Enjoy.

Showing off her new tricks.

P.S. I added a new link to the Family and Friends list: The Journey of Ellis. Please visit and send prayers and positive energy to this family.

Graham thought I should give a run-down of Maggie's recent developments, so here are the highlights in no particular order:

1. After several months of soldier crawling, she has finally popped up on all fours and is cruising around the house like a champ.

2. Not only does the crawling suddenly come with ease but so does standing. She regularly finds a table edge or arm or railing to hoist herself up and check out the view. She'll stand comfortably – supporting herself with her hands – until she gets bored and struggles to find her way back to the ground. Every so often she'll just let go and... ker-plunk.

3. More and more solid foods are making their way into her diet but I wouldn't call her a "hearty" eater. She's not necessarily picky about foods but just not all that excited about them. She usually complies and accepts that it's something that she has to do but rarely does she eat with fervor... unless we're talking about pickles... that's a different story.

4. She has not granted us another mimic since that lovely, first "da-da". It seems that was a freak occurrence. She does, however, constantly run around saying "mum mum ma ma mum mum" but there's no indication that she knows what those words mean (or the effect they have on my heart strings).

5. Sleeping? Let's not talk about it. (In short, still waiting to experience a beautiful, silent night.)

Well, I think that covers it. Please let me know what I've forgotten.

P.S. Yes, she's wearing a basket.

Here are a few picture taken outside of the house. All-in-all it was a great weekend and good way to say goodbye to summer and welcome fall.

These are glimpses of the most perfect little cottage that we rented last weekend. So full of charm and a wonderful collection of mid-century furniture and detail. It was interesting that so many items in this cottage are celebrated collectibles, however, there wasn't at all a feeling of pretension. Actually it was just the opposite and every room just felt open and comfortable. After knowing a bit about the owners, we decided that this isn't the home of an antiques dealer or furniture connoisseur (as one might guess) but that it must have been furnished during the same period that it was built and simply never updated. Lucky for the owner, she chose her decor well.

Anyone looking for a great Bethany rental, just two blocks from the beach, let me know. I'd be happy to pass this along.

Maggie and Graham surprised me at work, today, by sending this series. (The second one is my favorite!)

We've returned from our last summer hoo-rah with much to tell but suddenly I don't feel like blogging. We received more details of baby Ellis' condition and my heart is breaking. Whether you know this family or not, please send good thoughts and love to their little boy.

Apparently Maggie likes playing in the grass. A lot. So much so that she left a few grooves in the dirt.

Well, we are in week two of our new life and still no major complaints. In a way it's nice to have things evolve, a bit, and I'm still very grateful that I got to spend so much of her earliest weeks and months at home.

Being flexible has been crucial and I can see that my original plan to nurse the whole first year may not come to fruition. Right now, we nurse once in the morning and once at night with formula in between. I decided that the whole pumping thing was too much to deal with and I've already seen that my body has gotten the hint. As much as I hate to say it, there is a sense of relief and it's good to feel like a human again and less like a vending machine.

The best thing about working, though, is coming home. I love love putting my key in the door and having Maggie give me the biggest smile when I step through it. The arms wave, the eyes light up, the squealing begins... it is the best thing to have waiting for me.

I discovered at least one benefit to Graham losing his job... he actually has energy on the weekend! Before, I was always pestering him to get out of the house with me and Maggie, but now he's actually dragging us out. Tonight we went to the park after Maggie had her dinner and it was such a good way to close-out the daylight hours. I hope this becomes a more regular event. (At least while the weather lasts.)

More splish'n and splash'n... and this time I was there to enjoy it.

Being back at work has been fine, so far, but I really do miss this little girl. I know that she and Graham are doing great together (and I'm happy that he gets to have so much time with her) but this adjustment is so sudden and we've been frantically trying to put pieces together over the past week, making sure that our ship doesn't sink. We just have to stay positive, I guess, and definitely keep things in perspective. While we might think this is scary, we have family friends in Missouri going through far worse... our thoughts are with baby Ellis.