Almost a Year (Meet the Uppers)

Joseph just turned 11 months on the 21st! So much has changed...

• The upper front two teeth came in about three weeks ago. They are prominent enough now to be photographed.
• No walking unassisted yet. Joseph enjoys "cruising" but not for long as he can gets where he needs to go much faster by speed-crawling.
• This week a new phenomenon: Gibberish sentences with inflection and everything. (glingawa-ah-lanuh-glub-lidda) Hilarious!
• Joseph understands: "No", "Come here", "Open", "Mommy", "Daddy", "Shimmy", "Diaper", and more. Though for the most part we understand each other even without words.
• Joseph loves being tickled, being chased (and chasing), mommy woofing like a dog, and he brings out daddy's goofy side.
  
• Joseph can feed himself a pretzel or cookie just fine, but when it comes to more squashy foods (ie. bananas and pasta) he gags?!
• Still nursing, but he also bites...
• He is amazing, goofy, lovable, and unique.
  

Door County Part 2

Cana Island Lighthouse near Bailey's Harbor (I don't know how to rotate pics, so you will have to turn your head to the right...)

We took two trips to Door County this summer. The first trip was a few weeks ago with some of the extended Finn family. We stayed in a beautiful log cabin near Egg Harbor.

This photo is from the second trip with the extended Myers family. This time we stayed on the lake side of the peninsula in Bailey's Harbor where we had some fabulous lake views.

Hopefully, we will get our hands on more pics soon...

Mr. Grumpy Pants

These pics were taken a while ago, but I thought I would share them with you since we haven't posted new ones in a while

A Shout-Out to Moi!

Please see one of my original pears featured on the blog of one of my favorite artists, Lori Marie of Pretty Little Things:

http://prettylittlethings.typepad.com/

te, he, he, he...

And here is my newest acquisition. One of Lori Marie's Daydreamers. Meet Aurora! Sheboygan Falls welcomes you!

*Lori Marie's Shop is www.prettylilthings.etsy.com

What Would Have Been a Very Lengthy Comment...

A good friend of mine had a baby about six months ago. She grappled with the very difficult decision to take proactive steps in returning to a healthy weight. When she told me of her decision, she almost sounded ashamed and defensive. Oh dear friend, I do not judge ye. On the contrary, I commend you for your decision to take a healthy path and set realistic goals for yourself! That said, I will relay a bit of wisdom I received from encouraging friends and health professionals alike. To all new moms, and moms just given birth out there, remember: it took nine months to put it on. (It has taken me almost a year to take it off)

All too often, women judge themselves not by the quality of their character, but by the amount of burden they can take upon themselves and still look like a centerfold (ie. I can be a mother, work full-time, cook a gourmet meal when I get home and keep my house looking spotless and Martha-esque meanwhile maintaining an acceptable size 0-6 frame and wearing fashionable heels!) I have fallen victim to this trap, too. I have to constantly remind myself that I am not wonder woman.

It is sad that we live in the kind of society that celebrates and reveres women in the spotlight who appear on red carpets only days postpartum down to their previous size 0 (yoga and vegan diet my a*%). Its not magic, it is $$$ and science.

Dear friend (and me) please remember just what kind of woman you really want to be. A reliable wife and friend, an attentive and patient mother...the kind of woman who makes it all look effortless not because she made a tremendous effort but because she really valued what is important in life: being present and available, and having time for the loved ones in her life.