welcome party

O is for Oscar who is 0 years old.

We had some friends and family over this weekend to celebrate Oscar and the near-finishing after several months of hard work of our new attic playroom. Thanks to generous offers from guests, I had a full table of delicious food without my having to do anything more than put some cucumbers and hummus in a bowl.

And for the first time, our house felt gigantic! We hosted nearly 30 people at the same time, several of them young and rowdy children, but with the second floor to play in it all seemed quite doable and not overwhelming.

Oscar got passed around and snuggled and adored; Lucy shared toys and danced and at one point (almost unbelievably) found herself the instigator of a hug party.

We noted the irony that with our first baby, no one was allowed near her while drinking hot coffee; now with the second, coffee around the baby is fine but no one is allowed to drink it anywhere near the playroom.

Amazing bumblebee honey cupcakes made by my amazing neighbor Ilona.

Lucy dances while eating her cupcake.

Titi en pointe in the new playroom.

Lilac on the newly carpeted stairs.

Lucy drinks some fresh-bottled orange juice, a gift from our brewer neighbor (the grown-ups got beer).

Oscar the Fig

Introducing:

Oscar Finis Broughton

Born at 7:21 am on Friday the 13th after 25 minutes at the hospital.

8lbs 9oz
21.25 inches long
Finis rhymes with Linus.

i called broccoli "trees", and she ate the broccoli!

This post is not about broccoli. What I mention in the post title did happen tonight at dinner, but there is not much more to say about it, other than Hooray! Towards the end I was asking her if the trees had birds in them, and then she would pick up a piece and say "birds!" and toss it into her mouth. So maybe the secret to vegetable-eating is to go the Queen of the Savages route.

My parents brought over their new puppy Arlo today. It made me realize that almost one year ago, our friends Emily and Charlie were having a baby, and our friends Erin and Eddie had just gotten a new puppy. Now, one February later, Erin and Eddie have just had a baby and my parents have just gotten a new puppy.

Lucy meets Biscuit, February 2010

Erin meets Scarlett, February 2010

Arlo, February 2011

Ramona Jane Parker, born January 31, 2011

I wonder who will be all fresh and new next February!

friday cute shot

a fresh one

Maybe it's because I held an hours-old baby yesterday, but when I got home from work Lucy seemed much older, sitting on the floor on her knees, playing with her trucks and trains.

Welcome to the world, Ramona Jane!

by this time tomorrow . . .

. . . my little brother will be a dad! You guys are going to be awesome.