This one made my day!

And then the house was gone!

Daniel and I were taking a nap this afternoon when I heard a big truck on the street outside. I didn't think much about it (except hoping it wasn't a package coming to our house and so I wouldn't have to get up to answer the door!) I still heard it when we got up - sounded like they were digging up the street or something.

We looked out the window and saw that the house on the corner was gone and a pile of rubble was in it's place. It was a sad house - falling apart, missing windows and the front door wide open - but it's been part of our landscape and I was a little disappointed to know that it's gone (is that crazy!?). If I'd known they were tearing it down, I would have at least taken a picture of it first.

It's sad to me because it's something familiar that's gone, but I think it's more that in it I could see hope for restoration - even though realistically it would probably never happen. I could see its former beauty and now that it's demolished, restoration of the house as it was can never be. Maybe something better will grown in its place, but it can never again be as it was intended. I guess that's how life is too, sometimes.

Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
- Isaiah 43:18-19

So be it.

4 months

My baby is four months old today. In some ways it's flown by and in other ways, it feels like he's always been here.

In the last month, it seems like there's something new every day. He's making lots of different noises; today it was a trilling noise. He likes interacting with people and smiles when you talk to him, sing to him or make faces at him. He likes music. He likes being snuggled close but also likes to get down and wiggle around.

He watches everything pretty intently and reaches for things he sees. This week he's been reaching for just about anything I'm holding. He's getting pretty good at grasping things with one or both hands. For a while, he's been pulling his burp cloth or bib up over his face, but today was the first time I saw him grab it and pull it back down himself.

We have a lot of fun laughing together. He'll laugh, which makes me laugh, then he laughs some more and I laugh some more and then we're both cracking up! Sometimes, it looks like he's being shy. He'll look at you and giggle, then turn his face away.

He does tongue tricks too. The other day he started twisting his tongue around sideways. He definitely got that one from his dad - he can already do more with his tongue than I can - and we're guessing he'll have the ability to wiggle his ears too.

He's not rolling over yet. Dave said he rolled onto his side, but I haven't seen it. He can sit up assisted, but not quite on his own. He has great head control and can stand well on his legs with some support for balance.

I absolutely adore him and we definitely have a good, strong attachment. Heck, I miss him when he goes to bed! He's as cute as can be and he gets lots of kisses every day on his chubby little cheeks.

These last four months haven't always been easy, but they've sure been wonderful!

Daniel and Marshall

I guess with me, it's all or nothing. (Is it all or nothing with you? It can't be in between. It can't be now and then... Extra points if you can name that musical!) I either write regularly or not at all. Hmm.

Marshall (the cat) has taken to jumping up in my lap while I'm nursing Daniel and curling up in what space is left on my knees. I've always wished I could get Dave to take a picture, but he really only does it in the middle of the night or when no one else is home, since that's when he doesn't have any other options. A couple times, I've ended up with Daniel on one shoulder and Marshall on the other and I did manage to get a picture of that yesterday.


Now that Daniel is becoming very aware of what's around him, he watches Marshall a lot more. Since Daniel moves around more and has more interesting toys (things that hang, swing and play music), Marshall pays a lot more attention to him too. Daniel has been reaching for things, and now he reaches out to touch Marshall whenever he's in range. He mostly just pats him softly, and as he does, I've been saying, "gentle." I'm hoping this will reinforce what gentle means and we'll be able to use that association later when he tries to grab Marshall's fur/tail/leg/etc. or pet him a little too enthusiastically.

It has been fun watching them interact and get to know each other. I'm guessing they'll be buddies later, though I'm sure there will be plenty of times when Marshall has to go hide!

I did it!

30 posts in 30 days. My friend Heidi asked this morning if I felt a sense of accomplishment, and I told her not really. I felt like I did great for the first 2/3 but not so great the last 1/3. What the heck was I thinking!? I posted every day. It wasn't always easy, but I posted every day. A few posts were just a picture, but I posted every day. I set out to do something and I finished it (and I am NOT a compulsive finisher who has to finish something just because I started.) Just because every post wasn't stellar doesn't negate the accomplishment. Perfectionist? Check. Too hard on myself? Check. When you do something day in and day out, not every day will be perfect. A writer writes continually, not because what they write is always just right, but because in the discipline of writing you find just what you want to say. A photographer takes tons of pictures to get a few truly amazing ones.

So yes, Heidi, I am proud of myself. My goal when I started was to get back in the habit of blogging and I have. I'm glad not to have the pressure to post every day, to take more time to craft some posts instead of just posting something, but I'm glad to be moving again.