Happy Birthday Daddy!

So... Brad turned 30 on Saturday! We had an open house to celebrate and were happy to realize how many friends we really do have! There have been some lonely times since our move to Michigan, but after much searching, God has blessed us with a wonderful church and has provided some dear relationships with other believers even here in the frigid North! :) We enjoyed having the chance to show people where we live (and the house was even clean!) and to get to know some of their families better. There were lots of kids around- and that's just the way we like it!
Here Carolyn greets Sam, the son of one of Brad's fellow residents (about 5 months old), who is enjoying bouncing around in Carolyn's Exersaucer.
She's discovered that if she's sitting down on someone's lap near the Exersaucer, she can pull herself up to stand! She's delighted with this new achievement. She looks so grown up when she's standing! Just like a big girl!
Here's the obligatory "blowy face" and the smoke that filled the room when thirty candles were suddenly extinguished by a blast of hot air! ;)
Happy St. Patty's Day (and Happy Birthday Brad!) :)
For the party, Grandma made her famous Beef Vegetable Barley Soup and Carolyn was thrilled to be able to enjoy some! And Daddy got the subsequent diaper. :) tee hee hee :)

Today we had our Friday playgroup/mall group/we wish the weather was warmer so we could be outside group at Caimon's house. The girls were the first to arrive. Here are Carolyn, Rachel, and Caimon awaiting the arrival of Aidan (the life of the party :))
Getting all four of the kids to sit still together for a picture was a little bit of a challenge...


But we eventually got everybody together and looking at the camera... though we never did get Carolyn to smile- too close to nap time and way too much else going on!

Blessings

Perhaps it was because I actually slept all night the past two nights (I think that might have something to do with it)... but today I seemed to have just a different outlook on life. It was one of those days that reminds you why all the everyday work of getting up in the night, cleaning up poop, wiping a messy face, lugging a heavy car seat everywhere, listening to high-pitched yells- why it is just SO worth it. Today I just felt as though my heart were singing with delight in the wonderful, awesome, unbelievable gift that God has given me (and ultimately to the world) in little Carolyn. She has made me laugh so many times today and I have just drunk in the sweet baby smell of her hair, the softness of her skin, the light of brand new life in her eyes, the thrill of feeling her little body melt into mine as she gently falls asleep, and the warm, squishy feeling of being this one little person's favorite person. :) She is growing up so fast; I am so thankful for this golden little day that really wasn't much different from other days except that I was somehow able to see the magic in the everyday moments.

She's learning some new tricks that just make her (in my opinion) even more delightful- she is beginning to learn new ways to express real affection. Now she has started giving me kisses- wet, slobbery kisses that I love for all their messiness- when I ask her to. This is the first time she's shown me that she understands what I'm saying- when I say "Give Mommy a kiss"- about 40 percent of the time, she does it! :) Often several times once she starts the kissing. I love it! She makes me laugh.

What fun it is to be a mom!

New Army Recruit

I heard the Army is looking for a few good babies! Carolyn would certainly qualify- she's really perfected her "army crawl" over the past couple weeks. I'm not sure now if she ever will crawl properly- since she can get where she wants to go so quickly this way. But I guess we'll see...

Playing Dress Up

We're heading for warm places next week- going to Texas to visit my extended family- so today I got out some of the smaller things I have for the summer to see what would fit for our visit to a land where the sun shines- and I loved the way she looked in this outfit so much that I had to take (about 20) pictures. :) Here are my favorites. :)

On A Date

On Monday, Carolyn had a "date" with her little pal Isaiah. :) Mommies enjoyed some time for fellowship and food and the babies bonded over Gerber Puffs and Isaiah's wrist rattle. :)
Hey, Can I have that?
Hey there, you're lookin' pretty cute with your fingers up your nose Carolyn! How do you do that?
Wow, these Puffs are super good. Isn't it neat that we can pick them up with our fingers and feed ourselves now?

An Ethical Question

Carolyn's picture fans will have to forgive me for this "off the subject" post, because this so deeply touches my heart and makes me fear for the direction our country is heading and also troubles me greatly as to what my role is as a pharmacist and as a Christian. I received the following correspondence from my employer today (as an attachment sent to them from Planned Parenthood). I am interested in what you think, o faithful fans of the blog of the precious baby who a little more than a year ago was someone I would have had the "right" to eliminate simply for my own convenience. What a tragic commentary on our times that the "right" of a woman to choose to kill her child has been elevated higher than the right to freedom of religion for which our forefathers fought and died.

Since the "morning after" pill went over the counter, I have seen more women in the past few months seeking it than I saw in the entire year I worked full-time prior to Carolyn's birth. Many, many more women are using it and now Planned Parenthood has started this really vicious campaign to ensure that pressure will be brought to bear on anyone who doesn't make it ridiculously easy for a woman to obtain "Plan B," which is sadly already becoming more and more "Plan A" for too many people. At this point, I have been able to avoid having to sell it to anyone by just asking another technician to help the customer (thankfully the pharmacist does not have to be involved in OTC sales). However, my heart is convicted that as a Christian I may have a responsibility to do more than just not get my hands dirty. Perhaps as a Christian and as a pharmacist I have a duty to share information with the customer that he or she would not receive from the package labeling- regarding how the medicine works to stop the implantation of a tiny baby in the mother's uterus- so that she can make an "informed" decision. However, I'm afraid that with all the political pressure being brought on employers who all people to work in their stores who attempt to apply any degree of friction to a transaction involving "Plan B" I may stand at risk of losing my job if I do so. Gladly will I take a stand if I have to- but what exactly is my responsibility in this situation? Do I have any legal rights in these circumstances? Read the following if you have time and tell me what you think.

We'll get back to pictures next time. :)

Dear Friend,

Survey Your Local Pharmacy

When Planned Parenthood confirms a report of a woman being denied access to emergency contraception, it will spring into action to make sure pharmacies fill women's prescriptions. Planned Parenthood will demand meetings with the offending pharmacy, apply public pressure through advertisements and national letter-writing campaigns, and bring to bear the power of the entire Planned Parenthood organization on behalf of women's health.

Join the Planned Parenthood Pill Patrol Today!

Every day in America, women are forced to play the lottery when they walk into their neighborhood pharmacies and ask for Plan B emergency contraception (EC). Although EC is now available without a prescription for people 18 and older, the fight to protect EC still rages on in pharmacies across the country and in our nation's capital.

Join the Planned Parenthood Pill Patrol and ensure women in your neighborhood have access to EC.

Just last week, we learned that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health, which was at the center of the fight to make EC available over the counter, just had more than one-quarter of its operating budget cut. Now people are asking - is this payback for the prolonged EC controversy?

Over the past three years, Planned Parenthood has worked with large pharmacy chains, urging them to change their policies to stock EC and ensure that women can access their birth control in-store, without discrimination or delay. Some pharmacies, like CVS, have stepped up to the plate, changed their policies, and worked to ensure that those policies are enforced to protect their customers. Other pharmacies have flatly refused to adopt such policies. In the wake of EC going over the counter, Planned Parenthood has had numerous reports of women being denied access in their pharmacies. We are asking for your help. Today, Planned Parenthood is launching the next phase of its campaign to protect women's health - a nationwide grassroots effort to ensure that EC is available in every neighborhood in America.

Sign up to survey a pharmacy in your area now.

During the month of March, Planned Parenthood needs hundreds of volunteers to join its Pill Patrol and attempt to purchase emergency contraception at neighborhood Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, and Supervalue/Osco stores.

Joining the Pill Patrol is easy. When you sign up to survey a store in your neighborhood, you'll receive an activist toolkit that includes easy instructions, a script, and a phone number to call if you have any questions.

Your participation is crucial to the success of this campaign. Make sure women in your community have access to emergency contraception - join the Pill Patrol today.
Thank you,
Cecile Richards

President

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Adventures with Friends, Exploring, and A New Skill

On Friday Aidan came back from his 2-week absence from our "walking" (...shopping...) group at the mall and Rachel returned from a few weeks of one "minor" illness after another (we hope she's done being sick now!) so all 8 of us were finally together again. We were glad to see each other- the babies are growing so fast... and yet so differently! They're all at pretty different developmental stages and sizes even though they were all born within 2 weeks of one another.
Here are the crawlers/standers- Aidan and Caimon.
And the tummy creepers- Carolyn and Rachel, who enjoyed grabbing for each other's hair and eyes. :)
Today I took a few pictures of Carolyn chugging around the house on her tummy- she's decided that the camera strap is cool and she is beginning to move SO much faster- it's hard to get a picture of her moving before she's already right there! But I thought these were cute... especially if I hadn't cut off her head! :)
I think it's funny that even at such a young age, the things that seem the most fun to do always seem to be whatever appears to be deviant- like going after Daddy's Green Magazines, so neatly stacked under the table- and pulling them down one by one.
Is it horrible that I'm posting a picture of my child crying?! Well, this seems to be an important part of what Carolyn's life is like right now- she's been perfecting this loud, whiny cry that she pulls out whenever something displeases her- which seems to be happening more and more often lately. She's started waking up in the night again just screaming- and I can tell it's an angry scream- when I go in to her to make sure she is okay and to try and soothe her, as soon as I turn around to walk out of the room, she instantly begins screaming at the top of her lungs and flapping her little arms and legs around frantically. It would be somewhat comical if the sound didn't just cut me right to the heart. I hate hate HATE listening to her cry like that... but I know from past experience that she must continue to sense consistency from us or it will only get worse... but it breaks my heart to hear her cry- not to mention the sleep disruption from not resting at night... and the consequent crabbiness that extends into the following days, resulting in the aforementioned "whiny cry" pictured below. :)

Eat your heart out Rachael Ray!

I felt these darling first pots n pans pictures deserved their own post. :)

Hey BNP!

Carolyn wanted to send a great big shout out to all her friends at BNP Media in Troy (where her Papa Craig works as their very best consultant :)) and especially her good friend Lalitha who sent her this fabulous new toy! :)
The toy makes lots of loud music and this is much appreciated. :)
The ball has a nice, round shape and flapping it around makes even more music!
The ball gratefully accepts kisses as well. :)
Peek a Boo.
Thank you thank you!!

Eight Months Old!

Those of you who think it's been too long between posts will hopefully be satisfied with this one- and anyone who thinks I'm too long-winded had better visit another blog because this is longer than usual! :) (I'll return to the "it's my blog and I'll post what I want" excuse). :) I've been working on this for the past few days because I wanted to give you a good picture of what Carolyn is like at 8 months old. She brings so much light into my days and I laugh so much more than I did before she came. Babies are a wonderful, wonderful gift from God. I'm so thankful for her.

Carolyn has changed and grown so much in the last month! However, most of the change has not been in physical size- I measured her at home yesterday and found she's gained about half a pound (if that) in the past month (she's about 18.5 pounds and 27.5 inches long) but has gained 3/4 of an inch in length. That's probably because she is so much more active now than she was a month ago! She has figured out how to get around- one way or another- this little video will show you how she's moving these days. I can't believe how much she has changed in this way in just a few short weeks. The past few days she's been starting to pick her tummy off the ground for a second or two, so I think that proper crawling may not be much further off! Heaven help us! :)



Maybe our favorite development this month has been social. Carolyn seems to just be blossoming! She smiles so much more and has found new ways to express her delight- last night when I came home from work, she greeted me with this huge grin and started to clap her hands because she was so happy. One day she may not think I'm very cool (right now it's hard for me to imagine myself being "old-fashioned" and "from the dark ages" and unable to "get it," but I'm sure it will happen someday... sigh), but it is oh, so sweet to be on the "favorites" list of such a precious little person.

She gets so excited about toys now, especially anything that seems "off limits" or that makes noise or does something exciting. She giggles and claps her hands when she sees something she likes. Here's a little video clip I call "Shake It Up."



Remotes are still favorites- she doesn't realize yet that we got a new TV, so we don't care as much about the old TV remote- or she would certainly lose interest. :)
Sometimes the best toys are the free ones- I got these little plastic bottles in a sample-filled diaper bag from a formula company but never needed to use them- so I filled one with free Mardi Gras beads from a restaurant and she loves it!
The other day we got out one of her "big girl" toys (because Aunt Katy said that Cousin Emily really likes hers)- this thing plays not-too-annoying tunes and a fan blows air and balls come popping out of the top. I loved to see her wide eyed look when she first saw the balls come flying out! She soon discovered that if she tipped it over, air would blow into her face and hair and was delighted with the sensation! :)
The bottom line is that toys are of great satisfaction, but cannot hold a candle to the best playmate of all- DADDY! :) This is a little girl who loves her daddy and I love to watch them together, though he sometimes makes me a little nervous!

Fun with G and P

It's again my weekend to work (5 weeks go by so quickly!) and so Grammy and Papa are here to watch Carolyn. It's so much fun for me to have company because I love to have someone to share the delight I have in watching Carolyn grow- and who better than her grandparents!
We're excited for Carolyn's other set of GP's to return from South Carolina where they've spent what must have been a really awful month playing golf and enduring 70-degree weather with lots of sunshine and fresh sea air! :) They'll be back in town next week.Carolyn's been practicing a new sound- the high-pitched Shriek. She does this whenever she's excited and though it does get a little loud, it is undeniably cute. :)
She loves glasses! Beware- no glasses are safe!
Hey, what's with this thing on my head? And is that bath water I hear?! Maybe in a few weeks I will be big enough to crawl toward the sound (just like my mommy did when she was little!) :)

Serious Cuteness

Carolyn loves to ride in the laundry basket to and from the bedroom when we do laundry. She's just gaining so much personality and delighting us more and more each day with her antics.

For those who think I post too many similar pictures on this blog, I will return to the "It's my blog and I'll post what I want" claim. :)

Clap Clap Clap!

This week Carolyn has been learning to clap. She gets so excited about stuff sometimes that she just starts clapping with delight- and now is learning to do it on command- so I was able to capture a cute moment on video yesterday. Enjoy!

Future Punk Rocker?

While Carolyn's hair has begun to lay down at least somewhat most of the time... sometimes it still gets a little more creative... I thought she looked like a punk rocker with this 'do. As a side note, add Combs to the list of Things Carolyn Loves (also on the list: Hangers, Remotes, Phones, and Anything That Belongs To The Dog). :)

Weekend in Chicago

We spent the weekend with Uncle Bryan and Auntie eM in Chicago. It was a nice getaway for us! We all enjoyed being together. :)
Carolyn enjoyed the slippery wood floors, but did not like bonking her head against them when her rolling and rocking became too enthusiastic. :)

Carolyn loves it when people wave "hi!" to her from across the room. She gets so excited that I just have to do it all the time to make her smile like this. :)
A wonderful time was had by all. But we missed Auntie Laura!!!