Sunny.

Life has been sunny. We have visited Cleveland, celebrated my 1st Mother's Day, celebrated my brother & sister's Birthday, and Memorial Day weekend our dear friends, Caryn & Chris flew here from San Francisco.

This entire year of 2012 has been abnormally warm for both the winter and now this spring. We had a day here in the Windy City at close to 100 degrees. The NATO summit also took place here in Chicago, first time it's been in the States for a while, and there was some crazy rioting... we stayed far away.

Fayola has had her first visit to the zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo). She loved it!! She meowed at the tigers and laughed at the monkeys. I, of course, have strong opinions about animals being kept in these "cages" or "enclosures". But, I want to give Fayola this experience and let her form her own opinions.

We also will be celebrating our 5-year Anniversary this weekend! So excited to have a date with my husband.

This isn't the official monthly update for Fayola so I will wait before I post on her progress. She is doing wonderfully and is healthy. Today was the first time she ate the handle bar on the cart at the store... yes!! So nasty! She is getting 2 more teeth and is chewing on anything she can.

Eric continues to work A LOT! CAT's union workers continue to be on strike and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. And I started my PRN job, I enjoy the clinic, but it is always crazy being a contract worker... you just get thrown into new patients without really knowing them, and you have to win them over. It is great to be given this opportunity and I will start hitting the books hard this July/August to test out of my NAIOMT (Manual therapy) exams.

As always we are thankful for your friendship, love and support

 Aunt Angie is moving to San Diego soon (we will miss her like crazy!)

 Uncle Chris & Fayola at the zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo 

 Aunt Angie's B-day party!

Happy Birthday Angie! (Evanston, IL)

Uncle Chris reading Fayola's favorite Ladybug book 

 Auntie Caryn @ Pizza place downtown Chicago

 My Caryn!! 

 Belly shot

Buckingham Fountain (downtown Chicago)

 HOT day in Naperville, IL

Daddy & Fayola (Naperville, IL) 

 Thank you for visiting :)

10 Months

Life at home with Fayola continues to be simple, lovely, and... challenging! Over the past month (especially the past 2-3 weeks) she has become a squirmy worm and crawling all over the place. The past 2 days I've found her standing in her crib (and she refuses to fall asleep easily anymore for naps). Her personality continues to develop and she definitely has a short fume... boy watch out! She gets frustrated when she can't figure something out or when she can't get moving along like she wants to.

Milestones
Points and says "dat"
First word "Hi" and waves at EVERYONE
New words "Duck", "Chloe"
Animal noises "meow", growl!!, "Quack", "mooo"
New sign language: milk, all done, dog
Funny games: dances when you say dance, tilts head to side when say "awww"
Gives kisses and hugs when asked
Pulls to kneeling & gets onto hands/knees
Has improved her army crawl... she is everywhere!!
Points to her nose
Eats everything independently (tried chicken for the first time)
Still has 6 teeth... :)

Travels
Southern Illinois to visit my SoulFriend (Angie) and her boys

Lincoln, Liam & Fayola

 Indianapolis for The Mathews' Birthday parties (Asher-30, Atticus-3, Lana-1)

Best buds (Atticus & Fayola)

 Paul Tim & Skip first time meeting Fayola

 serious girls 

 Cousin Isabelle

 Aunt Jenny

Chloe on Fayola's lap to stay warm

Cleveland to visit the Miotkes' (9 days of pure fun!!)

Pittsburgh to visit the McGowans' & Baba (quick trip but so worth it)

 Baba & Fayola

 Great Grandpa & Grandma McGowan & Grandpa T

 Grandpa T & cousin Jimmy

Grandma Belle & Pat

Special Events
Grandma time-- I had surgery and Grandma came up here to Chicago to watch Fayola for 2 days!

'Abdul-Baha Centenary Celebration visit to US at the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette, IL (Grandpop and Granny came down and we stayed the night with Aunt Angie)

Fayola's 1st Birthday party will be in Cleveland on July 7th! Can't believe it!!

I actually hope to start my per diem job in June, but it takes a while to get all the paperwork finalized so we will see.  We still plan on moving again in Jan/Feb, not sure where yet... we will know this fall.

Eric's union workers went on strike... he's been pulling mandatory 12 hour shifts this whole month. There doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Our 5 year Anniversary will be coming up soon, we hope to have a special night together.

Stay in Touch~
The McGowans'

Cinco de Mayo!!

'Abdu'l-Baha's Arrives in America... 100 years ago

These past 21 days have been a celebration for the Baha'i Community as we remember all the talks, speeches, visits, and service 'Abdu'l-Baha presented throughout the East and West Coast, the Central States and the South.  He was  man of selfless sacrifice, genuine acts of tireless service to humanity, and had a way with making people feel in awe and peace when they visited him.  'Abdu'l-Baha during these first few weeks in the United States made it a point to talk on racial unity and woman suffrage. He met with many great leaders in the United States including Louis Gregory, congressmen of the US while visiting Washington DC, Howard University, Alexander Graham Bell, and the list is bound to go on as I continue to read more about his journey here in the US.

http://239days.com/

http://centenary.bahai.us/

One very special occasion was 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit to Chicago where the Baha'i House of Worship was being constructed in Wilmette, IL (where Eric and I got married 5 years ago). 'Abdu'l-Baha met a woman, Nettie Tobin, whom carried a large limestone rock she found at a construction site 4 years prior to 1912... she carted the rock 14 miles to the temple land because she had nothing else to give. This became the cornerstone for the North American Baha'i House of Worship. My family (Dad, stepmom, sister, Eric, Fayola, and I) got to attend the Centenary Celebration of the 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit and the lying of the cornerstone.  It was such a beautiful devotional program with prayers, songs, and prayers chanted in the Persian language actually audio recorded 100 years ago of 'Abdu'l-Baha himself.  The service moved the earth and my soul.

As I read about 'Abdu'l-Baha and his service to humanity, I am motivated and inspired to give more to humanity. To find ways to serve God and to help those whom are in need of a friend, love, God, and companionship, or just a smile and hug.  Also, to continue to raise my daughter in world where there is light, there is peace, there is hope, and foster a solid foundation for her to grow into a woman with a "pure, kind, and radiant heart".

Here are just a few pictures from the weekend, April 29th, 2012 at the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette, IL. A photographer taking pictures on the steps of the Baha'i Temple that cool, breezy morning asked how old Fayola was... (she is 9 months old), he said, "Maybe she will be here for the second centenary celebration." --100 more years from now. :) What will the world look like then? Maybe she will make it.. :)

Our dear beloved friend and Baha'i Grandfather for Fayola, Robert :)

Fayola with Grandpop the Great and Granny

Beautiful picture of Aunt Angie and Fayola