late summer

A lot has changed since my last post; for starters, our family has grown! Not like, that, though... We have Larissa living with us, from Brazil. She is our au pair and we looovvvvee having her here! She came with us to California at the end of July (Evan's cousin was getting married).

Larissa and Sibyl

The girls' personalities are so very different. Iris was interested in collecting shells and not so much in the water (too cold). Sibyl loved the waves and wanted to chase seagulls.

Waves for Sibyl, shells for Iris

 We visited the Birch Aquarium, which was just the right size. Both girls had fun and we were done in about an hour.

Sharks at the aquarium

We spent some time with Evan's grandparents and Donna showed us this beautiful quilt she made in honor of Beatrice Hogle. Sibyl's middle name is Beatrice, after this great grandmother.
 

As for earlier in the summer -- Iris has been hanging out with Eliza a lot! Iris was in a morning summer camp for two days a week and loved that. Her health has been pretty good all year -- no hospital stays since early February.

Sibyl is growing up so fast. She loves to swing and she doesn't fit in her onesie I used for monthly photos. She does seem to have a slightly smaller belly, though... 

All things Sibyl loves: racoon, swinging, and the purple jacket

July - 18 months old

April - 15 months old

As for me, I started a new job in late April and graduated in May! I really enjoy my new job and I have been taking the light rail to work recently. Evan has been hiking a lot of 14rs and my new interest are Bodypump classes at the gym.

14 months

This post might hold the record for the most number of photos. Sibyl is 14 months old and these girls are making me laugh more and more. I've always enjoyed being a mother, but now that I'm done with my PhD I have more time to just sit be with these girls. 

Sibyl loves to dance and wiggle and her name for Iris is "Rara." 

 

Iris has started asking very complex questions. Yesterday in the car she asked me how we know that we are alive. Her grammar was off but that was the question! I told her that I know I'm alive because I feel pain and love.  

Here is a 10 minute video of her talking about wanting to be a doctor who can help kids. 

Other things we've been up to: Sibyl came to book club with me, Iris and I went to the botanic gardens on St. Patrick's Day, and we had our first family bike ride.

Big hug

St. Patrick's day cupcake (it was not as good as it looked)

Sibyl's first bike ride

This is a typical morning for us. I'm brushing Iris's teeth add Sibyl is hanging on my leg.

Typical morning 

13 months

Sibyl is 13 months old! She is a handful now that she is mobile. She gets into everything and most of the time only wants to read books. She says "Mama" almost exclusively, it seems. She also signs "more," "please," and "all done." And she has a great sense of humor.

I left this past Monday for Pennsylvania so I could defend my dissertation. I was anxious about flying into State College so I gave myself an extra day, just in case it snowed. I rehearsed the presentation several times on Tuesday and wandered the town reliving fond memories. It has all come and gone so quickly, compared to the years of writing and preparing data! The actual defense was fun, in a manner of speaking. I flew home Wednesday evening, after defending in the morning.

My mom helped Evan with the girls while I was gone and she spent a lot of time explaining to Iris about the PhD and the dissertation. So when I talked to Iris on Thursday morning she said, "I'm so proud of you, Mommy, that you got your PhD!" Granddad sent me flowers and my boss got me some champagne. I still don't quite feel like I'm done -- especially since I do have some revisions to make.

Flowers from Granddad 

 Iris is doing well -- she has finally recovered from her pneumonia and is SO full of energy.

2016 retrospective

I mean, where to I even begin to look back on 2016? I am not sure I can even put words to how hard it was.


My great joy from the year is that Sibyl was born and showed us her sweet growing self. She learned how to show us her tongue on Saturday, the same day as the Women's march.

What a great way to begin 2017. The march, I mean, but also Sibyl's tongue. I hadn't planned to go to the march, mostly because I am afraid of being shot. Seeing how huge the turnout was all over the world made me wish to be at the march in Denver, though. Instead I took Sibyl to the pediatrician for an urgent care visit. She had been up the entire previous night coughing and with a high fever. The poor baby. Iris had a 3-hour nap on Saturday, I assume she was fighting the same germs.

Fever nap

Three-hour nap

I am scheduled to go to San Francisco this week, two nights away. Just to make sure that I'll feel terrible leaving, Evan managed to incapacitate himself and will certainly need surgery. My dad is here for a meeting on Tuesday and will stay to help.

Knee injury. Will need surgery.

Iris started a new dance class on Sunday. Watching these girls grow makes my heart burst.

My hopes for 2017 are all about reconnecting with my "self" and my "selfhood." Evan gave me a series of six massages for Christmas, one of which I have used already. It would be nice to begin a regular exercise regime and meditation practice. Iris has started listening to a mindfulness for kids cd every night so one easy way to begin is to listen to some part of that with her. She listens to Sitting Still Like a Frog. 

Oh, and I'm defending my dissertation February 15. I can't believe that is happening. I started the PhD program in 2010. What a long road it's been.