When I was pregnant, we went to a "Centering Pregnancy" group at our local hospital midwifery group (Swedish Ballard). The group was composed of parents-to-be who shared a due date in the same month. In the case of our group, everyone was due in August of 2010.
I affectionately call our Centering group the "Hippie Vagina Love Circle" because I suspect many people who are unfamiliar with the Centering Pregnancy model think it's a little weird. The fact that we are all Seattle progressives who chose midwives over an OB/GYN for our prenatal care is just icing on the HVLC cake.
Since having our babies, we've gotten together regularly to catch up and have a few drinks. You may remember the Halloween party we posted about last October.
Last weekend, we celebrated the 1 year mark at a garden party hosted by one of the families in our group. Before you get distracted by the adorable babies, I have to tell you that I made homemade Hostess cupcakes (gluten-free and glutenous, of course) for the party, and they were di-vine.
It's funny to see Arlo's personality emerge a little more everyday. He's shy and observant, like his father. Goofy and stubborn, like his mother. He's also curious and very loving toward people he knows. At the party, he was a little reserved around the kids he doesn't know well, but when he saw Vivian (the little girl he hangs out with 4 days per week due to our nanny share), he was positively giddy.
The life and times of Ryan Patrick and Darcy Nonemacher (a.k.a. the Nonericks)
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sun, Family, and Bears
The Nonericks just returned from a fun week in Montana visiting family and introducing Arlo to his cousins for the first time. It was a great trip! We went on a hike in the Jewel Basin in the Swan Mountain Range and just north of Flathead Lake. Arlo got up to his highest elevation yet at between 6500 to 7000 feet above sea level. The record snowfall from the 2010-2011 winter left patches of the white stuff that blocked some of the trails, which was incredible for early/mid August.
Of course, Arlo spent a lot of time with his cousins: Lucy, Amelia, Ingrid, and Lucas. The big kids taught him a lot.
I took a video of Arlo feeding the cows with help from Papa, Lucy, and Amelia. Uncle Matt has a little offensive commentary in the background, so consider yourself warned.
We need to work on taking pictures of ourselves (ok, I need to work on taking pictures of us).
I love this picture because Arlo put his hand on my shoulder as if he knew it was a warm gesture for a photograph. In reality, he was probably saying, "Mom, I'm here. Pay attention to me."
I love this picture because Arlo put his hand on my shoulder as if he knew it was a warm gesture for a photograph. In reality, he was probably saying, "Mom, I'm here. Pay attention to me."
Arlo and his sun shade.
In addition to hiking, we took the family on a float trip on the Middle Fork Flathead River right outside Glacier National Park. We did the same reach of the river a couple of years ago when my brother, John, and sister-in-law, Ellie, got married.
This time, we left Soma at home and brought a bunch of kids and adults. It was a great afternoon, and we saw loads of wildlife including a black bear on the shore, a bald eagle, trout, ducks, and the list goes on.
This time, we left Soma at home and brought a bunch of kids and adults. It was a great afternoon, and we saw loads of wildlife including a black bear on the shore, a bald eagle, trout, ducks, and the list goes on.
Lucy taking a break to enjoy the view and smile for the camera.
Finally, we spent a lot of time hanging out around the farm feeding my parent's cows, pigs, and chickens and visiting Arlo's great-grandma. I was adamant that we put Arlo in my favorite childhood bathtub in my grandmother's house. I loved this tub. It had fancy wallpaper and curtains and the best smelling soaps ever. Funny how you get very nostalgic after you become a parent.
Of course, Arlo spent a lot of time with his cousins: Lucy, Amelia, Ingrid, and Lucas. The big kids taught him a lot.
Lucas is deeply troubled that we're the other half of his family.
Well, he's either deeply troubled or smarter than us and casting judgment on our antics.
Well, he's either deeply troubled or smarter than us and casting judgment on our antics.
I took a video of Arlo feeding the cows with help from Papa, Lucy, and Amelia. Uncle Matt has a little offensive commentary in the background, so consider yourself warned.
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