Monday, August 27, 2007

Cousins




It is a wonderful thing to watch babies discover for the first time. To see Caroline study something and learn and become so tickled by it. Currently Caroline loves to: suck her two middle fingers, stand on her Daddy's dresser in front of a mirror stomping her feet, watching the pups, swimming, sleeping, playing naked! Well, CDH has played naked several times over the last couple of weeks b/c of a diaper rash turned into yeast infection...aghhh! When we took her to the doc on Friday b/c what we thought was a diaper rash wasn't getting any better they weighed our girl and she is a whopping 14 lb. 9oz! Oh yeah!
The funniest story of this last week would be yesterday while we were over at Jason's parents for CDH and her cousin Eli to play. Eli is in town for his cleft lip surgery that is happening as we speak. Well, we were going to go swimming yesterday, Eli's first venture out to the pool. CDH was going to show him the ropes...after a grueling getting ready (poopy swimmy diapers 2x), spit up, and sunscreen we step outside to rain and thunder....so where do we go....to Mimi's big bathtub for a "swim"...gotta love it!

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Pool Beauty




Here are some more fun pictures of our girl at the pool. Check out those thighs (Caroline not her momma) :)
Things at our home have leveled out again.The fussiness that was here last week has gone. Today it was Team Hodges again! Caroline and I went to BBCC to direct KidStuf for them up there. It was a good morning. I got to have fun w/ my girl, and not carry the weight of the whole production. Caroline was a champ too! She had such a joyful spirit even though she only hada 15min nap. I am thankful that she had a blast at KidStuf.
One thing I am contemplating lately is where does wife, mom, and Allison all intertwine, and are they ever separate? I love being a mom...but is there ever just Allison again. Is there conversation without children being the topic, is there interest in things other than boobs, mile supply, diaper rash and what ointment is the best? Maybe not for awhile as she has stolen my heart, and all I can and want to think about sometimes is her...even when its the end of the day and I am spent.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Mt. Bike for sale

Okay so this has nothing to do w/ CDH but I am trying to sell my Schwinn Mt. Bike. It is a s9six. Really good condition. I have a posting out on Craig's list...but just thought I'd mention it here too. We just sold my guitar last night from Craig's List. I am thankful for how the Lord is providing.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Tush Tush Tush





Okay, nothing like a naked babies tush to brighten your day! Caroline loves sitting in her bumbo seat and playing w/ toys while Jason and I either are cooking, or doing dishes or something like that...she is quite the observer.
It has been hard this week. Caroline who is generally filled w/ great joy, has been how shall we say, distressed this week. She loves being out of the house especially this week...naps have become hard where they used to be easy. But then Jason and I are so thankful that she is a great sleeper at night (8-7am), that her not sleeping as much during the day is alright. I think sometimes I don't know what to do w/ an infant. Is she cool w/ looking at the same old toys that she just looked at an hour ago? She is rolling over front to back and back to front now. She still loves the pool and we are there most afternoons around 4:15ish to 5:15ish...this helps that last push of the day that she tends to be a bit more fussy.
I think I am a bit more emotional this week than in the past...hard to know if that is postpartum, or a reflection of Caroline's dispostion...again I am reminded that I do not want my joy dictated by my circumstances. O Lord, help me to remember my joy lies complete in You! I don't want our future days together as mother and daughter for one of us to determine the other's mood. Caroline needs to know that too...that she doesn't have to have her mood changed by her mom's "fussiness"...ahhh the lessons the Lord chooses to teach me through my little one.

Caroline will be 5 months old this Friday. How is that possible?

Enjoy the pics, I know we do

Monday, August 6, 2007

Pretty Girl





Caroline loves to smile which I am so very thankful for her joyful spirit. One of my favorite things is when Jason gets her up in the morning and then brings her to me to nurse, and when I say good morning and she sees me for the first time that day and lights up! Very cool!
Caroline is still on her 4 hour schedule which works great for us, and is eating solid foods @ 3 of them.
Sunday we went to Buckhead Church for the first time and it proved to be more emotional for me than I had anticipated. I saw volunteers and kids walking into the theater and I just started crying and had to keep walking and go get Caroline. I think it all caught me off guard. I love being a mom...but seeing those families...they have been a part of my life for 4 years, and now I have such a different role this year-it is all a part of letting go...
As I write this I hear the munchkin waking from her nap...
Parenthood is hard, but worth it!