Can't get enough of this ONE!

3.14.14 - 8 months

WHHHHAT?! Really, is she here already? It's not like 8 month is some crazy milestone marker, but it seriously gave me pause. Does time truly go by this quickly? The answer that I keep coming back to is, yes, yes, it does.

Last weekend we made a colossal trip to Arcata; leaving in the morning on Saturday and returning on Sunday evening. Phew... it was a quick turn-around. The drive was wearing on all of us. We were in constant entertainment mode for Sierra (books, toys, peekaboo, songs, songs, more songs). She wasn't exactly happy to be on a 6-hour tour of northern California on either occasion (going up or coming back). We skyped at the hotel to Grandpa and Grandma Pieper for the first time (the first time they have all met each other). It was awesome to bring her to the ocean on both days; I could tell she really took it in this time. She really seemed to like the waves and the new scenery. We will share a love for the ocean, I'm sure. She didn't even mind the light drizzle that soaked her little head. There will be so many crazy adventures that our family will have together, and it lifts my heart.

She truly is a smart girl. So engaged and very interactive (not to mention her "natural physicality"). Now it's all about interacting with Mom and Dad. She just loves to be around us, and look at us while we do our normal tasks. She really liked seeing her Nana and Auntie Lauren on skype mid-week. It was nice for all of us. She loves her baths too.

Her crawling has taken on a different form at times; she straightens her legs and crawls on her hands. She also periodically lets go of whatever she is stabilizing on and balances on her own while she is standing up. She really is starting to look more like Dah Dah everyday too. Her head shape is much like his. I see little parts of him in her and vice versa more often to my delight.

Two more teeth cut through this week, on the top. She is drooling full force, but generally coping well with the pushing through. We are mixing up our foods for her in our wonderful baby food processor. Trying avocado with tomato, pears with apples and peaches, mixing cooked oats into yams, and actually just pulverizing rolled oats into a powder to start using instead of the packaged stuff from the store. It's all fun with her. 

The mornings I am home longer with the family, I cherish. We all feel better on those days.

After picking up Sierra from daycare today we went to meet up with AUntie Lyn. We got some food from the grocery store and ate together outside. I left my keys attached to a grocery cart, but didn't realize until we went to leave. So we went grocery cart searching. Always something fun when the girls get together! 

Don't beat up the other babies!!!

March 7, 2014 (almost 8 months)


Sierra and I went to a play group on Saturday and Sierra was very happy to see her baby friends again. All of her boyfriends actually. She wanted to show them all that she knew how to play with toys (and take everyone else's and then bang the toys on their heads). I had to be very watchful! I thought that girls were less aggressive! She was also pulling up on everyone and everything. She loves getting to see Jack all the time :)

We harvested greens again this weekend, and couldn't help but get some pictures of Sierra in the mix!

She is definintely more and more aware now. She makes a lot of noise towards the dogs, she reaches for Gus and I to pick her up, we play "crawl chase" around the living room, we read lots and lots of books to her (often she picks up certain ones and holds it toward us), play peekaboo with us, and she even pretends to laugh (it is almost like she thinks there should be a punch line we didn't hear or somehow she is humoring us).

It's rough with Gus on swing shift because I always stay up to see him when he gets home late at night so everyone ends up tired! I also miss dinners together with him, instead I send pictures from the phone to him while he's at work. I now have scabs and scratches all over my face from her little razor nails. Even after I put her down to sleep some nights I become so aware of how quickly the time is flying by and I want to go peek in on her again.

Is there an agnostic version of godmother?

3/1/2014 (7.5 months-ish)

My best friend was in town for the weekend, and instead of feeling like a guest she made herself feel like family. What a relief?! It was an amazing time, having her here. It was strangely like a vacation that you have no expectations for. Well I guess that's Crystal for you; showing up in the middle of the "longest shortest time" in your life and making you feel like yourself again. (Which is the name of a blog & podcasts that Anne showed me:  created by a mom). 

Gus, Sierra, and I hit the Farmer's market early on Saturday, and met up with Auntie Lyn. When we got back Crystal had arrived! She had a "wedding tasting" planned for a potential caterer in Plymoth (which was exquisite!!!) that day. Gus and I had previously ate at the exact same place that the caterer was based out of. As it turned out, we loved the food then and I loved it the second time around too! Since I was a little late on the up-take of realizing where the caterer was located  (the famous Zinfandel region of CA) after we finished I decided I would take Crystal to my favorite vineyard in nearby El Dorado, Helwig! YUM! We had an amazing time, and bought a few bottles of wine to bring home with us too. 

Sierra, Gus and I were able to spend wonderful quality time with her during the visit, and was so happy that Sierra could have such an amazing fairy god mother in her life (it's sorta like a "god mother" for those non-religious folks). It was sad to see her go on Tuesday, but that is the way of fairy tales. 

This week was actually much easier for me becaue I was able to take a half-day on Monday and see Sierra on Thursday during one of my breaks in work. It made me so happy (and in such a better mood throughout the rest of my work day). 

Thank you presidents!

February 21, 2014 (is time really going by this quickly?!?)

On Presidents' day I was greeted by a wonderful surprise when I came home from work: dinner and family! Grammie had come over earlier in the day to babysit for Gus and I (we even had a great bike ride together before I went into work), and Auntie Lyn came by a little later. Auntie had been cooking all weekend... for Gus and I. I almost cried when I saw it all when I came home from work that day! Gus and I had been feeling the strain lately (with our new schedules) and cooking has just taken a back seat to all of the other things we need to do. You can see Gus taking a snoozer in the background here (sleep is a commodity).

Lyn picked up on it, with her keen instincts, and made us trays of food to freeze and eat at will! I have literally been eating it all week! Gus and Grammie were able to make baby food for the week together too; so life just felt more simple this week for us. I say thank you to the presidents because baby Sierra was able to spend some QT with her family really. Grammie also babysat for us on Tuesday, and when I got home from work I could tell that Anne was able to tell the difference a few months make in Sierra's activity levels! GO GO GO!

Although I didn't get any pictures of Sierra and Grammie this week we did sneak a few at Crepeville a few weeks ago that I hadn't posted yet.

Life is changing ever day still. Our chickens have adjusted now to their flock of three, our bulbs are starting to push through the mulchy leaf layer from "winter," Sierra continues to stick everything in her mouth that she can get a hold of, and the dogs well they sure do love the family runs we take (I have now roped Gus into them 3 times a week).

 

I was able to see Lisa and Jill this weekend at a play group I hosted. Two other wonderful mom & baby duos came as well! We all had a great time. I had to keep our little one from grabbing other babies' faces; it's her way of saying she likes you (but it's not taken well by other babies). At the ends of our weeks we tend to spend our Sunday nights on the floor with Sierra; we all crawl around and play our fair share of peak-a-boo! She is a joy for us to be with... She actually stood up for a few seconds tonight unassisted; she just decided to let go of my shoulder and stood there before I reached my hand out for her.

I love this adventure called life and this amazing part we call parenthood is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I find myself with deeper emotion and empathy for others than I have ever had before. When someone tells me about their children my ears perk up and I clue in. It's like the background noise of the day goes silent and I really stop to listen. Being Mom helps me understand a broader scope of our human, more appropriately, the animal life we are living.


The pride that I named this blog after, the one that cared how fast I finished all of my races and the one that cared who I was stronger than is slightly different now. It is the pride that I hold in myself as a mother, which is about being strong but in such a "bigger picture" sort of way. I still hold myself accountable to be healthy and strong, but my emphasis has shifted. I will always love to push myself physically, but now I see how much pride I have in this being we have created which is so much further beyond myself.

Won't you be my valentine(s)?!

February 14, 2014 (7 months and 2 days)

Baby girl turned 7 months this week, and what a great 7 months it has been. Although, full-time work and mommiehood sometimes leave me with my head spinning now; Sierra always finds ways to make me smile. Her personality is just shining through at this age. She is so funny, I think she knows peek-a-boo now. She buries her face in the blankets and then pops it up at us as we say peek-a-boo (mind you this was immediately after we did it to her, but none-the-less it was cute as hell). She won't stop trying to stand up either... whenever she finds a prop she pulls up on it.

She just wants to explore everything about her surroundings. My dad keeps saying, "The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." With parents like Gus and I, I am truly not surprised either! She is learning how to get our attention, and feigning whining noises. Gus was putting her in the car seat the other day and she would pretend to whine until Gus looked at her, and then she would giggle at him. Here's the photo... HOLY CUTENESS!

Oh boy, does she loooove her Dah Dah. The way she looks at him, makes my heart melt. She open mouth smiles when he's in the room and follows him with her eyes where ever he goes. I am so lucky!

The blur of the week has been palpable to both Gus and I. My longing to have my prior home presence back is still felt on a daily basis. I do love my job though; it's just hard to be away on long days. Gus's new shift has left our sleep schedules out of whack as well. He needs to sleep in later since he gets in so late, so I *try* to take night duty and wake up duty, but I have also been trying to stay up just to see him when he gets home at night too. Needless to say we are both in another lack-of-sleep cycle currently.

So last weekend when the weather (precipitation) finally hit the area, we canceled our plans to meet my best friend Crystal and fiancee, Onkar, in the Tahoe region for a hike (40 degree downpour with baby... no thank you) and had a family weekend playing in the rain.  We took out the hiking pack and put Sierra in her raincoat (which actually was Auntie Lyn's when she was a baby) and played outside in the rain.

Here she is in her carseat when we were out running errands... someone likes the camera (she likes to chew on our phones actually).

Afterwards Gus and I made "little delicious sandwiches" (as he was calling them from earlier on that day) and played with Sierra continuously. We had so much fun creating these little melted masterpieces that Gus documented it. And so it was: the day I posted my first "food porn" picture:

"What did we get for Sierra for Valentine's Day?" I was asked by some of my athletes today... Well we gave her love and we gave her life, what more could a 7 month old ask for. As for Gus and me, well, we're just two old foogies now; just kidding, he gave me flowers, a card and chocolate and I gave him 3 very special beers (porters and a stout - they're chocolate enough for him)! Let us not forget OUR LOVE! I am so happy for the two very special valentines in my life <3

A dinner date with Auntie... AND Grammy too!

February 7, 2014 (approaching 7 months)

The week "started" out with our wonderful family helping Gus and I share a Valentine's Day gift. Auntie Lyn and Grammy Anne sitting for us while I brought Gus to dinner for our (as is Erin-style) early Valentine's gift. They had come over earlier in the day for lunch and catching up too. Apparently little Sierra took a nap for most of the evening, and woke up right before we got home. 

 The following day I met up with Auntie and Grammy, while Gus was working. Later in the morning we headed to the volleyball banquet in hopes that Sierra would hold up for the whole thing. She started crashing 30 minutes in and "Dah Dah" took Sierra for a car ride for the rest of the banquet (so she could nap). She used to hate the car seat SO much, and now she is quite fine (with short ones at least).

During the week Gus and I live in a bit of a blur... between work schedules, prepping Sierra's bag for day care, cleaning, cooking and the daily life tasks. I am consistently grumpy the night before my long days at work. I know that I will only have a short time in the morning and evening with her. When she falls asleep in my arms on those nights I hold her a bit longer before putting her into her bed. Even then, I can't help myself... I go in and peek on her snoozing.

 Gus has gotten to spend some extra bonding time with her on those days I am off to work early. He feeds her all of the new veggie fruit mixes we have been making in our WONDERFUL baby food maker that Grammy gave us last Christmas. Unfortunately, her switch over to "solids" has had some consequences to her booty. The poop sticks to her bum and has given her a bad case of diaper rash (the acidity is too harsh for her delicate skin). This reminds me of the Turbo Tax commercial; "Did you make a person last year that's really bad at eating?"

The mornings without Mommy have also been productive in terms of getting the led out... Gus and her have been practicing the guitar. Every time she sees her Dah Dah she smiles so big, and keeps her eyes locked on him. Gus always lets his goofy out for her. My new desktop image at work:

She is getting so big, so fast, and sometimes I just feel like I am missing out on these precious moments when I am at work.  I love her so very much and it is truly so difficult to be away. Like I keep saying, it doesn't get easier to say goodbye each day.