Bernard and Liz drove up to meet Elisha, hang with Jonah, help us retain the shreds of our sanity, and fix up stuff around the house. They did even more than all that, too, but my sleep has been uneven, so that’s the stuff that spring to mind. They returned to California yesterday, having spent the preceding eight days helping us with all the aforementioned items. HUGE thanks to them for their time and assistance. We’ll be spending a comparable amount of time in August on our annual California Summer Sojourn, but I dare say our visit to them won’t be nearly so helpful as theirs was to us.

Jonah started swim lessons yesterday, and he seems to be taking to the water well. (He had some classes last year that were truncated by illness so this isn’t his first time at the pool.) We’re hopeful that he’ll be able to dog paddle a little by the end of two weeks.

Elisha is bigger, plumper, and cuter than ever before. She’s starting to sleep a little more—five hours straight last night (woot!)—but not always at the right times. We’re working on that. Otherwise it’s really all systems “go” for the girl. So far—and I hope this is a good omen for those staring their own kid #2 in the face—she’s been easier than Jonah. In part, that’s because her birth was much less traumatic, but it also helps that we’ve been through it before.

And of course just like with Jonah we’ve had the help of family and friends to cope with the challenges of parenthood. To all of you, our gratitude.