Quality time

Isn't it about... time? Nothing could be more true for Abram. This little girl seems to be growing on him, and rather quickly.

If only that could make her even just a tad more agreeable... say, around bed time? One fears to hope.

As for now, while Bri is often away, Grandma Nae, Aunt Squirts, and I take turns trotting this finicky disposition of a girl around the house. Contorting our bodies into all sorts of uncomfortable positions, or challenging our endurance for side swoop lunges -- anything for a sliver of silence. And then the handoff. Thankfully for me, there IS a handoff.

I am so grateful to them for their unending willingness to comfort Halyn, and me also. How thankful I am that Grandma Nae said "yes" when we asked if we could intrude a few weeks (which turned into six months) while in transition to California. What would I have done otherwise? This setup has been so great -- I'm married, but with roommates. I will greatly miss, miss, miss it.

Just Halyn

Again, it's hard to believe that we had these photos taken by someone other than Angela and Gerardo. I mean, when I was first pregnant (and Angela was the first to know), I had grand plans to have them shoot my newborn photos because I've never had newborn photos done and, well, have you SEEN the newborn photos they do? Who wouldn't want to go to them? Alas.

Poor little Halyn was not cooperating by any means, so I'll have to say that these two shots were the best we got. Luckily, I think, they're pretty darn cute.

They also mean so much to me because my grandmother gave me that little antique baby buggy when I was expecting Marin (way back when). Marin was the first child/grandbaby/great grandbaby, and Granny, as always, wanted to give me something special to pass along.

Truthfully, if we had waited any longer, Halyn absolutely would not have fit in this miniature buggy. She was only 3 weeks in these photos! My goodness.

I wrapped Halyn in Granny's shawl and hoped that she would stop crying and fussing for just one shot. By some miracle, she paused just long enough. Phew.

Halyn is the only one of my children that my grandmother never held. When Granny was dying, I leaned over and whispered in her ear that I was going to have another baby. I just couldn't imagine how my life could go on after the day she left us. How could I enjoy anything significant all the while wondering what it would've been like had Granny been there with me? But somehow, life does continue on, and although I have no physical proof, I have great comfort in knowing these two are still connected.

This little Halyn is a lucky girl. I look forward to showing her these pictures of herself, when she was just a newborn, all wrapped up in her great grandmother's love, and how her being born gave us sweet comfort. I have a lifetime of stories to tell her.

The Hulse Family Way

Play. Play. Play.

Is it even a remote possibility that we took family pictures without our dear photog friends Angela and Gerardo Garmendia? Barely! We did it, but we didn't like it. Well, we liked it a little. The truth is, we can't fly to Texas every year for family pictures, or every time we need to capture an important moment. And since no one could ever surpass Garmendias in our minds, Aynn did a great job. Especially with what she had to work with -- us!

Marin

STOP growing up Marin!

She doesn't listen.

She just doesn't listen.

Santi

A girl without freckles is like a night without stars.

I've heard that quote several times before... it just never looked so good as this.

Abram

You want some of this?

How about some of that?

Halyn

Here's our little bundle at just 3 weeks.

How could we be this lucky?

Abram fell down, and bumped his crown...

...and the girls came tumbling after.

Actually he didn't bump his crown, but he was stung by a bee. Poor kid.

When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder,

who has a chance against us?

I have NO idea.

Being a father of four is so becoming on Brian.

Abram turning it on. Mostly for the ladies, but for anyone who's looking. There's more where that came from.

My boys. Any more would be too much. Really. I'm quite serious.

And I don't want to toot my own horn but, I just did.

Braggadocio.