The Hall Family

Bummer!

2010-05-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hey friends and family ...

As you all know, I have not updated my blog in several weeks (months?)... so sorry! Things have been a little crazy around here ... but the truth of the matter is that there have been some issues regarding this blog, so I am going to establish a new blog ... this one WILL be private and WILL only be available who request permission to view it.

I absolutely love to share stories from my life, and I have always been and will always be a writer .... I love to document my feelings and emotions through written word (good or bad) and don't feel as though my feelings need to be critiqued by others as I am writing this for me, and my babies, and no one else. If you don't like what I have to say, well, my friends, ignore it.

My email is arianabanks@hotmail.com ... if you would like to be invited to share in my new blogging world, please send me an email and I'd be happy to send that your way!

ABC Academy!

2010-03-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

So folks... we're halfway there ... I have completed the final steps to be a licensed home daycare and am just waiting for the licensing agent to do our home walkthrough. We have a few home improvement projects to complete in the backyard and basement but otherwise we're looking good!

Here's a link to my temporary website until my fabulous sister has my permanent site (which is UBER CUTE) up and running!

http://www.abcacademycolorado.wordpress.com

I want to go outside!

2010-03-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

Danika is your typical woman :) She is talking in these string of words that are only decipherable to her. At certain times, she repeats those strings of words over and over. TODAY! TOday I figured one of them out! She was standing at the backdoor pointing and getting excited. I can't even pretend to document what her sounds might look like in writing ... but after about 4 or 10 times of repeating it, I figured it out! She was saying " I want to go outside!" HA! She's a genius. And when I responded with "Oh! You want to go outside? I'm sorry baby not right now, it's dinner time", she kinda sighed, smiled and walked over to her high chair. Because she is that smart. And I am too!

We had a rough, rough day. We were taking care of a couple of kids, and it was snowing and all around a crapper. I was chasing her down the hall for the millionth time and took my attention off her for 2 seconds to see why the other baby was crying. I hear this ear piercing slow, drawn out shriek, and look down to see Danika's finger wedged into the door hinges I was closing. OMG! I am the worst mommy ever! Oh how my heart broke into a million pieces. It was the worst feeling ever knowing I had hurt her : ( We cried together for a LONG time - in fact, by the time we had stopped, her finger was so red and swollen I swore I had broken it. I think there may just be a blood blister there in the end, but it was awful. The worst moment ever. It made it a LEETLE better when we shared some butterscotch chips ;)

This little girl makes me cry in the best ways possible. Nate handed her to me to say goodnight. She curled up on my lap and snuggled her head into my shoulder (best ever). I loved on her and kissed her and apologized (AGAIN) for her finger. And ya know what she did? She pulled away, looked up and pursed her lips for a kiss, as if saying "It's okay momma, I love you anyway!" Ahhhhhh ... how I melted into a pile of mush. She has the best timing! It was THE perfect goodnight. Then of course she wrapped herself around me and snuggled in for a hug. It was one of my very favorite moments, ever.

This mommy thing. Hardest and most wonderful position in the world.

Forgotten

2010-03-10T22:01:00.001-08:00

Do you have those moments when you feel invisible? Like the time when someone pulls right out in front of you and goes 1/2 of the speed limit? Or the times when you sit at a restaurant table waiting 10 minutes or more for a server to approach you? Lately I feel invisible.

Or maybe it's more like forgotten. I feel like I try SO hard NOT to be the person that always gets taken advantage of, that somehow I've completely missed the boat and am the epitomy of that person. I guess maybe it's loneliness ... that I really want to be everyone's friend, and be recognized as the person who will do anything for them (because I will) ... that I get overlooked all the time. Maybe it's because people think I just don't care? Or maybe they're too busy running over me to notice that I DO, in fact, care.

I don't blame people - just myself. I blame myself for not speaking up loud enough or enough times when something is important. I blame myself for bending over backwards for people who I know wont do the same for me. I blame myself for not seeking out the right type of people. I really don't think people intend to treat me the way they do - some, maybe - but most, nah.

Lately I feel like the invisible work horse. I feel like I'm constantly going. Going going going going. And rarely is it ever for my benefit. Mostly for Nate, Danika (mostly Danika), family, friends ... occasionally it's because I REALLY want to do something despite knowing my limitations. But all that I do is unrecognized and unappreciated by many. I dont expect a thank you or a present or any form of recognition ... but it sure would be nice to know that my feelings matter to those people that I work so hard for and that I'm recognized as person.

I LOVE my crockpot!

2010-03-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

We received many wedding gifts that we are just so grateful for, even two years later! My very, very favorite, though? My crockpot ;) That thing is SO useful and creates meals that last FOREVER!

Tonights creation was Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers ... WOW! SOunds complicated, right? I thought so. Except they so weren't. The only "complicate" was deciding whether to make the couscous BEFORE putting it in the peppers prior to cooking, or to leave it as a dry mix before adding. I left it dry because it was easier ... what the heck? I have leftover ziti if it gets screwed up!

I discovered earlier today that my sister and momma were stopping by for dinner on the way to their hotel ... I had only planned for peppers, no side dishes because Nate had his men's bible study tonight. So I made the peppers, left 'em in the crockpot (which happens to cook twice as fast as every recipe calls for) ... and ran out for the extras!

We (danika helped ALOT) made a nice green salad and a pot of sauteed sweet potatoes and apples with brown sugar and chai mix ... delicious! And for dessert??

Jaime found a delicious "top secret recipe" for Starbucks peppermint brownies. OMG! Even I will not be able to go through these in less than a week ... so rich and scrumptious.

************************************************************************************

Danika has more words to add to the list ... Help! No thank you! Elmo! Book! Up! Down!

This kid just amazes me every day. She has such a sweet heart, so enthusiastic about trying EVERYTHING ... so courageous and social ... it's such a gift to watch her learn and grow everyday ... it's as if everyday there is a brand new Danika in front of me ... every morning I wake up wondering what she will learn or do today! I love it. My life is happy.

Baked Ziti!

2010-03-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

I am REALLY getting into this cooking adventure of mine! Prior to me starting to care for kids we were on a SUPER tight grocery budget, and spreading meals super thin. Now I'm budgeting a bit more so we can upgrade to better ingredients, and adding more organic versus not. Did you see the recent article that a certain pesticide that's used in HUGE amounts in the US can change a frog's sex from male to female? REALLY? And people wonder why there are so many health issues nowadays, yet no one wants to acknowledge that these organic farmers might have something worth looking into.

So tonight's menu? A baked ziti dish! I'll post the link below because it was amazing! But, of course, I doubled the cheese mixture because I absolutely am addicted and in love with cheese :) It was so easy and Danika loved helping me dump and mix. We added garlic bread and carrots with ranch dressing.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/baked-ziti-with-crunchy-italian-salad-and-garlic-bread?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/meatless-comfort-food#slide_14

D said a new word today! And I have to add "book" to the list from last night. Her new word? YELLOW! Does she know the meaning? Nah, only when I point to something and say "yellow", but it's a step. My girl is a stinking genius.

New words!

2010-03-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

Danika is in that stage where she's a sponge ... new words are popping up like crazy and we're learning to watch out language a little bit more. Or saying "peanut butter!" afterwards.

Here's her current list of words, though I know I'm forgetting some.

Momma, Dadda, Poppy, Oma (MMMMMMma), stinky, thank you, please, baby, dog, spoon, BOO!, bear, hat, all done, hello! (when the phone rings), bye bye, drink, milk, brrrr (cold), NO!, yes, shhhh!, hi!, ball, bubbles, apples, and the list goes on :)

Thought I'd share! Today at the mall we were playing with another mom/baby friend named Anna, and she totally got it! "Anna". I also believe she copied me when I called her a "noodle" the other day, though it came out as "doodoo".

She mumbles and strings together words that are formed into sentences, but are still indistinguishable. She knows exactly what she's saying to her baby, dog, etc ... in the meantime it just makes us giggle and shake our heads, wondering just what is going on in that little head of hers.

A New Direction!

2010-03-01T20:24:00.001-08:00

I suppose I might be late in my new year's resolutions. But hey. Whatever!

March 1 has brought a new lifestyle for me. I hope ;) We'll see if lasts til April 1. Gosh! Where did February go?!

So, we moved into our new place. And I love it. It's so open and we have a big, big, big backyard! Do you know what that means? I know longer have to scoop poop with a plastic bag on my hand! HA! I totally splurged on an 'essential' item ... the almighty pooper scooper!!! Danika toddles from one end of the house, gleefully, and usually yelling something at the top of her lungs, just to hear her echo ... it's usually DOG! Momma! Dadda! or CHEEEEEESE! Yes. Danika is my daughter. We love cheese. :)

So what do these new quests consist of? Guess what? I sweep my floors almost daily, or at least regularly! AMAZING! We take our shoes off at the entrance, now ... and we pick up crap off the floor. And we do this so much, it's Danika's new hobby .... she is a devoted adn excited trashlady ... constantly searching the ground for anything she can proudly pick up and bring to the trash can for me. Including her crayons, toys, sippy cups, and the list goes on. Quest one: a constantly clean house.

Quest two : Menu planning. I did this before, but not very effectively. I blew threw our grocery budget so fast! This weekend I carefully planned out a nightly meal and made a list of ingredients needed, minus fruits/veggies. AND! I stuck to it! AND! I'm excited about cooking. I used about 1/2 of the money I normally spend on my initial grocery run, and have all the essentials - now I just need the veggies to go in which of course is expensive but I still knocked off about half of what I spent last month! I LOVE THIS!

And so ... here is to my first night of cooking ... baked potato soup (divine!) and a loaf of homemade beer bread (delish and full of butter!)

And the reason(s) for this crap?

We are going to buy a house. Someday. My goal is in 23 months, at the end of our lease. Whether it be this house or different one. But in order to do that. We need money. SO ... Ariana is expanding her horizons and branching out! Yes, indeed! Kinda. How?

Adventurous Beginnings for Children. ABC Academy. Yes. Something I swore I would never do - a home childcare. But here's the thing - NO BABIES! HA! I love babies. Let me rephrase. I love MY babies and maybe one or two others. But. I was puked on twice on Friday by an 8 month old. And I just really dont want to deal with that again. Ever. And. I was also pooped on by a 2 year old. And so I think once I can be, I will be picky enough to require potty trained kids. Because that was disgusting. Eck.

I get to teach! I get to plan a weekly theme with a daily schedule. And if a parent or kid ticks me off enough, once I have a replacement, they are gone. because I can! Because I dont have to deal with kids trying to break their hands or taking up 100% of my time, when 4 (28) others need me, too. I'm excited, kinda. After I get through all this licensing crap.

We'll see how it goes! How ridiculous am I for doing this 4 months pregnant? Pretty ridiculous.

Love

2010-02-11T17:40:00.001-08:00

I know. I know. I talk about being a mommy and my little girl WAY too much. I'm over it. Are you?

Thursdays are rough days for me, as Nate has his classes on Thursdays which means I'm on my own from start to finish (gives me a new appreciate for my mom and her days as a military mommy). I usually don't look forward to them.

But then there are days like today. I had a prenatal appointment and left D with her best buddy, Kaizer to play for the morning. I admit, it was a nice break. I got to interact with adults without being asked for "more" (of whatever) or chasing her as she yanks 600 books off a shelf. I BLASTED my music on the drive to and fro. And I sang.. :) It was GREAT!

But then I arrived back at Kaizer's house and she ran, and I mean RAN to me and wrapped her little arms around my neck and gave me a very sweet "Hi!". Oh how I melted into a pile of goo and wished I had never left. She is such an amazing, incredible little girl. I have no idea how I was chosen to be HER mommy.

After lunch we went bed shopping for our NEW KING SIZE SLEEP NUMBER BED - well, we already bought it - we needed a bed frame for it - so we went and she walked all around the store and definitely shared her opinion (this? this? this? no mama.yes!ooooooh!) On our way home from the store we stopped by the park. She gave me my daily workout! Yep. Swinging and sliding and running galore. We were all over the place.

When we got home we had a package waiting from Oma and Poppi ... a kissing elmo, picture (photo) book, fun sunglasses, cookie cutters and toddler markers ... for Valentine's Day - what fun! It was so fun to watch her explore her box and new toys. We hopped in the highchair and colored together ... all over the paper, highchair and her face!

We shared dinner, interrupted with many giggles, tickles and game of boo ... her laughter is the sweetest sound. We splashed in the bathtub and chased each other up and down the hall, laughing laughing laughing. And then, sadly, bedtime.

I'm so glad there is not a person in this world who can put this kind of love into words. I'm so glad there's no one who can tell me how many more times my heart will explode with emotions when she wraps her arms around my neck and whispers "hi!" It's a new kind of love, every day ... one that can only be explored and discovered and ingrained in my little heart that continues to grow with every Danika smile.

I. Am. So. So. Blessed. And cannot even begin to imagine what this love will turn into when Danika's sister or brother arrives.

Woe is Me.

2010-01-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

UGH! I am so sick of this pity party attitude everyone has going on nowadays. Seriously? Or should I say "Seriousry?" Come on! I am oh so guilty of it, too ... but I'm also very aware of when I'm doing it ...

For example ... Obama. I'm so tired of hearing about this "mess" he inherited. Good for that judge who publicly disagreed! It is, in my opinion, out of line to imply judgement on someone (the supreme court) on national television. Good grief. And to continue whining about the Republican party and all that he has inherited? Shut UP! Mr. President ... YOU wanted this position ... YOU know what you were walking into ... now do you damn job. I relate it to teaching. I get a class of 3rd grade students, 90% of which are not on grade level. Do I sit there for a year and whine about how low they are? Not a freaking chance (except to my mom) ... instead I accept I have a challenge and make a plan to beat it. And guess what? Less than 10 percent of my students left my room at below grade level. One year, anyway.

Want another one? "I'm going to be a single mom" . Yeah? AND? Being a mom is hard regardless of whether you're married or not, or who you're married to. If you didn't want to consider being a single mom as an option, well ... then choose celibacy. Duh. I can say this, because I was in those shoes in 2007 ... and ya know what? I dealt with it, and I found strength in my friends and family. And I made a plan to make it work. In my opinion, YOU created your situation, now create a plan to make the best of it and stop your freaking whining.

I'm on a chat board. And ya know what I see? Moms whining about how much WIC sucks. Well ... then quit spending your damn paycheck on an internet bill and buy your own food. FOr crying out loud. Nate and I are by no means in a "good" financial situation, but it's better than a lot of people's these days. Did I ever complain about not having what I wanted? Sometimes. but it was more hoping for a day that when we could. And I still do. And ya know what? Every day I contemplate and plan for a way that we can, rather than sitting on a lazy butt and whining.

I am mooooody. moody moody moody. Maybe I need some of that B6 my mom was telling me about. So I'll stop whining about my moodiness. That is all.

My Dad

2010-01-20T23:43:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had it? Ugh *shudder* ... that feeling when you just know something bad has happened? Or a dream where someone is hurt or dies and you wake up feeling as though it has really happened? I HATE IT! I think i may have some form of mild anxiety issues. I'm not making light I really do ...

It's 12:40 a.m. . I originally 'stayed up' til 830 working on a sewing project. I tried to sleep but couldn't. SO ... I played on my computer for a bit :) I finally went back to bed around 1130. I was nearly asleep, and BAM ... that feeling. In my head was a song playing ... a song I haven't thought about since my wedding day ... the song my papa and I danced to ... Faith Hill's "There You'll Be" ... I'm not sure if thats the real title, but it's what I call it. And I started BAWLING. Yep ... out of nowhere ...

It's that feeling where you want to call your parents at 1230am just to make sure everything's okay and to say you love them more than they'll ever know. Its the kind of feeling where you get out of your bed at 1230 to blog about how much you love your dad.

My dad. That guy. He drives me NUTS! I was on the phone with my mom today and she said he was golfing in Montrose in the snow. My reply? Well then he's an idiot. Sometimes I think that, ,but moreover, he's just really, really passionate about whatever he's into at the moment. So much so that he leaves his police car in "drive" when he jumps out to help a woman being hit by her husband. Silly guy.

He used to embarrass us SO bad. Okay, he still does. Singing "That's Amore!" loud enough for the entire Borders bookstore to hear, oblivious (or not) to the stares while he belts out the lyrics as he listens. Or singing "oom chucka chucka, oom chucka chee, jumping up and down like a big bunny!" as he chicken necks his way through Henry's Farmers Market.

I cannot tell you the number of times my mother's bright red face was shaking back and forth as she attempted to escape the embarrassment of my father's "walking farts" through walmart. WHO DOES THAT?!!

My dad. When I got married, my biggest look for was a man who would be a great dad, like mine was and still is. Nate and dad are by no means alike, except for the fact they have their babies as their number one (babies = wife/kids). Except for the occasional round of golf :)

My favorite memories of dad time include ... taking us to the rolly slide in Japan ... bouncing us on his legs and making up ridiculous "songs" ... "aaaah!" as his hand hits our cheek (in a poking way, not a slap!) ... wiffle softball in the garden in Japan ... watching him type type type late hours in the night when he went back to school ... mom making us watch an evening news show, making us guess "who's hand is that?!" as dad did the weather forecast ... watching him coach brady in little league baseball ... taking us to the airshows and climbing in the display aircrafts ... watching him get "so handsome" in his dress blues, taking mom to the Marine Corps Ball ... and of course, the nightly observations of him lovingly stirring the sweet tea pitcher ...

more recently ... walking me down the aisle ... (obviously) my dad/daughter dance ... and the very best of all ... watching him hold my baby girl for the first time ... not so delicately, as if he's never held a baby before... with raised and furrowed eyebrows claiming "Yep, she's a pretty one" ... and 8 months later watching him play with her at the park ...

Those are just a few memories of my dad that will always be treasured ... and many more I'm sure, cuz I know he really is okay. He has to be! That's my dad! It's funny how regardless of how old you get, "thats my dad" always has such special meaning.

"There You'll Be"

When I think back
On these times
And the dreams
We left behind
I'll be glad 'cause
I was blessed to get
To have you in my life
When I look back
On these days
I'll look and see your face
You were right there for me

[Chorus:]
In my dreams
I'll always see you soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There will always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be

Well you showed me
How it feels
To feel the sky
Within my reach
And I always
Will remember all
The strength you
Gave to me
Your love made me
Make it through
Oh, I owe so much to you
You were right there for me

[Repeat chorus]

'Cause I always saw in you
My light, my strength
And I want to thank you
Now for all the ways
You were right there for me
You were right there for me
For always

[Chorus:]
In my dreams
I'll always see you soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There will always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
There you'll be

sorry

2010-01-18T15:25:00.001-08:00

Sorry! The formatting got screwed up ... the top is the "after" the bottom is the "before" :)

My latest project

2010-01-18T11:23:00.001-08:00

Before

SO! I have to share ... ever since I started staying home with D, I've had an increased interest in this "domestic" crap that my mom always did. Sewing, baking, crafting, etc. Who has time for that?! ME :) At least today I did.

We're moving into our new home this weekend and I really just want things to start looking

GOOD. SO ... I started making a "wish list".

After!

I knew that a new kitchen table is unrealistic so I started looking into other options. Right now I have a bar height table that I LOVE. Except for the stained microfiber cushions. So what did I do? Hmmm.

I spent 2 hours in Joanne's :) I finally spent about 10 bucks on new upholstery fabric, and might I add that it's super sexy! WE borrowed a staple gun from a friend and guess what? It's like a brand new kitchen table. I dont have the

cushions screwed in yet but I have pictures of the cushions sitting on the chairs in the wrong direction :)

Next project : upholstering a wood bench/coat rack I bought for a dollar at a yardsale :)

A big sister

2010-01-09T17:58:00.000-08:00

Is what Danika will be! We are expecting our second child on August 28, 2010! We are so super excited about our new little baby joining our family. Its going much faster than it did with Danika - I'm 7 weeks today - still super early but getting closer and closer to the end of the first trimester.

Most of you know my first pregnancy ended in a very sad miscarriage back in 2007. Originally I wanted to wait until the 2nd trimester to share our news, but we figure - the people we share our news with love our daughter and will love this little baby, too - and will cry with us if something goes wrong, or celebrate when she/he arrives.

We got to see and hear the little heartbeat on January 5! The ultrasound tech kept referring to it as the flicker - so! We nicknamed the little nudge a little flicker :)

Once again the morning sickness has loyally appeared ... currently my diet consists of crackers and cheese, and rootbeer floats. Its funny how with my morning sickness with Danika, it was awful and people kept telling me "its worth it!". Yep. I wanted to vomit down their throat. Now, after seeing and feeling the love a mommy feels, it makes the queasiness and vomitting so, so, so worth it - it puts it all in perspective.

It makes me sad that my time with just me and Danika is coming to an end, but I just know she will be a fabulous sister, kinda like me :)

Christmas

2009-12-29T18:48:00.000-08:00

is OVER and I want some warm weather! It seems the cold is okay, as long as it has a purpose - like giving me a white Christmas - but there is no purpose to it now that I can't afford to ski or drive into the mountains to snowshoe! I'd much rather have some nice warm sun to take D for walks or play at the park. It makes the days so much more interesting when its warm.

Christmas Eve, nate and i ordered pizza (NICE!) and then went on a tour of broomfield Christmas lights. I got all of us some hot chocolate, including D!, and we oohed and ahed. Nate and I decided that since we did last year, we might as well make it a tradition to open gifts to each other on Christmas eve, so Christmas can be about the kiddos and what Santa brought them. I loved it - how fun!

Christmas was great! It's so fun to be Santa and watch D open gifts and listen to the charming "ooooohs" that last all of 10 seconds before shes bored and moving on to the next one. I sure love being a mommy! Nate was surprised with a sirius radio for his long travels to work, but I was the most surprised of all. He received an unexpected bonus that he kept secret - and bought me a Wii Fit plus AND ... duh duh duh ... a kitchenaid! I'm so excited. Something to make me gain weight, and something to help take it off :)

We spent Christmas morning together as a family - it was REALLY nice. We did our thing, then went to the Hall family for dinner and gifts. it was a delicious dinner of various fondues. We opened presents and came home, to pass out from exhaustion a mere half hour later.

On Saturday we woke and drove up to Cheyenne WY to spend the weekend with my family. My parents bought us a fancy new printer AND ... duh duh duh ... an ice cream machine! FUN! I'm so excited! Momma also got all the girl some nice woolrich slippers- deliciously comfortable and warm. My papa got all of us, including D, a nalgene water bottle (sippy cup) - YES! Love those :) AND of course, McCalisters gift card. SIlly guy! It was fun- we hung out, ate some good chow and (they) watched Harry Potter.

It was a really neat day weekend - busy, but super fun. I really miss having my family all together.

Outrageous Love

2009-12-21T19:32:00.001-08:00

Since before Thanksgiving Nate and I have been collecting donations of money or items for a family in need. Our church allows people to nominate families in need each year and other families can adopt them. Because Nate and I don't have the ability to fully adopt a family and give them a nice Christmas, we asked those around us ... families, friends and coworkers ... for help. What an amazing turnout! There was close to $500 in donations! Below is an email I sent to those who gave to this family ... I just wanted to share this story with you :)

When I was growing up, my parents always donated items for Toys for Tots, and brought delicious goodies to the military men and women who were on duty on Christmas/Christmas Eve. It was a very good lesson for all of us kids in the value of giving to those who are less fortunate than you. Though I love and strongly encourage people to give to Toys for Tots, and other like organizations, it was really humbling and beautiful to watch these folks open their gifts and to see the appreciation for each and every one. I will email the mom and ask her to send pictures, as I forgot my camera, but she took many! I will forward them on when I get them!

When we arrived it was immediately obvious this family was very close and had a lot of love to share, but not a whole lot more. The little boy, Daxton, saw the gifts and went ballistic! It was great to watch his excitement. I packed the clothes, pjs and blanket he was given in one big diaper box, cuz I have a lot of those laying around... when he pulled out the blanket, he yelled "new carpet!" It was pretty hysterical.

We shared cookies and hot chocolate as they opened gifts and shared stories. There was raw emotion about the father of the family who passed away the day before Thanksgiving. As gifts were opened, there were many warm smiles and hearts over puzzles, games, and books that were given. Then came the tears as they opened bags containing the essentials - hats, gloves, etc. Also in those bags were gifts cards to home depot and target. I cannot tell you how well spent your money will be. They showed us old outlets that were sparking and in very dangerous condition, and a door that could probably be knocked down with a single blow as it was like cardboard. This family had no room in their budget for the simple things - outlets, pajamas, gloves, hats, a Christmas dinner. Please know your gifts are very appreciated and will be handled with intention and care.

I made homemade hot chocolate which seemed to be a nice treat for all of us. However, at the end of the visit, Daxton (5years old) yelled "the hot cocoa is nasty!" His poor parents were just mortified. It turns out he liked it BEFORE he dissolved his cookies into it, and just wanted a fresh glass:)

On the border of sounding completely tacky, this evening was a gift and reminder for me to be thankful for the deadbolt on my door to keep the nasties away, and a carbon monoxide detector in our home. It turns out I knew the eldest of the ladies in the family as a door greeter in the Wal Mart by our house - we always smiled and exchanged greetings, but I just figured she was like my dad, who would enjoy a job like that in his retirement. It turns out she's barely hanging on, and clinging to memories of her son in law, and helping her daughter get through the loss of her beloved husband. Its amazing how much a sweet smile can hide!

Thank you to all of you for selflessly contributing your hard earned money to provide Christmas for this family. They are working really hard to turn their situation around and be able to do this for another family someday! I hope you all have a wonderful CHristmas with your families ... blessings!

Friends

2009-12-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

CBC girls, this is for you :)

Lately, I have been really missing my CBC girls - my old group of girlfriends from high school. Which is so weird to me, because I haven't seen hardly any of them for 9, almost 10 years. Occasionally I get to see one or two as they drive through or come to visit the other CBC girl who moved to Denver. But I never even see her! It's crazy!

I've made many a friend in my short life - moving every so often, it kinda builds this ability to make friends easily. Or so I thought. That lasted until college. In high school, my girls automatically loved on me, accepted me for all the weirdness I was. I invaded their group of friends who had grown up together, and somehow I became one of theirs. Of the 9 (10?) of us, there was a WIDE range of personalities - from the Olympic athlete don't get in my way Erin, to the uber sweet and loving Lori to the go getter, hurt nobody Kira. Also included was the bright and vibrant Tess, and total California girl Liz, who now lives in Denver! Somehow ... somehow these personalities meshed into a senior year full of fun, laughter and a million memories that came to a screeching halt for me when they invaded my home the morning I left for college withloads of hugs and goodbyes.

I went to college. The world was now tainted. With super hot boys, alcohol, and people who were no where close to my CBC girls. Other females lied and manipulated and stole boyfriends. In the adult world, those friends were friends who were only friends when they wanted something. Like teachers who didnt want to work, but rather wanted to mooch off the efforts of a dedicated and passionate colleague.

And now. I'm a mommy. And I have met SO many wonderful mommy friends. But its so hard to keep my mouth shut and eyebrows unraised and face expressionless as they let their childs slap others or grab toys away without a single blink. I miss my deep, talk about anything friendships I had with my girls.

What's funny about that is that when I've seen Liz or Erin or Lori in the past few years - its obvious we have changed and grown into adults with our own personalities. But that comfort level is still there. I still cant wait to see them when I go to San Diego (HOLLA!) for my reunion next summer. My skin itches to hug them and see how they've grown and the beautiful people who are now their family members or significant others. How I would love to have them out in Denver so we could go on CBC adventures in the Colorado wilderness together!

My CBC girls - if you are reading ;) - I am not the best keep in toucher, but know I think about you tons and wish I could do cocktails and lunches with you. I'm so proud of the people you have turned into - you are the most loving, kind hearted people I know and I am so blessed to have been adopted by you 10 years ago. I love you dearly and can't wait to see you again!

How could I forget?

2009-12-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

I forgot Danika's favorite new word ... credit goes to Nate for teaching her this one while changing her diaper .... READY ... her favorite word is ... duh duh duh ...

STINKYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!

It's HALERIOUS! Yes I spelled that wrong on purpose. When she poos I ask her if she's stinky and she roams around the house, nose wrinkled, yelling "STINKY!" with a huge grin. HASTERICAL! It's going to embarrassing one of these days. As of right now she only does it at home when prompted. I dread the day when she says it about someone else.

She also tried to say "moo!" "meow" and "ruff" today when learning animal sounds. The pride on her face reminds me of my own dad and brother and the look they get on their face when they say something they think is histerical. But it's not. It's really not. Except sometims it is.

Now that Danika is walking everywhere, we've gotten quite a few laughs as she gives "the bonk" from a stand. She will stand at the end of the hall, dip her head forward and look up at you until you come bump foreheads with her. Again. HASTERICAL! What's funny is that now Nate and I do it to each other as an "I love you" - when Danika is 18 and we're still doing it she will be so embarrassed, yet it is all her fault :)

Winter and Words

2009-12-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here on my couch ... we bought a fireplace soundtrack that plays a fireplace and/or piano or guitar Christmas carols. I put some cinnamon sticks, cloves, and dried apples to boil on the stove... mmmmm ... it feels like Christmas around here! BRRRRRR! Holy coldness! The last few days/nights the temps have been in the negative digits and it is just ridiculous! On Monday I watched a friend's little boy ALL day (12 hours!) and I must say ... it was fun, but I was going stir crazy as I refused to take 2 one year olds into -10 degree weather and wind. We played with a LOT of playdough...

My little Danika! She is in SUCH a fun stage! I'm having a blast, as always. She is walking, everywhere - which makes me sad because her little crawling bootie was just SO cute. It wiggled faster the faster she wanted to go! I look at her and see this big, big girl who can do so much now. And then I see her glee over feeding the dog, or watch her play in the bathtub and it reminds me I still have a little while before she really is too big. I know it'll go fast, though.

When her buddy was over on Monday, they played chase around the kitchen island for EVER! It was so funny! And every time they caught each other it was like this huge surprise! I got a lot of laughs that day :)

Danika is in the very beginning of the I'm going to copy everything you do stage. She pretend coughs, sneezes, burps, farts, laughs, etc. She even learned to shoosh me the other night! What?! I have a ten year old in the house now! She loves to play chase - and when she sees me getting close she wrinkles up her little nose and squeals and squeals. SO funny!

SHe's talking up a storm, too. Her words now include : Juice, dog, momma, dada, baby, this, that, apple, shhh!, hi!, shoe and I think I'm forgetting a few. She blows kisses and gives regular kisses and runs over with her arms in the air and throws herself on you with all her might when you ask her for a hug or for some love. She is a snuggler, too! When she wakes up from a nap or in the morning, she loves to lay down on my chest and I rub/tickle her back for a good 10 minutes. It's my favorite time of the day :) Then she sits straight up and gives me a big, wrinkled nose smile ... holds for a minute, then falls back down on me ready for some more back tickles. Silly!

What else is new... hmm ... Nate's job is keeping him busy busy! He calls it stress, I call it job security :) I'm working part time, now, too ... I work one shift a week at a gym daycare where I can bring Danika with me. I'm also working for a company contracted through CO Dept of Ed as an after school tutor which starts MONDAY! Yaya! ANd I'm so lucky to have friends that'll watch D so she's in a safe place with kiddos her age :)

We're MOVING! Yes, again. We're moving into a very cute and quaint 3 bedroom house with a huge unfinished basement and gigantic backyard! I'm so excited to have some ROOM! We start moving in mid- January!

I know I keep promising pictures - they'll be here soon :)

Laughter

2009-12-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

If you know me at all, you know that I am very conscientious about how I am perceived by others. I'm very aware of social etiquette, though it may not always seem that way :) Well, lately I've noticed that going out the window. I am having SO much fun with Danika. She's in such a crazy fun stage, though it also has it's pitfalls, too.

I find myself walking through Target grocery shopping and blowing raspberries or other ridiculous noises to keep her giggling. I will do just about anything to see that litte girl smile. Her beautiful, precious grin melts me. It reminds me to enjoy the simple things, such as chocolate, soda (toda! - NO I do not give it to her, I have no idea how she knows that word), her daddy, and her dog. Her excitement over cheese, bananas and eggs is overwhelming! She almost jumps out of her highchair when she sees a scrambled egg coming her way - it's HI sterical!

Yesterday was a blahish day for me - worries came at me left and right and I spent most of the morning away from her in a training. I felt like I had no QT with her, like she was neglected the whole day - and even fell asleep for the night before eating dinner or having a night time milk. I felt HORRIBLE! BUT TODAY! TODAY was fun!

After breakfast we spent about 1/2 an hour chasing each other (more on that later). Then we went to playgroup where she played with her buddies and snuck a few treats from the other mommas. From there we came home and took a nap (well, she did ... i finally got to vacuum!) and had lunch. As I made lunch she sat on the floor of the kitchen with a bowl of water and about 5 measuring cups. It was so fun to watch her fascination and her oohs and aahs. Silly :)

THEN ... we made playdough :) It made me feel like I was 5 again. Her squeals of delight as the playdough squished through her fingers was priceless. It was utter and total joy for about 15 minutes. I hooked up the gates, closed all the doors and we, again, chased each other through our little apartment.

I took her Christmas shopping for about an hour, then we had dinner AND ... chased each other some more!

This girl is so fun! SHe makes me laugh so hard! She starts at one end of the room, gets my attention, then TAKES off running and hides behind the couch. Then she giggles hysterically, and peeks out from behind the couch to make sure i'm chasing her. When she sees me she collapses into a fit of laughter and squeals some more when I 'get' her. THen I get on all fours and scurry away and she comes running after me and throws her whole body on my back. This gets repeated about 25 times or until I'm exhausted. We both laugh so hard, it's ridunculous.

These are the moments I'll remember :) I hope.

It's amazing what I will do to hear her laugh, or for us to laugh together. It's so neat to feel our little bond get stronger and stronger. She is such a special, beautiful little girl sometimes it's hard to believe she's mine. What a gift I have!

Stages

2009-11-28T19:28:00.001-08:00

What a great weekend!

Nate and I rotate family holidays so we can create special memories with both of our families. This year we were on schedule to visit Ari's family for turkey day, but because of dad's work schedule and siblings out of town, we layed low and saved gas money :) It was a bummer - Thanksgiving is one of my favorites - good food, family, no pressure for good gifts - just nice time with family. And lots of CHEESE! But we had fun anyway - Nate and D played and set up the Christmas tree while listening to Christmas carols and I cooked away. I never truly appreciated Thanksgiving dinner until I cooked it myself ... wow - what a lot of work for 5 minutes of chowing! I made a glazed ham for Nate, cranberry apple stuffing, sweet potatoes and apples, green bean casserole, cranberry/goat cheese fake chicken, fruit salad and coconut cream pie.

Except I forgot to put the pie shell in the oven before I filled it, SO. We had raw pie crust for our pie. Delicious.

We went for a nice long walk and then Ari prepared her black friday shopping plans :) It was a great day :)

It made me think about stages. It seems odd to me that in the last ten years I have gone from simply eating mom's delicious meal, to being in college and wondering where/who Thanksgiving would be, to being an adult and participating in the cooking, to being the MOM who makes the meal. It has gone by so fast! I love my new role, but it makes me sad, too. Im old.

Speaking of stages, Danika Grace is not slowing down either! That girl! Whew. She is literally running all over the house. Apartment. Whatever. It's fun, but exhausting! We chase each other and play hide and seek - in the one year old kinda way. I let her stir my cake batters and sometimes she even gets to lick the spoon. It's fun being a momma and thinking back to those memories with my own mom and grandmamma.

But as she learns her new "tricks' like smacking me in the face, she's forgetting her old ones - like the "bonk" ... for those who have seen the bonk, it's priceless - such a sweet and adorable - and hysterical - gesture! I miss it :( Her latest - "Uh ooooooooooh!" sounds more like "Uh eeeeeeew!" -- cute, and yet incredibly obnoxious after 23 rounds of "dropping" the sippy cup.

SHe also is LOVING falling down - she thinks it's hysterical! I throw her ball at her and it lands in front of her or on her. And she waits 2 seconds. Then falls dramatically backwards and cracks up. HYSTERICAL! I swear, this kid is more entertaining than any tv show or comedian. I laugh o much at her! How can people not love being a momma? These memories are priceless!

I went shopping Friday :) I found the LAST gps at walmart - 60 bucks! AND - two presents for Nate (he reads so I can't share til Christmas) - a feather comforter with two king sized pillows - a family Christmas present and a small one for a friend of ours - ugh- this sucks! Everyone reads so I cant' share my treasures! DRRRRRR! But the best part was seeing my good friend and college roomie, Erika - she met me nice and early and we gabbed and had our Pumpkin spice lattes! I miss those days of being single with the girls, sometimes too.

I'm rambling. I think I'm done for tonight. PIctures coming soon :)

YAYA!

2009-11-26T21:58:00.001-08:00

I like a challenge ... Black Friday - bring it! Updates to come soon :)

So Grateful

2009-11-25T21:00:00.001-08:00

Of course, like everyone else in the blogging world, I am reflecting tonight on who and what I am grateful for. The list is long, but I'll keep it to a minimum :)

I know I rave about Danika and how much I love her and couldn't live without her ... but without HIM I wouldn't have HER. I am so thankful for that sweet husband of mine, that Nato. We have had a VERY long road with TONS of ups and downs (it seems like the ups are finally outnumbering the downs) ... but he's my best friend and love of my life. We met two years ago Dec 2 and had no idea the journey that lay before us. He is such a gift that I am so blessed to have :)

And of course that Danika girl. WHat a sweetie pie - her little smile just lights up my world. Every day brings a new adventure and new reason to laugh. She has turned my world upside down since the moment we found out we were expecting her - she has made me want to be a better person and has brought Nate and I closer together.

My parents :) OOOOH they irritate me sometimes! But man what an example they have led. I just recently found myself in Select Comfort for the 15th time asking the same question to another salesman that I had asked 3 others just to compare answers and realized that, um wow - somewhere along the way that dad guy had an impact! YIKES! He drives me nuts with the way he shops and yet here I am, doing the same thing. My parents ... and grandparents ... such wonderful, patient, hardworking, honest people - it's no wonder I turned out so great! I'm so lucky and grateful to have had such wonderful examples to learn from and who's influence will trickle down through me to Danika.

My siblings - tori, jj and brady man. THey irritate me, too :) But in a good way - because they care and want what's best. When we were younger we fought. A lot. but we also had many a great lizard chases and tree climbing adventures - and shared chicken kabobs at the Chicken shak in Japan. I wouldn't trade 'em for anything. In college they taught me how to drink, how to stop drinking so much and how to pretend like I wasn't drunk :) Now we enjoy a glass of wine together occasionally and chat over the newest adventures in our own personal lives as though we have been great friends this whole time.

My dog. He puts up with me, despite my anger rages (not at him. sometimes at him) and lets my baby girl throw herself all over him without a single flinch. He always greets me with a wagging tail and lots and lots of love. Especially when I am sad or lonely.

Honestly. People say things like this but I truly mean it (not saying they dont). I am so thankful for this beautiful country and the people who serve and lead it. I watched my dad hop on a train out of town many a time when I was younger - and now watch many a friend leave their wives and children behind. I cannot imagine how much that would just tear me to pieces every single time. But yet, here I am - going to my church, speaking my mind and living a life free of oppression and hatred - because of the sacrifice of so many.

Kids. I'm thankful for all kids. because they remind us to smile. Even that obnoxious boogar whose running around walmart on thanksgiving eve - the utter joy in his face over his mother buying a cherry pie - the small things in life are important, too.

I'm grateful for the life I lead. I'm grateful my parents taught me how to choose a good man - who will teach my daughter to choose a good man. I'm thankful I have one - that supports my decisions and works selflessly so that I can be home to watch Danika take her first steps and blow her first kiss. I'm grateful for the many friends I have that remind me to breathe and enjoy the now. I'm so thankful I have people acting as silent guardian angels- watching my back, or for stumbling blocks I might trip over because I'm too busy watching my daughter (again). I'm grateful that my parents taught me how to be independent, and the importance of a good education. I'm grateful for the sheer beauty found in a Colorado sunset.

I'm not sure that I could continue to write and list all the things I'm thankful for. Because there are not the words. I am blessed. Despite the hardships I encounter, it could be so much worse. Happy Thanksgiving!

Perfect

2009-11-20T21:58:00.001-08:00

I had SUCH a great day! I have to share :)

SO ... to begin with that dear husband of mine *left* for work, only to return 20 minutes later with a zebra mocha (starbucks) for me! What a way to start the day. I kinda planted the idea in his head, but it was his idea to actually do it!

AND THEN! I went to an interview at a health club in Boulder. And I was hired. Before I left the building. And I get to work part time. And I get to bring Danika with me. WHAT?! HOLLER! The perfect scenario.

Why am I working might you ask? I love doulaing ... but until I build a better support system around myself for Danika's childcare, I need to back off. So I'm going to take only 1 client a month. BUT while I work part time and doula occasionally ... both my momma and I are going to work on teaching Signing Smart sign language classes!

ANywho, back to my great day. So, I get back home from my interview to my apartment to find my brother waiting for me to take him to the airport ... and in his hand? A Pumpkin Spice latte! LOVE THAT! TWO coffees!

I get home, Danika is ASLEEP! AND she stays asleep for a total of 3.5 hours! NICE! Except I'm too wired from having two coffees that I can't nap :( SO what do I do? Hang out with my computer of course! ANd what do I find? Nate has found the perfect home for us to move into and we get ot see it TOMORROW! And then ? I check my email and have TWO doula clients lined up (in one day!) AND another doula asking me to mentor her! I'm excited.

It was like 70 degrees, too. WEll maybe 55, but it was still warm. So I got to take my mandog for a walk and pushed D on the swings (her FAVORITE!). What a perfect day. Perfect. I should have bought a lottery ticket.

Danika's Latest and Greatest

2009-11-19T06:51:00.000-08:00

I share with many friends and family members how shocked I am at the change in her in the last month. Some great news talents have surfaced. So have some no so greats. ugh.

My girl :) SHe has THE sweetest smile in the entire world. One that melts your heart and makes you forget about the latest smack in the face she just shared with you. Yes, folks, we have a hitter. That little hand HURTS man! And boy does she gear up for it too. She raises it up high, waits for me to say "no" then BAM, right into the face. And then she laughs. Really? WHo taught her that?

She does say several words now! I have a little jabberbox! The discernable ones include "HI!" (many times in a row), Dog, "Doggeeeeeee!", pretty, this, that, mama, dada, tree. ANd there's more that she's said once or twice but never again (cat, hot, for example). And she signs! She signs more, please (sometimes) light, milk, fan, and probably one or two more that I haven't picked up on yet. She understands my signs of stop, dance, music, and in/out. So fun!

THis girl LOVES music! She hears a song, even if just a commercial, stops what shes doing and sways and bounces back and forth, all the while humming along or singing "doo doo dooooo!"

She gives hugs and kisses which are by far my very favorite things in the entire world. THere is nothing like your baby girl walking towards you, grinning the whole time, then throwing herself on you with a big hug, arms around your neck and an open mouth on your cheek. SO SWEET! IT makes me cry sometimes :)

Did you say walking, Ari? Why yes I did! ANd it's real this time, not just one or two steps. This girl is on it! She is all over the place and into everything! SHe hasn't perfected it yet, and when she has figured out she's doing it for show, she'll cheat and fall down half way and crawl the rest but when she has the chance to walk she does! Some mommy friends recently commented that I've lost a few pounds. I'd say, um yes, that is quite possible as I am now running after my little munchkin and her conquest of the dog.

There's so much more this little girl is doing! I'll post pictures later. But for now I suppose I ought to go take away that plastic bag :)

Entitled

2009-11-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite sure what exactly my generation is called ... I call it Generation Entitled. And I would give anything for that to change. I am so tired of encountering people around my age and younger who have this sense of entitlement, as though there is a Gingersnap Pickeschnickle, Entitled.

My most current frustrations include the following ...

people who get are entering the highway and give you nasty looks when you don't yield to THEM. What? Basic Driver's Ed.

Nate's example: He makes a phone call to offer someone a job- they respond by asking him to call back later, as they are trying on clothes at walmart at the moment.

People who hurry up to get to the door before you (when you are pushing a stroller) and then let the door close in your face (or on your child's feet).

At Wal Mart ... people who just walk right into the middle of the aisle without looking for oncoming "traffic". And then they glare at you as if YOU were supposed to stop for their heiness.

And the simple fact that there is seriously not an ounce left of customer service. Anywhere. Except Nordstroms where I cannot afford to shop.

When I began my first waitressing job, as much as I despise Red RObin, we were opening the restaurant and had some SERIOUS training. The one rule of thumb? The CUSTOMER is always right. And when you and the customer are walking towards each other ... get out of the way and let them through! I am so annoyed that it is the norm now to be pushed out of the way (esssentially) by a store employee whose in a hurry to go on lunch. Really? How incredibly rude.

I went to visit my sister who lives on a military base in Cheyenne, WY. Let me tell you, I never in my life thought I'd be in a hurry to get back there. Until I was reminded of what military life is about. People who respect others, ESPECIALLY women and children ... even though it's kinda the rule...what a nice rule to have. And men who DON'T cuss in front of kids? AMAZING.

People who says "yes please" and "thank you" and step aside to let the elderly through. And even more incredible - even the kids on the base know what flag ettiquette is. My first year of teaching I was absolutely shocked and appalled as the national anthem was sung at an assembly and not a single student stood. THAT is despicable.

I once heard a quote, which I will never know the truth of for myself ... "it is hard to be soldier. It is even harder to love a soldier." I would never want to be in my sister's shoes ... watching her husband leave for Afghanistan, packing their belongings up every few years to head somewhere based on someone else's decision. But it sure would be nice to live in that community. Plus the food is cheap :) So maybe one day, if Nate agrees ... maybe I can teach for DOD schools and we can live at least CLOSE to such a world of respect and love of country.

SO ... aparently I had some ranting on my mind ... not sure I stayed on track ... but that's what happens I suppose.

Technology

2009-11-09T22:50:00.001-08:00

I once hated it. I cursed at computers (still do), yelled at cell phones dropping calls (still do) and have practically thrown the tv across the room.

People say that technology kills relationships. It does. If not used correctly (um, can we say World of Warcraft ... ?) But ya know ... as always, I have my piece to say about this ...

Without my beautiful Macbook, I would be so lost. It takes me seconds to look up whether Danika is supposed to have that bump where she got a shot. Or how long that cough should last. Or what the dosage for baby tylenol is for a 3 month old. I get to read about my bff from high school (hi Kira!) and her BEAUTIFUL baby boys and what a great mom she is now. I do a quick check on facebook (um...several times a ... hour) and see a picture of my college buddy (Hi Sarah!) sportin' a cute maternity top and showing off her cute belly! If I need a quick pick me up (hi mom!) I can *whooosh* open up ichat and have a cup of morning joe with my own momma and let her give me a talking to and pep talk. I get morning updates on my crafting blogs which give me tons of free patterns to sew for Danika- saving me HUNDREDS of dollars (kinda) ...

Do I go overboard on facebook? SURE I DO! It's fun and I get to know my friends just a little better and hear about their day and get advice from other mommies. I feel MORE connected to people than I did several years ago. I found my CBC girls and get to watch them grow in their different stages of life! I get to see wedding pictures from people who are hundreds of miles away that I would NEVER get to see in reality. And most importantly, I get that little beep on my cell phone and see a quick email from Nato letting me know he thinks I'm beautiful. Now who can say THAT is bad?

It can be. Technology is one of those things ... too much of a good thing can be deadly. So get off your computer and kiss your hubby! (or your dog if his name is Jack, Peanut, Fletch, Banjo or any other)

Added years

2009-11-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

I sit here eating my very fall-esque lunch (at 230) of butternut squash soup and a honey crisp apple (and an oreo...shhhh) and I am pondering. Because my daughter now takes a 3 hour afternoon nap. ANd I love it. Is that bad? I feel guilty. Again :) It's the 3 hours during the day my little apartment appears to be clean.

I took Danika on a bike ride today (her very first) and she LOVED it. She was practically screaming "WHEEE!" the whole time. SO cute. We wound up at a huge park and being that it's somewhere around 80 degrees in November, we took advantage of it. I pushed her on the swing for awhile (her favorite) and then let her climb up the slide. I swear to you, she must have climbed up it 85 times. And then slid down on her tummy. And every time, without a moment of hesitation, up she went again. She was so determined to get to the top time after time after time.

These little people! There are so many articles that debate whether people with children live longer or happier. The last one I read was on the "yes" side of that debate with the simple explanation that children simply make you want to be a better person. SO true!

This little girl reminds me daily to find joy in the smallest places ... for her, a delicious crumb found on the carpet ... for me, simply savoring a scrumptious cup of chai in the morning and reveling in the fact that I get to watch my daughter grow up every single day. When I'm tempted to yell at that idiot who doesn't know how to put his foot on the gas pedal, a single glance in my rearview mirror reminds why I shouldn't. When Nate and I get "into it" and want to let each other have it, her simple presence reminds us to speak in a reasonable tone and to pick our battles.

Shoot. If you had seen my living space three years ago as compared to now. That little girl saved me from my own mess! I was too busy 3 years ago to care ... now? the living room is vacuumed daily and it KILLS me to see my kitchen dirty. Who IS this person I've become? Three years ago I would have eaten oreos *wink* and orange juice for lunch ... today? Organic Butternut squash soup and apple slices? Okay, so occasionally I slip with the oreos, but at least they are no longer my main meal.

I guess the point is, these little babies. They may or may not add years to your life, but if you make an effort to be a good mom, they sure make the years you do have more worthwhile and full of love and happiness. Occasionally (like every, um, day) they may stress you out and it feels like they're taking years away...but look at this! I originally intended to post about how stupid drivers have become. Huh!

Amazing

2009-11-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

Ya know. I'm not pregnant, and who knows when we will be again. BUT we got some bad news last week that's still bothering me. When we found out we were pregnant with Danika, I had Kaizer Permanente for my insurance and it SUCKED. It was so awful. Even the midwives. I was accused several times of being more concerned about my weight than with my baby because I was so sick. Excuse me? Like I WANTED to throw up sixteen times a day? Whatever.

Luckily, I got my insurance changed and we were referred to an AMAZING family doctor. I had NO idea how lucky we were until I started work as a doula. Our doctor was very hands on and VERY supportive of everything we wanted for our labor and delivery of Danika. We delivered her in an awesome hospital, with wonderful nurses and a doctor who was there with us every step of the way.

We had Danika's 1 year appt on Tuesday with her - as she is Danika's doctor now, too. SHe told us the news that she and her partner (equally as awesome) were no longer going to be practicing prenatal care. At first I shrugged it off, but it still bugs me. I completely understand her reasoning, but it's amazing how much trust I have placed in this woman and how sad this news has become to me.

It has opened more doors for our next child - I'd LOVE to have a water birth at Mountain Midwifery, but would be more comfortable having our doctor available to us, too. It feels like my safety net has been removed and I'm wandering aimlessly hoping to find an OB doctor or midwife who we trust even a smidgen as much as we do with our previous doctor.

What makes it worse for ME is that I have SEEN the other side in my work as a doula. I've SEEN the doctors who scare their patients into doing unnecessary crap and leave patients feeling emotionally raped of the birth experience they want. I feel for the list of doctors and midwives who have to go through MY Interview! When the time comes that is.

We, of course, still love and adore our doctor and will continue to see her and bring Danika and future chillin's to her as well. I would write more but ... Grey's Anatomy calls.

A Peeve

2009-11-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

I often comment on how irritated I get that other people have this NEED to comment on my parenting. Well, it's my turn now. Get ready.

I have to write this down, share it and let it go because it makes my blood pressure go up. Ask Nate what happens as a result :)

I am by far not a perfect parent, but I sure as hell try my best to do what I can right. I get so angry at how flippant and careless people are. It disgusts me! As I drive down the street and see three kids crammed next to their father in a single cab truck .... REALLY? Or a white car whiz by me with a child NO MORE than 18 months old STANDING in the front seat - no carseat or seat belt in sight- her head hanging out the window - YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. I get pissed. And I mean PISSED. ( I hate that word - ask Nate - so that tells you how angry I get)

Don't people KNOW how priceless their children are? How can people NOT read about things that will help their children or their family? Its their CHILD! My latest vent is of course about the H1N1 vaccine ... as well as others :) I am absolutely an advocate for vaccinating - Danika is absolutely getting vaccinated though it may not be your standard schedule. EEEEEERRRRRR! People need to research this crap before subjecting their kid to it!

Can you tell I'm irritated? Its alright. My next post will be something about MY latest screwup.

She Walks!

2009-11-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks Danika has taken several steps ... one here, four there, 2 WAY over yonder ... but tonight ... tonight made every muscle, bone, organ, ligament and fiber in my body smile. Several times she has had this look in her eyes as she stands there, staring at something she REALLY wants, but there is this doubt that you can see penetrate her courage.

Not tonight, though! I set her down on her feet and she leaned against the couch. I sat in front of her on my knees and coaxed her (how easily these kids turn us into idiots) ... and she came ... EIGHT steps! THen when I got the video camera ... she quit :) Until I moved across the room on the couch and replayed an old video. THAT got her attention! She came walking ACROSS the room just as fast as her little legs could move. AND I got it on video! A couple times she hears me cheering, she stops, claps her hands for a few seconds, then continues on. SOOOOOO CUTE!!!! She laughed the whole time as if to say "SEE! I CAN DO IT! I CAN DO IT!" Then she collapsed on her knees and scurried the rest of the way over and practically jumped into my arms. My girl :)

It's amazing how, as a parent, you spend your day teaching them right from wrong (No HITTING! for the six zillionth time!) and daydream about what you might say when their heart gets broken or they have their first kiss. But sometimes, when you watch those little ones, it's very humbling to realize that there are times when you as a parent can learn more than you can teach. I learned tonight. Well, I remembered. I remembered that it's okay to be afraid sometimes, you JUST have to believe in yourself and the person waiting to catch you when you fall. If you've never done something you want to do, go ahead and try! What's the worse that can happen? You'll tumble over a big green monster. And sometimes, when you succeed (or fail!) you just might get a cookie in the end. Or at least a big hug from momma.

These little people. They can bring you to tears in seconds.

One Year Ago

2009-10-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

A few minutes old :)

one month! Nov 08

2 months old Dec. 08

3 months old February 09

4 months old

5 months March 09

6 months April 09

7 months May 09

8 months June 09

9 months July 09

10 Months old (Sept. 09)

11 Months Oct 1 09

ONE YEAR OLD! 10/30/09

One year. WOW. Wow. wow. wow. People say it goes fast, but I was unprepared for this. Unprepared for how quickly the "firsts" go by, how quickly it all changes. Change is good! I embrace it, and know I have many more firsts and many more memories to be cherished. I adore Danika and love who she is turning into ... but WOW. Where did my teeny tiny shoulder snuggler go?

All day, Nate and I reminisced over the details of her birth and how vividly we recall them. I wonder. WIll it still be as clear in a year? 5? 10? I wonder. I hope. It was the best day of my life! How sad to forget that. I will not, though, forget the first time I saw her. How beautiful she was, how her little voice squeeked when she cried, and her little lower lip stuck out when she was wimpering. How perfect her little fingernails were and every other little detail was, too. If there was ever a doubt in my mind that God exists, it was squashed in that very moment. It is no "coincidence" that created something so perfect.

What did we do to celebrate? We had to fantastic parties this month! But today, I needed to be distracted from the tears and the sad feelings I have. SO! We went to Boo at the Zoo! IT was fun- a bit crowded, but still fun to spend that time with my little family. I made eggplant parmesan, pasta and fresh veggies for dinner, and then video taped Danika being sang to as a bowl of mint chip icecream awaited her. Haagen Daaz. Gotta go for the best. And she LOVED it. We captured on video a very loud "MMMMMMM!" :) Love that :)

Nate thinks I'm silly for being emotional. My mom probably does, too :) And that's okay. I've always been more emotional than most. I cant help it. It makes me sad that my little chub doesn't grab her feet anymore, and doesn't laugh at a panting dog. I can sit a bowl of food on her tray and walk away as she feeds herself. She's independent and stubborn, and has quite the little attitude sometimes! She knows what she wants, and by God she WILL get it. I wonder who she got that from? Hmmm. Not from someone who ran a marathon just because someone once told her she couldn't. Nah.

Danika is one. I have to accept that and love that. We "do lunch" now ... sharing a bowl of Noodles & Co. mac and cheese as a special treat once a month ... and oogle over cute outfits at Gymboree. Yes, I have taught her how to say "OOOOOH!" I swear she even said "That's cute!" once or twice. I can't wait to paint her toenails, and buy her lipgloss (chapstick), and TEACH HER HOW TO CLEAN UP AFTER HERSELF. Many things to look forward to:) BUt for now, when I start thinking about the bittersweetness of the moment, I remember how tiny she looks in her high chair or changing table and take it all in, so hopefully I CAN remember in 10 years.

Stuck Inside

2009-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

A picture of our winter wonderland. 20 inches and counting!

My dog. He's a lover! His favorite place - on the couch, his head on my shoulder when I sit on the floor in front of him. Such a sweet old guy :)

We have the best dog and Danika just loves him. He lets her do WHATEVER and just takes it.

Danika's homemade halloween costume - a woodland fairy!

Danika and Momma Cheering for the Packers. We're silly!

As you well know, Danika and I have both been sick ... swine flu, regular flu, cold, contagious ear infection (! right !) ... whatever. We've been sick since Friday, which means we have literally not left our house AT ALL for a week now. OMG. The first five days was by choice/need as to not expose her to other yuckies or infect others. The last two days as we both are at about 95%?

SNOW. Lots and lots and lots of SNOW. Don't get me wrong, I love SNOW and it has been absolutely fascinating watching it build and accumulate and turn the world a peaceful white. But WOW. I think we're at 21 inches now in my little area of town. Ridiculous! With ALL this time on my hands I've decided to think positively and create a list of reasons why this has been good for us ...

1. I don't have to shower. Or blow dry. Or curl. Or apply make up. Or even change my clothes. Because no other person is going out there either and Danika doesn't care.

2. With that being said, with ever nap Danika takes, I AM in the shower, just to warm up and change things up a bit. How often do you have an excuse to take 4 (long) showers a day?

3. Yoga pants and tee shirts. Nuff said.

4. My dad's secret recipe for Russian Tea. I've been through a HUGE pot in 2 days.

5. Comfort Foods ... macaroni and cheese (homemade, of course), Chili, muffins, COOKIES!!!

6. I have learned how to become extremely creative in entertaining a one year old for days on end.

7. Banjo is catching up on much needed attention and love

8. I have not been able to go shopping. Therefore I have saved lots and lots of money that I would have otherwise spent on crap and gas to get the crap.

9. I have finally caught up on all my emails. ANd I have updated facebook about 27 times.

10. And this makes, what, post number 4 in the last 2 days? You lucky people.

My Family

2009-10-28T20:53:00.001-07:00

I cannot tell you how much I love those two.

Mommy Dating

2009-10-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sounds great, doesn't it? It's not. It's not great at all.

In this world of motherhood it sure would be nice to have other mommy friends who get the adventures and struggles of mommyhood. After you have your first baby, APPARENTLY, your other child free friends decide you might be contagious and forget about you. Of course there are some phone calls, facebook comments and an occasional email, but dinner and drinks? Forget about it.

I never in a million years thought I would be DYING for a "moms night out". Oh how tacky that sounds. But nonetheless I am. SO I joined an online meetup group. And I keep making myself go to these EFFING meet ups. But you know what happens? I stand in the corner and shove my face full of brownies while Danika stands below me whining for her share. And occasionally someone comes over and says hello, but it's precisely at that moment that Danika decides to take off towards the open door or under someones foot, thus I have to run away from that well meaning mommy.

Nate once called this mommy dating, as did a friend of ours, Ashley. It's like dating again, but not for the intention of finding your one true love, but for finding another mommy friend who puts up with your kid's annoyances and whose kids annoyances are also somewhat tolerable. I've been to parks, meet up groups, playdates, church functions, and the list goes on. And you know how many mommyfriends I've gotten? MMMMM, a few that I talk to regularly, but none that compare to past friendships.

And you know what's interesting? WHen those now childfree former friends finally do have a kid guess what they'll be doing? Mommydating. And guess who they'll come mommydating to? Me. Because I am the only one who does not seem to be able to get a single date. WHich interestingly enough, was the same way I was when I wanted a boyfriend. Hmmm.

Guilt

2009-10-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

One of the parts I dislike the most about myself, minus the small chest area, is that I find a way to blame myself for EVERYTHING. Nate and I have a fight? My fault, I shouldn't be so sensitive. A kid (when I was teaching) got a poor score? I should have taught him better. A plane crashed into the pentagon? My fault. I had a dream of that exact event three weeks prior and didn't tell anyone. There is a reason for everything, and most often times I try to put that on myself and carry the world. SOme people might call that self absorbed or selfish, but I'd like to think of it as selfless and humbling :)

So, Danika gets sick this weekend? What's the first thing I do? You guessed it. I blamed myself :) I took her to the mall too many times and let her play in the filthy play area, I took her to the gym daycare, I left her in the walkers room at church last sunday. She's been in every shopping cart in every store at least twice in the last month as we prepared for her parties. It had to be me! I did that to her. I know in reality kids get sick, and in a way its good for their little immune systems. But really? I Had no idea how hard it would be to watch my little munchkin be so miserable. As they shoved sixteen sticks or swabs up her nose, in her mouth and ears on Saturday, I cried. I hated it.

You know what frustrates me the most about being a mom? Everybody's input. Everybody has to put in their two cents and usually its about everything I'm doing wrong. UUUUUUUH! Shut up! Honestly, I don't care what you have to say because she's my daughter, not anyone elses! (except Nate). Shes sick? Everyone tells me what's wrong, what I should or shouldn't do, that I'm doing it wrong, or am exaggerating. Hate that!

SHe's better now. For the most part. Love that! But we're missing most of our halloween activiities this week until she's 100%. I can't give myself another reason to feel bad if she gets sick again!

Who knew...

2009-10-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

A Saturday could be so UNrelaxing? Holy Cow! I'm not writing to get sympathy or anything else, just to vent. Because that's what I do. Especially if chocolate or coffee (pumpkin spice lattes) are not available.

I was so excited for today! We were going to take Danika to the mall for her first Halloween little shindig. I stayed up til about 1am finishing her costume (see above picture), which turned out so cute! I was so excited when I went to bed last night.

SOME people say that a mother's instinct is a load of bull. Well. Sorry. Not true. In my opinion. When I woke up this morning and heard Danika's cough, my heart sunk to the bottom of my chest and I started crying. Nate, again, thought I was crazy. I swore up and down, "I KNOW she has swine flu!". He basically brushed it off like most people do - and that's okay! SOMETIMES I'm a little overdramatic :)

The day went on and I just couldnt figure out why, but something told me not to go to the mall. I think it was this little gut feeling that said "cough - not well enough to handle a crowd of kids". There, of course, were other things that went on, but in the end we stayed home. Nate went to work on his papers, and I entertained Danika. I noticed as the day went on, she got warmer and a little fussier. Around 230 I put her down for her SECOND nap! WHat's going on people! SHe never takes two naps, especially when the first one was 2 hours long!

I went in to check on her, oooooh, about 16 times in that first hour. SHe was still breathing :) But she was looking a little pale and was super hot. Eventually she woke up when I was in there hovering over her, my hand on her back making sure her chest was rising up and down. I pulled her into bed with me and she laid cuddled up next to me and kept sleeping. WHAT?! I admit, I loved it, but it also worried me.

I took her temp ... woah! 100.5 yowzas! that's hot for my little normally 95 degree girl. I called our on call doc, and she urged me to go to urgent care. Nate and I took her in ... I must say, every time I meet another doctor, I'm more and more grateful for my own. What an awful man. But ... the H1n1 test came back negative, but apparently they're 70% ineffective? Hmmmm. So he prescribed her tamiflu and off we went.

Let me tell you. Mama Bear Ari went into effect. I went to FOUR pharmacies. Three were closed. One told me "Um, we close in 7 minutes. We dont have time for you." EXCUSE ME!? OOOOOOh. I was ticked. More than ticked. I kinda flew off the handle. Tears were flying, as well as some not so nice kinds of words. I know, it obviously didnt get me anywhere, and being rude is just bleh ... but sometimes. People deserve it.

It has been 4 hours since we left the urgent care and guess what? Still no tamiflu. Remember that nice ol' doc we had just seen? He wrote the rX but not the authorization for the ONE freaking pharmacy still open to make it. And he's not answering his pages. ASS. I hate that word, but sometimes. He deserves it. Nate's waiting for her medicine like a good husband and daddy. And he's bringing me popsicles.

Because I'm starting to get a cough now, too.

Milestones

2009-10-20T19:47:00.001-07:00

Well. So much for that last blog series. I made it halfway. Give me some credit ;p

I made it through Danika's first birthday parties. I have not yet made it through her actual birthday, though. We will see how that one goes. I'm already teary eyed! Its amazing to think of where I was a year ago ... my little ol' belly, sore back, and the numerous books I read that could never, ever prepare someone for the actual event of giving birth. Her birthday being on Halloween, it will hopefully be easy enough to keep the day busy and my mind off her turning one.

S I was thinking the other day of all the special moments I've had with her. A few stick out in my mind the most ... December 28, she smiled at me when I picked her up off the changing table. Oh how my heart melted into a pile of mush. It never really picked itself back up. Shes got me! March 28 she rolled over (I can't remember which way). Yep. I got to see it AND i caught it on video. The look of suprise was priceless. Shortly after that Nate calls me at work and plays a video of her laughing hysterically in the bathtub as he squirted her with bath toys. It was music to my ears! There is nothing sweeter than the sound of her laugh. I will do ANYTHING to hear it as often as I can. July 1, she crawled! She had been rocking back and forth on her hands and knees for weeks and one morning! She decided she knew what she was doing and zoom zoom zoom she went! She was so proud of herself ... my goofy girl and her independence. Finally, in September she started standing all by herself. I walked into the home of our playgroup host, and set her feet on the ground, expecting to hear the normal "plop" as her diaper hiney hits the floor ... BUT I DIDNT! I looked down surprised to see her standing there looking around as though it was a whole new world!

I'm thinking back on this stuff for many reasons. I absolutely love the little girl she's turning into - so funny, content, stubborn, independent, and the list goes on. But I will miss so much the feet grabbing, the innocent laughter at a panting dog, the fat rolls in her little legs, the squishiness of her cheeks, and the slobbery kisses. Tonight she made her first real attempt at communicating her needs to me with sign language. I was reading her favorite book (touch and feel "day at the zoo") and put it on the floor. She picked it up, handed it to me and signed "more!" Oh how my already melted heart dissolved even more. It was a pretty special moment knowing we had "talked". She's signed water, duck, fan, light, and milk but none of them really meant much other than she knew what those objects were.

Nate's telling me to stop crying and enjoy the fact that she can walk soon so he can teach her to throw a football. So I guess I have to stop writing about it. For now :) Many more memories shared to come in the next few weeks!

A side note

2009-10-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

I feel guilty sometimes how busy we are. I feel like we're constantly going going going. But it also feels all justified, as though there is a VERY good reason to do everything we do. Plus, it drives me NUTS to be in this teeny tiny apartment all stinking day. Soon enough, though ... the winter days will take over and I will be too scared to get on the roads. Any fun ideas I can start preparing for while were stuck inside?? Please share!

On another note. Why is it that people (especially the old ones) have the inability to keep their grimy hands off my kid? I mean, really. I know they have good intentions (they better have good intentions), but EWWWWWW. Hello! Swine flu! My sweet baby has made it almost a full year without anyhting more than a sniffle for a few days. I'm kinda proud of that. But I'm realizing that I have to start being more direct and almost rude, because thats what it takes nowadays. People dont seem to hear or listen to nice anymore.

That is all.

Whirlwind Wednesday

2009-10-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

SOrry I dont have any entertaining pictures to share. Yet. :)

WHew! Whirlwind Wednesday is OVER. I love it but it also drives me nuts how busy Wednesdays are. My poor Banjo dog gets left to his lonesome and usually resorts to destroying the entire diaper pail. Eck. Love that guy.

Danika, Danika, Danika. What a girl! SHe slept in til EIGHT! I love it. I got a shower (check), brushed my teeth (check ... kira!), blow dried my hair, took the dog out AND got her breakfast ready before she was out of bed! Look at me! I'm so good. We did our morning routine, and whirled out the door, ready for the day ahead.

We have a playgroup from church every Wednesday at nine. What a neato frito group of ladies - all different ages, but all kinda in the same general area of life. And for once, thanks to Danika's desire to sleep this morning, I was the best looking one! Yes! (Check).

I would also like to share that after playgroup we zinged right over to sprouts for double coupon day. LOVE THAT STORE!!!!! I have to tell you I spent less than 5 dollars and I got 9 pounds of organic apples, bananas and a bottle of peach green tea to perk me up. Am I good or what? One of the many reasons Nate married me (that would be my incredible thriftiness).

Then we headed over to one of my favorite places EVER ... Boulder, for her sign language class. Let me tell you. What an awesome time. It is so neat to see Dani interacting with other kiddos, even though that "interacting" may just be grabbing a toy from them (or vice versa. my kid doesn't do that!) or knocking them over (again... not my kid). When we sing our songs as we sign, the little bitties start doing it along with us! HOW FUN!!!! We both have a blast. ANd I have the cutest baby in there. I do.

In the afternoon, we went to the mall to take advantage of a really awesome sale at Gymboree. Another favorite place! Maybe I should just write a blog listinga ll my favorite places. Anyway, I decided to relax a bit and walk around. Something about the mall is just ... soothing. Ahhhh.

Relax time was over, so we headed home for a nap. A short nap, surprise surprise. Then! We ran to the post office and to Hobby Lobby ... details later!

After dinner, it appeared as though that sweet girl of mine MIGHT be getting tired. And she was. So I put her to bed. But apparently she thought it was just an extended nap. So we played some more and more and freaking more. Love that girl, but really? A break would be nice occasionally! Eventually she went to bed AND I FINALLY got to start making her tutu skirt for her party.

Catching UP!

2009-10-13T20:01:00.001-07:00

Sorry folks! I couldn't finish Monday's post yesterday BECAUSE ... I was electrocuted. Seriously, I was. My power cord to my mac has been doing funny things, but yesterday! I was plugging it in and out of the outlet came a big ZAP and yowzas! I was on the floor, dizzy as a dugout. What? Yep. good thing Danika was in her high chair. The good thing that came out of that? After several weeks of being stubborn, I finally hopped on the treadmill and ran 3 miles, no issue! LOVE that! Maybe I just need a little electricity in my life to get moving. Forget coffee.

So, Dani woke me up at 7 again this morning. Quite early, if you ask me, after a FREAKING 2am wake up just "to play." My lovely daughter. She had a blast, I had very irritated feelings. Well, we lolligagged, ate breakfast, read books, played on the floor. Until I looked up and saw on the microwave... 8:29! YAAAAAH! What?! An hour and a half goes by much quicker when you're not looking at the clock.

Why is that important? Um, because. I was supposed to be out of the house by 845. Remember that green chili frittata? Yep. people were waiting on that. Forget the shower, or even clean clothes. I brushed my teeth, slapped a hankercheif on my head, a clean diaper on her and out the door we went. We had to turn around 4 minutes later for the frittata. Dang it.

We both enjoyed our time at MOPS. there was a great speaker lady. She talked about something. Rest, I think. Hmmm. Those inspirational talkers must do it for themselvs because there just really isnt any practicality in them. Dani was SO tired after MOPS, so I made her eat lunch so she would hopefully take a long nap. She did. 27 minutes. YEEEEEES!

I finally got that shower and blow dried hair! Check! Check! Two things off the list! Off we went again - to the mall. To replace that daggon power cord. There was a gay guy who helped me - super nice! Super intuitive. Before I left, he says "There ya go! Check that off your to do list!" I replied "You can tell I have a to do list?" He gives me a pitiful look ... "Oh honey. Absolutely. You look a little stressed." Yikes. I had to purchase a pumpkin spice latte to combat that stressed out look.

We head home, stopping at the post office. Dani had a snack before her hopefully next long nap ... 18 minutes! I'm on a roll! During that time I managed to plan my private childbirth class agenda for tonight. I heated up that leftover macaroni and cheese? Only to hear Danika crying, which continued until I let her eat nearly my entire bowl of macaroni and cheese. So much for dinner.

Daddy walked in just in time to hear Danika's new trick. Before I share ... I am a LADY and rarely do this. But I farted. And Danika's respones to that? She blows raspberries. Yep, she now imitates farts. My daughter, folks. Love it.

I headed off to my childbirth class and left my farting through her mouth daughter in the hands of Nate. Who I'm sure taught her how to fart through her nose.

Danika's Week - Monday!

2009-10-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

So, a long time ago, I had the idea of documenting a week in the life of a stay at home mommy of Danika! I figured now is as good of a time as ever, so why not?

Monday morning.

7:08 am : Nate leaves for work, Ari is snuggled down next to Banjo in her fabulous down comforter. Danika is heard singing in her crib.

7:10 am: Danika is now talking to her cabbage patch doll, as witnessed by Ari on the video monitor.

7:22 am : Ari finally drags herself out of bed to shoosh the screaming baby.

7:30 am: Danika is greeted by Poppy on the computer screen (ichat) obnoxiously waking Danika up with "Kiss the baby!"Danika stares blankly at Poppy, then proceeds to giggly profusely at Oma when she starts singing "A says 'ah' for apple, B says 'buh' for balloon..."

All the while, Danika is furiously shoving blueberry waffle and banana flavored yobaby in her face.

8:00 am: Recovery from ichat. Danika and Ari read several books together (her favorite : touch and feel zoo books) Ari facebooks about how much she loves Danika, and Danika sings as she cruises around the living room, picking up and throwing down every single toy.

9:30 am: Break time! Danika naps, Ari grabs a quick shower and breakfast.

It is now 10:15, Ari is blogging instead of folding the massive pile of laundry awaiting her :) I will add pictures later (not of the laundry, but of Danika's Monday).

Dani woke up around 1045, and we enjoyed a nice lunch together. Ari had... you guessed it! A caprese salad. And then! We were off! To Wal Mart and Michaels for birthday party supplies. We made it home just in time to run to the gym ... Dani played with her buddies in daycare and Ari had a nice 3 mile jog. Love it!

We got home and made dinner together. Well, really, Ari made dinner (homemade mac and cheese, and then fried apples and sweet potatoes, and corn) and Danika enjoyed a short baby enstein video followed by some whining until she got fed.

THEN! The best part. Daddy came home! That would be Nate. I love watching them play together. She giggles endlessly as he throws her into the air and tickles her with his nose. SUch a good dad! He bathes her and puts her to bed .... while Ari continues .... BAKING! AH! What?

Yep. Ari finally got around to making that green chile frittata ... um, delicious! It turned out great. I took a picture. No one believes me when I make good food. While the frittata was in the oven, I made pie crust dough and pumpkin pie filling. But that did not turn out so good. Well, let me rephrase. The cream cheese did not turn out so good. BUT that's okay! I'll tell you why in a minute. So ... my pumpkin cookie cutter was a bit big, so I could only fit 6 mini punkin pies into my minimuffin pan for each (the first) batch. GOOD THING. Because here's why. When I added cream cheese to the filling, it wasn't soft enough so it looked like dandruff in my pumpkin pie filling. APpetizing, eh? Eh. WEll, I figured "Well, the oven is hot, so it will melt!" Wrong. It looked like baked dandruff in pumkin pies.

Here's the good part .... I figured, EH Castle is on soon I might as well clean up and try again in a few days. I cleaned up the whole kitchen! AND THEN as I was putting my dandruff laden pumpkin pie filling in the freezer ... yep, I pulled an Ari. It dropped and splattered everywhere. THAT, my friends, is why I have a dog :)

So, I have to try again. And I ate those 6 pumpkin pie bites sprinkled with cream cheese dandruff so no one else would have to.

I ended my hectic day snuggled up with my Nato watching his hotness himself, Mr. Castle :)

___________________________________________________________________

And so it begins, folks, so it begins. The countdown (5 days and a wakeup!) until the madness of Danika's second first birthday party! I can't wait! As much as I complain and stress, I love every minute of it.

So, what's on the agenda today? Hmmmmm. I'm thinking we'll make our pumpkin pretzels, and possibly her pumpkin birthday crown.

Her buddy, Braiden has his first birthday party the day after (Sunday), so we're also in the process of making his present, too! Danika got him a book (THat's not my monster!) - super super cute! And we picked up a few monster handpuppets and bath squeezies from the dollar bin at Target. NOW! I just have to find some time to sew him the monster from his new book.

As you will see tomorrow, we have MOPS every other tuesday. It is my groups' week to make breakfast for 75 ladies. I am going to try my hand at a vegetarian eggg casserole. I'm making apples and fruit dip as a backup. because I. am. not. a. cook. AND! gala apples are three pounds for a buck at sprouts. which means there will be lots of apples at Danika's party.

Why do I do it?

2009-10-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

the very hungry caterpillar party

what I think of this hat

it's so much better with my eyes closed

the birthday girl and her fancy bib from Oma

how old are you dani? (I'm 1!) Her fancy eric carle birthday outfit

the very hungry caterpillar cake

the Banks kids at Ben/Andrea's wedding. these are my people.

When I married Nate, I was so excited to plan the wedding, sort out all the minor details no one but me would notice, and have in my eyes, the perfect wedding. As the day got closer, I realized how ridiculous it was that I was stressing over the perfect shade of green for the marbles in my fish vases. Really? Really. Has a single person confronted me over the choice of jade green marbles in my centerpiece. Not one. I was actually quite jealous of my sister Victoria's wedding, as it was so low key and enjoyable for everyone. No one was snapping at the wedding planner and tricking her into letting my grandparents walk themselves down the isle. My parents and sisters had to deal with me, and of course, pitched in quite a bit of their own money, which I didnt enjoy watching either. I secretly swore that I would never go over the top again, and Danika will elope.

SO...when the day comes for Danika's first birthday party, what do I do? Do I hold a casual barbeque or have a desserts only gathering for a short and simple little shindig? Like I promised myself I would? Um, the answer would be no. Of course not! I enjoy putting myself through agony over the type of hotdog I might choose, or the number of vienna sausages I had to buy. I let my tension and anxiety get to me, and put, again, my sisters and parents through the joy of watching THAT. Not fun. And for what? Pictures? I guess! Will Danika remember it? Nah. But she will have some good pictures, that's for sure.

The day turned out to be quite fun, though I didnt get to socialize with my old friends as much as I'd like to. It was fun watching my old college drinking buddies running around with little 2 year olds. It seemed as if we were taking turns showing off our children's temper tantrums to see whose could be the loudest and most dramatic. Danika didn't win. This time. She was too busy shoving chocolate cake in her pie hole and liking strawberry frosting off every. single. finger. I wonder where she learned that? Hmm. I (Ariana) do not lick my fingers. I use a napkin like a civilized human being. Who does that leave? Nate. Brady. or my DAD.

The house was complete with a caterpillar in the front yard, red balloons attached to long skinny green string, a caterpillar picture from showing months 0-11, caterpillars in coccoons (hotdogs), kabobs with everything the very hungry caterpillar ate, miniature caramel aples,, cupcakes formed in the shape of a caterpillar, and lime and raspberry sherbert. I had to do something healthier. The kiddos went home with caterpillar headbands, caterpillar eggs (easter egg with playdough), and a felt very hungry caterpillar. It was a good time. I enjoyed putting it together.

Now the question is. What did I learn from all this? I have her Denver party coming up next Saturday. Hmmmm. I learned to delegate, that's what I learned. :) Just joking (mom and tori!).

Eh. I learned that the pictures will be good because its my baby girl in them (and me!). I just have to get the BIG details right and the small things wont matter. I also learned that on my grocery list in very tiny letters so no one can see, will be "wine." I think I might just have a glass BEFORE rather than after the next time around.

____________________________________________________________________

26.2

That's right folks. That is a BIG number. In fact, it's three digits! almost 4 years ago, I joined the teaching crew at Bookcliff Middle School. In that crowd, I met several folks that I still adore, that really pushed me to think outside the box in many ways. One of them included the challenge of running my first marathon. In January of 2006, I started training. Partially to prove myself to them, partially to prove myself to myself and partially to impress that boyfriend I had at the time. I happened to accomplish all three :) In June of 2006 I wandered up the road to Steamboat Springs and entered myself into a group of people who I consider to be absolutely nuts. The morning of the race, I sluggishly woke up to several phone calls from my father offering advice on how to finish this thing called a marathon. Though I doubt he believes me, I took his advice and stuffed a pack of almonds in my sock and a bottle of water into my waistband and hopped on the bus that would carry us up another 2000 feet straight up a mountain.

I got off the bus and about passed out. For several reasons. 1. the reality of the ridiculousness of this idea hit me. 2. it was unbelievably cold. in JUNE. 3. there were lots of really hot men. 4. the altitude reached nearly 11000. WOOPS. Oh well. No turning back, right? the shot gun went off, and so did I, without really realizing it. I did good running with my fellow teachers for a couple miles. Then I saw THE HILL. I did not train for THE HILL. What's a girl to do?I walked :)

I could tell you every detail of that 26.2 miles. But I won't. I will tell you that about 10 miles into it, my feet went numb and apparntly started turning in under my legs and I had no idea. Until a paramedic shared that information with me. And followed me. the. rest. of. the. way.

But I finished. 6 hours and 2 seconds later. REALLY??? yes. really. And guess what? I want to do it again! Crazy, I know.

I love that I have this ridiculous goal to accomplish. I love that I know I can do it. So... be on the lookout for my 26.2 training updates. Coming soon :)

Guess What?

2009-09-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'm going to write about Danika tonight. Again. And sewing. And teaching. Surprising, eh?

Nate is on a men's retreat with our church this weekend (yay!) so I had a Saturday night all to myself. So guess what I did? I sewed :) I made my first purse. And while sewing, (without any wine) I had some thoughts. I'll share ...

I made a lot of comparisons between sewing and teaching. It's late and I just got finished with a very tiring and grueling project, so bare with me. I'm going to give you some trueisms about sewing, and then in parenthesis will write how it compares to teaching. K? Here we go.

In the beginning of either sewing in general or a new project (the beginning of teaching or the beginning of a new school year) you usually start out pretty excited. By the end of it (project or school year) you're just sicking of looking at your new "creation" (student) and just want to go to bed. Or drink wine. Or both. Each option is always preceeded by a chowing down of dark chocolate.

Each project (student) can always be made cute by your choice of good fabric (student with wonderful attitude, manners, parents).

It comes down to choosing good fabric (the right curriculum) to make a project "work".

Sometimes you have to sing just to get yourself through. And drink wine. And eat dark chocolate.

Occasionally, it's best just to toss the pattern/instructions (lesson plan/curriculum) and do your own thing. It usually winds up turning out pretty good in the end, anyway.

Some patterns (students) don't come with instructions. Sometimes you have to try a bazillion different things to get one teeny tiny step forward.

You can spend hours, or days, on one particular project (lesson) and work your butt off on it. In the end, the boss (sewing - danika, teaching - principal or students or parents) don't give a rip how much effort went into it.

No matter how many times you rip out seams, have to rethread your machine or detangle tangles (all screwed up lesson plans) - the end result (growth in students) often times looks pretty darn good.

Sometimes, you have to let the small things (Sewing=any minor screwup, teaching=letting kids use playdough to learn) go, or at least hide them very well.

And sometimes. When you get going ... and can't stop ... you have to remind yourself to go pee.

The end result of your project usually doesn't show how much time and effort went into it. This applies to how those FREAKING (I would really like to use another word there) GOSH DARN CSAP scores don't do a darn bit of justice to the amount of blood, sweat and tears go into each and every student. Nor does it show the amount of hours you spent working at nights or weekends.

Sometimes you need to throw a pizza party in the middle of the day (project) "just because."

And sometimes, you want to throw it (project, student, parent, boss, lesson plan) out the door and lock it. And then you want to drink some wine, eat dark chocolate, and go to bed, only to deal with it the next morning.

When you finish a project, you display it with pride and joy because YOU know how awesome it turned out. This applies to students.

When you make a project for someone else, it's kinda sad to give it away. This applies to sending students on to the next grade, hoping your hard work doesn't get screwed up by some old fart of a teacher who doesn't know squat anymore.

I miss teaching. Can you tell? I miss my kids, making up fun lesson plans and surprising kids with fun ways to learn. I wish I could open my own school, do everything my way, and laugh and skip with glee as my FREAKING GOSH DARN test scores outshine the rest of Colorado. Then all those ridiculous previous administrators would finally see that I was right.

____________________________________________________________________

I see God each day

I don't really listen to the radio a lot anymore. But I used to listen to country music ALOT. And one song came out when I was pregnant. I used to well up with tears every time I heard it, but I just blamed it on pregnancy hormones. Now I still well up, but I can't blame it on pregnancy, postpartum or breastfeeding. It sucks not to have an excuse anymore. Now I have to just humbly admit the fact that I'm totally and completely in love with my daughter in a way that I just can't explain and I can't help the tears. So get over it. I cry.

I'll share the lyrics below, but the gist of the song is that all the small miracles in life, such as a pregnant momma, new baby, or simply a budding flower all show us the presence of God in our daily lives. I'd say a good 4 times a week that song pops into my head and I have to maintain my composure as Danika giggles her way through grocery shopping at target (who enjoys THAT?) or simply grabs my finger with her tiny hand. She is such a miracle and gift. And guess what? I'm crying again :p Get over it. I hope when she's 13 I'll still feel this way.

My gift, a few minutes after she was born

I Saw God Today (George Straight)

I just walked down the street to the coffee shop
had to take a break
I'd been by her side for eighteen hours straight
I saw a flower growing in the middle of the sidewalk
pushing up through the concrete
like it was planted right there for me to see
the flashin' lights, the honkin' horns
all seemed to fade away
in the shadow of that hospital at 5:08
I saw God today

Chorus:
I've been to church
I've read the book
I know He's here, but I don't look
near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I'd just slow down to stop and stare
opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

I saw a couple walking by they were holding hands
Man, she had that glow
yeah I couldn't help but notice she was starting to show
I stood there for a minute takin' in the sky
lost in that sunset
a splash of amber melted in the shades of red

Chorus

I got my face pressed up against the nursery glass
She's sleeping like a rock
My name on her wrist wearing tiny pink socks
She's got my nose, she's got her mama's eyes
My brand new baby girl
She's a miracle
I saw God today

My lucky number

2009-09-14T07:30:00.001-07:00

Hey friends! Can you believe it's mid september already? How did that happen? I turn 27 today. 27 has always been my lucky number- not sure why. But now I'm thinking I like 28 better. So maybe I'm in luck for the next TWO years instead of just one!

HMMM... what's new in the life of the hall family? I'm a sewing machine owner! HA! Yep. I was fortunate to have a friend let me borrow a machine to see if I enjoyed it. I did:) SOOOOO- I went and bought my own little basic machine andI just love it. WHat have I made? hmmm... let's see... a dress for Dani, a shirt for Dani, a hat for Dani, a hat for me, a sleep sack for a friend's soon to be born baby, a grocery sack holder, a purse, and hopefully today(!) a remote control holder for our six thousand remotes. My next projects include a green bay packer sleep sack for baby flynn (my first attempt at a zipper!), a tunic for Nate to wear with his skirt (kilt), a fairy costume for both me and Danika for Halloween!

Dani and I started sign language classes! We're having so much ffun singing twenty thousand verses of "The Bear went over the mountain!" Ugh. What did that darn bear see?? It's fun to watch her little brain ticking while she watches me sign :)

Danika Danika Danika .... my little sweetheart :) What is SHE up to now??? SHe's standing up all by herself! AH! Every milestone is a reminder that she is growing up way too fast :( She calls everything either a "dog" or a "hi dog!" including leaves, stuffed animals, trees, signs and cars, among others. She's surprised me and Nate and my own mother several times where she simply says a word we've never heard from her before, smiles, then never says it again, leaving us to wonder if she ever really said it at all or if we just imagined it. Her new favorite trick is to take EVERY. Single. PIece. Of. Material. and. Every. Pattern. out of my sewing basket and leave it all over. I love it. I uspposed you could call it sewing for babies 101.

SO- lots to catch up on in terms of pictures! I'm going to share pictures from our recent grand junction trip. I took Nate over the CO National Monument for the first time, Dani mowed the lawn with Poppy, and on our way back to Denver, we stopped and hiked my favorite- Hanging Lake!!! I just love Colorado.

Sewing Frenzy!!!!

2009-08-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness gracious! I have found a new hobby! I just can't wait for Dani's nap time now as I immerse myself in my new (old) sewing machine! I'm not sure where it came from, but I had a strong desire to start sewing STuFF. I didn't know what, exactly, I just knew I wanted to make some STUFF. SO, I borrowed an older, but very nice, machine from a family friend, Karen. Karen is the sewing guru.

Well. When she gave me her machine to use, I thought, "How hard can this possibly be?" Ha. It will get easier. I took Dani to Hobby lobby where I poured through patterns until I found one i THOUGHT i could handle. I picked out some super cute material and went happily humming out of the store, while everyone gawked at my adorable daughter.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSigh....

I got the pieces cut out, pinned up and went at it! Little did I know how much I was missing til I hopped on the phone to ask my mom what I thought was a simple question. Basting? Facing? Zigzag? Folds? What? I'm not so good at reading directions. I like to skim.

So, anywho. I decided to do it my own way! It didn't turn out so good. The outfit WOULD be cute if ...

1) the legs on the pants were the same size

2) the waistband went in one continuous circle

3) the cuffs I made for the pants were on the outside

4) I could figure out how to make the neckline in the back look decent

5) I didn't use black thread on brown pants and a mauve paisley shirt.

Just a few of the my way errors. Ah well, lesson learned. You can't be perfect, right? So heres the deal ... I took the pictures when I had the outfit layed out the way I wanted it to look ... and then I posted them! Guess what? It didn't turn out that way. I think I can salvage the shirt, but were gonna have another attempt at the pants. Maybe she'll just continue to wiggle around in a long shirt and a diaper.

Take a look at my original outfit I dreamed of making on my first sewing attempt :

A LONG time!

2009-08-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! Sorry people! I'm a bit behind, eh??? Life has kinda gotten crazy around here. I never, ever could have imagined the gusto I would need to keep up with my little girl. She's a mover and a shaker! Little D turns TEN MONTHS OLD in about a week or so- again- beyond me how time flies. She no longer can fit on my shoulder curled up, doesn't play with her feet anymore, changing time is no longer fun but rather a battle and usually she wins. Unless were going somewhere, she usually goes without pants because it's just not worth the effort. I think I can get away with that for a few more months!

I am so ready for fall. A few days in the last week there has been a high of 75 and it was just perfect. San Diego type weather, ya know? PERFECT. I could sit out on the balcony and drink a cup of green tea without it instantly evaporating in the sweltering heat. I call fall "The Season of Norah". I just love a drive through the colored mountains, windows down, the smell of autumn flowing through the car, and a gentle Norah Jones tune dancing in my head. My, I'm quite poetic, aren't I? It's hard to get in a tizzy in fall ... everything in Colorado is just ... chill. Of course, my favorite part of fall was once MY birthday but now it's my girls - I can't believe I'm starting to plan her party! Ridiculous!

Speaking of parties ... we went to a fabulous dalmation party for one awesome 4 year old girl. It was so nice to be around adults. Aaaaah, adults. Dani hung by us, as normal, but we had a chance to get in some real people conversation not necessarily centered around Dani. it was a nice change! AND! Dani got to ride in her first JeeP! Actually, I wouldn't let her "go"- she just got to sit, which was good enough for Nate.

Nate's work is going well - as there is in every office, politics run the roost. Its a big change of pace going from progressive IT to conservative higher education, but he's enjoying it! He' working hard on his 4th masters class now- can't WAIT for that to be done ! I'm really proud of him for working so hard for us.

I'm officially the owner of a business. I never thought I'd truly leave teaching but I'm glad I did. I loved it, most of it, but it was a good time for a break. It wasn't fun anymore, and kids deserve fun. I deserve fun, darnit! I work hard for those goobs, I better be able to laugh during the day, too!

I love doula-ing ... the hours when I'm with a mom in labor aren't bad- its' the catching up on sleep the next day that's a bit rough. But, I'm thankful for the friends we have available to watch her for me.

I'll be blogging about my thoughts on childbirth soon. I have to tame them down before I publicize them - I've learned how to keep my mouth form getting me in trouble. For the next little while i'll be doulaing as my primary childbirther role- I'd really like to establish myself as a childbirth educator so I can have a more set schedule, and then have the ability to be picky about who I take on as clients. I already have one hospital I will never set foot in again, so long as I have a choice about it.

Coming soon ... a day in the life of Ari and Danika ; Sea water nasal sprays ; childbirth challenges

well - my pictures wont post- try again tomorrow!

A new start

2009-07-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

LIfe is good!!! Nate started his new job on Monday and is loving it. He feels there is a lot of potential and enjoys working with the team he is on! It's nice to see him get up in the morning with enthusiasm about the day ahead of him ... I know he loved being with little D all day, but he was definitely excited to be back in the workforce! The timing couldn't be better as I received my last teaching paycheck today ... and he gets his first one tomorrow!

Danika and I have been busy busy busy! Being the hermit crab that I am, Ive really had to step outside my comfort zone to meet other mommies and keep myself in the adult world. As our friend, Ashley, says - its like dating all over again! The palms and pit are sweaty as I walk into a new meetup group, heart pounding, insecurities rising! I have to remind myself to take things sloooooow as to not scare away the new mommy friend! HA! I thought I was done with all that. Oh no, it's just the beginning!

My buddies are getting their classrooms ready for the new year! I am slightly jealous as I kinda miss the excitement over a 15 cent bottle of glue, 10 cent folders I buy in bulk to organize my classroom. The anticipation of meeting your new class, and the dread of watching "that" student walk into your classroom, knowing full well he/she is going to do everything possible to make your life miserable. Let's talk about what I wont miss. I will not miss having someone telling me how to do my job when they have no idea what my kids need, i will not miss the exhaustion of the first months of school as you work day and night to get things rolling, I will not miss the parents who cannot and will not take responsibility for their lack of parenting or disciplining of their children, I will not miss watching other teachers sit at their desks and play on the computers while their students color. I will not miss the ridiculous unpractical staff meetings that are held "just because we can." I will miss my thirty smiling faces, eager to learn and laugh and discover their world. Isn't that what teaching is supposed to be about?

Little Danika is 9 months old tomorrow! WHere has the time gone?! My little goobar has her appointment ttoday, so we'll see just exactly how fat she has gotten! SHe's a big one! She's wearing a lot of 12-18 month clothes now, with her big ol' belly filling up most of them! She's a proficient crawler and cruiser. I took her to a gymboree class yesterday and she had a blast! I had no idea she could scurry up ramps and crawl up stairs- amazing! She had so much fun, but also slept really, really well last night.

I went to my first birth and it was an awesome experience! The mom and dad did wonderfully, and it was a great learning experience for me. My next step is to get my lactation counselor certificate, then onto pre/postnatal fitness and nutrition! Now if only I could get a paying customer :) Here are a few pictures of the last few weeks :)

Big news!

2009-07-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Big news!!! Nate-O has a job! After 8 very long months of unemployment, he has a job HE is excited about and will excel in! Nate got called last Monday and of course I was yipping at him for spending so much time on his cell phone (minutes) ... he just rolled his eyes and closed the door. He emerged awhile later and gave me knuckles ... apparently he had done well on an initial phone interview. He took their personality profile on Wednesday, and was then called on Thursday for an interview on Friday. He went in on Friday and came back with a great feeling about the job, only to be called 4 hours later for a follow up interview on Monday for the position. He left on Monday morning looking quite studdly and came home with a job offer, and a pretty decent one at that. Nate's super excited about the possibilities, and even putting on work clothes Monday morning!!

Ari ... ari ari ari ... I finished my doula training! yeah! It was FUN and I learned a LOT. I'm much more prepared and confident than I was a week ago, however I do wish there was more hands on training. I have three clients due in the next 3 weeks, so hopefully they go well! There will definitely be updates :) Now. THose are free clients so I can get my certification. The trick is now getting paying clients. All the friends of the people I have now met with are calling expecting free services. Well, sorry. Gas and doula supplies are expensive, as is time away from my family. I am signed into 6 free clients, and I feel thats more than enough (only 3 needed for certification) . We'll see!!!

Danika, danika danika. What a mess! She has gone back to razzing, however its much more forceful and its usually with food in her mouth :( I think she's almost to the point where she's boycotting babyfood except the really good stuff (apples, mango, etc). I tried THREE different foods tonight and she gagged, spit up and cried on all three of them. Drama queen. She did however to go a pastry shop where I met two clients today and she did SO good. She's such a chill kid- quite content laying with the formula lid or snuggled up in my lap :) Such a snuggler!

I have been horrible at updating this month- I think i've taken only like 25 ictures ! SAD! And my baby girl is almost 9 months... and I'm almost 27... what the crap.

Crazy Crazy!!!

2009-07-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, guys ... so SORRY its taken me so long to update this guy! LOTS of changes!!! First of all ... Danika is really 8 1/2 months old? REALLY??? How the CRAP did that happen? My baby doesn't grab her feet or blow raspberries anymore ... I wish I could videotape every minute of every day.

So what IS she doing now? More than I am ready for! Little miss D has got crawling DOWN ... though she looks a bit ridiculous .... she does a one legged crawl and pushes herself forward with the other leg ... kinda like she's kneeling on a scooter. It is soooo silly!!! She is ALSO a finger food pro ... it's SO nice to be able to feed her most food off of my own plate. She LOVES bits of avacado, toast w/ cream cheese, toast with cream cheese and roasted red pepper, apples and carrots. She is also pulling herself up on EVERYTHING, and cruisin' around the house. Mom and Dad are so mean ... we put her bottle clear across the room and make her go get it :) She's also saying "Mom and mama" alot ... sometimes to me, sometimes to her bouncy ball or bottle :)

Big news for me! As you all know I am not going back to teaching this fall - yeah hoo! HOWEVER ... this coming weekend I'm doing training to be a Doula, which is a childbirth assistant. I have a wonderful mentor and several clients in the upcoming months, though they are all free so I can get my certification. I may actually have my first paying client! Check out my website : Http://www.storksupport.net . Its in its very beginning stages but gives you a general idea. This is just the first step ... I'm hoping to get my pre and postnatal fitness certification, prenatal yoga cert, and lactation consultant, eventually possibly doing massage and creating my own childbirth education program including all of the above!!!

Lots of crazy things happening lately ... I haven't uploaded any pictures as of late, but I'll update you soon!!

Lords and Ladies

2009-07-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

What a crazy couple of weeks! Well, maybe its only been a week- who knows- it feels like several! We have been a busy crew! I posted that Dani girl is pulling herself up now and boy she is loving it! She loves holding my hands and other objects (couch, chair, etc) and cruisin' around the house! She also has, finally, after weeks and weeks of rocking on her hands and knees, figured out the crawling thing (sorta). She woke up this morning and just started going (again, kinda). Ya know, no matter how many books I read and how many other babies I see doing similar new tasks, I am just constantly amazed by and in awe of her. I sometimes can't grasp how incredible she is and how blessed we are. I have her first day of "crawling" on video but we still cant figure out how tog et these things uploaded, so one of these days you'll see it!

* * *

Last weekend, Nate and I decided to go to the Renaissance Festival. I reluctantly went along for the sake of Nate and how much he talks about it and LOVES it. I thought I was in for a day of weirdos and crazies but it turned out to be absolutely one of the most neat experiences. I had SO much fun with my little family. We saw jousting, petting zoos, stocks, tons and tons and tons of celtic trinkets and other nicknacks. I "learned" how to play the digeridoo (my fave) and tried on pirate armor! I could go on and on and on but I just wouldnt be able to do it justice. If you have the opportunity to go to the festival in Larkspur, dont miss it!!

For all the photos go to:

http://www.facebook.com/album.phpaid=127669&id=831739417&l=b6db7245d3

* * *

One of my latest and greatest hobbies??? THRIFT STORES! Oh my gosh! I have so much fun! Every day I go is something new and exciting. I have gotten danika SO many toys (probably unneeded toys) that are practically brand stinking new and just need a little spit and shine to spiffy them up. I doubt that I will be buying any new toys for quite a while. I dont have pictures yet of all my "jewels" but I have a lot and I'm oh so proud of them :) I could probably make a good amount of money buy resale on craigslist if I had the upfront! I am SUCH the bargain hunter- come shoppin with me!

* * *

Last but not least, I have lost my mind. I know I'm crazy and that's okay! Not knowing what our income is going to look like in, oh, less than 30 days, I have decided to go out on a limb and try cloth diapering. I figured I can save us 50 bux a month by spending a little bit now. I got them in the mail today and cant wait to get them washed up and ready to go! These diaper covers are SO SO SO cute. You better believe there will be pictures of my ultra diapered babe :)

My big girl!

2009-06-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Danika is getting so big! For awhile now she's been pushing herself up if she grabs my hands and I help her out a bit. BUT... two nights ago she did it by herself! We were on the floor reading and she reached up to her toybasket and wallah! Standing baby! Im so proud of her! And SHE"S so proud of her, tooO! She concentrates REAL hard and watches her legs the whole time, until she's decided that she's stable, then POPs her head up with a big smile and a wrinkled nose!

Ive had a harsh realization that my days of lazily watching her babble to Gabby and other toys are soon to be over- this girl is soon to be all over the place! This morning she didnt care about her toys- she just wanted to walk walk walk! She's a cruiser! It's so cute- except... she wont do it unless she has one hand attached to mom and one hand attached to something else. I spent a good hour walking up and down the length of the couch this morning before she fell asleep :)

First Daddy's Day

2009-06-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

We had SUCH a great weekend!!!! It was so much fun to celebrate Nate's first daddy's day and to honor him! I didn't nag at all. Except maybe a little bit. :)

Nate's first father's day gift was given to him back in APril. We found a really good deal on an almost brand new hiking baby backpack, which was the ONE thing he asked for when we were pregnant with D. I've used iton a few mommy hikes and for the Bolder Boulder but he gets to soon! I think we may start exploring our neighboring city of Boulder and the beautiful hikes in that area.

For daddy's day Nate wanted to go fishing, so we went on Saturday with friends Ashlee, Bob and Avery. I hadn't been fishing since elementary school and at that time I did not enjoy it at all. I was a bit leary of the whole outting but decided to give it a go for Nate. We had a great time! Nate didn't catch anything. We think it was because he was wearing his skirt. The fish didnt want to be snagged by a girlie man :) It was a beautiful area and a relaxing day- I had fun! I'd go again, just not TOO often ...

Sunday, the official father's day, began with Nate's favorite... donuts and chocolate milk. We ate our breakfast in bed, then headed off to church... what a great sermon! We're so happy to have found a church we both love and that speaks to both of us. We're excited to send Dani to Sunday School when she's old enough. Anyway! On with the day! In the mail earlier that week Ari discovered a coupon to one of her favorite restaurants from California- little did she know there was one sitting smack dab in the middle of Boulder all this time. We had a super cheap lunch at Islands, then we headed down to the Aquarium.... HOW MUCH FUN!!!!

We went through the aquarium twice- the first time I wore Dani in the bjorn, the second time she sat in the stroller.... she had a blast! Her eyes got SO big at every new tank we went to- all the pretty colors and moving fish! We saw octopi, starfish, seahorses, sharks, eels, and TONS of beautiful freshwater fish. We were in shock, though- this teenager and his MOTHER had their arms in the water up to their armpits trying to catch the fish! AMAZING! Everyone around was just staring at them. I walked up and said "Um, excuse me? I really dont think you should be doing that." They yanked their arms out and ran out! I know I already shared my soapbox but again, I'm absolutely amazed at what parents teach their kids to do.

We had a great time the whole weekend. When we got home we took the Banjomeister for a walk, then went swimming before bed time. We were whooped!

Check out the rest of our pictures here !: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=125758&id=831739417&l=235a2d9883

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=120738&id=831739417&l=b9d1772a5d

Where Has it Gone????

2009-06-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

So, on Thursday I took Danika out n about to get stuff ready for daddy's day. I was so frustrated! Where has common courtesy gone?? Manners? WOrth ethic? Out the window! I've had several talks with my mom about how lazy people are getting with raising their kids (In general) with my own generation and my daughter's. It didnt seem so bad when I was visibly pregnant- nearly everyone offered to carry things, open doors, etc... Now? People stare at me as I try to open a door and push the stroller through at the same time. During my excursion on THursday, TWICE I watched people coming towards my door and then veer off to another one when they saw the stroller... RUDE. I can't remember the last time I saw a gentleman offer a lady his seat on a public bus, or watched someone stop to help a person who dropped their belongings. It makes me sad that it is the exception instead of the norm nowadays. And doing what's best for their kids?? RIGHT. Just the other day I saw a man driving with his daughter (no more than 18 months) STANDING in the FRONT seat of his car as he talked on the cellphone. Sadly I couldn't get his license plate to call the police. I know very well I will make plenty of mistakes with Danika and whoever may follow her, and I definitely know not everyone will agree with my parenting style.... but really? Standing in the front seat?

*********

North Carolina Trip Days 4 and 5

On Sunday we met Logan's parents and the newly married couple for breakfast before heading out. I had a DELICIOUS egg, cheese and tomato biscuit.... mmmm ... I sure miss southern style cooking. For those of you who know me, this part cracked me up... here's me in my red capri's and black tank top with the rest of my family... make up thrown on, hair in a ponytail... and I felt like I was dressed up. I really felt fancy!!! Boy howdy we were being stared at as we paraded through the restaurant to the patio... definitely tourists :) Afterwards we headed back to grandma's house. I slept most of the way to avoid having an aneurism due to my dad's driving on windy mountain roads in the rain.

We hung out at Grandma's house for a bit and then went to visit Danika's great, great, great aunt mary lou. What a sweetheart!! Danika got her first teddy bear from her aunt, but sadly it was too big to bring home on the plane. After another one of grandma's delicious meals we hung out for a bit. Just as I thought I had Danika asleep, I put her down and she woke up, ready to play! I brought her in the living room to converse with the adults.... my dad held her as my mom played a game of peekaboo which got her ROLLING! She was in hysterics from this silly game. Just as things were calming down and the game was over ... what happens?? She yaks all over my dad :) WHy? Because he never learns not to hold her by the tummy after she's eaten. One day he will figure it out...

We headed out bright and early on Monday. Of course, we had to stop just one more time at the infamous Bojangles. Danika did OKAY on the trip home- I think it was just long for everyone- we were ready to be home. She was a bit fussy but we made it. She kept trying to grab the airplane wings from the window, but dangit for that glass!!!

It was sad to say bye to grandma and grandpa, but we will see them again soon!

Generations

2009-06-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

We're on to day three!!! We awoke early Saturday morning and let TOri's friend, Sarah, sleep in a bit after very long 2 day journey to NC. Jaime, mom, dad, and the grandparents (along with D) took a drive into the Banks family history. Wowzas. Awhile back I watched a Dateline special on the Appalachian residents and all that goes on there. Our drive was truly like a trip into the past. Many of my dad's great, great (fill in the blanks) still had houses standing from the 1800s... one had been abandoned for so long there were flowers and vines growing out of the chimney! It was really neat to see the types of homes people used to live in back then and imagining what life must have been like. I didnt have my camera with me but when my sister downloads hers I'll post 'em. It's a different kind of life up there in the beautiful NC mountains... we thought we saw someone standing on the porch of one of our relatives homes but by the time we got there, they were gone! Apparently "outsiders" are not exactly welcomed and shotguns are at the ready....

So, from there we readied ourselves for TOri and Logan's reception... what a great time we had! Tons of delicious food, Logan's family and friends and many of our extended relatives. In fact, we got a five generation picture from the Banks family (Danika, Me, my dad, my grandpa and his uncle pug) .... Later on in the day we traveled a few blocks over to the Hot Springs Bluegrass Festival ... Danika had a blast! She kept staring at the speaker wondering how in the world it was singing! When we put her on her feet she started bouncing to the music, and when grandma held her on her shoulders she started strumming grandmas face in beat:) Grandpa Banks (Poppy) had to play tourist as always and get himself a tshirt. They had some wonderful bands and an outstanding group of cloggers. It reminded me of our old family reunions with the fiddles and banjos and us banks kids "clogging" with grandpa in his bibbers! I would love to do that just one more time....

We had such a good time that day... everyone just HAD to hold Danika and insert their opinions on how she's turning out... it was great :) I learned a big lesson on how to let comments roll off my back. I loved spending the day in the beautiful mountains by the river and seeing all my aunts, great great aunts/uncles, and cousins... though I dont know that I would ever move back to NC it sure motivates me to visit my grandma and grandpa as much as I can in the future... they are good, good people and little Danika would be very blessed to know them.

5 Days!!!

2009-06-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

So, we left Nate on Thursday morning and came back on Monday afternoon. In a total of 5 days I believe I brought home a completely different baby! In the course of our little vacation, my dear daughter learned how to...

- started lunging forward while on her hands and knees
- grew her second tooth
- started waving bye bye
- danced
- very clearly started saying dada and mama
- developed a serious case of spoiledness
- reached out to me while being held by others

My goodness! I knew the time went by fast, but really??? Almost a completely new baby lives in our house! We'll see where she goes from here!!!

North Carolina Trip Day 2

We woke up early Friday morning and enjoyed some Grandma Nila cooking. Since little D woke up so early, mom and grandpa had quite the time with Danika as she is SUCH a morning person, while I went up and took another nap.. Danika discovered her love for grandpa's hats, in particular one that had "THE BOSS" embroidered on... how fitting. Later that day Victoria and Logan exchanged their vows and rings and are officially hitched! Congrats Tori and Logan- best wishes!!! Afterwards we mingled with Logan's family who we met for the first time that day and lemme tell ya- what great people!!! We snacked and talked until dinner time at the Magnolia Inn- a cute, quaint and quite expensive restaurant in the town of Hot Springs... delicious!!! We finally came home and crashed... only to begin again the next day!

Fireflies

2009-06-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back!!!! I had nothing to worry about- the trip went wonderfully!!!! I don't know that I could live in North Carolina again, but it brought back many wonderful childhood memories I wouldn't mind passing along to Danika. I think that I'll follow the idea of Kira and give you daily blogs about the different days of our trip.... lots to tell!! I must say, though, I had no idea how much can happen in 4 days in the life of an infant. Every night I was calling Nate with an update, each night (almost) telling him something new about Danika, which of course I will share with you, too!!! It was almost like bringing home a brand new baby!!!!

North Carolina Trip- Day 1

We had to get up nice and early to meet the rest of my family at Cracker Barrel at 5:50. We were 2 minutes late and dad was a bit perturbed :) I thought it was funny to delay the supervisor. We got to the airport around 6:45 and Danika did great- charming everyone she saw along the way. Nate walked with us all the way to security and we said our goodbyes :( Off we went!!!!! I was really, really, really nervous as I had not flown since Sept 2001... which was definitely not a good memory. Luckily I had a lot of helpers to get me through the day! A perk of bringing a baby on a plane?? Preboarding :) We got all settled in and Danika settled herself down for a nice nap. She slept for the first 45 minutes or so of the trip. When she woke up, she was as happy as can be! She told us all kinds of stories, and shared them with the RESt of the plane, too... we got lots of compliments on what a good baby she was.

We arrived in Charlotte, NC at about 2:00 EST and headed to our destination. But FIRST we had to make a visit to the almighty Bojangles!!!MMMMMMMM!!!! Even I had to have a chicken sandwich. Being the uber healthy vegetarian, the grease as well as the MSG laden seasoned french fries was pretty nasty, but there is still nothing like Bojangles. We headed on our way, a three hour adventure in a North Carolina rain storm :)

We arrived in Hot Springs, NC around 6:30pm just in time for Grandma's lasagna, blackberry cobbler AND black walnut chocolate pound cake :) Grandma and grandpa visited with Danika and the rest of us (defintieyl not as important!) before bed...

The cabin we stayed in was BEAUTIFUL! It reminded me of our family reunion camping cabins in the Smoky Mountains in Cherokee, NC. There were big, beautiful trees and the sound of the rushing river just down the way. The best part of it all? As I was falling asleep on Thursday night, I turned to look out the window just in time to see fireflies dancing in the night. It brought back memories of the big red barn we had our family reunions at, and us kids chasing fireflies, trying to trap them in jars, and swinging on the tire swing at night. Life was so carefree and easy!!!!

Danika did great the whole day- she was a bit crabby at bed time but she had a LONG day, so I give her a freebie!

Found It!

2009-06-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

It was in the bottom of the laundry basket ...

I'm getting soooo close to crawling!

I want that dog!

These teeth suck.

But mommy sure is funny!

My cute giraffe bottom.

How I love to sleep!

Cheers Tori! Here's to a very long and happy marriage!

A Clean Home

2009-06-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

Ya know what my problem is? The reason why I'm so unorganized? Because that's how I know where everything is! Nate and I did a summer cleaning of our home last week and I cannot find ANYTHING now. Anything! Including my camera which holds some super cute pics of Danika OR the connector cord, go figure. I need a label maker. Not only would that give Danika a print rich environment to become a super reader before age 2, but also direct both Nate and I as to where to put things and where to find them. Maybe.

SO. Whats new other than a clean house??? We're pretty exciting people. I took Danika to a couple playgroups last week and we had fun fun fun! We discovered that Danika LOVES to play the pretend pianos, so of course we had to rush out and buy her one... toys come out of our grocery budget :) And by we, I really mean me. Although, I have to give myself credit. I did try to make maracas out of an old container which once held dishwasher soap nuggets, some pennies and super glue. And my next project involves an empty can of chai to be used as a drum. I'm pretty thrifty. But I'm also a quick learner... amazingly enough, the "toys" around the house tend to be quite more amusing than expensive purchases made at my favorite place of all time, Babies R Us. Though its expensive, I love it slightly more than Ross.

I am convinced, like many other moms, that Danika is a super child and will be walk, talking and potty trained by the age of 10 months. She'll probably be reading, too:) Naw, I'm not that ridiculous. But once I have a project in my head, its hard to let go of until its done, the exception being Danika's nursery which never seems to make any progress. The latest? I finally accepted facial hair shavings and invited Nate to share my master bathroom :) The motive behind? Well, Danika needs her own bathroom to bathe in, dontcha know? I had a real dilemna deciding which motif to base her bathroom around UNTIL I watched her have a rather long and dramatic conversation with her favorite toy, Gabby the Giraffe. SO... there we have it... the gentle giraffe bathroom. It'll be cute! I'm being resourceful and painting/decoupaging unfinished wood trash cans and qtip holders among other things. We'll see how it goes...

Here's a piece of big news! I've had my FIRST margarita since before I was pregnant and married- wowzas! I cant remember the last time I had one (but I can remember the last time I wanted one). Tori's coworkers together to celebrate her upcoming nuptials with a "Margs for Marriage" night. We met for drinks and apps at the Rio in Fort Collins ... okay, THEY had drinks... IIIIII had ONE MINIATURE mango marg... and I felt it, too:) It was delicious. I might just have to go back. Is there anything better? Yes. Tori, Brady and I went to the Melting Pot (aka the pot) for some cheese, chocolate and salad... whew. what a night.

Biggest Loser update!!! Um, yeah... Nate has fallen below the yellow line. I lost 2 pounds this week! Nate has stayed stagnant, which is better than the alternative! I give him credit, though- he does have a rather messed up foot, so that can impede his running, which he is rocking at!

Danika has officially decided to stop nursing, so maybe, just maybe, I'll get even closer to my goal here pretty soon!

Well... Danika and I are off in 2 days. Aunt/Sister Victoria marrying Mr. Logan Flynn in a private ceremony in Hot Springs, NC. I'm a bit apprehensive about the trip, in particular the flying part of it, but i'm sure all will be fine. THere will definitely be pictures to share! It's Danika's first time meeting her greatgrandparent and other extended family... this is a good thing because it ensures that one day Nate and I will HAVE to have another child in order to teach Danika to share the spotlight :) hahahaha. Love you, Nacho.

Well, I got on quite a roll. Hopefully the camera and connector cord will appear tomorrow, most likely in the silverware drawer. Pictures coming soon!

Summer Fun

2009-06-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

Mama and Danika's favorite spot

Hi guys! I'm 7 months old today!

My new ladybug float

My new cherry bathing suit!

I am a HAPPY baby!

Wow! I cannot believe Danika is 7 months old... I have NO Idea where my little bug that couldnt lift her head off my shoulder went! She's so big now! In fact, the swimsuit I bought her for Easter has already been outgrown and we're on to an 18month swim suit with just a little room to grow.

Nate insisted on purchasing a floating ladybug for Danika so she could hang her feet in the water and kick and be pushed around in the water- the pool was a bit cool so I think that kept her from truly enjoying her new toy, but it was fun for us!

Danika is truly getting to be one mobile kid. I set her next to the boppy and heat some water in the microwave- i turn around and she's 5 feet from where she started! She's rolling and rotating and pushing and wiggling to where she wants to be. SHe's SUCH a happy baby and truly a blessing. I'm getting a bit camera happy being home with her all day.

We have so much fun- okay, MOM has so much fun hanging out with Danika. We play and sing and dance and cook and shop and nap and start all over again! We went to Sprouts to grab some veggies yesterday... Mom is learning her lessons... Danika was sitting in the cart, and before i knew it, she had definitely grabbed a tomato from the bottom row! WOOOPS! I fixed them before we had tomato sauce every, but just as I had started pushing the cart agan I realized Danika had grabbed the produce bags and was happily pulling a trail of them as we walked.

SHe's quite the character :)

We have our first mommies play group from church tomorrow, so we'll update you soon! An Ari and Nate update- Nate had an interview with Vail Mountain Resorts today- he was one of three candidates- say a prayer this one comes through, and if its not "the one" that something better will be here soon! Ari and Nate are holding the biggest loser competition- Ari has lost a total of ONE pound, Nate has lost 7- yeah! More importantly, Ari's muscle memory is coming back and she's running 2-3 miles daily now- I'm getting back into the groove! Anyone up for running a marathon with me?! Ari and Danika are heading to North Carolina to see her big sister, Victoria, get married! YEAH tori!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

2009-05-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Bob, Avery and Danika on the carousel at the zoo
\

Mamma and Danika

Danika and Daddy- my favorite people

Danika's sweet, sweet smile

After our first swim in the big pool

I have officially been out of school for a week and have loved every second of it! It's so much fun getting to spend the day with Danika and last days with Nate before he starts working again. We are LOVING the mild beginning of summer temperatures, taking a nice splash in the swimming pool, shopping (well, window shopping) and enjoying the beautiful Colorado outdoors. Danika and I went on our first mountain mamas hike on Wednesday and had a great time! We met some neat ladies and babies and look forward to going again!

Today we took Danika to the zoo for the first real time. THe very first time we went she was maybe 2 weeks old and she slept the whole time. We had a great time with Avery, Ashley and Bob exploring the Denver zoo today. We didnt get many pictures of our friends or the animals, but tons of Danika's second ride on the carousel. We had such a good time, I think we may suck it up and buy a year pass for us to enjoy. If you ever want to go, give us a jingle!

We'll keep you updated as both Nate and I continue and begin (respectively) our search for jobs.... the next few weeks are busy busy busy! I can't believe how fast it all goes- Danika is 7 months old tomorrow! We all know you read this to find out about Danika :) - quick update: She is laughing like crazy now! She thinks dogs are HALARIOUS! * i know its spelled wrong * especially when they're panting... she's jabbering away like crazy ... she's bored with her toys but LOVES electronics, such as cell phones, computers and remote controls ... she's pushing up ALL the time, and kinda dragging her legs around... she rotates herself a lot but hasnt quite figured out the leg/arm coordination deal... she LOVES to eat : Yummies: apples, pears, blueberries, squash, zucchini, mango, peaches Yuckies: Peas, green beans, and carrots unless they're mixed with apples.

Proud

2009-05-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

We finished! The crew at Folsom Stadium

Here we go! THe before pic...

When I was in 2nd grade, we lived in Iwakuni, Japan. I went to an elementary school on the military base.... that year the teachers taught us the words and sign language to "Proud to be an American". We sang and signed the song and were featured on the local news. I have long since forgotten the signs to one of my favorite songs, but have never forgotten how truly blessed we are to live in this country. Call me a nerd, but July 4 is my favorite day of the year... that and Memorial Day always seems to bring a tear at the thought of how selfless and brave our military men and women are.

SO... for THIS Memorial Day and many more to come, the Banks crew decided to run/walk the Bolder Boulder. Let me restate- the Banks WOMEN decided to brave it. Jaime and Logan ran while Mom and TOri walked next to me as Danika rode in Daddy's fancy new hiking backpack. Phew! Those 6.2 miles were nothing! We made it smiling, singing and dancing the whole way (minus the evil hill at the end of the course).

The best part of the morning was what awaited us at the end of the race. We walked into Folsom Stadium, which was AWESOME! We found some seats and cheered as a parachuter landed in the field carrying behind them a flag from each of the 5 services. They played "Proud to be an American", and a parachuter circled the stadium trailing the beautiful AMerican Flag. There is nothing like 50,000 people singing "Proud" and cheering as the American Flag lands. I wish patriotism would last longer than a few select days out of the year. They finished the tribute with Taps, a 21 gun salute and the national anthem... which, yes, I teared up, AGAIN. Can't help it:)

Danika did great the whole time! She slept for the first 4 miles then chatted with every person who would acknowledge her for the last 2. Just as we left the stadium, it began pouring and by the time we were at the car, I was completely soaked. The morning ended with me sore, wet and tired.... the remedy? A hot shower, cup of chai, nap and a long backrub from Nate, maybe????

Lots to Catch Up ON!

2009-05-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been awhile! WOW! What a busy couple of weeks! I have lots to write about- hope I can get it all!

The biggest news of lately... I am D...D....DONE with school! Hooray! Ugh... what a rough couple of weeks the last few can be- loads of paperwork, testing and parent meetings... not to mention the loading of the garage with my bazillion dollars worth of teaching materials. I cry every year on the last day of school- but guess what!? NOT this year! I know, sad, huh? I definitely loved my students but I also am definitely over the political garbage involved in education, leaving Danika every morning, the 50 mile commute, and the exhaustion related to every single school day. I wake up with Danika now, and see what each day will bring us!

Congratulations to Miss Courtney Hall! Danika's one and only cousin (ahem, so far...) graduated from Chaparrel High School yesterday and is moving on to bigger and better things. Yes, indeedy, she made the right choice in choosing Colorado State University to pursue her dreams... go Rams! Poo on the Buffs!

Danika has cut her first tooth! We noticed a little blood yesterday, then wallah! WHen she woke up this morning, she started her daily gnawing of the knuckles and nearly cut me... sure enough, the beginnings of her first tooth were poking through her bottom gums... she handled it pretty well- she's a stud!

As we began having 80 degree days in February and March, we just know it's gonna be a HOT summer (better now than last summer with a 6 month pregnant belly!) Our apartment complex has its own pool, but I decided to buy Dani her very own pool for the balcony as bikini season just wont be the same this year... Dani LOVED it! Even the part where Nate doused both of us :( I think we'll be doing some mommy and me swim classes this summer.

We have a lot on the summer schedule so far, including trips to the zoo, long hikes in the mountains and duh duh duh... the wedding of my dear sister, Victoria and her fiance, Logan in Hot Springs, NC. Dani gets to take her first plane ride (makes mommy very nervous) and first appearance in the extended Banks family!

A Wonderful Weekend

2009-05-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

What a fun and exciting weekend we had! The biggest event was Danika's dedication. My sisters and brothers, Nate's brother and niece, parents and family friends Karen and Ashley (and Avery!) joined us for this special occasion. We're very lucky to be surrounded by folks who love and support our family. Thank you to all who joined in the day's events- a big thanks to Donna and Steve for hosting a delicious and elegant lunch after the dedication service. I only have the picture of my sisters and brother on my camera, but will update later with photos from Donna and Steve!

Sunday was my first momma's day, and what an incredible day it was! As I mentioned before, Nate surprised me with a Baby Cook which is absolutely perfect and has been so much fun to use. This morning on our way to church Nate surprised me with a punch card to the Colorado Mountain Mamas (http://www.comountainmamas.org) so I can meet other mom's who enjoy the Colorado outdoors as much as I do. What a sweetie!

We started the day by going to an early service at church. Afterwards we enjoyed a nice lunch at Applebee's... Danika decided that wax paper was the best toy she had ever seen! We tried our luck at a Rockies game for the second time- we made it 4 innings (better!) before she got soooo tired but couldnt sleep cuz of all the ruckus going on around her. We headed out and went shopping at Colorado Mills. Just as we were ready to head out we spotted a carousel! I took Danika on her first ride and she LOVED it! Actually, I think I had more fun than she did... you can tell by my expressions! To end the day, we went to On the Border for dinner- it took our food about an hour (seriously) to come out, but it was definitely delicious and a nice way to end the weekend.

I truly feel blessed to have such wonderful relationships with my sisters and brothers and parents and to have their support and love. Nate and I are constantly amazed at the love that is shown to us on a daily basis by those surrounding us - both family and friends. Nate and I are growing together in our relationship and over the last year and a half has become my best friend, biggest supporter and love of my life. Thank you, Nate, for this beautiful weekend- it couldn't have been better!

Update: Ari only has 7 days of teaching left! She walks out of her school on May 21 (2 days without kids) with the biggest smile on her face ever, excited to finally be home with Danika!

Before I was a Mom

2009-05-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

I was sent this poem today and it made me well up with tears! I never stop to think about what life was like before because I cant imagine not waking up to Danika's beautiful smile. Just thought I'd share :)

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

A Busy week!

2009-05-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! Lots to catch up on!

Well- the biggest news is that Danika is officially 6 months old! How did so much time pass in just a blink of an eye? At her 6 month check up she weight 16 lbs 7 oz and was 26 in long- the 50th % for both! She's eating and LOVING solid food now (more on that later), can roll forwards and backwards, is "swimming" on the floor and is definitely experimenting with her vocal range! She is so much fun- Nate and I are having a blast!

I decided that I felt very strongly about making Danika's baby food - i'm kind of a picky eater myself, so the idea of bugs getting squished up in jarred food made me want to vomit. Last time my parents were down here we went to sprouts and they bought a small organic butternut squash for me to make for Danika. Yeah... that "small" squash yielded 32 ounces... it'll be lasting us for awhile! So- to the point- Nate had been watching me use our blender to make D's food... and decided to get me an early mother's day present. I got home on Thursday after a very long day to find it wrapped in a diaper box. But first he made me open a card and 2 letters- one written from him and one written from Danika, complete with a signature. THey were both very sweet and of course, made me cry! Finally I got to open the present.... Nate and his parents bought me a Baby Cook! It's a pretty fancy little machine that steams veggies, fruits and meats, then purees them and can also be used to defrost any frozen baby food- all at once! It's pretty handy! I've used it to make cauliflower and mango so far- and LOVE IT! It makes the perfect amount and is so efficient!

Yesterday Danika and I met my sisters, Tori and Jaime, in Loveland for a girls morning out. We had breakfast at CrackerBarrel (mmmmm mmm- sweet tea!) then went shopping the outlets. We found Danika not just one, but TWO adorable outfits for her dedication next weekend. We also found her a few bargains- an ADORABLE strawberry sunhat, with matching red mary janes, AND to top it off- a pair of osh gosh bgosh overalls for TWO DOLLARS! YEAH BABY!

FInally... after church today we took Danika to the park for her first picnic. She had her regular ol' jug of milk but we had all kinds of goodies. Then we went to play! Danika sat really well in her big girl swing and had fun playing with daddy. Danika and I had a great time playing on the slides. SHe looked so cute in her new strawberry hat and red shoes!

I wonder what next week will bring!

The Great Fairy Parade

2009-04-26T15:54:00.001-07:00

Ari was feeling pretty nasty, so Nate decided to take us to Pearl St in Boulder for an afternoon stroll. We got there and had no idea where all these people were coming from, especially considering ninety percent of them we wearing fairy wings! We were so confused til Nate asked around. It turns out they have a Fairy Parade that celebrates spring- the tulips on Pearl St and May Day. It was quite a sight! We had a great time watching all the fairies of various ages stroll by and got excited about participating in it next year! Danika had her first glimpse of tulips - and destroyed a few :)

Sweet Baby

2009-04-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

As my pregnant belly got bigger and bigger many people told me my world was about to be turned inside out upside down and backwards. They told me stories of how they never knew what love was until they met their baby. I continue to hear stories of how fast these days go and how to cherish each moment. Strangers chase us down in Sam's Club parking lots just to tell us how beautiful Danika is (no really, I'm serious. It's happened twice.) Nate and I kinda laugh and say thank you, but really we're thinking, "Yeah. We know. We did good."

But sometimes I walk out of the bedroom and see my handsome husband and beautiful daughter cuddling and have to stop. Nate thinks I'm silly because sometimes I just stand there and start crying. How many times will I get to see my husband sitting with his beautiful daughter propped up on his chest? Not many! Danika is growing so fast! In many outfits, our little almost 6 month old has her feet sticking out of 9 month and 12 month pants, an inch too short.

I just had to share these pictures of some of my favorite moments. Danika and Banjo, and sometimes Nate, have become my exercise buddies as the spring days have crept up. And Danika just continues to become more gorgeous and more loved every day.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

What a fun weekend! On Saturday, Grandpa Skip (Opa) was in Fort Collins so Ari and Danika decided to visit the aunts and uncles. We had a great time visiting, which ended in a trip to duh duh duh.... McCalister's Deli! Imagine that. Opa ordered sweet tea and carrot cake for everyone to share.... Dani thought she was included- she got mad at Opa when he wouldn't let her drink his tea, so she grabbed it and pulled it on top of both of them! HYSTERICAL! Take that, Opa! Afterwards, Opa had the leftover carrot cake sitting in front of him as Dani was standing on his lap ... she let herself drop and came within an inch of a facefull of frosting! We had quite a few laughs :)

Sunday began with a visit from the Easter Bunny... we opened Nate's basket first ... he got his first package of hot dogs he's eaten since we've been married, lots of his favorite candies, and duh duh duh ... drum roll, please ... rockies tickets and a rockies jersey for Danika.

We headed out to a very early 730 service at Flat Irons Community Church- once again, AWESOME. Afterwards Ari took a much needed nap (packing Easter baskets takes a lot of energy!) and then they headed to the game. We made it through about 4 innings before it got way to cold and rainy for us. We got a few great pictures before we headed out!

Once home, we had an all-American Easter dinner of french bread pizza and proceeded to open Danika's Easter basket. That silly old bunny brought her ... bubbles, her first absolutely adorable swimsuit and sunhat, a yellow bunny, summer pajamas, a rubber duck "pool" that moves toys inside when you touch the "water", and lots of good books!

It was a GREAT weekend full of many wonderful memories! And the best of all ... Ari has 28 days of teaching left til she gets to be home with her baby! Woot!

The Infamous FIsh Tank

2009-04-06T18:24:00.001-07:00

SOOOOOOO...Nate has his fish tank up and running... it's uber exciting. He bought two something-er-others and 2 mollies- he named the two red ones Hope and Faith (lets hope THEY dont die) and is working on names for the other two:)

P.S. On the pic of Danika- doesn't she look like Nate?! ANd yes, that would be spaghetti sauce on MY shirt and sweet potatoes on her shirt and inside her nose... it's hereditary...

Spring Break 09

2009-04-05T15:24:00.001-07:00

Ari's spring break started 2 days early, brought on by the big winter storm of 09. It was a pretty nasty couple of days, as Broomfield earned a share of about 18 inches of snow. We were stuck inside all day Thursday but ventured out for groceries and a walk around the mall on Friday. Saturday Ari headed out to visit her parents in grand junction for a few days.

Upon arrival, at the weekly lunch at Taco Bell, as Granpa skip was holding litte Danika, the family discovered Danika MIRACULOUSLY knows how to use a cup and was going for the diet pepsi. Bad news bears! Later on in the week, Danika once again lunged for the sweet tea as Grandpa skip (Opa) was chugging his.

We had a good week visiting the grandparents- which ended with a big finale! Little Danika carried on the family tradition of getting her ears pierced. She did so good! She wimpered a bit but by the time Ari snuggled her for a minute she was fine as they walked out the door. Pretty soon she can wear her big girl diamonds Uncle Brady got her for Christmas!

In the meantime, Nate got his fish tank up and running, finally. He got his first two fish on sale (thats my guy!) - two platties named Hope and Faith, one of which (Faith) turns out to be pregnant! Danika loves watching her two new pets floating around, and listening to the sound of the running water.

Ari finished putting Danika's Easter basket together- we hope to go to church then go on a hike with a nice picnic lunch, but we'll see how the weather treats us!

A visit to the Easter Bunny!

2009-04-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Dani girl had her first visit to the Easter Bunny! She did so good! Surprisingly enough we got a smile out of her long enough for the photographer!

A life run by batteries

2009-03-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

We quickly learned after we bought all our baby gear that our life is now run by batteries- nearly everything we own seems to depend on batteries. at one point we bought one bulk package of every size battery- and we were out in a month :( The point being... my camera batteries died. Its taken me awhile to remember to get some more. It's been a busy few weeks so here we go! ...

This has been a super warm end to the winter season. One weekday, Nate packed Dani girl up and went to the Butterfly Pavillion with Ashley and her daughter. When he got home, did he tell me about the butterflies? NOPE! He told me ALL about how much Danika loved the aquarium. It sent him on a mission ... through craigslist and friends Nate has inherited a 55 gallon fish tank, stand and rocks. lots of rocks. Slowly but surely, Nate's creation is coming along. When we have it all finished, we'll be sure to share!

March 15 Nate and I made it to our one year anniversary. It's been a busy year! A wedding, big move, adding Danika to our family and making it through this very rough season ...

We are excited to take a breather and enjoy the next year or two with our little family of 3.

The biggest announcement of the night...

DANIKA ROLLED OVER! (3/18)

Danika was playing on her tummy time mat and started fussing. I looked over the table and she was on her side, as we had often found her. Just as I looked over the table, she pulled her leg over and wound up on her tummy! I grabbed my video camera and caught her just as she was pushing herself back over.

She also has learned how to put her pacifier back into her mouth. It takes her awhile and usually it's the handle she shoves back in, she's getting the groove of it.

Last but not least... Nate has learned his lesson! He was playing airplane baby... zoom zoom zoom...bleck! Danika spit up all over Nate's face, landing on and near his mouth... blehhhhhh

March is coming to an end... Ari has spring break coming up the 28-April 3. We're looking forward to a week together as a family again ... hopefully I'll be good about updating this guy better!

Yummy to my tummy!

2009-03-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Danika Grace is 4 months old! WHat a big girl! She decided she wanted to try some cereal and some sweet potatoes. What a little adventurer we have on our hands. I think we're in for trouble- 2 bites into her first bites of solid food, she grabbed the spoon and took matters into her own hands. She's an independent little beauty. As she was eating her first bites of sweet potatoes, our little miss decided she wanted to have a food fight... she grabbed the spoon and flung sweet potatoes all over mamma! It was quite a sight. That's alright, when Mamma was eating, she spilled her food all over D. The first of many incidents:)

For Christmas Nate was given a build-a-bear unstuffed so he could have a special tradition with D. This past weekend we went and had Paddy, our leprochaun bear stuffed for Danika. We tried catching her smiles to her new bear but werent very successful.

More updates coming soon!

Wooot woot!

2009-02-15T16:33:00.001-08:00

Danika Grace is sleeping through the night! I just had to share :) its a very exciting time for mom and dad:)

Finally!

2009-02-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we got to go back to Grand Junction for a short visit. A dear friend gave us a gift certificate to Glenwood Springs - one of Ari's most favorite places - for our wedding which we decided to use as a pre-valentine's day/pre-anniversary weekend. It was beautiful! Ari cried alot, missing her baby, but we had a good time. Ari took Nate to "Italian Underground" - the most fab italian restaurant of all time. On Saturday we walked around Glenwood and ate some delish beer cheese soup from the infamous Glenwood brewpub.

Danika has definitely found her thumb, and often chokes on it in efforts of getting it in there far enough, or shoving her whole fist in that yapper of hers. In Grand Junction, grandpa skip helped Danika stand up like a big girl and skooch a few steps. It was great! Grandma Val is convinced Danika said her name "Goom Goom" ... bleh, baby talk :) (Love you, mom!). Before we left the western slope, we got to visit Nate's Aunt Deb's church in Cedaredge. She is very gifted at what sh does! We were able to grab a bite to eat before we headed home.

The day before the super bowl Nate moved his gigantor TV into our teeny tiny apartment... just in time for super bowl sunday. We had fabulous family and friends visit us in time for a so so game (the packers weren't laying, though Danika had to sport the cheesehead love), snazzy comercials and some delicious food. It was a great afternoon!

New Home!

2009-02-02T21:20:00.000-08:00

We're still here! My apologies for the lack of blogging. Nate and I have been battling our first move as a married couple. It's been a ride! We have moved from our 5 bedroom house to a two bedroom apartment and it has definitely been exhausting. Somewhere in those boxes is my camera connector cord- pictures coming soon! Danika is smiling away and cooing like crazy. She enjoyed watching the superbowl with her daddy yesterday! Its sad to put away clothes she can't fit into anymore but so much fun to watch her grow up!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

If only half of the picture is showing on your screen, click on it to see the full image :)

It has been a great first Christmas together as a family! We started our celebration on Saturday at Nana and Papa's house (I couldn't find my camera:( ) with a delicious dinner, advent wreath, and opening of presents.

Sunday,, Nate and I went to church, then in the evening exchanged gifts to each other. Nate bought Ari a fabulous new Ipod Nano, a beautiful mother's necklace, cashmere gloves and a baby book for Danika. Nate received his beloved RC Helicopter, sheepskin slippers, pj pants, a celtic ring and an empty bear to stuff with Danika at the Teddy Bear Factory. Afterwards we enjoyed a fabulous Christmas dinner at Maggiano's... delish!

On Monday morning we battled the Colorado highways and headed over the mountains to Grand Junction to visit Grandma and Grandpa Banks. On Wednesday Nate experienced his very first cross country extravaganza... and turned out to be a pro! Wednesday evening Nate, Ari and Danika went to a Christmas Eve service, then joined the rest of the family for dinner.

After dinner we opened our traditional gift from the parental units, and got the boys! All the Banks gals went in together to find the ugliest sweaters possible for the boys. The gents were too kind to say anything rude and humbly wore the hideous sweaters with a hidden grimace. Ari asked Nate, "Do you like your sweater, N?" He replied with a large grin, "YES! I love it!" And all the ladyfolk collapsed in a heap of laughter at his politeness. The men caught on to our game and the joke was over. We got our Christmas laugh, for sure!

Danika got her first pair of Christmas PJs, a candy cane footsy labeled "Mommy's little joy",and what a joy she is! She definitely made out with the most from Santa and family! She received beautiful ornaments from both grandparents, a packers jacket for our little cheesehead and other clothes from Nana and papa , a 25th anniversary cabbage patch doll that is exactly the same as Ari's from when she was a little gal, a baby nativity set, and her first Willlowtree Angel from grandma and grandpa banks. Her aunts and uncle gave her D's first pair of diamond earrings and a personalized fairy tale book that teaches her how to spell her name! She is a very loved and lucky little girl!

We'll be enjoying Christmas dinner later on today followed by a Christmas movie with the family. Tomorrow evening we will be having our extended Whiteside Family Dinner with the traditional white elephant exchange! It's spitting some snow outside... we'll post more pictures later of our first Christmas together!

So Sweet

2008-12-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

We're often amazed at how wonderful life seems to be for our baby girl. SHe flops herself all over the place and sleeps through the noisiest trips to the mall and other occasions. We're also making her great grandpa flossy proud by sporting the overalls! She has her first pair of overall jeans and her first overall dress. On Sunday, we went to get our first family portrait and CHristmas pictures. Here's a preview!

Thanksgiving '08

2008-11-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

What a great day! We went to Tim and Melindas for our Thanksgiving day festivities. It started off with a fabulous batch of cinnamon rolls thanks to Courtney. We watched the parade, and dog show!, as we munched on a variety of yummies. Afterwards we watched a bit of football and visited with each other for a bit. our dinner was delightful! I think the best part was the salad, but that's coming from a vegetarian. Danika was a hit with our family members- everyone loved our little turkey and her adorable outfit and bib (thanks to aunt tori and grandma val). It was a great day and one that helped us to remember all that we are thankful for:)

A busy weekend!

2008-11-22T21:37:00.001-08:00

What a weekend! It was free day at the Denver Zoo, so we decided to take advantage of it on one of our last beautiful weekends. Then we started to put up Christmas decor, complete with a nice cup of Russian Tea while listening to Christmas carols as Danika slept in her bouncer. We finished off the evening with a nice dinner with our cousin and aunts and uncle Brady at the infamous Pascuini's. It was a great but busy day!

Newborn Pictures!

2008-11-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

So, Ari has a severe need to photograph EVERYTHING, so of course when we had a COUPON! for newborn pictures, she jumped on it. We had a lot of laughs at our little girl as she was photographed. Here are just a few of the adorable pictures of our baby - enjoy!

A proud papa

2008-11-03T18:04:00.001-08:00

Nate has taken to his daddy role quite with great enthusiasm! He is such a good daddy and a huge help to his wifey. A few picture of Nate with his girls:)

We are home!

2008-11-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

We broke out of the hospital at about 1:30 this afternoon and boy is it nice to be home. We had lots of fabulous photo opps the last few days- here are a few of the best!

Our Halloween Baby is here!

2008-11-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 31, Danika Grace Hall arrived, long legged and beautiful. She's a sassy one, and one that has completely stolen our hearts. Ari's water broke at around 6:30 am on Friday, and by 7m, with the help of her wonderful husband, she was holding her daughter in her arms. It was a pretty amazing day and one that we never knew could change our world so much already. Here are a few pictures of Danikas first 12 hours in our world. Enjoy!

Almost Done!

2008-10-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

Our nursery is almost done! We walked around Colorado Mills Mall today. Ari was fascinated with strawberry milkshakes, Nate was hooked by the build a bear factory! We met up with Ari's parents and sister for lunch and got a few more items for Danika, including her carseat (THANKS!) and toybox (it's under the windowsill. HOT). We're almost done! We just need to hang up the new wallhanging grandma val made and add some finishing details and we are ready to go!

37 Weeks!

2008-10-23T20:32:00.001-07:00

No pictures for this post! Just a quick update. On Monday, Ariana will be 37 weeks along and Danika will be considered full term. As of last Monday, Ari was 1cm dilated and anxious to meet her daughter! Though Danika could be stubborn and wait til 2 weeks past her due date, the doctor thinks she may arrive sooner than later! Cross your fingers! The bags are packed and ready to go, just like Ari. Her last day of teaching for a few weeks is Monday, Nov 3, however, she has this next week of for fall break. We'll let you know when our daughter arrives! Thanks to everyone for all of your support these past 9 months:)

Getting Closer- 1 month to go!

2008-10-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

On Friday my wonderful teammates threw me a baby shower at school. We had a great time with dancing Al! With the wonderful gifts and gift cards we're even closer to completing the nursery. We're almost done, just waiting on our toybox, wallhanging, and cozy rug to finish it up! This little girl can come any day now- crazy!

Picking Pumpkins!

2008-10-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today Nate and I joined Nate's parents, Donna and Steve, for an afternoon outing to the pumpkin patch. We walked around the farm, enjoying hot apple cider and pumpkin pie while meeting cows, turkeys, sheep and a pig on a stick. It was cold and rainy as we waddled through the pumpkin patch, choosing JUST the right pumpkin. Ari, true to her nature, chose the two headed pumpkin cuz of its character and personality. Nate, true to HIS nature, had to have the perfect pumpkin with a stem. We had a nice lunch at Benny's Mexican Restaurant soon after. It was a wonderful way to fill a cold, fall afternoon.

Maternity Pictures

2008-10-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

Ari decided to surprise Nate with some maternity pictures taken of her and Danika while Ari had some time off from work for a doctor's appointment. We are going to have some more pictures taken by a friend of ours in an outdoor setting with the two of us together, but in the meantime here are a few of our favorites!

More Pictures of this Weekend :)

2008-10-05T18:31:00.000-07:00