Digital Memory - FHE

With my postpartum memory loss, I'm finding that if I don't write it down I don't remember it. We had Family Home Evening tonight on Family History and keeping our own history, and our "activity" was one of us writing in Abi's memory book, and one of us updating the blog. I was looking through the recent pictures of all of the fun things Abi is doing and learning, and I realized that if I don't write about it, I won't remember anything about the picture. It is a daunting task, and I'm afraid that my memory is becoming a digital memory, if I don't blog about it there will be nothing. So here is just a post about some fun things Abigail and I have been doing and learning, with a little more details than usual:

Playing with friends! I have babysitting a lot, and Abi loves to play with friends, older kids and babies too! She loves to grab at faces and stick her friends' hands in her mouth. It is a great way to build her immune system (spread germs). Below is Rylee. Rylee is a sweet baby with an amazing Mom. Rylee is a twin and is 7 months old. Her brother is still in the hospital with necrotizing intercollitis (I am sure that is misspelled). A couple weeks after the twins birth, their grandfather was killed during a Sunday bike ride, and  they are in the middle of building a house about an hour from San Antonio. Their Dad works 2 weeks on and one week off, so Rylee's mom has shouldered the brunt of  the huge task of loving 2 babies that live in two different places alone. Rylee is such a blessing. She has an amazing laid back personality and the most lovable chubby cheeks and belly, and the sweetest smile. I have loved being able to help her Mom in any way I can, and I don't want to forget this family and their amazing example of enduring a challenging situation with grace and faith.

 We have a wonderful neighborhood/community of friends who are willing to swap babysitting and take turns so that we can all occasionally get out as a couple. Below is another one of Abi's friends, Ella and her big brother James. Ella was born 6 days earlier than Abi and is has been fun to watch them grow together. We joke that it is the fun of twins, without the work! Amen to that. Twins would be so much work! I love seeing Abi watch and interact with other kids, sometimes I really feel like she gets bored! Is that possible. I'm sure it is!

 Sitting up! Abi really sits up great. Here she is showing off her skill. I think she is happiest sitting up. The whole world looks totally new and different at this new angle. I am learning that carpeted floors are very nice, and much more kid friendly. Gone are my dreams of hardwood floors, at least for the foreseeable future.

 Looking quite dashing with "blue t-shirt hair": Haha. We were just being silly after she ate. She gets SOO messy while she "eats". I am not sure if she gets anything inside! She babbles and spits in my face, and very determinedly grabs the spoon and shakes the food all over and chews on the end of it! But, she is growing, and I am being consistent, so I'm sure she'll get it eventually! Also she loves to sit in the Bumbo and swivel her self every which way with her arm extended and hand grabbing mechanism turned on. We call her "the claw". Tonight we looked away for one second, and she had grabbed a  heavy ceramic mug and was swinging it around! Crazy girl.

 Sucking on toes, thumbs, hair, books, toys, ... everything: We took her pacifier away because we didn't want her to be attached to it. We are learning that it doesn't really matter what we want. Now she sucks on her toes and more recently her thumb, all the time. It's pretty funny, and shows her strong will, and we have been assured that  no one goes to first grade sucking their thumb. (We're pretty sure that's not true, but it is reassuring to us that we haven't met anyone older than 10 that stills sucks their thumb)

 Pulling hair: Ouch. She does pull hair.

 Looking cute and going to church: Abi is really a happy girl on Sundays. She takes the lack of sleep in stride and does really pretty well. We don't get as much out of Sacrament Meeting as we used to, but it is probably more than we will for a long time to come! I love being in Primary, and I love being able to bring her in occasionally too. She loves the singing and just is mesmerized by all the children.

 Squealing and being super silly: This is an action shot of her squealing at the top of her lungs! She is so funny. She says "boom-ba", and blah blah, blah, but mostly squeals. Sometimes is sounds like singing and sometimes it sounds like yelling.

 Transitioning with the sleep schedule and sleeping in the jogger stroller while I run: She still(!) takes 3 naps, and I think is starting to transition, which means she some days will just totally fall asleep in mid activity because she is so tired, and it's usually like an hour before bedtime! But it is super cute, she just crashes. She also is a good sport and generally just goes to sleep in the jogger while I run. I am running a half marathon in 5 weeks. Yikes. Maybe in 5 weeks I'll feel a little more ready. The longest run so far has been 10 miles. My method is SLOW and steady.:)

We are getting used to Jeff's job! Oh yeah, he got a job! He is working for a company called BCFS (Baptist Child and Family Services), and uses his Spanish everyday. He works with undocumented minors at a children's emergency shelter. He loves his job, and is so grateful to have a counseling position. We are happy where we are at. Sometimes we feel impatient or whatever, but really we are very happy and have everything that we need... and more.