Friday, August 22, 2008


I thought it might be kind of fun to put a baby photo of Soren up. It's amazing how fast two-and-a-half years can go by and how difficult it is to remember what Soren looked like as a baby. This photo was taken at 2 1/2 months, Ingrid's age now. I think they look remarkably similiar, especially with the shock of dark hair.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Fun times with Grandpa Don and Grandma Kathy


Don and Kathy were a huge help and lots of fun.

Grandpa Don and Grandma Kathy's visit


Grandpa Don and Grandma Kathy were kind enough to come visit and help me out while Chris was away. Don and Soren took long bike rides and played outside all day.

Cowboy



Chris was away for a few days on a trip across North Dakota. This was for new UND faculty to learn a more about the state. On his travels he picked up this cowboy hat for Soren. Soren wore it all day and said he was a cowboy with a purple horse. We recently read a book that described how cowboys behave, so Soren calls his hat a "Stetson" and says "nice little doogie" and "ti yipee tie yay..." as he pretends to be a cowboy.

Sunday, August 17, 2008




Some pics of me and Ingrid. We're both trying to figure out what to do with our hair!

Grand Forks Public Library




Soren and I loved Pittsburgh's libraries. Our favorite was the Carnegie Library in Oakland. It was so bright, cheery and always air conditioned. We'd grab a muffin from the cafe and play at the train table or grab a pile of books and settle into one of their very comfy couches. We also had a weekly routine of visiting our neighborhood library in Edgewood. We were close enought to walk over and enjoy storytime every Tuesday morning. The same crew of Moms and kids would show up. Soren loved the librarian, Andrea. Since we were sort of attached to our libraries in Pittsburgh, I was nervous about what we'd find in Grand Forks. It turns out that there are two libraries here, one in North Dakota and the other in East Grand Forks (the Minnesota side). The library in ND is close to where we live, not walking distance, but I'm not walking far anyway with two little ones now. Unfortunately, I found that the storytime at the Grand Forks Library is poorly done. But, it has a huge pirate ship for climbing on and a fire engine to sit in (big plus for Soren!) The East Grand Forks Library has an awesome storytime, so we'll be venturing to the Minneapolis side of the Red River, once these start up again after Labor Day. These are pictures of Soren enjoying what the Grand Forks library has to offer, I think he looks pretty satisified.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Fast asleep


It's hard work being cute as a button.






Smooch Smooch





I went a little overboard taking these pictures of Ingrid, but she woke up from a nap in such a sweet mood, I couldn't resist. Ingrid is so in love with me (and I with her!), she recognizes me right away, raises her eyebrows and gives me a grin. She has also started cooing, and I think she's even giggled. Enjoy!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Dark Haired Beauty




The other day Chris said something so true about Ingrid, he said that she became beautiful before his eyes. She had that "alien baby" look for a short while, and her acne didn't help appearances. But now that's all cleared up and her skin is amazing, like a rose petal. Her eyes are the darkest blue and she smells like mommy's milk, so sweet. I love how she holds her little hands in tight fists up around her little chin.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Saturday mornings

Our Saturday ritual has turned out to be a visit to the Dakota Harvest Bakery for breakfast and then we cross the street to the Farmer's Market in the town square.  These are some pictures of us getting ready to go and enjoying our sweet treats at the bakery. 

playdate

Soren is a real social-butterfly, he wants to be a part of conversations and asks us all the time "what are you talking about???"  You'd be surprised how often it is difficult to explain what we're talking about. 
 I took this picture of Soren playing with another little guy - I met his Mom at the Breastfeeding Support Group - we had a lot of fun.  I think Soren especially enjoyed running around with someone his own size. 

Baby pose

Ingrid is all baby now, at almost two months old.  I love how her arms are behind her head in this picture.  This is how she typically falls asleep, sprawled out in total relaxation.  At this point, Ingrid seems to enjoy drifting in and out of sleep in her cradle or on her playmat (rather than being rocked)... of course this could change any day.  

Backyard fun


Soren enjoying his backyard.  Our neighbor's granddaughters were visiting and brought over this "Barbie" truck, they were kind enough to let Soren sit on it.