A Mindful Life

Knitting hasn’t exactly been a priority in the past half a year. However, I finally finished something.

Two balls of Rowan Cashsoft DK (142 yards), colorway SH510, lot10N4 on size 8 needles

Claire’s first tooth has completely broken through, though it has a way to go before it’s fully in. It’s fun to watch her tongue twist and run over it. She’s fascinated with this thing in her mouth.
This afternoon, Claire ate her first entire 4-ounce jar of peas & brown rice. I was impressed.
This afternoon [...]

With the exception of yesterday morning, I’ve been doing very well with the naps and crib this week. Yesterday morning Claire woke after 50 minutes of sleep, and I knew she needed more. I have also figured out that she won’t settle herself back to sleep for naps but will cry as long as I [...]

Compassion can be learned in much the same way as playing a musical instrument or being proficient in a sport, U.S. researchers said.
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that brain circuits used to detect emotions and feelings were dramatically changed in subjects who had extensive experience practicing compassion [...]

Stayed up much too late last night (past 11:30!!) and woke at 5:30.
Claire ate a whole tablespoon of rice cereal and the same amount of applesauce this morning.
She ate two teaspoons of peas at lunch and dinner each.
She napped only 30 minutes in the morning and woke (she often wakes at 30 minutes and needs [...]

I’m not sure how cogent this post will be, because I got up at 5:45 a.m. and, unlike the past three months, have not had any pockets of time in which to doze (as I used to get when holding Claire).
This morning when Claire woke I gave her a big bottle and played with her [...]

So far, Claire has rejected cereal after one spoonful each morning. I’ve even offered it before her bottle first thing in the morning, but she won’t eat until a bottle is in her mouth. I’ve mixed in apple sauce. I’ve offered applesauce at the tip of the spoon hoping the first taste of sweet would [...]

Guess who has a tiny pointy corner of a tooth poking through her lower gum?

I don’t know how long it will take to completely erupt, but I felt it, and I hear it click when she bites down on her hard plastic toys. She’s pretty cheerful though, so maybe it doesn’t hurt. (Maybe they ache [...]

My collage gift arrived and was happily received. So here’s a photo.

The Mother I Am
Now, my mother laid the foundation at the beginning, and I’ve written a tribute to her. Here it is again if you’d like to read it. The thousands of interactions that make up a childhood formed the core of the mother [...]