the loves of my life

are you kidding me?

they are so adorable I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT!

never in my wildest dreams,

when i was off chasing what i thought i wanted,

did i see coming

the spectacular yumminess

God had planned for me.

last night

Happy Birthday!

A little late, but from the heart...

Dear Elizabeth,
Happy Birthday, Sugar. I cannot believe it’s been 4 months. It feels very similar to how it feels to be married to your father. Sometimes it feels like it’s only been 5 minutes. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime. Your cousin Elijah is in 1st grade this year. I swear, every time I talk to your Aunt Amanda, she says, “Elijah is in a really fun stage right now”. That kind of talk started when I met her 6 years ago. She has loved every new stage and age with him and it always makes me laugh. I see now what she means. I am LOVING having a 4 month old. I think this month is more fun than the last. I’m sure I’ll think that when you turn 5 months old, too!

You roll over constantly. I have no idea why- you HATE being on your tummy. You roll from your back to your tummy, get frustrated and whiney once you get there, I roll you back over, and it starts all over again. It’s amazing. About half the time you get your arm stuck underneath you when you roll over. You can’t quite figure out how to get it out.

You love being upright. I swear, you think you're a big girl. You ALWAYS are struggling to be upright. If I try to hold you like a "baby" you struggle around like you're trying to do crunches. You're not happy til I move you into a sitting up position. You love being in your Bumbo and sitting up straight.

You snuggle into my neck. I LOVE this. You’ve just started doing it. Usually it only happens when you’re pretty sleepy- right when you first wake up or right before you go to sleep. You turn your face and burrow your little nose deep into my neck. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this?

You try to help me hold your bottle. There have actually been a couple of times you’ve gotten your hands into a perfect position and I am able to let go of the bottle for a minute and you just hold it by yourself while you drink.

I started Baby Sign Language with you this month. It’ll be a while before you can sign back, but I figured it wasn’t too early to introduce you to what the signs look like.

We read Winnie-The-Pooh during your bottle time. You just watch me while I suppress major giggles over the silliness of Pooh and Piglet and the gang.

You put everything in your mouth. Everything. Your fist, your Lovie, Mr. Monkey, your rattle. Anything you can get your hands on.

You’ve started occasionally screaming for no discernable reason. It took you 3 months to act like a normal baby. I should be grateful. Instead, because I’m not used to it, it is soooooo unsettling. We think maybe you are about to start teething. We finally figured out when you are screaming like that- rubbing your gums and giving you something cold to chew on makes you feel better.

You are sleeping through the nights now. It is a rare occasion for you to wake up hungry. Sometimes you wake up and I go in and give you your paci, and you are back asleep in 5 seconds.

You love TV. I don’t let you watch any, but if it happens to be on and you can get your body into a position where you can see it, you just stare at it, mesmerized. You did this at Aunt Amanda’s house the other day and when she saw you, she said that Elijah had done the same thing as a baby, but the girls had not. I asked, “Does this mean she will grow up to be a TV junkie?” And she said, “No, I think it means she’s going to be a visual learner.” Hmm…your mama’s a visual learner, too.

You are very aware of your surroundings. You love to look at people and follow us across the room with your eyes. You love to watch Phoebe. Phoebe’s starting to like you, too. She likes to come lick you right on the face. You love it. You are still making lots of cute noises- and it is so funny to hear you experiment with your voice. You are very happy and social and you smile constantly. You still love your swing, but we are now able to put you in your jumper-roo. We have to put a pillow under your feet because you don’t quite touch the floor yet, but you have so much fun jumping up and down and watching the lights blinking, the music playing, and all the toys. You are finally showing a real interest in toys. Your grandma gave you this baby doll and you are so cute because you love to look at her face and try to talk to her. I think you will be a bit of a social butterfly. Your mother has been described as such once or twice in her life. ☺

My absolute favorite moment of the day is when I go get you out of your crib in the morning. I hear you in there making little noises, still pretty content, and I tiptoe in there and watch you before you see me. Then I stand over the crib and you look up at me and your face breaks into a huge smile. When you smile- you smile with your whole face and body. You just light up. It makes my whole day.

You are an absolute delight and I cannot imagine my life without you. I’m so grateful you’re here.

I love you,
Mama

What a difference a year makes!

A year ago this weekend we went over to Kirk & Amanda's house for pumpkin carving and caramel apples. I was pregnant, but didn't know it yet. Here I am with Chloe that night:

This weekend we met the fam up at the pumpkin patch at St. Luke's for pictures and then went back to their house for caramel apples. Here's Ryan's brother, Kirk, with Chloe and Elizabeth:

What a difference a year makes!

Pumpkin Patch

Cutest pumpkin in the patch!

Cousins

Chloe, Elizabeth, Sophia

sweet girls

Phoebe & the Boppy II

The love affair continues...

Stripes

this one just makes me laugh

The Reader

Tastes Like Chicken

The Bunny, the bunny, whoa I ate the bunny

I didn't eat my soup or my bread, just the bunny

The Bunny, the bunny, Oh I love the bunny

But now I feel sick in my head from the bunny.

I didn't eat my salad, I didn't eat my steak.

I had too much candy, I got a tummy ache.

I need to eat good food to help me to grow,

I'll obey my momma, cause she loves me so!

Yeah i'll go to church, and i'll go to school.

That stuff is important, and I know ooooo....

I don’t want no pickles, I don’t want no honey,

I just want a plate and a fork and a bunny

I don’t want a tissue when my nose is runny,

I just want a plate and a fork and a bunny

I don’t want to tell you a joke that is funny,

I just want a plate and a fork and a bunny

I don’t want to play on a day that is sunny,

I just want a plate and a fork and a bunny

The Bunny, the bunny, whoa I ate the bunny

I didn't eat my soup, or my bread just the bunny.

The Bunny, the bunny, Oh I love the bunny

But now I feel sick in my he-e-e-aaad fr-om the bu-unnnyyyy!!

("The Bunny Song", Veggie Tales)

Show & Tell

Just for kicks and giggles, I painted this recently:

Somewhere along the line, oh let's say 8th grade or so, I was told I wasn't good at art and I believed it. I never took another art class again. Here's the beauty of turning 30...you stop caring whether you are "good" at something and start caring about whether or not it is just all-out, ridiculous FUN! What I've discovered in the last year is that I love art. I love looking at it, teaching it to little kids, and creating it. Few things make me as happy as a trip to an art museum, a Saturday morning art festival, or a late night with a paintbrush in my hand. This is an unanticipated discovery, but I am embracing it as another part of who I am. Regardless of what my junior high art teacher has to say about it.

Here are some things I've read lately that make me feel willing to jump in and try things I've never tried before:

"No one is asking, let alone demanding, that you write. The world is not waiting with bated breath for your article or book. Whether or not you get a single word on paper, the sun will rise, the earth will spin, the universe will expand. Writing is forever and always a choice -- your choice." -Beth Mende Conny

"Be creative. There's no such thing as Creative People and Not Creative People -- there are only People Who Choose to Use Their Creative Gifts and People Who Don't. Remember this: the only unique things you will ever do in this world will be things which are creative." -Brene Brown

I wasn't going to share any paintings of mine with you. I was going to paint in secret and hide everything I made in the closet. I am just painting for the fun of it (and sometimes writing for the fun of it), so what is the point in placing myself in a situation where I have a flashback to my junior high art class? And then one of my favorite artists/bloggers had this to say on her blog recently:

"i try to remember that place that children occupy so easily of delightfully sharing their work "the look what i did mentality". i try to get to the most uninhibited place where i blow away all inner and outer critics out of fear of feeling foolish, overly romantic, sentimental, childish..." -Mati Rose McDonough

As an elementary school art teacher I hear over and over all day long, "Look what I did!" The delight on their faces when they say this is breath-taking. Break me off a piece of that!

Show Off

Guess who thinks she's a big girl that can now hold her bottle...

Art Festival

Art festivals make me sublimely happy (as does the use of the word "sublimely" in a sentence). I anticipate it for weeks before hand (I've already had it on my calendar for 6 months), I can hardly sleep the night before. And this is taking into account that I know I'm not going to buy one piece of art. DID YOU HEAR ME, RYAN CRAIG? I DID NOT BUY ONE THING. I EXERCISED SELF-CONTROL...I KNOW! YOU HARDLY RECOGNIZE ME RIGHT NOW!

My mom and I took Elizabeth to her very first Bayou City Art Festival this weekend here in Houston. The weather was perfect- cloudy and FINALLY a little chilly! We had a blast! It was so fun to see artists that I fell in love with last year, and discover new ones to love this year. Two from last year that I just adore are Larry Smith and Kathy Womack- I bought 2 of their prints last year. This year my new favorite is Stephanie Rubiano- her pieces made me just giggle with delight!

Can I just give myself total props for deciding to use the Baby Bjorn instead of the stroller? Those folks trying to get in and out of these tiny artist booths with their big ass strollers looked MISERABLE.

Um...so the sunglasses might be just a tad too big still.

My other favorite thing about the day was how the artists just ooed and awed over my child. They were all like, "she is so gorgeous" and "now SHE'S a work of art" and other equally fabulous things. About 2 minutes before this picture was taken, one of the artists was like, "Can I please take a picture of y'all? This is just too beautiful." We walked away and I said to mom, "Will you please take a picture of us right now so I can see what all the fuss is about?" *sigh* They were right, of course. What a sweet girl I have!

This Week's Memory Verse

Mmmm...I feel this one way down deep in my bones today. What a compassionate, faithful God He is. I have too much experience with the wailing. It feels so good to finally dance! If you are still in sackcloth today, sweet friends, hold on. Joy is coming, I promise. He really is THAT good.

You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:11-12

Scripture Memory

I go through phases where I'm like, "Hmm...memorizing scripture is probably a good idea", but if I wait long enough the feeling passes. But I've really been challenged lately to be more disciplined in my spiritual walk, AND have been inspired by reading The Living Proof Ministry blog. So I'm picking a scripture once a week to memorize, and I'll be posting it on here every Monday. (Yes, I know it's Wednesday. I got a late start this week.) I figured if I advertised this fact about myself that you could hold me accountable, and it gives me some structure. And goodness knows I'm a creature who craves structure. So, here's this week's verse:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. ~Romans 8:28

Speaking of bears...

I loved Winnie-the-Pooh as a child. I loved him as a teenager. But I have long loved the Disney version. So, as an adult it is a delight to rediscover the original Winnie-the-Pooh, the book by A.A. Milne. I have never read it before, although I've owned the book for years. Child development experts tell you that you should be reading and talking to your baby constantly. It's all kinds of good for their brains or something. But honestly (and I KNOW you moms out there will relate to this): you just plum run out of things to say. I know, shocking as that is, that I, Sarah Craig, would EVER run out of things to say, but it's true. I feel especially stupid when I'm describing my day to Elizabeth, like I'm talking out loud to myself.

Anyway I decided to take this opportunity to read out loud to her from a "children's book" that I would want to read, but would never read otherwise. I mean, you can only read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar so many times before you want to beat your head against a wall. In fact, tonight I started reciting the book from memory, telling Elizabeth that she was as hungry as the very hungry caterpillar and listing the things he ate, and I go, "And he ate through one slice of watermelon". And Ryan says, "He did not eat a watermelon." Never did I think we would have a conversation about whether or not a very hungry caterpillar ate the watermelon or not, but there you have it. I checked. Ryan, for the record, is wrong, and I reign victorious. That's OK, he holds the record for flawless memorization of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See", so I guess we're even. But I digress.

What a delight Milne's original book is! I've been reading it to Elizabeth during bottle feeding time (otherwise I will totally succumb to the temptation to check people.com and let me tell you, THAT is a hard habit to break...great, now I've got that song stuck in my head). I find myself totally giggling at these little characters and stories, and loving the old British language he uses, and silly words I'd never use in ordinary conversation (ex. "a small spinney of larch trees", and "shan't" and "Heffalumps" and "Woozles").

My favorite story so far is the one in which Kanga and Baby Roo move to the Forest, which Rabbit (who really is quite rude sometimes) decides is most definitely not OK. So he hatches this elaborate plan, which of course Pooh and Piglet are going to go along with:

"The best way would be to steal Baby Roo and hide him, and then when Kanga says, 'Where's Baby Roo?' we say, Aha!'" "Aha!" said Pooh, practising (yes, spell check, that's how it's spelled in the book). "Aha! Aha!...Of course," he went on, "we could say 'Aha!' even if we hadn't stolen Baby Roo." "Pooh," said Rabbit kindly, "you haven't any brain." "I know," said Pooh humbly. "We say 'Aha!' so that Kanga knows that we know where Baby Roo is. 'Aha!' means 'We'll tell you where Baby Roo is, if you promise to go away from the Forest and never come back.'"

It goes on and on and is just so silly and delightful, but then Baby Girl finished her bottle and wanted to play so we didn't get to the end of the story and now I'm all like WHAT HAPPENED TO BABY ROO?

Anyway, if you find yourself needing to say lots of words to a little bitty person to enhance their brain development and such, I highly recommend this book. In related news, Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus was released yesterday. It is an authorized sequel by A. A. Milne's estate (first time they've ever done that). I hadn't heard anything about this, but Ryan had. He knows how much I'm loving reading Pooh to Elizabeth, so he went out and bought this new book THE DAY IT CAME OUT. Because he's a rock star like that.

Snuggly

Please, sweet sisters, if after you give birth to your beautiful child,

you feel the hankering to turn the placenta into a teddy bear,

don't ever let me find out.

I might actually slap you.

Love, Sarah

What last Friday looked like...

Remember sweet Everett?

On Friday our church had an overnight Men's Retreat, so a bunch

of the wives got together for dinner, movies, conversation

and girl time at Allison's house. Elizabeth fell asleep just like

this on her play mat... just put her hands over her eyes and

zonked out. Meanwhile, my friend Erin put Everett down near

her (but not THIS near) and he just kept rolling until he was

exactly up next to her like this. So adorable.

A Random Wednesday

Hangin' Around

Elizabeth thinks she's a big girl.

She likes any excuse to practice sitting up.

So we decided to try out the bouncy thing.

Problem is, her feet don't touch the floor yet.

No worries.

She's content to just hang around.

Hello again

I'm still here. My blog break's been longer than I expected it to be. First I was preoccupied, then I was feeling tender and sensitive and insecure, then my internet quit working, then I was overwhelmed by all the pictures I want to post and things I want to say. But it's good to see you again. We've got some catching up to do.