So Funny

Oh, my baby girl is so funny!  I absolutely love her beautiful little personality that is showing more & more each day.
For the last two days she has been trying to play with the dog.  By playing I mean she crawls around the house, chasing the dog, trying to head butt him!  All while laughing like crazy.
She is so funny!

Water Baby

My sweet little water baby has begun swimming lessons this month.  We have been taking her to the pool since she was a few weeks old so I figured she'd be a natural for swimming lessons.

I'm so proud of her!  She loves it.  She goes fully under, puts her face in the water willingly, doesn't mind water dumping on her head & absolutely looooves being on her tummy in the water.  She kicks her legs & splashes with her arms.  The only thing she isn't super fond of is being on her back.  She tolerates it but doesn't enjoy it.  ;)

This week she even got to sit in the bubbles for the first time & thought that was the greatest thing.

I am such a proud Momma of a water baby.

Whole New World!

I am such a proud Momma today!  I'm always proud of course, but today she astounded me.  For weeks now she's been so frustrated & sad all time, she's spent hours each day crying & crying.  All because she couldn't crawl.  She's been so close for the longest time but has only been able to go backwards which only would make her angrier.
I've been at my wits end as to how to help her.  I even got desperate enough to look up youtube clips on how to help your baby crawl.  Nada.  Completely didn't work at all.  I can't tell you how many articles I've read on the topic & I was beginning to think life was never going to change.  She would be frustrated & screaming forever & I would be frustrated & at my wits end forever.
Then today she bum scooted over three feet to come see me!!  She did it several more times through the day & I almost cried.  I'm so happy she won't be as frustrated any more.  I'm so happy that her world is opening up in a new way for her.  I'm so happy that she conquered something that was difficult for her. My sweet baby girl is growing up & I'm so excited & melancholy at the same time.  :)

Update

Just an update on the family from the "Perspective" post I wrote a few days ago.
Sadly, the baby passed away.  Apparently while they were waiting for her to stabilize before going ahead with the surgery but the umbilical cord somehow severed & the baby passed away.  Mom should physically recover fully, thankfully, but my heart is still broken for them.  If you think of them continue to send up prayers for their emotional & physical well-being, I will be doing the same.

Perspective

I gained a little perspective this week from a lovely couple that Nathan knows.  I've met them a few times & they are just the sweetest people who have been through so much more than anyone should have to, especially just barely in their twenties.
The wife has a serious heart defect & has almost died a few times in the last year or two.  Last year she had a major surgery & finally got a clean bill of health.  They were so excited cuz this meant they could try for a baby.  
Shortly after this they became court-appointed guardians of their newborn niece & very young nephew.  A few months later they finally made through the first trimester of a pregnancy & were ecstatic.  The husband became a stay at home dad while the wife worked two jobs so they could support three children under three once the baby came.
Until last week.  
Without going into all the medical specifics they are facing a choice.  Either abort their baby whom they have struggled so hard for or undergo a surgery that has a 50/50 chance of either her or the baby surviving.
We've been praying so hard for this wonderful couple.  My husband saw the wife yesterday & just casually asked her what she was up to.  She looked up & said was writing a letter to her husband in case she died in surgery in a few days.
Let that sink in for a minute.  
This amazing young woman, who has already faced death so many times & her incredibly loving husband who has stood by her through all of this.  They have taken in & loved as their own two babies who needed a safe home.  They have sacrificed financially, personally & physically.  She was writing a letter to comfort her husband in case she dies in a few days doing what she has to in order to try to save their baby.
Perspective.

Surprise!!

So my husband & I got a little something extra special out of our family vacation to Mexico in January, a new little one on the way!!
I couldn't have been more shocked to find out.  With all the struggles we've had it honestly never occurred to me that we might be blessed with TWO miracle babies in our lifetime!
I'm incredibly nervous that we might have complications with this pregnancy/delivery again, but I'm trusting God that this is all part of his amazing plan for our little family.
Baby Who will be here at the end of September.  :)

Cutest Ever!

Cutest baby giraffe ever!!