Hard-Core Training

This baby decided it would be a good idea to practice her crawling for two hours in the middle of the night (2:30 - 4:30 am). That's what I call dedication to a cause.

She didn't make any noise, just pushed herself around the bed.

So here's the problem: She sleeps in our bed.

**We didn't like the idea of co-sleeping at first, but it ended up being the easiest solution at the time for our desperate lack of sleep when she was a newborn. She slept better and we sleep better, enough said.

I think if she wouldn't have smiled at us when we tried to put her back to sleep, she definitely would have been in her own bed in the other room.

Miss Independent

Introducing...

Little Miss Wiggles.

In addition to wiggling, trying to get around - which either consists of rolling, pushing herself along on her stomach, or trying to figure out how to crawl (which she would have down if she could figure out the arms part) - she has exerted her new sense of independence to the realm of feeding.

She's surprisingly able to feed herself for short periods of time, usually she's okay until something catches her eye and she forgets the bottle.

And...

She loves her sunglasses and doesn't even try to get them off.

She loves to go to the pool. While we saw other babies fussing a little, Adi is content. She especially likes the Shamu trick with her dad. She will stand up on his legs while he takes her around through the water. (Don't worry, this Shamu is unlikely to leave any casualties.)

Here she is zonked out in her dad's arms after a day at the pool. She was so pooped that she fell asleep in her mom's arms on the short walk from the pool to the car.

Little Swimmer

All ready to go to the pool in her suit, shades, and hat.

Happy little swimmer, ready to get in.

Swimming!

Voracious Little Reader

This baby loves books.

She loves to "read" them,

examine them,

and eat them.

Yum.

And...

As an aside and important point of order. Adi's stats for 3 months and 4 months were as follows:

3 months:

Head Circumfrance: 16.25" - 90th percentile
Height: 24.5" - 90th percentile
Weight: 13lbs 4 oz - 75th percentile

4 months:

Head Circumfrance: 16.75" - 87th percentile
Height: 25" - 76th percentile
Weight: 15lbs 8oz - 85th percentile

I'm not entirely convinced that the measurements are accurate because they were only a month apart, but either way we've got ourselves the pink ribbon winner. We love our little girl!

Adi Update (Months 3 and 4)

With the move and starting things here in Washington, Adi's 3- and 4-month updates have been delayed. So, here's our little girl growing up...

3 Months

She is mostly all smiles...

and can sit up with assistance.

She loves a good time playing with animals. By the look on their faces, Adi is enjoying it much more than the dog is. (This picture was taken in mid-May, when we visited Utah for Grandpa Clark's funeral.)

4 Months

She is still mostly smiley (I say mostly because she is not a happy camper when she is hungry or sleepy. But who is?), especially when you talk to her. She even gets a few giggles out. One of our favorite things she does is when she gets really excited she will squeal.

She is curious, and likes to take things and put them in her mouth (especially blankets).

She also likes to grab hair, so watch out.

Adi can sit up by herself for a little while, but does so leaning forward on her hands. She has only sat up straight once for any real amount of time. We have to watch out because she's got the rolling-over thing figured out pretty well now. And although she can't crawl yet, she has figured out how to move backward and is figuring out her knees can be used to push.

She loves to kick off the covers and is becoming more playful. She still loves kisses and has decided she also likes to lick us.

And here she is showing some attitude during a diaper change, making a fist with one hand and grabbing her foot with the other. She thinks it's funny (or at least her dad does) to put the clean diaper on her head while dad changes her diaper. Maybe in this picture she's telling dad that she's not a fan of the diaper helmet.

Looking for a Good Read?

After years of assigned readings that have consumed my life, I had forgotten how much I enjoy a good book. In the past couple of weeks, these have been some of my good reads:

These Is My Words

Diary of a settler in Arizona, and good insight into life on the American frontier. Plenty of lawlessness, heartbreak, Indians, and joy from family. Good development of the main character (as it should be, being her diary), which makes it easy to relate to her and her life story.

As an aside - and tribute to my fascination with Latin American politics - I believe that this book gives a lot of insight into what occurs currently in frontier areas around the world. The situation with a new insurgent group in Paraguay (EPP) serves as a good example.

The Help

This book was thought-provoking for me. Hailing from a pretty non-diverse state in terms of ethnicity, I have never been faced with issues regarding discrimination. It could be that I never found myself in these situations, or that I have been oblivious or ignorant of them (as are some characters in this book).

I strive to treat all people equally. However, I recognize that my lack of experience among some demographics may influence my behavior in that I become ultra-sensitive in trying not to offend. For example, in church we sat next to a gentleman of another race and I noticed that although it would have been more comfortable for Kenz to scoot her chair closer to mine (and away from this individual) to lay her head on my shoulder, I did not suggest it because I did not want the gesture to be misinterpreted. I don't believe that hypersensitivity is the solution - I believe it achieves the opposite - but being cognisant and aware of our behavior so that we treat all people with respect could be the answer.

SUPER Freakonomics

Entertaining read with a lot of interesting, but perhaps useless information. I think it's always fun to read analyses of human behavior and how we use instruments to attempt to measure, quantify, or predict it.

The Hunger Games

It's a mix of The Giver, 1984, and Lord of the Flies (this last I have been told since I have never read Lord of the Flies). It's Big Brother at his worst. I think the end could have been developed more effectively for a more dramatic way to "stick it to the man." But, I have to give it to the author, she knows how to write a compelling story.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

I found this in a box of books we have, and it goes to show that sometimes what is common sense is not so common. Everything in this book makes sense, but few of us practice it because emotions get in the way and make us behave irrationally. I think it's a good reminder of how we should treat others, but many of his suggested practices could easily be ruined by insincerity.

And I'm currently working on these two:

Blink

So far the examples and studies have been fun and fascinating, and I look forward to learning more about the assessments and decisions we make without conducting an in-depth analysis.

Who Really Cares

I've been meaning to get to this one for at least a year now. I have liked it so far, but have been a little turned off by the politics that have already presented themselves. But, in all fairness, it looks like an objective study done by an independent voter, who happens to be the current President of AEI.

Anyway, I would recommend any of these books and we're looking for new reads for the future. I know for sure that Catching Fire is on the list, as well as 1984 and maybe some Spanish literature or history of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile.

Any other suggestions?

Adrielle Goes to Eastern Market

Baby Adrielle made her debut at Eastern Market a few weeks ago with us. We met our good friends Erin and Mark there and enjoyed french toast, blue bucks, and yummy bacon. (Yummy... I'm hungry, that sounds good!)

Salivating just thinking about the yummy food...

Waiting in line. Yucky, yucky fish. (Yet, it's part of the experience.)

Zoolander. Blue steal.

Taste is nothing; Presentation is everything

Oh how I wish I could emphasize words in titles, it would make it so much more meaningful. This title should read, "Taste is nothing. Presentation. Is. Everything."

A couple of weeks ago, I was going through one of my dad's old cookbooks that he gave me, "The Great Book of Baking". I had a few things in mind: dessert, yummy, new, good presentation (a plus). I was looing for something good. What I found was great, but it sent me on an adventure.

My adventure? Find a spring form pan. I asked around and noone seemed to have one. Nuts. I didn't want to have to buy one to try a new dessert, so I forgot about the idea and sent it to the back of my mind.

Saturday, I woke up early and got Adi dressed and ready to go. Our next-door-neighbor was having a garage sale, so I wanted to go and support her. I didn't expect to buy anything, and in fact, didn't even bring any cash. It turns out a couple of her friends had brought some things to sell as well. I was casually looking at a table with some cookie cutters when I said "I wish you had a sp..." I was cut off mid sentence when the woman next to me moved and there was a brand-new spring form pan! I grabbed it and asked her how much? $1. $1 for a brand new pan! What were the odds?

So, later Saturday Ryan and I went to the grocery store. Giant was having a great sale on berries, so we bought strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries for the new, yummy experiment.

Tuesday I made it, and was tickled pink. Don't mind the fact that the crust called for 2 tablespoons sugar and the filling called for 2/3 cup sugar and I put 2/3 cup in both--it just made it extra rich.

But, the motto my dad and I have always joked about is so true for this recipe. It was gorgeous. Almost too gorgeous to eat. When Ryan cut the first piece, he was very careful to cut through the fruit so that it would stay intact. It was yummy, but (to me) it didn't taste as steller as it looked... but maybe I'm being biased.

Thoughts anyone?

Berry-Delicious New York Cheesecake

*Sadly, come-to-find-out, it wasn't real cheesecake. Next time: real cheesecake. Chocolate perhaps.

Partnership Family Fun Day

Friday was the Partnership's Family Fun Day! Our version of "Bring Your Daughter To Work Day". It was so much fun. Ryan brought Adi in, and we had fun introducing her to everyone. It was fun having her there as part of the 'team'! A lot of people were shocked to find out that I had a daughter. I guess I am a young mother considering that the overwhelming majority of the kids there were children of senior-level staff.

Baby Adi decked out in her summer blues and baby espadrilles. :)

A True Southern Gentleman

We all have favorites. For example, I love seersucker suits. Classy and refined. Professional but stylish. Simple yet elegant. Charming. Southern.

I also love hydrangea. The day Ryan and I talked about getting married (Valentine's Day 2008), he had given me beautiful pink roses with luscious yellow hydrangea. Since then, hydrangea have popped up in various places--traces of green hydrangea in my wedding bouquet and in enormous flowering bushes in our new neighborhood.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that today the two southern favorites were combined when...

A man in a [tan] seersucker suit...

Who was holding a bouquet of gaint hydrangea flowers...

Stepped onto the bus.

Loved it.

Utah Mormons.

Admit it, I Caught your attention.

Loaded title, isn’t it? Well, have you ever thought about how loaded the connotation is? And, do you realize from where that connotation stems?

Allow me enlighten you…

I ‘grew up’ in Virginia. That is to say I went to high school there. Prior to moving here, I lived in Utah. Post living here, I lived in Utah. I could essentially say that I was born and raised in Utah. But, the thing is I ‘grew up’ in Virginia; I matured here. I left for college from here. I lived the shock, fear, and aftermath of September 11th, Anthrax, the Sniper Shootings, the start of the Iraqi Conflict here from a front-row seat, it changed me. So, when people ask me where I’m from I say “Northern Virginia.”

However, in the past couple of months, Ryan and I have been asked, “Where are you guys coming from?” To this I simply responded, “Utah” or “BYU”. I say responded—past tense—because laughs, eye rolling, and joking always ensued. Then, when asked where we were ‘from’ and I said Virginia, there is automatic “oh, so you’re a local” and then become friendly and chatty—literally two-faced right to my face. My jaw has literally dropped once or twice. Now, I respond “graduate school”.

As I have thought about the laughs, eye rolling, and joking, I have come to a realization that the pathetic “Utah Mormons” and “Non-Utah Mormons” connotation stems equally from both parties. Did you know that essentially everyone is a transplant of some kind? Guess where most of the people who have rolled their eyes were from or had received their education? Good guess. Utah. BYU. And do you know what happens when they go to Utah and laugh, roll their eyes, and joke? They deepen the divide and the chip off of both shoulders just gets bigger. How quickly we forget. I admit that I was guilty of this as a teenager, I just hope I have gained enough wisdom to avoid passing cultural biases and ethnocentrism on to my children.

I love Virginia. And, I love Utah. And, I love a lot of places in between. You can appreciate the charms of life, culture, and people wherever you are. So, to both parties I say, Get. Over. Yourselves.

Tonight I learned...

While I know you have all been waiting for life updates, as I sit here at work waiting for Ryan to pick me up, I thought I would jot an amusing memory...

Tonight I stayed after work to help with a fellow reception. Serendipitously, I learned a life skill:

How to open a bottle of wine...

and many other interesting facts about alcohol (including fascinating things about alcoholic geography).

Random tidbits: did you know that a glass of 'top shelf' liquor can cost like $50! (I could eat the best steak of my LIFE for $50.) and that real champange can only come from Champange, France?