Now this is getting truly crazy. There are two more teeth! 12 total now.

Tooth number 10 is here! I saw another molar last night. She's really getting them out!

I got busted bigtime last night...
I was telling my friend Michelle about my awesome Chanukah present. And it is awesome. It's a tiny, 1-gig mp3 player, pictured above all the way to the right (mine is silver). I listen to books when I'm walking with Nina. It's small enough to hang around my neck like a necklace and did I mention it's tiny? And only available from wal-mart (romantic music stops with a crash of cymbals). Yes, I shopped at wal-mart. Twice. Once to get mine and once to get one for Arwyn. But (as I pointed out to Michelle) I don't shop at wal-mart, I shopped at wal-mart. I know now why Spanish has two past tenses; one for things you did repeatedly and one for things you only did once. It was really hard to bring myself to do it (and it was only online), but can I mention again how tiny and cute this gadget is? And how much I love it? I suppose my membership to the super lefty treehugger anti-whatever group will revoked. So be it. What hits home a lot harder is that Michelle was appalled that Lorien shopped at wal-mart. The important lesson I will take from this episode is that friends are my moral compass; they keep me focused when my desire overtakes the needs of the larger world community I belong to. Thanks, Michelle, for keeping me honest.

Nina walked across the kitchen several times this evening, with us cheering her on the whole time. She had spent a lot of the day just standing, with a "What do I do now?" look on her face. As you can see, she's figured it out!
It's so exciting that I forgot to mention that she has a new molar also, for a grand total of 9 teeth!

Mama, I told you tube top pants are so in this year! Can I get a ride to the disco?

Nina's birth story (in progress)
This pic was taken around 10:00 pm on November 1. Mom got into town at 1:00. I had been telling Nina that she had to wait that long. I went to a meeting with my friend Kevin. On the way there we drove down a bumpy road, and I was joking that it would make me go into labor. At the meeting I started having contractions. Just as I walked though the door at home, my amniotic fluid started to leak. I called the Jessie (our midwife) and she said we had a while and to call her if anything more happened (stronger, closer contractions or a gush of fluid). Though we were excited, we all went to bed. Sometime in the middle of the night the contractions got a bit stronger and I was vocalizing through them and resting in between (somehow Larry managed to sleep through it). By 6:00 am on the 2nd I was feeling it, so we decided that I should go vote. I had stubbornly refused to absentee or early vote. So we went to the polling place and got to the front of the line at 7:00 when they opened. By around noon My friends Rebecca and Kathy had arrived to help.

Happy 13 month birthday! Nina now has 8 teeth.

Eloise is staying with us for two months while Arwyn is in Senegal. Nina really loves Eloise!

big eyes

It finally happened: Nina took her first few steps for Auntie Awie! Arwyn is here for my birthday and thanksgiving. One more thing to be thankful for. Nina is wearing an embroidered Mexican dress today in thanks to migrant farmers for all the hard work they do harvesting food for us to eat.

with Arwyn on my birthday

swim class with Tracy

swim class with Brittany

my birthday dinner

Nina had her 1 year checkup. She's 16 lbs 12 oz (3rd percentile) and 28 inches tall (10th percentile). Her head circumference is in the 50th percentile. The doctor is happy with her size, growth, and development. Most of the data that doctors use is based on formula fed babies, who start out small and get fatter, as opposed to breastfed, who start out fat and slim out. We think Nina is juuust right, and we're happy the doctor does, too.

Well, Nina's officially a Wilson. We had Indian for dinner and Nina ate a LOT of my lamb tikka masala. So exciting! I'm glad I got it mild.

Nina climbed into a drawer and then hammed it up while I took pictures.

Eating in style (fig newtons)
Larry & Franki and Hy got Nina this AWESOME high chair and she really likes it!

Mom gets to have all her girls with her at once.

Nina and mama at g-bump and bubbie's house.

Giving some love to Auntie Awie at gma & gpa's. Arwyn, Judith, Nina, and I all got to be there together for a few days.

Nina with her G-bump. Nina fell in love with gpa and wouldn't let anyone else hold her when he was around.

Granki and Larry with Nina. We're at Rena's, visiting with family. We had a nice dinner out with everyone.

Granki & Nina...It's a BREADSTICK!

Aunt Rena, Granki, and Nina

GGma celebrating her birthday with Nina & Gina

Nina and Auntie Gina

It's wonderful to have such a great papa

Hanging out with cousin Zoe

Getting a horsie ride from cousin Robert. He and Rik happened to be visiting while we were at Alice's.

Playing in a suitcase at cousin Alice's. We spent a couple of days with her and had a blast! We took a train and Terry Gross was sitting in front of us!

playing with cousin Cedar
In October we went on Lorien & Arwyn's excellent adventure. We ended up near the Oregon border, and we thought we'd call our brother and see what he was up to. We ended up spending a wonderful evening with him and his wife, son, and daughter. It was great to catch up after all these years. Cedar and Nina fell in love with each other and he carried her around.

I like to walk!
I got Nina this walker from Ikea and she loves to put stuff in it and walk around, laughing. Still no walking solo.

so happy

Surrounded by toys at the Residence Inn. We lived there in La Jolla for a month with the dogs. Boy, were we happy to move into our house!

Nina & Joey sharing a bed

Nina saying goodbye to Jessie (our midwife)

hanging around with Aisha, Nalina, & Corey (we had no more furniture, so the floor was the only option

Reese, Amber, and Nina (with Dana, Sandi, and Angela in the background) We really miss our bcog mom's group!

Nina's first trip to the beach (Saint Augustine Beach, FL)

Nina & Sugar

riding cosy in the carrier that mama made

Nina's first meal (avocado)

Max & Nina--Watch out Cynthia!

Miriam & Nina--Yay Miriam & Ben!!!

Nina playing with the beautiful stained glass at the synagogue where Miriam & Ben got married

Michelle & Nina

Rob, Xandria, Nick, Jacquelyn, Nora Kate, Reuben, Erin, Nina, Larry, & me. Nick & Zandria had a brunch for Reuben's milk moms and sisters

Nina & Nora Kate playing at Nick & Xandria's

baby's first fauxhawk

Nina & Joey having a showdown over a carrot

Our wonderful mom's group in Gainesville--we miss them so much

Mama & Nina

We went and surprised Granki for her birthday

look at those eyes!