rainy day self portraits...

Rainy Day... Rodney Gone... Three Colds... 5 minutes of toddler entertainment...

tiny toes...

happy baby...I can't believe she's 12 weeks old...

As I'm sure you can tell from the photos, we're doing much better! Cutting out dairy has done wonders for Hannah's mood. She still has a hard time sleeping. This little goober wouldn't even fall asleep nursing or in the rocking chair. But with a little bit of sleep training this week, she's actually getting some of the rest she had been missing. She even fell asleep once today without any tears. She still wakes up once at night and once in the early morning (between 4am and 6am). This leaves me sleepy, but I know she's healthy and growing. She'll sleep through the night someday, right?

hannah - two months (a month late...)

Hannah was 11lb6oz and 23 inches long at her 2 month check-up. She's starting to smile and coo, which is a welcome addition to my fussy baby's repertoire!

...and her Hannah trademark...the whale of a birthmark...

I really do think it looks like a whale. The pediatrician isn't super worried about it. Birth marks run in the family. But I do need to make an appointment with a pediatric dermatologist sometime in the next month.

two and a half going on...

Lately, my toddler has been very much two going on thirteen. Two because she talks absolutely non-stop and asks questions over and over and over again. She has such joy for life, and she makes me laugh, a huge blessing these past several months. Thirteen because she talks very matter of factly about life and likes to be the boss. "Being the boss" gets her into trouble, often leaving me trying to either stifle a laugh or keep my frustration in check.

Being a big sister has been/is an adjustment for Miss Abigail. Now that Hannah is settling down some, I can take a deep breath and remember to nurture my oldest little girl. She is such a beautiful little girl, and my desire is that I nurture the character qualities that will make her even more beautiful and truly a little lady that loves the Lord.

beach vacation with Grandma and Grandpa

It was so wonderful to have Morry and Angie here for a week. Rodney had a great excuse to take time off of work, and the girls had lots of extra love lavished upon them. We had perfect, cooler weather at the beach - blue skies, cooler nights, and a breeze to keep us comfortable during the heat of the day. Our beach house was close enough to the beach so we could walk back and forth for lunch and rest, which proved very helpful with a fussy baby. Abigail loved sleeping in a big girl twin bed and called the place her "new home".

Hannah had a bit of a rough week. It's official - dairy does not sit well with my little girl. All four of us adults had many an opportunity to comfort the littlest one. It got bad enough that she quit eating Wednesday afternoon because she was so uncomfortable. Thankfully, I was able to pump milk that she would take from the bottle. Rodney proved rather determined to get her to eat, praise God!

That aside, we all enjoyed the warm ocean water (except for maybe Abigail who has decided she does not like swimming in the ocean). Rodney, Morry and Abigail played at flying a kite. Abigail was thrilled to get to go with Grandma to a candy store. And all of us enjoyed ice cream;well, I enjoyed Blue Bell Fruit Bars :)

Abigail warmed up to playing in the sand. She was quite content to sit on the blanket, digging and dumping to her heart's content.

One of my favorite pictures of the many I took...so much love in this picture...