Sweet Baby Girl

2011-02-16T08:45:00.001-08:00

Eowyn is 4 now. She and my husband wrote a book. It's great, and is not available on Amazon.com and BN.com!

Sing a Song

2008-12-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

I remember Eowyn used to make a repeticious "Eh" noises (such as "Eh Eh Eh Eh") when she was a baby. If she did 6 "Eh"s in a row I would break into the rest of Jingle bells in my own "Eh"s. Then one day I hummed the first part and she finished it. I was very excited. Today at parent and child swim lessons, when we sang "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Hokey-Pokey" she sang every word very loud. She has been singing along to parts of songs lately. (Like "Amazing Grace" that I sing at every bed time.) Today it was full songs and it was a bunch of them. I am a big fan of "Sing a Longs" so I'm thrilled with this new development.

The other very cool thing that happened today was in the car on the way. We were listening to the song "Heaven's Got A Baby" (the Supertones version, though I like the original Sarah Masen one better.) When the lyrics got to "Down in Bethlehem" Eowyn started making statements.
"Jesus was born in Bethlehem"
"Marry and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem"
"They had Jesus in a Manger"
"He was in a stable"
"Shepherds Came"
"there were some sheep there too"
(I asked who told the shepherds)
"The Angel Gabriel".
Then she went back to drinking her bottle.... she is so cool.

She was once again excited about doing the advent candel tonight. We were about 20 minets away from doing it and she sat at the table and said "I will waite for the candel." I had to convice her (not dificult but still) to color for a little while until we were ready.
She was very excited when we were done to tell us about Abraham going to Isrial so Jesus could come later!

This album has Sarah Masen:

This is the one with the Supertones:

Puzzling

2008-12-02T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today we got a late start.

We had blueberry pancakes (Ewoyn ate a bunch of them.)

When we got up and about we went to the Library and read for over 30 min. We also played at the park and went to the grocery store where she recited "The Lord's Prayer" "Ba Ba Black Sheep" and "The Jabberwalkie" from her shopping carriage pulpit to a fellow shopper who we had not seen in a while. The amazing thing lately though is her at home. She has a book of Under the Sea facts. It has a page of facts then a facing page with a jig saw puzzle with corresponding art work. Eowyn has very much enjoyed working on the puzzles with Mom, Myself, and Grandparents. Today she disassembled and completed every puzzle by herself. She just amazes me.

Then at dinner she had a polite argument with me about the meatier and structure of the writing in the book "Hen's Pen's." Last night I was board reading this epic about a hen who likes to draw zig zag patterns and then runs out of paper. My solution was to read it as an opera. When I took a breath at the last line, Eowyn beat me to it and Sang out "It's a Baby Snake!"*

She is fun.

*I'm sorry, I hope I did not spoil the story for you.

2008-12-02T03:30:00.000-08:00

We have wanted to do something more significant to mark Christmas and this year my wife came up with the idea of an advent calender. I came up with the themes for each day and she has embroidered Christmas ornaments to go with each one. She has also combined it with an Advent Wreath so the Sunday ornaments are candles. You can see the progression on her other blog

Going for a Walk

2008-12-02T03:25:00.000-08:00

Eowyn and I try to go for a walk with the dog every day. She has recently taken to "Going for a Bear Hunt" which prompted me to decided that one bear hunt was sufficient for each walk. She sings the chorus (Going on a bear hunt, gonna catch a big one) and I love the way she says "what a Beautiful Day."

We also memorise Bible verses on our walk and are working on Luke 2:8-15 She has it down with one word prompts every sentence or so.

The fun thing she did on this walk was to notice the snow. It had technical snowed last night. There were some white patches from time to time on the side of the road. She told me "I'm going to walk on the melt" which I did not understand until she started taking very wide strides to make sure her foot landed on the next patch of crystallising and melting snow.

She's growing up!

2008-06-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe what a little person Eowyn is becoming. She has very clear likes and dislikes and great communication skills to indicate the difference. Her verbal skills are excellent, and I can't even begin to count the words in her vocabulary.

She is at the cute stage of getting tenses and pronouns mixed up. She stated to me the other day, on our walk, "Pick you up". I am quite sure, by the tired expression on her face that she was not offering to carry me.

Tonight, another one of those situations came up, though I do wonder if there was some truth to it, in her little world, anyway. We were praying and Christopher asked her if she wanted to pray. No response, so he said "Do you want to thank Jesus for your Grandma's?" Eowyn said, "Thank you Grammy for Jesus". Hmmm...I think it is possible she's still not sure who ranks higher, Jesus or Grammy.

Here she is at a church picnic having fun on the blanket.

Great Grammy passed away

2008-05-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

Eowyn has gone to visit her Great Grammy McGurty a couple times a month for her whole life. She recently learned to say her name, and has been a great source of peace, comfort and delight to my grandmother. Grammy passed away, and her funeral was today. At the party afterwards, the cat that was always in my grandmother's room, made an appearance. Here is Ewoyn with that cat. A photo I'll treasure always.

Sweater and Wristers by Mommy

2008-04-30T21:59:00.001-07:00

Springtime!

2008-04-26T08:04:00.001-07:00

We were at Grammy O's yesterday and Eowyn got to pick a flower from Grammy's garden. What a beautiful day!

Just give me a pick, a guitar and my Daddy

2008-04-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

Eowyn strumming while Daddy holds the strings. It was a great jam session. A special music to a Mommy's ears.

No pictures, because we were alone, but she helped me knit today too. She held the needles while I held her hands and we worked on a row of a sweater I am working on, for myself.

Eowyn is so fun and ready to experience everything she can!

The Park is Open!

2008-04-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

On April 7, Daddy checked the park on the way home from school today. The snow is melted the equipment is dry and the temps are in the 50's! They got all bundled up and headed out to play!

They were BOTH very excited!

Look How Big

2008-04-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Easter time last year, and this year...

I learned a glorious thing on Easter!

2008-03-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

That Eowyn's hair is finally long enough for ponytails!!

When I put them up yesterday, for the first time, she was quite displeased with the experience, until we showed her the mirror...can you tell she felt a bit sassy with her her style.

When we were showing her the reflection, she scrutinized her face and then said "Josie", followed shortly by "Carrigain"...the names of her two little friends who have had enough hair for styling for quite a while. I think it's funny that even at this young age, of not quite 20 months, she is taking notice what her friends are doing with their hair. The Psych major in me has been trying to process that information, and am not sure what I've decided.

First Time Coloring Easter Eggs!

2008-03-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

What she had to say about the experience.

“orange” “Baby Do it” “Water please” “More water please” “Drawing done, Water please”

She liked dunking much more then drawing, and she would have dyed them all Orange if Grammy let her. But, as long as there was “water” to dunk it in, she really was easily swayed by the color of the water.

Baby Bug

2008-03-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

Grammy O bought Ewoyn a Lady Bug Costume sometime after Halloween, and then Grammy W recently purchased some Lady Bug Boots for the upcoming "Mud Season". Eowyn enjoys wearing both, and the other day decided to wear them together.

Strong Man Competition here she comes

2008-03-16T17:53:00.001-07:00

I don't know why I enjoy it, maybe too many years of TV watching has me conditioned to watch anything, but I really like watching the World's Strongest Man Competitions. I was reminded of that contest the other day while watching Eowyn heft a full water jug around the house. She is so funny in her desire to life heavy things. Not sure how this came about, but she picked this water jug up from the floor and held it as she was picked up in the air. That jug weighs 8 pounds, and she weighs 20, that is slightly less then half her body weight!

Making a Birthday Present for Grammy

2008-03-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

I brought Eowyn to a "Paint Your Own Pottery" place. Her cousin was in from out of town, and he's 11, and likes to go paint pottery, so we figured it was something both of them would enjoy, on their own levels. We were right. Everyone had a great time. Ewoyn painted a picture for her Grammy Ouellette, whose birthday is Tuesday, but we saw her yesterday to celebrate. We put her hand print in the center when her painting was complete. Here Grammy was taken with how precious her hand print was, after all we've been through with her hands.

Here is the little painter, taking her task very seriously.

Mom Song

2008-03-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Laundry is my chore

2008-03-08T21:10:00.000-08:00

Ewoyn has chores. Christopher has taught her to feed the dog, let the dog in and out (with help with the door knobs still) and to help with laundry. Christopher was folding the laundry and kept handing Eowyn a few bibs and baby wash cloths. They go in a drawer in the kitchen. Eowyn would scamper across the living room, dining room and kitchen, open the drawer, stuff the items in, close it and scamper back. He'd give her more and she'd do it again...This happened over and over, for at least 10 trips. Never tiring, or complaining, the little helper scampered back and forth. It was just about the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life.

I didn't get a photo because the angle wasn't good, and it wouldn't have translated as well on stills as on video. But it was hilarious!

Sleeping

2008-03-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

Just when you think this baby can't get any cuter!

Helping Mommy

2008-03-06T23:11:00.000-08:00

I was working on a video to show how to use one of my new lines of tools, when Eowyn decided to help. Doesn't she look very informative and knowledgeable?

Daddy Is my Hairdresser

2008-03-06T23:06:00.000-08:00

There is no story...this says it all.

Footwear Frenzy!

2008-02-18T18:40:00.000-08:00

We brought Eowyn to get new sneakers at Red's Shoe Barn today. She walked up the two levels of stairs, on her own, and at the top their was special glow coming from one display, right in front. Eowyn LOVES boots. She is very into shoes, of all kinds, but the spring rain boots just called to her. She tried on ALL of them. It was hilarious. She put them on, walked around, grabbed another pair of mismatched rain ware for her feet and tramped around until another couple caught her fancy. Grammy bought her a pair that look like ladybugs. I think she is bound to enjoy them as much as her snow boots, once home, but the fact they matched and were the right size for her feet, caused them to be cast off in the store.

She did willingly try on the sneakers, which were the reason for going in the first place, but they did not hold the same joy as the rain boots. I was excited to find the simple Nike sneakers, in her size, costing only $10.00 a pair! We bought the next size up, hoping to get through the whole summer of sneaker weather, for $20.00! Wow!!

*Note: for all of you who have ever worked retail, and are grimacing upon hearing of this little girl ripping apart a boot display, we, being the responsible parents we are, put the boots all back where they were, when we left.*

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes....

2008-02-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday night Ewoyn walked over the where I was sitting and proceeded to sing the song Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes, by herself, WITH hand movements. The movements were a little scattered, but it was still amazing! The song is one of the few "traditional" kinds songs she knows. When we were in Shriners, and she had dressing changes, they had a woman who would come in and play guitar to try to calm/distract Ewoyn. It worked okay, considering what kind of pain she was in. But this song became a staple, and one we sang a lot while in the hospital. It was almost sure to bring a smile to her face if, while she was sitting on dad's lap, I would sing the song and do the movements...which is sad to admit, quite a workout if you do the song all the way through a couple times.

In typical Eowyn fashion, she would not perform the song for the video camera...Whenever a camera comes out, video or still, she proclaims "camera", then "baby", and wants you to show her on the LCD screen all the pictures of that very cute baby that are surely on it. Other then an occasional music video with dad, seeing herself on an LCD screen, or on a laptop screen, is her only "screen time", so "Baby Ewoyn" has become her favorite show. We are hoping to get this little act on video, and I'll certainly post here if I do.

Lengthy update...

2008-02-11T08:55:00.001-08:00

Eowyn burned her hands. We were at someone's house the wood or gas stove, was off when we arrived, it was turned on while we were there and we were not notified, and Ewoyn put both hands, palm down on the stove. She had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on the palm side of her hands. We brought her to Shriners within hours of the incident, she got the best care I can imagine is possible. She has been healing quickly and there is no concern for longterm scarring or any mobility loss. It's been an emotional and difficult time, in many ways, but we have been blessed through all of this as well. Ewoyn has been a very amazing little person. She does not complain or try to remove her dressings. She is even cooperative during dressing changes, even when she was very upset about them, she was just a great kid. I may write more about the experience as time goes on, but for now, know she is doing great, healing fast and is still a happy, active baby. Here is a picture of her in her dolls cradle with the Teddy Bear her Great Aunt Chip sent her...it came with the hospital gown and bandaged hands... Ewoyn was touched by this...When he came out of the box, she gently patted his bandaged hands with hers, said awwww, and hugged him. She knew how he felt. It was very sweet.

Here you go Christopher...

2008-01-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

If you'll notice under the "Happy Birthday Kenny" post, Christopher is complaining that you can't see Eowyn's outfit in the picture. Well, I don't have many of her in full body, since we were eating at a table, but here she is: Playing with the Lemon's from our water (and yes all the grown ups were sitting around the table with great anticipation of the sour facial expression she was sure to don, once she tried to eat them...and Ewoyn, in her typical style, disappointed the onlookers, by actually enjoying her suck on a lemon).

The Kilt is a Kilt, not a plaid skirt. Grammy and Grampy Ouellette picked it up on their trip to Scotland. Christopher paired it with a black t-shirt and black cotton tights, for a European Punk Look...we don't, however, have baby Doc's for her...Oh, well, the black Mary Jane's completed the look, in a fair second place. I suggested next time the red long sleeve shirt could go under the black T...

But, I Am the Baby Doll!

2008-01-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

Eowyn received a beautiful cradle and high chair for her doll, this Christmas from Christopher's Mom and Dad. It was Painted by Grammy and one of Grammy's sisters, Aunt Heather, made bedding and cushions for the set. Eowyn loves it, and does use it for her doll, but more often, lately, she's been crawling into it herself... Doesn't have the spacial relations down yet... Add to the confusion, she's been told it's for her Baby Doll, well, My mom calls her Baby Doll, and Ewoyn can often be heard walking around the house saying Baby Doll over and over, referring to herself...

So here is the Baby Doll in the cradle.

Happy Birthday Uncle Kenny!

2008-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

We had a birthday party for Christopher's youngest Brother this weekend. Eowyn certainly gave him a run for his money on attention, but what's new...she really does steal the stage, any stage.

Here she is with the birthday boy, enjoying a good drink coaster.

Loving the snow

2008-01-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

There is a lot to love of it, if you love snow. Eowyn had a great time today playing the snow for a short while. She's still getting over that cold, but we bundled her up very warm and brought her outside for the perfect photo op, as the snow was still on the branches and the sun was shining!!

Fashion Forward!

2008-01-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

Ewoyn is here to tell you Footie PJ's are "The New Black", and no fashion forward toddler wardrobe would be complete without a lovely collection of wooden bead necklaces , the chunkier the better!

Poor baby

2007-12-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

It had to happen eventually. Eowyn is sick for the first time. She had the sniffles when we had a season change, which seemed to be from the change of humidity at night, because she'd wake up stuffy but it went away during the day, no fever or anything. Well, today she has it all. The poor thing is throwing up, has a fever and is visibly sick. She's been a trooper, but I feel so bad for her. She just lays in our arms letting out a fussy whimper. She gets a bit of energy for about 1 hour when the Tylenol has kicked in and before it starts to wear off, but overall she's just a sad little girl. She was particularly sad when despite using all the signs and words she knows to procure a beverage or some food, were met with explanations of how her tummy was too sad to put anything in it.

I guess this is what it feels like to be a mom. Being willing to do whatever it takes to make it all better, and being unable to do anything.

Here is the sweet sick baby girl cuddled on my shoulder.

We wish you a Merry Christmas...

2007-12-24T22:58:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!!

What did you expect?

2007-12-21T23:42:00.000-08:00

When a man names his daughter Ewoyn, what else would you expect to see on the top of his tree?

Christopher affixes our Galadriel doll to the top of our tree. Since Elves represent Angels in Tolkien's Middle Earth, it just makes sense...

Snow Baby

2007-12-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

Eowyn played in the snow today. She and daddy went out played, went for a walk in the woods in Ewoyn's new little sled, to Grammy and Grampa's house. She really seems to like it and really likes riding in her little sled. She's so darned cute sitting in it. It makes me laugh just watching her.

Eowyn is coming into her own lately. A bit more sassy, a bit more mischievous, and a bit more naughty. We have been giving her timeouts, since she is supposedly old enough to understand the concept. I'm sure she understands, I'm also pretty sure she doesn't care. She and Maggie are not doing very well together right now either. Eowyn enjoys chasing Maggie, who really wants nothing to do with that, yet won't just go in another room, where Eowyn isn't, instead she circles Eowyn until Eowyn goes after her. It's an exhausting dance to keep on top of...for me, and evidently for Maggie as well...

I'm sure all these little stages will pass, Maggie will move onto a new form of neurotic, and Eowyn will grow into a new stage as well...I'm sure that will happen, right? That will happen. Please tell me that will happen!

Chai Latte, please, oh and hold the sugar...

2007-12-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

Eowyn asked for my tea today, so we mixed it in her bottle with milk. It's a fabulous Chai blend with a Rooibos base, so no caffeine. I acquire my tea type beverages from The Portsmouth Tea Company. They sell high quality teas, and tea accessories. They were recently featured in the Big Gift Edition of Real Simple Magazine. Way to go PTC!

This is what the Portsmouth Tea Company site says about Rooibos, in relation to babies, "The soothing effect of Rooibos, the delicious South African "red-bush," on babies was first discovered by Annekie Theron, and it is now widely used as a milk substitute for infants who are prone to colic. Rooibos is rich in flavonoids and the anti-spasmodic and anti-allergic effects have been ascribed to quercetin, one of the main flavonoids in Rooibos. It is possible that some or other phenolic substances may contribute to the reported benefits."

Eowyn agrees:

Ironic

2007-12-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

My friend Ellen has a blog and she found a website that scans your blog to determine the appropriate reading level necessary to enjoy the musings. I decided to run this one through, and was rather amused to find that the blog, about the baby, suggests it's best read by someone with a post graduate degree! I'm still giggling.

Journey To Bethlehem

2007-11-30T22:02:00.000-08:00

When we attended Windham Bible Chapel, the church started a very cool Holiday event. Families were brought through different stations, by a guide, to hear about the Christmas Story. It was a live and interactive Nativity. Very fun and something that many people in the area have come to for the past several years, every year. It's a part of many traditions. We decided to bring Ewoyn this year. Grammy and Grampa Ouellette joined us. It was fun, and thankfully the fact we are still friends with the Pastor, or that we had a baby, not sure which, we were brought to the head of the line...which was about a 1 hour wait avoided! Yeah! Ewoyn was enthralled the whole time. She took it all in. I think her high point was meeting a real live donkey, being the animal lover that she is. Side note: On the ride home we counted and Ewoyn knows at least 22 different animals sounds and can correctly give them when requested!! I think that this point she is limited by our lack of knowing what sounds other animals make...Here is the list, with a couple funny additions at the bottom.

donkey
monkey
cow
sheep
alpaca (no joke)
duck
chicken
rooster
bird
snake
frog
bunny (it goes hop hop)
dog
cat
goat
goose
horse
pig
owl
bear
lion
tiger
(admittedly the last three do all sound very similar)

Santa (hohoho)
Pirate (says Arrggh)
When asked where her name comes from she says "Tolkien"
When asked what 1 plus 1 is, she replies two (though there is more of a d, then a t sound)

Here we are at the Journey to Bethlehem...is this the first picture of me that I posted here? Not sure, but it just might be!

Laundry Helper

2007-11-24T23:36:00.000-08:00

Christopher is a very patient dad. He's amazing at incorporating Ewoyn into every day life. I tend to work around her nap schedule. I was so touched and amazed when I saw the two of them doing laundry together. They gather up the laundry in the bedrooms, and when the basket is about 3/4 full, Eowyn gets in and Christopher loads the rest of the laundry on her. She loves it! They then walk to the laundry room, she helps unload. When the clean laundry is done, she again gets in the basket about the 3/4 mark, and they come out to fold. She hands things to him, from her little perch, he folds and when the basket is done, she sits in the bottom, and he puts a couple stacks on top of her lap and the "deliver" it to it's specific room. This takes a few trips. Ewoyn had such a great time helping daddy do the laundry. What a great daddy!

Oh, and did you see Maggie watching from a safe distance near the green cupboard? She's hoping for a stray sock to go unguarded for a moment.

I love my mittens!

2007-11-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

I made mittens for Ewoyn, and she really likes them. I do too! They are so soft and they move freely with her little hands. The Organic Cotton Yarn I used is from Blue Sky Organic and is so nice to work with. It's fast coming my favorite yarn! I think I need to make some mittens for myself now!

2007-11-21T22:06:00.000-08:00

I am always telling Christopher we need more videos of Eowyn. She's so funny and it translates so much better in video then simple photos. But being a "film guy" he can't just set up a camera, let the baby be silly and call it a day... I hope you enjoy his latest video starring Eowyn... Any Johnny Cash fans out there?

Teeth!!!

2007-11-20T19:08:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for winter...

2007-11-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

New Hat and Scarf made with the softest Alpaca Yarn!

She doesn't yank it off as soon as my hands are pulled back from applying the new little garments, so I'm calling it winner!

2007-11-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

Eowyn loves the park, and with as cold as it's been and how sensitive her skin is, we have not been taking her. All very sad, but it has led to some serious improvising. Here is our climbing girl, on her new "jungle gym"...

Christmas Pictures

2007-11-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

I wasn't all that impressed with our last visit to the Picture People. They are nice enough there, and they have nice enough equipment to cover over any lack of experience there photographers have, but they aren't doing it for me.

I could pay hundreds of dollars for an over priced professional, that has better quality, but really, $80.00 for an 8x10 is just too much money.

With all that in mind I decided to try to take some pictures at home. These aren't the best of the bunch, but they are among the funniest.

I will be trying again, some other time because I didn't get any shots I "loved".

Oh, and the dress she is wearing is the dress I made for her last year. It fits her much better this year. It might even still fit in another month or so, when Christmas comes around again.

Yogurt!

2007-11-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

I was feeding Eowyn lunch, when Grampa popped in and decided to sit and join us while we ate. Eowyn was enjoying her macaroni and cheese, while I was finishing off my Yogurt. Grampa's eyes almost popped out of his head in disbelief of his ears, when his little baby grandaughter loudly and clearly declared "Yogurt". That's right Eowyn said yogurt. She has been very verbally articulate lately, and has been increasing her vocabulary every day. I guess with the parents she has, she was bound to be a verbal child.

Clink..clink...

2007-11-11T22:36:00.000-08:00

I was feeding Ewoyn on Friday and heard a soft clink noise...the metal spoon had brushed up agains a TOOTH!!!!!!! She has a tooth. On her 15 month birthday a tooth was discovered! That was a couple days ago, and now you can even see it sticking out from her gum. She has a couple on the bottom that are a layer of skin a way, and the second top one is ready any moment now! All 4 at once, and still she's a delight. I'll try to get pictures tomorrow...but I promise nothing, as she is not very cooperative when it comes to looking in her mouth.

Attention Span...Longer than I

2007-11-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

Eowyn has a crazy attention span. Especially for a little person. I have thought this for a while, but the other day, I was even more amazed. Grammy O came over to play with her and brought one of those cute little containers of Play-Doh. She and Ewoyn played with that little tub of play-doh for 35-45 minutes. Ewoyn kept taking it out of the container, putting it in piece by piece, putting the cover on, taking the cover off, squishing...for nearly, if not 45 minutes! She really seemed to enjoy herself, but did have that intensly serious facial expression the whole time!

Oh, and we found out Grammy O has some mad Play-doh skills that she has kept hidden. She made a dog, at which point Ewoyn exclaimed Dog and barked at it.

I'm not tired...

2007-10-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

Eowyn doesn't like to take naps lately. She isn't really bad about it, but when asked if she's ready, she'll shake her head no, say no, and if she's on the ground run in the other direction. She is also far less likely to sleep in the car then she used to be.

I think you can plainly see, despite her statements of not being ready for a nap... She blamed it on the bottle...hehehe.

The park is the top of the world!

2007-10-31T14:56:00.001-07:00

When you are only 15 months old, the park is one of the few place you can go where you are the top. Everything is designed for you to have fun and be safe. Mom and Dad focus only on you, while you're at the park. There are no phones and computers, business or work, only things to explore, conquer and show mommy and daddy what you are capable of.

Eowyn loves the park. She is fearless and willing to try the "big kid" things, as well as the baby things. It's a true delight to accompany her to the park, to be her safety net as she pushes her limits and to see the expression of joy on her face when she accomplishes the task she set out to try.

She is wearing the poncho with sleeves that I just finished...in time for the weather to cool off!

Pumpkins!

2007-10-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Christopher, Grammy O and I took Eowyn pumpkin shopping. We had a lot of fun, but Eowyn mainly sat in the pumpkins with a very somber facial expression. These are the only two, of about 30 pictures I took, where she is smiling!

She is cute though!

She carried that white pumpkin around by it's tiny little stem. She really liked that one best. She has played with it here at home, too.

I hope you are enjoying your fall!

Gumming forever!

2007-10-16T23:23:00.000-07:00

Eowyn has wizzed past her 14 month mark, and still NO teeth. I keep thinking that she's about to have them come through, and attribute a little extra fussiness to this possibility, and yet nothing. Christopher is sure that he will walk in her room some morning, she'll smile and there will be a full mouth of teeth overnight. She has friends who are pushing through molars and she doesn't even have that one little front tooth.

Despite the lack of teeth, I totally want to buy her this adorable tooth fairy pillow from one of my favorite visual artists, Carla Sonheim!

Maybe if I get this sweet little pillow, Eowyn will have the incentive she needs to get those teeth to come to the surface!

Corn on the Cob!

2007-10-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

She loves it!

Keep smiling, it will get better!

2007-10-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

14 months old! She seems to finally be getting teeth. She is having a very hard time, lots of crying, in a sobbing sort of way. Add to that a little diaper rash that seems quite soar. The poor little girl. Through it all, she still had a smile as she investigated her new bike, that arrived today.

She's a proud owner of a Bright Red Radio Flyer, complete with a bell and tassles!

Fair Time!

2007-09-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ewoyn went with us to two fairs this year. We had a great time looking at and petting animals, singing and dancing to music, watching people, going to a horse pull, we just had a great time. Eowyn is so flexible and excited about people that she's a delight to bring to events like that.

She greeted the cow with a hearty MOOOO,

the sheep got her enthusiastic BAA!! She quacked hello to the ducks, and then did the baby sign for "bath" while she watched them play in the pool.

A few weeks ago we went to our town's "Heritage Day", where we saw Alpaca, for Ewoyn that was the first time. She tried greeting them with Baa...which was a reasonable assumption. They do sort of look like long necked sheep, especially to a baby whose whole repitoire of animal sounds and knowledge come for books, at this point. Well, that is not even close to the sound they make. It's a weird screetchy sort of sound. Well, Ewoyn corrected her little communication faux paux and started to speak "Alpaca". Amused at the time, we sadly forgot about the Alpaca noise and having no real Alpaca books, went about our days mooing and baaing. Well, at the fair, we again encountered an alpaca. Ever the "baby for all species" Ewoyn greeted the Alapaca with the appropriate hello!! We were shocked, and needless to say, pretty proud!

Grampa and Ewoyn were checking out the chickens.

Later my mom showed her the John Deere tractor barn...trying to appeal to my father to buy one, because "Ewoyn really likes them"...and wouldn't that be great, she could buy her grandaughter a tractor, and maybe get Grampa to use it for some yard work...we did not come home with Eowyn's own tractor, but she did seem right at home in the seat.

Not made in China

2007-09-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't liked buying Chinese goods for quite some time, but with recent issues with safety, I make it a stronger point to avoid toys made there. However, it's near impossible to find any "store bought" toy not made in China. So I am making many of my own. Eowyn loves her newest little "Made at Home" toy...Isn't she adorable! Do you want to make one? Here is the link to the Etsy Seller who designed the pattern... Owly She has adorable "boy toys" to crochet as well!

Tool Heiress...

2007-09-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

My friend Jen made Ewoyn custom onsies when she was still waiting to be delivered. They fit her now, and I had to show you! Here's the little "Tool Heiress" singing and playing the bells!

Do I need another hobby?

2007-08-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I probably don't need another Hobby. Ewoyn keeps me busy, and then I make beads from time to time, Knit whenever I can, sew while the baby sleeps...usually clothes for her. But then I got an idea!

I designed a new item. The Car Catch-all. Basically I need to know where a couple things are while I'm in the car. Namely, my Cell Phone, a pen, the debit card for when I go through the Starbucks drive through and order my Shaken Blueberry White Iced Tea (with 1/2 the sweetener). Occassionally a shopping list, or some cash, is among that list. The Car Catch-all handles ALL that AND my sunglasses!!

What mom couldn't use another hand? I love mine, so I am selling them on Etsy. Go check them out! I'd love it if you bought one and told me if you love it too!

Our own amusement...

2007-08-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

We were in a restaurant. They had a Big Red Clifford to ride on...strange enough that they hollow out animals for children to climb into, but then there is the the brown clumps on his nose and head. Upon first glace we though...what is that? Poop? No, of course not, it's Dog Bones... I say this is just poorly thought out. But Eowyn did like it. We didn't take her picture because she was so cute playing with this bazarre toy, we took it because of the Poop inspired dog bone decorations. Yes, we find amusement in the strangest places.

Drinking with Straws

2007-08-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

Eowyn now prefers to eat food from our plates, not baby food. She also likes to share our drinks. She figured out how to use a straw and here she is using TWO at once. Shortly after this picture was taken her hand went into the glass. We are still working on proper etiquette when sharing a drink...she doesn't understand not back washing either, so sharing is really best done when you didn't want anymore anyway!

Art Aficionado

2007-08-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

Eowyn went to the Boston Museum of Fine Art for the first time in April. She loved it. The day happened to be during their flower show. Floral designers create displays to compliment or emulate the particular piece of art. The reason this matters, is the museum was filled with people, primarily women, primarily over 45, and they loved Eowyn. She loved the attention, all the noise of people talking and all the things to look at. She sang with glee almost the entire time. Since she loved it so much we decided to take her back every few months. This time was to see the Hopper exhibit. I guess one of his most famous paintings would be Nighthawks, from 1942.

He did a lot of landscapes inspired by New England coasts, as well as glimpses into life in New York. The exhibit was wonderful, and Ewoyn again enjoyed her trip to the Museum. She was very well behaved, sang a lot, and seemed to be much more into looking at the different pieces. It was a lot of fun. She did have a moment of frustration when we wouldn't let her play on the Japanese Artwork...I can see why she thought it was a toy. With the low lighting and her enthusiasm for the piece, she's a little blur in of excitement!

We also saw a fellow Lampworker in the "Jewelry by Artists: The Daphne Farago Collection". Kristina Logan lives in Portsmouth, NH. It was exciting to see her exhibited.

We will be taking Ewoyn again sometime, we had so much fun!

I'm so hungry...

2007-08-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

I could eat a monkey!! Eowyn waiting for breakfast to arrive, during her first trip to Denny's...the breakfast Mecca!

Loving Barnes and Noble

2007-08-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Eowyn LOVES books. She prefers them to any other toy. Not that she doesn't like toys, she does. I'd say her favorite is her blocks. But she picks books far more often. We have a lot of board books and thankfully, even though she has her favorites, we don't have to read them over and over all that much. She is very good with the pages too. Most of her books are board books, but some are small books with regular paper pages, and she has done well to not rip them.

She'll grab a book and trudge over to one of us, drop it in our lap and do the sign for book. Sometimes when we are done, she'll do the sign for "more", then for "book". It's almost a sentence!!

Her favorite store seems to be Barnes and Noble. She does the sign for "book" off and on the whole time we are there. Christopher is reading to her in an aisle of the store here. She recently got a gift certificate, for her birthday, so there will be some shopping happening soon!!

(photo taken 7/22)

Room Service Please...

2007-08-27T08:24:00.001-07:00

Eowyn spent her first night in a hotel. We went away for a church retreat and stayed nearby in a hotel. Eowyn did very well being out of her normal surroundings and not in her own bed. She liked the big bed, but slept her her pack 'n play.

She looks so little!

(photo taken 7/21)

The summer of DADDY!

2007-08-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

Christopher is a teacher. This year, instead of working a summer job, he took the teacher summer off to help with Eowyn and work on getting ready for the next school year. He had such a great time with Eowyn and she LOVED having her daddy around. Here they are playing...

Boy are we going to miss him when school starts...TOMORROW!!

(photo taken 7/22)

Catch up!!!

2007-08-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's been over a month since I last posted and a lot has happened...she even turned 1 !! Sorry I've been so silent. It's been a busy month with my business, then birthday plans, and family stuff, and Christopher going back to school, and developing a new item to sell, and chasing after a very adept walker, and ... are you tired yet? I am. Not to mention computer problems that made access to pictures difficult. But, enough with the excuses. On to the pictures.

Eowyn loves to sing. She sings a lot at home, and requests music with sign language. Here she is singing in a lively church service, with her daddy, while she plays her tamborine. Lots of people talked to us afterwards about how sweet it was to see her so into worship already! (photo taken 7/21)

Bad Hair Day...

2007-07-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

...enough said.

11 months old and walking!!

2007-07-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Eowyn has been taking steps here and there, as you know. But on her 11 month birthday she started walking yards, not a couple steps. She can lift herself off the ground, stand, without assistance, stabilize and start walking. She still falls quite a bit, but I do believe she is now saftely considered a 'walker'.

She went to visit her grammy today, and walked around the yard with a big purple ball! She thought she was hot stuff...

Christopher's Musings...

2007-06-28T07:30:00.001-07:00

When I started this blog I figured Christopher and I would both scatter our thoughts on raising Eowyn, throughout the "pages". As you who read often know, it's all me. But from time to time I reference Christopher's observations. This is one of those times:

We feed Eowyn healthy foods. Most of her baby food is homemade, by me, using wholesome ingredients and a blender. I've tasted this whirled cuisine and have found it to be very palatable, despite it's lack of salt, or added sugar. She likes most of what I serve her, though from time to time she will turn up her nose, or more likely wrinkle her face in disgust over something we've spooned into her mouth.

Then there are times when we are playing outside. There is grass, rocks, woodchips, or sand. All of these things my tactile baby loves to explore. Often times they head towards the mouth. Sometimes we don't catch it in time and it reaches it's destination. Such was the fate of a handful of sand at the lakeside beach. We diligently tried to wipe away all the little particles, which we succeeded on a moderate level. As Eowyn happily gummed the gritty residue, and reached down to try this move again, Christopher started to ponder... "Why disgust over tasty morsels in her highchair, but enthusiasm over a mouth of dirt?"

Conclusion: Children must have a switch in their brain. Food or Explore. When the food switch is on, the child has the ability to discern flavor, texture, and temperature. These all must align in perfect harmony for success to be achieved. But click the brain to Explore and anything and everything is fair game, and quite tasty to the little adventurer. Unable to find the switch, we will continue to dodge handfuls of sand and the occasional ant traveling along the floor...

Standard Issue Teddy Bear...

2007-06-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Legend as it, my Aunt, Uncle and Father were talking about "the problem with kids" and someone determined the problem to be the fact no one gets "standard issue Teddy Bears" anymore. Simple brown, soft bears, who don't talk, sing, dance, they just "are". So started my Aunt Eileen's (loving refered to as Chip by all her family...another story) quest of ensuring the children of the family start out on the right foot. A "Standard Issue Teddy Bear" is given to all the kids when they are born. I had one, my cousins all got one, and Eowyn recieved hers, as well. She loves that bear. She likes to drag it around, lay on it and give it great big "bear hugs" complete with a little growl of enthusiasm. Here is Eowyn, happily enjoying "StandardIssue", the Bear. Thank you Chip and Thank you Grammy Ouellette for the fabulous picture!

Showin' off for Uncle Kenny

2007-06-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Christopher's youngest brother, Kenny, came over for dinner tonight. Eowyn decided to take the opportunity to break her record of 4 steps in a row (which was achieved on the evening of the 20th), with a whopping 7! This is also the first time that she walked on her own, where the goal of her strides did not involve something we had told her she couldn't have. She was walking to Daddy tonight...aaawwwww.

And to the top...

2007-06-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

Eowyn loves stairs! She doesn't take them slow either. If you are her finger support and she heads for the stairs, be ready. She is beatin' feet up those babies, and don't expect her to get both feet on one step at a time...one step = one foot, just like the "grown ups" do it. I'm sure that will change when she's flying solo, but right now she has many an adult taking the stairs!

Like mother, like Waterbaby

2007-06-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

I love the water. If I'm stressed the best way for me to calm down is relaxing in the tub. In the summer, I love floating in the water in a nice big innertube. Eowyn seems to find the same solace and enjoyment in the lovely mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. She enjoys her baths, loves when Grammy W lets her play in the sink after a particularly messy meal, and recently had her first adventure in a lake. Here is the sweet baby girl enjoying her new floatie from Grammy O.

Summer Fun!

2007-06-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

We went to our first BBQ with Eowyn. My cousin's son, Will, was baptised on Sunday, and we went to the "After Baptism BBQ". It was a great time and Ewoyn loved their lawn! She had the best time exploring, and I couldn't take my eyes off her, it was such a delightful sight. She picked up grass, leaves, rocks and the best part...nothing went to her mouth! She did a great job of exploring with her other senses, instead of her old standby. She also spent a good deal of time watching all the big kids play. You could see the wheels spinning. She wanted to be out there running around too. I'm sure she will be by the end of the summer. I took a ton of pictures and this is one of my favorites. It makes me smile, I hope it makes you smile too!

More elusive than the...

2007-06-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

the black rail, a mythic red-eyed bird so rare and secretive, so deftly elusive in the fine grass of its meadow home, that few ornithologists had ever even seen it...

Eowyn Standing.

She has been standing for short periods of time, all by herself. It started last week sometime, I'm not sure which day, and she's done it several times since then. She gets all proud, but then realizes that she doesn't really know how to do this by herself, then sits down. It's very funny. Until today, I either didn't have my camera at all, or when I did she'd sit down before I could snap! Today however, Laurie, who helps me with my business, was playing with Eowyn during a short work break, had her standing and I had the camera!!

Here's the Sweet Baby Girl showing off, before going to the park with Daddy.

If you are interested in seeing pictures of the Black Rail, you can pick up a copy of William Burt's book on Amazon...for only $5.99 in hard back...any bird lovers out there?

7 Random things about Eowyn's Mom...

2007-06-11T15:40:00.001-07:00

1) I didn't want to name the baby Eowyn, because I was afraid it was too weird...I'm glad we did it anyway.

2) I enjoy reading books written by Jodi Picoult and am currently reading 19 Minutes.

3) I love split pea soup!

4) My dog has approximately 103 nicknames, all given by me.

5) I like to sew clothes for my baby girl...but don't get enough time to.

6) I love soaking in the tub!

7) I miss my husband when he's not home.

I'm tagging my friend Ellen, even though she'll probably want to kill me!

EEk I've been tagged!

2007-06-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

My cyber friend Kim "tagged" me...so now I must think of 7 random things about me and figure out someone to tag...

This is going to take a day or so to figure out, so check back this weekend!!

In the mean time you can check out the cool stuff that Kim sells on Etsy... She has helped Eowyn to be one of the best dressed babies of all time...especially at mealtime.

This little pinafore is one of her creations...Ewoyn looks adorable in it, and I have a matching bib coming...it's in the mail right now!!

Ready for bed...

2007-05-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Eowyn is a late night baby. She likes to stay up until about 10-10:30pm and then sleep until 9-10am. Since Christopher and I prefer that sleeping schedule too, often we are all up late at night doing stuff, and we occassionally lose track of the time. The other night we were reminded of the hour when Ewoyn brought her little dolly over to the dining room where I was typing, layed her head on it like a pillow, looked up at me and smiled. So off to bed she went. Well, tonight, at 10:30, she grabbed a towel that was on the couch wrapped it around her and layed on the floor. Christopher helped her up and off to bed she went...

Everything is to be explored!

2007-05-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

Eowyn was too little to "play" outside the last time the weather was nice in New England, then snow came, cold, followed by rain, but finally the weather is nice and there is a whole world to be explored! Eowyn has been going to the park quite a bit and having lots of fun on the various climbing structures, but a couple days ago she was far more interested in the bark mulch covering the ground, then anything else. She took handfuls of the stuff, dropped it, grabbed again, laughing and smiling all the while. She did not try to eat it, which we were surprised about.

Then yesterday we went to visit our friends at a local campground, and my friend Laura and I walked Eowyn on the edge of the water, barefeet sinking into the sandy "quicksand" as we went. She loved it! She seemed very excited to have the water and sand between her toes. We walked the length of the small beach on the lake a couple times and on the third trip, Eowyn plunked down for a tactile "look" at what she had been walking in. We took off her outfit and let her go. She had the best time grabbing fists full of sand and watching it sneak out between her fingers into the water. Again, none in her mouth.

Finally, today, we went with a group of people from church for a picnic. Eowyn sat in the grass grabbing clumps and pulling. She would investigate her hand with the little blades of green sticking out in all directions. It was very funny. Oh, and yes mom, she had her sun hat on and sunscreen...she didn't even turn pink!

This is going to be a very fun summer! I'm looking forward to time with Christopher and Ewoyn, as we all discover the world around us for the first time, or all over again!

Climbing...

2007-05-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

Eowyn and Christopher went to the park yesterday and I asked him to bring the camera. I'm so glad I did! He made a fabulous little video/slideshow of Ewoyn's adventures...

we are having technical difficulty with the video online, so here are a couple pics until we get it fixed...

I can't praise this enough!

2007-05-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

Eowyn loves all music, and when she was a teeny baby we didn't worry about the lyrics, but when her favorite song became a catchy tune by Micheal Knott, about a woman and her alcohol struggles, we decided we need some kid music. Well, not as easy as you'd think, since most of it is quite painful to listen to...Enter Frances England and her fabulous CD, Fascinating Creatures!

I can't praise this enough. The songs are clever, catchy and FUN to listen to, for Ewoyn and the adults who join her! There is a song about a tricycle that mentions the Tour D' France, here is a link to a fun video using the song http://www.francesengland.com/video.htm , A fun little tune about Jazz Greats, "Charlie Parker". "Digging in the Dirt" explores gardening. A song about the worlds best breakfast food, "Blueberry Pancakes". For those who want to encourage reading with Children, you'll love "Books I like to Read"and my 3 favorite "Sometimes" which explores emotions, "Daddy-O" which is sung from the childs perspective, to their Daddy...so sweet...and "Paint a Picture" which Paints a touching word picture about family! Several other songs complete this CD that is a total must have for all children and their parents!

My little confession...I've listened to it when Eowyn is not in the car! Go ahead and get your copy now!

One hand only, please

2007-05-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

Eowyn no longer desires two adult hands to assist her in walking. She only wants one! She's on her way to walking. She actually took a couple steps the other day, all by herself. It was an accident...the thing she was holding onto was further away from me then she thought it was so when she went to grab my leg she let go of her stable support and sort of did the jerky baby lunge, with legs in motion, thing, which qualified as 2 steps, on her own. She has been spotted standing alone for several seconds at a time, that may or may not have added up to 1/2 a minute.

She thinks she's pretty cool, and will often start talking to the dog as she's starting to move from one stable object to another. Maggie fains interest, but really just wants to be sure Eowyn is not going for anything that Maggie wants, like rocks, our shoes, her bone, though she has very little concern with Eowyn investigating her toys...Maggie is actually far more interested in Eowyn's toys then her own lately, and I think would rather trade, so sees "sharing with Eowyn" will acutally work in her favor.

Eowyn is talking to Maggie as she walks with Christopher...She's pretty proud of herself, as she carries her little lion (thank you Ellen). Maggie desires that Lion, too, by the way...

Like Father, Like Daughter...

2007-05-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

Eowyn was very tired yesterday afternoon, and had avoided napping, depsite many offers for naps throughout the day. The sweet little girl was rubbing her eyes and looked ready to finally give in. Being naive parents we had a "brilliant" idea. We were going to go see Spiderman 3, I'd nurse Eowyn off to sleep when we got there, and we'd enjoy the film while holding a sweet sleeping baby. (you can stop laughing now...)

We got there and she nursed, as planned, closed her eyes, seemed to be fading off to sleep. Then she sat up, done nursing and started watching the movie! We spent the rest of the 2 1/2 hour film taking turns bouncing her, pacing in the back of the theater with her, and my nursing her. She was really good for a baby in a movie, that wasn't allowed to watch the screen because we didn't know if the "bad guys" would scare her.

When the scene took place in a Jazz Bar, Eowyn sang! When the fight scenes kicked in, she talked like she does when we are in busy stores or other places with lots of people. The two other couples that shared the theater with us, came over afterwards to meet Ewoyn, and tell her how good she was and how cute she is!

All worked out in the end, but we will be getting a baby sitter the next time we want to go to a movie!

The girl has rhythm!

2007-04-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Eowyn is a very musical child. I'm not claiming prodigy (yet) or anything, but she has wowed her dad and I quite a bit. She is certainly drawn to music, and most specifically bass... We have encouraged her enthusiasm by giving her a nice range of musical influences, some musical instruments and she and I recently started going to a music class, called "Music Together". It is an international program for kids and music. It's a great concept, and our specific instructor is excellent. We are having lots of fun! Eowyn's little friend, Carrigan, from mom's group, attends, as well.

Here are the two of them playing with stick to one of the songs. Eowyn was even keeping in rhythm for chunks at a time. Maybe my drum set won't collect dust it's whole life...

Her first Natural Disaster...

2007-04-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

A "state of emergency" has been declared for our part of the state. Flooding, serious power outages, and the rain has started up again! While the rain took a break today, Eowyn, Grammy, Grampa and Mom all went for a walk up the road to check on the bridge. We doubt we'll be going anywere for a couple days. Here are some pics...

A flooded bridge up the street from our house.

Eowyn in front of that bridge.

My feet on the yellow line! With water past my ankles, in the shallow part. Further up the street, the water was mid-thigh, on a grown man, who was checking on his flooded house.

Blend it for Baby

2007-04-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

I have started making Ewoyn's baby food! It's very fun really. I made Broccoli, Green Beans, Peas and a mix of the three in about 45 minutes, the other day. That was enough for, probably a couple weeks...I blended the veggies, put them in ice trays, let them set and popped them in freezer bags. It was great. I have a few recipes that I'm looking forward to trying next week after I pick up the organic ingredients. A citrus couscous that I think I may make extra of and serve with steak for christopher and I. The recipe came from this fabulous book:

The book doesn't just contain yummy recipes, it also has helpful information in regards to feeding your child, like what foods contain the best 'stuff' for babies, as well as, what not to serve them...like Honey. You should not serve honey to children under the age of 1 because it contains a bacteria that could be harmful to the young immune systems of infants...why have I never heard that? Dogs not eating chocolate, that's everywhere, but honey and babies...well, now you know.

Nunchuck Skills, Computer Hacking Skills, Photoshop Skills...

2007-04-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

For Easter, I decided to do some pretty photos of Eowyn in a fancy dress holding some flowers and put them together for the grandma's. Well, Eowyn just wanted to eat the flowers, so I had to get creative.

Not bad, if I do say so myself...

First Trip to the Park

2007-04-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day, sun shining, birds singing, kind of day. We had been driving a lot and Eowyn was becoming disenchanted with her fabulous car seat. So spying a park along our journies, Grammy, Eowyn and I stopped for a little break! Eowyn had a great time. She loved the swing, and was very proud of herself, when she climbed the stairs (with help from mommy), to go down the slide. It was a lot of fun to explore a park from Eowyn's perspective! This is going to be a fun summer.

8 months!

2007-04-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Eowyn is 8 months old today!

Christopher had the day off from work, so we caught up on some things around the house, then ventured to Newington for a nice afternoon walk, capping the day off with a fun trip to Barnes and Noble. Eowyn helped Christopher gather copies of "Dracula" for the kids at school to borrow, as they are reading it this semester in the 10th grade. She browsed Knitting books with me...then to the cafe for some reading of kids books!

We found a wonderful series of books by James Mayhew. Katie is the main character and she takes trips to the art museum with her nap prone Grandma...Grandma naps and Katie explores the artwork, up close and personal. Not in a mischevious, destructive way that generally happens in books when the adult in charge naps. Rather she becomes part of the piece and has adventures with the other subjects. They are adorable. The store only had two different books in the series of 5, but we found copies of the rest on Amazon.com. I'll be adding them to "Eowyn's Library", since we did buy the whole series. They are amazing!

Right after this surreal image of Daddy and daughter reading together in Barnes and Noble was taken, Eowyn promptly started trying to eat the book...They are reading "Seen Art" by Jon Scieszka...the author of such greats as "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" and "Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales". "Seen Art is another trip to the Art Museum, specifically MOMA, for the main character. Yes, we added that one to Eowyn's Collection, too.

Happy Birthday Great Grammy!

2007-03-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

Eowyn went to her Great Grammy's 82nd Birthday party today! She was a little fussy, due to the teething thing, but she still said hi to her grammy and looked darn cute in her flowered hat! Thank you Beth for taking this sweet pic of the birthday girl and her Great Granddaughter!

The workin' girl

2007-03-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

I say I'm a work at home mom, and while I guess that is the best way to describe what I do, it's not entirely accurate. I run an online business, and since the store is online, I can do most of the management from home. But there is still a lot of running around, going to suppliers, checking with the employees, helping with manufacturing, and I'll stop there, before I get tired just thinking about all I do. Well, I kept thinking that when Eowyn was "a little older" she'd be easier to bring to work. What really happens is she's different to bring to work. The infant who used to cry if I put her down in the office, is gone (mostly) but the busy baby who wants to move has arrived...less noisy, but equally challenging. I did find she was happy to keep herself occupied while playing with the boxes of orders to ship, while being coralled in a USPS tote. Here's the working girl...

Brown Bear

2007-03-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Another knitted toy! This time I got the pattern from a seller, Purl, on www.Etsy.com! A great pattern, easy to follow and lots of fun. I modified a little. The pattern called for felt (that cheap craft stuff) for the ears and the flowered eyes. I instead knit a swatch of cloth for each color, felted and cut them from that. Sure, do think I'm pretty clever. The hands have bells in them to make for a hard chewing surface, which is a big plus in Eowyn's book...teeth are on their way. I'll brag a little and point out that I made the dress she's wearing in the picture, too!

Crawling!

2007-03-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well, learning to stand proved to delay Eowyn from Crawling. It seemed every time she started to get up on her knees to crawl, she'd keep straightening her legs, in an attempt to stand instead. She finally made the change from the "army crawl", to full on crawling. She did so on her 7 month birthday 3/9, and it was caught on "film"!! I have been very fortunate to have the little camera around at the milestones. So here is the sweet baby girl, crawling, on her knees, and in a dress!! Nothing is stopping her now...well except a well placed baby gate!

Double Sweet!

2007-02-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

We saw a little girl (about 2 1/2) at my favorite local yarn store and she had an extremely cool doll. Well, with the little information the mom had about the origin I finally found it online...I love the internet...and we had one made for Eowyn. The artist, Sara, is wonderful to work with, and they whole thing is hand made, from the hand painted faces to the removable dress. Her workmanship is great and the fact it's a bit bazarre is even better! Here are "The Sisters", as named by Christopher...

Standing Alone...

2007-02-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

Independence is something we will be striving to instill in our daughter. Not the kind that makes her think she needs no one and relies only on herself, but rather the kind that helps her to see how wonderful she has been created, and that who she is is not dependent on other people, but rather on her Creator and how much she allows that to influence her life. Christopher and I both believe that a strong understanding of who you are created to be will determine a truely happy and fulfilled life, which is what we most want for our daughter.

Well, that is the philisophical view on her independence, and then there is the practicality of learning new things and doing things on her own...Like tonight, when she scooted (still not crawling in the traditional sense) to the Excersaucer and pulled herself up from a laying position to full on standing, with no adult safety net behind her. Doesn't she look proud of herself, as she smiles up at her daddy (off camera)! Our little "One Girl Army" is ready to conquer the world, or at least the Excersaucer.

Investigator and conqueror of random household items...

2007-02-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

Eowyn has a myriad of toys. I have made her a bunch, people have bought her a bunch, I've bought her some too...but sometimes, they just don't "do it for her"... when fussiness overtakes the Sweet Baby Girl, and I know she's been fed, changed and isn't tired...what is a mom to do? Go do the kitchen of course...no not for a swig of cooking sherry, but for a random household item. Eowyn loves to investigate, and try to fit new and exciting things into her mouth. It may look like this Rubbermaid storage container has the upper hand, but look closely and you will see Eowyn has it right where she wants it...

Sleeping "comfortably"

2007-02-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

When we worked at the Group Home, Christopher hypothesized a theory, that you could know for sure one of the girls was actually sleeping if there is no way you could possibly be comfortable in the position they were laying in...Well, Eowyn wasn't faking at naptime yesterday, either. Our little human pretzel has taken to sleep in the most bizarre positions. She has been in the safe "Back Position" her whole life, and now that she's got some control of her amazing ab muscles, she never stays on her back anymore.

How did she get such amazing abs? her dad and she work out almost every day, together. Christopher has a whole series of exercises that he does with Eowyn, using her as the weight. It's very cute... she has her own set, situps, with the help of Daddy's fingers. She really enojoys her workout with dad, so hopefully she'll maintain that habit for a healthy lifestyle, as she grows!

Finally starting the scrapbook!

2007-02-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

I am a hobbyist, for sure, but one of my many, is certainly shopping. I love to shop for my hobbies, in particular. I have purchased a bunch of fabulous pens, papers, stickers and some great photo album binders and the way cool cutting tools...all the things I will need to make an amazing journalled album of Eowyn's life. But, she's 6 months old, and I have not lifted a single glue stick or cropped even one picture. So, with the recent tragedy averted, I decided I'm motivated to start. I have all the pictures we've taken of her in a file, by date of photo, so I can easily pull off the first month, or first six months of her life. Today, I printed almost 100 pictures of her 15 days! Sure most of them are of her sleeping, but really, which one would you pick? I see some montage pages...

Butterfly!

2007-02-17T20:16:00.000-08:00

I love making toys for Eowyn. I have made some clothing items too, but she's growing so fast and with spring around the corner, I decided if I'm going to knit, for now it will be toys...Soon I'll start for next fall and winter, but for now, I'm having a great time making toys. This is the newest one. I actually felted an old sweater for the underside of the wings, instead of the polyester craft "felt". I'm excited with how it came out. I also put some bells in the body as I stuffed it to make it more fun! Eowyn liked it, but I didn't get a picture of her with it yet. Here it is on it's own though...

The pattern came from the book that Eowyn (Christopher) bought for me for Christmas, Knitted Toys: 25 Fresh and Fabulous Designs by Zoe Moeller. I have to say, I would make at least 15 out of the 25, no questions asked, and the rest I am considering! This book is great, so if you knit, or know someone that does, and you want to make some cool toys, check it out!

Valentines Day 2007

2007-02-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

Eowyn's first Valentine's Day was also her first Blizzard. New Hampshire was covered with over a foot of snow.

I got new software when I got my computer replaced and I was having fun with it...

What would we do...

2007-02-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

So water spilled on my computer last night. Thankfully my mom was around and grabbed it, tipped it upside down and let the water drain out, because the water did not reach my hard drive. Phew...

After all, such things would be a nightmare for most anyone, right...well, all the more since I am horrible at backing up my computer and EVERY picture we have ever taken of the Sweet Baby Girl is in that hard drive. I was sick with worry until I arrived at Best Buy where they removed the drive, were able to recover all the data...and, because we have the "accidental extended warranty", I am now typing to you from a brand new computer!

Yes, I am going to back up my computer more often now...but it did get me thinking about all the ways you could lose every picture you had taken of your baby, and how horrible that would be...Thanking God today for all He's given us, including an answer of "yes" to the repeated prayer of a mother..."Please let all those pictures be safe".

Next on my agenda, to start printing out those pictures and putting together her scrapbook before she turns 1 year old!

Oh, I can't leave you without a picture, after all the talk of them... This one is a little blurry, but I love it all the same. She is trying to stuff a ball, that is on her excersaucer, that is a bit larger then a golf ball, into her mouth...She expends so much energy on such things. It really makes you wonder what she'll put her mind to once she can control much more of her environment.