not okay

This is my brother, Luciya's awesome Uncle Adam.



Adam is 26 years old and lives just a few minutes from us. It has been amazing to have the opportunity to reconnect with him on a near-daily basis.

Adam is funny, tall, handsome, funny, and tall. He is smart and funny and tall. I totally admire everything about him.



Adam was honorably discharged from the Army in 2005 after spending almost 2 years as a Military Police officer in South Korea. He is now a deputy with the Ada County Sheriff's Department here in Boise. He is a fabulous cop. He is gentle and forthright. The kind of cop you wish all cops were.



On Thursday, Adam received his papers for deployment to Iraq.

Now, I'm a pretty intuitive person and my heart tells me that Adam will be safe and strong for many, many, many years to come.

But this sucks.

Adam is to deploy on August 26. They gave him 30 days! It's ludicrous. He just received a raise, is finalizing a divorce, and has a new girlfriend, a new home, a new niece, and a new dog.

If you are reading my blog I'm sure we share the same sentiments about the war and Dipdong Bush in general. And I'm sure you'll understand my stance as a big sister and the fact that I have taken it upon myself to urge Idaho's congressmen to cease Adam's deployment. If you know Adam, and even if you don't, I urge you to join me in doing what we can to see that he can stay here, safe.

Here is a copy of a letter similar to what I sent to Governor Butch Otter.


Governor Butch Otter
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720


Dear Governor Otter:

I am writing on behalf of my brother, Ada County Sheriff Deputy Adam Nielsen.

Adam, who was recently recommended by several fellow deputies as a canine handler for the Department, just received his orders for deployment. Adam is not a member of the Idaho National Guard or the Army Reserves. He was honorably discharged from the US Army in 2005. Adam was mobilized as a member of the IRR.

Adam served two years as a highly regarded Military Police officer in South Korea, where he quickly moved up the ranks to be the General’s personal security officer, before returning to his hometown of Boise and fulfilling his dream of becoming a police officer.

Adam loves his job and has proven to be an excellent example of the type of officer we want in our state. He was involved in the November shooting of a dangerous ex-con, and his professional action was commended not only by his supervising sergeants, but by members of the community at large.

Adam’s heart and soul, however, are dedicated to helping families in need. He has worked with juveniles and at-risk teens since he was in high school at Centennial.

His presence in Idaho, not only as a stellar example of a caring and committed county officer, but as a brand new uncle to my baby girl, is needed, and I ask you to do whatever is in your power to cease his deployment and keep him safe in Boise, so he can ensure the safety of so many others.

Sincerely,



Emily Nielsen



You can contact Governor Butch Otter and Senator Larry Craig at the addresses below.

GOVERNOR BUTCH OTTER
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
P.O. BOX 83720
BOISE, ID 83720

US SENATOR LARRY CRAIG
225 N. 9TH STREET, SUITE 530
BOISE, ID 83702

Thanks for keeping Adam in your hearts and prayers.

good afternoon to you!

eLLe - 3 Months

Dear Luciya,

You turned three months old today.




Your little hands are grasping at everything. Not that I ever wear my hear down, but on the occasion I do, I need to be willing to lose a strand or two. You grasp and tug at hair, jewelry, shirts, blankets, and your new favorite toy, the stuffed froggy.



You continue to smile every day. You are a joy in the morning, when you greet me with that illuminating morning grin. And you are beginning to laugh. I think it's probably a laugh only a mommy can decipher, as anyone else would probably only call it a grunt. But you grunt when I kiss your tummy and when we play paddy cakes and I hear nothing but complete delight.



You are sleeping 7 to 10 hours straight at night. That's right. Ten. Okay, it only happened once, and I actually got worried and had to go look into your crib at 5 am to make you sure were still breathing, but you did it! In any case, you are only waking up for one feeding at night, and I tiptoe into your little nursery and rock you as you nurse.

Another freak occurance: you rolled over! From your back to you front! Five times! And then never again since! Oh, well, it was pretty cool. And I'm not ready to babyproof the house yet, anyway.



Your head is completely wobble-free when you hold it up. You actually strain to keep it up when you're lying down or in your car seat (which you have not been a fan of lately... hates the car seat! No car seat!). You do little crunches to try and sit up. You don't want to miss a thing!



You met your namesake (or are you her namesake?), Great Grandma Leona. The four generations of women have gotten together twice now. Great Grandma is delighted with you.



We're trying out a new nap schedule to regulate your day more (you're napping right now!) 10 am , 1 pm, and 4 pm (or within a half hour of each) is the goal. So far, you seem happy with this.




Your big sister Eryn has been here for a week. I love seeing the two of you together, and you love seeing her face! Eryn is a wonderful big sister to you and that makes my heart happy.



I love you, Luciya!
Mama

grrrr...

My computer isn't letting me upload pictures. Stay tuned.

we're baaack!

Here we are!

Our container arrived to our new home today, and with it our computers. Hooray! I went 3 weeks without a computer and I'm JUST FINE!

I haven't got a lot of time right now, but here are a few updates from the past few weeks:

- John and Mila got in on July 5th. Mila was a trooper on the planes and continues to be an amazing spirit. She is buck wild about her giant new backyard. And squirrels! OMG, what are these furry fuzzy fast skippy little things??!!!

- Luciya is an incredible adaptable little person, as well. Tonight will be her first full night in her new crib. She will be 3 months old on Thursday! Wha...??!

- The new house is looking quite phenomenal, if I do say so myself. The interior is painted, and the pool is ready for our evening swims (which feel awesome on these 102 degree days!).

So far, we are thrilled to be here. I haven't uploaded any pictures yet; those will come later.

settling in

Dear Daddy,

Well, Mama and I made it to Boise! We got in last Thursday and have been busy getting settled ever since!

Mom says I have been a very good baby. I slept most of the flight from Maui to Phoenix. Then we had a 5 hour layover in Phoenix. I was a good girl while mama struggled to check both big suitcases and the big blue box full of our things, while carrying me in a sling and pushing my stroller! Luckily, a nice lady from the airline finally offered to help with the cart. When we went to check in for the flight to Boise, we discovered that you had made our reservations for the day before! Silly Daddy! But we got on that flight, too, and I smiled the whole time. People kept telling Mommy what a good baby I am!

We have been getting the new house ready while we stay with Tutu Lainey. She has a cradle here for me, and a nice warm bed and diapers and everything! There's even a stuffed rocking horse that I will get to ride when I am bigger.

I have gotten to meet Granddad and Uncle Adam and I've even been to Target! I have been a very good girl, and I can't wait for Mama to take me to the butterfly exhibit at the Boise Zoo.

We miss you lots, Daddy, and can't wait for you to get here! I am growing bigger every day. I am so excited to see you!!

Love,

Luciya

happy father's day

Jeff and Emily, 1978

Dave and John, 1971

John and Eryn, 1992

John and Luciya, 2007

one more thing...

This is my horoscope today. Honestly.

"There are so many things to do that there aren't enough hours in the day. Although you can enjoy the wide range of experiences, a part of you longs for deeper meaning. You may feel preoccupied by all the external noise in your life right now and wish that you had the time and wherewithal to delve into the pleasures that you know are waiting somewhere far away. Be patient; your chance will come." Thursday, June 14, 2007

Woah.

over 'n out

The movers are coming! The movers are coming! Soon everything - even this computer - will be packed in boxes and into a 20-foot container, then on its way across the wide blue sea.

So, this will be the last post for a while. What am I going to do with myself?

Hang out with Auma, for one thing.

My BFF Kelly arrived yesterday from San Francisco with her cookie-cute mom, Jeanie. Kelly and I have been friends since we met on the first day of college (almost 11 years ago! Wha...?) and somehow developed the knickname "Mamma" for each other. Since it would be strange to have Luciya growing up calling two women Mama, we decided that Kelly will be "Auma" (aunty + mamma = Auma) to Luciya. They get to meet each other for the first time today! I am so excited.


This girl is fun. The kind of fun where you can take one look at her and say, That girl looks fun! She's a merry-maker, party-planner, giver of "verbal massages." And, yay!! She's here on Maui for one last visit, and to see me home.

That's my Mamma. She was here in 2001 and left me at the airport; now, 6 years later, she'll practically do the same.

So, until we meet again, know I'm in good hands.

eLLe - week 8

Dear Luciya,

You are eight weeks old today! My goodness.

They say time flies; I picture Time as an enormous white bird, wing span stretching for miles and covering acres of land in shadows as it loops in flashes around the globe. Sometimes I want to lasso its quicksilver feet and say Slow down!!

But, here we are, 8 weeks with you in the world, and Time has certainly blessed you with so much.

Your latest developments:

You are alive-awake-alert-enthusiastic! Your eyes are wide and take in all they see in a room. You move your head to follow something interesting, like your mama.

You are holding your head up so well! Still a little bobble-wobble, but for the most part you are proving to have a strong neck and a very keen interest in everything that's going on!

High five! Your little hands are moving from clenched little clams to wide-open stars. I was feeling your fingers last night as they pressed against your ear when you were nursing.

The skin on your face is finally starting to smooth out. Four weeks of acne was hard for Mama to deal with!

And that smile. That glorious, illuminating, hey-I-recognize-you!, bright bright smile. I would eat boiled eggs to see that smile. But good thing I don't have to. You're happy all on your own!

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

I love you, Luciya!!

Mama

stressy bessy

Our things are being packed and shipped next Thursday. Thursday.... as in, 3 days. As in, I am starting to try and cope with the fact that we are MOVING from our first HOME -- moving from MAUI to IDAHO.

My heart catches every now and then, and I find myself reminiscing about MAUI. All the things I won't see in Idaho. A sampling:

shakas ~ locals ~ jacaranda blossoms ~ palm fronds ~ mr. lanky who buys his dinners from down to earth and nightly walks the streets of makawao town at the same time we do ~ greeting with a cheek-kiss ~ haleakala waldorf school, where i became me and liked who i became ~ my home ~ the olinda pine forests ~ the maui humane society ~ the interior of the ogg airport ~ windsurfers like brilliant winged bugs at hookipa ~ my subabru ~ shoes off at the front door (i feel i won't be able to break this habit on the mainland) ~ a sea in a thousand shades of blue ~ warmth, 24/7/365 ~ foreign surfer hippies ~ "perfect beach" ~ judging what the weather may be like 30 miles away ~ papayas and mangoes ~ lilikoi everything: dressing, mousse, lotion, margaritas, and fresh off the vine ~ the running priest who either blows you a kiss or pretends to box you ~ clancy and mikey ~ night-blooming jasmine ~ whale season ~ spinner dolphins leaping ~ mana foods ~ ono grinds ~ talking story ~ the random plucks and strums of transient ukuleles ~ a lei for all occasions: hello, goodbye, i love you, congratulations, happy birthday...

The house is in shambles. John's dad ("Grandpa Dave") is visiting and I feel like a horrible hostess. I am preoccupied and distant. I look around and all I see are projects and piles. And twice I've forgotten to get his coffee ready in the morning.

Last night Grandpa Dave treated us to a delicious night out at Ruth's Chris. (Four words: filet sizzling in butter.) It was so nice, and I thought I was planning smart by making the reservations at an early 6:00, hoping Luciya would sleep through the majority of dinner and go to bed relatively close to the scheduled time I have been trying to enforce.

Well.

Who had a cranky baby and a stormy storm-out of the restaurant? The hostess actually shut the front door so Luciya's wails wouldn't disturb the clientele as I desperatley tried to nurse her on a bench in front of the restaurant. She did fall to sleep eventually, and the meal was delicious, but I couldn't help but become flustered and frustrated for a while there, especially with a $150 bottle of Silver Oak and fresh berries and cream waiting for me at the table.

Grandpa Dave is wonderful with Luciya, pleasant and jolly and attentive, and I am grateful for his presence as I am trying to finish writing 100 student reports, pack up the two giant suitcases Luciya and I will be living out of, and attempting to keep a normal and happy facade.

Not that I'm unhappy. I'm happy! Just a bit amazed. And overwhelmed. And a bit scared.

But then I see this.



And this.



And this.



And the idea of saying aloha to my island home seems more okay. Everything seems more okay. Because we are blessed beyond measure with this dazzling ray of sunshine every single day.

"Aloha" means both hello and goodbye. It is also used to symbolize love. And so I carry its intentions with me. And in 10 days, I'll be saying Aloha to Boise!

the baby mullet

New for 2007
The Ultimate in Infant Style

Bald in some spots
Patchy in others
And the back is allowed to grow long and thick

Baby mullets are THE must-have for summer!

Luciya is such a trend-setter.

sudden cause for reminiscing

OMG, I only have 16 days left on Maui. We booked our tickets yesterday; Luciya and I will be arriving in Boise on June 21.

Six years, and suddenly it's down to just over two weeks left. And I'm realizing: I never went parasailing, never went on the zipline.... I've never snorkeled at Black Rock!

I was wide awake last night thinking, What is going on? I'm leaving Maui for Boise?!

In Boise, I won't be able to wear slippahs 365 days a year. BUT, I will get to bundle, wrap, and layer. (Geez, I need a whole new wardrobe...!)

In Boise, I won't walk around the corner from my home to a cute, 2-street, "cowboy town;" I'll drive through layers of traffic to the strip mall. BUT, I am admittedly excited about Target. I have lived 6 years without Target. And Bed Bath and Beyond? What's that? Don't think I won't find out.

In Boise, it will be really hard to get to a picture-perfect tropical waterfall in the middle of the rainforest. BUT, it will be possible to drive to place of immense natural beauty and not be surrounded by 85 tourists with cameras and guide books.

There is no clear blue Pacific ocean that is easily accessible in Boise. BUT, there are cold rushing rivers, quiet forest lakes, and my brother has a boat we can take out to the reservoir.

In Maui you can get anywhere you want to go within a couple hours. But in Boise, we can get in the car and DRIVE. Cruise control, windows down, music up, scenery for miles and miles and miles and miles. I will become the Road Trip Queen. I will traverse the wide open land that is the North American mainland.

I will ski in the winter and breathe in the fall.

My daughter will tell her Boise classmates she was born on Maui. And they'll say, "yeah right!"

Last night I almost had a panic attack. But this morning, with John cuddling me on my left and Luciya snuggling on my right, I realized that as long as I have this right here, I will be home.

remarking on john's excellent barbecued steak

Shemmy: "Mmmmm..... Holy cow."

Ton Ton: "Literally."

happy birthday to daddy from luciya

Dear Dad:

Although I’m only 6 weeks old
I know I’m very blessed
To have a dad that lets me snuggle
On his daddy chest

I like to look into your eyes
Your kind face makes me smile
I love when you take me on walks
Around the Valley Isle

Your arms are where I like to go
When I’m feeling funky
I like when you sing songs to me
And call me Little Monkey

Thanks for helping make me
And bring me to the world
Though I really love my mama
We both know I’m Daddy’s girl.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!

Love, Luciya

a poem from aunty clancy

L ooking at you makes me smile

U nbelievable love I have for you

C ries of joy or gas, we don't know

I n my arms you farted and it was really cute

Y ou spit up on me and that was cute too!

A lways have a place in my heart

eLLe - 40 days

Luciya is 40 days old today!

In forty days, the incarnating being, who has previously lived free of time and space in the heavenly world, has achieved the first stage of adaptation to existence in a world of space and time.

This forty days can be seen as a period of adjustment between spiritual and physical states. We thus recognize that forty days is the time needed for the spirit to adapt itself to new conditions. From Genesis we learn that Noah spent 40 days in the ark. Likewise, Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert. We can all remember this when we are in a transition time, and allow ourselves the proper time to adapt.

The baby comes from the watery realm into the the realms of earth and air, as well as physical changes, there is a total change of consciousness that occurs.



Luciya's changes the past few days have been marked. Yes, she has been smiling since week 2, but now when she sees the face of her mommy or daddy, a slow recognition crosses her face and a smile illuminates everything on her: her eyes light up (literally, little sunshines!) and the smile - oh! the smile! - makes my heart jitterbug. And she is starting to think we are pretty darn funny. This makes me want to be funny all the time. Anything to inspire that perfect little grin.

She has also been fussing more, which I suppose can be attributed to everything from the full moon to my caffeine consumption, or perhaps it's because her little body is becoming more rooted in the earth.

She is more alert and focused; her eyes follow us as we move around the room. Every day we get to watch her little self become more and more Luciya.

Welcome to the world, baby girl.

the arrival of our future son-in-law

Luciya's Aunty T and Uncle Colby had their baby boy this afternoon!

Baby Jenner was born in Portland at 5:04 pm weighing 5 pounds 13 ounces! (Luciya was almost 3 pounds more than him at birth!)

Congratulations, guys! We are so happy for your family.

Jenner Douglas

We are so happy for our sweet new family of friends. Now, I have to resist singing "Jenner and Luciya sittin' in a tree...." (but it sounds good, no?)

We love you!

gimme a break

Time to slow things down.

We are realizing that most five-week-olds haven't gone on trans-Pacific flights, not to mention numerous barbecues, baby showers, and the beach.

Needless to say, Luciya has been a little out of sorts (read: Fussy McFussfuss), so yesterday she and I took advantage of the beautiful summery spring morning and had ourselves a little canopy time in the backyard.


It was really wonderful, for about 2 hours. Then she woke up. And she didn't go back to sleep. For the rest of the day. Poor thing only got a total of about 3 hours of sleep yesterday and it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps the large mug of "naturally caffeinated," "healthy energy" that is yerba mate may not have been a very good breakfast choice for mommy. I think I caffeinated my child.

Why do you do this to me, mom?

I am learning that I can't go off chomping on whatever I want. So far, hummus and mate top the list of no-no's, though I may have to add string beans and peanuts, if they could perchance affect the little one like they've affected me.

We really wouldn't want that.

our newborn middle-aged teenager

Luciya's hair is falling out at a rapid clip. It coats the insides of her little caps and is layered on her swaddling blankets.

And she had a rash of acne so bad I couldn't resist calling her "pizza face."

She is still the most dazzling thing I have ever seen.

Cheer up, little old man.