Anabel (stinkerbell, ana-belly, babybel) is already 9 months old. As long "on the outside" as she was "on the inside." She's Tarzan-walking now, on all fours, and she's "talking" Arnold-girl style, sort of endlessly and loudly and with an excited exuberance when there's a good story to share. She's still doing it with her mouth full, but we're giving her a little time :) She's eating everything she can get her hands on, which includes the fluff and string she finds when she flips up the edges of our area rugs. And she's starting to play games: "monkey-in-the-middle" ball games with her mom and brother, "where's the baby" peek-a-boo with anyone at all. Sam is graciously, though with thorough and deliberate consideration, slowly handing his baby and toddler toys down to her. The Playskool castle went last week. The soft stacking fishie containers are in the front hall closet, the last of the three-part process of seeing them go out the door.
It's hard to believe how quickly the months have passed (of course, I've never been up in the 
night with her...). Noting the date, I had to call up a photo of the boys' first 5 minutes with Baby Anabel. I love that picture: the reverance in their faces is priceless, as if—at the age of 3 — they already appreciate what a miracle she is. Now that she's hanging around at the bottom of the stairs, considering the climb up in to the boys' bedrooms to see what's going on, Anabel may soon be entering a phase of being not so tenderly regarded. She's about to get in the way. To topple carefully constructed pirate worlds, to rip pages from treasured books. She's what we now call "a growing concern." I imagine we'll hear quite a bit of "ANA-BEL!" over the next few months. Perhaps years. But something tells me that Carter and Sam will always be caring and careful older brothers (Sam won't use the word "cousin" for Anabel: he's her "brudder"...). In more ways than one, she's a lucky girl.
night with her...). Noting the date, I had to call up a photo of the boys' first 5 minutes with Baby Anabel. I love that picture: the reverance in their faces is priceless, as if—at the age of 3 — they already appreciate what a miracle she is. Now that she's hanging around at the bottom of the stairs, considering the climb up in to the boys' bedrooms to see what's going on, Anabel may soon be entering a phase of being not so tenderly regarded. She's about to get in the way. To topple carefully constructed pirate worlds, to rip pages from treasured books. She's what we now call "a growing concern." I imagine we'll hear quite a bit of "ANA-BEL!" over the next few months. Perhaps years. But something tells me that Carter and Sam will always be caring and careful older brothers (Sam won't use the word "cousin" for Anabel: he's her "brudder"...). In more ways than one, she's a lucky girl. 
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