Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We awoke on the morning of Christmas Eve to discover a rare Texas sighting, SNOW!!! We got up early to see what Santa had left Caris after celebrating with my family in Albany the evening before. We quickly noticed that the skies were full of snowy flakes. As the early morning progressed, the snow continued to fall. We were all quite giddy with the arrival of such a novelty and promptly took Caris out to experience a full-fledged snow. What a beautiful first Christmas! We think Caris is a snow-bunny as so far in her short life she has experienced two snow rarities: Houston snow-fall and a white Christmas! Lucky lady indeed.








We expected things to slow down, as is typically the case with Texas snow, but it did just the opposite. By the time we were packed and ready to leave at around 9:30, the snow really started coming down. We were headed in the direction of Garrett's family and the snow was relentless.

Sweet girl loved the snow!

By that time, my dad (the good Yankee boy he is), realized that things had taken a turn and set out to find us with my brother-in-law in his truck. Our cell phones had no service and once we were on the small country road, there was no safe place to turn back. When it took us almost 2 hours to drive 30 miles to the next small town, we knew there were problems. After realizing all the business in this small town would soon close and speculating that we would encounter the same in the next 90 miles of small country towns and roads, we reluctantly decided to turn back home.

After strict news watching and route planning, we were back on the road. However, our 4 hour drive turned int 6.5 hours and unfortunately we missed most of the Christmas Eve celebrations. But we did make it, and made it safely! Thankfully, we were able to celebrate with Garrett's family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. What an adventure on Caris' first Christmas! Definately felt like we were in a Winter Wonderland!

Jingle Bells

Caris received this little gadget in her stocking and LOVES to play the jingle bells! She is so cute with them and plays them constantly.

They sounded just like Santa's sleigh. The girl loves her some music....

Oh Jingle Bells

Stocking masterpiece

Merry Christmas!

Wow. We have had quite the busy Christmas-week. So much I want to document and share. (and so many pictures to upload...)

It was one of those wonderfully perfect weeks that was so full of joy it seemed to have covered a month's worth of activity.

We packed our car full and travelled the state in Santa's sleigh. Reindeer and jingle bells were indeed present. And at one point in our trek, we were even dashing through the snow. Kind of like living out Christmas songs.

Christmas is such a special season of joy, love, and an almost magical overlay of holiday spirit. What a joyous time to experience with a new child. We were especially blessed this year in so many ways. And to share that blessing with al of our family was even more special.

Such a beautiful holiday to celebrate the most precious gift of all. The birth of our Saviour. A gift we are eternally grateful for and offer our continued thanks for the daily presence in our lives. To celebrate His arrival through the joy of Christmas is truly, awesome.

Party girl

Caris is quite the party girl. Her little school is good about hosting holiday events that we have attended throughout the year; Fall Festival, Thanksgiving celebration, and yesterday a Holiday party. Caris' has a diverse group of classmates and each family brought a dish representing their heritage. Let me tell you, this food was exceptional! Greek grape leaves, Vietnemese egg rolls (a fave!!), British scones, the BEST Baklava, and so many more. Caris was only able to enjoy pita bread as the rest of my chosen items contained sugar and/or dairy.... But she loved it! Although, she may have loved her napkin just a bit more....whatever.

Caris also made her parents a beautiful stocking (I'll have to get a pic..) for a Christmas presents. Quite the little artist these days.

We spent the afternoon socializing with her friends, and Caris was totally in her element. She truly loves other kids so much, especially the big kids. Her teachers say that she will sit at their little table all day as long as their are other kids there for her to talk to, even if that other kid is herself in the mirror :)

Caris and her best friend Claire sitting at the big table! This was the toddler table so it was a tad high for Caris, but the 'action shot' demonstrates how happy she is sitting there. One of my favorite things is seeing Caris sitting like a big girl at her little 'mini table'. Love it.

Caris babbled, laughed, and danced all afternoon, happily entertaining anyone in her radar. She has become the class dancer as she bops and sways to all her favorite tunes all day long :)

Food, friends, dancing, and singing, all of Caris' favorite things. HAPPY GIRL yesterday.

Like I said, she is quite the party girl :)

My Guilty Pressure

So Caris has just reached to 7 month marker and I have already convinced myself that I have made parenting mistakes that will affect her forever.

Logical? No.
But I definately indulge in 'my guilty pressure' all too frequently.

Is she sleeping enough? Will her current habit of brief cat-naps develop into long-term sleep problems that will effect her moods?

Is she getting enough milk? Did she gain too much weight? Too little? Was I supposed to introduce this food at 7 months or wait until 8? Will this effect her nutrition/health long-term?

Am I protecting her enough from diseases? Am I caring for her illnesses appropriately? Do I take her to the doctor for this (insert ailment) or just monitor it? Will this impact her health throughout her life?

Am I holding her too much? Nurturing enough? Responding to her needs too quickly, too slowly? Handling seperation anxiety appropriately? Will this impact her independence?

Am I providing opportunity for her skills to develop independently? How can I encourage her to stay on her tummy? How do I encourage her to develop mobility? Is she doing (insert activity) too early? Too late? Are the old wives tales true about crawling, walking and brain development true??

Does attending day care so young negatively impact her? Does it benefit her? Does she enjoy it or would it be better for her to be home? Have I chosen the right environment for her to spend her days? Will not staying home with her impact her attachment to me?

?
?
?

Oh the Guilt. Oh the Pressure.

PLEASE understand that I share these things not to ask for validation on my parenting skills, but just as a sample of the questions I ask myself daily, if not hourly.

I know every parent goes through this; figuring out the best ways to raise each child according to their needs. Parenting decisions to be made. We hear contradicting theories, all touted with authority. Constantly hearing what you 'should' be doing from well (or not so well) meaning observers. I just tend to over-analyze things to the point of no return and drive myself nuts in doing so.

Point being, we can analyze, research, read, obsess, and parent ourselves into the ground. We can (and will) make good decisions, along with the bad decisions. We will inevitably look back and wish we had done some things differently. We will also be able to look back and feel proud of how we did things in many areas. There will always be something to second guess, or to wish we would have done better, different.

Granted, I'm very new at this. And I have no doubts that I will succumb to this 'guilty pressure' on many more occasions throughout my role as a parent. But I am trying not to indulge. To not put so much pressure on myself, and in turn on Caris.

Because there is no such thing as a perfect parent. And we are not called to be such, or to raise our children to a standard of perfection. In fact, that itself is harmful.

(p.s....I am working on another post describing what I DO want to strive for in my role as a mom...but it's still in progress...I'm sure you are anxiously awaiting another lengthy reflection...)

So what to do with all this guilt and pressure? I think, in the end, it comes back to the basics. Responding to Caris' needs. Creating an environment of trust. Setting the stage to become independent. Instilling character, virtues, and nurturing her faith. All done with the over-arching theme of the LOVE and PROTECTION of my little one. Knowing that no matter how many mistakes I make along the way, I will always be there for my daughter. And of that, we can both be certain.

(picture courtesy of my aunt, Mary Herrmann, - isn't she talented? Love these pics...)

In the colors...

Caris completed her first art project this week. A finger-painted masterpiece, if I do say myself. Resembling an abstract likening of a Monet. No doubt a deeply inspired piece by the new artist. It's currently displayed on our fridge.

(I think that's required in parental law, along with pictures with Santa which we have yet to do :)

And inside our current art gallery resides another colorful display. In the form of Caris' daily intake of foods. The pureed forms of fruit and vegetable concoctions takes on a beautiful demonstration of the rainbow diet that would make any nutritionist (and grandpa JJ) proud. Carrot- tomato combo, a bright shade of red, the squash puree a pure yellow, our blueberry mixtures bring out deep purples, our broccoli-combined with other veggies provide our earth tones, while the avocado displays a bright green. We are having great fun combining and making all sorts of meals for lil' C. Who knew they would take on such beautiful colors?

And we arrived home this afternoon to a display created by a substance defined by the absence of color: SNOW!!! It was really coming down, a beautiful white winter wonderland. (Yes, we still live in Houston, a rarity) We are more than excited to spend a cozy evening introducing Caris to a new form of joy.

A snowy evening set the stage for a perfect evening to adorn our home in the colors of Christmas. Red and green now dominate our decor to joyfully welcome the Christmas season.

Colors, in all their forms.

Giving Thanks

We are still recouperating from an eventful Thanksgiving celebration. This year's festivities were hosted by my parents and attended by 10 out of 12 Herrmann families and their matriarch (my mom's siblings and her mom). I think the count was up to 56. Let's just say there was opera involved and leave it at that.


Caris enjoyed her first taste of turkey and we translated many Thanksgiving goodies into food form suitable for lil' C via our handy food maker. She LOVED it; already getting the hang of this holiday.



To me, the Thanksgiving holiday has always been a beautiful celebration of traditions and family. As I reflected on the meaning of the day, it occurred to me that this is the only holiday in which the title includes a verb. Inherent in its name is a charge to fulfill.


The act of Giving Thanks.

I will say, that I am overtly thankful for numerous blessings on a daily basis. Constantly reminded of truly how much I have to be thankful for and offering up an expression of thanks. But do I engage in the verb? Do I GIVE thanks in tangible ways? The holiday title does not simply enourage feeling Thankful. It charges us to express this through the act of giving.

"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" Luke 12:48


Our life is abundantly full of gifts; both tangible and intangible in form. Much, indeed, has been given to us. And we are called to give in return. The outpouring of thanks I feel constantly should be translated to action. I feel challenged to engage more fully in this act of giving. To give more freely, with thanks, because of thanks.


The act of doing can be manifested in many forms. In fact, the very nature of the Thanksgiving celebration is a wonderful example of giving. What a huge feat to prepare such a feast. Always done with a joyful heart, so that those we love can celebrate with one another.


There are the 'big ticket' items. Involvement in local charities, food banks, sponsoring families, missions. These are areas in which I hope our family can be more actively involved in over the holiday season.


But along with that, there are so many ways to actively give thanks on a daily, hourly basis. Giving a co-worker a sympathetic ear when you are busy, giving an email or letter of encouragement to a friend, giving a smile to the stranger in the elevator, giving directions to the wayward patient, giving your downtime to bring dinner to a family, giving a call to listen to a friend in need. All small acts, that when conscious of the intention, can be easily assimilated into daily happenings.


And you know what I've noticed? The more I consciously give thanks, the more I am thankful.


Thank you, to all of you, for your involvement in our life. For your continued support, in all forms, along our journey. I hope that this blog can, in some ways, be an act of giving.

Best friend..

"people let me tell you 'bout my best friend"

...and he'll love me 'till the end....

"Cause he's my best friend.

Yes he's my best friend...."

Yes, lil' C sure loves that thumb. A constant source of comfort, always by her side, takes away her tears, and brings instant joy. Fulfills all the requirements in the best friend category.

I would say if Caris were to make her 'what I am Thankful for' list this year, her thumb would be at the top of that list. (second maybe only to milk...)

Although originally I was not sure how I felt about this little habit, I find that I am very thankful for the thumb as well. Caris is a conent little lady, and I believe the presence of the thumb plays a large part in that. She self-soothes quite well, which contributes to sleeping through the night, easier nap times, and speedier resolution of fits. I think I'll add the thumb to my thankful list as well....

I am curious, though, as she pretty much only uses the left thumb. Does this mean that the left hand is the dominant hand? Or does it mean she uses it to keep her dominant hand free? I've had several people tell me the former is the case... Can any thumb suckers or thumb sucker's mom shed light on this subject? ....You can also give some useful tips on breaking the habit later on.....or monetarily contribute to the dental bill :) jk... We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Workin' for the weekend..

Loving that today is Friday!! Meaning, two full days with lil'C and G. Truly working for the weekend these days....

I love spending lazy afternoons talking, swinging, singing, and reading with my little one. And gladly foregoing productivity to just lie on the floor with Caris and her toys.

No need for exciting plans these days to make me giddy at the thought of my two days a week sans work. I will gladly bask in the minutia of life's activities, for which I an increasingly grateful for.

Watch out Saturday, we are coming for you. And will most likely see you in the 6 o'clock hour to greet your welcomed arrival. Caris is not yet aware of the joy of sleeping in on the weekend. And I have accepted the fact that 'sleeping in' as a parent now takes place on the backside of the slumber...meaning allowing a guilt-free early bedtime :)

6.75

As in months...

Yes, Caris reached the 6 month milestone .75 ago and will see the arrival of her 7th at the close of this week.

And wow. Have these last 6(7) months passed by so quickly. And how much Caris has changed over their course.

In some ways, I still feel she is the teeny 6lb infant that once curled so small in the nook of my chest. I know this will always remain a strong part of the image I hold of my first-born daughter. Instant love, beyond what I could have imagined. Such intense emotions to protect, provide, and parent.

Now, our tiny infant is beginning the transition to becoming a little girl.

Weighing in at 18+ lbs and achieving the 95% in both height and weight and the 6 month mark, she is making up ground from the 25th% where she began. Although it took the better part of two months for lil'C to fit into her 3 month clothes, her size now ranges from 9 month to 12 month clothing.

Caris is sitting up wonderfully and loves to stand; she has even managed a quasi-independent stance. However, her interest in crawling is zero to none. She loves to move and her motor skills and strength are definately there, but crawling may not be on her radar. When placed in crawling position, she immediately 'locks' up her legs to a semi-standing position. Funny. She continues to receive un-solicited comments on her strength. Might we have an athlete in the making? :)

Advancement in fine-r motor skills has led to increased enjoyment in all things toy. Term 'toy' used lightly as any object can quickly become the source of enjoyment as they find their way into Caris' grip and straight into her mouth. She appears to have her Dad's strength-y finger grip and utilizes it quite well. Caris also seems to have an eye for detail and zero's in on the teeniest of such. She is also beginning to demonstrate some understanding of object permanence as removal of object-eyed-by-Caris-thus-presumed-to-be-toy-but-really-is-not (aka - mom's phone) creates frustration and leads Caris to look around for the whereabouts of once present object.

Sweet girl continues to be consistent in her favorite things, though enjoyment and participation level have markedly increased. Bath time is a source of pure delight for the little one as s

he splashes and plays happily in her mini-pool. She loves books and papers; in both the physical and read form. She loves to sit for long stretches of time in her Dad's lap while he reads his grown-up books to her as he studies. If sleepy, this activity will soon lull her to slumber. She also loves playing with her own books and they are typically the first to grab her interest in the line-up; just recently she began attempts at page turning. Little one LOVES her music and it remains the go-to for fussy times. Recent demonstrations have revealed a keen love for drums (hence the Tracy Chapman magic).

Lil' C is a social little butterfly and truly loves her friends, both small and big. She lights up upon her arrival to her classroom and recognition of her classmates. She typically greats them with a happy squeal and big smile. If company is present, Caris is at her best. Talking, singing, and most recently happy-screaming in the spirit of entertainment. Really, loves people, such a joy to watch.

I can only imagine what the next 6 months will bring. Hard to believe we will have a big 1-year old in this amount of time. It really does, clichely, go by so quickly.

Loving watching you on this journey of growth, sweet girl. And so very thankful to be your mom.

(family pic at Caris' 6 month mark, on my first b-day as a mom)

Stylin'

So caris' school is closed today. This time I have advanced knowledge
of the closure and was therefore aptly prepared. (you may recall this
isn't always the case)
It so happened that G was off this morning and was able to cover first
shift. Yay for daddy/daughter day ;)
As I prepared to leave this morning with Caris still clad in pajamas,
G inquired to what lil' C's attire should be. I happily left it to his
discretion. You see, I find it incredibly adorable to discover what
wardrobe creations G comes up with when left to his own devices. Truly
precious, really.
Particularly upon receipts of emails from caris with pictures like this...

I mean, Dad dressed her with layers. And shoes. The whole 9 yards. And anyone who knows G knows that a lot of thought went into this outfit. I probably looked at this picture 20 times yesterday; each envoking the same reaction of pure joy and love at the thought of the mornings syle session. Seriously loved it.

In conclusion

The magic touch came courtesy of Tracey Chapman and Macy Gray.
Thanks ladies. Your musical skills did what no amount of nursery- rhyming could do. Calmed caris.
And thus ends our 4-part documentary series on riding-in-the-car-with- caris.

Since we're on this topic...

I'll go ahead and belabor it for a little longer....

Peekaboo with a happy traveler. I love baby laughs!

Postlude

I blame it on the time change. Along with many other transition
issues. It's not so easy for the little ones to make the shift.

Commuting with Caris

Oh the car.

It's hit or miss when Lil' C is confined in her carseat.


Honestly, it's more hit than miss. From early on, Caris has been really a great little traveler. Which bodes well for her frequently travelling caregivers. Typically sleeps or plays contently on most occasions when driving to a destination is in order.


But the atypical does indeed occur. And let me tell you, when lil' C does not want to be in the car. You. Will. Know.


Persistant. Inconsolable. Screams-that-make-you-want-to-hit-your-head-on-the-window. (and I admittedly did so a few times last week)


If it's a party of 3 in the car, a visit by mom to the backseat will settle lil' C down.


But when it's just the two girls, and emploring such method would greatly impair my ability to drive, there are NO SOLUTIONS. Truly. Music, toys, windows-down, no music, singing, talking, touching. All tried. All failed.


Enter rush hour Houston traffic. Which transformed my 4 mile commute home into a stop-and-go filled 30 minute trek.


That was my last-week. Every day.


I think the issue at hand is that Caris, following a long day at school, wants to be with her mom. She is a little mommy-clingy these days and as previously mentioned, quite aware af her happenings. So after getting to see mom for not-enough minutes at school and then confined to the backseat with barriers to her desired target of affections, she is none to happy about the situation.


In hopes of potential remedy, I'm going to try to spend a little more time with her before we leave school this week. With hopes for a two-fold benefit of happier Caris and less traffic. Downfall being later arrival home. But hopefully arrival will then be sans-migraine which should contribute to a better evening, regardless of the reduced length.





Oh the joys of an 8-5 working city mom.

Abbreviated college tour..

Our Hallo-weekend was occupied with introducing Caris to the finest Texas college-life has to offer. As we were unable to make it up to Homecoming this year, we decided to head up to our alma-mater the following weekend with some friends.


Caris' was able to experience her first introduction to the life of a Baylor Bear Fan : heartache and disappointment tinged with a glimmer of hope. Note that we are surrounded by a sea of read in a stadium that should be green and gold. (sorry for the sun Lil'C!)

But Aside from this....It was a perfectly wonderful trip. The weather was the epitome of a Fall Texas day; warm, sunny, and crisp. Tailgating all afternoon led the boys to feel as if they were 16 again....an afternoon of made-up sports games ensued. And a sore Garrett followed. Baylor is a special place for G and me and we were more than excited to introduce Caris to this facet of our lives. Although we were limited in our experience of all things Baylor as it was a quick afternoon quick which perpetuates the planning of a return trip to campus for a basketball game.


Next stop: AggieLand.

Our trip on Highway 6 took us to College Station to visit Garrett's sister. Caris was excited to visit Aunt Alli and get a taste of what the Ag's have to offer. Alli was a wonderful hostess in her super-cute-and-comfy apartment.


The girls in their matching shirts on a walk through the campus park. Caris dressed in her 'weekend college girl' gear; donning a school shirt, fleece, sweats, and boots. Pretty sure I lived in that outfit for 4 years straight not too long ago....

We took the tour of Campus and hit up the local hot-spots. Caris was particularly fond of Freebirds burritos. She REALLY wanted to eat this and was fascinated by the decor. We had a wonderful time enjoying the day and campus. Caris was particularly happy on this occasion and truly made for fabulous company and constant entertainment.

Oh, college. You were good to us. And we miss you. Sometimes.

Baby B. EE.

B.

so did you catch our (not so subtle) hint??

Yup, Lil' C tricked us all and definately earned plenty of treats by donning the likes of our favorite little insect in celebration of her first Halloween. And as far as bees go, I think she is about as cute as they come :)

Our costume payed tribute to one of our terms of-endearment during the pre-gender knowledge era of our little one. Baby B.

Well, that, and Blueberry, but I didn't get on top of making that one soon enough.....

In flight.....




We definately lived up to the oft-used adjectives associated with our temporary identity,

'Busy Little...'

over our weekend. Fun, Family, Festivals, and Friends all abounded. More to come on that...

(bonus points to anyone who can name the identity of our painted pumpkin...)

"Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!"

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween!!

I LOVE PUMPKINS!!!

Last week, I got to go to a field full of these orange toys. I picked this big guy up and tried to eat him. I also really loved playing with the hay. But mom wouldn't
let me eat it!

Enjoy some candy-corn for your Halloween treats!




And I'll be up to some new tricks enjoying this season's festivities.






And bzzzzzing around.....










Love,
Pumpkinhead

Frustrations & Fits

We are in an interesting stage with Caris as of late. Lil' C is becoming increasingly interactive and participatory in her environment. She is really recognizing familiar faces and places and reacts accordingly. Smiles, laughter, and babbles all abound with clear direction to the recepient of her affections. Oh so cute and sweet.

But on the flip side, our little red head is showing her feisty side. When she is not happy about a particular instance, she will LET YOU KNOW. Take, for example, her toys. She is beginning to understand the concept of possession and has definate interest in particular toys. She recognizes when you take the toy away and if she was not ready for this, you will know about it. With a red face and purposeful scream. She is also none too happy about diaper changes these days. The instant I lay her down on her changer, red faced screams insue. This also is encountered in the area of movement. Caris is not crawling yet, but she likes to sit up and loves to scoot around. Her body just can't quite get her where she wants to be and that means she gets FRUSTRATED and can't figure out how to fix it. Oh little one, don't worry, it will happen all too soon!

Our little 'Fits' really only last a matter of seconds and can easily be redirected by delivering a change in position or a quick hug, but they are FITS indeed. I find it amusing. But I see glimpses of toddler-hood and not so sure it will remain amusing at that point... Right now, I really think it is just a by-product of increased awareness of how her environment correlates to her place in its realm and figuring out what it is that is the source of discomforts.

And this increased paritcipation does make for a very enjoyable 6 month old :) So bring on the frustrations! I love them all....

Can you imagine this sweet little face ever capable of looking anything but??

Fall's Quandry...

HALLOWEEN is on it's way. And that means that creativity is on display!

Growing up, my sisters and I LOVED Halloween costumes. We would always came up with crazy ideas and our parents were just crazy enough to take on task of making our wild ideas come to life. I'm talking all sorts of projects involved to make Halloween happen. Some particularly memorable costumes: Tara as a 'gumball' - my parents constructed a red gumball out of chicken wire and fabric; Shelby as a glue stick - carboard boxes and painting (my parents are suprisingly very artistic so it looked exactly like it!); myself as the statue of liberty - proof I have always been a bit nerdy.

All that to say, I have a lot to live up to. And I'm excited for the time when Caris can provide her input and at least provide some direction to our ideas.

But this year, being our first, I was at a loss as to which creative direction to go. My creativity inspiration was diffuse and I did not know which way to venture. Plus my inspiration time was limited to internet searching at work.

The possibilities are endless.....

All sorts of animals are available for the little ones. I was particularly found of this flamingo. But my consulting teams weren't overly excited for it. Also was loving the Monarch, but they ran out of our size :(

Some funny ones...

I don't think I'm funny/cool enough to pull that one off....

Some 'girlier' ones

TONS of super cute Pumpkins

So what's a new mommy to do? Oh, the pressure. I have quasi-decided on a costume. We'll see if my decision lasts until Halloween. I did not live up to my childhood designs in either creativity or design. But, I know lil' C will be a cutie!!

Fall Weather and Discovery Green

Pumpkin in the Park

Caris' newest look....sassy with the shoulder shrug

Too cool for school....just before she figured out she would much rather utilize her sunglasses as a toy to chew on rather than their intended purpose asUV protection.

Relaxing on the lawn listening to the live music

My my my my.....pouty face, pouty face. Seriously, girl has a POUT on that lip!

and the pout doesn't just come out when she is sad....just one of her looks

Loving Fall colors!

Giggling on the first shoulder ride! Lil' C was the tallest baby in the park....

Thankful for Fall and Family......

Finding Her Voice

I have always been very intrigued at the concept of language development, both verbal and written. I think it is simply amazing and such a testament to our Creator to watch babies begin the journey of learning to speak, with little or no active efforts required for instruction.

Caris has been a babbler from early on and quickly developed the production of several distinct phonemes. We have heard, quite clearly, 'mamama' 'bababa' 'gagaga' 'dadadada' etc. for some time now. Incidently, the 'mamama' sound is usually made when upset or hungry. Interesting. She also couples different sounds together, for example 'ba ra bo', which was interpreted to mean 'brown bow' as she voiced said sounds while we were dressing her and putting on her brown bow :) Pretty consistently, she will mimic sounds when you talk with her. Her favorite is repeating 'hihihihi' after you say hi to her (she will do this into the phone as well, I get a kick out of it)

And when Caris gets to talking, she can put on quite a show for a while. Talking, laughing, squealing, in varied decibels and levels of excitement. She was evidently in that mood yesterday as her teachers informed me that 'Caris had a lot to say today' as I picked her from school. But don't let that fool you; she definitely has very distinct moods throughout the day and embraces each mood fully. She has her active talking mood as described, but she also has a very serious, focused mood at which time you will not hear a single peep from our little conversationalist.

A few weeks ago, I felt like her 'talking' sounded a little different to me. I mentioned that thought to Garrett with the addition that I couldn't quite describe what was different. He, after having a nightly conversation with lil' C, summed up exactly what was going on.

Caris is beginning to have a voice.

It's a subtle difference, I know. But it is indeed a difference, and I find it highly fascinating. Her sweet little sounds have taken on the personality of their developer. Caris' voice is tiny and sweet, but purposeful and full of direction.

Next stop, sounds with correct intent. Can't wait to hear those first words.

Unexpected Vacation

So, it's Friday. And I have not been at work all week. Where have I been you may ask? Well, I have been living it up in the confines of our home. Not quite a 'staycation' that seems to be all the rage the days, but I stayed home. and used the remainder of my vacation days. so I guess it's close enough.

Here's how our week went down.

Over the weekend, Caris succumbs to her first real illness. Fever, cough, pain, the works. I make the decision to keep her home Monday and Tuesday and go ahead and let my boss know that I won't be in. After visiting the doctor, she recommends I keep her home another day. So now I'm off through Wednesday. Thursday morning, I gear up a recovering Caris and convince myself to go back to work and drop Caris off at school. I pull up to her school. no one is there. I have no clue what's going on, so I call the main office and turns out, it's Fall Break. I was completely unaware that - a) there was such a thing and that - b) it was currently occurring. So now I'm faced with the reality that I just stayed home for 3 days and now Caris' school is closed and I have no other option but to stay home 2 more days. I traipse into my boss' office with baby in tow Thursday morning to plead my case and luckily (?) I still have a job to go back to on Monday.

In the meantime, Garrett is getting sicker by the minute. He has been un-well for a few weeks but it finally catches up to him. And he's still working 12+ hour days and on call. He is finally able to get a little bit of time off to go to the doctor and is told he has pneumonia and is ordered to stay out of the hospital for a few days. So now I have two sickies on my hands.

It's full nurse mode.

We've been combatting the symptoms with all the standard remedies. Humidifier put to use. Nasal aspirator within arms reach for constant use. Chicken noodle soup made. Monitoring temperatures. Steam showers. Warm baths. Tylenol. Tylenol. Tylenol. And LOTS of holding and rocking Caris.

I've been in defense mode to prevent the spread of disease. Lysol-ing everything. Mopping floors. Hand washing/sanitizing. Washing anything in sight. Garrett's been wearing a face mask and has sequestered himself to our room. We've pulled out all the stops.

Garrett and I really let illness knock us down; in spite of (or because of?) both working in the hospital. We never call in sick to work and rarely go to the doctor. So when we do, it's usually a pretty bad illness. This bout has had us shut-down for almost a week. Yikes

And Caris fought a good fight against her first virus. It really broke my heart to see sweet Caris in so much pain all week. She would wake up almost every hour at night with painful coughing fits and crying a pained little cry. Her throat hurt, coughing hurt, eyes hurt, and breathing was tough. Night-time has been rough on her. Soooo sad :( But sweet girl was the happiest sick baby I've been around and kept a smile on her face throughout. She was a great little trooper :)

This past week has allowed me to ponder on many a topic; which will probably be best extrapolated in separate posts. Wishing I could stay home every day with Caris, stressing about work, concerns about the health of my family, worrying about getting everything I need to get done. But, an overarching conclusion has been that life, really, is all a matter of perspective. And with that, I am very thankful I was able to spend so much time with my little girl this week. Whatever the reason, however temporary it may be, I had this week with my daughter. And I had a morning with my husband.

I'll take it :)

I like to eat...

Eat. Eat. Apples and Bananas...

Well, we're not up to those yet, but fruits and veggies are making their debut into Caris' diet! Exciting times.

I was not overly anxious to introduce 'solids' into Caris' diet. There is a simplicity in the single-item diet that I quite like. With this new element, we have added to our nightly tasks, increased dishes, created greater messes, and upped the stink factor in the diaper changes. But it was time.

We did the cereal thing for a bit and Caris was not so much of a fan, but she did comply with a few reluctant bites.

Caris' Dad has been so excited to introduce foods to his little one since we received this gadget last year for Christmas. It is quickly becoming one of my very favorite baby tools. It has been so easy to use and we can make a week's worth of baby food in under 20 minutes! At least that's the case when Garrett assists with chopping.... I like that we have control over the ingredients that go into Caris' food and hopefully this will save some money too :)

Anyways, we were glad to start putting it to use.

First in line, pears. (Dad's choice...) Caris loved the pears and the fact that they were a bit more liquid in consistency helped the cause. Yummy pears!!

This week we are progressing to some veggies. First attempt - yams. Not so much a fan, a little too thick I think. So then on to carrots. After initial taste shock, Caris took to these quite well.

The funniest thing about Caris and her eating habits is that she uses her thumb to help her swallow her food. Every time she takes a bite, she inserts the thumb. Food, thumb. It's amusing, but messy. And I'm sure the amusement will wear off if this becomes a habit...

So, question, do babies just constantly stay tinted the color of food they are currently eating? Just wondering because currently Caris face is stained a nice shade of orange after her meals.

Charming Caris

We are in the midst of watching Caris' little personality develop. I know there are many facets of this little person that will continue to be revealed over time. But for now, we are enjoying getting to know the personality emerging.

So far, I think she seems to have her Dad's temperament. She is a 'chill' baby, up for anything and completely observant of her world. But, like her Dad, can turn on the humor. She is constantly surprising me with her funny little inserts from her silly smile to her funny looks and reactions; seriously cracks me up sometimes.

And she is a charmer. Her bright eyes can light up a room and charm her audience in no time. Her teachers pointed out this little personality trait and told me that any time a substitute is present, she turns on her little charm and the 'newbies' hold her the entire time, leaving her regular teachers a little jealous :) Many a stranger have also used this adjective in describing little Caris upon a brief introduction.

I can't wait to see what all this little one will show us next.

(pics from our 5 month photo-shoot)