19 weeks and counting

She's becoming an active participant in the world. I sat her in the grass at Green Acre yesterday and she immediately started picking up the leaves, investigating them, and then eating them. This middle step is relatively new.

She's never been a great sleeper. Actually, she's never been a sleeper, but the last couple weeks she's been on an all out sleep strike. And then one morning she noticed the smile on her monkey's face and proceeded to try and pick it off. I've read that around the 19th week is a major brain spurt, and it seems that we just made it through. She's almost sitting now, really exploring her toys, and dancing in her bouncy chair. A little compulsively, I might say. I have to remover her after a while because once she get's swaying left, right, left, right you can see that she loses herself and gets this glazed expression. She'll do it for 40 minutes. It's a little bit creepy that she can put herself in a trance so I take her out at this point.

And the sleep, it's gotten a little better I suppose. The normal 2-3 hours. I'm very open to suggestions folks.

October

has been a whirlwind...to compliment the swirling leaves I suppose.


First there was the lovely (and long) trip to Niagara Falls. Sisay and I completed two long and grueling years of marriage (just kidding, honey :) and Tiernan completed two years of life.




And then the obligatory apple picking. Samaya was definitely a fan and Tiernan's love of apples kept him in the wagon the entire time munching one after the other. That apple that I'm holding up is Sisay-he demonstrated to us how the white coating on the apples before you shine them is like his face when he gets out of the shower pre-vaseline :)




There was the Green Acre Staff trip to the Dublin Inn in Dublin, N.H. Abdu'l-Baha stayed there in 1912 for 3 1/2 weeks-longer than anywhere else in America! We also visited the church where he spoke and read part of his talk. Very moving.






There were some cooking lessons,


some sharing lessons,


and Grandpa's first day babysitting all day. This is what I came home to.


Finally, a long, very long awaited visit from the beloved Sobhani family! They just left on Monday and we had such a wonderful time enjoying Maine together in the fall. Except for Sisay getting a virus, it was a precious time. There was pumpking picking and carving, hayrides and corn mazes, the ocean and Green Acre, and just catching up and marveling at how big Aliyah and Keon have gotten.














The Muro ladies came for the weekend. Amazing that little Estella is now holding my little one.


And of course a taste of Halloween. That's about as much of a taste as Samaya's going to get this time around.


And back home again. Green Acre in the fall...

Happy. Happier. Fulfilled.

Not only do I have the most gorgeous, funny, cute, kind, thoughtful husband.

(A month after we were married, House of Abbud)

But we have the most joyful, twinkly-eyed, half-smiley, giggly little girl.

(Some time in the recent past)

And the sweetest little Baha'i School in our home. Little families coming together with little families to create a more peaceful world. Come join us!

(Today, table made my Sisay!)

Baha'i School

We started Baha'i School every Wednesday at our house. So far it's only two kids with a couple more maybe joining us. We're focusing on acquiring virtues, or 'gems'- the first quote they are memorizing is "Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can alone cause it to reveal its splendors and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. They have had fun finding the gems hidden inside our mine/table covered with blankets, Here they are practicing the virtue of friendliness...

Visits from Anna and the Griffin Girls and a Trip to Lake Chocorua

She belly laughed!

9/22/09: A lovely day of parenthood.
Samaya and I had lunch with Daddy at work today. Maybe it was her chiropractic adjustment or maybe it is because she is an absolute DELIGHT of a tiny person, but she was in an exceptional mood. She smiled through the meal, waiting patiently for Daddy to do his daily routine of act-like-a-crazy-person. And when he finally did, she laughed so hard we both nearly died of happiness.
That feeling of intense longing/aching/envy you get when you seen someone else's child and they are so crazy cute that you want to grab them and run far far away? That's how we feel all the time. Except SHE'S OURS. And we can run far far away with her. Whenever we want. It is the best feeling in the world.
Right now she's playing with her pink Victoria's secret dog. Actually playing. With it's legs grasped firmly in her hands, deliberately bringing it to her mouth. Oh the talent.
Love. this. child.

Giggles

Three months already. We now spend a great majority of our time doing just about anything to get this child to laugh. She does do it. Inconsistently. Randomly. Sparingly. And because we've had a taste, we are never satisfied. Sisay will spend long minutes trying to weedle a little giggle out of her, and if he succeeds, will spend longer minutes repeating the same noise/movement/utter ridiculousness until both Samaya and I are very extremely unimpressed. And then I take a turn and repeat the process. Lots of effort for little effect. And completely worth it.