Minnesota is spinning day after day of glorious weather.  50's in the mornings.  Cool and bright as we walked your sister to school yesterday morning, you snuggled into your car seat and your car seat snuggled into the stroller, big blue eyes peeking out from below a blue hat featuring bear ears on the crest and bear eyes and snout on the brim.  Your sister wore a black dress with swishy tutu attached to the bottom, argyle tights and Mary Janes with pink sequins stitched to the top.  She stopped to swish her skirt and to watch her shadow swish its skirt repeatedly.  Gak coaxed her along and you observed in all--downtown and back--without making a peep.

On Monday we had your two month check-up and your sister's 4-year check-up.  Vaccines for you and flu shots for the rest of us.  As the nurse pushed her belly against your legs and administered the shots, your father and I stroked your hair and Thisbe held your hand and sang, in a very off-key voice, "IT'S A SIGN OF GOD'S LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, IT'S A SIGN OF GOD'S LOVE!!!" 

You didn't smile too much on Monday and not really on Tuesday either.  This morning you saved big grins for your Daddy and followed him with your eyes as he left the bedroom, annoyed to be left with my face as the hovering blimp in your sky.

We are in the middle of a hard week.  Jennifer died last Friday.  Pastor Charlie gave his last sermon at Bethel on Sunday.  Tonight is my colleague, Jim's, memorial service.  But these losses have made the blessings more acute and I am trying to track them.  Here are a few:

Two healthy children.  The doctor said, "do you have any concerns?" and for once I didn't really have any.  Thisbe wrote "Peder" and "Kaethe" on a page of her Ranger Rick magazine during the appointment and covered each eye gamely and identified square and heart and circle on the placard the nurse held for her.  You inched your way forward on the crinkly paper of the examining table, weighed in at 10 pounds, 2 ounces.

Friends.  E-mails and texts and phone calls that say how are you and what can I do to make things easier or better for you?