Stillwater

The day after Jo got in town we took a drive out to Stillwater, which is the cutest little town right on the St. Croix River, across from Wisconsin.  Lyla was pretty intent on running into the street, jumping into the river and / or breaking everything in the antique stores.  Still, between the houses, the shops, the ice cream, the sunshine...the mediocre 90's cover singer...it was an all around good day.

- K

Photo creds to Mary Jo Aguilera, MJ Aguilera Photography

 

 

 

 

 

Toddler

Tonight I got to rock my big girl all the way to sleep.  When she was a little baby I would do that more often than not and then worry about "spoiling" her and making her too dependent on it to go to sleep.  Tonight it was heaven.  It's been a long time since she's fallen asleep with me, and I've missed it.  To hear that slow, even breathing, and have her little face pushed up against my chest...I'm pretty sure that right there is my favorite thing about being a mama.

This toddler stage has already had its share of rough days.  We've suddenly encountered our first glimpse of separation anxiety, (I think mine is as bad as hers), and we're starting to transition down to one nap, which I'm not exactly ready for.  Not to mention that suddenly we're not just dealing with survival issues like making sure she's eating and pooping regularly.  We're now dealing with character building issues, which it turns out is so much more daunting.  Figuring out that fine line between discipline and letting kids be kids is proving to be tougher than I expected.

But tonight, none of those things mattered.  We were back to our roots.  Just me and my baby, rocking and cuddling.  I could have stayed there in that chair all night long.

- K

Photo creds to Mary Jo Aguilera, MJ Aguilera Photography

Wanted: Ruby Slippers

A year ago today we made the big move out to Minnesota with our teeny girl, and my sister, Jo, who came with for 2 weeks and took these pics of us and our new home. 

I have mixed emotions with this anniversary.  It's so funny how time has a way of going excruciatingly slow and crazy fast at once.  In some ways it's been a great year, and we've built a little home with so many memories of our baby girl, but at the same time I can't fight this feeling that it's still not really our home.

I don't know, it's hard to explain, it's just that when I land in the MSP airport it still doesn't feel like my airport.  And when I'm driving around town it doesn't feel comfortable and automatic, and I end up missing exits a lot.  Which could just be chalked up to my extreme lack of direction and/or navigation skills, but still.

At the same time, I know I'll ball like a baby when we leave this place to go back to Colorado (some day).  Our girl has seen a lot of good days, and a lot of snowy days, in this here state.  I just wish I had some ruby slippers so I could click-click-click my way home every once in a while.

- K

P.S. Ryan will surely complain that there is only one pic of him and the baby in this post, so I'd just like to say, for the record, that he is a poor, poor sport about family photos and he arrived fashionably late.  Which resulted in just this one photo.

 

Swoon

It's hard to explain what this photo does to my heart.  To see that big, tough guy love his little girl so much.  It just makes me swoon. 

Photo creds to MJ Aguilera Photography, of course.

- K