I have a Water Baby

Abigail absolutely loves her bath, so I had been really excited to take her swimming as soon as school got out and the weather warmed up. Last week we finally got the opportunity. As soon as she warmed up a bit from the chilly water, Abigail loved the water. She has a great float that makes her feel secure. She even went underwater. That part was not her favorite, but we'll keep working on it. Here are a few a pictures of our fun times at the pool.

Summer is Here!!

Today I am reminded of why I am teacher. Summer!!!!! Just kidding that is only one reason that I enjoy being a teacher, but right now it's a forefront of my mind. I am glad that this school year is over. It wwas very difficult to go back and leave Abigail. That won't be any easier to do when August does roll around again, but I will be armed with the proof and knowledge that my daughter knows and loves me. She knows that I am her mother despite me being gone from her so much. The next 10 weeks will be fully enjoyed and fully valued. This time with my family is so precious, so this temporarily stay at home mom is going LIVE IT UP!! There will be trips to the park and the pool, walks outside, playtime at home, as many cuddles and snuggles as Abigail will allow, and just time together. This will be a time to treasure. Being a teacher has many blessing rolled into it. Right now, I am truly thankful that I have this beautiful gift of summer. Three hours until it officially begins... Can I make it?

Blessings

This week my thankfullness for blessings centers around my health. I feel that I am a pretty healthy person. Last week I had a bit of a scare though. I have had for a couple months some kinda yucky looking bumps all over. My regular Dr. didn't know what it was. The dermatologist did a biopsy, scary word, and found it has a long terrible sounding name. It's quite rare. There was a chance that it would be something worse, even cancer. It's nothing. It's just a yucky looking skin disease. I am thankful that God is taking care of my health. I spent part of the week trying hard to trust God's care and be faithful, but also being scared that something was wrong with me. God is good to me.

This week I have also been reminded of how much of a team Charlie and I are. I could not get everything done with out him. He does housework, yesterday we made baby food together. Being a full time working mom is tough. How I spend my time often comes down to playing with my baby or cleaning. Since I've never been good at cleaning anyway, it's only gotten worse. He doesn't make me feel bad when things aren't done. He just jumps in to help. He takes care of both of us. He doesn't fuss when dinner isn't much or doesn't exist. I am tremedously blessed to have this man as my husband and teammate.

More Blessings

Once again this week I have been reminded of how incredibly blessed I am. My cup runs over with gifts from God. He has given me so much more than I can ask or imagine.

• My family was all safe during the flood in Nashville. It's very hard to be away from them during scary situations but I thank God that for our family everyone is safe.
• I have seen my family coming together to take care of one another. What a blessing to know that's the kind of family that I am part of.
• I am able to eat dairy again. It seems silly in the wake of the tragic flood, but I am excited for it and thankful that my little girl is no longer allergic.
• We had 49 people at our house last night for church get together. From what I could tell, everyone enjoyed being here and the fellowship was fun and uplifting for all. God has given us a good home, and we want to use it for his glory.
• I saw two teenagers in Walmart offer to help a lady in a motorized chair unload her groceries. They were just serving her because she needed it. Their mom has obviously done a good job.
• This year, I'm a mommy. Abigail has been one of my greatest blessings. Being a mom is wonderful.

My Dear Friend Dairy

When Abigail was about 6 weeks old we figured out that she had a milk protein allergy. This mean either stop nursing and buy the extra exspensive formula, or nursing mommy had to give up all dairy products. In the interest of trying to do what was best for my daughter, I gave up all forms of dairy products. Rice milk made cereal a possibilty and there was a dairy free frozen substance that took the edge off the need for ice cream. But as for pizza, there was absolutely no substitute. The upside to this diet was the inability to over indulge at holidays and parties. I had to be so careful to avoid dairy that I couldn't eat many treats which probably helped the baby weight to disappear faster. This was a sacrifice that I was willing to make because I felt like it was the best thing my precious little girl. I did not want to give up nursing her.

The good news is that we think she has out grown this little allergy. This is fabulous news for me since I am still nursing and also for the foods I'll be able to cook for her for the rest of her life. Last Sunday I ate one bite of ice cream. Let me tell that was some creamy goodness. We didn't have any problems. So on Monday I took TWO bites. I felt like I was doing something illegal, but it sure felt good. Once again no problems. We have slowly been increasing what I have eaten. Last night I even had cheese on a taco. As a side note, tacos with meat and salsa only are very boring. But alas, tonight is the big test, I am going out for birthday pizza. Just before we found out about this allergy a Mellow Mushroom pizza place opened up here in Gainesville. I have been waiting to go for 6 months. Tonight is the night. HOpefully, it won't mean that we are up all night with a crying, hurting baby. My dear friend dairy, I am glad to have you back in my life. I have missed you over these six long months.

We'll see how it goes.