Patio Rabbit - from birth to mamma

Back in April, we found this nest of cute little bunnies. There were so many of them, and they were so small.  We never thought they would make it, with all the cats in the neighborhood, raccons wandering around, our dog scaring the lot, etc.  

Time went by, and during the summer we noticed this one kept showing up on the patio even while we were outside. We could move closer to her, and she didn't run off. So we went about our business, she went about hers.

She liked to hang out on the patio, thus, dubbed Patio Rabbit. She has grown nicely, loves the clover, and still let us get rather close.  She loves to eat the clover on the other side of the patio. Very pretty bunny.

Then come fall, we moved and didn't think much more of Patio Rabbit.  Until one day in September, My mother-in-law called and said Patio had built a nest right in the flower bed, right next to the patio. She would stay there, by her nest next to the patio while they sat and talked, and while they walked around the yard.  She is there in the picture, difficult to see, to the right of the yellow flower.  (If you click on the picture you can see it larger and zoom in.)

Soon enough, there were baby bunnies in that nest.  They tried to see the babies, but Patio always closed up the nest tight so nothing could be seen. 

Then an excited email: "Patio was out of the nest today... and actually left it open!! We had not seen her for a few days, but I was pretty sure she had been around. The entrance to her nest was a little trampled but always closed.
She sat and looked at us while she was there with the bunnies, then ran off to the side by the pool pump. She patted the baby bunnies down towards the hole before she left! We thought she might have been closing the 'door'."

See the baby bunny there in the middle? You can just make out the fur. So cute!

It has been raining for days now up there, and I hear Patio hasn't been seen lately. Maybe she moved because of the rain, maybe the bunnies are old enough now to wander.  Not sure, but I bet at least a few made it, and maybe there is a Patio Rabbit Junior.