9 months

This post is two weeks late but since we were sick when Miriam actually turned 9 months, I didn't take pictures of her. Finally did today. She is so stinkin cute! She's really into standing these days. Stands against my legs or the couch. Still won't crawl though she will walk around with us holding her hand.

A funny observation I realized today: Asher was much better as a baby about looking at the camera. Miriam almost never does. I have way more pics of Ash looking at the camera then I do of her.

9 months is a big milestone for babies I think. They start to really branch out and explore on their own by 9 months old. I wrote about this when Asher turned 9 months. Miriam is still such a mama's girl but she's starting to want to get down and explore more and more. She's not a tiny baby anymore!

lame blogger

Haven't been in the blogging mood this past week. I'll get back in the swing of things soon. In the mean time here's cute Miriam from last month. These were taken at Olya's house. Isn't this quilt amazing?

back to the land of the living

We are finally feeling better around here! Miriam and I are still coughing a bit but its getting MUCH better every day. And Miriam finally is back to her usual happy self. Now I'm getting caught back up with photo editing and looking forward to the warmer temps promised for later this week. I'm sick of it snowing! Spring, please come for real.

I also need to finish up The Dance of the Dissident Daughter because I'm hosting my book group Thursday night. Which also means I need to clean my house for real. Housekeeping has been on the serious back burner during all this sickness.

Oh, and have I mentioned we have cable now? Stupid Comcast has a monopoly where we live with the internet and its actually the same price to have cable and internet so we got it. I love it but also sometimes wish we just got rid of the tv altogether. What I am really loving though is On Demand. I can watch so many shows that way. And its great cause lots of the PBS shows are on there too so I can put one on for Asher and know it will be over in 20 min. He is currently very into Caillou. I love hearing him say, "I watch Caillou, Mom?"

And I must admit that I missed TLC and Food Network and the Travel Channel, so its been fun to catch up on the few shows I really like while I edit photos.

In other news, my parents sold their house in Los Alamos and are finally officially, officially moving to Santa Fe. My dad's been commuting for awhile now so I'm sure it will be nice to drive less. They are probably going to rent a condo for awhile until they find a house they want to buy. I think my dad is kind of relishing his status right now of being completely debt free. :-)

And just for kicks, here's a pic of Miriam from a couple weeks ago.

this pretty much sums up our week

Taken on Tuesday morning.

Having a sick baby is one of the saddest things ever as a parent.

We've been spending lots of time cuddling skin to skin, nursing, and cleaning eye goop and throw up.

Fortunately, today she no longer has a fever and things are definitely starting to look up.

Now if my coughing would stop, I'd be just peachy.

Also, makes me SO grateful once again that I have a husband who works mostly from home. 

He has done TONS this week taking care of us.

my mimi girl

Some cuteness for your Friday...

beyond the edge and home again

Non related, but pretty cherry blossoms from Washington, D.C. 2009

I'm reading "Dance of the Dissident Daughter" by Sue Monk Kidd (author of The Secret Life of Bees). The book is about the author's feminist awakening and search for the Divine Feminine. She grew up a very active devout Southern Baptist but as her children reached their teenage years she began to see how damaging patriarchy is to women.

I want to share this paragraph that really struck me as I was reading yesterday. Perhaps you will be able to relate. This can apply to much more than just feminism.

"Despite the growing disenchantment women experience in the early stages of [feminist] awakening, the idea of existing beyond the patriarchal institution of faith, of withdrawing our external projection of God onto the church, is almost always unfathomable. It's that old the-world-is-flat conviction, where we believe that if we sail out on the spiritual ocean beyond a certain point we will fall off the edge of the known world into a void. We think there's nothing beyond the edge. No real spirituality, no salvation, no community, no divine substance. We cannot see that the voyage will lead us to whole new continents of depth and meaning. That if we keep going, we might even come full circle, but with a whole new consciousness." (p 48)

I especially love that last sentence. It gives me great hope to think that I can go on this journey of exploration and still be able to return home, just all the better for having made the trip.

new play rug

I'd seen various versions of these around the blogs for awhile now and then discovered that Ikea has one for just $15! I'll take it! The kids, and especially Asher, have been having a lot of fun with this. Ash loves driving all his cars along the road. He calls it "my rug".

light and dark

mimi and mama

We were playing on the rug in the early evening sun and gave Jared the camera to take some pictures. I like having these moments with my baby girl captured.

after a bath

Asher was sick all last week and is still not totally back to normal but doing much better. Luckily, it seems that Miriam has escaped whatever virus he caught. Thank goodness for that! It is so hard to keep little ones healthy in the winter. I am REALLY looking forward to Spring's warmer temperatures that will allow us to get outside more without risk of so many germs. Asher has been sick more this winter than the rest of his life combined! Nothing serious, but no fun either.

This is a pic I snapped last week after bathtime. They were being so cute sitting together on the bed. I love how much they love each other!