First things first: Welcome, Sarah Pearl - the newest member of the Brandt clan! She was born yesterday afternoon at about 1:20. Nine pounds, four ounces; and 22 inches long.

I'll be dropping by the hospital tonight to meet her in person (and take pictures, of course).

Matt will stay home with Penny. For one thing, other children aren't allowed in the maternity ward unless they're siblings of the new babies. For another, Matt's been sick - his fever only broke last night - and we figure it's probably safest for him to keep any lingering germs away from the new baby for a day or so.

Penny is beginning to edge into the "two" phase. She whines and cries when she doesn't get her way, and when she gets really mad, she hits. We're trying to nip that in the bud, but an 18-month-old has neither empathy nor an especially long memory, so all we can do is keep disciplining her whenever she does it.

She's growing by leaps and bounds, though. Her latest word is actually a phrase - "All done!" - though I'm not sure she knows that it's actually two words. She uses it when we reach the end of a book, and fairly indiscriminately throughout a meal. (I'd like to think she's saying "All done!" when she doesn't want to eat any more, but I've seen her say it and then promptly stuff the spoon back into her mouth, so she's not quite there yet.)

Also - very funny - she sometimes puts her finger over her lips and says, "Shh!" I think she must have learned that at daycare, as Matt and I don't use that gesture.

Yesterday, when I was playing with her on the guest bed, she pointed at the pillow. "Pillow," I said. "You go to sleep on it." She promptly laid down and made little fake-snoring noises. "Ah-shew, ah-shew." I almost fell off the bed, laughing.

She's had a revived interest in peekaboo lately, too - but this time, she's in control. She pulls her blanket over her head, or ducks behind the shower curtain while she's in the bath, or...

--Liz