Happy New Year

I'll be honest, this one-month lag hasn't been entirely accidental. (My stage-mom will kill me for saying this, bu...) my sister was afflicted with a terrible bout of baby acne, and we didn't think it would make for the best visuals, so we've been waiting out this awkward newborn phase from the sidelines until the coast was clear(er).

And now, lest I let another 10 months go by, a quick accounting of the past several weeks.

First, I'm really digging Abby. When I'm not ignoring her, I find her to be super chill, and she barely flinches when I steal her pacies (I'm told withdrawal is a common part of the addiction cycle). All that said, she's a hell of an eater, snacking nonstop, and hasn't let my mom get more than 3 consecutive hours of sleep since Aug 4. (witness her no-nonsence latch just below, even as the rest of the us clown around).

Suffice it to say, she defies all Kriegel genetic traits, weighing in at 10 lbs, 3 oz at her one-month visit (that's 63%), with 75% in height and a whopping 80% in head. (To give some perspective, I've consistently hovered around the 25-30% all around).  She's also got this blonde hair and these super-blue eyes, which leave a number of folks scratching their heads. Nordic complexion aside, she's undeniably a girl version of me, which has helped to quell people's suspicions.

In other news, I started pre-school again and have adjusted seamlessly to life in the 3's. And my Aunty Donna came from Oz for a visit that was way too short. I'll miss her, but I think my parents will miss her even more — no more date nights or quiet mornings. She was a bit of a Mary Poppins, popping in at just the right moment to offer relief and make everything feel easy-breezy, for a tease of a week anyway. Now, it's back to the chaos that is our life.

Aunty Donna is also quite the photographer, so for once, we got some photos from a real live camera.