Revised baby name: Ryanne Christinapher

It was an eventful weekend for our baby girl. On Saturday, Marian hosted a shower for Isabel. Our little one enjoyed hours of flopping from one person's arms to another while in a semi-comatose state. We received some great new clothes and toys for her, and I've already plowed through several of the books with her. She's a quick learner, though, so we've moved on from Amelia Bedelia and Clifford the Big Red Dog to the third in the biographical series about Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. Isa agrees with me that it's an edge-of-your-seat thriller.

Yesterday we blessed our baby and gave her a name. Although I was tempted to drop in a JoBecca or a Pilar or Ryanne, just to mix things up, I stuck with our original choice. Members of the Grange and Loeffler families traveled from locations as varied as Washington, Iowa, Utah and Bentonville (home of the Empire,) Arkansas to witness the occasion. After church we went to my parents' crib for a fantastic lunch, and took a few snapshots in the front yard. My two brothers and Teri's sister were in town for the festivities, along with Isabel's cousins Logan, Andrew and Beckett. For some reason all new moms are compelled to pose their offspring in uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing positions. See one below with Isabel and Beckett. It was good getting-to-know-you time for the cousins, as they discussed things like the likelihood of a brokered Democratic convention and how to get a good latch. Since they are only 12 days apart, I think it would be appropriate to create a one-name entity to describe the two of them, a la Billary. I'm feeling Isabeckett. Beckabel is good time too.
Spencer, Dal and I finished off the weekend with some feats of strength. As is par for the course, I demolished them in every event. Note the look of utter terror on their faces as I dominate them from above.