Texans no more

You could say that the last five months have been pretty crazy for us. Mostly good crazy. We celebrated the birth of our beautiful daughter, Jason added another academic degree to his collection, and we officially closed the Texas chapter of our lives.

But there's some bad crazy too. We are currently without an income or a place to call our own, and are enjoying an extended stay in Ohio with Jason's parents while we try to figure out what's next. It's been a hard lesson in patience, faith, and perseverance. With God's grace we will get through this period of uncertainty and be a stronger family for it. Your thoughts and prayers are mighty appreciated!

Beautiful 5-month-old baby girl!

Mommy had some fun with hair bows. Caitlin was not amused.

This girl just lights up our lives.

Go Tigers!

Rockin' some shades

Grandpa Doug created a special Pie of the Week at Schmucker's Restaurant called "Caitlin Mae"

Time for some more adorable pictures!

Ribbit!

She loves tummy time!

Daddy's little girl

Chillin' with Mom

Happy girl

Apparently she was hungry

Bathtime

We are in disbelief that our little girl will be 12 weeks old tomorrow! She is definitely growing - we are almost ready to move on to 3-6 month clothing! She has finally gotten to the point where she doesn't need to be constantly held and can be content to lay on a blanket and watch Mama do chores. My arms are so thankful! She has also become very vocal in the last couple weeks - she has been "talking" (cooing and grunting) to me, Jason, and a few of her favorite toys. She also loves to look at, smile at, and talk to her reflection in the mirror. It's so stinkin' cute!

This past weekend we had a little family getaway to Lake Conroe. It was a celebration of Jason's birthday + our 5-year anniversary + Father's Day + Jason's completed Ph.D. So fun to just get away and be together as a little family of three.

One challenge we've been facing in the last couple weeks is that Caitlin has gotten very attached to her Mama and definitely prefers me over Jason. At one point it was so bad that she would cry whenever he tried to hold her or sometimes even when he looked at her. Thankfully, it appears as though things are improving on that front, for which we are both very grateful.

7 weeks

Life is good - I've got my husband back (see previous post) and our little girl is growing by leaps and bounds. Seven weeks old already! Since our last blog post, we had another set of visitors - my sister and brother-in-law. They came for a short weekend and it was so much fun. We now call my brother-in-law Uncle Poopie because that's what Caitlin did every time he held her!

She is certainly putting on weight - I forgot what a scrawny little thing she was when she was born until I looked at some pictures. She's definitely not like that anymore! We've got leg rolls, multiple chins, chubby cheeks...does this mama's heart good to know that she's eating well!

Some lessons we've learned along the way:

-Yes, naked babies are cute, but don't dilly dally after bathtime - put the diaper on IMMEDIATELY after the baby comes out of the bath or you will have to start all over again.
-Always, always have a burp cloth close at hand. Attach one to a string and sew it onto your outfit if necessary.
-If you grow tired of your baby's outfit, don't fret! Chances are that there will soon be a poop explosion or a spit-up spree and you'll get to dress the baby in another cute outfit.
-If during the day you have managed to brush your teeth, consider that to be a good day. If you've managed to shower, it's a great day. And if you've managed to eat something, it's a fantastic day.
-It's amazing the things the human body can accomplish with only one hand, if enough determination is applied - brushing your teeth, going to the bathroom, doing laundry, sending an e-mail....I personally have become a master at picking dropped M&Ms up off the floor with my toes.
-Sleep deprivation can be good for a laugh or two. Such as when the baby cries in the middle of the night and I reach over to the bassinet beside the bed to pat her back and soothe her...only to discover that it's my sleeping husband in bed beside me that I'm trying to soothe.

Now enjoy some pictures!

7 weeks old and super cute

First Mother's Day

Caitlin contemplates her reflection - "So THAT'S what I look like?"

Snuggling with Aunt Tina

Chilling with Uncle Poopie...I mean Uncle Josh

Sleeping sweetly

The onesie says it all..."I love daddy"