3 Months Sweet

Our little strawberry is three months old! She smiles so easily and is such a joy to have. At the same time, she has grown a louder stronger cry. What she's probably crying for is to talk to you more; she can't get enough of playtime! And when conversations with her consist of the cutest gurgles and coos, who could refuse her? Kicking shows she's excited. Now she's working on grabbing with her hands. A little more chub this month, a lot more smiles and laughs...what if she stayed this age forever? :)

the monthly chair picture

semi-profile

Breaker Bay

 Over Memorial Day weekend we went to Sheboygan to see family and stay at Blue Harbor and their waterpark.

 Lydia held on to Dad tightly at first, but it really didn't take long for her loosen up.

 I tried to protect her from the dumping buckets on the lazy river, but I had no control over my tube. Lydia recovered quickly.

 Stacy, Aaliyah & Greg are ready for some splashes too.

 Matt, Sarah & Grandma can't wait either.

Ben's been taking Lydia to the gym with him and she's really beefed up. (haha)

Lydia actually had a blast with the little water fountains. She liked to step on them.

Tried to have her pose with the display but she was was too excited to get back to the water!

 Poor baby Abigail and I had a cold, so she slept a lot. We had her in a bikini at one point even though she never touched the water.

 Considering going down the slide.

 She went down once and seemed to love it, but once was enough.

 Life jackets were supplied.

Lydia sat on the side of the pool and got a kick out of kicking.

 She would also sit and tell us what to do, i.e. who could swim and when. 

We all doted on her and obliged.

Another trip on the lazy river, this time with Grandma Linda.

I could use a vacation after this little vacation, but I guess my bed will do. zzz

Mulberry Tree

We've discovered a mulberry tree in the back of our yard. Lydia got one taste of its berry, and now she's hooked!

This is Lydia bolting to the sweet tree.

 over the bridge,

to the evergreens she keeps running,

 

 barely glancing back,

 and satisfying her sweet tooth.

 (tree not pictured)

Also found blackberry bushes!!! They are great, except a lot seedier than the ones you buy in the store.

 This is Lydia giving cousin Aaliyah a spin in the chair.

Could she be any more lovable?

I was so excited about this picture that I couldn't wait for Ben to get home from work and bring back our camera USB cord so I could upload it!
This is my best capture of Abigail's adorable little smile!! Could she be any more lovable in this picture?

Best Job on Earth

According to Salary.com, the average American mom should make $112,962. Six figures...wahoo...that would be nice, wouldn't it? But the payment I actually get is the smiles of my two daughters that show they know they are loved, and that is worth more than anything! Plus, on my birthday and mothers day, I get a little pampered and I get cards with scribbles for signatures...my favorite :)

Of course, every job has its challenges. Sometimes just going to the grocery store without tears is a big victory. I keep in mind that success is not measured by the approving or unapproving looks of others, the activities we do, the condition of baby's skin, the look of my post-baby body, the behavior of my 2 year old, the number of vegetables consumed, the cleanliness of my house, the quality of my photos, etc. etc. Every mom loves their child and teaches them the ways of the world the best she can; it doesn't matter how different it looks. Showing my children Jesus is what matters to me. 

my birthday muffin with Lydia

Daddy's girls

getting a family picture...that's funny!

Miss Abigail

 

playing in the rice box with Gpa Bruce

Work Hard, Play Hard

Abigail takes strengthening her neck muscles seriously.

She also takes shaking her bootee seriously.

(Those are rattle bootees on her feet.)

So if you want to be as happy as this baby is,

follow her example of "Work hard, play hard!"

Oh, and I almost forgot the most important part of her happiness strategy-- Sleeping hard!

**Prize to the person who finds a big "error" on this blog post!**