Annea's Baptism

Annea was baptized at exactly three months old, on June 29th, along with Emmerson Grube and Teagan Machnee. She did a great job, mostly quiet except for some incredibly loud screeching, which surprised everyone and made people laugh. It's been so great to feel like our family is complete, with three kids, and now our family is Orthodox. We can get down to the business of raising our kids!

It took me a while to put up her pictures, in part because we have a lot going on, but also because I already felt like I put them somewhere. I put them on facebook. I used to remark how people didn't seem to think events happened unless they took a picture of them, and now nothing counts that happens unless you put the picture of it on facebook. Weird. I'm going to try, after these beautiful, well-documented girls are grown, to take less pictures and just be where I am without feeling freaked out in advance that I will forget something without having photographic proof of it.

Getting ready, held by her godmother, Aimee Newberry.

Pre-dunking.

The full-immersion baptism. My friend Bill V. once said that in Orthodoxy, we take things literally, and go for the gusto. He said Orthodox people shouldn't put a bumper sticker of a fish on their car to show they are Christian, they should drive around with a fish tank. I like that. No sprinkling for this baby, she is dunked!

Oh Yeah!

Not so happy, afterward, but it was also nap time. Here she is getting chrismated.

Zonked out as soon as they left her alone.

Her first eucharist.

With Aimee.

With her godparents, Aimee and Kevin.

Our family with Aimee and Kevin. Annea spotted the Pontecrator Icon in the church's dome. We have several of these pictures, and in all of them she's looking up.

Her cake. Yummy!

In the christening gown, made by my mom for my family when Adessa was baptized, that I LEFT AT HOME. After we got back from church I put her in it real quick to get a picture. Oh dear.

Baby Baby

Pink Elephant Pajamas! On Annea...

Eliana, and...

Adessa.

Summer Funning

Riverside with Riverside cousins.

The girls' first slumber party (almost)!

The lovely Mission Inn. Lovely.

The Boardwalk with Oregon cousins.

The Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose.

Splashing around at the river.

An Afternoon at the Beach

Annea's first trip to the beach! All the while we asked ourselves: "Why don't we do this more often!?" And we are now resolved to.

June-ish, 2012

Adessa turned five years old on June 12th. We celebrated by dining out at Betty Burger, a family favorite, with Auntie Lolo and Grandpa Charles. Burgers and milkshakes were enjoyed by all!

Adessa is five years old. It begs some reflection, people. Five years of being a parent. Five years of Adessa Faye Lewis. In some ways she is so grown up, telling stories like a newscaster, relaying messages from Eliana, drawing and dancing and creating stories, giggling like crazy and making us laugh, asking questions and remembering the answers, wanting to discuss new information. And in some ways, she still reminds me of the little ditty: "There once was a girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, she was very very good, and when she was bad she was horrid." Adessa's curls are down her back, so her rhyme would have to be different. Her horrid times are getting somewhat... more evolved? She is more capable of getting herself under control, but her first impulse is to do what we refer to around here as: "freak out". We talk all the time about how to handle problems (she can't find the headband she wants), by using words to find solutions (Please, can you help me find the headband?) instead of freaking out. This is starting to work more and more.

She is beautiful, so beautiful, and so joyful and bright. She has a marvelous laugh, and loves to be silly with Eliana. She has a strong feeling about right and wrong, especially if she perceives a wrong being done to her. She loves to share with people, and always wants us to taste whatever food she's enjoying. She isn't physically affectionate very often, which is heartbreaking to me sometimes. Often trying to kiss her goodnight is the epicenter of her persnickety-ness displayed, and it frustrates me. I have to turn my cheek just so for her to kiss it, I can't try to kiss her first, and she has to make just the right smooch sound or we have to start the ritual all over. Arg! I think about my relationship with my mom, how I pushed her away while hoping she would pull me close, and resolve to keep trying with Adessa. I also think about how strong and wonderful Adessa is, and how hard I am on her. I know there's a fine line (for me, whose fundamental issue is a desire to be perfect) between raising up my kids to be their best selves for the glory of God, and raising them to be perfect, or to appear perfect. She is perfectly Adessa!

Her space picture: a rocket, a planet (with the ring around it), the moon, stars, and earth: "Earth looks like an easter egg." Yep!


Trying to make Annea smile. (We're getting more smiles these days!)


Reading with Daddy. (He sent me to get the camera because he loves how Eliana holds his face while he reads. She does it every night, making Calvin much more excited about reading before bed.)



At Betty Burger's!




Downtown.




Sweet Annea.

Almost 6 Weeks With Annea

Annea Annea Annea! She is so sweet and soft and chubby already and wide eyed, and smiling! I'm experiencing that falling in love feeling, and its so fun. Sometimes when she's sleeping I pick her up just to snuggle her and inhale her sweet baby smell and nuzzle the top of her head. It's made me realize that when Eliana was born, it was still all about Adessa. I was so worried about how Adessa would feel, replaced or displaced. Eliana "gave" Adessa a present the first time Adessa came to the hospital to see her baby sister. We asked people to talk to Adessa first, not coo over Baby Eliana right away, acknowledging her "big sister status. Sheesh. First time parents of two, my goodness. This time around, it was "Here's your baby sister, girls, deal with it." And they have.

Annea was looking alert, aware, and super interested in me the other day, so I got the camera and proceeded to be SO charming, witty and persistent that she smiled! For the camera! This is a little warm up grin, and then...


Smiling!! Her first real, big, dimple-producing, smile! Right on her 5 week birthday, and caught on film.


The girls!


Daddy and the girls.


Annea is a scooter, somehow got herself half-on and half-off her little bed.



Warning: This next one is not for the weak of heart (or stomach).
In one end and out the other! (And onto the floor, notice! And on every single piece of clothing I was wearing, including my underwear. Needless to say, we showered and were late to church.)



I'm happy to report I'm adjusting well, too. I am dealing with having three kids better than I expected. My hope has always been that the adjustment to three kids would be no harder for me than the adjustment to two. And when Calvin is gone, it is challenging, and I see myself snappy and crabby and cranky and not the gentle, give-the-benefit-of-the-doubt, patient mom that I am working to be. But it's doable! We are surviving! The house is holding up, even if it's dirty.* And I know how fast this baby-time goes, and I am enjoying it! I'm trying to be present and soak it up. **

*Here's how I analyze the devolution of our housekeeping. Normally, I notice something needs doing and put it on a list (because I loooove lists), and then I do it within a day or two. Now, I notice something needs doing, and put it on many lists (because I keep starting over on tiny scraps of paper that I then can't find), and it gets done by Calvin in a week or two.

**Along with the enjoyment of Annea's baby-ness, is the (hopeful) realization that this is our last baby. It is not bittersweet for me at all, it's just pure enjoyment. ***

***I'm having fun with stars. Along with the enjoyment of our last baby is the realization that I never have to be pregnant again! I'm so happy not being pregnant. I can eat without heart burn, sleep so comfortably, go to the bathroom at normal intervals instead of every 15 minutes, run and jump (okay, not yet, really, but soon!). I'm going to start working out (sometime, don't hold your breath, but I could!)