This is for Travis

Daddy needed some pics of Samara to pick him up this week, so here you go!









We miss you and love you, daddy!

He is gone =(

We dropped Trav off at the airport and he is on his way to Las Vegas for 2 weeks. After that he will be home for a day and possibly off somewhere else, we don't know. So, Mara and I are hanging out and I am going to use the time to get myself together, so to speak. Much, much less TV, more reading and Bible Study, once school starts, more studying, a cleaner house, and a few projects done, not to mention working out (it will have to be at home since it is quite cold to take Mara to the Y with me, but I think my road bike on a stationary rack and the bowflex alongwith my medicine ball, weights and ab ball should be just fine). Just got to get off of my ----! Speaking of a cleaner house, gotta put the trash out.

Anyway, just one story before I do that: I asked Trav to get up with her this morning so I could sleep in for the first time since she was born and I wasn't on a vacation. So he did, but soon after had to call me to get a bath ready. 'Do we really have to do this now?' 'Yes, she is a mess!' And that was NOT an exaggeration! We tried to clean her PJ's, but they still came out of the wash stained and messy, so out they go! I have never seen her so dirty, not even when she had her butt bug!! Holy C---! Literally!

Facebook...

...is evil. They are the reason the blog has been neglected as of late.

Update: Mara has to have tubes in her ears. Yuck! But, good thing is that it will finally drain the fluid in her ears so she can hear better! Yeah!! The surgery isn't until next month and thankfully, Trav will be home for it (he is leaving tomorrow for 2-3 weeks, Vegas and possibly another trip after Vegas). So we are all alone and it is going to be very hectic. I am starting school next week, my after school center is starting back up and I was asked to assist my Dean in teaching a class at Trinity (thankfully at the campus north of Chicago and not on the southside). We haven't decided about the teaching gig yet, but with everything else, the next weeks will be crazy! Thankfully, Mara has lots of fans who are going to help out in babysitting. Anyway, here are some uber cute pics of our little one:

Samara enjoying Mommy's scarf.

Mara getting ready to move (she had never stayed up in this four-point stance before!).

Cutest baby on the block...err...cul-de-sac.

Gotcha!

Having some good Mommy and Baby time (I miss her so much during the day=()

More Mara

Of Course, isn't that what this blog is about!?!? Anyway, here are some pics of our babe. She is into her 3rd week of the butt bug, but doing much better. Not nearly as much laundry, no vomiting. Unfortunately, the cold weather hit us hard this week and her daycare was closed (dumb) so she got to meet new friends at another one through my work. Tonight we are off to Madison for a hockey game and am looking forward to getting Mara dressed in her Badger Cheerleading dress!! Can't wait! Maybe this will make up for the crappy loss the basketball team had to the stupid Gophers (sorry dad!).

In other news, I am done with my Masters in Urban Ministry and start my MSW (Masters in Social Work) in two weeks. This program is through my work (paid for) so I figure why not! Really, it is much better to be certified and licensable for job prospects. Neverending school for me!

Mara standing tall, holding onto her gym mat.

She loves making faces and noises with her lips and mouth now! Haven't been able to catch them on video, though, yet.

Our cutie having a good time in her jumperoo while I am working.

Kinda hard to see here, but this is a pic of Mara's first taste of an Oreo!!

More Oreos

Again, hard to see, but Mara is having fun playing with my camera here.

Butt Bug

January certainly has been a difficult month and it is only the 9th! Anyway, Mara has a terrible butt bug, going on the 8th day. It is called the norovirus (meaning notorious?) and lasts 7-10 days. We do a load a day of her clothes since she goes through 3 outfits and 1-2 PJ's a day. She has been sent home twice this week from daycare, been to the Dr. on Monday and had another Dr. appointment (at Children's) cancelled because of the liklihood she wouldn't make it there (45 minute drive) without dirtying her car seat (she couldn't even make it home from daycare yesterday, a 15 minute drive, without everything going up her back and down her leg!). Today we have another Dr. appointment at Children's (can't cancel) and are praying that, through the snow, the car seat will stay clean. Not to mention the projectile vomit at 11pm all over our bed on Wednesday! WHEW! But she is still a happy baby and sleeps through the night. We have to get up to change her twice a night to make sure things don't leak through the covers. Oh, the joys of parenthood!!! Thankfully many have given me varying ideas of what to do about certain problems (bad diaper rash: let her play in the tub on old towels, naked), so we are trying those. I just long for the day when my hands aren't cracked from washing them 20 times a day!!

Christmas Pictures

Mommy finally put pictures of me from Christmas up, so I am going to tell you about them:

Here is my cute swimsuit from Auntie Rachel.

Grandma Swanson got this puzzle made for me.

Me and my cousins Kenny and Michael.

My new sled! I love it!


My new hat and mittens for sledding late (mommy put that red yarn on the mittens, she said something about 'Idiot mittens.' I was offended.).

Daddy made me look inside this ugly glass. Tricky Daddy!

I am playing with Daddy, but is he playing with me (no actually he is on the phone working)?

Great Grandma Lilly is holding me while we have Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma Vickerman.

This is my super cute Christmas outfit from my mommy's friends, Beth and Grant. So cute!!

This is a fashionable bow on a present that I wanted to model for you.

Mommy and Grandma Swanson.

I love my new drum Daddy and Mommy got for me!! It lights up!

My family in the cool fort Daddy made for me. PS: my outfit is my new Wild outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Vickerman!

Fort #2: Daddy made the fort so much cooler, with lights and everything. We played for a long time till it was time for me to go to bed.

My cute self.