Speaking of photography, Mandy was in town a bit ago and did a marvelous photo shoot with Baby Girl. She did some really cool black and white ones and some artsy cropping, but for some reason I can't upload those. But here are some of my favorites:
The photographer and her muse (and Mutt):
Ophelia took her first trip to the Rook farm on Sunday. Sam tinkered with a tractor, Jason made a savory lunch with veggies Larissa grew, I walked Ophelia around while she oogled the animals, and Larissa captured it all beautifully on film here: Ophelia takes the lead
All photos by Larissa 
Last Thursday, I was one of 600 lucky people (well I was lucky, others were rich) who got to see the Vice Presidential Debate in person. I was going to write all about how cool it was, and what an honor, but I can sum it up pretty quickly.
Get to campus, campus was a mess, wait, wait, wait, I got a ticket!, get on the bus, go through security, watch the media circus, be sad TMZ isn't there, stand behind Mike Bush and Deanne Lane so Lindsay, my mom, and Sam could see me, text Lindsay while she watched me on TV, go inside, stand in line for 20 minutes for the ladies room, sneer at young people with McCain pins (old people are more excusable), shake hands with Jay Nixon, almost brush up against Chris Wallace, settle into my nosebleed seat where I can see one podium (whose will it be?), spot Bob Schieffer, Katie Couric, Joe Lieberman, envy another PhD student I see sitting in a much better seat, watch Rudy Giuliani and his wife come in, take a picture of Gwen Ifill for Lindsay (not allowed), be real quiet as debate starts, oh, bummer, we get the view of Biden, shudder at "I'd like to talk about energy" and "maverick" repeat, repeat, text Lindsay (also not allowed), repeat, repeat, debate ends, take lots of pics of the families mingling on stage, shuffle out, return my little WU seat cushion, and then...the coolest part of the entire night....walk past a stunningly beautiful girl in the hallway and realize it is
Baby Girl is a smiling fool now. She's happiest in the morning, but she'll smile all day long if you talk to her, sing to her, or just smile at her. She's a happy happy baby. She's also discovering her hands, shoving them in her mouth a lot, staring at them until her eyes cross, and opening them more.
Man, she's cool.
She just started facing forward in the Baby Bjorn. The very first time I walked down to New Dawn to buy some hippie food and she was awake, looking around, mesmerized by her new view. I put some things in a bag, took them to the counter, and the two girls that work there burst into hysterics. She was passed out, head back, arms lax. Mouth breather.
