Stats

Brees Elizabeth is 7 months old!

It was a very busy month for our sweet little lamb as she quickly discovered how to
MOVE!  She reached so many milestones this month and I am so excited to share them
with you!  I feel like I just wrote her 6 month post, I can't believe another month has
so quickly passed by.  It was a fun one, though, and we just keep falling more deeply in
love with our little darling every day.

Here are her stats:

Feeding:  We added solid foods to Brees's diet this month!  You can read more in
depth about our adventures with eating here.  She is still breast feeding every 3-4 1/2
hours but now also eats three meals of solid foods a day.  It was a slow start but she is
now thoroughly enjoying a wide variety of fruits and veggies.  At this point, on top of
breast feeding, she typically eats oatmeal for breakfast, fruit and rice cereal for lunch,
and veggies with brown rice for dinner.  Bananas and sweet potatoes seem to be her
favorites so far.  I am making some of my own baby food and also using Gerber and
Earth's Best Organic.  So far, no problems with food allergies!

Sleeping:  Sleep?  What sleep?  There was NO sleep this month!  Not for Mama and
Daddy, anyway.  I read somewhere that the 7 month mark can bring
about a "wakeful" phase.  HA!  I also credit teething with our very eventful nights, poor
baby.  Basically, Brees wakes up at 6:30 am, takes 3 two hour naps a day and
sleeps peacefully.  Around 6 pm, she has a bath and I rock her to sleep, singing a Bob
Marley tune or two as she sucks her thumb.  I get her up again around 10, right before I
go to bed, and nurse her one more time.  Then, all hell breaks lose!  She becomes a
different child, crying and whining, inconsolable.  So, I basically just started putting her in
bed with us, nursing her back to sleep, holding her close.  Which of course makes her
perfectly happy.  But in her own bed, forget about it!  I have received countless pieces
of advice on this topic and have seriously tried everything except letting her cry it out.  I
just can't do that, it kills my heart.  I would rather mess up our sleep routine for a little
while than listen to my baby cry, I am a weakling.  And so that is what we have been
doing, nursing every three hours throughout the night and co-sleeping most nights.  The
last week has been a little better, she has been waking every 4 hours or so but has
drifted back to sleep right after I nurse her and not crying when I put her in her bed (which
is right next to ours).  So, we shall see what this month brings.  For now, Shawn and I
are surviving on black tea and delirium!

Health: A+ in this department!  Breast milk is gold!!  Having a mother who works in
one of the sickest areas of the hospital and therefore has the immune system of a
lab rat doesn't hurt either!  

Milestones:  Brees accomplished so much this month!  She now sits up with no support,
so strong and big.  She also crawls on all fours and will travel as far as it takes to get a toy
or object she really wants.  And she moves FAST!  We can not leave her out of our sight
for even a minute!  She can get into a sitting position from her stomach and rake with
her fingers to pick up small objects.  She indiscriminately says "dada", "mama", and
"baba", which is ridiculously cute.  She is constantly babbling and cooing and giggling,
which means she fits right in with this family of chatterboxes!  She pulls herself up on
her knees and holds onto the furniture, standing is not far behind I am sure!

Personality:  With the exception of her night time fussiness, Brees is the easiest and
most mellow baby.  Her cues are easy to read and very clear which makes soothing
her fussiness very simple.  She loves bath time and being in the water.   She has become
quite attached to her pink lamb blankie and holds her close while sucking her thumb, it's
quite a precious sight.  She enjoys her Exersaucer and Johnny Jump Up and chewing
on Sophie the Giraffe.  Best of all, she loves watching her big sister's every move, following
her around like a little duckling.  Their relationship is one of the most beautiful things I
have ever witnessed.  They are truly so enamored with each other and I am so excited
to watch their friendship grow.

This month we:

• Took our first bath in the kitchen sink, like every good country girl should
• Attended big sister's dance recital and never took our eyes off the big stage and bright lights
• Played with lots of cousins and friends while the adults enjoyed the lazy days of summer
• Enjoyed sitting in our big girl high chair with the rest of the family at meal times
• Developed a serious interest and love for music, brightening up every time Daddy brought out the guitar

It has been another wonderful month, Brees Elizabeth, 
where you have shown us just how much love our hearts 
can hold.  You are such a blessing to our little tribe and we 
are so proud of you!

Milestones

Sweet Friday

After a long, restful weekend, this past week has flown by.  We escaped from the world and
all the stress of work and responsibilities and spent several days with family, unplugging
from all distractions and just allowing ourselves to relax and be free.  We were surrounded
by cousins, aunts, uncles, and some of the most delicious food imaginable.  We stayed up
way past our bed times and laughed as kids just piled into the bath tub, bubbles over
flowing onto the crowded bathroom floor.  We had a slumber party with our favorite
cousins and stayed in our pajamas for as long as we pleased.
It was soul nourishing to say the least...

This weekend also marked Shawn's first Father's Day as a papa of two.  It was a simple
day filled with love: a picnic lunch of burgers and iced tea, homemade cards and little
girls begging for just one more piggy back ride.  These little girls have really stolen his
heart, making every day so much more meaningful and real.

If I left it up to Isabelle, she would tell you that the best part of our long weekend
was on Monday, the day we surprised her with a trip to a water/amusement park.  We
have driven past this park a hundred times during various road trips and have
always promised that one day we would visit.  We finally came through this week,
leaving Brees with my cousin and packing up our beach bag.  Isabelle had no idea where
we were going until we reached the front gates and yelled "SURPRISE!!!".  My ears are
still ringing from her shrieking at the highest decibel possible.  

We spent the entire day slipping and sliding down every water ride and raft in the
park.  Shawn and I are still marveling at how brave our 7 year old is: she fearlessly
rode every ride with us, never blinking an eye!  After we were done with the water
activities, we moved on to the roller coasters, ferris wheels, and bumper cars.  The three
of us played like wild kids all day, running from one end of the park to the next.  My
stomach is still sore from all the laughing...

It was the very first time we have ever left Brees and spent time alone with Isabelle.  Just
as it is important for Shawn and I to have alone time, I realized that day how important
it is to spend quality time with each of our daughters as well.  She enjoyed herself so
much, hugging us and soaking in all the attention.  As much as I missed my little lamb,
I thoroughly enjoyed bonding with my oldest.  It was a truly magical day.

We arrived home late Monday night tired, sun burnt, and ridiculously happy.  Thank you
to all of you for your lovely words of support and encouragement, I feel so blessed to
have connected with so many amazing women.  And thank you especially to Kristy,
Hilary, Mandy, Kristance, and Charlie for keeping this little blog moving to their own
groovy beat in my absence, your posts were all so beautiful and inspiring.  I hope you all
had an amazing week and look forward to catching up soon!

Hospital Story of the Week

I had the honor of caring for an 85 year old Army two time war veteran this week.  He
was the sweetest, funniest patient I have had in a while and I found excuses to go into
his room all day.  I sat with him as he ate his lunch, listening to his stories about being
stationed in Germany during World War II and raising crops of corn while his small
children ran under their mother's skirt.  When he was done eating, I helped him stand
up from his chair and maneuver back into his bed.  He was very weak, his big
heart overworked and his body tired.  I wrapped my arms around his waist and held
him steady, our cheeks side by side as I encouraged him to take his time, reassuring him
that I was holding on tight.  

"It's like we're dancing", he said quietly, patting me softly on my back.

"We sure are.  Nurses love to dance, you know", I said with a wink.

After a few moments of swaying back and forth, catching his breathe and regaining
his balance, I got my sweet patient comfortably back in bed.  "I used to love to dance.  I
can't tell you how many nights I spent dancing with my wife: in the kitchen after supper,
out in our yard, at my daughter's wedding.  We used to love to dance.  It's one of the joys
I miss the most about being young and healthy, being able to move and tap my feet.  One
of the things I miss most about my wife, seeing her float across the floor".

I felt a lump in my throat, my heart swelling as I listened to him reminisce about one of
life's most simple pleasures.  I sat down next to him again, forgetting about the hundreds
of other tasks I needed to get to, and listened to him tell me about his wife of 50 years
and their many adventures together.  He told me about teaching his daughter to dance
before her first prom, showing his son the proper way to hold a woman during a waltz.
He proudly told of his wife's grace and charm and how she always insisted on leading,
causing him to occasionally step on her delicate feet.  I listened to his stories and saw his
pride beam brighter than the sun pouring through the window, remembering his body and
its abilities.

He eventually grew tired and drifted off to sleep.  I imagine he dreamed of floating
through the clouds with his lady, two stepping the day away.  As I left his room, I reflected
on my own love for dance and the many memories I already have of moving back and forth
to my favorite songs, the nights under the stars, in the kitchen, little girls standing on top
of their Daddy's feet.  After work that night, when Shawn and I had put the girls to bed
and the day's responsibilities were done, I reached for his hand and said,
"Dance with me".

"Right now?" he asked, most likely surprised that I even had any energy left after such
a long day.  

"Yes, right now".  As we floated in each other's arms across the kitchen floor, lazily swaying
to the beat of our favorite Black Keys song, I told him the story of my dancing patient.
I shared the inspiration this man had blessed me with, the simplicity of his
message resonating so deep inside my soul.  He held me close, listening intently, taking
in the moment.  And we danced, as we have done so many times in our years together.  

We danced.

 I learn so much from my patients, mostly about life and its fragility, how quickly it truly
does pass by.  From this particular patient, I took with me the reminder to enjoy the
simple pleasures.  To take my man by the hand as often as possible and sway and groove
and rock to the beat, to grab my little girls and swing them around in the moonlight.  I
took with me the advice to stop what you are doing when your favorite song comes on,
wrap your arms around the person you love, and dance.
For no other reason than because you can.

Wordless Wednesday

Here's to You

We have had an amazing long weekend, soaking in all the love and comfort our hearts
have to offer.  I sit here this morning feeling refreshed, my soul nourished and
rejuvenated.  There is so much to reflect on and share, but since I did not get to post
on Father's Day on account of our great escape, I wanted to take today to reflect on the
man who has my heart.  The man I am lucky enough to call husband and friend, the man
my girls are lucky enough to call Daddy.

 I've always dreamed of having a family, being married to my best friend and raising as
many children as God allowed.  Not a day goes by that I do not give thanks and count
my blessings that those dreams have come true.  Shawn and I have spent 12 years
together, living and building a life we believe in and are passionate about.  I could not ask
for a better, more loving man to raise our daughters.  

Shawn is a man's man, the kind of man you call when something is broken and needs to
be fixed, the kind of man you ask to open a jar or scare off bogey monsters, who drives a
big truck and wears a tool belt around his waist.  But all that masculinity aside, he has the
most gentle soul I know.  His hands, so big and strong, callused and hardened and
stained from a long day's work, his hands so delicately hold our babies.  It is a beautiful
thing to witness the vulnerability these girls bring out in him.  Watching him go from
building a barn to changing a diaper, repairing an electrical circuit to brushing his little
girl's hair, from fixing a car to putting pink Barbie band-aids on scraped knees.  His
voice, so strong and deep, gently lulling his baby to sleep.

 He is the kind of man who would rather be behind the camera rather than in front of the
lens, playing guitar rather than fronting the band.  He asks for very little other than a
few words of encouragement and as many kisses as we are willing to spare.  When I
was pregnant for Brees, we had an ultrasound done at 21 weeks to determine the sex of
the baby.  When the technician announced that we would be having another girl, I could
not help but notice a brief look of disappointment on his face, a quick moment of sadness
over not getting the little boy he had been dreaming of.  Our doctor patted him on the
arm and said, "How precious, another little girl to dote on her daddy, to steal your heart
away and stretch it even bigger.  What could be better than TWO Daddy's girls?".  The
smile that spread across his face at this thought was priceless.  Because she was right, the
love these little girls have for their father is immeasurable.  And it has made his heart
even bigger and more open than I could have ever imagined.

So here's to you, my loving husband, with all your strength and fire.  Thank you for
working so hard and never complaining, for killing spiders who sneak up on us and for
making the best popcorn.  Thank you for singing to us before bed and teaching us how
to properly use a screwdriver, for drawing up the best baths and always making sure we
are safe.  Thank you for enjoying life to the fullest and inspiring us to
do the same.
You are an amazing husband and father and we are so lucky to have you.

Guest Post: Charlie

Our next guest poster is one of my very best friends, Charlie, from Veteran Artist.  She
is truly my soul sister and one of the most beautiful writing voices I know.  She is married
to Vinnie and together they are raising two sweet little boys.  Recently, Charlie published
her first book, "The Face of a Memory" and I could not be more proud of her for not
only chasing her dream, but making it a reality.  Visit her blog today and learn more
about this amazing work of written art!

“No man, for any considerable period of time, can wear one face to himself and another
to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the truth”.
–Nathaniel Hawthorne

 A poem by Charlie:

Experience

I am the witness

From husband to father

From boy to man

Story told

Battles unfold

Layers           

Insults

Injuries

Justification

Complication

A spirit that resides

Excitement

Warrior

Guided

Full circle

Love

Softness in place of what was hard

Hardness in place of what was soft

Remembering

Forgetting

Forgiving

Loving

The promise of the past not coming into the future

And the promise that the future wont forget the past

The eyes of a child

The strength of the father

The touch of a mother

The building of a tribe