The 4 of Us!

It's Back

Lately I've been experiencing what I call "new mom anxiety." I didn't really consider myself an anxious person until I had Ila and started worrying about everything that could possibly happen to her. Especially in the early months when this new LOVE is so intense, the fear of losing her could also get intense. I'm pretty sure I didn't let anyone hold Ila without sitting down, practically hosed people down with antibacterial spray as they entered the house, and didn't let anyone watch her for at least 11 months. OH, and the thought of balconies made me shudder. (I know at least a couple of you moms can relate!)
It got better over time, but man, becoming a parent is a big deal and a big responsibility and I surely couldn't do it without God's help. Like for reals.
While I'm a million times more laid back the second time around with Susannah, the anxiety is starting to creep in again. Thankfully, the scenes I play out in my head are so ridiculous it's pretty easy to recognize. No, Ila's hand isn't going to get whacked off if she playfully feels the wind outside the car window. And I'm pretty sure no one is going to walk in the house and take Susannah when I'm not looking. (Though there are some weirdos around here).
But it just goes to show how powerful this love is for one's child, and what brings me peace is knowing that God loves them even more than I do. I can find rest in remembering that, while it's my job to do my very best to love and protect these girls, I am not in control and I'm not supposed to be. What's more important is that I trust the Lord and ask Him to equip me to be the parent He wants me to be. Thank the Lord we don't have to do this thing called life on our own! I need all the help I can get.
    Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
   my hope comes from him. 
-Psalm 62:5

Thank you kristinmoorephoto for these amazing shots!

2 Months

Our little girl is 2 months old now!

Yesterday at her check up she clocked in at 14 lbs. 3oz. and is 23 inches long.

We love our little chunker!

At 2 months, every time we smile at this little munchkin, she gives us the biggest smile in return. She has incredible head control and about a million rolls to squeeze. She is really really laid-back. The few times she has cried, like really cried, Ila has laughed because she thinks it's so funny Susannah can make loud noises. She is sleeping a long stretch of about 6-7 hours at night then gets up one or two more times to eat before going back to sleep. She's starting to make those cute gurgly sounds and is cooing a bit too. Her favorite thing ever is our faces, so we spend a lot of time standing over her saying "hiiiii! hiiiii!" It's just ridiculously cute to see her face light up. Ila is still a very loving big sister, but we're working on ways for her to interact with Susannah while being GENTLE. She's sort of addicted to her sister in the way she literally can't keep her hands off of her sometimes. Any advice on that is welcome!
(Now hopefully one day I'll transfer some of this into her baby book!) 

Capturing The Moment

Capturing that perfect moment can take a lot of patience...

(Though I think Ila is trying to capture something else in this one)

But sometimes it just works...

That Face!

Can you handle this face?

What Do Ila and the Countess of Grantham have in common?

They both don't know what a weekend is.

After watching the episode of Downton Abbey when the aristocratic Countess of Grantham asks Mr. Crawley what a weekend is (because no one in their family has to work), Ila later asked me the same question. It made me chuckle because I realized that there really isn't really a day when her daddy is NOT working. 

I also thought it would be funny to post this goobery picture of her next to that lady.

Our Day at Montana

Our good friends the Hills have an amazing mountain house (called Montana) about an hour from here. Last weekend was the Christ Church college retreat and (all by myself) I packed up the girls and the dog and headed up for the day on Saturday. Ila has recently become interested in "bear facts" (her favorite mealtime conversation), so when she saw the real-life baby black bear they had mounted on the wall (or actually peering out from the second floor loft), her excitement was endless. She would go up to Mr. Hill or Mrs. Hill and ask them "hey why is that bear there?" or "is that bear real?" By the end of the day she was saying things like "Miss Kemp said her fairy godmother shot the bear and that's why it's killed." She is STILL asking about it. (It really had been shot on their property). Anyway, it was an awesome day for Ila to be around people she is most comfortable with (college-aged) and it was most definitely the best day of Sydney's life. She chased baseballs, frisbees, and footballs back and forth, followed people on walks down to the river, swam in the river, and even went on a hayride. Susannah slept the whole time but also went for a walk down to the river in her sling. There is something so magical about being in a space that enormous and seeing nothing but mountains, fields, and trees. When can we go back?

Sydney never got tired 

 Ila, Charlie Zahl, and Lex

 Heading to the river

 Tommy taking Ila and Mary Boyce for a tractor ride

I love how Ila fits right in with the college girls

 Notice Sydney on the hayride