Hiking Class

Avi and I have been taking a hiking class via the local adult education program for 4 months now. Avi loves to hike! Well, more aptly put, Avi loves to have mommy hike while she either looks at all the beautiful nature on the Central Coast or sleeps soundly while mommy sweats up hills and toils down trails.

Avi and Maren are on the bottom left. See Avi's smile? (Cousins Kendall and Sarah are right above and to the left of Avi.) Usually, our class is not this large, but we had a great turn-out this day. Unfortunately, it was also the day that we hiked through mud, creeks, and poison oak (which one mom contracted). Otherwise, it was a beautiful day! Reservoir Canyon Waterfall is in the background.

Beautiful Baby contest

Avi has officially been entered into her first "beauty contest." I promised myself I wouldn't torture Avi with contest and beauty pagents and the like (unless she specifically wants these things), and I've already caved. Well, I've got a good excuse, the grand prize for this "Beautiful Baby" contest is $125,000 cash for college! So, if Avi makes it to the finals, I will be emailing everyone I know to have them vote for Avi. Here's the image we used, it was taken about 4 days ago.

Watch out Tyra Banks, Avi's beautiful (and she doesn't even need to take her clothes off to prove it)!

Why Avi's Cool, #25

Avi doesn't have fear. Only trust. Loud noises don't scare her, dropped metal pots on ceramic tile floors don't phase her. She can fall asleep during fireworks. When you play games of throwing her up in the air, she doesn't worry that you might drop her, only delight shows on her face. She knows no fear, she trusts.

Imagine if we could regain just a fraction of trust that all will be alright.

Avi you teach me profound lessons. You rock!

Love, your Mama

Why Avi's Cool, #14

Avi's cool because every time she looks in the mirror at herself, she smiles. No self-consciousness, no self-loathing or self-deprecation, just pure happiness. She sees a baby in the reflection, seeing the baby makes her happy, she smiles; it is that simple.

Imagine if we were all that cool about our self-image.

Avi you rock.

Traveling with Baby.

Avi, asleep like an angel, on daddy's chest.

Who said traveling with kids is messy? We do now! After all the Christmas gifts and traveling gear for a 6 month old and a bountiful trip to IKEA, we were officially M-E-S-S-Y!

Here's daddy putting together Avi's bed (pictured in parts in above picture). Don't you love how Avi gets in there and helps?

Avi and Daddy chilling in the Rialta on a day trip to the dunes in Guadalupe.

Pure silliness (on Daddy's part) pure cuteness and wonder on Avi's part (can you believe she is holding objects with both hands now?!?)

6 Months?! Time is a fly that should be swatted with a big, plastic fly-swatter.

Time seems to be on fast-forward with an infant. Our baby is already 6 months old. Emphasis on the word old. Half a year. 1/20th of a decade. 1/200th of a century. If Maren had a superpower, it would be to stop time and enjoy Avi as an infant for the next 1000 years. I (Michael), on the other hand, am a bit more accepting of Avi's warp-speed development, as long as I don't age through the whole process. I'd save my superpower on something more extravagant and lucrative, like the ability to instantly evaporate Avi-drool from my shirt. Or to hypnotize her to sleep straight through the night without a peep. But I'm sure I'll join Maren in looking back on these days with great fondness and a sense of longing. We already find ourselves in front of the computer screen, looking back on pictures of Avi at a week old, or a month old, and are amazed at how much she's changed in such short time. Thankfully, we have the superpowers of digital single lens reflex cameras to stop time for us, like the above and below pics of Avi on Dec. 27th- her 6 month b-day. This is surely one superpower we intend to utilize to the max.

Christmas 2009

Here are some pictures from Avi's first Christmas!

With Setti.

Cousin Kendall and Avi.

The Pedersen family.