My mind is as sharp as a tack. If by "tack", we mean something more like a Q-Tip. A soggy one.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that post-pregnancy hormones mixed with sleep deprivation produce a serious case of "baby brain". Many of you know what I'm talking about. When you go into a room of your house specifically to retrieve an item or perform a chore, forget what said item or chore is, and have to return to the starting point and stand...and think...and still have no clue. When your five year old can easily defeat you in a battle of wits. When you say to yourself in the morning, "I absolutely have to get X done, no matter what," only to reach bedtime and realize it never crossed your mind to do X, not once, the whole day.

This is where I find myself. Ah, but here, dear readers is the cruel irony. I find that, between the hours of 2 and 4 in the morning, I am lucid, sharp and able to recount with accuracy what I didn't do that day and really need to do once daylight comes around. Sitting in the dark, feeding the baby, my mind ticks through the to-do's and things I need to remind Jason of, bills we need to pay, emails I need to compose. I analyze Nate's latest behavioral peculiarities and strategize new parenting tactics. "Right...ok," I say, trying not to chastise myself, "I will be all over that in the morning." Fast forward three hours and there I am, standing over my teacup in the kitchen, trying to remember if I've added sugar already or not. Cause I'm sure more sugar would help. Don't you think so?

I had something else really smart to say about this, but it's getting late and I kinda forgot what it was. Can we just pause and agree though, that you would've found it terribly interesting and that it would've filled you with a potent mix of empathy and affection for me, mixed with a strong desire to make the world a better place? Awesome. And you're welcome.

In the meantime, please enjoy these photos of my family hanging out with me in Sydney. How lucky am I?


Here's Becky and I touring Elizabeth Farm--one of the oldest homes in Australia. And yes, we are this fabulous in person.


My esteemed parents, on the ferry ride into the city.


Ava LOVES having her cousin Laura here.

And here's our first pic as a family of five! Though Grace isn't exactly taking active part in the photo. That girl--not much of a team player. However, it is a minor miracle that Ava and Nate are both smiling at the same time.


Now what were we talking about? Oh, right--I'll take care of it first thing tomorrow.