An Overdue Update

What can I say? It's summer, we're home close to family and friends, we started a business, Charlie is going back to school, and I've got an active toddler -- blogging hasn't exactly been my #1. We have been keeping up on photos though.






Nora's vocabulary has quadrupled in the past couple months. She learns new words every day and is getting really good at the ones she knows. We can now count to three, but two is her favorite, and she can tell you how old she is.

She l.o.v.e.s water and swimming, whether it's a big waterpark, her own kiddie pool in the backyard, or simply the bathroom sink.


Officially a daddy's girl, N follows him around whenever he's home and spends all day when he's gone saying "daddy work. daddy work."



N is a huge fan of our CSA, Teresa's Tasty Produce, where we get a box of fresh produce each Monday. She has an awesome appetite, and while she doesn't eat as much meat as I'd like, she'll eat fruit and veggies all.day.long.


Well...until she gets sleepy that is.


I don't remember the context of this photo but it makes me laugh every time I see it.

Preparing to Part

I'm going out of town for a week beginning Sunday. It will be the longest period of time I've been away from N to date.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, she's been having some separation anxiety already due to all the changes we've been through in recent months, and I'm nervous this trip is only going to intensify our power struggles. Of course she'll be with her Daddy, but he still has to work. Besides, sometimes a girl just needs her Ma.

So what's a mama to do? Well, truthfully, I don't know and I'm open to suggestions. What can I do to make this easier on my Bear?

While I figure it out, we've been spending lots of time cuddling, playing and being silly. Here's the proof:









This will be my last post for a little while as we take time to wind down, gear up, and say our goodbyes. I want to get in as many snuggles as possible before I head out, and once I get back I'm sure we'll be long overdue for some R7R.

Out With the Old, In With the New: Recapturing 2009

January: Nora hit quite a few developmental milestones including learning to roll and starting to teethe.


February: All dressed up to go out for Mama's 23rd birthday!


March: Nora started eating (and L.O.V.E.D) solid food. She still does.


April: First encounter with the Easter Bunny. In hindsight, this was much more successful than Santa.


May: First I-Cubs game.


June: Busy month! We made a couple trips to Onawa for Aunt Shannon's bridal shower and wedding, Nora had her first trip to the Omaha zoo, and Nora finally got to meet cousin Milo, Great Aunt Julie and Uncle Ken, and Great Uncle Butch and Aunt Chris at the Wood family reunion.


July: Nora got to experience frozen yogurt at the Pleasant Hill Days parade...I'll let you decide what she thought.


August: First steps! We also celebrated Grandma Mary Lou's birthday, retirement and her and Grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary.

September: Our Bear turned 1! We also said goodbye to Grandpa Cupp.


October: Nora played in the snow for the first time. We also made a trip to Missouri to visit Grandpa Barnes, and Nora dressed as a flower for Halloween. We also put an offer on the house that 31 days later became our new home.

November: Most of the month was spent packing. Nora was a big helper.


December: Home at last. We settled in to our mini house and enjoyed travel-less holidays with family and friends.

13 Steps to a Better Life

Don't worry - Christmas updates coming soon, I'm just tracking down a few more photos before I post.

In the mean time, check out this article from one of my new favorite blogs, Get Rich Slowly. It's not a new post, but it's timely; I'm going to use this list as the basis for my New Year's resolutions. Hopefully, you'll find it as inspiring as I did.

Nora, Meet Ora

It seems I've become more eager for N to open her presents than I am to open my own -- even if I didn't get them for her!

Before we left Des Moines, Aunt Shannon brought over a present for N, and I assured her we'd put it under the tree and have her wait til Christmas to open it. Last night, I decided she'd waited long enough...

Apparently Teau was anxious as well


Digging in


This is Ora. She was born on Sept. 9...good thing it wasn't the 16th because that would be creepy.



Kisses. Oh and N can say "baby" now. She kept hugging Ora and saying "baby" while patting her on the back!


PS. Nora says "Thanks Aunt Shannon!"

Word-ful Wednesday

My yoga instructor read this poem to my prenatal yoga class while I was pregnant with Nora. I loved it. I still love it. I even quoted the poem on a page of Nora's baby book.

It is inspiring, and at the same time, makes me reflect on my own birth experience and I feel defeated for not being able to have the type of birth I dreamt of. My birth was not empowering, in fact quite opposite. Words that come to mind for me are: Unnecessary. Premature. Belittling. Helpless. Abrupt...

In the past two years, I have grown from a girl who thought birth and anything related to it was gross to a woman who feels passionate about women's rights in birthing and the over-medicalized process it has become. Women shouldn't have to grieve their birth experiences; but I did - I am. It makes me angry every time I think about it. I want to help other women have the birth they long for because the guilt, sorrow, and and disappointment doesn't go away just because the baby was healthy. This poem is a strong representation of the empowerment that was once (and should still be!) embraced by mothers, and I couldn't have said it better myself.

To My Daughters
I’ll tell you about power:
We are born with the potential for every daughter we will ever have
embedded like pearls in the dark flesh or our ovaries.
You were already there, in me,
While I was yet curled within my mother, as she was, inside my great-grandmother;
each mother birthing her grandchildren
through her pelvis,
ivory cradles protecting secret worlds
within our own seas,
worlds of fierce hearts and minds beyond knowing.
Is there a greater power than holding the entire
universe in your belly?
All of Creation? What about our own galaxies pouring forth?
The summoning of all that is love
And alive into our very breasts, our marrow,
Our coursing blood, and luminous milky way
So bright it blinds, with all the power and force of life,
heaven meeting earth, giving to those worlds we hold,
That we see in the irises of our daughters’ eyes

Sometimes You Just Need a Break

As eager as we are to sell and get back home, its easy to forget to stop and breathe. To take time and still enjoy life as is. Well today I needed a break -- so we built a maze and crawled until our (my!) knees were bruised and rug burned. It was fun :)



The house is coming along though. Aunt Shannon came to help yesterday and we got all the windows cleaned and "staged" the basement so it no longer looks like an over-sized storage closet. We had our first showing on Friday and have another on Monday. Next weekend Mimi is coming up to help with our first open house! Cross your fingers for us!

Girls Day

This is what happens when Daddy leaves us on a Saturday and we have nothing to do...(and by nothing to do I mean 'we' don't feel like cleaning, packing, doing laundry, getting things ready for Shannon's bachelorette party tonight, or grocery shopping just yet. Hey I've only had one cup of coffee, give me a break!)















I guess I wore her out...


Now I'm off to be productive. Happy Saturday all!