Heat

My mom called to complain this morning that I hadn't updated the blog in awhile. So, I've preoccupied Molly by putting her in her feeding seat next to me with watermelon in her self-feeder.

The weather has been consistently in the 90s here in TX, and we love it. It is mostly a dry heat, with lots of afternoon sun. Mornings are sometimes overcast and cooler. Molly and I have visited the pool a few times. She likes the water and especially enjoys splashing and bending over to put her face in it!

Molly is really growing up. She now has four teeth on the top along with two on the bottom. She has been pulling herself up to standing, but now she'll lift up both of her hands and continue standing for a few seconds unassisted. We've also put a couple books in her crib and now sometimes we go in to find her looking at them after she's woke up. She has been eating lots of different foods and happily accepts different tastes. She's a little hesistant about unfamiliar textures.

We're looking forward to having Ryan home with us full-time in two weeks. It will be fun to get to know Fort Worth better and spend time with friends and family. Maybe after he's had a couple weeks to recover from the school year he'll be up for babysitting so I can work a little.

Grandma

CAUTION: CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF A POOPY DIAPER

On Monday Molly and I attempted to visit my Grandma who lives in a retirement village near us. Since the weatherman predicted a "cool" day (only 82 degrees) I dressed Molly in a warmer outfit that she hadn't had much of a chance to wear. It was a pretty floral onesie and a sage green jumper with a matching violet sweater from my cousin and family. As we approached the market where I planned to pick up some flowers for Grandma, I detected an unpleasant scent lingering in the car.
"Okay," I thought, "I'll change her diaper on the back seat, and then we can run into the store."

I wasn't anticipating a P.O.P.S. (Poop Of Perplexing Size). Molly hadn't blown out of a diaper in months. Sure enough, I saw messiness oozing out from her girly onesie. I used several wipes to attempt to clear away the excess so that I could unbuckle her from her seat. As I wiped, more appeared. It became apparent that I had insufficient equipment (I needed running water at the minimum.)to handle this mess. Taking a big risk, I stuffed some wipes down into the mess in an attempt to cover it. I then put a big toy on her lap. I hoped that the toy would distract her and the mess would be contained so we could drive home. About halfway home, I gasped when I looked over my shoulder and saw a poopy wipe in her hand. (Gratefully, she had a pacifier in her mouth so I'm fairly confident the wipe did not go into her mouth.) I grabbed it away before she got any on her hands or face. By a special measure of God's grace, we made it home without the mess spreading. After thirty minutes of scrubbing, dousing, and presoaking, we were all feeling quite a bit cleaner.

Needless to say, we did not make it to see Grandma. I then opened my Bible and searched for the verse that says, "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) God reminded me that He directs us where He wants us to go. Our plans our futile unless He wills it.

This morning, we did have a successful trip to visit Grandma. She has dementia and can rarely make even a sentence or two of meaningful dialogue. However, with Molly, she seems very alert and engaged. She was having a good day today. When we arrived, she was in another woman's room watching a movie. One of the aides wheeled her down to her room so that she could visit with us. As Molly and I sat on her bed and conversed with her in her wheelchair, she asked how old Molly was. I replied that she was eight months.

She replied, "She's getting so big." (I thought this exchange was very promising because not only did Grandma make appropriate conversation, she knew that Molly was a girl. Most apparently mentally adept strangers refer to her as a he.)

As Molly made some high pitched exclamations, Grandma responded, "Hi! Is that what you're trying to say?" She added, "You'll say it soon enough."

Unfortunately, I must have been having a very off-day in many respects because when Molly was fussing on Grandma's lap, she said, "She wants to go to her dad." I picked Molly up, and she quieted down. Grandma noted, "She's happier with her dad." I know it has been awhile since I've tended to my eyebrows, but I didn't realize that things were this out of hand.

We continued to visit and laugh at the baby's silly noises. I replied, "She's a good girl."

Grandma responded, "Yes, she's good baby girl."

We said good-bye and headed down the hall. We watched as Grandma wheeled her way to a gentleman in a wheelchair and began conversing with him. I smiled as I thought about her contentment. How blessed am I in the circumstances of my life and how often am I discontent. Grandma doesn't have much and doesn't care about material things and yet God has blessed her with a peaceful spirit. Thank you, Grandma, for continuing to teach me how to live and love.

San Antonio

We went to San Antonio this past weekend to meet up with Ben and Tricia, some friends from Ohio. Friday we got in to town and hung out at the pool as the temp was in the mid nineties. We then went down to dinner at La Margarita which is in the Market Square. It was fun, but the food wasn't as good as our Fort Worth favorites. The next day Molly and I walked around the shops in the market square. We then went to the Japanese Tea Gardens with our friends. These gardens are definitely a must see. There were beautiful ponds and waterfalls and a very large pagoda. I wanted to go there after seeing my friend Kim's pictures from the gardens. It was very hot, so we headed home for the pool. That evening we went on a boat tour of the riverwalk area. We tried to squeeze in dinner before Molly's bedtime, but she became too impatient while we were waiting for a table. We left early the next morning. On the way home, we saw what appeared to be the President's helicopter. It was near Waco (not far from his Crawford ranch). We recognized the white bottom of the craft with navy blue above. It was accompanied by two army attack helicopters. I'm sure the big wedding kept the Waco airport pretty busy!

Look at My Smile

Our friend Heidi came to visit from Orlando this weekend. She was here only 36 hours, but we had a lot of fun. She took this pictures of Molly.

You can see Molly's two bottom teeth. She loves to stand by this chair while I crouch behind the back of it and play peek-a-boo with her. She giggles a lot when I pop my head out from hiding.

Molly loves to stand by these window ledges at the back of our apartment and look outside.

Splish Splash

Molly loved hanging out with her second cousins Tess and Tori in their hot tub!

March photos

Jorja and her parents have moved to Katy, TX. The day before they moved, Molly and Jorja were enjoying a snack side by side.


This is Molly being introduced to the pool in our hotel in Houston.

She and Grandpa Kelly look so good together!

My cousin(-in-law) Krisha is having a baby soon! It will be fun for Molly to have a little playmate!

Finally, she smiled for the camera! Molly loved playing with these palm leaves. This was a rest stop at McD's in Corsicana, TX on the way home from Houston.

13 days of April

It has been a busy April thus far. Ryan's mom came to visit from the 4th through the 8th, and our friend Kim came from Michigan to stay with us at the end of the week. Molly and I drove to Austin to pick up Kim and spend a night with her there.

We spent the weekend with Mary Lynn eating and looking at homes. She likes to see what home values are like in different parts of the country.

This is Kim at the water gardens in Fort Worth.

Kim and I ran a 5k yesterday. She set a personal record by several seconds. My goal was to break 30 minutes, and I missed it by 1.2 seconds! I think it was my first race in four years, so I'm not too disappointed. I'm just glad to be getting in shape again.

Molly is busy pulling herself up to standing. She loves to stand by our red armchair and the dresser in her room. She stands up in her crib when she awakes. When we are on the floor in her room she'll crawl to her crib, pull herself up, and play with the strings that tie her bumper to the crib.

She also is a good eater. She has been eating several kinds of baby food lately: mango, papaya, chicken and vegetables, and apple blueberry.

Road Trip

We are staying in Houston tonight. Ryan is with his dad at the Regional Semifinals of the men's NCAA tournament. I have gotten over my jealousy and am enjoying a quiet night in the hotel room while Molly is sleeping in her pack-n-play. (Part of my ability to get over my jealousy was my consumption of a medium mushroom pizza while my gluten intolerant husband was away.) I was nervous about the long car trip with the baby, but she did wonderfully. The trip took us 5 hours, just a half hour longer than the time predicted by mapquest. Last I checked, they don't take into account stopping along the way for diaper changes.

I guess we timed it well, because soon after we left home, Molly settled in for her first nap. While she was sleeping, we celebrated the odometer in my car reaching 100,000. The milestone occurred near Bubba's Bar B Q and Steakhouse. As their billboard advertises, "You never SAUSAGE a place!" Shortly after she roused from her nap we stopped for a fill-up (gasoline and breastmilk) at Woody's Smokehouse. Disappointed not to see any kolaches (sausage rolls- typical Texas breakfast fare... think Sausage McMuffin meet doughnut shop fried goodness), I quickly was distracted by the full-service jerky counter. Amazing! I had never seen such a thing. I was tempted to browse and begin my Christmas shopping way too early. I remembered that I had a baby on my hip and several hours of driving still looming. I grabbed a stick of jalapeno beef jerky to enjoy with my coffee and headed toward the cashier.

The rest of the trip proceeded relatively uneventfully for me, as I was the one behind the wheel, and Ryan had the task of entertaining the baby. I know that food should be reserved for being eaten at the table, but it does wonders to distract a child! Molly gummed at a piece of banana in her self-feeder while Ryan marvelled at the sweet and sticky mess. He then entertained her quite a while with her bottle filled with ice water. Another highlight for me was passing a motorist stopped by a police officer and learning that sheriff's deputies in Texas really do wear cowboy hats. A short nap later, and we were arriving at our hotel.

Toilet Sitting and Silly Molly

As a mom of an infant, I spend time sitting on toilets doing things that I never used to do. Every night as part of her bedtime routine, I give Molly a bath. Sometimes I help her sit up and play in the shallow water, but usually she lays on her back chewing on a toy. She likes to relax this way for quite awhile, and I sit on the toilet and talk to her, sing, or just watch. Last night I was feeling like I needed a little relaxation, so I brought some red wine and chocolate to enjoy while sitting on (but not using) the toilet.

Additionally, I believe that women should have the right to breastfeed in public. And, while it is legal to do so, I prefer to nurse Molly in women's restrooms. I hate covering up while nursing; it gets very hot. So, it is easier to find a private spot. I often wonder if people think it is odd for me to be in the stall for quite a while sometimes murmuring some encouragement to Molly. Today as she was finishing up, I felt a little uncomfortable asking, "All done?" The people in neighboring stalls cannot see or hear the baby. I hope they don't think I'm conversing with myself while sitting on the toilet.

At Buffalo Wild Wings today, Molly sucked on a celery stalk for the first time. She enjoyed it until she made a projectile out of it. She also got her very first balloon. We were quite nervous as she grasped it and dug her fingernails into the latex. Happily it did not pop, and she enjoyed watching it bounce on the end of its string.

When she awoke at 6 this morning, Ryan brought her into our bed to snuggle. She loves to climb on us and tackle the comforter. She was very funny this morning. Shortly after arriving, she looked directly at Ryan and emitted a belch. She's also been perfecting the skill of making a razzing sound by forcing air through her closed lips. She practiced this a couple times. Then, as she pulled herself up to my bare shoulder, she put her lips on my skin and did it to me. After moving on to a more interesting toy, she was sitting between us. The fireworks in her diaper then began. Pop! Pop! Po-o-o-o-o-p! Pop! She kept us quite entertained and wondering how soon we can teach her to say, "Excuse Me!"

Little Irish Molly

The Cost of Water

A couple weeks ago a magazine from Compassion International arrived in our mail. Therein I read an article about a project to provide clean drinking water for people in the Dominican Republic (to read, click here). The author tells of impoverished families forced to choose between paying for clean water and other basic necessities. The tap water there is so contaminated that people get sick from bathing in it. Compassion is helping to provide safe water at a fraction of the cost that they would normally pay. I often thank God for our abundance of water that we freely use for hot baths, watering our plants, and brewing espressos.

Several days later, we received in our Sunday paper a insert of coupons from Procter and Gamble. They are participating in an initiative called the Give PŪR® Water Project. For each coupon redeemed, P&G will provide one liter of clean water to someone who thirsts. So, when I buy my Tide detergent, I can save 50 cents and help provide a drink! They are doing the same thing for their April coupons.

In striking contrast to people with unsafe water, I was shocked by a few things I read in the paper a couple days later. There was an ad for a plastic surgeon encouraging men to have abdominoplasty to sculpture their abs. There are some very important uses for plastic surgery and reconstruction. However, I think that a washboard stomach should come about the old fashioned way. People are free to spend their money as they please, but this overindulgence scares me.

When we were working with Athletes in Action, Ryan and I would share with people that sport is one of the largest religions in our nation. Consider this, prime seats in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium require and initial payment of $150,000 and an annual ticket fee of $3400. It is possible to finance your football tickets over 30 years just like you would a home. See for yourself at the local newspaper's website. It appears that about 1/6 of the new stadium has this club seating, with the cheapest of the club seats costing $16,000 one-time, and $3400 a year. Inconceivable, isn't it?

With the recent news of the pharmaceuticals in our drinking water, I cringe slightly before drinking, but then I take a swig, thankful that a few traces of antibiotics are the greatest of my worries. And I pray that all of us, including those spending tens of thousands for stadium seats, would give a little to provide clean water for others.

Six months

Molly weighed 16 pounds at her check-up this week. She is getting big! She is busy, as usual. She enjoys her toys and books, as well as whatever paper or magazine mommy or daddy is trying to read. Yesterday, I caught her taking a bandaid off of her leg and attempting to put it in her mouth. She requires a lot of supervision!

Doesn't she look like a boy next to girly Jorja in this picture? I think she really looks like my dad in this picture.

Sitting?

Being a math person, I like to have rules or definitions to abide by as I make a conclusion. So, I wonder... how do you know when a baby has reached the milestone of sitting? Is there a certain length of time that she stays upright for before toppling? Or, should the baby pull herself into a sitting position?

Molly can sit for short times unassisted. If she is focusing at something at eye level or higher, she is pretty stable. However, she usually looks at a toy on the floor and leans over to grab it.

Enjoy these pictures:

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! I awoke with a pink rose by my pillow. Great job, Ryan!

Molly has been busy "crawling" backwards. She spends a lot of time on her belly and ends up pushing herself backwards. I don't think she realizes that she's doing it. My dad just screwed her shelf to the wall, so it is safe for her to play near it. I turned her toy box on its side so she could pull the toys out. She started on the far right by the doll. Look where she ended up!

"Uh oh! What did I do?!?"

"Yeah! Look what I did!"

Have a happy Valentine's Day! I love the poetic beginning of 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter in the Bible... Love is patient, love is kind, etc.). The first three verses are:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
What a beautiful reminder that what we accomplish is never as important as how well we love. You can read the whole chapter online by clicking here.

Bathtub and High Chair

Molly has been beginning to eat some solid foods. We started out with a little rice cereal about two weeks ago. She does a really good job of opening her mouth when the spoon approaches. She also swallows the food really well. Of course, some of it is pushed out by her tongue, but usually it is a very small amount. After we began giving her the cereal, she began spitting up quite a bit. So, we stopped the cereal. I read online that the grains can be more difficult to digest than fruit which has special enzymes to aid digestion. So, I tried giving her a little mashed avocado. She seems to like the creamy texture.

Molly had a little earache last week and has been on antibiotics. Giving her the medicine is much more difficult than feeding her solids! The dose is one teaspoon which sounds like a small amount, but it is actually equivalent to six times the amount of Tylenol recommended for babies at her age. So, when I give her Tylenol it is one dropperful, and this antibiotic is like six of those droppersful! Well, the antibiotic has made her go from a "two bowel movement a week baby" to a "four BM a DAY baby"! As a result, we've been giving her some banana. Surprisingly, she seems to prefer the unsweet cereal and avocado.

Molly also has had a couple "baby popsicles". My mom made a bunch of cubes of frozen peach puree. Last Thursday when Molly wasn't feeling well, we were at my parents. She was crying, and we couldn't find anything to soothe her. I suggested putting an ice cube in a washcloth. Sometimes she just likes to suck on something cold. Well, mom asked if she could give her a peach cube. We tried it, and immediately she stopped fussing. She sucked and sucked until it was all gone. We were at my parents' again on Sunday, and she got another popsicle. However, I tried to give her one at home, and she wasn't interested! For now we are going to stick to the banana, avocado and peach cubes before we introduce a new food. In a few weeks I'll probably try some type of vegetable.

Molly loves taking a bath. I put a towel under her so that she doesn't slip around. She likes for me to support her in a sitting position so she can grab at a toy in the water or to play with the water coming from the faucet. However, she also likes to try to put the wet towel into her mouth. She does the same thing when she lies on her belly in the tub. We end her bathtime by laying her on her back. She gets really mellow and lies still in the tub. Sometimes she'll splash a little with her legs or arms, but she usually just looks at me and remains still. It is quite amazing because she is usually such an active baby.

This is Molly with my parents on my dad's birthday.

One of the great things about Fort Worth is that while it is a large modern city, it is still surrounded by ranchland. A week ago there was actually a wildfire in the city because there are grassy fields in various parts of Fort Worth. We live in a busy part of the city that is an entertainment and business hub. However, running the Trinity Trail from our home toward downtown, we pass fields of cattle. The picture shows the wide open spaces just 5 miles down the freeway from our exit. So, we have country in the city.