Catching Up: WV and The Dalai Lama

It's been a busy few weeks and I've been a horrible blogger. To all those who regularly check for updates, I apologize and present the following pix, stories and ramblings as penance.

As I said, it's been busy at the Nelson household. Two weeks ago we made a last minute trip to the West VA cabin to celebrate Aria's cousin's 17th birthday. I was not easily convinced to take another roadtrip after the trauma of the last drive, but finally relented so as not to disappoint the birthday girl or her doting uncle. Plus, opportunities for Aria to see her far-away family are few and far between.

We set out much earlier this time, seeking to avoid the dreaded fussy hours of late afternoon and happily, the drive went much more smoothly. We had a great time hanging out with everyone and especially enjoyed our visit to Seneca Rocks - a beautiful park probably best known for it's rockclimbing, but with great hiking trails as well. (The Bugaboo was amazing on the gravel and dirt hiking trails.)

It was a full-circle kind of trip to the Rocks. We spent last Thanksgiving at the same place. At 4 months pregnant I stood on a little foot bridge in the middle of the woods with golden leaves raining down and a waterfall rushing behind me. This time, a now very present Aria Grace was just about to turn 5 months old. Though the waterfall was only just drizzling down the rocks this year (due to severe drought in the area) the leaves again rained down through rays of sunlight, creating an ethereal atmosphere.




This week Aria and I made another last minute trip (this time local) down to the Capitol lawn to see a public address given by the Dalai Lama. It was a beautiful day on the Capitol lawn. Aria played in the grass for the first time while His Holiness delivered a message of peace and nonviolence, a message so refreshing in a country that often takes a very different approach. I treasure the opportunity to expose Aria to such a message, even at this young age. Teaching values such as these early on will hopefully instill them into her moral fabric, allowing her to appreciate an approach to life that is less confrontational and judgmental than so many in this world utilize.

The Dalai Lama on the JumboTron

Aria on the Capitol lawn

Fake Coughs & Raspberries

This week in Aria sports...

Each day seems to bring something new to Aria's repertoire. This week she's mimicking like crazy and as such, is learning new sounds almost daily. There's the fake cough (I taught her that) and the raspberry (courtesy of Dad). Then there's the raspberry with her tongue sticking out (a Mom-Dad hybrid), currently in development. These are in addition to the babbling sounds ("ya ya ya ya ya ya ya"). She gets "stuck" on a sound for a day or so, fake coughing or raspberry-ing whenever she makes eye contact or to get attention, practicing each sound until it's perfect and she's able to do it with both ease and passion.




In addition to sounds, the lady's getting more mobile. Not quite crawling yet, Aria scoots forward like an inchworm - sticking her butt in the air and pushing with her feet, her head and belly on the ground. A bit slow, but effective none the less, especially when teamed with a couple rolls this way or that to move her to the left or right.