Renée Fleming + the Muppets = delightful

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPdP7XJdvlM&

My brother Edward sent me this link. Naomi loved it and watched it repeatedly for...well, we started a few days ago and she is still asking for it!

Trust Edward to introduce opera to my 2 year old! (Being conscious of her musical education, I appreciated it.)

Good sport

The day of this picture, Naomi didn't think she was ready for a nap. Normally she'll cry for a minute when that happens, but this day she just laid down. 30 minutes later I had to grab something out of her room, and I found her still awake. She wanted to get up and I asked her to stay in bed for a bit longer. She complied without a word of protest, and I found her asleep awhile later. It was a serene moment (thus worth documenting), and I really appreciated Naomi being such a good sport!

Healthy boy!

Gabe saw the doctor on Monday for a 1 month check-up. Stats:
Weight: 8 lb 13 oz
Height: 21 1/4 in

More importantly, he saw the pediatric cardiologist today and, after an ultrasound, was cleared of any concerns with his heart. YAY! When he was born, there was an extra sound with his heartbeat, but it's gone and the doctor said it couldn't sound or look better.

Here are pictures of the two Merrell kiddos hanging together in their jammies.

Published yet again!

Matt's not into bragging (except to his family, then he goes all-out!!), so I'll do it for him. His most recent paper has been accepted for publication! If you are interested, you can check it out at http://dmd.aspetjournals.org in the FastForward articles section.

The title is:

THE Nrf2 ACTIVATOR OLTIPRAZ ALSO ACTIVATES THE CONSTITUTIVE ANDROSTANE RECEPTOR


Happy reading!

UPDATE (Matt):
I can't really recommend it to anyone, but if you are interested and want an explanation, go ahead and email me.

UPDATE (Val):
Do it! It's fascinating.

Raspberry jam - YUMMY!

Val LOVES her mom's homemade raspberry jam. Apparently Naomi loves it just as much! Val left Naomi playing with the beans while putting Gabe down for a nap but she hadn't cleared the table of the breakfast items. You can see the results.

Rojo

Grandpa and Grandma Jones let Naomi pick out the name for their newest calf. Since she (the calf) was red, Naomi chose "Rojo" (inspired by a Dora episode with a red fire engine named Rojo). Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa, for letting Naomi name the calf!

Fun with paint and friends

Here's Naomi at a fun playdate on May Day. This was the first time I've let her loose with paint, and she loved it! (She also enjoyed the bouncing zebra.)

Splash pad

Today Naomi, Gabe and I joined some friends at the park where they have this great splash pad. It was our first time there, and Naomi had so much fun that we'll definitely be heading back! The blanket over Gabe (he's in a carrier on my chest) was not only to keep the sun off of him, but also to protect him from the spray of the buckets overhead that occasionally dump water on you!