Bath Time

We've had a rough recovery from traveling so if you don't hear from me it's only because I am holding, soothing, changing or feeding Lulu.

So onto some real happenings around the house.

While I was away The Other Half* bought a small HDTV to see if we pick up any channels, since our converter box didn't. Nope, no HD channels whatsoever, but I've finally gotten a TV station ABC to come in clear and with sound (we usually have one or the other).

So I've been able to semi-catch up with what is going on in the news. Although ABC isn't the best source (Thank God I can stream NPR online)! It's been all over the news, 'Should we investigate the CIA?' I have some unconventional strong opinions on everything under the sun (as most people know) however I am on the fence about this issue for several reasons.

For fun we decided to perform our own tests on baby Lulu (see video).

We were unable to glean any pertinent information from the suspect, and only seemed to cause more distress to the usually pleasant circumstance.

And on a lighter note...

who knew Daddy* knows the "Rubber Ducky" song?

Growing

I just never knew how amazing motherhood could be, despite her difficult hours.

A side by side compairison of the hops from this year and last.

The pickling has begun, for Gerry of course since I don't do canning.

My sisters, parents and Lulu's neices and nephew all thought she was cute.

I loved to watch Bella play games with her as she just lay and watch. Bella also likes to put her arm around Lulu and watch TV, like the bestest of friends.

Little Penelope, although being very jealous if Ally touched the baby, would come up to her and hug her and say "I miss her so much" everytime she past Lulu laying on the bench. Then every time I would change a poopy diaper she would say, "That's so disgusting!"

And Ezekiel, he's such a sweetheart. Although he didn't pay much attention to her he did hold her one day until she pooped and it exploded from her diaper, that'd be enough for any 10 year old! He did talk to Lulu a lot and she really loved it. She'd coo and he would mimic her and they would talk like that for what seemed like 10 minutes. It never occured to me that she'd enjoy that exact sound being made back to her... a sort of Close Encounters moment.

Aunties just loved little Lulu... always holding her when they could. I of course would let anyone hold her. Nina says Lulu has eyelashes like hers and Bellas. Ally said she looks like Gerry.

Grandparents (Nana, Tata) did much of the holding too.

Then there is Charlie, he's a 'Baby Whisperer' too. I had no idea how good he was with children. Now I see who in the family is the softie (sorry Nin's)!

Ready for a Grandparent Visit

My New Onsie

I failed at making a cute felted name on her onsie. I just wondered if it would work. I think it destroyed the integrity of the material and now see why stiching is always 'back' with a fabric. But whatever, she won't fit this for long.

We're ready for our flight.

Cut (just before she got angry with it)!

A Foggy Morning

The Fog

So foggy you can't make out the hill with trees in the far back, just the tree tops. I like mornings like this, except for the bugs. You can't really see the overgrown garden from this picture, if the wind picks up and the clouds stay I will weed some more.

Then I went to let the chickens out of their coop. Gromit is checking out the corn I threw in the grass, he's nuts. NOTICE: The freshly cut grass! Yes, Lulu slept for about 1 hour and 45 minutes on Tuesday so I mowed the lawn... and proceeded to break off the middle blade on the lawn mower, gosh just when I think I am helping Gerry I actually gave him more work to do! He picked up new parts for the mower yesterday after work.

Gimpy GirlMeet the last bird in the pecking order, I call her Henrietta. One day in Feb/March the other birds singled her out and pecked her to a bloody mess. I quarantined her and until she could fend for herself again. I think an animal must have attacked her because her foot is messed up, see how she folds her talons under? She's a smart bird though, fights of the other girls now, for the most part, she waits in the coop until the others are out. I give her a special scoop of corn and she hangs out awhile until the coast is clear then she goes to the lilac bushes and hangs out by herself mostly.

All Our Eggs in One Basket

A big "Thank You" for Les my 'muddin' friend. He makes cool wood stuff, and while he was chicken sitting for us one week he make us this really cool egg basket. Which is really a great help.

Kohlrabi (sp?)

From the garden, colorabi (sp? trying it on a couple ways). It tastes great. We'd never grown them before. Unfortunately we let these get TOO big, and it's like trying to cut a tree with a knife. So we decided we'd try have batting lessons with them.

Cone Flower

I planted them this year, for whatever reason they didn't come back last year. Pays to buy a larger plant. The chickens don't eat these or the peonies.

Try, try again.

This felted baby rattle has been a lollipop which I thought didn't look so good. Then I made it into a pinwheel which didn't work out so well. Now it'll be a flower, which is shaping up very nicely.

Lulu Button

Also known as Lulu... she was being super cute. But honestly who am I kidding she's always super cute even when she's screaming at me. We had a really rough day yesterday. It was the heat I think? She was exhausting all day. Oh well, only 18 more years of fun, fun, fun. Good thing I love her with every fiber of my being!

Here's My Foot

2 Months

On one hand it's hard to believe she's 2 months old, and on the other hand it feels like she's been with us for at least 4 months, 3 days and 6 hours (joke).

She weighs 14 lbs, and is 24 inches long now. She fits into 3 -6 mos clothes... she might fit into 0-3, but with the cloth diapers they make her longer in the waist so things snap too tightly and she gets angry. I would too!

She's not sitting up on her own yet, but she's growing normally. Her congnitive, socially and motor skills are on track and some things a little ahead of the curve.

HOWEVER, she's still not a napper. Sunday she took 3 10 min naps, and 1 45 min nap, then by night she was so over tired and miserable... and of course so were we!

We were able to get through 3+ hours of Fiddler on the Roof, to listen to Gerry play. There were a couple "episodes" of crying, but I was quick to get out of the auditorium, and she calmed down after 5 or so minutes.

Saturday we're going to try our first airplane trip. Oh boy! I am totally stressed about traveling 2 hours to Fargo, then an hour at the airport, then 2 hours in flight, followed by another hour of travel to my parents home... and then in reverse. BUT It will be nice to go back to CO for a visit and for everyone (dad, sisters, nephew, niece, friends) to meet Lulu. Gerry has to stay and tend the house, dogs, cats, chickens, and finish the firewood.

Really Quickly

Watching the Angels

Why Does Mom Torcher Me?

Morning Smiles

Every morning when I change her diaper she's all smiles, coos and giggles when she sees the baby mobile spin above her head.

While She Sleeps...

The garden has been taken care of by Gerry all summer. We put down a lot of black cloth to keep weeds out, thank goodness, but many of the rows still have none and needed weeding.
I think I got to spend about an hour and a half in the lettus, beets and green beans...

Cabbage always looks so pretty, and this year we are going to try to make sour kraut.
Lulu was not impressed after she awoke and I took her for a farm garden tour.