*nevada day (aka Halloween)

You might remember how I "pledged" to sew an hour every day for a week.  Well a couple birthdays that week, a visit from Ben's dad and a terrible bout of flu that weekend and I pretty much didn't do a thing. I cut the pattern out is about it.  With the sickness, things around the house were just piling up and Ben is really trying to get his 3rd chapter written on his dissertation - so I invited my mom to come help out for a week.  It was definitely a huge help for all of us!  In fact I'm sitting here eating fresh homemade bread with my mate as I write this :)  She got right to work on Vera's Tinkerbell costume [I did cut out and sew the petals!] which turned out amazing - so cute!!

ready just in time for the preschool halloween party:

sweet little sister moment:

The Halloween weekend was really busy!  She got to wear her costume to ballet - they were all so cute!  I think only 2 girls weren't wearing wings of some sort.

We may have started trick or treating rather early - I wanted Edie to get to go before bed.  We did a second round later with Graham which was really fun.  Graham was so cute - Vera kept trying to hold his hand and he'd wiggle out of it.  When I told them they were serious trick-or-treaters he said, "Me not trick or treater! Me fireman!!" :)  Vera kept saying, "I sure love trick or treating!  Why do I love it so much?"  She got a lot of candy.  I have never really liked Halloween - especially the gory, ugly stuff [and the pressure to have a creative costume], but it's fun to see how excited the little ones get.

We've recently met another neighbor, Evie.  She and Vera get along really well.  She was sooo excited when we rang their doorbell! 

 Edie kept trying to go in all the houses.

I love this costume!  Before Vera wore it, it was Marie's and maybe Olivia's too.

Vera wouldn't even pass this freaky cat to get to the door - I had to carry her.  Edie wanted to cuddle with it and flipped out when we had to move on:

*la mayor

My relationship with Vera has really changed over the last year or so. Even when I was still pregnant, things were beginning to change as I was just so tired and uncomfortable. I should have written about this sooner, because it's evolved so much since even six months ago. I would say that during Edie's first few months I really 'mourned' the loss of our close relationship. I mean it's inevitable that we can't be tied at the hip like we were - total buddies, doing everything together always.  I will say that especially at the beginning I made a conscious effort to give Vera extra love, to include her in meaningful ways with the new baby and I think I did a good job at it. But, inevitably, caring for a newborn requires constant attention, attention that is often diverted away from the other child. I felt this sense of loss and it made me really really sad. During the last year, then, Vera has grown even closer with her dad [they have always been pretty close] and I felt the distance; I felt the preference for him. It hurt. Like when she told me a while ago that she wanted him to put her to bed, because "he's my favorite." It's obviously not a competition, but I was sad for the distance I felt widening between us.*

I actually started this several months ago and just found it in the drafts. Even since then I feel things have settled down in this area and I am less emotional about it.  Partly it's just the way things are.  I remember writing a long post right after I nursed Vera for the last time - I felt that tiny change, that first separation and knew it would never be the same.  Since then it's been a slow moving away, moving towards becoming her own little person.  I think with Edie I know what's coming and it makes me so sad - I just want to s.l.ow. it all down and keep my baby, my baby.  I think Vera and I have found other ways to be close, and I want to keep encouraging that.  Anyway...  I just love these two so SO much, that's all.

*Have you seen the episode of Modern Family where Phil is "the fun one?" Well that's us - haha.  I'm Claire. I am the serious one, the let's please eat your dinner now, enough silliness!  That's been hard - because obviously the 4 year old is going to gravitate to the fun one.  I had a bit of a hard time with that but am feeling fine now - I just need to spend quality time with my kids in a way that's me - walking at the park, cooking, drawing, reading, making things, etc.

*un añito

One year!  Forgive me for saying that I can't believe our little Edie is one!  Seriously, we all just think she is the cutest, most wonderful little thing ever.  How fun this next year is going to be as she starts talking and playing and dancing and learning :)

She is walking a lot now - reminds me of my Grandma 'Dine with her short little steps, arms at her side.  She says uh-oh, leaf, book, bird, baby, hot, mama, dada and up [most of course in a way that only the mama can understand] and will try to repeat the sounds of anything you try to get her to say.  She rarely does it in front of anyone else - you'll just have to take my word for it!  It makes me wonder if she will have a good ear for music or other languages?  She also signs more and baby - I LOVE seeing a baby sign baby :)   She communicates very clearly when she wants something or wants you do to something for her.  She hands you the thing and says dis! and then you do it and she pushes it back again, dis!  She's also showing her little temper.  Cute now, but not for long!  Today she got so mad that I wouldn't let her play in Boone's water - poor thing it was so cute and funny.  She loves to pretend with an empty bowl and spoon, to open and close doors in the toy kitchen, to tickle our toes, read books. Loves her tubby, waking up her sister, cuddling with her Puppy, blowing kisses, putting tops on things, playing "I'm going to getcha!"....  She is generally pretty mellow and happy, though like I said, in the last weeks we've seen the infamous little *will* emerging. 

She is pretty mini - at 17 lbs. in the 2nd percentile for weight!!  Partly because she had a little stomach bug over the last couple weeks, partly because she isn't a big eater.  However, I am going to be a lot more purposeful with her meals now.  She does love cheese and yogurt and avocado and peanut butter, so that's good!  I have been terrible at giving her a good variety of things, especially vegetables.  I haven't given her straight cow's milk yet.. since she had the little tummy issues the last couple weeks I thought I'd wait.  I have given her a couple bottles of almond milk and she really likes it.  I plan to keep nursing at least a couple more months - she's more into it than Vera was, so we'll see what happens.  I seriously didn't think I would make it this far with all the painful issues I had the first 3 months.

Anyway, that's our little Eden at un añito  ♥

*unas fotos

Sitting here having some mate during quiet time and thought I'd post some random photos...

***

Matty sent this beautiful shirt for Edie, but it fits Vera perfect right now. I knew if I suggested she wear it, she wouldn't. I've learned to just put something new in her drawer and let her discover it :)

the other day I looked back and was really struck at what a big girl she is!!

wearing an old bonnet from when I was a baby:

checking out that cute baby in the mirror:

she loved the little dog figurines Lola sent:

talking to the baby on the yogurt cup:

someone in my brother's neighborhood has a baby zebra in their yard. I do not know how they got it, but it sure is cute!!

***

*la fiesta

We had a fun, simple little party for Edie with a few friends and neighbors. She, of course, had no clue, but definitely had a great time.

waiting for the guests to arrive:

Below is Edie's newest baby friend, Jubilee. That night when we prayed before dinner, thanking God for Edie, Vera interrupted saying she needed to tell Jesus one more thing: "and thank you for baby Jubilee" :) Edie is sometimes interested in the baby and sometimes doesn't see her at all :) It's been fun seeing the age gap close between her and Fiona [above, center]. It makes me so happy to see my girls connect and have little friends.

Some coconut cupcakes frozen from Vera's party, some carrot cake from my bday and a few store-bought chocolate cupcakes - nice and easy :)

She thought about the chocolate for a minute, but opted for the Barefoot Contessa coconut - that's my girl! It was quite a big cupcake, but she ate the entire thing.

I've had this felt for like 3 years and about an hour before the party thought I'd make a little birthday headband. It took literally 5 minutes! She looked pretty cute.

Vera was so happy for it to be Edie's birthday - such a great big sister.

*feliz

Happy Birthday little Eden Violet Siu-Lan!

I will elaborate later, but we are just so grateful for this little sweetheart.

*el perrito

In the last couple weeks Edie has really grown attached to Puppy. Puppy was one of the original trio along with Bunny and Monkey [Ben and I are as into the loveys as our kids are. and obviously we are very creative with their names]. She does love Becca Bunny, but when you lay her down in bed she will toss all other animals aside to snuggle up with Puppy. Tomorrow I need to make sure he's not in the same room when we start a meal or her bath because she freaks out if you try to remove him. It's so sweet - seeing a baby attach to something like that and find such comfort in it.

♥

*field trips

Families from Vera's preschool have been taking a little field trip every Wednesday. I've really enjoyed it - sometimes without a scheduled or purposeful outing I end up wasting the day around the house. I also really like all the other moms and love just getting out and talking to people. ALSO we live in an absolutely amazing place with so many things to do.

The first one was to the Snowbird ski resort where we rode the tram up and then walked around on top of the mountain. It was so incredibly beautiful!! I really love these mountains.

Another one we went to This is the Place heritage park. Basically where "Brother Brigham" saw the Salt Lake valley and decided they'd found the promised land. Or something like that. It would have been fun to have Ben along to add more historical knowledge - there's some interesting and fascinating things he's learned that you don't necessarily learn on your tour at Temple Square! Anyway, it was really a neat place - they got to see how they lived in the old times, got to pan for gold, see a working blacksmith shop, ride a pony and pet some animals.

Vera plowing:

washing and ironing the linens:

holy cow this bunny was so cute. teeny teeny tiny!

unfortunately it was behind wire mesh and I couldn't hold it.

The schoolhouse was really neat. I wished Vera had worn her sweet little yellow Little House on the Prairie dress.

This week was up at Silver Lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon. We've done this little walk several times - it was fun to reminisce: the first time when I was pregnant with Vera, once when she was a month or two old and we saw a big bull moose just off the path [along with crazy tourists approaching it to take pictures!!], the time we went with the Hunts and our cute little toddlers had such a good time together... It was raining and storming in the valley, but I decided to go anyway. I figured at least we'd see the Fall colors before the snowstorm later this week wipes it away. It rained the whole way up, was clear for our walk, and then rained the drive down - perfect!