Tragic Summer Tale

I think that most parents have probably experienced the paralyzing panic induced by losing sight of their child for a couple of seconds on the playground/shopping mall/(fill in the blank). Ours happened a couple of weeks ago, in a crowded playground. Both the hubby and I were supposed to be watching C, but I thought he was watching her, and he thought I was watching her, and we were both chatting with other parents. I'm sure that we had lost sight of her for under a minute, but a lot can happen in a minute, and we were more than sufficiently freaked out.

And, not that I want to be a fear-monger, a lot can indeed happen in under a minute. 18 seconds, in fact, which is why I'm reposting a blog article that was published in "Philly Mag". It's a tragic but necessary (and extremely timely) reminder of why we need to be keeping a hawk's eye on our kids at all times, especially during swimming season.

• http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2011/06/02/18-seconds/

Fast Forward a Couple of Months

They grow pretty quickly, these itty bitty things. Ciel is now 6 months and almost three weeks. What the...??? When did that happen? She is still enormous (off the charts for height and 94% for weight), thanks to her daddy's genes (and magical boobs?). I think she's developing quite nicely. Her features are coming into focus, and, more importantly, she's stopped screaming. She was pretty much on perma-scream for the first three months of her life -- much to our

chagrin -- and then, one day, she woke up and decided that she was okay with the world. In retrospect, it seems like an overnight phenomenon -- like a light switch just went off. Blessed light switch!

I continue to obsess over her and fear that I may be over-parenting. She'll be that kid you see on her first day of kindergarten who screams bloody murder when her mom makes a move to leave. Sigh. What to do? Who knew that a heart was capable of so much love?

Ciel Iseul Haas

Born June 30, 2009. So she is now officially 2 months and 6 days old. And because it's 5 a.m. and I'm exhausted, I won't write anything witty or fun or lovely. Instead, I've posted photos that I think speak for themselves. Having said that much, I will say that our little girl is not so little any more. In fact, she is "off the charts", according to our doc. At 13 lbs. 13 oz. and 25 1/4", I'd say she's a Haas through and through. (Photos are in reverse chronological order.)

I've become a blogger

Once upon a time, people used to write diaries. Mine used to have little locks and keys and pretty pictures of ponies and princesses on the covers. Now (how 21st century of me!) I've decided to keep a diary that is open for all the world to see. And because I like to tap into the little girl in me sometimes, I've attached a pretty picture of a princess on a pony. There, my diary is now official!