Sledding!

Merry Christmas!

Morning girls.... love the curls on that girl!

The big hit of Christmas morning is her horse!

This was all she wanted for most of the morning!

Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jim got her an easel!

Deep in concentration sewing on her new sewing apple

"oooh, animals!"

Papa and his girl with their Terrible Towels

A fun bug book!

Sledding fun!

Snow chicken... They actually hang out in the snow quite a bit.

What a wonderful day we had! Fiona wasn't ready to open gifts for a good 45 minutes or so after waking up. She watched Brian and I open a couple things and then decided, "OK Nona's box". She was delighted with each thing and wanted to play with everything a bit before moving on to the next gift. It was fun to see her reactions to the gifts.

We spent some time in the backyard sledding too. Fiona loves the snow so much. This was the first time sledding. I was amazed how brave she was going down the hill. "More" she's yell! Definitely a hit! The weather is cooperating with her new love of snow sports and we're getting more snow today. Woo Hoo!

We had some good friends over for a dinner of appetizers. It's fun to have so many different things to munch on. Fiona was such a social butterfly. We've noticed that she is more and more brave these days in these types of settings. She even talked to Mike which is a big deal! Mike is around our house quite a bit but Fiona has always been very shy around him. Last night she worked up the courage to tell him Merry Christmas! I like seeing her develop more confidence. Pretty fun!

Today we are lying low. Fiona is pretty burnt out from all of the excitement of yesterday. She seems to always need down time after exerting herself in ways that aren't her norm. So lots of hanging out at home, nursing on the couch and reading books is in order for the day.

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well. Our day was perfect! :)

A Beautiful Solstice!

After tucking "the girl" into bed Brian and I stayed up to watch the lunar eclipse. Totally cool! It was a perfect night for it in Kodiak with clear skies.

The next morning we woke up to snow! All day long the snow kept coming. It really was a beautiful way to wake up on Solstice morning. McKenzie spent the morning with Fiona while I hid in the garage wrapping presents. It was fun! Then we waited for Papa to get home from work. Fiona bundled up to help Papa shovel snow. She loves the snow! It was really difficult to get her to come in. I just loved being out in the dark with my family playing. We got her in by reminding her that she had presents under the tree from the Solstice Fairy.

First was a gift for Papa from Fiona. A nerf football that she latched onto at the store and told me "for Papa." How is a Mama supposed to resist that. So we brought the football home. Papa loved it! Then Fiona opened her Solstice Fairy gifts, a new pair of pajamas and an ornament for the tree. She tried to ride her horse ornament! I'm glad the fairy picked a felt ornament this year!

Happy Solstice!

I've been neglecting the blog! Things have been busy around here. We had a wonderful visit with Emmy. I did not want to let her go back home! It made us all feel better that we'll be seeing each other in January. She was a huge help in getting ready for the bazaar. I can honestly say that I couldn't have done it without her help. She was able to really see Fiona in her element which was fun. Not the shy Fiona who most people see when we are out and about, but the feisty, loud, and intense Fiona that Brian and I get everyday! And feisty she is! She is very sure that she needs to get herself dressed and not wear diapers. Basically she wants to do it her way! I do love her independence but have to admit it can be a lesson in patience for her Mama and Papa! I hope that you enjoy the videos below. More coming.... I won't neglect the blog for this long again!

A Walk in the Woods

Fiona loves hiking. In fact anytime she's grumpy at home we say it's time to bundle up and get outside. We took a lovely walk on a favorite trail this weekend. The Spruce Cape trail is just around the corner from our house. A great place to walk dogs and toddlers alike! Fiona walks more and more and is carried less and less on these hikes. She is truly happy in the woods, just like her Mama and Papa! And after the hike... a trip to the coffee shop for a gluten free muffin and a cup of whipped cream! A perfect morning!

Fall Crafts

This one is for Grandpa Jim!

Play silks in the sun!

Jazzing up some T's

Rice bin fun

digging her toes in!

I'm preparing for the annual holiday bazaar in November. I've been dying play silks, making felt balls, and experimenting with stenciling among other things. It has been really fun and I am so glad to be back to crafting! I'm so excited that Emily will be coming up in November to do the bazaar with me! Between us, we should have a ton of cool things! I think I'm going to finally set up an etsy shop too. I'll let you all know when!

Fiona has been busy too! She's been enjoying her own crafts of painting and coloring. I've given her homemade play dough a couple of times too. She likes it for a while and then gets interested in tasting it! I plan to whip up a batch of gluten free play dough this week! It is fun to see her exploring the colors and textures. Today I filled a big storage bin with rice. She loves it! She has been pouring the rice from container to container and feeling it with her fingers and toes!

Things she's saying these days:
~Hold you, which means hold me. This melts my heart every time!
~Thank you, you're welcome. She always says it together!
~Pants OFF, shirt OFF, diaper OFF... now bath! She would love to be in that tub all day if I would let her! She'd also like to be naked all day if I would let her!
~Mmm, weally weally goob Mama! She likes to say this at meals and makes me feel so good!
~The other night we had a late dinner and I just whipped up some quesadillas. Just cheese, nothing fancy. She pulled apart her tortillas and said, "Beans, are you? Are you beans?" Nothing like your one year old calling you out on your simple dinner!

What A Month!

Swinging with cousins in Ohio

Feeding Carlos an apple! Carlos was Ben's 4-H project. Fiona loved him!

The Livestock Auction! I was so nervous about it but it was really fun!

A trip out the road with Papa when we got back to Kodiak

What a month it has been! We had such a great trip. We've been home a week and I realized I really need to get some pictures up and update the blog! I also realized that I'm horrible at taking pictures while on vacation! Oops.

We started out with a week in Ohio. Fiona took to her cousins right away! Rachel was able to come to Grandma and Grandpa's house early which was a nice treat. Fiona played with her while Brian and I enjoyed catching up with the rest of the family. Fiona was pretty shy of everyone else. Grandpa's party was pretty amazing. Ton's of people came to wish him a Happy Birthday. That was probably the most overwhelming part of the trip for Fiona but we were so happy to be there for the big event!

Then we were off to Whidbey for 3 weeks. It was so nice to settle in on the farm. Fiona LOVED the animals and LOVED LOVED LOVED all the activity and fun her cousins provide. We were there for the Island County Fair and even got in on bidding for a pig! It's coming home on the barge for our freezer! I loved being a part of the fair and watching the kids show their animals. I can't wait until Fiona can be a 4-H kid!

Mostly it was just nice to get a huge dose of family and sunshine. Fiona spent the first couple of days home looking for her cousins but has pretty much settled into fall in Kodiak. It was a great month!

Talking Blurry

I don't want to ever forget the way Fiona talks but I find its changing so much already. Gucka still comes out more often then not but sometimes she carefully pronounces cracker or cereal instead. Brian and I still say gucka. We like it better! We've lost track of the number of words she says because really she can say just about anything. The words aren't always clear and distinct but we know what she means. She was talking to her cousin Gabe on the phone the other day. He pointed out that she can sure say a lot now, its just blurry. I love it. Since its not clear of course its blurry!

Some favorite Fiona speak:

Nona: Fiona
Are you?: when looking for someone or even a lost cracker or block.
ereitis: here it is. When lost items or people are found!
uver one: when she wants to nurse on the other side
s'one: this one
peas: please
Hi Ladies!: when addressing her chickens. I love this!
sat: what's that? we here this all day long
funny: accompanied by a fake laugh. This is often used when she's been told not to do something like climb on the kitchen table or dump the bowl of food. Yeah, funny.
eers: Cheers! She loves to clank our glass before taking a sip!

Urban Homestead?

Love the hair here! She really can pull off a spectacular bed head! Here she is first thing in the morning with her Hanna PJ's and her backpack. I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a shot with her sunglasses on. Trust me when I say, it really pulled the look together. :)

Willie loves Baby too!

Basil harvest! I'm making pesto today! Woo Hoo! It hasn't been the best growing season but the basil has done well in the greenhouse. We have lettuce galore, Swiss chard, broccoli, carrots, turnips and potatoes growing in the beds this year. The greenhouse is where we are trying our best to get some tomatoes, peppers, and various herbs. Things have been cold and its a bit slow going in there. I'm sure we'll get a bit but not a lot. I'm also sure that all those tomatoes will be ripe while I'm gone and Brian doesn't eat tomatoes. Hmm...

The little ladies roosting on the garden fence. The other day when I opened the door to head outside Fiona said "Hi Ladies". It cracks me up. She loves these chickens and chases them all around the yard. I catch them for her so she can pet them. She loves to point out the beak and says it over and over. I suspect ole Whitey is a Roo which I'm totally bummed about because she/he is so beautiful. He loves to roost in the tree in our yard and will even fly to the top of the shed. I wish we could keep him. We'll wait it out to know for sure but I expect to hear crowing practice before too long.

It will be a busy week of cleaning the house and packing since we leave a week from today! Who am I kidding, I won't pack till the day before we leave! We are all so excited to be getting off the rock for a bit. We get about 1 week in Ohio with Brian's family and Fiona and I get 3 weeks in Washington with my family just after. Sunshine here we come! I"ll be sure to post pictures of our adventures!

Jumping Skills!

Fiona learning to "jump"! I love how she grunts. She's always very proud of herself. As a bonus you can hear her rooster call which she heard on the TV and ran off to investigate.

Summer???

Tacos! Black beans are a favorite around here!

Broccoli is another favorite! She's helping me make dinner here. She loves to help!

Putting together the new grill! Happy Father's Day Brian!

Chasing her chickens around the garden. We have 4 babies and 2 adults now. She loves them!

Bundled up to play in the yard. It's a lightweight fleece at least! (good grief!)

Glad I posted those pictures in my last post. That was our week of sunshine. Since then it's been rain, rain, oh and more rain. Sometimes it gets to be a bit much. Is it too much to ask for sunshine during the summer months? Apparently. I can't tell you how much we are looking forward to our trip to Ohio and Washington next month! Be prepared with your shades folks because this Alaskan family is going to glow in our shorts!

We've had Brian home for a couple of weeks now. It is so nice to have him here! Fiona is pretty attached to him these days. As soon as he's home from work she's all about Papa. If we visit him at work she cries when we leave him. We've been playing lots of Bocce in the yard these days (between rain showers!) and Brian always plays with her in arms or on his shoulders. Somehow he still wins everytime!

Fiona is talking up a storm! We have hit a language explosion. She repeats anything we say! I feel like I can't keep up with teaching her new signs fast enough too. She remembers them way better then we do! The phone rang yesterday and I said "where's the phone?" and she echoed, "yeah, where's the phone, here it is!" We just hung a framed photo of her in our bedroom the other day. She was crawling into bed and pointed to it and asked "who's dat baby?" What?! Who told her she could grow up so fast?! I'm used to her 2 word sentences of hi papa, stuck mama, help peas, nu-nu yeah yeah, and more peas. But these big sentences are new. Pretty cool!

She's fighting a bit of a stomach bug right now. Hopefully it will go fast and she'll be feeling and sleeping like her old self again soon. We're all a bit tired today.

PS. when uploading photos for this post I clicked on the "last 12 months" button on my iphoto. Pictures from our Montana trip were right on top! Remember how fun that was?! Ma and Pa, hope you have a great trip there this week! Think of us when you are swimming in the hotsprings!

Summer!

Fiona and I are making the most of our summer days. We've been enjoying walks, playing at the beach and spending a lot of time in the yard. She always wants to be "side". She often brings me her shoes or coat and tells me "side, side" in the morning. We're loving it!

She is talking up a storm these days too. I think Brian is going to notice some real changes in her vocabulary when he gets home (9 more days!!). She's not only adding words and signs but words she already used are getting clearer. She says again instead of gee and waters (always with the s!) instead of wawa. She is forever pointing at things and asking whats that, or in her words, "sat?". Her go to word when she wants something that is out of reach, can't get down from the precarious place she has climbed up to, or can't quite get to where she wants to go is "stuck." I hear it all day long! "Stuck, stuck!" But my favorite word is octopus! Opata is sort of how it sounds. I think its fantastic!

We're missing Papa on Fathers Day especially but we'll celebrate with him when he gets home next week. Can't wait!

Just us girls...

It's that time of year again. The summer survey cruise. This year Brian is back out to Dutch Harbor and heading west for a 3.5 week bottom trawl survey. He'll be back at the end of the month. We can send emails back and forth every few days but won't have any phone contact. I hope the days fly by! He's only been gone a few days and we miss him already! The good news is that it's only one leg of the cruise. In the past he's had to do two legs... 8 weeks out at sea!

Meanwhile, Fiona and I are holding down the fort. We've planted the garden and have the greenhouse full of tomatoes, peppers, and various herbs. I finished getting flowers planted this morning while she spent an hour playing with our neighbor girl, a middle school girl who Fiona adores! We also have 4 new chicks to add to our flock! Fiona LOVES them! She wants to kiss them and hold them tight. I've taught her to pet them gently with one finger and figure lots of kisses will only make these chicks kid friendly! For now, they live in the garage but I'm anxious to get them outside to our old greenhouse soon. They will live in there until they are a bit bigger and we can introduce them to the older ladies in the coop. Who knows how that will go!

I hate to write this and find I'm wrong but I think that we have figured out her allergy. Her skin is clearing up and hasn't flared up in over a week. The culprit... wheat! It is such a relief to have found some answers. I'm going to give it a bit more time before I make a final declaration but her skin hasn't looked this good in months! Thankfully there are quite a few wheat free products on the market these days. I found some good stuff at our local health food store. I'll keep you posted on how this goes.

Time Flies...

One year ago Fiona was just learning to roll over...

Today she's a sassy little thing running around the yard in funky sun hats and shades and taking walks through the neighborhood with Papa. She is embracing toddlerhood with gusto! Brian and I are learning how to parent this little girl who is showing more and more independence all the time. As Brian said, it was much easier when she was a baby and didn't have an opinion about everything! She is a Jacobson girl after all and we like to do things our own way!

not the best picture but shows her rash...

sometimes its better and sometimes its worse then this

water play! Fiona loves the sand and water table from Grandma and Grandpa Knoth. We fill it with hot water!

Our smiley girl!

Here is where I stray from my usual happy news and updates.... After all parenting isn't just about the happy bits!

What a long week I've just had! Brian was in Seattle for training and my back and hip were killing me. It is really hard to keep up with a toddler (and daycare kiddos) when you are in constant pain! Thankfully Brian is home now and I got some treatment from Zoya which has helped with my back pain. I'm still sore but not nearly as bad as before. Fiona and I were both thrilled to get Brian home last night though.

Fiona's rash is not improving which has been really frustrating for us. We are now treating it with an antibiotic ointment. We've tried eliminating various foods, treating it as a bacterial infection, and now we are treating it as a fungal infection. If this is not it then we will eliminate wheat from our diets. Since she is still nursing she and I have to give up these things together. And since we are giving them up, Brian might as well too! I just want it to go away, we've been dealing with this for months! GRR!

That's all for now... I'm going to go crawl in bed with my sleeping girl for a bit of a nap!