Adam's First Father's Day

We decided for Mother's Day and Father's Day we are not doing gifts for each other. After all... that's our responsibility to honor our parents/grandparents on their day and for Caroline to eventually honor us when she can understand. Instead, we decided to put some time into a handmade card or gift and making sure that whomever is being honored gets the whole weekend to do what they want to do.... eating out, activities, sleeping in, etc.

We did this for Mother's Day and I loved it! We went to Crystal Bridges for the day, ate out, I slept in... the whole nine.

 

So then when it was Adam's turn for Father's Day, naturally, I PACKED UP HIS CHILD AND WE BOTH LEFT TOWN.  My mom asked me back in March or so to go with her to Los Angela's to watch my cousin graduate from UCLA.  Adam was unable to go because of work, but I committed and decided to take C so that we could both meet our new cousins. I totally didn't even realize that it was Father's Day weekend and neither did A. We were both bummed at first, but we both agree that it's more important to celebrate than make a big deal on the actual DATE. So, Adam's parents came up and he and his dad played golf and the three of us celebrated this past weekend. It was perfect. Nothing over the top or interesting to anyone else probably...

 

We saw a movie, he slept in, we grilled out, went to the Farmer's Market, worked around the house, and went to the driving range. 

flowers for his littlest girl

He picked out C's outfit for church on Sunday

C LOVES to be outside. Adam hit balls for over an hour and she was just as content as could be

 

Adam is such a great dad. He is patient and kind. I pray that Caroline marries someone exactly like him one day. He adores her and she LOVES her daddy!

 

 

8 months old

I'm a few days late, but you're 8 months old and I fall more in love with you every day! You are sweet, fun, and seriously the best baby. We are clearly paying for your daddy's raising and not mine. :)

~ you are very petite. You are wearing mostly 6 month things, but have a few 3 month dresses you can wear. You still wear newborn shoes and some size 1. I didn't really realize how little you were until we've been around some similar aged babies lately.
~ You eat a 6 oz bottle 5 times a day and pureed food 2 times a day.  Your favorite foods are sweet potatoes and bananas but you'll pretty much eat anything. You still spit up, but it has improved. We change your clothes (and ours, ha!) 3 times a day on average.
~ you sleep from 8:30 pm to 7:30 am. You sleep all night. It. is. awesome. You are still pretty scheduled.
~ you wear size 2 diapers, though I bought a few cloth diapers this week and we're giving them a try
~ you have beautiful blue eyes, just like your dad. People are saying you're starting to look more like him though most people say you look like me.
~ you smile a lot and your new tricks include waving, saying "mama" (usually when you are mad,) and clapping. 
~ you are not crawling and still have no teeth. 
~ you and I took a trip with Cece this month to California.  You have now been to the east and west coasts.
~ You bring us such joy.

It Cant get Any Better

I find myself thinking the above statement some days, while other days are pure chaos and I feel like I didn't do anything constructive.  Yesterday was a pretty great day and I wanted to document for those days when I feel crazy and overwhelmed or when my child seems less than perfect (which I'm sure will never happen.)

Yesterday, I woke up when I was supposed to and drank my coffee while I did my Quiet Time alone. No distractions. I got Adam up for work and then went to get my girl (7:30 am).  She's been quite the sleeper lately, but I try not to let her sleep past 7:30.  I fed C, then got ready for the day. We went outside to play with the dogs, then played in the floor in the living room while I ate breakfast and we waited on the sitter to get there. I left at 9 to head to the library my office with a downtown view.  I worked like mad until noon, when I went home for lunch for an hour.  Adam met me there and we talked and ate, then fed C. He left and I rocked C for a bit before putting her down for her nap.  I threw a load of clothes in the wash, then headed back to the library, where I sneak into the teen study lounge to work even though I am twenty something because I need a quiet place to make phone calls. the office. I worked hard until 4:30 then headed home.  My sweet angel was still sleeping, so I ate a snack, surfed the net for 15 mins, then woke her up.

(this was her face 5 seconds after she woke up from her nap.)

 I gave her her bottle outside in the sunshine, then we started on dinner.  C sat in the floor and played while we listened to music and I cooked.  Husband came home at 6 and we ate then all ran out for an errand.  We came home, gave C her last bottle and bath, read books, then put her to bed.  Husband went on a run while I forced myself voluntarily did my work out DVD in the living room. Last, A and I watched some Leno before falling asleep.

To anyone else reading- this would seem boring, uneventful, and downright awful.  But for me, it was the perfect day and how I will strive to have each weekday run.  I felt truly accomplished as a mom, wife, and employee, while also having some time for myself and most importantly spending time with Christ. 

I also want to remember these days with Caroline.  She is absolutely perfect.  She is happy, delightful, fun to be around, sweet, and cute.  She makes me SO happy.  It helps that she sleeps, eats, and is healthy.  I want to note all of these things so that on those days that she may be harder to love, I can know that it shall pass (God willing,) and that she really is my gift from God. 

I found myself thinking yesterday, that "It Can't get any better." I am mostly referring to the stage C is at right now, but also to where we are at this point in life...