I am wide awake, staring at the camera! In keeping with the traditions of the elders, I am covering my head for modesty. Plus, my parents are real strict with the dress code!

Tummy time....I can finally hold my head up. Yeah, my giraffie friend (that auntie Tressie gifted me) was very helpful and encouraging. Soon, I will be crawling then walking. Eventually, I want to be running. Hey is that binkie in the photo...the one that I don't like to put in my mouth!!

Four generations of Fleg's (I was so excited to see and meet my great-grandmother Fleg...and I did!!). My parents had scheduled a one night stay over at my grandparents' place and we ended up having a family gathering. It was fun, because I was also able to see my uncles, family friends, and see Sunshine the bird (in this picture) as well as Snowball (not pictured) the bunny.

This is Neem Bhatt, the beautiful woman who made me laugh! Of course, with several attempts prior...then when the least expected, I laughed. In Dine' (Navajo), this is called A'wee Chi'deeldolh (the baby laughed) . She will host my 1st Laugh Ceremony. I'm soooo excited for this event!! Thanks for showing me how to laugh, as well as being happy Ms. Neem.

Wow, it's almost Christmas time and yesterday I was just eating at our thankgiving dinner. That was way too quick!! Well, here is Santa and I. I know that I was not looking, and it was because Santa's beard was tickling my lil' head. Happy Holidays!

You probably have seen more pictures of daddy and I, and wonder where is mommy, right? Well, a little secret...mommy takes all the photos because she gets photo-happy and forgets to include herself. She loves daddy and I!! So, here mommy holds me proudly (yes, I am asleep. I was awake at the time she was taking this, but then she took so long that I fell asleep).

A visit to the Albuquerque zoo with the family, here my uncle Shaun was kind enough to walk with me. Of course, I wanted to monkey around but some visiting adults were saying mean things about other kids..."gee, they should control that kid and keep 'em quiet" and I didn't want to be labeled just yet. So, I decided to hang out and be calm (then when all other adults left, I threw a fit because my nose was stuffy, argh!).

Turkey anyone? My first thanksgiving dinner with the family. Grandma Susie was kind enough to share her taking of the turkey, however it looks like she wants a bite of it too! Gobble, Gobble.

I think that mommy missed our bunny, Little Girl, because she put this silly hat on my head. I agree that it was cold, but there were other hats.

Like most girls, I like Caribbean vacations...only problem is that I couldn't get away from my darn parents, who insisted that I was "too young" to go out on my own...here, daddy came and picked me up after he spotted me talking to these two cute toddlers that were visiting Puerto Rico from the Netherlands - and they were even going to invite me to their crib, if dad hadn't come to spoil the fun!

I gets my own seat when I fly...even though I know my parents scheme ('cause I heard them whispering about it)...basically, they want to fly all over the place before I am 2 years old because they don't have to pay for me...then, once I hit two, they are going to pull the ole' line "Oh, we don't need to take you anywhere Nizhoni, because you have already been so many places."

Here I am with my wonderful Aunt Eileen and Uncle Tom (just out of view)...we had this cool picnic lunch at the Miami airport, sitting right in the car and hoping the security guys would leave us alone. Luckily they did, and we got a chance to visit before returning into the airport to get our flight.

This lady seems to be confused when I tell her I am here to rent one of her cars. What, do I look too little to drive, too small to reach the pedals? Well, you should seen how her look changed when I pulled out the ole' credit cards and let her know just who she was talking to. Oh, and those hands around me are not to hold me up, but to hold me back, as I was getting pretty angry at this whole business of disrespect.

I am a little scared of the black, 4 legged thing next to me. Ok, I admit it is more jealousy than being scared - Hozhoon, our doggie, had just won the 5k Doggie Dash and Dawdle, teaming up with daddy to beat the other dogs and humans...but I didn't get to run!

Tinklin' the keys, working on the jazz song I wrote recently, "Breastmilk blues in A minor"

Me, Mickey, and Minnie...thanks to Elijah, my cousin-brother who gave me these friends!

I'm a little bunny, short and stout...and very cute!

My namesake...two beautiful roses in one picture!!!! (Thanks to our neighbor, Carmela, for giving us this wonderful plant!)

Here is am as a part of the Native Health Initiative table of events at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center...come on over and (1) draw a picture, (2) learn about NHI, (3) take some food, or (4) watch me coo, smile, frown, cry, drool, and burp. Oh, and that is Rose, one of our close friends here in ABQ, sitting with us.

I'm a Blue Bird Baby, all the way. I am getting a hoist into the air by my auntie, Shelly. However, when she and the others started to joke about how they were going to use me to make frybread, I looked at them sternly and said, "Hey, a joke is a joke, but lets not take this too far!"

This is me and my daddy dangerously close to the water in a beautiful park in San Diego, Balboa Park. We did not want to pay the high fees to get into the zoo, so we walked around and enjoyed the free elements of this wonderful place. And this park is a special place to my mommy and daddy, though they had never been here together until this day - cool, huh?

I LOVE LIFE!! I share the traits of my parents....to make others laugh and be silly!! Laugh with me people!

My first basketball experience, in daddy's arm, as we watched the University of New Mexico's Lobo team at their basketball opener. It was loud and everyone was saying,'look at that cute baby"....that was me, the all- star in section 15.

This little feather, an Eagle's feather, dropped from the ceiling right into my arms, with my mommy coming into the room to find me as you see here. Truly, Creator has ways of saying beautiful things without words!

The opposing thumb

Today, I had a little scientific experientment. There is some guy named Darwin who proclaimed that the human thumb is what separates us from animals (dogs, cats, etc). Well, I tested this scientific theory-statement on my doggie named Hozhoon and I conclude that he is wrong. Hozhoon grabs bones, treats, and a huge softball with both paws and her thumb claw.

Ya'at'eeh....

I am learning my Navajo language, daily. Plus I'm learning to sit up on my own (of course, being proped up with a little help from the couch). My daddy took me shopping and I got my first pair of bracelets (made up sterling silver and turquoise) handmade by a Santa Domingo family.

Warning...

Pretty baby in pink. Usually I am not picky about what I wear, but today was about fashion. I believe I was heading to an important meeting with mommy and daddy. So, I wanted to make a first impression with the people I meet.

Already cheering for those 'heels...

I am already practicing my cheers, as I wave my hands and quietly shout...Go Tarheels!!! I am also practicing my dribbling and running.

My uncles came to visit me...

I really enjoyed having my uncles (l-Steve, R-Jerome, and not pictured-Michael) visit me. We all went out to eat, and when they started to talk I covered up my ears...because they were talking about grown-up stuff. Gee, what was uncle Steve doing??

Mommy thinks I am napping....

but "Greeny" - my lil' froggy helps me check my email inbox. Later we plan to google Greeny's long lost uncle- Kermit the Frog.

Up high with daddy

Daddy and I are here at the crest of the Sandia Mountains, 10,500 high. About 5,000 feet below us in the valley is Albuquerque. As it was orchestrated, the clouds lifted just in time for us to get beautiful views from above.

Bouncin' to my iPOD

Sometimes, when mom and dad start playing that old school stuff from the 90s and 2000s, I turn up my headphones and start to jam to the new stuff (Barney remixes, Big Bird rappin', etc)

Blessing in the water

Here, daddy is purifying me at the sacred stream in the Taos Pueblo. In this small village set against the magnificent mountains of Northen New Mexico, young infants are brought to the stream and purified with the water as they are given a name. Though the water was a little cold for my liking, I did feel a sense of peace, beauty, and harmony as I was washed.

Goin' for a ride

I am always wide awake when we get into the car!

First day in my cradle board and I am surrounded by family (my daddy is behind the scene taking the picture of us, he's so nice). I actually have one eye to notice my great grandmother Mae watching me instead of the camera..

Shima (my mommy) is really proud to carry me in my new bed...and it will be perfect for sledding this winter!

Daddy holding me in my new cradle board, against the red rock of Gallup, NM.

My first Navajo cradle board, thanks to shimasana (grandmother) and shi chei (grandfather). I lie here beneath the rainbow of cedar wood, representing peace, harmony, and unity.

Another sign of her future in medicine - here, she is demonstrating what is known as "Levine's sign", a well-known signal of someone having a heart attack, clutching their chest. Where does she learn this stuff?

Sleeping with daddy (in his "permanently borrowed" UNC scrubs). Prior to this picture, daddy was discussing the correct management of hyperlipidemia with Nizhoni, who is quite knowledgable in this area.

First sign of baby being a future doctor...she might appear to be sleeping, but she is actually listening to the upper lung fields to assess for atelectasis...note her technique!

This is her hip hop pose...arms crossed, stylin' hat, and a classic "don't mess with me" look

Contemplating her next....cry?...feeding?....poopie?...book to read?...song to sing?...

Dancing with the tongue out...just like her daddy does. (We also like to point out the connection to Michael Jordan, a fellow Tar Heel, which makes us think that Nizhoni will be quite successful on the court!)

Great Grandma Mae holding her newest great grandchild. As a traditional Navajo midwife, her knowledge of the birth process was wonderful to have to help guide Shannon...and as the spiritual center of the family, her quiet strength was there to support us all.

Grandma Fleg holding her first granddaughter...she made a last-second flight from Baltimore to be here for the delivery. We were very thankful that she could be here in New Mexico for the fesitivities!

Nizhoni and her mommy, the one who carried her with love for almost 9 months.