Angelica has a new best friend!

My new niece and Angelica's new best friend, Anna Elizabeth, was born on August 7 at 12:47 am, weighing 7lbs, 10oz and 20.5 inches! (As a point of reference, Angelica was 7lbs, 11oz and 19.5 inches!) Mom (my sister, Stefanie), Dad (my brother-in-law, Will), and baby are doing well and should be coming home tomorrow.

As you can see she's already a cutie...and looks suspiciously like this little guy...


That would be her big brother Willy - 19 months old and adorable as can be! It may be easier to see the family resemblance though if you look at this picture, from December 27, 2006 - his birthday!


I'm so excited that she's finally here!

On the parenting front, things are going well. Angelica's really blossoming into quite the character...she smiles almost non-stop and is almost rolling over now...way too early but I'll take it! She is one super advanced baby! Here's a recent picture of her, from last weekend:



Over the past week, I've learned what I think is a pretty valuable lesson when it comes to parenting, and that's to throw "the book" away. "The book" being the guidelines that say what your kid should be doing at a certain time, or how you should react to certain situations. Books like Happiest Baby on the Block and the whole Dr. Sears attachment parenting books are great but when it comes down to it, you can't parent "by the book". If you listen to your child and stay in tune with him/her and follow your instincts, things will work out. That's not to discredit books...read them and borrow from them (at least the ones with sound, scientific advice) and then just do what works.

On that note, what works for me right now is SLEEP. I'm going to bed!