Fall Weekend

This weekend was such a perfect fall weekend.  The leaves are changing and are absolutely gorgeous.  I love this time when some trees are starting to turn and are gorgeous shades of reds and yellows and oranges, and some trees are still in their full green splendor.  Saturday was close to 80 degrees and today was close to 70 degrees.  Just perfect!

Yesterday, Drew and I took Annelise over to a nearby park to shoot her 6 month pictures.  She did very well and I got so many cute images.  Here's a little sneak peak.

I literally squealed when I saw this one.  How cute is my baby?!?!

After pictures, we took my mom out to dinner for her birthday.  We went to Old Chicago.  Annelise tried some lemon (loved), avocado (not a fan), and cucumber (loved).

Today, Drew and I did a few things around the house this morning.  The guy who has been doing some work on our house, Jim, has a horse, so we met him and his daughter at the stables where he boards the horse, and took turns riding him.

Annelise wasn't quite sure what to think about it.  I do love exposing her to all these new things though.

After horseback riding, we took a quick trip to a friend's house, then home.  We grilled out for dinner and Annelise got her first taste of zucchini.

She seemed to really like it.  It was so cute to watch her suck the fleshy part from the rind part of it.  I am starting to really like feeding her solids, and she seems to really be enjoying it.  She loves to explore the new foods that I'm giving her and she does really well with moving them in her hands and to her mouth.

I'm sad that the weekend is already over.  Can you believe that it's October already?  There will be so many fun things happening this month!

Unglued

You may remember the Proverbs 31 Bible study that I did back in the beginning of summer.  When that one finished, I began looking for another one to do.  Around that time, there was a lot of buzz around blogs and twitter about Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst.  After reading the summary of the book, I knew that I had found my next Bible study, this time with Melissa Taylor.

Unglued talks about "making wise choices in the midst of raw emotions".  I think that Lysa wrote this book exactly for me!  I'm a redhead, in every sense of the word.  I have a quick, fiery temper and it does not take much to set me off.  And you know what?  I hate being that way!  I want to be in control of my emotions.  I don't want to become unglued at the smallest little thing.  I am not a freak-out woman!  Or at least, I certainly don't want to be and I am going to focus on not being one.

So far, I've read the first two chapters.  Chapter 1 - An Invitation to Imperfect Progress talks about just that, imperfect progress.  Lysa says, "Imperfect changes are slow steps of progress wrapped in grace . . . imperfect progress."  It's important to focus on making progress and understanding that a change may not come overnight.  I will have days where I succeed and days where I fall flat on my face.  The importance is to get back up and begin again, more forward.

Lysa also discusses how it's important to not focus on the past, but to "bow to the One who holds out hope for a better future".  If I have a bad moment, or a bad day, I need to learn to leave that in the past and ask God for guidance for tomorrow.

Chapter 2 - I Am Not a Freak-Out Woman is all about perspective.  One of the biggest messages is that I can face things that are out of my control and not act out of control.  It's also about learning to trust Him and that he might be giving us one challenge to prepare us for another.

During my infertility struggles, I had an epiphany one day.  I had spent so many days crying and asking God why I couldn't be blessed with a child.  Why did I have to struggle so much when I knew that I would be a good mom and knew that we deserved a child?  I begged and pleaded, screamed and cried. Then, it hit me.  If infertility was the cross that I was meant to carry, then that's really not the worst thing to happen to me.  There are people who are fighting to live every single day; people who wake up and don't know if they will have see another day.  I was alive.  I have endometriosis, but it's not killing me.  As bad as things could be for me, infertility wasn't the worst.

I have met so many fantastic women during my infertility struggle.  I think that God gave me the infertility struggle so that I could meet these women and share the journey.  I just couldn't see it in the beginning.

I am really excited to read more of Unglued.  I really think that this book and study is going to be good for me and is going to help me learn how to not be a freak-out woman.

Wonder Weeks

Sleep around here has been few and far between lately.  We have been working on transitioning Annelise to her crib.  And y'all, I think that it's going to be the death of me!

Ever since we brought her home, she has slept at night in the Rock N Play in our bedroom.  Naps were taken in her swing in the living room, with the occasional nap in the RNP.  We started off the transition by first moving her RNP to her bedroom.  That went pretty well, with no major problems.

Then, I decided that I would work on getting her to nap well in her crib.  That had its rough spots, but for the most part, went decently well.  We have developed a routine of swaddling her, turning ocean on her sound machine, and nursing and rocking her to sleep.  Once she is asleep, I lay her in her crib, and she'll nap anywhere from an hour to three.  Not too shabby!

Last week, I decided that it was time to take the leap to putting her in her crib overnight.  Oh. Em. Gee!  Frustration does not even begin to describe what goes on in this house every night.  I managed to get one good night of a six and a half hour stretch.  Usually, we follow the same routine as nap time and I can get her down ok.  However, Annelise will wake up shortly after and start screaming.  I refuse to Cry It Out (CIO), so I usually go in to get her and try to do the routine all over again.  Everything goes fine and dandy until I try to lay her in her crib.  That's when all hell breaks loose.  As soon as I begin the descent into her crib, her little eyes fly open and she starts fussing and trying to sit up.  The other night, I tried putting her into her crib six times before I gave up and made Drew take over.  SIX TIMES!!!  Each time she is sound asleep in my arms.  Naps over the weekend were just as rough.  We eventually gave up with the crib and put her back in her RNP.

I have been wracking my brain to figure out what the heck the problem could be.  Then, all of a sudden, I had an epiphany.  She is going through a Wonder Week.  A wonder week is a leap in mental development.  This, of course, is affecting her mood and sleeping.  Annelise must be in Wonder Week 26, which begins around 23 weeks, peaks at 26 weeks, and lasts for one to five weeks.  Usually new skills can also appear.  In her case, she has been working on mastering sitting.  Annelise just so happened to hit 25 weeks today.

Let's just all pray that this passes quickly.  Mama needs her sleep, and honestly, so does baby!

Fixin'

It's been awhile since I last posted and we have had a lot going on.  More home improvement projects are well under way.

The top picture is the microlam being put into our attic area.  Basically, the roof over our garage was being supported by 3 2x4s.  Major bad news.  It was only a matter of time, or a snowfall, before roof crashed in and created a decent sized disaster.  So, microlams were bought, along with some other lumber, and lots of additional support has been added to our roof.  The guy who inspected our house when we bought it?  Yeah, he needs to find a new job.  He overlooked something major, and had we known about it, we probably would not have bought the house.

The bottom picture is a shipment of goodies for the exterior.  Our front porch has been jacked up to where it should be, and new posts have been installed.  Drew has also removed all the awesome green turf that was on the porch and has stripped the glue off of the concrete.  I'll have to post a picture of the progress soon.

For now, here's a before shot of the front of the house.

Five Months

Dear Annelise,

This is the first month that I feel hasn't flown by in the blink of an eye.  I don't remember it any better than the rest, but it's nice that I feel like I could treasure this time with you a little more.  I really enjoy being able to stay home with you.  I love that I am able to watch you grow and learn and catch all of your new little moments.

You most definitely have said your first word - MOM!  I'm not the only one who has heard it either -   Dad, Grandpa, Aunt Rachel, Grandma - they've all heard it too.  So, I'm not crazy!  Sometimes it comes out like "mom" and sometimes it's just "ma".  You really only say it when you're fussing and you want me.  I don't know if you really understand the connection between the word and me, but I like to think that you do.  You say the word if you want me, like if you're fussing in  your swing, or if someone else is holding you.  You never say it when I am actually holding you or engaging with you.

Earlier this month, you had your first trip to a fair.  I carried you in the Moby wrap and you really seemed to like it.  You loved to be held, and I liked being able to hold you close to me with all of those people around.  Once you started to get tired, I bounced you a little bit and you fell right to sleep.

You really are not a fan of just laying on the ground and playing.  You would much rather be sitting up, able to see things, and play that way.  If I sit you on the floor, I'll place your Boppy behind you and you are able to sit up well that way.  You still need to work on your balance some.  If I sit you on a soft surface, such as the couch or the bed, you can sit for a short length of time without any assistance.  Again, it's really just the balance that you need to work on.  It won't be long before you are a full time sitter.

You upped the shriek volume this month!  You had a period of a week or two where you were quite vocal.  You've backed off some in the past week or so, but you still do get loud at times.  I love to hear you shriek with joy while you're playing.

Lately, your favorite activity when I put you on the changing table and change you, is to grab your feet and suck on your toes.  Seriously, it is so adorable to me!  I have quite a few pictures of you doing it, and I'm sure that there will be many more.

You have gotten so good at grabbing things with your hands.  Everything still goes in your mouth.  New things get inspected for a little bit longer than the things that you already know.  You have gotten very interested in the remote control and my phone.  The other day, we were over at some friend's house playing poker, and I handed you a poker chip to play with.  You did very well with grabbing it!

Maya is so exciting to you.  You just love her to pieces.  I watch your face light up when you notice her around you.  If she comes over, you turn your face towards her and open your mouth for a kiss.  That kind of grosses me out, but you really seem to love it!  We definitely need to work on petting her gently.  So far, you've just grabbed her fur.  Maya is NOT a fan of that!

You are always moving, and I know that this is just the beginning.  You are such a little wiggle worm.  I love when I hold you on my hip and you get excited and start kicking your legs.  You are always craning your neck around to see things.  You are such an observant little thing!

I want to start transitioning you to sleeping in your crib.  Right now, you sleep at night in the Rock N Play in Mom and Dad's room, and you nap in your swing.  I thought that the problem was you sleeping flat on your back instead of cocooned by those different things.  However, that doesn't appear to be the problem because I've nursed you to sleep in the mornings and you've slept for a couple of hours in the big bed.  You have even woken up and fallen back to sleep.  So, now I realize that the problem is the "drop" into the open space of your crib.  I'm still trying to work out a solution to that.

You weigh about 15 pounds, wear 3-6 month clothes, and you are still wearing a size 2 diaper.  We'll probably start transitioning you to 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers soon.

I love you more than words can say.  Annelise, I love watching all of the new things that you are learning and seeing the beautiful girl that you are growing into.  I thank God so much for you.  You are truly an answer to so many prayers!

Love you forever,
Mommy

I Used To Be So Smart

Before I got pregnant, and I heard the term "pregnancy brain", I used to scoff at that idea.  "Pfffft, I don't understand how you can forget so many things just because you're pregnant."

Then, it happened.

I was overtaken by "pregnancy brain".  I would forget things so easily, and I would have to write down everything.  I used to be able to have a discussion or argument with someone and be very effective with it.  I was very good at listening to what the person was saying and then responding.  Now?  I can't remember what was said three sentences ago.

And, if pregnancy brain was bad, mommy brain is even worse!  I swear that having a child has sucked every ounce of intelligence out of me.  I used to be so smart, and remember practically everything.  And now, I struggle.  If I don't write down an appointment or plans, they get forgotten quickly.  Conversations?  Usually forgotten within a matter of hours, if not minutes.

It has been difficult for me to accept this new me as normal.  I hate not being able to recall details and conversations like I used to.  I'm learning how to cope with this and make adjustments to make my and my family's life a little easier.

But, for now, I look at my beautiful daughter and know that all my forgetfulness is completely worth it when she smiles and laughs at me.  Those are moments that I will never forget!

Coming Full Circle

Today was a day that I dreamed about for a long time!  Drew and I took Annelise to meet the RE who helped to make her possible.  There were so many days where I cried so many tears because I never thought that we would be blessed with a child.  It was amazing to see Dr. H with Annelise.

He was pretty excited to meet her too.  I just kept thinking how rewarding that must be for him.

It truly is such a dream to see everything come full circle.

Construction Zone

We have had a busy two weeks of destruction and repairs around our house.  Early last week, I went with my father-in-law, Mark, and his friend, Jim, to pick out some new doors for our house, and some stuff for the bathroom.  The shower in our full bathroom upstairs has leaked practically since the day we signed the mortgage on the house.  Drew has tried on multiple occasions to fix it, without ever fixing it.  The leaking had finally gotten so bad that mold was starting to show on the wall just outside the shower, and there was water on the floor in the basement.  I knew that we couldn't put off repairing it any longer.  I was dragging my feet on it because I knew that the tile in the shower would have to come off and the drywall would have to be repaired.  Ugh!

So, Jim and Mark cut holes in the wall, fixed the plumbing, installed a new shower fixture, fixed the wall, and re-tiled the shower.  Only to find that the tub drain was leaking!  Awesome!  So, Jim fixed that also, and now, we have no more leaks in our bathroom.  The wall needs to be repainted, and some caulk put around the tile and then I can clean up that mess and have my bathroom back.  Oh, and the new shower fixture?  Might as well be heaven!

The shower head is simply divine!  I love all the water that comes out.

Then, Jim and Mark replaced a bunch of doors.  The service door in the garage was a simple wood door.  Who puts a wood door on as a service door??  We replaced that with a simple white steel one.  They also replaced the window in the garage.

The screen door that was on the front door got moved to the deck door off of our dining room.  The front door got a new screen door.  I really wanted one where the glass went all the way to the ground.

Maya really likes to look out the window and she loves being able to see out of this one without jumping up.  Leo likes it too!

Our basement patio got some new doors too.

Both doors open up like French doors and the blinds are inside the panes of glass.

Then, all the boys decided that they need to tear up some stuff and the demolished our old, dilapidated shed in the backyard.

It definitely had . . . um . . . character.  I'm sure that it was quite cute at one point of its life.  Its life came to an end though, and Drew ran into it with a tractor.

Now all that's back there is a big blank spot.  It's so weird to look out of my kitchen window and not see that big pile of crap back there.  We don't have any plans to replace it at the moment.

Next on the list is repairing and siding our house.  I feel like I'm hemorrhaging money over home repairs right now.  It's all worth it in the end, right??

Have you done any home repairs or improvements this summer?

Boone County Fair

Drew was so upset with me last year because we didn't go to a single county fair.  I was just beginning my pregnancy and morning all day sickness was plaguing me something fierce.  I had absolutely no desire to walk about and smell all of the smells and watch all of the people eat fair food.  No thank you!

I promised him that we would make up for it this year, and we sure did!

We went to the Boone County Fair today.  Drew's parents and my brother, Greg, also came with us.  The first thing we did when we got there was make a beeline for some food.  I mean, how do you go the fair and not get fair food?  I had a pork chop sandwich and everybody else had other stuff.  I'm not too sure what, I was too involved in my sandwich!

After we finished eating, Annelise was starting to get a little fussy in her stroller, so I decided to test out the Moby wrap.  I've put her in it a few times quickly at home, but never while we were out somewhere.  I figured it was worth a try to see how she did.

She loved it!!  She did so great in it and I was so surprised.  I really enjoyed having her close to me without having all that strain on my arms of holding her.  Once she started getting fussy and tired, I bounced her a little bit and she napped right on me!  She slept for an hour or two while we walked around and looked at everything.

She woke up hungry, so we all sat on some benches and I nursed her.  I decided that I was going to nurse her without my cover.  It's not fair to her to make her nurse underneath that cover when it's warm out.  It actually felt very empowering to nurse in public like that.  I feel like I'm doing my part to normalize something that is so natural.

We all sat around and rested for a little bit longer before deciding to get a few fair treats.  You know, you can't NOT get an elephant ear or kettle corn.  After that, we all left.

The Winnebago County Fair is next weekend and I'm looking forward to going to that.  Annelise did so well in the Moby that I think we might purchase an Ergo this week to try out.

GMG Week 13 Recap

Scripture passages for the week:

Proverbs 31 : 31 - Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Proverbs 14 : 23 - All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Proverbs 27 : 18 - The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever protects their master will be honored.
Acts 13 : 22 - After removing Saul, he made David their king.  God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'
Proverbs 27 : 2 - Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.

This is the last week of Scripture passages to read and I really feel like I've learned a lot.  I have, by no means, become the Proverbs 31 woman, and I honestly don't know if I ever will.  But, this study has given me something to strive for.  This woman is impeccable.  She rises early, goes to bed late, sees over the affairs of her household, does not eat the bread of idleness, and is called blessed by her children and praised by her husband.  She is definitely worth far more than rubies.

I have so enjoyed learning about this woman.  This study has come at a great time for me as I learn how to navigate the new role of motherhood and work on reclaiming my role as a wife.

GMG Week 12 Recap

Scripture passages for the week:

Proverbs 31 : 30 - Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
1 Peter 3 : 3-4 - Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of grab worth in God's sight.
2 Corinthians 4 : 16 - Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
1 Timothy 2 : 9-10 - I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
Proverbs 15 : 33 - Wisdom's instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 22 : 4 - Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.

This week talked a lot about having modestly and not focusing too much on outer beauty, but to have a heart that is full of love for God.

Four Months

Dear Annelise,

Gosh girlie, it really does seem to me like you should be so much older than what you are.  I have watched you just explode into this happy, smiley, shrieking, beautiful baby.  I honestly can't believe how much you have done this past month.  I feel like these next couple of months are sort of the "honeymoon" stage for us.  We're past all the newborn stuff, and we hopefully have a little bit longer before we throw teething pains into the mix.

You had your first big milestone this month, and you rolled from your tummy to your back!  The first time you did it to the left and then you rolled to the right a few times.  You even showed Daddy when he came home that night, which made me happy because I don't want him to miss out on too many of your milestones.  You rolled for two days in a row, and since then you've been on a rolling strike.  You almost don't even act interested in it anymore.  You most certainly do not act interested at all in rolling from your back to your belly.  I think that you'll start to like it more once you realize that all of those things mean that you can be more mobile.  You are so content to sit up and watch everything though.  You do not like to be left alone and would much prefer for me to carry you around so that you can check everything out.

Since you have such fabulous head control, I decided to set up your jumperoo.  You absolutely love it!!  From the first day that I put you in it, you have loved to play with the pieces that slide around and push the music buttons.  Sometimes, you even look like you are dancing to the music.  You have grown big enough that your feet reach the floor and you are starting to get the hang of bouncing in it.  You will typically be entertained in there for anywhere from half an hour to an hour.  Once you're done, you're done, and you let me know it too!  I love that I can put you in there and have two free hands, but I still have to watch you closely because Maya loves to get in your face and cover you in kisses.  As much as I tell her, "one kiss", she still doesn't get it.

You have gotten much more interested in Maya this month.  You like to watch her and, if you're playing on the floor, you will hold your hands out to her.  If Maya comes over and starts to sniff and lick you, you start laughing!  You were petting her the other day and did a pretty good job of it.  We just have to be careful that you don't pull her fur.  We also have to be very careful if you're on the floor because Maya doesn't understand the concept of a "personal bubble".  She has a tendency to just flop her paws around wherever she likes, and I get worried that she's going to clobber you pretty good with it one day.  So, for now, if you're on the floor, I am right next to you at all times.

Mommy and Daddy, especially Daddy, will sometimes sing to you to get you to fall asleep.  You have started to "sing" to yourself when you are trying to fall asleep.  It's this adorable little whine and it absolutely melts my heart.  I couldn't believe it the first time that I heard it.  We were riding in the car and you started to "sing" to yourself and you were asleep within a matter of minutes.  You are so precious.

 
You discovered your feet and you love to grab them now.  It doesn't matter if they are bare, or in footie pajamas, you are constantly grabbing them.  You have started bringing them to your mouth, as with everything else.

E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G goes straight into your mouth.  Your hands, my hands, your toys, your burpies, my nose if you're close enough, everything goes immediately into your mouth.  And let me tell you, when you grab my finger and shove it to the side of your mouth and start chomping, it hurts!  You've got quite the little bite chick!  We'll definitely have to break you of that habit once you get some teeth in that mouth.

I started making this "aaagghhh" sort of monster sound to you to make you laugh, and you recently started making the same sound.  It's so fun to watch you learn something and mimic it back.

 
You just got your first nasty cold and you're working on getting over it.  You were so congested and had a wet cough.  It seems to be breaking up and you don't seem as congested anymore.  I was surprised at how happy you were.  You had your fussy moments, but you still laughed and played.  I hated seeing you sick though.  I just wanted to make you better!

You are growing so well!  You weigh 13 pounds 15 ounces, and you are 24 inches tall.  You wear a size 2 diaper and we are starting to transition you to 3-6 month clothing.

I can't wait to see what this next month has in store for us.  I feel like you are going to start becoming more mobile and maybe even sit up on your own.  I love you with all of my heart.  Watching you grow and learn is such a joy to me.  I love being your mother!

Love you always,
Mommy

Meeting 2nd Cousins

Drew, Annelise, and I drove up to Milwaukee today to see his cousin's daughter, Sydney, get baptized. I met Kristen last year when she was here for Wesley's first birthday party.  It was so great to see her and Maddie again, and to meet Rob and Sydney.

They also welcomed little Sawyer into the family just 10 days ago!

So many babies on that side of the family lately!!

Annelise did not do so well in church.  We may be waiting for a little while before trying that adventure again.

GMG Week 11 Recap

Scripture passages for the week:

Proverbs 31 : 28 - Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
Proverbs 22 : 6 - Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Titus 2 : 4 - Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children.
Proverbs 31 : 29 - "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all"

This week sort of made me a little sad.  I know that my husband appreciates all that I do, but he rarely praises me for it.  And, if we're being honest, I know that I don't praise him enough for what he does.  He knows that I am grateful to him for going to work, but I know that I don't vocalize it enough.  I'm going to work harder on vocalizing my thanks and praising him for what he does.  All too often people get lost in criticizing, especially when it comes to parenting.  I'm home with Annelise all day, so I've learned what she likes and dislikes.  I just assume that Drew watches me enough to see it; I forget that I have to teach him sometimes.  Now, whether he listens or not is a completely different story.  I am very conscious about praising him when he does something well with Annelise, and I know that that helps his self-esteem.  He doesn't spend a lot of time with her and she is still a little leery of him at times.  I'm very quick to praise him when he is able to calm her down.  I just need to remember to praise him for other things too!

GMG Week 10 Recap

Scripture passages for the week:

Proverbs 31 : 27 - She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 13 : 1 - A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.
Proverbs 9 : 1-2 - Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars.  She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
Proverbs 6 : 6-11 - Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!  It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.  How long will you lie there, you sluggard?  When will you get up from your sleep?  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest -- and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
Proverbs 24 : 3-4 - By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
Proverbs 12 : 24 - Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.
Proverbs 19 : 15 - Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.
Proverbs 20 : 4 - Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

Frankly, I'm struggling with being a Proverbs 31 woman.  I'm trying, I really am.  But I feel like I'm failing in every aspect of it.  I know that it's not realistic to expect to become her overnight, and I wasn't looking to accomplish that.  It was more something to strive towards becoming.  Honestly, I feel further away from being a Proverbs 31 woman than when I started.  I will continue to strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

Baby Giggles

Is there anything better than baby giggles?  I don't think so.  After her bath the other night, Annelise was giggling up a storm.  She was so cranky before her bath from lack of naps, that I think that she was just slaphappy at this point.  Nothing melts my heart more than that little girl smiling and laughing at me.

I dare you to watch this and not smile at least once!



Adorable, right?

Zoo and a Stroll

Today, we went to Summerfield Zoo, a small zoo in Belvidere.  There is a variety of animals - wolves, monkeys, horses, turtles, mountain lion, camel, zebra, and some small animals.  Nothing extravagant, but still fun nonetheless.

After the zoo, Drew and I came back home and Annelise was able to do something else for the first time.

She rode in the seat part of the stroller!!  Up until now, she's always sat in her carseat that attaches to the stroller.  She has amazing head control, and since the stroller has a 5 point harness, I figured that she would enjoy being able to sit up and see things.

I just ordered the tray table that goes on the front of the stroller.  I kept saying that I felt like it was so open and she was so unprotected with her sitting like that.

GMG Week 9 Recap

Scripture passages for the week:
Proverbs 31 : 26 - She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
Proverbs 10 : 11 - The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Proverbs 12 : 18 - The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Ephesians 4 : 29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
1 Timothy 3 : 11 - In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
Proverbs 15 : 1 - A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Luke 6 : 45 - A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Proverbs 4 : 23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 10 : 19 - Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.
Proverbs 10 : 31 - From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced.
Proverbs 4 : 24 - Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Boy oh boy, did I need these passages this week.  I have been an awful person, and I have been completely trash talking someone to a bunch of different people.  I need to stop.  Seriously, I need to stop.  It is so unladylike for me to gossip and bash this person the way that I have.  Just because I may think or feel a certain way, does not mean that I need to vocalize that to another person.

I'll Never Forget

I just got home from dropping some lunch off for Drew and I saw the most blood-boiling thing on my way home.  I was stopped at a red light and a small red car pulled up next to me.  I heard a lot of noise coming from it, so I looked over.  In the car was a woman driving, a young boy sitting in the front seat, and four small children in the back seat.  The youngest was maybe three.

So, what's the big deal, you ask?  The youngest child, the maybe three year old, WAS NOT BUCKLED AT ALL!!!  No seat belt, and certainly no car seat.  Honestly, I really have no clue if any of the children in the backseat were bucked at all, but I'm fairly certain that at least two of them should have been in some sort of car seat.  The youngest caught my eye because she was crawling all around the backseat and trying to get into the front.

I try really, really hard not to judge parents, because everybody parents different.  But y'all, when I see a parent doing something that really shows that they don't give a rat's ass about the safety of their children, I judge.  And I judge hard.  It really took every ounce of strength in my body to not roll down my window even further and yell at that woman.

Seeing things like that, people who don't care enough about their children to provide them with a safe environment, is why I get so angry that I, and many other women, go through infertility.  I get so angry with myself, those careless people, and God that I had to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to get a child that I yearned to badly for, while those people reproduce like it's nothing.  While I'm sure they love their children, they don't understand the devastation of going through treatment after treatment and wondering if they will ever get to bring home a baby.  They don't understand the devastation of losing a baby.  They don't understand that I would do anything, ANYTHING, to provide my child the best and safest environment possible.

I'm one of the women who know how fragile how life is.  I'm one of the women who know what a miracle a child is.  I may have my take home baby, but I will never forget the sting of infertility.  I'll never forget the fight that I went through to have my baby.

What A Difference A Year Makes

One year ago today, Drew and I drove back to the clinic in Chicago to do a frozen embryo transfer.  We were both still emotionally beat up from the miscarriage, but we knew that we couldn't sit and dwell on what we had lost.  Specifically, I couldn't sit and dwell on the loss.  I was so sick and tired of playing the infertility game and letting endometriosis ruin my life.

One year ago today, we took a leap of faith and tried to get our take home baby.  A child that we longed for more than anything.

A year ago, we put our faith and trust in God.

What a difference a year makes!

Rollin'

Well folks, we've reached our first BIG milestone!  Annelise rolled over, belly to back, for the first time yesterday!!  She has been ::thisclose:: to rolling for about two weeks now and every time I put her down for tummy time, I wondered if that day would be the day.  Yesterday, that day finally came.

I wasn't expecting it to happen as quickly as it did, so, of course, I was caught off guard and without the camera.  As soon as she rolled over, I started clapping and yelling because I was so excited.  I think I scared the poor girl with how excited I was.  Then, I picked her up and hugged her tight, and started bawling!  My little baby is quickly becoming not so little anymore!  A little while later, I laid her on her tummy again, and she rolled again, this time to the right.  When Drew came home, I put her on her tummy again and she rolled to the right again.  I tried to capture it on video, and failed.

Today, I was determined to catch it on video.  A milestone like this just can't go unrecorded!  (Note: The roll happens in the first few seconds, and then I make a fool out of myself for the rest of the video.  Feel free to NOT watch it after the roll!  Haha!)

GMG Week 8 Recap

Scripture passages for the week:
Proverbs 31 : 23 - Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
Proverbs 12 : 4 - A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.
Proverbs 31 : 24 - She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
Proverbs 10 : 4 - Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 31 : 25 - She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
Proverbs 3 : 26 - for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.
Psalm 23 : 1 - The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.
Psalm 37 : 3 - Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Proverbs 3 : 5 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
Philippians 4 : 19 - And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

The passage that stood out the most to me this week, is to bring my husband respect.  He should be proud to be able to call me his wife and not worry that my attitude or behaviors could disgrace him.  I should never embarrass him with the things that I say or do.

First 4th

As with most new parents, I get extremely excited to celebrate the holidays that are Annelise's firsts.  I bought her a 4th of July outfit quite a few weeks ago, and I was more than ready for her to wear it.

She was very obviously sort of "meh" about it!!  Ha!!!  I just love that expression.

I knew the outfit was beyond cute, but when I plunked that bow on her head, I shrieked and did a happy dance.  I mean, seriously.  Can you get any cuter than that??

Drew's work was having a potluck today, which he didn't tell me about until late last night.  So, I baked up a pan of brownies this morning and we brought them to him at work.  All the ladies that were there were very excited to finally meet Annelise.  And I could tell that Drew was totally excited to show her off.

We went over to Drew's parent's house after he got off of work and had dinner with them and his grandma.  We watched New York City's fireworks on TV.  I definitely have to add going to see those in person to my bucket list.  They were spectacular!!

Rockford still had their firework show, but all the others were cancelled due to the heat and how dry it is here.  It has been just stupid hot.  We decided not to go watch the fireworks because of Drew's work schedule, so hopefully we can take Annelise next year.

Three Months

Dear Annelise,

Three months, my darling, three months have past since you have been born and you continually bring me so much joy.  I can't believe how interactive you have become this month.  You have turned into such a chatty kathy.  You are almost always babbling or cooing, and your newest favorite discovery is gargling.  You have even started to shriek a little bit.  Heaven help us when you discover the ability to scream.  I know that it's not too far away.

You got to meet your Uncle Eric, Aunt Jessica, and cousin Wesley this month.  They were so excited to meet you, and you loved to hang out with them.  We spent the week that they were here going to different fun places around town.  We all can't wait until next year, when you are one, to take you back to some of the places.

Daddy and I took you to a Joe Nichols (country) concert at Old Settler's Days.  It was a little bit loud for you, but you loved to look at the stage and watch the lights.  I catch you watching tv a lot and I think that you like all of the light and colors.

My favorite thing that you have done this past month is laugh!  Such a beautiful sound to my ears!!  It's more of a giggle and it's very short, but I will constantly make a fool out of myself to try and get you to giggle.  I can't get enough of it.  It's amazing how that one little thing can melt my heart so much!

I usually find you like this, with your pointer finger shoved into the side of your mouth.  I keep telling you that I'm going to look at you one day and see that you've chomped a finger off with how much you chew on them.  You've also managed to finally figure out how to suck your thumb.  For the longest time you tried, but you couldn't figure out how to pull your thumb away from your fist.  You got it one night while Daddy was trying to rock you to sleep.  You usually have your right hand in your mouth, so I'm wondering if you are going to be right handed.

Daddy has found that he can hold you in his arm and sing to you and you fall asleep pretty quickly.  He only sings one song to you, but you love it.  And it melts my heart to hear him sing to you.

I really haven't had to worry about supporting your head at all.  I can set you on my hip and hold you there as long as I support your back and you are happy as a clam.  You love to be able to sit up and look around.  You are a very observant baby.  You continue to love sitting in your Bumbo seat.  You also continue to like to stand up on your feet.

You still are not a fan of tummy time.  In fact, most days, you tolerate it for even less time than you used to.  You just do not like not being able to see much.  You try to roll, and you can scoot some, but that's not good enough for you.

Sometimes, if you are being fed from a bottle, you'll hold it for a few seconds.  You put your hands up around it, but I'm not sure if you are just trying to get them closer to your mouth, or if you really understand how to hold your bottle.

I almost don't even want to talk about your sleep because I don't want to jinx it.  You've been giving me pretty long stretches at night, and even slept eight hours one night!  I know not to celebrate too much because you still have a lot of growth spurts to go through.

I love you so much, little lady!

Love you forever,
Mommy

GMG Week 7 Recap

Scripture passages for the week:
Proverbs 31 : 21 - When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
Proverbs 27 : 23 - Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.
Psalm 46 : 1-2 - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
Proverbs 31 : 22 - She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
1 Timothy 2 : 9-10 - I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
1 Peter 3 : 3-4 - Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

The passages this week are telling me to put my family first and make sure that they are prepared for the changing seasons, or anything else that may arise in their lives.  It is also important to be a beautiful person on the inside.  God would rather us have inner beauty than flaunt outer beauty.