Everyday Beauty

I came across this old article in the Washington Post about a social experiment they conducted. I thought it was interesting enough to share/post/document. It served as a good reminder to just slow down sometimes. As a coworker often says "pump the brakes." Here it is...copied and pasted...

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Dear Teagan - 5 months

Dear Teagan,

You just turned 5 months old! The weeks and months just seem to cruise right by. We do our best to relish in the moments so time doesn't get away from us.

Your personality has certainly come out in the past month. You are so aware of your surroundings and you LOVE faces...daddy, mommy, dolls, grocery store employee, anybody! Eye-contact, tickles and conversation get you smiling and laughing in no time.

It appears you are starting to make conscious decisons. We place two toys in front of you and you choose which you reach for. We hope you remember you will always have choices in life and that you will be equipped with skills to ration and make the very best decisions.


You are so curious in our daily tasks. You love the hair dryer and you are the perfect sous chef. We talk you through the smallest tasks and you observe as if there will be a quiz to follow. Your personality is very mellow at this point. You just go with the flow as long as long as there is some sort of loose routine.

You sit up but still wobble a bit too and fro. We know your core is strengthening as your range of motion inceases. We used to watch you swim and now we watch you do the backwards tummy scootch. It is so incredible to watch you gain ground and sort of "figure it out."



Each and every day we look at you and then look at each other and just smile. We feel honored to be your parents and to share this amazing journey with you. There are days where we wonder if we are doing it right but your smiles, steady growth and wholeness you bring to our lives means we must be on the right track.

Love you little girl,

Mom and Dad

Teagan - 4 months

Little Ms. Teagan has crossed the 4 month mark! She is so much fun as she transforms into such a little lady. We are loving watching her grow and develop. Here are a few of her latests tricks and skills.

Rolling Over - I called it when I last wrote about her at 12 weeks. On December 6th she rolled over and hasn't looked back since! The daycare and Dr. thought it was a bit early but Teagan is on her own program. She has fully mastered the back to tummy roll and has demonstrated the tummy to back just a couple of times. This new trick has caused a few problems with sleep at night and during "naps" at daycare but we are getting through it just fine.

Swimming - Tummy Time is now called swimming in our house. Once she completes the roll over she balances on her tummy, wiggles her legs and arms in unison like she is doing the breast stroke. She holds her head up high, laughs and reaches forward for whatever toy is out in front. Her core muscles must be getting a major workout. It is clear these are the early signs of exploring the next swim stroke, the crawl!

Laughing - As Ms. Kim said, "Teagan has found her voice." She laughs and squeals all the day long. Her latest vocal feat is one we call the Pterodactyl. It sounds like she is auditioning for a voice over on Jurassic Park. It is a hybrid between a laugh and a hum and it gets increasing loud if we talk back to her. Rick summed it up the other day "there is no better sound than that of your daughter laughing." Agreed!

Awareness - Teagan is more and more aware of her surroundings. She follows us as we walk across the room and seems to gauge a room upon entering. We take a gazillion photos and she will reach out to the camera. I was reading to her last night and she grabbed the book and turned the page herself. She grabs toys that are placed within reach and even has favorites...the lion on her bounce house, the light-up flower pot, Lucy, the crinkle blocks and still likes cloth toys that can be gnawed on. She is able to play independently for longer periods of time although it is only a matter of minutes before Rick or I jump in to join the fun.

Her feet - She discovered that she has two feet at the bottom of those long legs! She grabs for them and holds them and rolls around. This makes diaper changes just a wee bit more challenging but entertaining nonetheless. Daddy pretends to eat her feet and giggles always follow! Maybe she is super ticklish like me.

Sleep - She had a little cold just before Christmas and regressed a little bit in the sleeping department. She was sleeping 7-8 hours and then went back to waking up every 3-4 hours. She seems to be back on track now but we know things can change any old day. We take it day by day and that just seems to work for us!

Food - Nursing is still going well although sometimes it is like trying to tame a fish out of water. I have been pumping at work which is also going well. We have the bottle prep, wash and repeat down pat now. She is growing like crazy 26" at the 4 month check-up and 14.5 lbs. The Dr. gave us the thumbs up to try solids sometime before her 6 month mark. We have started with rice and oats and will continue the "solid" food progression from there. She is a natural with the spoon...although a bit puzzled at first, she now licks the food from the spoon.

We have had the perfect mix of planned events and downtime at home as we enter 2012. We wrapped up 2011 with Teagan's first Christmas. We were able to make it to Christmas Eve with the Tiltges side and then a flight out that evening to Colorado. Below are some photos and highlights of the last month or so.

All snuggled in her snow suit Uncle E got her

Teagan was wide awake and loved watching the family bowl several games..so much action!

Babies first Christmas....with Aunt Cara and Cousin Ryker

Helping Mom and Dad pick out her first Christmas Tree

Hanging out with Uncle E on Christmas morning.

"I think I like this whole Christmas thing" With Grandma Janet.

This is how the flight to and from Colorado looked. She ate upon take off and then snoozed the rest of the flight. We were so proud!

Teagan asleep at a holiday party with the Weyants and Klines.

Bath time has always been a favorite...she is just starting to realize she can splash herself!

It was a mild start to the winter...This is January 7 - 50 degree day and a stroller ride with Riley and the Little family!

Pleasant surprise in January. Nobody likes cabin fever!

A visit from Oscar and Kim and little O! The kiddos were so cute together and fun to watch interact. Oscar and Rick have come a long ways since the days of college!

A Saturday play date with cousin Ryker. We strolled at the mall and then came back to our house to eat lunch and play. They get to spend every Wednesday together but we wanted to see them in action.

Well there is so much more but that was a good snapshot of what has been going on in the past months. We are heading to Cincinnati next weekend to visit the Helmers family including an almost year old Jacob!

XO,

EAT

It happened on the way...

I really need to start documenting moments like we had this morning more often. Teagan and I went through our usual Thursday morning routine and then on the way to daycare...I heard it. It sounded like a volcano errupted in the back seat of my car. I knew exactly what had happened and when I go to get her out of the car seat, sure enough...through the diaper and her pink fleece pants. I placed her on the changing table and just as Ms. Julie began to assess the damages, Teagan flashed a huge grin followed by 3 solid giggles. I laughed with her as I kissed her sweet cheeks to say goodbye. I loved having that image and sound resonating in my mind all the crazy work day long!

XO,
EAT

Teagan - 12 weeks

Our baby girl is 12 weeks old and is approaching the 3 month mark! I know I said it when I wrote about her at 6 weeks but holey moley time if flying! Teagan's true personality is starting to shine through and makes our hearts smile constantly. We always had an idea of what parenthood would be like but we never expected it would be this incredible. She teaches us daily lessons in love, loyalty, simple needs and living in the moment. She is such a good baby and brings joy to so many people.

12 weeks marks the end of my maternity leave as well. I am sad to be going back to work but I know things will shake out the way they are meant to be. I feel so blessed to have had this time with Teagan. I spent some time at the day care and know she will be in excellent hands. The caregivers were so great with the babies and I already see Teagan making friends with the other kiddos. It will be interesting when the structure of my days go from tummy time and trips to Target to conference calls and server configurations.

Teagan's latest tricks and happenings -

She loves her fists. She will stare at them in awe as if she is just learning they are attached to her arms. She is especially fond of the thumb between her forefinger middle finger - this is the letter T for Teagan in sign language! She is also discovering her feet as she watches them fly around and thump up and down.

Mirrors! She just recently started to smile at us and herself in the mirror. The daycare she is going to has a triangle mirror that the babies can crawl through or lay in - she is going to love that!

Sleep...it is amazing how she puts her to sleep at night and after a middle of the night feeding. We turn the monitor on expecting to hear some signs of awakening but not a peep (crossing fingers she continues this skill). She is consistent in sleeping 5-6 (a couple times 7) hours at night before being fed. She is not a napper! I am sure this will change but as of now, we will take the mini cat-naps.

She has moved on from her love of the ceiling fan...to the TV. Yikes...I do not like this new obsession but I think it is the light and movement more than anything. She loves when daddy watched the Red Zone on Sundays!

Bath time is so much fun! She smiles in the warm water as we splash around and sponge her down. All signs thus far indicate she will be a water lover like her daddy!

She is mastering the grasp. She is starting to reach out to toys placed in front of her but if you place something in her hands, she grips it right away. Along with this, she continues the hand to mouth motion. Sometimes a fist goes in, sometimes a shirt or a toy.

Expanding vocabulary. We could listen to her "chat" all day! The noises she makes range from a wimper to a giggle to a hiiiii to a sigh. We have conversations with her where she will mock the sound we make. The smiles continue to come more and more but she has a new look too...the super serious look. She gets this look of deep thought as if she is trying to solve a complex math problem. Her eyes are alert as ever and she is follwing movement around the room (especially looking for mom and dad!)

Rolling over will be next. I can just see it! She is starting to throw her legs up in the air and to one side. She did it once with the assistance of a wedged blanket. But her crib movement is hilarious...we put her down facing one way and go to find her completely turned the opposite direction. Oh and the crib....she loves it! She started in the crib on October 20th and hasn't looked back. I laid her in the bassinet the other day while I put sheets on the bed and she looked so big in it!

She continues to eat like a champion. The breastfeeding is still going really well. It is amazing to me how our bodies communicate and sort it all out. I look forward to the nights where she sleeps 8+ hours but I honestly enjoy the quiet night feedings where it seems like we are the only two awake in the whole world. Just the other night, I thought Rick was sound asleep. We both started laughing aloud as she started to guzzle away as if it was her first meal in weeks!

Her 2 month stats were: 11lbs12.5oz, 15.75" head and 25.25" which puts her over the 100th percentile for length! This girl has long everything! A couple of weeks ago we noticed how long her eyelashes are. Her hair is starting to grow and is still whispering blonde. The eyes are dark blue and her skin is like a china doll. I often rub her cheeks to mine and there is nothing like baby eskimo kisses!

Recent Highlights -

Grandparents Visit - Grandma Janet and Grandpa Todd came for a few days November 6th. We had a blast hanging out while they got some quality Teagan time in. It is a joy watching them interact with her. My dad said he has her expressions memorized now! We enjoyed their company and they got to see how much Teagan has changed in 2 months - win and win!

First trip to city - We headed to Chicago for dinner at friends house and a play date with cousin Ryker. Those two are going to have so much fun when they can play together! Teagan and I also headed downtown to meet the coworkers. It was fun to show her off and we enjoyed lunch at the Sears (Willis) Tower and met Beth and Jenny at Starbucks. She was an angel the whole trip!

Walks with Riley and Lauren - It was perfect timing that we were both on maternity leave at the same time! The babies snooze through our stoller rides but it is a good excuse to get out and about.

Springfield visit - We headed south to see mom again as well as meet Great Grandpa Richardson on November 11th. The first trip to the farm was so fun since that is the house I grew up visiting day in and out. Teagan got to stay in the "kids room" where I once played with snoopy and dressed up in Grandma's old costumes. We also got to see Anna and Tim, Ashley Chris and their new baby Ben as well as the Knox Family. No trip is complete without a trip to Capone's! We stopped in Bloomington to have lunch with Uncle Chris as well!

Helmers visit - Michele, Ben and Jacob came to visit and got to meet the little missy! (11/17) We did a little birthday celebrating while they were here. Christy and Todd hosted an awesome dinner and the girls snuck away to the wine bar once the babies headed to dreamland. We got out for a little stroller ride and enjoyed each others company. We are lucky to have such good friends who can get together and feel like we haven't missed a beat! It was hilarious to see Jacob and Teagan together. They are 7 months apart and will certainly be friends growing up!

Thanksgiving - Teagan's first Turkey Day! And our first traditional Thanksgiving in 2 years. Nicaragua in 2009 and Las Vegas in 2010. Grandma Candy grilled an awesome turkey and we ate and ate and ate. I sure love everything about that meal!

Well that is all I have for now. So much more to come!

XO,

EAT

Champions

We had the pleasure of watching sports history on Thursday (10.27.11). It was even more thrilling because it was the baseball team I cheer for - the St. Louis Cardinals! The Cardinals forced a Game 7 of the 2011 World Series in a dramatic 11th inning 10-9 victory over the Texas Rangers. The Cardinals were twice within 1 strike away from letting the Rangers have the title. They refused to give up in the 9th and 10th innings which led to David Freese's 11th inning walk-off home run to win the game. Freese had already hit a 2 run triple in the 9th to tie the game up at 7 and then Lance Berkman in the 10th tied it up at 9. It was the first time in World Series history a team rallied twice from 2 runs down in the 9th inning or later. They had to overcome 5 deficits in the game! Talk about determination and perseverance.

It was truly incredible to watch it all unravel. It was a roller coaster ride just to watch from the couch so I can't imagine what the players were feeling! Oh yes...I should mention they went onto win their 11th World Series Championship the following evening!! This team continues to demonstrate true success with class.

I certainly don't claim to be the biggest or most loyal Cardinals fan and quite frankly some regular season games are better off watching highlights rather than a 3 hour game on TV. But I do know the excitement that a season like the Cardinals just had can evoke emotions in any sports fan. It makes me wonder if Teagan will grow up to enjoy watching sports like I did with my dad. One of my favorite memories as a child was waking up to look at the chalkboard in my room to see the score of whatever game went past my bedtime. My dad would write the final score and a quick recap of what happened. We will let Teagan make her own decisions as to which sports team she may or may not cheer for. But until then....I could not resist....

XO,

EAT

Did you know the human head weighs 8 lbs?

Remember this kid?

The little cutie who played Ray Boyd in Jerry Maguire turned 21 this week. He was 6 when he played the role. Really?! I was obsessed with this movie when it first came out. I thought Jerry had the best job in the world and would watch it over an over. I was 15 and thought the love story behind it all was endearing. I recited "you had me at hello" and "show me the money" over and over. But wow...when Rick told me Jonathan Lipnicki was 21 I will admit I felt just a wee old. But old in a good way :)

XO,
EAT