Golden Opportunity

I am hesitant to say anything because I don't want to be disappointed if this doesn't happen, but I want to share with you all the amazing opportunity that I have recently had fall in my lap. I am looking into surrogacy and yet still want to have a home birth. In order to maybe make this dream a reality I decided to forgo companies and place some ads in online classified specifically for infertility. I have had quite a few responses.
Lately the most awesome response I got was from a couple in Manhattan. Not only do they seem awesome and totally worthy of parenting a kick ass kid, if we do end up being the right fit for one another, they may possibly help me achieve another dream of mine. The mom is the daughter of one of the midwives on the farm. The Farm that I visited this summer in Tennessee and had told Bryce I wanted to deliver my next child at. The idea that I could be part of one of the original midwives birth stories of delivering their own grandchild through me is blowing my mind right now.
Now I just have to wait and pray that they choose me and that the embryo transfer works. I literally can hardly think of anything else right now. That, plus the income to pay off one of my loans. That is three dreams in one shot. Wow. wow. wow.

Dreams Dashed

So I wasn't accepted. But the connection gave me hope. I now have more inspiration to put myself out there.
I also had great hope of getting Link into a daycare nearby that is inexpensive and highly recommended. We were also not accepted. Simply because there are not current openings until August.

Bad movies, Bad food, Great time

I finally went on an artist date. The Artist Way book has been telling me to for over a month now and I haven't made a date. I finally did. It seemed everything was this weekend. I was invited to a lady's night, ask to fill in as a speech judge, thought about attending an auction (another Artist Date I have thought of doing) but in the end I went to the second annual Oneota Film Festival in Decorah. I had wanted to go last year. They had King Corn and Food Inc as films. This year it was bigger and it will continue to be.
I started the day by getting a coffee at Java Johns. I had heard a lot of good things, but never had gone. I was disappointed when I realized the Chai I ordered was Oregon and we have a box of the same stuff at home.
I then went to the festival. Trying to navigate the college, I missed the first film session but got in on The Farmer and the Horse which was about young people my age returning to farming with horses instead of tractors. It wasn't the greatest film but I did enjoy some parts. I like the line where one man said he was a farmer without land. That made me realize I feel like a business owner without a business. Another guy said he romanticised farming so much he might as well go all the way with horses. That was true of him.
I was planing on then attending a movie on bees but I ran into a bunch of friends and we got to talking about schooling and spirituality and such and I ended up going to the film they wanted to see called This Way of Life which was depressing and interesting to see their story, but not motivational or anything. I didn't have time for any more, but I still wan to see Wasteland, Schooling the World, A Small Act, and Ride the Divide.
After the film there was a dinner break and I went to LaRana where Jason, the esteemed cook of Decorah was in the pit. I was super excited to have some of his food. I ordered a mojito and winter squash bruchetta. The mojito was way to strong and the buschetta was only ok. The caramelized pecans were good. So this far in the day I had only disappointing food and movies, but I was still having the most fabulous day. I decided to go to Culver's and get an ice cream and take it to Goodwill to shop. It was delicious and fun to do. When I was done I felt so sick. I have been off carbs all month and all the food I had eaten were loaded. Yuck.
Nonetheless the night was not over. I went to the Toppling Goliath where the Decorah Art Council, D.ART, was having a get together called Beards and Beer. Here we made beards, drank beer (well, I didn't I was done), and took photos in silent film fashion. It was a great time. I didn't know anyone, but I made some great friends. Rose and Tim and I hung out at the beard making table and guess what actor was placed on our back for a good 15 min.
I'm still riding on the fumes of such a great time.

More grown upness

Link is saying "stinky" and holding his nose.
He also is saying "eww" when picking stuff off the floor.
He took two scheduled naps today, falling asleep with me running my fingers though his hair.

A sudden change of events

Link just started eating the squash, cabbage, and broccoli we made without complaint today. Yippee. Will it last?

In other news Link has been taking only one, one-hour nap a day. This can't happen. My little sleeper boy needs to sleep. It takes longer than that to get him to sleep. He screams bloody murder for hours or looks perfectly a sleep when we lay beside him and then is wide awake and up the minute we get off the bed. Help.

I think Link is allergic to blueberries. Another barf bed. But he doesn't seem sick. He is currently dancing to music.

Adult Lincoln

Lincoln has always wanted to do the adult version of things. He always tried to climb the steps with his feet rather than crawling but it never worked, until recently. Now he holds the railing and goes one step at a time. He always wanted to use a fork andhe quickly learned how to do that. But now he realizes using his hands is easier and has reversed. His talking sounds more grown up all the time. My favorite word he says right now is "Stew".
Today he begged for a sip of pop so I gave him a sip thinking the carbonation might be too much. He gave a crazy face so I said "Yuck?" and he said "Yuck." Then after eating a bit more he asked for more pop by saying "Yuck, please."
At dinner the past few nights Link has been grabbing both my and Bryce's hand (on either side of him) and putting our hands together. He loves seeing Bryce and I hold hands.