Red Spotted Purple Butterfly

We didn't raise this butterfly from a caterpillar. Instead, we rescued it. It had made it's chrysalis on my parents' house and we removed it and brought it home before they pressure washed their house. Maybe one day we'll be lucky enough to find a Red Spotted Purple egg or caterpillar to raise.

Red Spotted Purple host plants:

• Aspen
• Basswood
• Birch
• Cottonwood
• Deerberry
• Hawthorn
• Oaks
• Poplar
• Oaks
• Wild cherry
• Willows

The empty chrysalis:


The release:

Walking!!

Maddy took her first steps tonight!! It was awesome b/c my parents happened to be over. And I'm so glad she waited till we moved. Now her, Sean and I took our first steps in the same room.




Scrapblog I made showing Sean's and my first steps in the same room...guess it's time to add Maddy to it!

Silly boy

This one was from about 2 weeks ago. Sean was signing until I got the camera out. I did however catching him crossing his eyes for the first time...freaky


Sean LOVES Fresh Beat Band, especially their song "Loco Legs". The other night he told me "mama, look, legs" and did this.

Maddy's 9 month check up

Yea, I know, she's just about 10 months but she was sick at 9 months. I not only have a chunky monkey but a very happy baby. She's 19 lbs 6.5 oz and 29.5 in tall! She just got 1 shot today and didn't even bat an eye. She actually smiled at the nurse as she put the band-aid on. I also gave the doctor a handful of LLL business cards. He told me thanks b/c he has a lot of new moms that have breastfeeding problems and a lot of the time doesn't know how to help them.

Maddy's cruising!

1 month

That's how long it's been since the last time Sean nursed. It's very hard to believe. Sean was very attached to nursing...or "cheese" as he called it. I'm very happy with the way weaning happen. I like to call it mama nudged weaning. lol He was ready and I was ready. He just had a hard time realizing that. In the end he never nursed for a long time. It was as if he was just checking if it was still there so I started asking him to wait a little bit. Most of the time he'd forget about it and I wouldn't remind him. Before we knew it, he was only nursing when he woke up in the morning. During this time I began to see how weaning isn't just denying him nursing but more me learning a new way to be a mother. It was an amazing adventure. Four days after the last time he nursed we were standing in line to see Santa. I was holding him and he slid down a little like to get into position to nurse, said "cheese?" and then laughed and straightened himself. It was as if to tell me, "I know it's still there, but I don't need it anymore". Sean's grown up to be such an independent little boy...most of the time. ;) I truly cherished the time we had as a nursing mom and child and I'm looking forward to what's in store for us.

Now, for a look back...

First time nursing- he was still in the hospital after his surgery. He was such a nursing champ!


2 months


6 months


7 months




1 year




17 months with brand new baby sister


2 years!!