Diva

Marla loves to dress up and accessorize. I know she didn't get this from me, so she must have inherited a diva gene from one of her aunts. Some of her get-ups are pretty entertaining.

Goodbye, old friend

Last month we officially said goodbye to Marla's pacifier, aka "nu-nu."

Marla's relationship with her nu-nu has been going strong since the beginning. As a newborn, we kind of forced it on her when, after commenting on how often she was nursing, her pediatrician told me, "If you don't offer her a pacifier, she'll use you as one." After a few months, she was hooked. We always kept the pacifier for naptime and bedtime almost exclusively, thus creating an amazing sleep association tool that I will never ever regret introducing. The pacifier always comforted her and helped put her to sleep when nothing else would. There are a lot of things you can't predict with a baby/toddler, and having just one thing that I could count on time and again was absolutely priceless.

When she turned two, I figured the time had come to part ways with the nu-nu, but I was afraid of the ramifications. Marla has never been a good sleeper even with the pacifier, so we worried that taking away our most trusted ally would lead to disaster, or at the very least a lot of sleepless nights (and we have enough of those already). We made a few half-hearted attempts at taking it away. We told her nu-nu's are for babies, not big girls. We cut a slit in it to change its sensation. But neither logical nor underhanded methods worked... bribery did.

While we were reading books one night, I told Marla that if she gave me her nu-nu and slept the whole night without it, she could have a donut in the morning. She hesitated for a moment and said, "I want a pink donut." I agreed, and with that, she handed it over. She fell asleep without issue and slept through the entire night. The nu-nu has been gone ever since. She's asked for it periodically since, but has only cried for it a couple of times. It's strange, because I thought I'd be a lot happier to see it go... but I really miss being able to rely on it during long car rides. Plus, it's just one more step out of babyhood. But it was time to say goodbye. We'll miss you, nu-nu!

   

Once upon a time

Marla has been getting more imaginative lately. She has most of her books memorized and recites them almost word for word, but when she picks up a non-children's book, she makes up a story and "reads" it. I don't know if her renditions are precisely what Russo and Garcia Marquez intended for their books, but I think it's engaging nonetheless. (Also note her fetching outfit, featuring a swimsuit top pulled over her hoodie.)

Marla had a little lamb

A couple of weeks ago, I took Marla to the Govin's Lambing Barn in Menomonie. It was a great time and I think we'll make it a yearly spring tradition. My only complaint was that Jeff was busy and I could have used an extra set of hands to take more and better pictures.

Marla's favorite part of the excursion was riding a horse-drawn wagon to the barn.

 

Mama sheep, looking for a handout.

 

 

CUTENESS.

 

I was so looking forward to getting a picture of Marla holding a lamb, but it turns out she liked looking at the animals a lot more than actually touching them. She was a little freaked out when this guy started to squirm in her arms. Also, I was later informed that this was actually a baby goat, not lamb. Oh well.

 

A farm worker went and found the runt of the litter so Marla could pet a pig that was more her size. :)

 

This made me a little nervous. Easy, Lennie.

 

The other major highlight was a pony ride! She LOVED it and threw a tantrum when it was over. Loving the farm!

 

Waterpark!

We made a one-night getaway to Wisconsin Dells over Jeff's spring break. It wasn't Marla's first time at a waterpark, but it was the first time the water wasn't freezing cold and she truly enjoyed herself. I didn't get any pictures of the first day, which I will eternally regret, as I missed a major photo op following Marla's eating a blueberry ice cream cone and getting her face almost completely blue. But here are a few shots of our second day.

Enjoying a donut for breakfast.

 

We went to Chula Vista, and there's an underground tunnel leading from the hotel to the waterpark. The walk was a little long, so Marla took advantage of this willing pack mule.

 

She is officially in love with her new swimsuit and matching sandals.

I was so impressed by how she handled the waterslides in the kiddie area. She went down by herself at least 30 times.

Easter

I can't believe this was Marla's third Easter already. Crazy! I'm not big on encouraging obsession with holiday mascots, but I have to admit it was fun to see Marla *sort of* comprehend the idea of the Easter Bunny. We started talking about him about a week before Easter and she somehow got it in her mind that the Bunny was going to be involved in our little getaway to the Dells a couple days before Easter Sunday. No such luck, but of course he visited our house on the actual day.

Checking out her basket.

 

 

Is there anything more endearing than a little girl in an Easter dress? 

 

 

Walking to the car with Dad following church. Isn't the snow lovely? (gagging noise)

 

This velvet coat was a hand-me-down from Jeff's brother's little girl. I remember receiving it when Marla was a baby and thinking she'd never fit into such a big piece of clothing, and here we are already. Funny how that works, huh?

 

Family picture at Jeff's sister's house after church.

Smearing her Easter cupcake all over her face. The cute ensemble was bound to be destroyed at some point, I guess.

This beginning

Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of my grandma's passing. I write for a living, but I've had trouble talking or writing about her death, mostly because it still feels impossible to live in a world where she doesn't exist. This is a darker place without her presence. I struggle to find words that would come close to honoring who she was and what she meant to me.

Georgia Terwilliger was a truly special person, and I don't say that because she was my grandmother, but because it's true. She was kind, compassionate, accepting, curious, intelligent, artistic, and giving. In junior high, when we had to write an essay about our hero, most of my classmates wrote about historical or political figures. I wrote about Grandma. I can honestly say that in the 31 years I knew her, I can't ever recall her being angry or upset. She had a serenity and inner peace that I admired greatly.

Though she was eternally optimistic, she was also remarkably deep and thoughtful. She was an artist, a writer, and an avid reader. She was inquisitive and always wanted to learn more than she already knew. When she retired, the school district she worked for named a library after her. She loved to travel, sail, volunteer, and be part of nature. She collected hummingbirds. She was married to my grandpa, her true love, for over 60 years. At family gatherings, she used to watch her three children, ten grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren and remark with satisfaction, "Look at what we did!"



Grandma was my mother's mother, and something about this makes her life and death very poignant for me. She suffered dementia in her final years, but time seemed not to matter when she was around Marla. When she held her, she was the same proud grandmother I'd always known. She didn't always know or remember us, but she always remembered how to love.

 

I miss my grandma terribly, but I'm grateful she left such a robust legacy behind her. Poetry was one of her many interests, and reading her own poems helps me to feel her presence and hear her voice again. A couple of my favorites are below. Grandma, you have left a mark on this world that can never be erased. I love you.

 

This Beginning

 

Dawning

slow awakening

in the glow

of a new day

and the fading

wisp of a dream.

 

I look up

from dreaming

to life.

 

 

I Give to You

 

Take my poem

in your mind

make it yours.

 

Take the words

toss them high

hear them talk.

 

Take my thoughts

mix with yours

sing that song.

 

Take my dreams

add your dreams

fly with them.

 

-Georgia Terwilliger