Memorial Day: Backyard Landscaping

We had a very busy memorial day weekend, making it to both Osceola, and Danbury, and then home buy Sunday evening. My goal was to spread the remaining mulch around our existing beds... but combined with how much mulch we still had left over, and how nice the day was, I got quite ambitious.

I realized that with the garage roof was done, and the Elm tree was down, we were ready to finally plant around our garage and along the neighbors garage. With a healthy mix of planning and impulsiveness I set off to digging. And then off to Gertens for a completely full pickup truck of plants and shrubs.

Black tube sox with shorts... killer combo. Ignore me - Mia wiggling nonstop is again the highlight.

Memorial Day Landscaping - Timelapse from Nathan on Vimeo.

All of this rain we have been getting recently has actually been great for everything we planted. Once its nicer out - I will post some better before and after pictures.

There is no way we could have done all of this in a day without Sandy's help. And thanks to Grandma Peg for sweeping off out porch, and Kathy for making us Dinner. My imagination works at this speed, always forgetting that everything takes longer to do than I think it will.

In other news, Mia is officially crawling. This morning as mol went down the stairs, Mia went crawling after, and I did a test to see, what Mia would do when she got to the stairs. : ) I was of course right there, and she didn't even slow down, in a way she kind of threw her arms out, like she was going to penguin slide down the stairs. (Mia would have made an excellent penguin, in the last month before finally crawling she perfected the belly swimming in place move.)

While installing the gate at the top of the stairs last night was good timing, it marks the transition into the next stage of parenthood. My good friend Andrew explained it really well... "there is absolutely no instinct for self preservation, that is all on us now."

No matter, just as with the added responsibilities and stress that came with each milestone we already passed - each day also brings the small moments that fill my heart and blow my mind. A new giggle, clapping her hands, or maybe even waving at me as I left for work.

Swimming Pool

Last weekend Mia got to play in her first kiddie pool. She absolutely loves the water! It seems like She will be crawling any minute now, but I am not in any hurry if she isn't.

One of my favorite times of the day is plopping her in the middle of our bed in the morning while we get ready for work. Neither molly or I are morning people - but it seems like Mia's happiest. She is laughs, and screams, and shows off the latest noise she learned how to make.

Its like natural coffee.

Pretty soon she is going to be chasing us around the floor.







Her bottom two teeth are really coming through - she of course still loves chewing on anything she gets her hand on - teething biscuits are her favorite.





Here is a link to the full album

7 Months

Just when I was finally starting to come to grasp with becoming a parent, I can sense that a lot is going to change soon. I have found myself sharing with a lot of new or soon to be parents, about how the feeling of "it hasn't hit me yet" just keeps evolving. It started with "it just hasn't hit me yet that my wife is pregnant." And keeps changing with each milestone, that I am a Dad, or that I have a 1 month old, and so on.

One of the many things that take getting used too is all of the attention babies get when we go out. People just can't help but smile and stare. Like having a puppy but even more so.

Mia has up to this point been amazing going out wherever we are going. We had a chance to catch up with some old friends who hadn't yet met her - which made it funny having to use the classic parent line... "sorry... she is never like this, this is so new for her..." This time it was actually true. For the first time she was not content just sitting there smiling, and her own toys had no chance at keeping her attention - having to compete with all the fun stuff on the dinner table. When Mol took a spoon away from her - she actually cried and pouted about it. Right then I thought to myself uh-oh the honeymoon is over. I have to actually be a parent now. I am going to savor these last few moments before she learns to move around on her own. I do however, love how the stress of each new milestone is tempered with pride for what she can now do. Her first two bottom teeth are popped through, and she is now sitting up by her self just fine.

On the side I have been launching my photography business, which has been interesting and a lot of fun so far. My main goal is to ensure that I don't let the business part take the fun out of it. One side effect I am noticing is a hesitancy to take more candid causal pictures of us just living. As if now that I am "going pro" - all my pictures have to look it.

We had a blast on our date night - All you can eat sushi at Seven in Mpls. is only $30 on Sundays. Then the Jonsi concert went above and beyond my already high expectations. Because it was his solo album I wasn't expecting a full band for some reason. But there was, and the drummer was nothing short of world class. I could barely contain myself in my chair. The visual effects were like nothing I had seen, there were many times I just sat in complete shock of the complexity of the audio and visual stimulation.

I love being inspired when I get a chance to see people so in their element doing exactly what they were meant to do. So yesterday on a whim I took Mia for a walk to the park to take some pictures of her sitting up on her own. It was a good reminder for me that its when I let go of what I know how to do, and experiment with a new technique - without expectation - is when I have the most fun.

From Sitting in the park

From Sitting in the park

From Sitting in the park

Range of Expression

Perspective is Everything

From Como Zoo

Full Album Here

Life in Fast Forward

Its hard to believe Mia is 6 months already! (tomorrow) I think this first year of her life will seem like the fastest year of mine. She is doing really well, almost sitting up by herself, hasn't quite figured out how to roll from her stomach to back. But I think what I am most grateful for is her unique personality. She can entertain a whole room with her random outbursts, laughter, and screams - much like her mother. Then at other times she is perfectly content, just observing from the corner, quietly taking it all in - like her Dad. She has allowed us to maintain somewhat of a social life, by being so laid back - Thanks Mia.

She has also been very interested in big people food lately - so we decided to start her on rice cereal when Mol got back from Mexico. In classic new parent form - we had to video tape it. Its really not that interesting - so I sped it up - and put it to a song by Phoenix, that we are rocking out to on a daily basis. (on the rockin new kitchen speakers, which I love more everyday.) And the good news is Mol loves them too.

With spring in the air - we went to explore getting a new stroller. Even though mol and I do not run we wanted something with big wheels that can be used at the cabins. There was only the floor model left of the one we liked with 20% off plus being on clearance... Plus we squeezed them for another $10 off because the pedometer was broken... We couldn't pass up a deal that sweet. Mia seems to like it - she loves being able to look around.

If you are snob like me - you can watch it in HD at Vimeo.

In some ways this video is an analogy, for the last six months - a blur at times, with moments of pure bliss, that really stick with me.

Left to my own Devices

So with Mol in Mexico - Mia is stuck wearing far more practical outfits than cute. And I am catching a small glimpse of how hard it would be to be a single parent. I qualify it as a very small glimpse because I am getting plenty of help - tonight will be the only dinner I will have cooked for myself. (Leftovers from last nights meal cooked by Erik and Mady)

Mol has the camera with her - so the low res iPhone pics will have to suffice.

I had to try and tackle a project that I could get done in one day. Luckily Mady helped to watch Mia while my brother and I went down to the shop to make this sweet speaker shelf above the kitchen sink. It was't complicated but I knew it had to be exact in order to be worth the effort at all (and not get the veto from Mol when she returns.)

I love it when stuff just works. I think most of you have seen me demo the iPhone app - Remote - in my basement. Its great - but I have found I don't listen to much music in the basement. I have wanted to put another "zone" in the kitchen for a while - I kept getting stuck on wanting to put the speakers on the cabinet opposite the sink - but there is no power in that wall. Saturday I even started down the path of installing an outlet up through that wall, but quickly realized that would have been more than a day project. So I can give the rest of the placement specific later if anyone cares - the important part is how simple the technology is. And cheap when compared to other marketed solutions like the Bose Sound Link ($550) or SONOS ($1000).

Because I already have the iPhone and a wireless router (which most normal people already have :) - adding a wireless music "zone" is only $200.

The key components: Apple Airport Express ($99) and the Bose Companion 2 Speakers ($89)

What makes the Airport Express so clutch is its built in headphone style audio output jack. And while every other Bose product is way over priced - the Companion series isn't - and still sounds amazing. Even better than the super popular iPod dock speakers.

Now - with my iPhone - I can choose which rooms I want music in - (computer, basement, and kitchen.)

On a cute note - Mol had me record a video of her reading a book - for me to play to Mia while she is gone. She absolutely loves it - she giggles in this cute half laugh half cry - like oh I am happy to see you, but I miss you too...