Bluebonnet Belle

Though we know Ivy is prettier than any flower, the Texas bluebonnets are in full bloom, and they are gorgeous. We took Ivy out for a photo op (her daddy thought it was a little much, but I knew Grammy would like it).

There are lots of photos of our little flower with the flowers.

She liked to play with the blooms.

The sun was in her eyes.

The natural light is great, but it does make it hard to get her open smiles.

We took off her hat so we could see her pretty face.

The park is about a block from our house.
It's pretty small, and only has a treehouse, picnic table, and a bank of wildflowers.
We'll lobby for the city to build a half-pipe when Ivy is ready to skateboard.
Can I eat the flowers, Mommy, or are they just for looking?








Screw Mother Nature, says Josh. These disposable diapers are GREAT. Ivy has really made enormous leaps in her movement and her body control. She is pulling herself to standing on her crib (if we place her hands) and standing up with our fingers or against our hands all the time. She sits up by herself when she's helping make the bed.

She raises up on her arms much higher than ever.

She perches like a little frog, on her arms, her right knee, and her right foot.
We think she's getting ready to crawl.

It's getting hard to read with her. She pitches herself forward and lays on her belly until she decides it's time to roll over. She's doing four or five in row now!





She does sometimes sit nicely for storytime with me, especially in the morning. She loves Madeline (I can't wait until she's big enough for the full versions from Grandma Rachel). But she'd really rather be moving. I'll need to take advantage of her quiet times.






We had what I hope were our last job candidates this week. I am getting tired of having lunch with strangers. I only have one more week of teaching before student presentations in PERF301, and I can't wait to be done with that class. I am finishing a grant to revamp it for next year, and I think ti will be an amazing course the second time around. Though I fear my students are Nazis and that they hate me, they have put up with a fairly scattered curriculum. I really can't wait to get it right the next time.




My theatre students really are dreamy. I'm so glad to be working with them. Next fall, I'm going to be a faculty advisor for their 24-hour theatre. They will write, rehearse, tech, and produce a play in 24 hours (I only have to be there for about 6). I am glad they like me, and I am glad to be liking them, but I can't believe I say yes to anything that takes me away from Ivy.



I have been riding my bike to school this week. I love it! I had no idea it would be this fun and easy. Here I am home, a little hot and sweaty, on Monday. Ivy and I match!





Of course Ivy's still our sunshine girl. She's been remarkably happy this week, especially when waking up from naps. She practically jumps into our arms, and squeezes us and smiles and giggles. She is the most awesome baby in the world, and we love her. Tonight we took her out for sushi (for me) and steak (for Josh), and she entertained the entire restaurant with her happy noises (we left before she could really start shrieking).


She has been rejecting her bottle (of course I'm afraid she misses nursing, but it's been over a month, and that can't be the case). The last few nights she hasn't been willing to take anything from it before bed, and she refused it before her morning nap on Friday. We know she's not going hungry (Fatty Fatannah gets plenty to eat, between her eggs and her chickens and her fruit, yogurt, cheese, and veggies), but we are worried about her thirst. We finally figured out that it's not the bottle that she's rejecting, but the position we put her in. She HATES lying down these days, and often cries and screams if her changes take too long. Every time I fed her today, I sat her up beside me, and she took the bottle quite happily. I hope I have it figured out.

Pick me, Mommy and Daddy! Pick me! I'm as pretty and sweet as a flower!
And I'll last longer!