Sweet Texas!

Rebekah and I are in TX again! I'm not sure if we even had our luggage before my dad began itemizing the reasons Texas is better than Iowa. Yes, he has a whole room in their house called the Texas room and numerous Texas maps can be studied at your convenience...I do have to add that the huge TX map in the living room does contain Iowa at the very, very top...Anyway, we are here and no sooner did we get here than did Rebekah have a sick relapse! (I must say that the good Lord answered every little tiny prayer I had for our travel and little honey slept on me on the plane! Awesome! So, with so many willing, loving hands to help out, this would be the place to bring an ill baby!) She is either warm or clammy and has a cough that has made night-time sleep a bit tougher, which is very sad since very little affects her rock-star nights! Last night, we were awaiting my mom-in-law's arrival, as well as Josh's...they were set to arrive at about 8pm at different airports and we had it all arranged. With all the stupid rain (is that negative?), Phyllis made it in at 11 pm and Josh is still in route (24 hours later!)...so, I went to bed after 11 and heard Rebe crying at midnight- being the spoiled mama I am who had a baby who loved to sleep at night from 1 day old, I did not have a positive attitude...I am out of my element, without my husband, and there were 3 other sleeping people I was worried about. I tried to calm her down, which worked until I had the audacity to put her down...I'd like to clarify that she has rarely (even in early infancy) been rocked to sleep, so I was at a loss. I tried to let her work her way thru it and caved...we ended up sleeping cuddled up in my old room in my old bed. She laid her head on both my arm and my pillow and promptly went to sleep...I did not, of course! I awoke to every movement and let me tell you, having never even shared a room with my child, much less a pillow (yes, I'm one of those- those that didn't even room-in with the baby at the hospital, one of those who doesn't own a bassinet, and who has never shared a room with my baby, even in travel...you can call it spoiled, I suppose), my belief that she is a wiggle-worm has been confirmed...it felt like every minute that she squirmed in closer! I did so enjoy her little tilted-up face and soft baby breaths...I could not believe she didn't smell me and try to nurse or play...instead, each time she awoke, she just snuggled in a slightly different way and went right back to sleep until 6...I must admit I was hoping for later, but was pleased to have made until then without further troubles. So, needless to say, we were both exhausted and still without our man! Rebekah and I both took substantial morning and afternoon naps, but is was she who learned how to clap! Yes, friends to the timeless tunes of Handel, my little girl learned rythym! Phyllis taught her how to get her groove on and it was one of the highlights of my day! There is a Baby Einstein toy that looks like a totem pole- when you pull off the top head and put it back on, it plays Handel. Like Pavlov's dogs, Rebekah has now associated it with the need to clap! Another highlight is her grandaddy-taught retriever skills! He has taught her to fetch toys- well, a specific toy- and bring it back. My brother and lab-training extraordinaire would be so proud!

On a side note, we have dropped the lunch nursing and you would have no idea! Rebekah is practically eating the house and drinking a gallon of whole milk, but there were no tears- on her part anyway! She has been just as messy, if not more so- my favorite is how she squeezes avocado in her palms and then rubs it in her hair and on her face, while at the same time refusing any attempts to clean her up. Gone are the days where we can skip a bath!

Hopefully, I can post some pics soon...haven't really remembered to take any with all the activity going on!

Sick & Snuggly, praise the Lord!

Just a freebie I forgot to do last week! That's rice on her eyelid, by the way!


Friday we had a visiting dog, so when Bunny saw him, she lost all tiredness and I did not even try for a 2nd nap, just to see what she did...She was fine, just really tired at 6 instead of 7, so we put her down at 6:15 when all was said and done...I heard a peep at 5 am, Josh heard a second peep at 6 am, then she coughed and made an awake noise (yes, we do actually know the difference!) and was sitting up, so I got her. I tried to nurse her and she refused, just snuggled in my arms, against my chest and went to sleep! This is the point where those who know my daughter gasp in surprise...my kid does not snuggle and she certainly doesn't fall asleep after 13 hours! She stayed asleep for 45 min and I delighted in this precious prayer time for my girl.

So, we were up and at 'em and all she could do was yawn! Seriously!! We played a bit, went for a walk, and still she was lethargic...so I put her down at 10:15 and she immediately went to sleep for another 45 min. She got up and crawled in my lap, rested her pumpkin head against my chest, sucked her thumb, and STAYED for 30 min!!!!!! (Second gasp can now be heard). After resting, I fed her and took her temp- 101.8 (she has never had a fever, so this was startling) and Josh, Rebes, and I headed for the mall to eat Chick-Fil-A for our 6th anniversary- by golly, if we can't find a babysitter, we'll do something! Rebekah seemed to be responding to the Ibuprofuren and was very rosey, but sweet. She loved being walked around and not confined to the stroller. Of course everyone thought she was a honey because she is!


Yesterday continued as usual- lethargic, but very snuggly!! I loved it! Last night I heard her every hour on the hour, usually for just a few seconds. At midnight, I got up to love on her and remedicate her, but she went back down before I actually got to her room. At 3:30 am, she was crying pretty hard so I rushed to her room. She was sitting up, giving me the benefit of the doubt that of course I would come to rescue her! Precious! She was on fire, so I remedicated her and just held her little hot body for I don't know how long....I LOVED it! I just quietly held her and rubbed her back and cheek as she rested her head on my chest. Periodically she would tilt her head back and look at me. When her breathing softened I laid her down and she rolled over and went to sleep. What a sweet time for us, even if it was fever-induced! She is doing mostly better now, I think the fever has broken- she is just a little fussy and warm.

This morning before church- what a cute little package!

Is It Nap Time?

So, I have a new pet peeve. Right after I got back from Christmas vacation with family, I took Rebe to the bank inside our grocery store. I wanted to open up a savings account for her. I digress...so, as we took some time to open that account, Rebekah started to squawk in her carrier. The teller asked, "Oh, is it naptime?" Fast forward 4 months later to a shopping (browsing) trip in Gymboree. Rebekah begins to squawk again and the clerk says, get this, "You were fussy last time you were in here. What's wrong? Is it naptime?" I'm taking a breath to calm myself down even as I type it. I wanted to scream at them, "Do you know me? Do you know that I am the ultimate nap nazi? Do you know that I have spent endless hours agonizing over how mush sleep she isn't getting ? Do you know that I would never ever contemplate taking her somewhere during nap time?" Secondly, what kind of sales tactic says to point out a baby's previous or current fussiness? Sadly, I did not say any of those things...I'd like to say it's because I am such a godly woman and wanted to impact these sales representatives for Christ...rather it was because I was dumbfounded and oddly at a loss for words.

Update on Car Key

Well, no good news...Big 10 Towing took away Bleu (our minivan) with nary a farewell. We got the news from the dealership that my little mishap will cost a meager $392....$400 and not even a great story for it! I feel quite foolish about the whole situation, but as Cornelius Plantinga says, all sin is folly, but not all folly is sin.

Bleu and I will be reunited on Thursday, so Rebekah and I will be hitchhiking to Bible study and play group tomorrow.

Andrea was kind enough to hang with me today and tote us to the mall for an outing this afternoon- she knows me well enough to sense my need to break free from the confines of being indoors on a rainy day. I was a bit hesitant to go because Rebekah has become a little pill in the stroller. Akin to her disdain for the carseat, she has realized that being in the stroller indoors means being buckled in- i.e. constrained. She is her mother's daughter and does not like to be trapped. While this temporary prison may be acceptable outdoors, by no means is it to be tolerated without all the benefits of fresh air. So, being the novice mom I am, I decided to forego the straps, assuming she'd enjoy the freedom but stay in the same basic position. I hear you seasoned moms chuckling to yourselves...no sooner had I batted my eye had she gotten on her knees, pivoted to face me, and turned that pumpkin (read as punkin) face towards me to make sure I knew who was in charge! Visions of her catapulting out of control and jettisoning out of the stroller while those around commented on what a bad mom I was, I found myself in quite the quagmire....do I immediately plop her back down (amidst much protesting on her part) and properly strap her in or do I capitulate to my daughter's whim and possibly even to her peril simply to keep the peace? I'll let you guess what I did...

Later this afternoon (so, yes, she is still alive- yea, me!), Rebekah learned how to feed Samson, our boxer. Yes, friends, that day has arrived- the one where our skinny-minnie bunny sacrificed her much-needed calories to our scavenging pirate of a dog. Evidently, she was not so jazzed about her morsels of bread. On the other hand, the cubes of cheese were delightful! So, she picked thru both options and dangled the unwanted bread over the tray to Sam! She did not simply drop it, rather she waited for him to come to her and only then did she relinquish it.

As we speak, she is bouncing in Josh's arms and giggling on the couch as he sings to her- apparently, she has found her groove! Praise the Lord (seriously) that she already seems to have more rhythym than I!

Here are some fun ones for 'ya as Bunny waited for her bath tonight...

Getting chased is fun even in the buff...

Eating her own scraps...

You know you've really blown it...

...when your husband stares in disbelief, the dealership in baffled tone of voice suggests a locksmith, that locksmith suggests another locksmith, that locksmith suggests a 3rd or the dealership!

So, I was actually gonna get an afternoon to myself- all alone to run much-needed errands while Josh kept Rebekah. So, in my hurry to get going (I was planning on buying some flowers for our flower beds and some shorts since I have none and it was 90 degrees today as I sweated in my jeans), I jammed my key into the ignition, not knowing that I had unintentionally not only grabbed my car key, but also a neighboring house key on the key ring. I iunwittingly shoved both keys toward the ignition in the right spot, but they stopped before full insertion due to the house key's unwanted presence. You see, the house key got stuck somewhere around the metal lock and at that point I could not get either key out! After 10 minutes, I finally wrangled the house key out only to find that the car key was still stuck...many phone calls, a locksmith's visit, and 5 hours later, we are no closer to retrieving that darned key. The locksmith is hoping that another locksmith can get it out without taking the whole column out...apparently, I am the only person who has ever done this, a fact which lightened the frustrating moment for us- at least I accomplished something (hopefully something that's not a million dollars!)!

As for Rebekah, she is as lively as ever! Yesterday in the car, she held a book, turned its pages, and her voice animatedly "read" the story! It was so precious to hear her little sing-song voice as she flipped through the pages!

Tonight, I made chicken fried rice for us and gave her cheese (which she happily gulped down) and attempted to give her ham. Needless to say, she was not impressed. I even wrapped cheese in the ham- she promptly spit both items out, discarded the ham, and reate the cheese. She tehn noticed our rice and was very much intrigued. I have never seen her so delighted with a food item! With all its random ingredients, I was stunned that she so happily devoured it! What a mess!

Lots of Fun Stories

Our play group met at a nearby park this past week...since Rebekah can't really play on the toys, I wasn't sure what we'd do...being the person I am, no, I did not remember to bring a hat or sunscreen...when do those instincts kick in anyway? So, my good friend, Amanda, was kind enough to donate Grace's. Anyway, Rebekah wanted off my lap before she was really even on it and off she went...I have taken the liberty of subtitling and narrating each pic...

Exploration...So many mischievous things to get into!

Dandelion hunting...On the prowl for something fun and delectable!


Dandelion picking...Ooh! So pretty and yellow!


Dandelion eating...This looks really delicious!


Dandelion examination...Is this what I just ate? It was awful!



Dandelion re-eating...Maybe it will taste better this time...


In other news, Rebekah had some friends over yesterday afternoon- it was kind of spontaneous and very fun- Grace and the twins came over! Grace came first and the girls had a blast chasing each other around!! Grace has been trying to play with Rebe since Christmas, but Rebekah, immobile, ignored her. Yesterday, however, it was off to the races! They took turns chasing each other and had a ball! Sadly, it was nap time, Rebekah seemed tired, so I took her to her room to get going on it, so she could rest and get up in time to play again. She would have none of it! She didn't cry or anything, just refused to nap while so many fun things were going on! She edged to the corner of her crib where she could hear the best and Grace stood trapped on the other side of the baby gate, as close as she could get to her new friend and where she could still hear Rebekah. They chatted for a while and and I told them their not-so-silent protest of my decision had been noted. Rebekah finally went down for a brief nap and was ready to go! Hilarious!

She is crawling everywhere- have I said that before? :) These are such fun days!! So many people told me how much harder it got when they crawled that I have been semi-dreading it! It is more activity, but we are loving it! My little girl could not be more delighted with herself and life in general not that she can quickly go wherever she pleases!

New items now indispensable to us:
1. Door stoppers- she loves to pull them back and watch them go doy-oy-oy-oy-ing!
2. My movie rental (key-chain-sized) card- Rebekah carries it with her anywhere she goes
3. Her blue rubber toothbrush- it has lost favor due to #2
4. Anything that's Sam's- a sad realization for Sam that all is fair game for the baby, but he is limited to his own toys
5. Anything that's mine- make-up brushes are a particular favorite, but my cup, cell phone, keys, camera, jewelry, shoelaces, toes, etc. are in the running, too!
6. Mulch! Especially small pieces that she could choke on
7. Her own shoes, socks, laundry, appendages

Daddy's Little Helper and Many More

Daddy's little helper...helping him put up the baby gate.


This is how she turns to see if I'm chasing her...no way not to!!


Our faithful watchdogs...


Both responding by name!



Playing with her favorite stuffed animal, Dallas, a gift from Uncle Billy and Aunt Becky...


Playing with Dallas' nose...

Sorry, no pics...

Rebekah and I had a great time today! She is crawling all the time now and keeping up with her is quite challenging! I LOVE it, though! If possible, she is even happier now that she's mobile! She pulls up on us all the time, too! Anyway, today she was crawling and looking back at me and smiling and then crawling and doing it again....I remembered Matt and Shannon Morton realizing that Elizabeth was wanting them to chase her when she did the same thing 2 years ago...so, I began to chase her (feeling old as my knees felt every move on the wood!). Anyway, she giggled like I have never heard before- sustained laughter and glee all rolled up in one precious little bundle! I quickly caught her because I simply had to squeeze her, which brought even more laughter! Josh was working on our broken washing machine ($60 later fixed) in the basement and could hear her she was laughing so hard!! All in all, a great afternoon!

Fun with a Box

My parents sent me some cute pants and this is the box they came in. Rebekah loved playing with it!


This is how she catches herself when going off-balance! Good thing she's flexible!

"Handing" the tissue to Dad- a game where she pretends to hand the toy off, only to delightedly snatch it back!
Sometimes, Dad actually gets the toy!



Rebekah pulling up over Josh...

Investing in Windex

Rebekah is crawling all the time now!! Sometime during the last couple days, she has dropped more and more of the scooting and progressed toward crawling predominantly...granted, as I type this, she is scoot/crawling...crazy kid!! Anyway, we got a new storm door and I wanted to show you her reaction to being able to see out, even on a rainy day! So, we've had the door for an hour and I'm thinking we've already got a ton of little Rebekah handprints all over the bottom!




Playing with Sam yesterday...seriously, she was grabbing each individual toe nail and examining it and he was letting her!
But enough is enough, I suppose! Going after an unwilling playmate...(seasonally, Sam loses hair on his "hips", so, no, he is not mangey!)

Visiting Aunt Rachel

We traveled to Newton, IA to hear Josh's sister, Rachel, perform with the Navy Sea Chanters Tuesday night. Rebekah loved all the noise of live music and singing. Rachel is the narrator and also had some solos that were awesome! It was great seeing her since we normally only see her a couple times a year.


Aunt Rachel is so funny!
Rebekah loved Rachel's uniform- there were built-in toys! She's locked in on her name tag here....

...and she goes in for the grab!


This is dead-tired Rebekah- she was working on fumes, but she did awesome!


Unfortunately, as lovely as she looked in this precious outfit on loan from Shannon and Elizabeth Morton, Rebekah would not grace me with a smile....so sad...

Look at what a mess we allowed! No, we did not spike Rebekah's hair this day- she styled it herself!

Asking for more...obviously there is not enough on her tray!