Day Three Hundred and Ninety-Seven

The Newest Member of the Family! 

Meet Miss Zoe (with the two dots on the "e")! My newest baby cousin was born three days ago, on October 8, 2012. At 8 1/2 pounds and 19 1/2 inches, she's one healthy baby who loves eating, sleeping, and peeing on her dad! We left Olympia this morning and made a pit stop in Yakima before heading back to Spokane. She's wonderful. And so very beautiful! What a little blessing!

Adam can't seem to get away from all the babies around...and it's beginning to make me nervous! He's a certified daddy natural; just so good with children. We talked about babies today, and I'm pretty sure we came to the conclusion that maybe a few years down the road, we'll introduce another Conley into the world. For now, the world isn't ready for another one. At least that's what we think. God might have another plan though. I suppose we'll see. My grandma just told us that we ought to invest in a nursery. I think she's lost her marbles.

Big Sister Claire and Adam hanging out with Hulk the Hedgehog. She's been an only child for 6 years now, so getting used to her new role may be a bit of a challenge for her. She told us today, "Zoe is taking all my attention. I want all the attention." It was sweet and sincere, but my aunt and uncle are doing a wonderful job making sure she's getting the attention she needs. It'll take some time for her to adjust, but I know she'll make one amazing big sister.

Gosh I love babies. Especially Zoe Eliene. I had way too much fun today. 

Her teeny tiny hands are just too precious! It's a miracle that each of us start so little and grow so big.

Man hand. Newborn hand.

Claire Ani and I! When she was born, I was living with my aunt and uncle...so the two of us spent a lot of time together! I've missed my little friend (and cousin) dearly and was so excited to see her today! She's growing up so fast and it bums me out that I can't see her more. But we decided that we'll start Face Timing more often to remedy the distance. Be a good big sister, Missy!

We sped back to Spokane and headed immediately to the Dougherty's apartment for a homemade dinner. Boy do I love homemade dinners! We haven't had a lot of them in the past month, so this was a nice change of pace. Katie's become quite the homemaker and certainly knows how to make her guests feel right at home.

I LOVE THIS WOMAN! Katie is the greatest. We haven't seen each other since April, and I was sure missin her. We became immediate friends toward the end of our college days and have remained very close over the year that we've been apart. It's always a riot when I'm with her...a never ending session of laughter and smiles and I hate that I can't see her more than once or twice a year. I always feel fulfilled after saying goodbye...a perfectly content heart and a happy happy soul. I'll miss her.

The four of us - Seth, Katie, Myself, and Adam - all showed up in gray shirts and blue jeans. That's the definition of friend soul mates! Ha! Love them.

We turned 12 years old tonight and laughed immaturely over a ridiculous photo shoot I put on.

It was imperative that we got an 8-year-old sleepover pose for the record books. Like, so cute, right?! Too much fun!