Noelle & Connor

Here are a couple of photos of Noelle in the family baptism outfit - my grandfather wore it, my mother wore it, I wore it, and now Noelle wore it! These pictures were taken on May 29th.

And, here's one of Connor -

Credits & Thanks go to Amber on the photography.

What's your anagram?

This site allows you to enter something, like your full name, and it creates an amusing anagram.

I had to try it. My name anagrams to
'Hardier, adult old woman.'

And, that is exactly how I feel these days.

So, what's your anagram?

Happy and Sad

I am often asked how I am doing. You probably are frequently asked that also, as it is a very common question to ask and be asked. But now, the people asking me really do care how I am doing (not that they didn't before), and the question is asked with more feeling and emphasis. It is hard for me to answer, because I know what they are asking (How are you coping? How is your grief? How can we help?), and because there is not a simple answer. Some moments I am just so sad. Other moments I am happy. I have many, many things to be thankful for and be happy about. Wonderful memories with my dad make me so happy, but also make me cry because... that's it -- the end has come to making memories with him. What I have is what I have.

I am mentioning this because I think I will start blogging about both the happy and the sad, the funny and the painful. If it becomes too much, I will stop; but I want to see if it will help me. Not only to communicate with you all, but also to have this little journal to be able to look back upon myself.

So, prepare yourselves for the unexpected when you check my blog. You may read about something happy with cute baby pictures, or you may read something entirely different. To some extent my blog has already become that way, so perhaps this entry is my way of explaining it.

Father's Day

I have thought a lot about what to write today.
I think I'll keep it brief.

I am so thankful that I had a dad who:
Loved me unconditionally;
Instilled a strong work ethic in me;
Taught me to turn to God and His Word in times of distress.

What I am missing the most:
Daddy laughing so hard during card or board games with us that tears stream down his face;
Daddy dancing and acting silly in the kitchen;
Daddy telling stories that made everyone laugh;
Watching him play with my children with complete enjoyment;
Seeing his smile, hearing him say my name, being hugged by him.

I love him so much and I am so proud of him. Someone said to me: "I heard about your father's promotion to Heaven" and ever since, that is how I view it. I can't wait to see his smile again.

The First Roelle

There was much rejoicing today, as Noelle rolled over for the first time! From her tummy to her back. We documented the roll, so you can see her cute chubbiness in action:






Is she adorable or what?

Mom My Ride

I suppose this is in honor of Lisa's new minivan. Julie showed me this video a few months ago and I've been meaning to post it here so you all can enjoy it. It will mean the most to those of you with children.

Cutting Teeth

Well, Noelle's first little tooth has appeared - her bottom left. Not the whole tooth, just a little white dot. But we can feel and see it. I tried to take a picture just now, but she was too tired. We knew she was acting like she was teething for the last two weeks, and we tried to feel her gums every time our hands were clean, but tonight was the first time we felt a tooth! Lance was the discoverer.

Noelle has also started eating. She's been eating for about a week now, mostly pears and sweet potatoes. She is a great eater. I have just started mixing in a tiny bit of rice cereal. With Connor, I remember when he was so interested in watching me eat, and I felt he wanted to eat, too, but the doctors were big on waiting until the 6 month mark. When Connor finally turned 6 months, he would not eat. When he was 7 1/2 months, I called his pediatrician to ask if I should be worried that he refused to eat, and they sent over a speech therapist and an occupational therapist (in case there was something wrong with his tongue or mouth, I guess). Those nice ladies determined that he was actually advanced orally (he could make so many sounds), but he did not like the texture of baby food or cereal. They offered him a Cheerio (I was worried he would choke on it), and he loved it. He ate Cheerios for a while, then slowly started eating baby food (he never ate the baby cereal, and still doesn't like oatmeal). As you can tell by his plump baby pictures, there was no chance he was malnourished.

Well, Noelle's doctor is less strict about the 6 month mark, and said I could start solids any time between 4 and 6 months, whenever I felt she was ready. Right around 5 months old I noticed her showing the same interest in my eating as Connor had when he was around the same age, so I decided to start. She loves to eat! She is not averse to cereal texture. It does not seem to hamper her nursing, either.

I suppose the only other news we have is that Trevor made 3 A's and a B on his report card this semester. The numerical grades were 97, 97, 94 & 90. We are very proud of him. He's been helping my mom out a lot these past few days, doing lots of yard work and some house cleaning. We're proud of him for doing that also. Next year he will be a senior in high school; I can't believe how fast time flies!