In Like a Lion...

This blog is dedicated to Grammy who is currently in the hospital. Some might say Grammy is the glue that holds our family together, but the truth is, that is an understatement. She is the cement, the foundation, and the bricks. I was telling my sister that I think one measure of an extraordinary life is the amount of people who can't imagine theirs without you in it. This makes Grammy one of the most extraordinary women alive. In your own words, Grammy, you are a "tough old broad." Stay strong, we love you, and I know it's all going to be alright.

They say that March roars in like a lion and out like a lamb, and so far, the first part is absolutely true. I meant to have my last blog post up before the end of February, but March came roaring in, and it was too late. To start, I'll catch you up on the rest of February. It started with a visit from my Uncle Ian and my Aunt Emma from San Diego. You may not know this, but Uncle Ian is kind of a big deal. In Mom's family, he's up there with great men like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Bill Clinton, and of course, Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter. Like I said, kind of a big deal. Here we are meeting for the first time:

Here I'm giving my Aunt Emma the once over to make sure she's good enough for my uncle. Turns out, she is:

Uncle Ian and Aunt Emma's arrival coincided with another MAJOR event. The Carolina/Duke basketball game. We all put on our Tarheel gear and went to Auntie Brie's to watch the game. It was such big deal, Dad even came home from work early!

Here's the whole fam together:

It was an exciting game, but in the final second, the Tarheels lost. We were all so upset, it made Uncle Ian and Aunt Emma a little uncomfortable, I think. Dad and I both felt the refs made some questionable calls. I don't really want to talk about it further, but we came back and creamed them a few weeks later. Here's the book I got my dad as a Valentine's gift:

Dad came home and cooked Mom a romantic dinner for Valentine's day, but then he cuddled me all evening. She says she doesn't mind sharing her Valentine for the next 25 years, give or take.

Here's my first annual Valentine photo. What's not to love?

There's been a lot of talk going around that my dad contributed more than his fair share of DNA, but Mom has recently found evidence to dispute this. I'll start with a picture from my mom's 5th birthday party:

Exhibit A:

Let's zoom in a little closer on Aunt Muihri's "Pinocchio hair," while noting that I, too, have the same Pinocchio hair:

Exhibit B:

While we can all agree this is probably not the best picture of me, the resemblance once again to Aunt Muihri is uncanny. (Auntie Brie, if you say one word about my chi chis I'm gonna cry!)

The verdict is still out as to whether or not I've inherited my mom's dimples. Before I was born, Auntie Brie told Mom that James would be happy to retire the title of "Best Dimples" once I was born, but clearly that won't be necessary.

Not to be outdone, I also look pretty cute from behind:

When it comes right down to it, I still look an awful lot like my dad, as you can see in Exhibit C:

On February 16th, we went to visit my Great Grandma Gilland for her birthday. She has the very same birthday as my Great Grandad Leggat! Here, I'm on the receiving end of some Gilland love:

We took her these pretty purple roses for her birthday. I picked them out myself:

So what else is new with me? Well, I've been practicing my silly faces:

And playing in my favorite butterfly chair while wearing my butterfly jammies:

And finally, growing my hair and working on my tangles. Have you ever heard of a four-month-old getting tangles?!

Well, March has roared in like a lion, but here's hoping it goes out like a lamb. Stay tuned, folks. Rumor has it my two bottom teeth might be in by then. Mom says she doesn't think the cutest smile in the world can get any more irresistable, but we'll see about that.

Lots of love,

Olive