Helpful

Sometimes Afton helps me do homework, and sometimes she helps me type blogs..............like this one.  She typed it all with the exception of the capital letters--she doesn't understand Shift yet.

She also helped upload the pictures.  What a great helper!

Now you see it....

.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .

.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .

.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .

.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .

.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .

.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .

.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .

.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .

Now you don't!

I'll bet you thought this post was going to be about Afton didn't you?

(She's sleeping in this picture.  We couldn't [and didn't want to] wake her up, nor could we get her hands away from her face, haha)

Pray for Colorado Springs

This is crazy....

This is my hometown.  We have friends who have been evacuated and their neighborhoods are on fire.  Our families are safe.  My parents house  is one of many that are opened up to evacuees.  We have favorite tourist attractions that have gone up in flames.  Parts of the Air Force Academy have been evacuated and the fire continues to head that direction.  It's out of control.  I'm not sure whether to cry or throw up.  But definitely pray.

Not sure exactly where this is... but we do know the neighborhood and we know people who *lived* there.

More and more homes are going up in flames.  Please keep the members of the community in your prayers.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to one great dad!  Afton is such a lucky little girl to have Ty.  I am such a lucky wife to have him too.  He's a wonderful husband and father.  I don't know how I could do this without him.  He takes his responsibility as a father so seriously.  It's inspiring.   

He's really got "the touch" with Afton.  She loves her dad.  It's so fun to watch the two of them play or nap or whatever together.  She really responds to him.  I'd say we've got a little daddy's girl in the making.  He loves her so much and loves to talk about how cute she is.  I can't wait to see Afton grow up and learn more and more from her dad.  He's a natural!

Happy Father's Day!!!

One of THOSE days

Today was just one of those days.  You know, the ones where you eat the rest of the cheesecake for breakfast, fruit snacks for lunch, and pizza for dinner.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Facing Reality

I've been thinking about something recently.  Something I've noticed.  It's interesting that it seems as if we think the fussiness level of our children reflects on our abilities as parents.  That's a load of bologna.  I've been thinking about how it seems like everyone around me always says that they have such a happy baby.  Okay, SOMEONE has to be lying.  I don't believe for a second that everyone's baby is so content except for mine.

Don't get me wrong, Afton is adorable.  She spends an okay amount of time each day smiling and playing and cooing.  But she spends quite a bit more time fussing and screaming.  She sleeps great at night but is ever so demanding all during the day.  We've done a bit of "research" (aka talking to other people, including our parents), and we've decided that Afton is a bit on the fussy side.  She was so mellow her first few days when she was drugged up on magnesium (which was running through my veins to combat a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia which I still don't believe I had).  She is not usually completely inconsolable either.  So I think we convinced ourselves that she is a really happy baby and had just held on to that outdated evidence until recently. 

She does cry more than most babies and I am okay admitting that.  I know that doesn't make me a bad mom or a whiner.  It's not like I made her fussy.  I'm doing everything I can to keep her happy.  Some babies are just fussier than others.  This also doesn't make Afton a bad kid... she's the greatest.  I'm just learning a lot about love and patience and selflessness.  I'm also exhausted.  I'm grateful she's our first though because this would be so much harder if there were other kids to take care of as well.  We love our daughter and know that she is a special little girl.  We wouldn't trade her for anything.  Besides, who wouldn't love a kid this cute?

Well, there you have it.  I've admitted it.  And I don't feel like any less of a person or parent for having done so.  Any other takers?

A Two-Month Tide-Over

So, I've thought several times recently that I should write another blog.  Then I think, "Well, I'm really busy.  Plus Afton's two month mark is just around the corner.  That's a great excuse to post."  Well here we are today.  Afton is officially two months old.  Today I say, "Well, I'm really busy today.  Maybe tomorrow.  Actually maybe I'll spread it out in installments over the next week since I have so much catching up to do.  Yes, that's the ticket."

I do have a few moments though since I just peeked into Afton's bedroom and found this:

Ty says he's grown kind of fond of this cradle- mattress-on-the-
floor-until-he-finishes-making-the-cradle-and-the-laundry-
basket-is-now-too-small thing.  Here's why. 

I figured I'd just post a few facts about little Miss Afton.

Although she wouldn't take it for the first six weeks or so, the binky has become a great friend.  We were going to just use it in the car since she is so easy to soothe when we can pick her up, but it's become too convenient to use.  She can fall asleep by herself, but sometimes it takes the pacifier to finish the job after we get her drowsy.

Afton loves it outside.  Sometimes if she's kind of cranky, we just have to step outside with her and she will be happy as can be.

She is STRONG.  Pictures to come, but being the bragging parents that we are, I do have to mention that she has been sitting up with minimal support (even just holding our hands) since she was about a month old.  She help up her head from day one.  We can even bounce her on our knees while only holding her hands and she loves it.  We recently experimented with standing and she can do that too, again, only holding our hands.  I think she actually likes that more than sitting.

She kicks her legs and flails her arms when she gets excited.  It's fun to watch her look at herself in the little dangly mirror in her play gym thing.

She has been smiling since she was just a few weeks old and she has added laugh-like sounds to her ensemble in the past few weeks.  She loves it when we lay her on her back, hold her feet, and make her "run."

She had her baby blessing.  It was so fun to have family come and spend time with them.  Plus her blessing was beautiful.  That will probably receive its own post.

She is finally starting to outgrow some of her newborn clothes.  We have her 2 month check-up on Tuesday so we'll find out how much she really has grown.

She usually sleeps between 6-8 hours at night.  I'm worried she's going to be like her mother though and stop taking naps before age 2... she's already starting to show glimpses of this possibility.

I experienced that moment this past week when she stops nursing to look up and smile as if to say "Gee thanks Mom!"  It even included some coos and was repeated a few times.  Ah, what a pay day.  Especially since she has definitely NOT been a good eater and still isn't.  It made me feel like my efforts and frustrations are actually paying dividends.

Well, that is all I can think of for now.  Ty is up and at 'em again, and I can hear Afton awake and playing in her bed.  Here's a couple more pictures for a tide-over until we can post again.