And this is not really birthday but I didn’t have a Halloween post so here we go…
The Last Week in Photos April 29, 2008
The kitchen sink has been a favorite spot lately. She tells us she wants to “wash, wash” (sometimes with a please) and hops in, fully clothed, and has the time of her life. Now if only we could get this reaction to the real bathtime.
On the slide at Columbian Park. I told her to smile and this is what I got…a show of teeth. Cute though 
Bee was completely attached to Shelby (Shabby as Bee calls her) at our fire night and wouldn’t leave her side. Poor thing, she only had about five minutes Bee-free to enjoy a beer.
Right before everyone left we were commenting on how we were sure we’d seen bald eagles nearby. Everyone was a bit incredulous. Just as they left and we were out back picking things up, what should land on a nearby tree but a giant bald eagle!
I zoomed in on him here. It was getting and is a bit hard to make him out clearly but you can see the white head and trademark wide shoulders. How cool!
So now we’ve experienced two amazing things in Indiana that are firsts for us. A bald eagle live in person and an earthquake! When the quake hit in Illinois we felt it as it woke us up. Later the next day we felt the aftershock and listened as our house sounded like it has people on roof. Crazy!
Pictures Again… March 16, 2008
Apples are pretty much her favorite thing ever. Except for macaroni and cheese. And kittens. And markers. And….okay, this could go on forever.
Playdate late in February. It was so fun having all of them running around the house, going crazy and tormenting the cat but like I really needed something else to convince me that one kid is quite enough, thank you…
Many Firsts Since My Last Update… December 17, 2007
It’s been a busy but fun month. There have been many firsts, including walking, which Bee’s doing with more ease each day. So glad we got those little floor tiles to offer some cushion.
Aside from that major development, here are a few images from between late November and now….
The first snow was gorgeous! All I could do was sit and stare out of our back windows all morning.
Of course, we had to suit up the Bee in her winter gear and get her outside.
This fur-lined jacket is awesome! Thanks Grandma!
Looking like some feral snow-baby we happened upon.
Back inside where it’s warm and toasty with her first pigtails. It’s a bit of a stretch and they don’t stay in very well, but I couldn’t resist.
Bee’s first “art” with finger paints. She loves markers too although crayons are still too delicious for her to resist.
Sara and Penny drove all the way from Cowtown to visit. Bee totally idolizes Pen.
First Birthday party (other than her own) with her new BFF Zoe.
Having fun with Zoe during a break in the frigid weather.
I will update more often instead of doing this “month in review” kind of thing :s
A Short Film Just Before the Birthday November 2, 2007
Make sure your sound is turned on and enjoy watching this review of The Bee’s first year…
Week With Grandma… A Photo Journal August 31, 2007
The Bee has had a most marvelous week with her grandma. Since grandpa was out of town, we thought we’d head out from L-Town and come stay for a bit to keep her company…. Here are some of the highlights from the past few days…
Bee and Grandma hang out on the lawn and soak up some sun. The Bee, quite predictably, plucks up any leaves that have fallen (it’s almost fall, for crying out loud) and pops them into her mouth, sometimes faster than Grandma can stop her. But they’re having quite the time, those two…
Now able to cruise with only one precariously-placed hand along furniture, stairs, and railings, the second floor has become her favorite spot in the house. She loves it when I bark like an attack dog and nip her toes from below.
See those chompers? Not even quite ten months old, this baby…. sheesh.
Already, this child knows how to accessorize…
“Oh Grandma, this deck is abosultely delicious!”
This is one of my favorite pictures of the week… It’s hard to think this will probably be the last time this year that Bee and G-ma are going to be able to get outside since we probably won’t be back ’round these here parts ’till Decemeber or so.
It actually got chilly enough to have to put The Bee in a jacket this week. I know it’s not grandma-related (although it’s at her house) but she just looks so damn cute in her little ruffly jacket.
The Return of Grandpa– He is back on our last day and lets The Bee take a ride, quitting early because it’s “not exactly safe” (although how many times do I remember doing this? Or my sisters riding on the mower before they even had teeth?
It’s been a nice and relaxing week and The Bee had the time of her life. My mom is something else. She’s like a kid around my kid. Love you all, even if you read and never leave me comments.
The War on Nature, First Blood, and Other News August 9, 2007
The war on nature, the battlefield of which is located on the giant windows overlooking the water in the back of our house has now been won. We are, I’m happy to say, the victors. After over 12 cans of expensive toxic foam that promises to kill hornets, bees, and scorpions. Yes, scorpions, the glass is now free (with the exception of one horrifying large spider who will serve as the grim messenger of imminent death to potential spider-scouts in the future) of those awful arachnids. It has been a tiresome battle. But thank god, it’s over. We think. They are incredibly persistent little bastards. And huge. This does not even come close to doing it justice…
It is now safe to exit onto the back deck, which we excitedly did, only to find that there was a stream of tiny determined ants following a direct line from the wood underneath over near our door. It’s like they’ve come to avenge the spiders. That’s okay. We have more cans of Zyclon-B or whatever the hell the stuff in the can is. For once in my lifetime I am looking forward to the end of summer and the onslaught of cold Midwestern winter. Although who knows, that might bring all the things from the outside right on in through some secret tunnel or something. We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.
A couple days ago The Bee got her first real injury. It was the first time I’ve ever seen her hurt with a noticeable boo-boo. Since she’s crawling like a pro now, she kind of seems to get cocky about moving forward and decided she wanted something and went after it with gusto. However, she forgot that her hands were required for crawling and just kind of dove into the hardwood floor. Ry was on the phone with my mom near her and I was over by the couch and I just remember hearing her hit the floor, Ry yelling “get her!” and then a horrendous wail. God. The pit of my belly is all twisted just remembering it. Her little lip split somewhat. Not all the way, but bad enough to leave a cut along the center and bad enough to illicit enough blood to make me want to faint. She didn’t cry much after the initial wail…we gave her an ice cube in a paper towel and she was perfectly content again, just sucking on it while Ry and I kept looking at one another with total fear. She’s fine now, poor Bee. This is the day after it happened…
She’s at that frightening point where she’s really getting around and we’re just going to have to be vigilant all the time. It tears my very heart to think that this is par for the course when it comes to babies and that it won’t be the last time something like this happens. I want to wrap her in bubble wrap, little thing. I can’t be that mom though…. Otherwise, she’s so happy here. We go outside, play in the sunroom near the windows, watch for hummingbirds at our feeder, go for walks, play in her carpeted bedroom where things are nice and soft, and just have a ball. She’s such a happy baby. One of the people that lives on our lane at the end saw her for the first time today and took a breath and said “she stunning!” … (I couldn’t help but think of that Seinfeld episode “she’s breathtaking”). She really is stunning. I loves ya Bee…
Chillin’ in the Pack n’ Play
Walking After Midnight…. July 14, 2007
Last night The Bee had a stuffed-up nose and wasn’t sleeping very well. Although we’ve been trying to keep her in crib to sleep at night, a lot of the time, I end up bringing her in to sleep with me, which I love but, for obvious reasons, don’t necessarily want to make a habit…
Anyway, since she wasn’t even close to sleeping and Ryan and I were still awake and not wanting to take into our room, we decided to bring her downstairs. It was around midnight or so and we both noticed that she looked a little freaked out. It took a few minutes for us to realize that she simply hadn’t seen what it looked like downstairs in the front room when it was dark. We only had one small light on but she could see the streetlight from outside the window. We wiped her nose and stepped outside where for once (to her, especially) it was almost completely quiet. Suddenly, a car went by on 5th Avenue with its headlights on, which totally amazed her. She was just so fascinated by the dark and the quiet. Her head turned sharply once when the crickets resumed their song and she just stared very intently, not really focusing, but listening to these distinct sounds that were new to her. I thought I saw her sniff the air a few times, which made me realize that indeed, it does smell different around here at night.
Our midnight excursion around our house at night reminds me to always think and behave as though I were a new being, freshly landed, on this strange planet. If I do that, I can be like her and get a complete kick out of the simplest things I never used to give a second thought to. The fact that it’s a whole different world on our street at night is something that was the source of her endless fascination last night and it makes me think about the thousands of other daily wonders that we habitually ignore. Having a baby around makes you think about these things. It makes you blow bubbles again and remember faintly how amazing those hundreds of tiny swirling rainbows in them are. It makes you put your hand under running water and leave it there, feeling the hot, then the cold, like it’s all a new sensation. It makes you cognizant of what raindrops really feel like and what summer smells like. Because everything is new to her, it has to be to me too so I can recognize the hidden treasures in everyday life, whether they are as simple as a dark quiet night street or the first taste of plum that isn’t quite ripe.
Worth a Thousand Words… April 22, 2007
Things have been very busy lately and updating my blog hasn’t been at the top of the list, unfortunately. My businesses have been kicking ass the past couple of months and when I’m not chillin’ with The Bee or Ry, I’ve been working my little tail off… Working from home is not all it’s cracked up to be, I must say. The balance is a little difficult and although it’s great not having to shuttle my HoneyBee off to DayCare to chant Dora songs with strangers, maintaining a professional life one moment and changing a diaper the very next throws me off somewhat. But who am I to complain? Every mother I’ve talked to wishes she could telecommute so hey… I’ll just shut my yap about it and take it for what it is.
We’ve been looking forward to moving to Purdue. We secured our dream-dwelling; it’s right on the Wildcat Creek (which is the width and flowspeed of a river) with a huge deck that overlooks the water. The house itself is gorgeous; floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the woods and water, pretty hardwood floors, and lots of space. We have about an acre total and the prospect of having no neighbors, especially after living in urban areas for ten years, is so appealing. Then again, the other night Ry and I went out with our friends to this unheard-of little downtown restaurant and walked to a hip little bar and felt all chic and stuff…. I’m going to miss that sometimes. Maybe not… We’ll see…
So here’s some updated pics of the beautiful Bee. She’s going to be 6 months in a couple of weeks. It’s amazing. She’s started to babble and laugh out loud. I’m so in love…
