White Sands and snow: same same, but different

For those of you unfamiliar with the White Sands of New Mexico, the pictures in the post have no snow in them... only sand. They may look similar, but I can assure you that the difference can be felt when one crashes a sled. Ironically, a couple days after we took these pictures, this area really was covered in snow.

Not too much else to say about the White Sands, so I'll use the rest of this post to describe three highlights of the trip.

1. Seeing my mom and dad interact so lovingly with Ellie. It has been such a treasure to have Ellie come into our lives this year, but it also invigorating to hand her over temporarily to someone we trust, especially when we can see how much Ellie enjoys it also (she had numerous fits of uncontrollable laughter throughout the trip).

2. Having time with JooYeon. Although JooYeon and I have maintained much of our pre-Ellie lifestyle (going to coffee shops, taking walks, etc.), we have much less opportunity to really connect. This is, of course, in part because of my doctoral program and related projects. I made the decision to put all of that on hold for our week in New Mexico (a tough decision when there is a ticking "To Do List Clock" engraved in my head).

3. And then of course, Heather and Bob. It was a treat to have them in Ohio for a year, and it's hard to have them so far away now. So it was a relief to see how well they were doing, that they had found an incredible house, and that they had already started exploring the community and planting roots. Plus, as an added bonus, we got to feel Baby Harris swimming around with mere weeks (days?) to go! They went out of their way to host us... preparing Ellie-size diapers, making lots of delicious food, and even extending our stay by an extra day and a half when our flight home got cancelled due to snow.

The Land of Enchantment

This trip to New Mexico was the second for JooYeon and I, although the first had merely been camping out in a (scorpion-infested) field near the four corners as we made our way East in Joo's initial arrival to the U.S. five years ago.

Heather and Bob had the house all decorated and ready for a week of family fun.

Even Ellie got in the partying spirit...

For short bursts of time, anyway. It's amazing how well she's done though; she's been on four separate trips to seven different states just in the last couple months.

Heather is in her 37th week of pregnancy so playing with Ellie was kind of an "advance payment" for all the hard work she's put in so far.

One day, we went up to Cloudcroft, a 10-minute drive into the mountains from where Heather and Bob live. We ate at a restaurant named after a ghost, and decorated with a large bear.

I enjoyed the drastic contrast in climate; the pictures above and below were taken only a day apart, and only a 10-minute drive away from each other.

Rubber Ducky, You're the One

After things finished up at both of my schools, we headed North up to my parents' house. In addition to giving Ellie a new array of experiences (such as the sink bath above), I gave my first solo professional development workshop to a group of math teachers in Bellefontaine. I'm not big on public speaking, nor on listening to public speaking, so I built the day around activities and discussions. It was a wonderful group that made me eager to do similar workshops in the future.

Ellie, meanwhile, has been having a blast with her newfound laughter (of course, those around her are having just as much fun listening to her). It kind of reminds me of the "laughter disease" that Joo had while she was pregnant!

JooYeon helped Mom make some whoopie pies.

Followed by one of mom's colorful meal.

Dad was excited to introduce Ellie to ball, Rook, and basketball games.

I helped Dad act as one of the three wise men in a church's children story on finding water.

Mom was tireless at finding new ways to entertain Ellie, even allowing Ellie to help her pack.

Ellie was excited to unite with one of the two Ellies that she was named after.

Grandma Showalter was still as alert as ever, cleaning up the family Skipbo table with some amazing hands (at one point, holding nothing but Skipbos in her hand).

After returning from Virginia, we turned right around and boarded a flight for New Mexico - as before, Ellie showed her incredible travelling skills (even tolerating my bumbling attempts to change her poopy diaper in the tiny airplane bathroom- an ordeal that drew out much longer than it should have).

She was even wide awake when we arrived, and offered to drive our rental car out to Heather's place.

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times

Now, at the seven-month mark, Ellie is becoming more expressive... both through laughter and through crying. The laughter started on her plane ride home from Oregon when this random lady pictured below started poking Ellie and Ellie apparently burst out laughing (I wasn't there).

We struggle with the issue of how much to expose her to technology in her early years. On one hand, we want her to develop a longer attention span to relationships and a love of nature, but on the other hand, technology will be essential for her generation's survival and thrival in school/career.

So we try to balance it out with lots of books; sometimes she listens, sometimes she just smacks them or tries to eat them, but at least she enjoys them.

Solids has been the biggest stress point of the recent months, and the second-biggest since she was born (next to figuring out breastfeeding). Part of it is that she doesn't seem really interested in more than a few spoonfuls, and part of it is the message imbued around us that not enough solids means not enough iron means delayed brain development. I doubt how crucial this actually is, but it's one of those things that you don't want to err on the wrong side.

My favorite new move is when she grabs both sides of my (or someone else's) face and then plants a big sloppy kiss.