Cleaning Fun

On Thursday I attempted to clean the bathroom while Layla was napping. I didn't get very far before she woke up. To keep her occupied, I put her in the walker with a few toys. I don't like to restrict her movement, but she would want to be scrubbing the bathtub herself, so it was necessary. She was chattering on about something and then got very quiet. I should know this is not a good sign, but I kept scrubbing figuring she was not going to get into too much trouble penned in the walker. She wasn't walking around, this is what she found: she had picked up the little basket that holds the q-tips (her reach surprises me) and was systematically throwing them on the floor. So funny I cried. And then I picked up a couple hundred q-tips.

Ten Month Mark

Layla is ten months old today! We attempted to take some photos in the park this afternoon, but she doesn't find sitting still, with her hat ON, and smiling at me all that interesting. A few of these and some other recent pics are shown.

Happy on the swing - she starts screeching and pounding her feet on the stroller when we get in sight of the swing set. I think she is quite a daredevil - she likes to go high!

A little retaining wall - the perfect height to stand at and pull dandelions.

Layla is doing very well, she seems to grow before our eyes, learning something new every day. It is really amazing to witness another person develop. She has gotten the hang of table food and doesn't really care to be spoon fed anymore. This is good and bad. Her independence is wonderful, but it also takes a long time to get through a meal and she mostly likes cheese and cheerios! At school it is great, since she can have the hot lunch there every day and tends to eat better when surrounded by her friends. The food is specially prepared for toddlers so it is easy to chew. I am "in charge" of the table food babies at lunch time. Lots of cutting up the food into small pieces!

Standing alone is commonplace now and, although we have yet to see her first steps, they can't be too far away. Her balance has vastly improved over the last few weeks. She inherited, from her cousins, a walk behind cart that she really enjoys using and seems to help her gain confidence and balance.

"New" push cart - so thrilled to walk and play.

First experience on the tractor.
She looks so serious: shifting gears is tough on this baby!

"Helping" with laundry by systematically removing each article of clothing from the hamper and throwing it on the floor.

In other news: Last week I got news that I passed another exam and then on Wednesday I took another exam. If I passed that one I will have only one remaining, already scheduled for June 16. Send me lots of good luck and super-testing powers. I will be thrilled to complete this licensing process. Jason is busy at work, which is a good thing. He still manages to get home every night to spend time with Layla and do her bath and bedtime routine. He gets quite a greeting at the door - he says it is the highlight of his day. Jason is playing baseball on the weekends and has helped some friends out with projects at their houses this spring. He enjoys getting out his tools and fixing up or building new projects!

Mother's Day Reflection

I have a little quiet time today. Layla is napping, Jason is at baseball and I should study. But I wanted to write a few words, and not just about the terrible scheduling of Jason's baseball league.

This year has been a big one for our family. Our lives have been impacted by Layla's arrival in ways that we could not imagine 12 short months ago. She has brought so much joy and love and laughter to us. Being a mom is an amazing and rewarding experience, filled with hope and excitement, but also fear. Fear of not being a good enough mom, fear of something bad happening, fear of failing at providing enough for my daughter and my husband.

Most days I think I am succeeding at my most important responsibilities. Layla is thriving. She is a happy, easy-going girl, full of wonder and, most importantly, healthy as a horse. My husband is working incredibly hard to provide for our family and I try every day to be a supportive wife, partner and friend.

The events of our professional lives have changed our every day. We don't have the luxuries that we once enjoyed, but I find that I don't miss them all that much. We have more than enough. Having the latest and greatest of everything was never that important to me. I was never fashion forward or in need of pampering - massages still creep me out. Would it be nice to splurge? Yes, of course, but that is not the focus of my day.

This year has only emphasized our real priorities. It has made us more loving, more spiritual, and more hopeful. Our family has been supportive and giving and we are endlessly grateful for the good fortune of having them in our lives. We have realized the value of our true friends, and the love they have shown us and our daughter. Personally, I owe a debt of gratitude to my Mom for providing a wonderful example of what a mother can and should be: sweet and tough, hardworking, classy, and always loving. Being a mom is never an easy balance, never an easy day. Thanks Mom, Happy Mother's Day!

To all the Mom's out there: Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy your life, be kind to each other (I think we are all really just trying to do our best) and know that every day is Mother's Day when you are blessed with happy, healthy children.

Spring Flowers

We decided to join the Botanic Garden this year. Since it is a wonderful place to walk and they have a lot of special events, I think it will be well worth it. The yearly cost was only 3x the daily fee (it is a per car fee so you can bring as many people fit in your car). Here are some pics from our walk this afternoon. I don't think I will be winning the photo competition, but I enjoy taking the photos nonetheless!

Say What?

On Friday I got off work early. We had only a few babies and were well staffed for the day. It was a great day to catch up on laundry. Naturally, Jason was at work. While I was folding laundry in our room, Layla was exploring the bookcases. This primarily included knocking things onto the floor and testing the last time I dusted and how thoroughly. One picture frame she knocked onto the floor held a picture of Jason and I from our skydiving outing. I pointed to me and said, "Mommy" and then to Jason and said, "Daddy". She looked at me with a big grin and said, "DADA". Now, there has been a lot of mamamamama and dadadadadadada going on around here, but this is the first time I have heard and seen her clearly connect it to us.

Today at school I went to the kitchen at lunch time. The toddler meal for today included Swedish meatballs and I figured Layla should try one. I have been slowly getting her into meat and why shouldn't she have some food from the motherland? When I came back in the room she was sitting at the table, waiting for her lunch and gave me a big smile and called, "MAMA". Clear as day. It was awesome.

Music makes me Dance

Layla got her new music and learning table yesterday, it was a big hit! It does songs, alphabet, number, etc. in English and in Spanish. She is already learning how all the knobs and buttons and pulls work. Those LeapFrog people know what they are doing. She LOVES it! Recently, she has started bopping along to music and this is encouraging it even more.


We had a visit from our friend Angelique on Saturday. She brought a box full of bakery cupcakes. Wonderful Trouble. I had a red velvet one with cream cheese frosting and a salad for lunch. YUM! We had to go on an extra long walk today. At the end of it, Layla got to swing on the playground, one of her favorite activities. Then, we lounged around in the grass and watched the soccer games going on. It was her first encounter with grass and she was unsure at first, but dove in and started picking dandelions. Tonight at dinner she fed herself for the first time. First, cheese with the left hand and then a cheerio with the right hand. Very exciting!


My first week of work went pretty well. We had some napping troubles, but we are settling into the new routine well. I have signed up for my last two tests in the hope that I will be a licensed architect by the time my birthday rolls around this year!