First Steps

I typed up the blog yesterday too soon stating that Piper hadn't walked yet. Yesterday afternoon though she decided that it was time to let go of some furniture and take a few steps to me or EZ. So I thought I would put a post up as this is my "baby book" of recording moments. She won't let go and walk far...if it is more than a few steps she still thinks it is better to drop to her knees and crawl, but we are making progress of deciding it is ok to let go and take those few steps. :)

Easter

We drove up to my grandma's yesterday for a afternoon Easter lunch/dinner. Got to see many of my aunts and uncles, even was surprised to see two of them had driven down from Michigan. We were only there for a few hours to accommodate Piper's nap schedule...drive up while she took her morning nap and drove back while she took her afternoon nap. She still isn't walking yet and we are trying to just let her do what she wants in that regard. She will walk pretty good along furniture or walls and even takes a step or two from one object to the next, but if it is more than a couple steps away, she will get down and crawl over.

Her 9 month appointment was last week and she is 18lbs (30th percentile) and 28 1/4 inches (75th percentile). Healthy as can be. She eats everything and anything I give her and we are eating finger foods now. The only interesting thing, is that I decided to buy organic baby food with meat in it instead of making my own and she isn't a fan. I tasted the jarred baby food and it really didn't have much taste. I then mixed in some of my own baby food with it and she will eat it. Glad to know that she likes my food better!

I got a few Easter photos taken and here they are.





My favorite:

Ramblings

I am so ready for this semester to be over. I am tired and exhausted and need a break. I feel like I am like this towards the end of every semester. But for some reason I feel like this one has been more exhausting than others. Maybe it is creating the new cryptography course so that takes up some time. And I feel like I never can get out of the pile of papers I have to be graded. On top of that, I am teaching an online course that starts first of June and I need to have the course content put together and online before then.

Have I mentioned that the lady that watches Piper is preggo and due soon. While that is great for her, for me it would be a nightmare. I am hoping she makes it through 3 more weeks and so Piper has childcare. Otherwise, it becomes pass Piper around to different neighbors for a couple weeks until I am done with school and can watch her. Oh yeah, and then I still have to get that course created! :)

Running has been dragging too. I feel sluggish and horrible. EZ is trying to get to work on my form, and while I feel like I am, I still feel like a mess and run SOOOO heavy on my feet which is the opposite of what I should be doing. I have decided to try the Nike Free's and will be purchasing a pair this weekend and see how that goes.

Piper has been oodles of entertainment lately. She is totally coming in to her own personality. She has decided army crawling is for the birds and has taken to crawling "normal" now but she is still kind of slow at it. She has also learned to play peek-a-boo (or "where's mama") and finds it hysterical. She even takes a blanket and puts it up in front of her to hide herself. In addition she thinks plowing head first onto pillows is very fun too. Lastly, she found that our kitchen stools were the perfect height to use as her walker and she has started to become more bold in letting go of things and will take a step or two every now and then.

Don't have time to post pics or videos right now...more to come.

Be at Peace

Sadly my grandfather lost his short battle with cancer and passed away this past weekend. I can't begin to explain my feelings, almost a year after my mom passed away. And I can't even begin to imagine or comprehend what my grandmother is going through, to lose your only daughter and spouse within such a short period of time. All I can hope is that my papa is now at peace, and is a place where he can be with his daughter.

I grew up spending a lot of time with my mom's parents, they spent their winter months living with us as I grew up while we would spend our summer months living with them. They were like second parents to me and I will always have such wonderful memories of all the things we did together.

Our last fishing trip in fall 2009:


Spending time with Little P in Jan 2011:



He was a veteran, a fisherman, a golfer, a handyman, a gardener, a magician, a friend, and I will always love him.

Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy. ~Eskimo Legend