Moving on...

Another transition - always exciting and yet quite a bit of work (to narrow a whole house down to what fits in a single car and pack and clean). I kind of thought that after the floors were steam cleaned and we left the house I would feel instant relief or the excitement of change. I don't know if it was because we drove straight to family Christmas time or that there is still a bit of work before we get Aaron and my dad on the road to Washington or that I will be working full time until early March? Or maybe it isn't really feeling real yet - or maybe it is more routine than I would like to admit . We have packed up a home and moved 5 times in the last 4 years.

On our drive to Glenwood Springs last night Aaron and I tried to wrap our heads around what the next 18 months will hold. Getting to spend some precious and rare time with my best friend from grad school, taking Autumn overseas for the first time, and preparing to and hoping to grow our family of 3 to 4. One foot forward into the adventure - we really hope to fully enjoy and appreciate each step of the journey.

Here we go.... Aaron leaves tomorrow and Autumn and I will join him in Washington Tuesday!

15 Months

Autumn - you are growing into quite the fun and energetic little girl! Everyday you act and look more like a little girl and less like a baby! We are so proud of your determined, busy, curious and loving little self!!

Foods - you pretty much eat everything that we do if it is safe for you. You still prefer fruits, yogurt and cheese - you even loved the pomegranates and cranberries the other day. Right now you prefer to eat about 1/2 your meal in your booster and then 1/2 of it while sitting in our lap. This works with the cleaner food and not so well when you have sauces, peanut butter or anything else messy all over you and us. You also think it is very funny to feed us your food! You are still quite the eater some days and it is surprising that you are still only 19 pounds! Guess it is all that running around that you are doing!

Potty - this month you peed and pooped in the potty!! Sometimes you give indication that you might be needing to use the potty and so we put you up on it. You now enjoy flushing way more than sitting on the seat - might as well get you familiar with the idea!

Bath time - you are a very clean little girl. You love to be in the water and get a bath most nights and then if you can, you insist on crawling in the tub to play with your toys while I shower.

Your favorites!
Babies, babies, babies - real ones, little ones, big ones, doll ones, every color and shape - they are your babies!! We let you sleep with bitty baby - a very small one that I don't worry about getting stuck near your face. But the other night you screamed and screamed and screamed because you didn't get to go to bed with all 3 babies you had been playing with - so I caved and let you fall asleep with them and then removed 2 of them! Right now we are in Estes Park with the Carver family and you are having so much fun looking at and bring things to your cousin Eric!


Zippers - getting into bags, your diaper bag, running the zipper on our duvet cover and shams, pulling zippers down on our sweatshirts and coats...

Books - you have just started a book (AKA ba) phase - you bring them to us and then turn around and sit on our legs, allow us to quickly read/turn through the pages and then go get another. Your favorites are Brown Bear Brown Bear and Shapes with Abigail.

Coloring/Pens/Pencils - unfortunately this often ends in tears because you get a hold of dangerous pens and pencils or start coloring on things that are not to be colored and we have to take them away )-: The other night you went from spot to spot laying down on your belly with a coloring book and crayon - I got pictures and then left that SD card in the reader at Safeway )-:



Music and River Dancing - you have the cutest little dance - it is stomp dancing, but still with a little rhythm! It gives us giggles and smiles every time! We have 2 toys on the refrigerator that when you push their buttons you get farm songs or the ABC's - you push them over and over and over and dance dance dance!!!

New words I can think of - even though we may be the only ones that know what you are saying - you are repeating us more and more! Orange, Copper, Grandma, Open, Down, Ban (banana)...

Opinions - so I'm not sure that 14 month olds should have opinions about what they wear - but sometimes I go to put an outfit on you and you shake your head - so we go pick another.



Agenda - you usually have a plan, we are not always sure what it is - but for example the other day you carried 2 blankets to a spot, went and got 3-4 babies to put on the blanket and then relocated them over and over. You also still enjoy taking things in and out - of anything - purses (now that the zipper is as easy!) , buckets, boxes, baskets... You also like to climb and get in a climbing mood to climb the chairs, on the coffee table, on boxes, steps...



Well... that is about it to describe this month! You also enjoyed your second Thanksgiving with your great grandparents!

We love you Autumn Bear!

Momma and Dada

With Thanksgiving!

Psalm 100:3-5

3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;his faithfulness continues through all generations.

More than a day, more than a moment - a life full of thanksgiving! That is my desire, not achieved... it has been far too easy to be caught up in busyness, rushing from one event, from work to play to work... and to forget to be thankful, completely full of thanks in my heart. To praise Him, my almighty God for all the things in my life - the awe inspiring moments that amaze me, the everyday good, the bad that builds character, and even for the grief that allows me to better see God's heart for the lost, broken and needy.

I have so much to be thankful for!! Amazing Grace from my Savior, my wonderful husband, my delightful daughter, great parents, loving family, really amazing friends, a warm home, ability to travel, health, jobs and so so so much more! God Bless your journey of thankfulness - a warm heart that gives gratitude in all things!!

Wacky Warmers

I haven't really blogged about the hats this year! Thought I might as well give my website some SEO link juice www.rockymountainwackywarmers.com (-:

I can not believe that I only have 3 shows left for the season! Craziness!!! Last January I had big dreams for this year - street vending in Denver at Bronco Games and Zoo lights, more craft fairs... then in February I took an OT job, my coworker went out with an injury and I picked up extra hours, then I took a job doing one weekend a month in Glenwood. Then we traveled most of the summer and zip zap - it was October!!! O-: Decided I better start sewing! I've been averaging about 50-100 hats a week since the second week of October and finally have a decent selection again! I think I've sold around 100 hats this year - and am hoping to sell that many or more this weekend in Windsor!! We shall see!

So although I didn't go big the season (-: We did get a professional looking website up, I'm doing about the same number of craft fairs and am hoping to come out a bit more ahead plus have a stash of fine fabric in the basement!!! (-:

14 Months

Another month has gone by - an unseasonably warm Oct/early November! This month was defined by 2 things - climbing and eating!

You have become quite the climber - one morning we turned our backs and you were in your high chair! This last week we have had to start putting the high chair on the table for safety. You love to climb on everything - you made it on top of the coffee table, the dining chairs and many a box. You are our little monkey and you scare me a little. Last week we borrowed a slide for the living room - you are in love with it - running around, climbing up and coming down. Yesterday you climbed up it backwards and today it was hard to convince you to sit at the top and you tried walking down it - this did not end well. Luckily you have not broken your arm or bloodied your nose - I'm hoping not, but that day may come.


This month you also started eating like a champ - you eat everything and lots of it! On several occasions you have had adult sized meals! I think you have grown quite a bit as well, but I haven't measured to see how much. Your favorite continues to be any type of fruit - top is raspberries, but you also really like cheese, eggs, veggie straws, yogurt and kumut puffs.

Other memorable things: You quit crying most nights at bed time when I put you down, you took a 2 1/2 hour nap at Sharon's - but hardly nap at home for us, you say day-day for thank you, bay bay for belly button, goo-goo for good girl (you are so proud of yourself!), mommy is super clear now, up ps for up please, eeee eee - for a monkey, ba ba ba ba - for a chicken, baa - banana - you love to gibber gabber all day long. You've started to hide - if I come to get you, your run and duck behind the bed or toy. You can buckle the car seat (not while you're in it), the high chair and dog harness, and undo most zippers. You opened a Ziploc bag, and love stuffing anything in and out of bags. You've started to sometimes notice when you potty - and sometimes come let us know you need changed.

Favorite things: Bath time, brushing your teeth, eating, climbing, running - it is so cute how you run from place to place in the house, milk, outside, kisses, exploring, getting into everything, helping with the laundry, music, being in mommies arms.
You loved going in the garden and picking tomatoes and cucumbers to eat! (-:

Least favorite things: Car seat, confinement, getting taken out of the high chair when you refuse to sit down, being put down if you don't want to be, some diaper changes.
On the only cold day of the month!

Autumn, you are growing so so so fast! We can't wait to see what the next month brings and all the new things you will be able to do and say!!

We love you so much!
Mommy and Dada

Crazy Time of Year!

A year ago I didn't really know what I was getting myself into! It is a fun little adventure and will be interesting what becomes of it all - but one thing is for sure - Wacky Warmers makes life crazy busy! Last year I had a 'sleeping' baby and no other jobs - this year I have a running, climbing, and very busy 14 month old, 2 jobs, applying for a third and packing the house up to move again! Yes - life is crazy! I should have been working on making hats all year - but couldn't get going on it until early October! So cut and sew hats after Autumn goes to bed - and try to get the other stuff done through out the day - photos, signs... Then there's the craft fairs - I really enjoy the craft fairs - meeting, networking, learning about other business opportunities and socializing! Good thing I like them - because I have them 4 of the next 5 weekends - and the other 2 weekends between now and Christmas I'm working in Glenwood at the hospital (-: Maybe on top of being crazy busy - I'm a little crazy to sign up for all of this! Oh well... we will make it to Pullman at the end of January and life may not less busy - but I think I will have fewer hats to wear (ha ha)!

Fun Side note! I've always loved taking photos - and ever since Autumn's new born photo shoot I've really enjoyed trying to get good photos of our family (well Autumn), friends and for my business. On Sunday I asked my beautiful HS friend if we could head for Estes and try to get some Wacky Warmer photos! I still have a lot to learn about lighting and angles and stuff - but I think they aren't too shabby!

Halloween!

Isn't dressing your kiddo up so much fun!? (-: The Friday before Halloween - Aaron's old work had a Fall Fest - I knew that Autumn would be too hot in her Monkey - so I quickly put together a Cindy Lou Who outfit - she was adorable and had fun playing the boardwalk games! Throwing fish, golfing and getting toys!

We've been practicing Monkey noises with Autumn for a few weeks - oh to capture her dressed up as a monkey saying ehh ehh ehh... Anyways... Halloween was fun and although we did not let her eat her candy - Autumn was amused by the silliness as well! We went over to Aaron's sisters for dinner and then hit the streets after a photo op! The best was when Autumn looked up at her ghostly cousin and giggled! All the kiddos looked great and tore up the neighborhood running from door to door - I was lucky to get to every 3rd house with Autumn! She did make a cute monkey!

Barrette Board

I was inspired yesterday at the craft fair to make this board to hold Autumn's barrettes! I had ribbon hung next to her changing table, but she tugs on it - so this seemed like a more durable option!

Super Easy to make!

What you need -

Thick poster board or an old frame without the glass

Fabric

Ribbon

Something to glue or tape everything together! I wasn't in the mood to get my glue gun out, so I used duck tape!!! (-: No one will ever see the back!

Wrap the fabric, run the ribbon and there you go!!!

13 months

Sweet Girl! You continue to amaze us!!! Everyday you do things that make us so proud, make us laugh and touch our hearts!!! It has been another wild month where we drag you all over the world and you easily adjust and have fun - whether we are in a car, on a plane, in our living room, on the beach, at friends, in our yard or walking around town!

You monkey see, monkey do everything from trying to put on clothes (or anything), snapping buckles, putting on lids, chasing us, talking on the phone, stuffing things in and out of bags to scribbling. You have also started to get creative and start to use your toys in ways that we have not shown you! You are starting to be more interested in books. For long periods of time you entertain your self by running from room to room rearranging everything, moving/stuffing toys and other things. You like to move - run, climb and push, pull and lift things. The first day in Hawaii we got to the beach and you walked up to a large lava rock (bigger than a basketball) and tried to pick it up. I looked at Angie and said - that defines my child!! You are a go getter - busy busy busy!!

Yes, you got up there all by your self!

You have gotten a few more words this month - Fish = Shhh, Ball and Book = Ba, All done, More = ma. You sign all done, more, give hi five and blow kisses.

Things you love!
Milk
Giggling
Being Free - not into holding our hand
Putting things on yourself
Hugs and Kisses
Your car seat - when you want to be in it playing
Trying to drink out of a big girl cup
Running on the beach
Getting hit by waves
Gibber Gabbering
Ellas (puppies)
Baby Dolls
Dancing
Pushing your self down slides (or backing up to a wall or bed and sliding down)

You like anything you choose to do - but have a hard time enjoying the things we needed you to do - like getting dressed, changing diapers, getting buckled in, stopping when you cross boundaries (like zooming out of the house).

Everyday your bright, spunky opionated personality continues to grow and develop! We love you so much and are so proud and blessed to be your mommy and daddy!!!

Quotes that Stuck

I have no idea why this came to mind - but I've been trying to remember specific conversations that have stuck throughout the years.

"You should really play volleyball and basketball next year." Mr. Tate - 6th grade science teacher

"We are so proud of you." Mom and Dad - throughout childhood

"Good work good and faithful servant." Jeff Seacrest - Youth Pastor in reference to a friend of mine who became a Christian.

"Your voice doesn't sound very good." Melody - 6th grade choir

"Cheek to Cheek." Amanda - 7th grade while learning a box defense

"Don't think about it, just shoot." Coach Pro - 10th grade

"I love you." unfortunately, quite a few boyfriends that obviously didn't last.

"It will always make sense." Mr. Adams - 3rd grade referencing math

"You don't want to be a ditch digger, do you?" Dad - throughout school years

"Blahhhhh..." - Chad - pinning me down and acting like he was puking on my face - throughout childhood - and still makes be gag to think of it.

"You don't want to be a doctor." Mom - later HS years.

"I think you'd be a really good OT." Mom - later HS years.

"Knowledge is Power." A bookmark I got from the library in HS.

"My way or the highway." My not so nice HS volleyball coach.

"We love you." Mom and Dad and all my grandparents - all the time

"I think about God all the time, it won't escape me - I'd believe that Old Testament stuff, but Jesus, I don't know about Jesus." A good friend the summer after HS.

"Stay where you are." God - when praying if I should continue dating my now husband.

"You will do well no matter what you choose to do." Dr. Patton - freshman honors physics teacher.

"Are you going to be a Kingdom builder?" - Campus Crusade conference

Life as Nomads!

Well - it is looking like we are back on the road again! A little crazy, a little fun and a lot exciting!

The next 21 months are sure to be full of adventure, fun, and the unexpected. Many things can change between now and then - but as of now we will hit the road again after Christmas.

December March = spending time with good friends and filling our bank account back up in Pullman, WA
March and April = back in the land of Aloha - playing, working and enjoying friends
End of April = exploring a few places in SE Asia on the Murphy/Bracken/Brown Tour of SE Asia (seeing Aaron's best friend)
May-July = enjoying the Colorado Summer, loving on our friends and family and working
August-May = living on an Aloha contract in the school system again and hopefully coming home with Lil Brown bun #2!

Hawaii

Wow - what an amazing vacation and scouting trip! We enjoyed our every minute on the islands - seeing and enjoying our friends again, watching Autumn love the beach, the crystal clear blue waters, surfing fun little waves, smelling sweet flowers, eating yummy fruit, sushi, and ono island fare!! We picked up our rental car and headed for the Keisers - we looked at each other and had the same thing on our mind. "This feels like home again." Funny how it was only our home for a year - yet if feels so homey. We'd meet friends and their first statement was usually "Welcome Home" followed by "When are you moving back?" or acquaintances would say - "Welcome back, when did you move back?" It is strange and a bit hard to explain how and why this place feels like home. Some of our greatest joys and our greatest challenges occurred here. We loved our life 10 minutes from the ocean, we loved exploring and treating our eyes to completely new sights and experiences, we had great joy in finding out we were pregnant, we had so many close friendships - bonds that happened quickly and were so deep. We also had to try to figure out how to live in a place where there is constant friendship turnover, where everything breaks, parents of students were not always nice, watching friends grieve from afar
and where we fought feelings of being very lonely at times. Our hearts have fallen in love with Kona. It was refreshing, awesome and fun to be back - and amazing to watch our daughter love the things we love while being there!
(For those of you who are worried right now - Colorado feels like home as well and we plan to try to make both places our home).

So... although this was vacation, it was the variety that felt a little different because our main agenda was seeing friends again and relaxing in places we were already familiar with. The waves rolled in just in time and we got to take turns playing in the waves - something I was so so so so excited for. I hadn't surfed since I was about 6 weeks pregnant with Autumn and it felt like it had been forever! Although it was not quite like hoping on a bike again, I got a feel for it and got to ride a few waves in!

Good friends we got to visit! Keisers, Simanjuntaks, Carpenters, Ang, Tosh, Brock, Hassels, Doctorchiks, Jaspers, Ashley, Jackson, Pat, Becky - plus many other friends from work, church and our upstairs neighbors.

Activities we enjoyed! Surfing, SUP, Wa'a ride, eating at Jackie Rays, Annie's Island Burgers, Denise's Cafe, and the Kona Inn, beach time, the lavender farm and the church celebration Luau.


Hotels we poached (using our beach access rights of course)! Mauna Lani, Hilton Waikoloa and The Grand Wailea

New Foods Autumn enjoyed! Papaya, Apple Bananas, Butter Avocado, Fig, Gold Fish (the cracker kind), Haupia, Okinawan Sweet Potato (baked and as chips)

Number of friends who told us they are pregnant! 2 with a 3rd who could be anytime!
How did Autumn do with the travel and time change?! She did awesome! We got an entire row on the way out there and that helped with the wiggles from California to Kona. We let her take a 30 minute power nap at 6:30 when we arrived and then she stayed up until 9:30 Hawaii time. Not bad. Only took that one night and then she slept in until 6 or 7 am each morning after. Staying asleep in foreign places is tough - but we all got enough sleep to be happy each day! On the way back she slept the entire ride from Kona to LA and then woke up ready to run (@2am Hawaii time) and then slept the next leg to Denver. She stayed up a bit late and slept in a bit, but was right back on CO time last night! Our flight to Maui and back was on a small 9 passenger Cessna - and Autumn had a ball! We're hoping her love of flying (or lack of fear) sticks around for a while!!


On the business side of things and our future: It is still our plan to spend some portion of each year in Hawaii. Aaron is figuring out how to pursue business in Hawaii and he had some good informational meetings with men who do business in Hawaii. So for now we will let God guide, take one step at a time and see what happens!

Again - Mahalo all our wonderful friends in Hawaii for welcoming us back with aloha, open arms and helping us have an incredible time back on the islands! A Hui Hou!!!! We miss you already!

Funny Differences

between the first time and this time...

Last time we came to Hawaii it was our first time being on the islands. After living here for a while and returning after a break, we can now look back and laugh at a few things when we arrived!

I don't say 'all what' 5x when someone says 'all Pau'
We no longer call Alii - Alielie or Hale - Hail
The sodium lights are still weird, but not confused with the stop lights
Unfortunately I still did not learn to reapply sunscreen frequently when I have no base tan and again I am fried )-: Opps...


These differences are not funny - but nice!

We have friends and friends with toys (-: (but of course they are not friends because they have toys)
Our friends greet us with "Welcome Home" after we finish talking about how homey Kona feels.
We know where most things are and can follow directions without saying "I think they said a word that starts with a P."
The ocean is not as scary.
We know where we want to go to church on Sunday Morning.

Road Trip Stats

Total Miles - 3850
Number of Days on the Road - 20
Gas $ - $371.93
Food $ - $461
Lodging $ - $333.76 (including 1 yr national park pass)
National Parks - 7
Friends Visited - 8
Longest day - 543 miles, 10 hours in the car
Number of pictures taken - 1028 (average 51 a day)
Number of times I sang "The wheels on the bus" - too many to remember (-:

One Year

Sweet Autumn,

Today is your first birthday! One year ago we got to meet you, hold you, cuddle, comfort and love on you! One year ago you made us parents - a role that now feels quite comfortable, a title we proudly hold - Autumn's mom and dad! We are so proud of you!

This last month of your first year has been very very busy and fun! We spent the first 3 weeks of it on a road trip. You got to experience many firsts - first time camping, first time in a hotel, first time swimming in a lake, meeting the ocean, first camp fire and the list goes on and on! You had so much fun exploring campsites, friends homes, and parks. Your adventurous spirit wows us, your expressions make us laugh and your cuddles melt our hearts.
















Your language, understanding and ability to imitate us has completely exploded this month. You emphatically sign and say awdu when you have finished eating. You say ma ma ma when I leave the room. You blow at the fire after daddy does and load the dryer with clothes while I load the washer. You come when I ask you to, well mostly. You sign milk, call for Ella, have said Nana and Papa and say up and puppy. Your eyes and hands inspect everything and we can almost see the wheels turn in your cute little head!

Things you love -
Giving and getting kisses and goobers
Putting things in and out of other things
Hugging and kissing your babies
Dancing to music - today you started stopping with your head banging
Mama's milk
Running up to daddy and saying "Hi da"
Playing in water
Fruit - particularly mangos, strawberries, raspberries and grapes
Exploring
Running
Belly Kisses

Things you are not so fond of -
Being told no
Getting changed
Having to sit for bath time
Vegetables
Sleeping

Your Stats!















The first year has been more than we could have imagined! You went from a teeny tiny baby to a little girl who now walks, talks and knows what she wants. We fall more and more in love with you everyday and have a hard time imagining life before 9.8.09! You bring us so much joy and happiness! May each year be as sweet as this one!

We love you sweet Autumn Bear!

Mama and Daddy

Road Trip 2010

I need to journal about our trip before the memories get farther away than they already are! Luckily we took hundreds of photos, so hopefully that too will help spark smiles when we look back!

Amazing - that is the best word to describe all 3 weeks on the road!

Autumn was amazing! She hardly fussed, napped when it was convenient and enjoyed our every stop. She explored the camp sites, flirted with tourists at the national parks, played with friends, ran on the beach, climbed on rocks, giggled down slides and in swings, and hiked to alpine lakes and waterfalls.


The scenery was amazing! We blessed our eyes with 7 gems of the West - Zion, Death Valley, Yosemite, Redwood, Lassen Volcano, Mt. Rainer and Yellowstone (and technically Teton, but we didn't stop) Waterfalls, giant trees, granite cliffs, sandstone cliffs, glaciers, wildlife, geysers, paint pots... the list of God's amazing creations that we got to enjoy goes on and on!


Our friends are amazing! We got to spend great quality time with many friends! Top moments included inflatable rafting with Kaitlin, playing Settlers with the Haywards, Mexican Train with the Robinsons, play time with little O, Parade, Lentil Festival and fun with the Watsons, lunch and walking around the arboretum with Jessie and Bruce, Photo shoot with the Watsons, Dinner with Cory and meeting Kristin, Campfires with the Roberts', Dinner with Jeff, singing to Autumn in the car with Connie and so many more!

The weather was amazing! Not once did we have to dig out our rain jackets and I only used the umbrella for rain on our way out of Yellowstone at 5am! The sun shined brightly, Mt. Rainer was clear, Yosemite Valley was warm and Lake Tahoe and the Oregon coast were swim-able!

Best Moment of the Trip: About 1/2 through our trip when we realized we were having so much fun and were not going to regret our vacation. We had our fair share of doubts about being gone that long, having no routine and camping with a 11 month old 9 nights.

Hardest Moment of the Trip: Cold nights with Autumn in the tent. I will admit sleeping outside was the most difficult part of the trip - for all of us. I came to a full understanding of why people switch from tents to pop ups and RVs!


Best View Point: Mt Rainer is my favorite! Reflection Lake east of Paradise.

Best Rest Stops: The little parks in Joseph, UT, Bishop, CA and Baggs, WY

Best Hike: Comet Falls - Mt. Rainer National Park - just Autumn and I while Aaron napped. Just over 4 miles and over 1000 foot elevation gain! The whole hike was gorgeous and the waterfalls at the top were amazing!!! Autumn took a nap in the Ergo, took in the views and then giggled as we sang and skipped on the way down.
Best Walk: Fountain Paint Pot, Yellowstone - outstanding colors!

Autumn's Favorite Moment (I get to guess): Meeting the Ocean near Bandon, OR! She had a ball, first exploring the sand, touching sea weed, watching the sea gull and then running into the water over and over and over again. She didn't care that her lips were starting to turn blue or that her diaper began to sag with wetness! She would get a huge smile and turn to the water and run! (Ang - it was the same smile you give when paddling back out after a great ride!)

Favorite foods: Lentil Soup and Balaclava from the lady at the Lentil Festival, The Crazy Norwegians Fish and Chips in Port Orford, OR and eating Thai three times! (the Lamb, bison brats in Yellowstone, burgers, steak and other meals were amazing as well!)

Understanding my Mama a little more

This is not a light hearted post. This weekend I came face to face with a bit more understanding. My mother is a baby nurse and for her entire career has walked through different stages of loss and grief with families who loose their tiny babies in the hospital. On top of being directly involved with families she also hears and knows all the confidential background of many many tragic stories.

I am not able to go into detail for confidentiality reasons, but this weekend I was on the outskirt involvement of a family who's story turned the wrong direction. Tragedy involving a child my child's age. A story too close to home, empathy that brought many tears and made it difficult to go in and do my job.

I don't know how my mother didn't have nervous break downs through out the first years of my brother's and I's lives. She knows and has seen too much. She didn't bundle us in bubble wrap or hover over our every move, as much as I'm sure she would have liked too. I tend not to be a fearful or worrying type of person, but everyday as a parent is a battle against fear and worry.

Life continues to point me in the direction of thoughts in the line of "Live and love as much and often as you can because there are no guarantees, life can change in an instant."

Breastfeeding

Umm... for some reason I have been having breastfeeding thoughts lately. As Autumn approaches a year, friends are interested in when I plan to ween. I've put some thought into it, but kind of just figure I'll just kind of go with whatever. It is so convenient and more and more so, as she eats less often. I love that she is getting antibodies with the nutrients too.

Just few months ago I dreamed of not leaking, having no pain and not having to time exercise around feedings. Making it to a year seemed like a long shot. Now I'm still breastfeeding and all these issues are non-issues - now it seems so much more complicated to store and carry another source of milk, wash bottles, guess how much she will drink... Breastfeeding seems so much easier.

Tonight I was reading some information on breastfeeding into toddlerhood.

In addition to other benefits, with just 15 ounces of breast milk she is getting

• 29% of energy requirements
• 43% of protein requirements
• 36% of calcium requirements
• 75% of vitamin A requirements
• 76% of folate requirements
• 94% of vitamin B₁₂ requirements
• 60% of vitamin C requirements

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

So, I'll eat my words "once she can ask for 'booby' - I think I'll be done" and see what happens. There are just so many health benefits for her and myself if we continue and I'm not one to care too much about what other people think. Social norms in America say breastfeeding should be done by age one, but most of the world feeds their children human milk until 2-4 years of age... To each her own... every child, unique needs... this is our journey...

11 months old

You were 11 months old a few days ago and you are growing up so fast. It is hard to imagine that in a few short weeks we will be celebrating your 1^st birthday. This has been a very busy month and you are as busy as a little bee. This month the best words to describe you are determined and a girl who know what she wants. We have had so much fun watching you change more and more from a baby into a little girl. You love to giggle, hug, pat, goober, move, stuff things places, carry bags around, discover and adventure.

Mama and you were able to go visit your new baby cousin Eric in Maryland and see your Uncle Chad and Aunt Christie. We had a great time hanging out, you loved looking and trying to touch and pat baby Eric, climbing up and down their stairs and giggling with Uncle Chad. We all went to Washington DC to see the animals at the National Zoo and to a fun little English Pub in downtown. You did not have a great interest in the slow moving animals but did watch the monkeys a bit. Our plane was delayed on our way home and you were an angel the entire 9 hours it took to get home, landing in St. Louis, Kanasas City and then finally Denver.

This month you did your first overnights away from Mama. One night with Dada while Mama went backpacking and another with Dada, Nana and Granddad while Mama worked in Loveland, and one with just Nana and Granddad while Mama and Dada went to Mama’s high school reunion. You did very well without Mama, and probably slept better without the temptation of nice warm milk and mama cuddles close at hand.

Your accomplishments have been mastering the stairs up and down, getting off the couch by your self, being able to walk on pretty much any surface – grass, small hills, through small rocks…, pretty consistantly waving hi and bye, waving as we walk out the door before we say good bye, consistantly calling us mama and da, minding us sometimes when we say no, saying Ahhhh?.?. to see where we are in the house, giving us goobers regularly, hugging your baby doll and giving her kisses, and feeding your self pretty much all your finger food.

Your Nana used to tell Mama that she hopes Mama gets a girl just like her and I think she may have gotten her wish! Your Mama was very much like you at your age – busy, opinionated, happy when doing what she wanted to do. These can all be good things, but it means we are going butt heads from time to time when our agendas differ. Just know that I love you and want the best for you, even when our ideas are different!

Well, here's to 11 wonderful months. Thank you for all the love, joy, and smiles you have brought to our lives. We love you so much and look forward to this last month of infanthood with you!

Mama and Dada