Thrill Seeker!

SJ and I needed a distraction from those pesky teeth today, so in the name of celebrating milestones, we headed to a nearby park to try out the swing.

Little Miss really thought she was really living WILD on that swing. Honestly, she looked like she was thinking, "No one has EVER done anything this exciting EVER!"

It was a nice way to get a walk and a break. : )

Thank you, Grandma Brenda, for the cutest hat EVER.

Beethoven

Dear Shirley Jean,

If it upsets you that much, ROLL OVER!

I love you,

Mama

Film Strip

This progression of photos cracks me up:

Family Time

My heart was full tonight as I left the Plumm's house. Grandma Brenda bought MILLIONS of toys for her grandbabies. We had a great time playing and spending time with family.
Elmo walker!

Oooh! Baby!
Sweet Baby Gavin--Oh, I love him.
SJ kept trying to put him in her mouth. Hi.Lar.I.Ous.
Head-butt. Oops.
Gimme a hug!

No--LISTEN.

Awww...

The Many Faces of Shirley Jean

She's a saver, not a spender.

Warning: this post contains poop.
My daughter poops MAYBE every third day. This was very stressful for me in her first months, but then the pediatritian told me that "Breastfed babies can do whatever they want."
So...we wait.
The problem with this, though, is that I never know when she's gonna...blow.

Halllllll-elujah!

Halllllll-elujah!

Halelujah!

Halelujah!

Ha-layyyy-lujah!

Nice Shoes, Baby!

I LOVE putting shoes on the baby. I think it's hilarious. I have a pair of Robeez with a white Pedro-dog on them from Grandma Brenda that I'm counting the days until they fit. (They fall off at this point.) So watch for that post. : )

Little Miss had a good night last night, and only got up once and then slept til 9am. Everyone at the Desvousges Household feels a lot better today. Thanks for your encouragement, friends.

For the Record

Sleeping in 45-minute stints over the course of 8-10 hours does not count as a good night's sleep.
We're going on day four of this 45-minute sleep cycle.
Sigh.

p.s. Before you recommend it, no, just letting her cry doesn't work. I mean, unless I want her to cry ALL. NIGHT. LONG.

Mr. & Mrs. Abrahamson

We had the honor of attending an old family friend's wedding this weekend. Here are some fun pictures from our weekend in LaCrosse.

Reading in the car on the road.

We decided to go swimming before the wedding. We are SO smart. Ugh.

She just LOVES the water!

Paul said that Hannah started "cracking one-liners" to keep him from crying.

I really felt honored to attend Hannah & Brian's wedding. I don't know that I've ever seen such a sweet and happy couple who are so focused on God. Best wishes to you both!

The fam.

Goober.

Lauren possesses these secret skills that nobody knows about until you need, oh, say...a cake cutter.

SJ bonding with her grandpa.

Doggone it. I just wrote out this entire blog and discovered that it's on my baby blog by accident. Oh well...I'm not re-uploading all the photos!

Standoff

We are in a standoff.
It is nap time. Sesame Street is over. She has a full tummy. Dry diaper. Plugger and blankey.
Yet, when I lay her down she screams bloody murder.
So...here we sit in the quiet living room. It's 11am and we're both still in our jams, and we both need a nap.
I WILL win this one.

p.s. Am I wrong, or is she smirking at me here?

Reaching Out

SJ is growing increasingly more fascinated with our animals. She STARES at the Kitty, and then tries to make her fingers grab for him. He stays away from her for the most part, but I fear she will one day (soon) get scratched. Sigh...it's a part of life, I suppose.
Pedro is much more patient with our budding explorer. If I lay on the floor near the baby, he always wants to join us. Shirley Jean reached out to touch him, but realized her arms were too short. So she reached out with her feet!
She is a little too smart, I think. : )
Also, she reached out for me today when I got home from VBS. What a wonderful feeling!
Here she is trying to reach her puppy:

Pump it Up!

I've had to "pump" much more often than usual this week due to the rigors of VBS. Since SJ has been in the nursery, it has been necessary to have at least six ounces available for the superfantastic, AWESOME nursery workers. So...I've been pumping. A lot.
But here's the thing: I hate my breast pump.
I hate pumping.
It is the most unpleasant, uncomfortable experience I can imagine.
And it's embarrassing.
AND if I'm not home alone when I pump, I get to hear things like, "Your left one's a slacker," or "Go for six!"

Shirley Jump Up

Zoobaleezoo

We're all going to the zoo, zoo, zoo
how about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!
Micah and Ruthie were wonderful tour guides!

The disintegration of Shirley Jean:

We had a great time, but now I. am. so. tired. I wish I could have napped in the stroller and woken up sooo happy and ready for more action... I'm just saying.