Home sweet home...

So it seems that I start every blog entry these days with some acknowledgment of how long it has been or how little time I have had to sneak in an entry. You would think I could cut myself some slack...what with all the traveling, jet lag, visitors (much appreciated visitors mind you), nasty old cold caught from a very friendly baby named Gideon on our Boston to San Francisco leg of the trip, oh yeah and that pesky necessity of having to keep an eye on Rhea at every moment so as to keep the shoes, paper, cats, cords, cameras, coffee mugs, needles and knives safely out of her reach (ok...I am exaggerating with the needles and knives but you all get my drift). Slack doesn't come easily in these parts not when I know how many of you actually care enough to read these entries and keep up with our lives. It is much appreciated and still amazes me to know that more people than just my Mom and Hai Nhu tune in.

It has been an eventful week since arriving home. Seeing Papa again was precisely the lovely relief I imagined. We really did miss each other and bringing our little family back together again felt so right. Jet lag for the girl has been a bit brutal especially mingled with the above mentioned cold which we are still recovering from. But that was just a small price to pay for having the time at home with Grammy and Grandpa and our Telepciak family. Parting was made just a little bit easier knowing that Josie would be flying home with us for the week and that Tio Scotty would be arriving shortly after.

Thursday morning we got the joyous news that our good friends Shannon and Brandon had welcomed their little girl Havana into the world. We high tailed it to the hospital and spent time visiting and reveling in the absolute miracle that is a brand new baby only hours to this world. Rhea looked like the biggest most sturdy and advanced young lady next to little Havana and I almost expected her to get up and walk around the room to further assert herself as anything *but* a newborn (all things being relative as Havana was anything but little...weighing in at 8lbs 3 oz and looking like she was ready for all that life could throw at such a new being). By all accounts Shannon persevered through 24 hours of challenging back labor which is all I'm going to say here because it is really Shannon's story to tell. I am here to report however that Shannon looked positively stunning despite (or one could argue because of) the previous 24 hours which brought the oh so sweet fruit of all that labor.

Friday morning was the first morning that we awoke feeling the affects of our cold (and I thanked my lucky stars that I had insisted on washing my hands numerous times at the hospital before holding that beautiful new baby...course at the time I was convinced the hospital was teeming with germs..hate to think I was actually the one carrying them around) but we rallied nonetheless and met up with Kelli and her girls and Naomi and Milo at a very cool park for some catch up time and fun in the sun. I somehow managed to forget Rhea's sun hat and ended up having to fashion a kerchief out of a cloth napkin Kelli had...I wish I had gotten a better picture...because she actually looked heartbreakingly cute and downright stylish.

Saturday was a day spent food shopping for Tio Scotty's surprise birthday dinner and bemoaning the rhinovirus. Though I was feeling increasingly crappy I didn't want to waste a moment of Joanna time and kept trying to soldier on. Dinner was amazing and I was hit with the reality that it was the first dinner party we have had since Christmas!! Unbelievable. It was good fun and so nice to see everyone.

Sunday we went to Nana and Grandpa's for lunch. It had been so long since we had seen them that I swallowed a couple of Tylenol, grabbed a box of Kleenex and continued to put one foot in front of the other. I'm so glad I did...it was great for them to see Rhea and spend some time. All of the changes she has made, sometimes difficult for me to see as I am with her everyday, were marveled upon and celebrated. Though struggling with her own cold she was good natured and excited to be exploring her surroundings and showing off her new skills to her grandparents.

The rest of the week up until this point has been a blur of good food, lots of laughs and this lingering cold. Josie left late last night and we are both missing her...Rhea heard a door open this morning and turned her head quickly towards the spare bedroom with a huge smile as she was used to Joanna emerging from the other side of that door and smiling back. It was so nice to spend so much "down time" together. Just hanging out talking while playing with Rhea. It was a wonderful week and if I needed any reminding about how amazing Joanna is and how much I love her...our lazy days together would have been the perfect refresher. Of course no reminder was needed.

Luckily Tio Scotty is still here and I am being gradually weaned off of all this fun and excitement. My goal for the day is to take some good pictures with Rhea and her Tio, call Shannon to tell her the cold is nearly at bay so we can come visiting soon, and enjoy this beautiful sunshiny day. But for now I hear our girl stirring from her nap...and my stolen moment is gone.