Potty Time!

Today Aria went pee-pee in the potty for the very first time! We are so proud of her!

With the help of Elmo (Elmo's Potty Time) and Prudence (Once Upon a Potty) we've been talking about the process for a couple of weeks and trying out her potty every day. Today was the first time she actually used it!

Congratulations, Aria Grace!

Note: To preserve Aria's dignity now and in the future there will be no pictures of her potty time. To preserve what's left of our dignity, we will also not take photos of her pee-pee or poo-poo (or if we do, we won't post them here. =P)

Inauguration 2009

Independence Ave running along side Capitol...

See the crowd in front of us and far in the distance.

Crowds.

More crowds.

Still more crowds.

Keith in front of the Rayburn House Office Building, across from the Capitol.

Aria's in the stroller, asleep.

The celebratory couple.

You can just make out the crowds through the trees. We could hear the cheers.

President Barack Obama's Inauguration Speech 2009.

We warmed up, grabbed some burgers (yes, mine was veg) and watched the swearing in
on the floor of Good Stuff Eatery on the Hill.

Michelle Obama on one of several big screens at Good Stuff.

Throngs returning from the Capitol.

Life with Aria Is a Blur

Running through our local coffee shop

When Aria was born I didn't immediately realize how early one's personality begins to show. I now know that a baby's uniqueness can display itself the moment she is born - from how hard she cries to whether she is awake and alert and watching her surroundings or sleeping peacefully for hours. Does she sleep in one spot or spin in her crib? Does she lay or sit quietly on a blanket on the floor or squirm and scoot and wind up half way across the room before she can even crawl?

Mirrortime in Mama's apron

Rocking in the rocking chair in Mama's apron

Aria cried passionately and watched intently and rolled over the very first night she was born. She hasn't stopped moving since. I often look with wonder and awe at a baby that can be placed on a blanket on the floor while mom makes dinner or straightens up or has a cup of coffee. This was never my girl. And while it's exhausting at times, it's also exhilarating and creatively challenging and just plain fun.

Running through the house is a favorite pasttime...
up and down the halls, over and over again,
giggling and laughing and screaming all the way.
Playing hide and seek and peekaboo,
she loves being chased.

Spinning in Mama's apron

An attempted closeup

Our life, in pictures, shows Aria on the move. And that's the way it is; keep up or she'll leave you behind. She has her moments of quiet play and loves to read, but still the mind is always going. "Play hard, live big" seems to be her motto. And while I do occasionally yearn for a portrait that is not blurry from movement (or a quiet cup of coffee), these too show precious moments of our girl in action, passionately committed to whatever she's doing without concern for who might be looking. This is real life, lived large.

More interested in seeing how the camera works than in being the object of the photo.

Long, uncrowded walkways and brightly colored aquariums full of fish and turtles, oh my!
The DC aquarium is an active toddler's dream.