“Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.”

-Henry Ford.

We were driving through the canyon about 5 miles from home when Zia gasped, “Mamma! Dadda! Turn around, turn around! I saw something!”

“What was it?” we asked.

“I don’t know, but it had a black face! Turn around!”

So we did, and there it was…a bear. It was a golden color with black tips, probably only a year or two old. He was poking and snuffling along the side of the mountain, not too far up from the road.

Of course I didn’t have my camera. I could have gotten some great shots, but as it was, we only had David’s phone. When he got out of the jeep to take pictures, it began scampering up the mountain, stopping now and then to look back.

For the rest of the day, Zia asked to hear the story of how she spotted the bear, and how none of us would have ever seen it if it weren’t for her. And to a four year old, that sure makes a great story.

One day late…Happy Mother’s Day!

Caleb’s mom came to take him for the weekend, so it was just our little family of three…or four, as Zia always corrects me. “Don’t forget that little person in the belly.” We would never forget that person.

Zia picked this card out for me. (Of course, a certain guy was there to help get her to the store and back and pay for it.)

Somehow, at the beginning of this motherhood thing, I thought that initial thrill of being a mamma would eventually even out, and I’d kind of “get used to it”. Quite honestly, it hasn’t evened out at all. It’s gotten much stronger.

Although having a special day like Mother’s Day is fun, it’s the day after day of having a little person to love and help grow up that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Sometimes I ache inside just to look at her…does that happen to you, too, with your kids?

Having Caleb in our lives has added a whole new dimension to our family. Although I never intend to take his own mother’s place, he is definitely our boy, and I love that my girl is growing up with a big brother just like I did. Soon she’ll be a big sister (since we simply can’t forget about that person in the belly). I’m so glad to have all three of them!

Most of all, though, I’m thankful for the greatest man in my life. He makes every day of my life sweet…not just Mother’s Day.

Our second May snowfall is upon us!

The irises are perky–they seemed to expect the snow. Down in Boulder, all the irises have bloomed already…only a 20-minute drive away. Smart babies, to take your time.

All the other new green things outside are bowed down under white blankets.

But tucked inside, we’re warm, cozy, and happy–

because cold snaps are perfect for making things.

Mother’s Day cards, for example. This one features Indian, Whale, Snake, and Blood. Just right for Mother’s Day, right? Well, it is more interesting than plain old flowers.

Birthday card paintings. That’s a monster on the back with fingerprint ears.

Clay. This, she informed me, is the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Beads and fishing line. She’s gained a lot of patience and focus for stringing small beads just lately

and she loves the results of her hard work.

Layered red chile enchiladas.

And lately, I’m loving Oliver + S. I haven’t taken the jump to buy a pattern book yet…but I’m playing around with some free patterns on their website. What is it about printing a pattern, cutting it out, pinning it on, stitching it up? As much as I love designing my own (simple) things, there’s a little girl in me who just loves to cut on the dotted line. Especially on a snowy May evening.

“May you live all the days of your life.”

-Jonathan Swift

Today our boy woke up a brand-new 12-year old.

He came downstairs to find lots of balloons and a few big boy presents. Zia hopped out of bed bright and early and begged him to open his presents before school. She didn’t have to twist his arm too hard.

Her presents for him were a rubber ducky and a homemade card. To her, the ducky was a perfect present for a big 12-year old boy. It’s even dressed for college, right?

The painting on the card is called “black bear stampede surrounded by bear prints”. Her message inside was heartfelt and painstakingly written.

After Caleb hopped on his motorbike and headed off to school, we started making birthday desserts.

He requested an Oreo refrigerator cake. We made our version of it: all natural and as healthy as possible. (Did you know Whole Foods carries natural Oreos and Cool Whip? They are technically known as Chocolate Sandwich Cookies and TruWhip.)

The bottom layer of the cake is a crushed cookie crust, followed by a sweet cream cheese filling.

Next is a layer of chocolate pudding. The recipe called for instant, but we made the cooked kind and cooled it before spreading it on.

For the final layer, I made whipped heavy cream and combined it with the remaining TruWhip.

We crushed some cookies over it. Candles go in tonight.

We also made an Oreo ice cream pie, sans the crust, drizzled with homemade chocolate sauce. I think Caleb should be cured of any Oreo cravings after this birthday.

Happy Birthday, Caleb. I hope you come home with a good strong sweet tooth tonight!

We spent the weekend in Fort Collins, Colorado. It’s only 2 hours from home, but we made a trip of it and stayed Friday and Saturday nights. We had a blast. The Old Town area is really cool with plenty of live music, food, and outdoor vendors. Zia had her face painted, acquired a giant pink balloon, played in the fountain, and met “Rapunzel”, which, all together, made her weekend perfect.

We ate at Beau Jo’s Pizza Friday night. Yup, that’s where I ate that whole medium pizza I mentioned (three slices pictured above). I ordered the gluten-free crust, made from brown rice flour, with vegan cheese.

We went back the next day–it was that good–and I tried the honey whole-wheat crust with regular cheese. Both kinds were really good, and they also have a very decent salad bar, good enough for a meal in itself. David and Caleb had cherry dessert pizza (pictured above) and said it was yummy but not very sweet.

Zia didn’t care for anything at Beau Jo’s until she tried the veggie beef soup, and then she couldn’t stop eating it. Overall, I think we’ve definitely found a new favorite place to eat. The best part is that there is a Beau Jo’s in Boulder, so we don’t have to drive all the way to Fort Collins for pizza (although I wouldn’t put it past us. We have been known to fly to Washington, D.C. just to eat at Chipotle).

Sunday we headed home, and that evening our summery outdoor weekend was contrasted by our first May snowfall in the mountains. We got several inches, but it soon melted, and it was beautiful anyway. Thankfully all my outdoor plantings are cold-weather veggies!

Time for a belly update! And what better time than the first day of the third trimester?

I can hardly believe I’m two-thirds of the way through…and on the other hand, it feels like it’s been an uphill climb the whole way. The first trimester was a little queasy, but not too bad. I had a hard time breathing, and felt winded just walking from one room to another. The second trimester was better, but I never really experienced the “feel good” element it’s supposed to bring. Less of the “feel bad,” though, for sure.

At this time in my pregnancy for Zia, I was walking a mile or two every day with 15 lbs weighting down my ankles, wrists, and backpack. I felt like a gravity-defying pregnant machine. When I hit 6 months, I hiked 3 miles into the Grand Canyon, traipsed around the Petrified Forest, and literally went racing through the Painted Desert with a very small Caleb by my side. I really didn’t even “feel pregnant” until around the last month.

Here I am at 6 months with Zia standing on Tome Hill in New Mexico.

I thought my belly was SO huge. It was tiny, compared to this time!

But really, this pregnancy is going fine, too. Except that I can only walk a short distance–less than one mile a day (with no weights!) I waddle wherever I go, sometimes each breath takes focus, and I feel like I’m in constant slow motion. Gravity has definitely never felt so strong.

Of course, living on top of a mountain instead of the flats of Kansas City makes that uphill climb I mentioned extra true. There’s a hill (or five) to climb on every stroll, and the oxygen is a little scarce up here.

Another difference is that instead of being physically fit and muscled like I was before conceiving Zia, I spent last summer mostly sitting or lying down, as I was really weak and sick. I came into this pregnancy at only 105 lbs., a good 10 lbs. less than the last pregnancy.

But I’ve gained steadily, and I walk and work out a little every day. I’ve tried to keep a balance in my diet, and for me, that means not going to the extremes of what I feel is eating “healthy.” I’ve found I do better when I add in some things I once thought were not so good: fish, eggs, whole grains–an entire pizza now and then. (I’m serious–yesterday I had a medium-size, whole-grain veggie pizza. And felt great.) Of course, I still have lots of fresh, living foods–fruits, veggies, sprouts, nuts, and seeds–but not only those.

I now weigh as much as I did in my previous 6th month, although I think I’ve gained most of it in my belly! Either that or it just has a whole lot more str-e-e-e-e-e-tch, because it’s out there quite a bit more than last time. (That has nothing to do with pizza–these pictures were taken before the pizza escapade.)

Although I don’t feel same the level of strength or energy as I did before, I’m sure this little babe is a tough one. A little mountain lion, waaaay more active than Zia was. I get poked, pried, and kicked at all hours of the night and day. (When do you sleep, kid?)

We don’t know if our baby is a boy or girl, and we’re not planning on finding out. I love the suspense, and I want to find out what my present is when I get it…not before. We have a couple of rockin’ names picked out (no clues, though!) for boy and girl.

I loved being pregnant with Zia. I still love the thought of being pregnant, it’s just that this time, I’ve geared myself to go the distance, slowly and steadily, to get the prize. It’s not for the pure bliss of skipping happily along as a carefree mama-with-a-bump, but it’s knowing that every day, every week, every month brings me that much closer to the finish–and to another sweet baby.

So in case there’s any question about it, let’s just say there’s an extra waddle in my step today–as we celebrate the beginning of the last trimester!

“Because children grow up, we think a child’s purpose is to grow up. But a child’s purpose is to be a child. Nature doesn’t disdain what lives only for a day. It pours the whole of itself into each moment. We don’t value the lily less for not being made of flint and built to last. Life’s bounty is in its flow, later is too late. Where is the song when it’s been sung? The dance when it’s been danced?”

-Tom Stoppard, The Coast of Utopia

With a brother who plays in the school band, Zia decided she needed a trumpet of her own.

She found the perfect one in Made to Play! We love that book–the projects are so simple and original. Would you have thought to invent a stuffed trumpet? Me neither.

She picked out her fabric from my scrap box. I love that she chose this purple print, because I never would have. Now that she picked it, I think it kind of has a musical feel to it.

I sewed it, did a bit of machine embroidery, and turned it right side out.

She stuffed it and we added some buttons for the valves and mouthpiece.

Ready to play!