Narcissus

This winter I decided to keep a little indoor garden going.  I planted several dozen Narcissus bulbs in various containers and slowly moved them from our cool, darkened pantry into the warmth of the house.  Seeing the cheerful chartreuse shoots emerge and rapidly aim skyward was enough to calm my green thumb itch during December, January, and February.  

The variety of paperwhites I forced is called 'Ariel.'  Which is a hybridized cultivar growing on thicker, shorter stems so the blooms are less likely to flop over.  The flowers are sweetly fragrant.  I absolutely loved having those vibrant green shoots brightening up all the rooms in the house.

The Narcissus genus also includes amaryllis, jonquil, and daffodils.  And now that spring has begun to unfold around us, it has been fun to introduce Jonah to some of our flower friends outside.

I took these photos yesterday after enjoying a sunny walk.  Our sweet little baby is growing up so fast!  He is getting more teeth in (again) and can balance while standing for 3-4 seconds at a time.  He is super fun to be around right now--he loves to play and is quick to laugh.

Happy Monday.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

The house has been aflutter with changes the last few weeks!  Our little darling is keeping us on our toes!  I have to be honest and say that the first two weeks of Jonah pulling himself up to standing were rather long for me.  Once he figured out how to do it, it became his new favorite thing....which meant that in the blink of an eye, he was standing.  Standing by the ottoman.  Standing by the dresser.  Standing by the sofa.  He acquired the first bruise of his life during this period.  A small purple badge of persistent determination on his left knee (and yes, I kissed it). 

I took these photos right after we lowered the crib mattress to its lowest setting.  I wasn't prepared for the immediate nature of his new skills and so childproofing moved to the top of the list.  With all the practice standing, his balance is getting good and so I don't feel the need to hover around him like I did at the beginning.

Jonah also got his top front teeth during this time which might be another reason I thought the last two weeks were so long.  He cut his teeth in back-to-back over the course of 4 days for each tooth.   And for the non-parent readers, this just means he's a little more fussy and can't settle himself back to sleep once he wakes up at night.  And it's WAY harder to get up at night when you are used to sleeping though again.  But, once you see his new chompers, you only have sympathy for the little guy---they are huge! 

As if those accomplishments weren't enough, he's now officially crawling (forward, this time).  He fully maneuvers around the house independently.  His growth and daily progress is captivating.  When he hears my voice in another room he will crawl to where ever I am.  It's an effective technique for melting my heart.

....pretty soon you're gonna get a little older.....

Minnie Mouse

1998 - 2012

I've been away from the blog world for a while now because it has been hard for me to know how to write this post.  Minnie Mouse is no longer with us.  She is buried beneath our plum tree which is just about to bloom.  The photos below are in remembrance of her many adventures and the joy and companionship she brought to our family.  We love you Minnie!

Thanks for all the support.

We miss you MM.

xoxo