Pink in the Eye.

 Natalia, you are so awesome that on your first day of daycare you smiled pretty and had a great day.  Now three weeks later, you missed your first day with pink eye.  It cleared up by this afternoon and you get to see the gang tomorrow.  But what's super about this is that around 2 o'clock, Ms. Nancy called to find out how you were because she and the gals missed you.  You are awesome!

Kisses to You.

Natalia,
I write this to you.  We have had a beautifully terrific time together these past 7 months.  From the first cold day in January when you held your papa's finger and arrived in this world with Gwen leading the way showing us your full head of hair- you have been our love, our pleasure, and our fascination.  You are fun to watch and fun to see change before our eyes.
Being with you these first months has been something I will cherish and forever hold near and dear to my heart.  We cuddled, we cried, we giggled, we stood, we sat, we walked and we waited out a winter time.  We hung with Oma and we waited for Papa.  We met with friends and met new friends.  We got to know each other and we both got to fall in love.
Tonight while sitting outside giving you your "dinner" of bottle, we talked about what Sunday nights mean when both Mama and Papa go to work the next day.  You were chill, as per usual, and you looked me in the eye with a look of "I am listening".  We giggled and you dropped your bottle.  I am excited to send you to daycare independence tomorrow and look forward to finding out all the new things you enjoy, do, and people you meet.  Soon, very soon, you will open your mouth with words and we will get to know what you have been thinking about all these months.  We can't wait, but feel free to take it slowly, girl.
Kisses of love to you, Sweet Nibbles.

Sweet Potato for you, Sweet Cakes.

Today, you, Natalia ate an entire 4 ounces- that's half a cup, of sweet potato in your Papa's old high chair.  Get it, girl!

Firsts

There have been many first over the past few months, Ms. Natalia.  This past week has proven to be a super fun one and a big one.  You got to be there when you Auntie Denise got married, you got to go down to Seaside with Mama and Papa.  There have been many a night that we sat at the Bud and Alley's overlooking the gulf, wondering about you and when you might join us on our trip down south.  You have been a total blast and I would like to share some of your most recent firsts with you.
You are now a consistent and gentle roller.  You mastered it just outside of Nashville, Tennessee where the Holiday Inn Express rocked your world with the most interesting TV remote that you had to roll and twist you way to press on it,  Now, its official.  You roll, yea!
You also had the chance to take your first long, long, long trip.  We stopped and hung out in Kentucky in the grass, Tennessee in the grass, a Starbucks parking lot in Indianapolis, and a crazy Cracker Barrel in Alabama.  You were fantastic in each and were the best in Greenville.  Here you dipped in the pool, cracked up like you never had before sitting in the pillows of a really super huge king sized bed, and then out to diner where you sat in your first high chair.
At Seaside, we were able to spend the first two nights there just the three of us- sorry, Bup.  We BBQ'd outside, stroller rode, and spent our entire days in the sand and at the beach.  You let your feet rub in the sand and you let us take you out into the Gulf of Mexico.  You even fell asleep in your Papa's arms as the waves lulled you to sleep.  Then everyone showed up and you were there to have blast with Oma and Opa, Denise and Tom, and all of the Lushinas.  You went out to dinner and were captivated and captivating to all the little people there.  On the walk home, you saw your first fireworks and heard your first toads croaking in the stream.  You saw the sunset over the Gulf and swung in hammocks with Aunt Denise.  You spent an afternoon with Oma and Opa and were left alone to be with Opa and he had a total blast playing with you on the floor.  It warmed my heart to see him there with you, flying solo.  He did a great job- unsuprisingly.  You made it through your first wedding attendance and sat through dinner and fireworks.  It was a big trip and ended with you home, safe and sound, super tired, and at the pool like a pro 2 days later.

First Easter

Natalia, you welcomed the Easter Bunny in fine form this year. Upon your wake up, Peter Rabbit, has laid 2 baskets in your crib for you to find. Inside was a new Easter Dress, some rocking floral diapers, leg warmers, and vegetable toys with finger puppets. He even left Mama and Papa some chocolate bunnies. Yum. There were four eggs in your baskets, one for you, Mama, Papa, and Bup. We ate them well and sent the leftovers with Papa back to work on Monday.
You went to church for the first time and sat with Oma and Opa and went over to their house for some delicious formula in a bottle, a nice nap, and some cuddle time with Opa. It was a glorious day and we all had a great time. You liked the music of the church and were taken by the things hanging on the walls. You really liked holding Opa's finger while he sang in his dep voice. It made you laugh later on when he spoke to you at the dinner table... you just giggled at him. We think you like his deep voice. Its gotta sound funny to you. Its a nice voice that me, you Mama, grew up hearing and loving for years and years and years. Now I smile whenever I hear it on a recorded message on our telephone. Will you get recorded messages on you telephone when you are older or will there be some cosmic sort of invention we cant even imagine yet? Hmmm, we wonder.
It was a good day followed by a visit from Grandma Phipps and Pilot. The three of you had your own Saturday while Papa and I went out on a date. Grandma Phipps sang you songs and played with you all day. She continued to add to you BG's club membership. She had a blast and you were all smiles when we got home. You also got a visit form the Crummey-Yearson Clan. Valentin sang you songs and played with your toes, Willa just petter your head, and Hopso- he smiled a whole lot. Steve and Naomi held you tight and cuddled enjoying your greatness and cute exterior, too.

Your Grandpa, Wild Bill

Dear Natalia,
You have two wonderful Grandpas. One Grandpa you get to see and the other Grandpa you get to think about and imagine. Let me tell you a little more about him so every time you lock eyes with his painting in the living room, you can chew on this:
Wild Bill, as I loved to call him, was a kind and gentle man who loved his wife and his family dearly. He was quiet and very thoughful and sometimes, yelling down Michigan Avenue out of a car window. When the mood struck him, he did it- especially in the later times. He loved his OH state games and chowed on popcorn. Next time your Papa eats popcorn, either of your uncles, or even cousin Jupiter, watch how they do it. That's the Phipps way, modeled through the generation by your Grandpa Phipps.
Your Grandpa Phipps spent his childhood in Kentucky flying through the muck, fields, sports fields as a water boy, and generally being a KY boy. He met your Grandama Phipps at a dance when she blew smoke in hs face to be pretty. Thank goodness she is/was pretty without the smoke, because years later she quit that nonesense. Anyhow... Grandpa Phipps went to school just up the lake from where you live now and thought a lot about godliness, holiness, and the general philosphy of life. He was always searching, Grandma Phipps has said. Searching to understand and searching to have explanations for the unexplained. He loved Jung and believed in the power of positive thinking and avoiding the words and attitude of "shoulds". he asked a lot of questions of himself and others.
He was also super silly. Giggling with Papa throughout childhood, cracking silly jokes with Aunt Betty and being a hambone every day. He made your Papa and Uncles Mark and David very happy children. If your Papa is even half the father that Grandpa Phipps was- your are one lucky gal!
We love him, miss him, and think about him whenever the cardinal sings of the painting wiggles in the breeze on the wall!

History.

Psst- This post also will go to littlechompers.blogspot.com for you to have, Natalia.
Today was Natalia's first trip to Cary to visit Oma and Grandpa in their own space and where I grew up as a little girl. I gotta say. It was a nice visit and I was very aware of the fact that that particular trip had history. This history nailed me smack dab center in the middle of my face on the drive home. Life is so interesting. I spent the day with Noah, in my childhood home, in the place where I sat for years on the rug, had many a Sunday dinner, and spent it chatting with my mom and dad. As a girl, I never was they type to "dream about my wedding day" or "dream about when I have kids"... I just assumed they would happen. Now both of these things are happening. I have a daughter and she spent the day where I spent my days as a kid. I can remember as a kid going to Ohio to Grandma's and being so interesting in knowing that this was the same bedroom my dad slept in as a boy, this was the same backyard he chased his dogs back and forth, this was the same place Dad had fun as a kid. When we would go to Pennsylvania, it was a little bit different. The location was not Mom's childhood growing up place, but it was the family traditions that stuck out. I knew mom always had those german s-shaped cookies and almonds with Omama and we would often have her at Oma's table and eat those cookies and visit Erna and snack on almonds. Fascinating, touching, and very circular. Next weekend, we take her to Ohio to meet her cousins, aunts, uncles, and visit Grandma. All of this in Noah's hometown.

The history also took on a sweet taste today- this is Noah's version of the historical this afternoon. He was so aware of the fact that we stopped at Ambrosia on the way to Mom and Dad's. This is the bakery that I, "Mama", used to work at as a late teenager. We spent some time talking with Debbie and waved to her daughter working behind the glass in the kitchen. This is the same daughter that was an infant in a car seat when I was working there who had been born when I was putting together that morning's Pain de Chocolat. This was the same place that we spent afternoons talking about college and being in love. This is where Natalia soaked in the smells and sights of Ambrosia and the sweet vibes of Debbie. All this ended with a nice clear out of the bakery case, two filled bags of goodies, tarts, and treats. Many of these goodies got shoveled into "Papa's" mouth on the couch I knew as a child. Hee hee. Delicious.