleeping in her own bed for 3+ hours now (after staying up until 2 last night trying to put her down). I'd better get some sleep before my luck runs out! :)