Berit in Summer and With Friends

At her first ex-utero outdoor concert (at Chester Bowl) -- she LOVED it!

Ready for school!

Berit and Greta - and the baby holders - hanging out at bookclub

Berit and her new friend/basketball teammate - Clara

Berit, Elizabeth and Madeline 

Berit in her new tunnel - going through without fear 

Bear enjoying the grass

and splashing in her dog's water

sunning in the shade and eating Parenting magazine

Loving it up with Kaenan

My daughter

Berit continues to amaze me. She is pretty opinionated and bossy, but so funny that she can get away with it. Her comedic timing is spot on. I see great things for her -- but I suppose that's what mothers are for.

Furrowed brows --- all the time!

Whatcha looking at?

Here she is waiting to walk the dogs. Soon she will push me in the stroller at the same time.

Last week she popped out two teeth: the first on Friday night and the second on Saturday night.  She is a tough little kid!  That's number three and four.  They are on the upper sides (eye teeth?) and not in the middle as expected.  The first two (bottom middle) came many months ago and we kept expecting there would be more.  She'd be restless and chewing on everything and yet, no teeth. Wouldn't you know, as soon as we stopped using teething as the excuse, out they came!

It meant no sleep for most of us (especially me) for three nights in a row (continued on through Sunday for good measure) so I started the week exhausted and got sick by Monday night.  BUT, my kid has four teeth.  She is so advanced...

Finally summer is here: the weekend of teeth was also the weekend of lots of warm air and sleeping with the windows open!  We celebrated by working on the cabin.  Mostly I picked up wood scraps and unburied worms and Pete dug holes and worked up a LOT of black flies.

Everything is so GREEN

Bear enjoying summer

And sucking an ice cube to ease her new vampire teeth

Between so many friends having new babies in the last two months and recollecting about the last time I was "working" at the cabin, with a belly so large I could hardly bend down to pick up anything, it made me a bit nostalgic for last summer.  Not that I miss being pregnant!  But more, that I have already forgotten what life was like before Berit arrived.

Here are few choice memories:

Me: at eight months -- maybe this was an early sign of Berit's perfectly round head?

I could drive with all three fur kids in the car -- and room to spare!

Pete could take off fishing...

And there was the hair!  Just before it got cut...

Spring Time

Duluth has experienced a chilly spring and after feeling cooped up all winter -- and having an extra mild spring the year before -- has made for a dismal few months.  The title is spring and it is a day from June!

Heading out to walk the dogs

Getting out for walks with the dogs has become an easier process since Berit requires less bundling and thus, less restrictive binding (which has a tendency to cause her to protest vehemently) --- but it has only been the last week or two that we have been able to sit outside enjoyably.

I got some flowers and began filling the pots; Berit loved the greenhouse -- must be all that warm, fragrant air.

Momma plants while Bear oversees

She is contemplating whether pine cones are edible

Bear's minions stand at the ready

Having some banana; everything tastes better outside!

Berit does a great job of taking naps, if you follow the routine -- there's a lot of drone-yelling, followed up by the fuzz white noise, ipod on shuffle, swing (which can barely move her these days) and some healthy shushing.  Once she is out, you can expect it to last an hour to two.

Waking up from a nap

Maybe she woke up a little too early?

Seconds later after realizing we're going for a walk

No girl is complete without an I-phone

Of course planting was not a one day affair -- the weather was not that cooperative (it is Duluth after all!)   Bear seemed more comfortable with bare feet on the grass and mud this time.

"No, seriously mom, I need to eat this dirt!"

Three grass loungers and their toys

Big Lingo and his little bear

Berit loves getting the dogs' attention...

Here they are putting on a show for her in response.

Pulling up dandelions

Not all that happy that she can't eat them

success!

Berit Eight Months (yes, already)

What does Berit do this month?

- Tries to wave, when coached and even then, I wonder if it is authentic.

- Sleeps great at night, then not so great at night.

- Takes regular morning and afternoon naps.

- Loves watching big kids.

- Adores her dogs.

- Fake clears her throat to get the attention of her dogs or papa.

- Sniffs like the dogs and scrunches up her nose (so so cute)

- Has almost perfected her pincher grasp and loves holding objects in one hand and passing to the other

- Pulls herself to standing all the time.

- Would rather be standing or walking with hands or jumping than just about anything.

- Does not crawl (yes, we know about the alleged correlation with reading.)

- Turns from table to parent and back (standing on her own)

- Loves going for walks (squeals in unison with the dogs' barks)

Sometimes she can't be bothered to sit still, even for a quick photo

Can be such a serious kid

So much taller than Wolfie!

On her own!

Ready to move!

One hand on momma and one on Wolfie -- seems steady...

Momma's two little babies

Yukon the protector and Lingo the best friend (Sitka is graciously allowing her tail to be the toy)

Berit goes vertical...

That's the latest craze: upright is good, on her back and you may as well be water-boarding her.  This makes for some incredibly interesting diaper-changing techniques, and a number of failures too.

Berit goes for the "unassist" with Nama Debbie

Hanging in the Binger saucer -- where she strengthens her legs

Bear is also enjoying "real people" food.  There a number of foods she isn't a fan of such as peas (what?!) avocado, and plain yogurt.  A little accidental taste of papa's strawberry Greek yogurt demonstrated that it might be the tangy flavor of plain that she doesn't like.

Sweet potato and banana continue to be favorites.

Whole peeled apples are delicious!

But sometimes a little tart

Not like a sweet banana

Big cheekful -- don't worry, most of that got spit out

 With Uncle Woody in Alaska, we are babysitting the KTM for the summer.  Since Pete still has the KLR (now supplemented with the Fat Bob) there are actually three motorcycles in the garage: one for each of us.  Looks like Berit and her papa will have to flip a coin...

Bear's starting the hogs young

 We came across a garage sale on one of our recent walks; I thought we got the piano for Berit...

Lingo apparently had other ideas. (Along with controlling the remote!)

Our lovely neighbor Pat gave Berit this watermelon hat.  Here we are trying it out in our pajamas!

Berit is checking the helium levels

Can you tell she's a fireman's little girl?