I am totally in love with our baby girl, and a large part of me wishes she could stay like this; such an adorable, soft, warm, and delightful ball of life we get to hold, feed, and enjoy.

I know there are great things about each phase of childrens' growth, but I really get it now how people can be so crazy about babies! I know she can't stay this way, and I look forward to all the joys to come, but there's really something special about this time!

Ari's fifth week began with a beautiful fall walk we took with Dave.

When we were young, Jené and I spent many summers in North Carolina, visiting and playing with our cousins (who apparently are actually cousins once removed). We both have fond memories of those easy days of swimming, barbeques, catching fireflies, and helping to make homemade ice cream.

This week, Jené & Carter brought Lily, my 5 1/2 month old neice, (whom we met back in June) from Kentucky to meet Arianna. The two seemed to hit it off, and we're looking forward to them developing a strong relationship, despite the distance; they've already seen each other when we videoconference with Skype. I hope they will one day reflect with such a pleasant nostalgia on the memories of our families' visits.

Milestones

• Ari is now more than one month old! Counting in weeks still allows for good precision, but before I was a parent, it never seemed relevant, and was too specific for me. We'll probably still think in weeks for a while, but very soon we'll be counting in months!
• She's starting to follow our faces & voices, and definitely seems more aware of us.
• At her doctor appointment this week, she weighed 10 lbs, 10oz!
• This week was Ari's first Halloween!

Could she smell the candy...?