the closer look you (my imaginary readers) have been desperate for!

here she is, still just hours old, posing for auntie amy, who has already warned her to get used to it, because she's planning on taking at least a million pictures of rory by the time she is a year old. that takes the pressure off this auntie's pictures to be any good!

so the word is out. in addition to the 2oz weight discrepancy, the identical birth height, and 3 minute off birth time, looks like rory charlotte is taking even more after auntie kitty by charming all with her sweet, agreeable demeanor. now regardless of the loud, bossy monster i may have morphed into in the past three decades, i do have quite the reputation for having been a sweet and calm baby. at least that's what my mom says. and mom's are always right and completely unbiased. well, she certainly never made those claims about amy and abbie....

being a baby is like being britney spears or the grand canyon. everyone wants to pose for a photo op with you. i am especially an authority on the britney spears example, because once at a bus stop in the dusty interior of turkey at 5am, i was mistaken for britney by a bus of women wearing traditional head scarves, and appropriately fauned over and posed with. they didn't buy my protests, because, you know, i look just like her. true story. ask tristan.

here is rory obliging my various familial connections: (photos may be enlarged by clicking)















here is where you have to excuse my lack of web knowledge. i'd love to lay these photos out nicely, yet, don't know how! hopefully the order goes like so: proud brother, 14 year old kyle,

little cousin anika (age 7),

nana--my mom, who can't ever get enough babies!

cousin allyson (age 11), who grilled johnny the first time they met (abbie and johhny had been dating one month) on when they'd get married and have babies,

grandpa gus (age...oh jeez, nevermind!)