handwritten on April 10, 2024
Time has passed by so quickly that we had to lump the 10 & 11 month blog into one! However, we give ourselves grace as we are in the midst of tying up many loose ends as we prepare for our move and other "big-life" contempations. These two months for you were like the ultimate "garden months." You blossomed and grew at such a rate that we honestly didn't even have time to reflect on the garden and write it all down.
You began to say small words and right now everything is "egg." This came in perfect time for Easter where you managed to label absolutely everything in sight with "egg." You can still say baba very clearly and have started to say "duck" and sometimes "dog" as well as "ma"...
handwritten on March 24, 2024
Yesterday I was able to attend the first truly meaningful educational PD in many years inspired by Mr. Rogers and held at my sister-in-law's wonderful school. The school itself is a masterpiece (and even that is an understatement.) I suppose I do wish that educators would be granted more of these opportunities for the sake of inspiration and wonder. However, I think back to when I was actually in a classroom (the past eight years) and I wonder sometimes if we are just too tired to wonder and that in itself makes my heart a bit sad. There were so many meaningful conversations and though I was not able to attend all sessions, I did feel truly warm listening to the stories of many educators...
handwritten on March 5, 2024
Dearest Luna Mae,
We are late to the game on this one, but Happy Nine Months! Nine months may have been one of those most growing months of all the months. There have been so many new developments. You started crawling this month and you absolutely love being able to get around now and pick up new crumbs whenever you feel like it. We definitely developed some serious stranger danger this month, but once you are around new people for a little bit, you are just fine. You are a very curious and insightful little nugget, and you like to study everyone's face and expression and the world around you. You still love nature and have enjoyed a good two hour long walk this month and sometimes more...
handwritten on January 2, 2024
Dearest Luna Mae Zhu,
Happy Eight Months to you! What a beautiful month this has been with upcoming holiday celebrations, holiday music in the mornings, extra coffee for mommy, your first ever Christmas tree, new solid foods and so much more. This month there have been so many changes, we simply don't know where to start. You still love your bottle, but we just started trying a sippy cup with a little water, and you are loving the "adult-like" nature of the cup. You open your mouth and want to try anything we are eating. You seem to love solid foods more and more. We have tried and really like apples, bluberries, strawberries, pears and peaches. We don't love bananas (a girl after mommy's...
handwritten on December 23, 2023
In thinking about 2023 with the greatest of gratitude, here are 23 lessons, quotes, truths we have learned collectively as a family that we hope to take with us in 2024.
1. Love cares more about who is hurting than who is watching.
2. Love is presence not presents.
3. Sometimes your plan simply wasn't the right plan. Sometimes-there is something even better waiting.
4. Gratitude creates feathers of hope.
5. Adventure requires faith and that isn't always easy.
6. The future is always exciting to think about but if you think too much, you miss out on the precious present. Value your time.
7. We are always becoming better versions of ourselves. It takes a lifetime.
8. As long as love is...
