July 30, 2012

Toes	Self-Soothing and Tummy Time
What is it that babies find so fascinating about their toes? A couple weeks ago BC saw his toes for the first time. Last week, while I was chatting with my mom, he was in my lap and she said, "look! He's got his toes in his mouth!" And sure enough, he did. Now it seems every chance he gets he is staring at, reaching for, or attempting to suck on his toes. And it seems like all babies exhibit this behavior at one point or another.  Why? No, I'm really asking. That wasn't a rhetorical question used to set up my next paragraph. I seriously want to know why. So, if you know, let me know too, would you? I'd appreciate it.  ~M	SJ has no trouble finding his thumb these days.  He has that self-soothing thing figured out and often times sings while sucking his thumb.  He’s not even particular about which thumb he finds.  An ambidextrous thumb sucker is he. Today I was getting some long overdue work done at the computer while SJ played on the floor nearby.  He had been talking away and when things quieted down I looked over my screen only to find he had rolled from his back to his belly!  Stop the madness!!!  I guess it was a lot easier for him to suck his thumb that way.  ~A

July 29, 2012

Best Reason	Big Boy
I've got a very sleepy baby today. He's having a growth spurt, methinks. The thing is, he only wants to nap if he's near a warm body, namely mine. So I've been lazing around in bed and on the couch while BC naps near or on me for the better part of the day. Best reason for not getting anything done ever.  ~M	A friend gave us a gift card for Applebee’s.  In the busyness of running around today we decided to stop and enjoy a little lunch.  It was so nice and very fun.  SJ even took a turn sitting up like a big boy in the booth. ~A

July 28, 2012

Baby’s Breath	Perfect Timing
This may sound strange but, I must admit, one of my favorite things these days is my baby's breath. You know how a puppy has that great bologna breath? Well, BC's is like that only better. It's all milky, warm, and sweet. And it's always followed by a slobbery mouth planted on my cheek or nose - his version of a kiss, I'm convinced. It's these little things, see, that I want to remember about BC's infancy. I want to remember how his hair sometimes sticks straight out in the back in a little tuft and how we call it his "duck tail". I want to remember how he extends his arms to the sides when we ask him "how big are you?". I want to remember how his eyes get so big when we go under a bridge or through a tunnel while driving. I want to remember his laughter. I want to remember his Elvis sneer, his plotting nursing hands, his curled up monkey toes, his love of being naked baby, "Go, go, gadget glowworm!", "AEIOU", his sleep noises, his sigh after sneezing, his gummy mouth, and I want to remember his baby breath. I want to remember all of it. I know that's impossible. As he grows, new things will inevitably arise that I'll want to remember, pushing other things out of my memory, despite all my best efforts to keep them there. Maybe one day, years from now when he is grown, I will look back on this writing and think, "yes. I had forgotten, but now I remember, how much I loved my baby's breath." ~M	This rose bush was a gift from our neighbors across the street.  It got planted in the front of our house a little over a year ago, before we even knew SJ was in the works.  I wasn’t sure it would survive this drought we have been in, as I’ve only intermittently watered my plants and bushes.  When I walked outside this morning and saw these two blooms I smiled.  How appropriate and what perfect timing. Last night someone said something to me that played over and over in my head throughout the night.  “That’s your baby?”    It’s not necessarily the question but the tone of this woman that stuck with me.  She was genuinely surprised that I had a 3.5 month old baby.  Maybe it’s because she knows I have teenagers and who in their right mind would start over again? Maybe it’s that I looked a little too old to have a newborn? Who knows? I answered her with, “Yes, yes he is.  He’s our surprise blessing, perfectly timed in our lives.”  She smiled an awkward smile and said, “Glad it’s you and not me.” What? Well me too!!! I began thinking about how amazing it is to have SJ and how everything just seems to be in God’s perfect timing, even if I don’t recognize it in the beginning.  I recognize that we have what we need when we need it and I am so thankful for that. When we found out we were going to have SJ I was nervous, a little scared, but mostly excited.  I couldn’t wait to meet him.  Sure I worried about little things.  Like how it would be for him to grow up in a neighborhood where most of the kids are grown or at least 10 years his senior.  How he would do as the only child in the home from elementary school on.  Of course soon after that thought, my neighbor (the same one that gave us the rose bush) announced that she and her husband were expecting twins!  That’s right, twin babies that will be here next month.  SJ will have not one close by playmate but two, only five months younger.  Perfect timing! ~A

July 27, 2012

Grasping	Beautiful Moments
BC has just recently started grasping toys. Here he is with a wooden rattle handmade especially for him by his great uncle. Little Big Man. ~M	One thing for sure, SJ has brought a lot of love into this home.  We as a family look for and expect to see beautiful moments throughout the day. This was one beautiful moment! ~A

July 26, 2012

Thankful	Click Click Click
I'm so very thankful all the time, but especially at times like these, to have Amy in my life. I had a mild breastfeeding-related freakout today and, sure enough, Amy was able to calm and reassure me. Because she has 5 different "versions" I imagine she's just about seen and experienced it all. Lucky me. ~M	SJ learned to click his tongue.  He practiced all day long! ~A

July 25, 2012

Capture This	Inspired by Joscelyn’s Journey
BC likes to reach for my phone when I'm trying to take his picture, which is pretty much all the time. I keep trying to capture this feeling I get, but I never can. A lot of the time I think BC looks so much like my husband. But then... I look down into his eyes and see myself reflected back. Not an image of me but me: my eyes, my expression. It's the best part of me, to be sure. And I'll never ever be able to capture it. That's okay though. I like having it to myself. ~M	I’ve been praying for a family that I have never met but love dearly.  SJ smiles and talks to the pictures I show him of this beautiful princess.  I am so inspired by Jennifer and her daughter Joss, you will be too. http://joscelynsjourney.wordpress.com/ ~A