Sunday, July 19, 2009

Uintas Confession

Read about my recent trip to the Uintas over on my family outdoors blog.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Gilgal Made Over

I paid another visit to one of my favorite places in Salt Lake City. I blogged about it before, here, but it's really worth re-visiting (literally and figuratively). My friend Katie was in town and we met for dinner then headed over to check it out. It was Bailey's first time there too, though I know we'll be going many times.

I was a little bit sad that Gilgal Gardens seems to have gotten a makeover recently. I dislike that kind of thing because makeovers have a way of bringing more people around when you want to keep a place all to yourself (like why did they ever decide to pave the road into Maple Canyon??). But I can't exactly say that I didn't enjoy all the fresh flowers around either, or that they didn't add to the beauty and overall exotic-ness of the place. Bailey loved the flowers too so I couldn't be upset about them, though I fondly recall hopping over the torn fence the first time I visited it in a more dilapidated condition.

In the photo below I'm pointing out an inscription I particularly like, one that I had at one time kept memorized because I loved it so, and have of course forgotten even after the reminder the other night.


Bailey tried reading some rocks too : )


See Katie's complete set of Gilgal Garden photos here, including the infamous Joseph Smith sphinx and the creator's sculpture of himself.

Already becoming so Bailey

It's amazing to me how Bailey has already developed so much personality and individuality. She just hit 11 months and part of me already has anxiety about the 1 year mark and what that means (I'm thinking of titling that blog "365 sleepless nights"). But I do love getting to know her and who she is and more about who she will be as she becomes more of her own person!

Right now Bailey's favorite thing to do is still to unload a drawer, cabinet, bag, purse, etc. as seen in this photo:
IMG_3558

Her favorite place to be is anywhere outside.

She says "Uh-oh" and "ball" really well and clearly understands what each of them means. She points up in the air every time she hears an airplane even when we are indoors. She "barks" back at the dogs when she hears one outside.

She still just has the bottom two teeth, but is anxious to eat anything and everything in sight, especially if it is going in someone's mouth. I can see the beginnings of one of her top teeth now and I think it won't be too long before it breaks through.

She still hasn't slept through the night. (Well one time she did, when we were camping, but I do not count what was an extreme outlier in her patterns, and anyway I couldn't sleep out of paranoia about the fact that she was actually still sleeping. That and also because her all-time worst night of sleeping was also on a camping trip. The two nights pretty much just cancel each other out.)

She takes two naps a day on days where I care for her at home though she's a bit more stubborn about doing it on day-care days, those days she might take a short snooze in the car when Daddy picks her up. I would like her to sleep through the night of course, but I've stopped hoping for it and stopped thinking it was entirely realistic though common at this age. I am dealing with it quite well I think except that I've become a bit neurotic about the way the sheets should be on the bed. : )

Bailey is starting to give cuddles more and more too despite the fact that she's such a wiggle worm at play. She occasionally will draw back from me and then lean in and lay her head down on my shoulder. It's so sweet. My friend Katie took these photos of Bailey giving me a hug outside a restaurant the other day and also one that really captured Bailey's bright blue eyes and white hair and tan arms. Thank you Katie I love these!