Progress

This summer, it appears my blog adequately reflects our life. I have several posts in the que started, but not completed. Good intentioned posts neglected waiting for pictures to be uploaded. Parallels or never ending to-do list in preparation for baby dos. We've been cleaning out the garage to make room for cleaning out the office to move to the living room to convert to baby's room. And apparently, meeting the 5 year curse of home ownership, when our house becomes all 'needy' with repairs (think new a/c unit, bathroom plumbing issues, broken stove, doors, siding....etc.). With my fixer still on this ridiculous general surgery schedule, it's been interesting to say the least. I've had to let go of my expectations and redirect my nesting instincts to more feasible tasks.

I'd be remiss to bypass the pun and say we are taking it one step at a time.

But in all truthfulness, it is such a sincere blessing to be preparing to meet the guy behind this little foot. Although at times I have felt a bit overwhelmed by all the 'things' we have going on right now, I am humbly reminded that all of these 'things' are such wonderful gifts in my life that fill me with such joy and happiness. Hard to feel anything but grateful when put in perspective.

It still seems a bit surreal that in a few weeks, we will get to see his sweet little face.

But not so surreal when I'm faced with physical evidence to to contrary....

Hello, belly. You are 35 weeks and living large. Clearly.

This pregnancy has been relatively easy in many ways and I am quite grateful. The minor pregnancy related issues I had with Caris have been present in much smaller quantities. We've had different concerns, but right now I feel pretty good and I'll take it :) Although Texas is in a record heat wave, the drought has left our normally unbearable Houston humidity lower which makes it a bit more toreable from my perspective. We shall see what the final few weeks bring us.... I will say my morning treck including commute, Caris drop-off, med-center parking, and walk to the hospital is enough to want to relegate myself to the desk everyday. And since that can't happen and I reverse the trek for the p.m. I am pretty spent by the time I get home. I'm sure this will be more fun as time goes by :)

The nursery has the neccesities. The crib, bedding, and furniture are all accounted for. I've washed loads of blue clothes (quite different from the pink & purple I'm used to :). And baby has a place to lay his newborn head. So by all accounts, we are at a functional stage. Currently, baby's room is decorated with advanced degrees and textbooks, so we may be theming his nursery 'academia' as opposed to a more baby friendly theme, but all that will come together in due time.

So with all that said, baby CJ, the belly, and I are grateful for all of our helpers. From a sweet, sweet big sister (seriously, lil C is adorably sweet about her baby brother) helping put clothes away and picking up things mommy can't reach and being kind and patient to her hormonal mommy. To a loving, patient, and caring husband who spends his post-call days and sleep-deprived hours moving his office and checking off my growing list. To my impossibly energetic mother driving hours to help with the nursery and whip my tasks into shape and just help me survive daily life and my dad bringing dinners and helping with Caris when G is working nights, and for both for making so many things possible. To my caring sisters throwing a precious celebration for our boy and taking care of their niece and her momma with dinners, and chores, and extra hands. And to patient in-laws visiting and spoiling both babies with love and gifts and some much needed big sister attention. So appreciated. Clearly, it takes a village for me to function and raise a child.

And so we are making progress in this final stage. Tying up loose ends and curbing my anxiety to be okay when some ends remain loose. Waiting for September to arrive with hopeful anticipation, and encouraging baby boy to do the same :) (wait until September, that is).

I'm sure our life will be quite different a month from now!

p.s. I am 99% sure we have a name settled for baby CJ. But until the final % is tallied, we will refrain from public proclamation :)

Things She Says...

I love talking to Caris. So amusing and entertaining. At least to me... The things she comes up with constantly surprise me. Mainly because I want to remember this early stage of communicating and exploring language, a little recollection of some things she has said...I've tried to keep it as close to verbatim as possible...right down to the fact she calls us Mom and Dad the majority of the time. At least the bossy times...

'Mom, I need to brush your hair now.' (in a hurry I tell Caris we don't have time and need to go) she responds.....'Mom I need to brush your hair for just OOONNNNEEEEE minute' (emphatic one finger pointing). 'Turn around, Mom, we need to brush the other side'



(above picture, caris insists...) 'Mom can you tie my scarf like this? Just like Nancy Nancy scarf? I need my tutu and wings, too Mom! I look like Nancy Nancy!

'Dad, here we come! Mommy and Caris are walking outside together!' (she loves loves to say caris and -insert person- are doing something together)

'Dad! Dance with me! Mom! Dance with me! I need my Ariel, and the other princess. And my purplicious. Max! Dance with me! I need my scarf. And my wand. YAY!! All my friends are dancing with me!' (seriously, an almost nightly occurence is a commanded dance party with lil' C)

'Mom and Dad! Look at me. I dancing backwards (and so she does indeed turn and dance backwards) Now I'm dancing the other backwards!' (turns around and dances backwards in the opposite direction)


'Mom! Say good girl. Say good girl again. Say good girl Caris. Say good girl Caris again. Say good job Caris. Say good job Caris again.' (after EVERY time she goes potty)


(on seeing Daddy walk in the door wearing his scrubs after work) 'Dad, you work at the hospital? You fix people? Your clothes dirty Daddy! You need to change them.' (think we've had to explain why he can't hold her right away a few times? and then followed by...) 'Dad! Where's your shirt? It's somewhere else. Mom, Daddy needs his shirt! And shoes! Put your shirt on, Dad.'

'Okay. TWO books. Can we read that book again, Mom? First the Big Red Barn book THEN Flip Flop Fly! Last book.' (or some variation of this EVERY night. she would read books for hours if we let her)


'It's sunny outside, Mom! You need you sunglasses?' and 'It's raining! I get to wear my lady bug boots and my umbrella! Mom, where you boots?'

'Mom, where are you sparkle shoes? Oh. You not can wear sparkle shoes to work? Wear you sparkle shoes mom!' (after this discussion our morning routine has derived this little interaction...Caris loves to find my shoes when I am finishing our out-the-door routine) 'Mom, here are you work shoes! You wear these shoes to work, Mom? Not your sparkle shoes. Work shoes are too dirty for Caris to wear!'

'I eat crayons! NooOOoo (laughing). We don't eat crayons, we eat dinner!' (and other variations such as...) 'Mom, I eat my hair? NoOOooOOO!! I eat dinner! I eat people food!'

(Caris discovers her Daddy home asleep when she wakes up in the morning, this occurs only once or twice a month, and excitedly proceeds to try to wake up dad running on 4 hours average sleep) 'Dad! Wake up. Wake up Dad. (her persistence leads to Dad waking up and sitting on the side of the bed) NO dad. Put your feet on the floor and wake up, out of bed, Dad!'

'Mom! I can't do it. I'm too big! Help me please!' (Anything she doesn't want to wear/do or can't do she ascribes as too big. Usually she means the clothes are too small or she's too small to accomplish the task)

And Caris LOVES to have conversations with our puppy Max....she loves to have someone to boss around. Poor baby brother!


'Max! Look at my dress. You like my dress, Max?'

(we hear Caris outside whistling to Max) 'Daddy! Max is outside barking at people! No Max. No bark at people Max.' (she is always so direct and sweetly firm. It's funny!)

'Max! Help me! Come here Max! I need you to catch me!' (and enter a fairly decent attempt to whistle)


(Caris directs Max to the door and lets him out) 'Max, you go outside! No barking inside Max. You need to go outside now. No barking!'


'Max you not eat Caris' food. You eat dog food! It's in there Max. I got it for you already! You not eat my dinner' (pretty obvious what was occurring that spurred this conversation)

Fashionista

Caris loves accessories. Girl would wear her bracelets and necklaces everyday if I would allow. So on weekends, one of her favorite things to do is to hit up the accessory shelf to adorn her outfits to her heart's content. She is very specific and opinionated. And to be quite honest, it all kind of works. I have no sense of style but it seems my lil' C may have inherited what I lack. For last weekend's trip to Target, Caris insisted on both bracelets, a flower headband, and a 'braid pony' to go along with the pink dress and purple sandals she picked out on her own. I mean, who doesn't need to be fancy for a trip to Tar-get.

Caris has lately been very interested in her 'rain boots, brella, and rain jacket' since she got caught in a rainstorm at the zoo and scored a new 'brella from Susie a few months ago. Unfortunately, despite the lingering humidity, we have not had rain in quite a while and my persuasion to only wear such items when raining had left her lacking. Anytime she heard thunder and the promise of rain, she talked incessantly about her 'ladybug boots and 'brella when it rains'. And so her persistence paid off as on a rushed, stressful school morning when Caris picked out her ladybug boots to wear and put them on ready to go out the door, I gave in. And wouldn't you know girl proudly wore her rain boots all day long.

She knows what she wants, our Caris, down to the detail. This morning, after picking out the outfit she wanted to wear and getting dressed, she insisted 'I want to wear my hair long today, Mom. No ponies for school' (our typical school fixtures are ponies of the one or two variety. and yes, that is exactly how she talks these days). Then she proceeded to go pick out and put on her nice sandals on her own accord and there was no convincing her not to wear these shoes to school. So off she was, long hair and shoes on the wrong feet. Proudly independent and dressed.

Not only is Caris opinionated on what she wears, but she has taken things one step further to decide what MOM should wear. If I happen to not be dressed for work prior to Caris waking up, she loves to come pick out my clothes. Just this morning she insisted I wear a top that I have gotten more compliments on.....

Funny girl.

And in a seemingly related note, as seen in her statement above, for some reason Caris has decided to call me 'MOM' most of the time. Not mommy, momma, or any other child endearment. But Mom. Seriously. As one of her teacher's said, Caris went straight from toddler stage to pre-teen. Sass for sure.

Hey June

You are almost half-way done. Where have you gone? And welcome to the blog. I'm not sure what has been so busy in our June, but it quickly came and has quickly progressed.

As has this belly. Whoa momma. We are in week 27 and my thoughts fluctuate between feeling like I am so huge and it is so hot to ONLY be 27 weeks and feeling like I can't believe I have ONLY 12 weeks to get everything ready (at home and work) for this little one to arrive. So I guess 27 weeks is a fine place to be in the middle of those feelings. Hopefully I can get my act and house together and hopefully my daily growing self can survive this 100 degree weather and oppressive humidity.

June, I so wish I could participate in your introduction to summer daily. With Popsicles and swimming pools and afternoon naps. Our lil' C loves the water and discovered on our March vacation that she can swim all on her own with the assistance of floaties. But instead you are chores and work and etc. with a random sprinkling of summer fun. One day, June, we will have a summer to spend together again.

May ended with celebrations mixed in with busy schedules. Another fine place to be mixed in between. March and April have long since passed, yet I still have hopes of documenting our vacation, birthday celebrations, Easter, and graduation. And hey, it's June. I'm not sure how we got here so quickly.

But the arrival of mid-June means a few steps closer to Garrett finishing this punishing general surgery intern year and most excitingly, a few steps closer to meeting our little boy. I can't wait. For both. So June, go ahead and move along. Bring your heat. We will visit the pool and play in sprinklers and enjoy your summer nights when we can.

Hey, June. Thanks for introducing Caris to sno-cones. They were clearly a hit.

Big girl

My big girl. Seems like the last week or two has really seen some big girl transformation. I think (THINK) we can say that Caris is officially potty trained. I likely just jinxed this possibility, but we are going on a full week with no diapers at school, no diapers at nap, and have only had one accident (in the setting of an over-tired, over-excited, frustrated moment. kind of like a puppy).

But our big girl has done GREAT. We let her take the lead for a few months after she started showing interest way back when... But honestly, between holiday travel, birthday travel, vacation, followed by more birthday, big girl bed transition, and more holidays, fit in around work weeks and sandwiched between full weekends, I was not very consistent in training. (how's that for a disclaimer?). Mainly, we would just let C give things a try if she wanted, and then reward her by letting her wear big girl panties if successful. It worked. And I wasn't quite ready to give up diapers. But, two weekends ago, with a day home alone and no errands forcing our agenda, we gave it a go. Trained. Talked. And then worked through the week at home. By Friday, her teachers were on board and C had her first diaper free day!

So we went to Chik-Fil-A (which Caris literally asks for everyday) to celebrate with ice cream. Fun times celebrating our big girl!

And even with an eventful weekend, Caris stayed on track. And so far, hasn't had a single accident at school. She's even waking up dry from the night. And only will use the real big potty. She is proud, and also private. Doesn't really want to talk much about it; although she sure enjoyed her ice cream. I am proud and think I may be more excited than she is at how well it has worked. And thus the reason for my over-explanatory post.

In addition to the big girl potty, we have been in our big girl bed for over a month now. We ALL LOVE the big girl bed. Caris hasn't had any really problems with sleep, but in the recent months, started waking up more consistently at night. I think the issue was that she was too big for her crib and a bit uncomfortable. So thankfully, JJ and Susie gifted Caris with her very own big girl bed for her birthday. Words cannot describe how excited she was. Caris had been talking about her big girl bed since vacation a month prior and literally had been looking in magazines saying 'I want that big girl bed' for weeks. Needless to say she was ecstatic.

For the past month, she's slept like a champ. Asks for her big girl bed when she's sleepy and excitedly gets in by herself every night. She LOVES her 'pink big girl bed'. And we love how much it has helped her sleep. And my growing belly loves not having to lift 30lbs out of a crib.

My big girl all of the sudden has taken to discipline, remembers to say please and thank you without prompting, holds hands without arguing, and knows her boundaries. Putting on her clothes by herself, washing her plates, putting things away, and following orders. It's like it's clicking. I'm loving it and so is she.

Love my sweet 2 year old!! So big. My girl.

Solution

I realized after yesterday's post that I did, in fact, have a solution.

Two, actually.

But mainly one. Such a good solution that I did in fact marry him.

My husband is a great compliment to me in this area. He's the one who carries out my projects and operationalizes our goals. He is truly one of those people who if you give a task, he will not only complete but master. In no time at all. He's good at everything he tries and isn't afraid to try anything. It's one of the things I fell for. And is a real bonus for me! And double bonus: fairly certain Caris takes after her Daddy in this arena.

So what I realized, in my post-vent analysis, was there is a reason this list feels more daunting than usual.

My 'fixer' is missing. Currently working a 17 day stretch of 17+ hour days, following maybe one day off, with a previous stretch of 17+ hour nights, he's at max capacity. I so admire his hard work and dedication and honestly have no idea how he is functioning in his current state. Ridiculous.

But all that to say, clearly he's in no sort of state to fulfill my lists of wants. We definitely miss him for so many reasons during these crazy times. And I guess I can embrace the 'auto-pilot' function we are currently one as a result. I'm not the one working these seriously crazy days, sleep-deprived.

So for now, I am relegated to my solution #2. The iPhone. Seriously. My picture taker, video, developer, album, reminder, catch-all. At least I have that.

Solution #1 courtesy of Solution #2. See how great they both are? I am clearly very partial to always having my #1 as his pictures are much better and well organized. But thanks to #2, I at least have a picture for this post, readily at my literal fingertips, and providing documentation of my sweet girls birthday. Both have their place, I guess.

To Do

Right now, I am sitting at work thinking of all the things I need and want to do. But that I am not doing.

I have a life-long bad habit. Of wanting to do things. But never doing.

In our current state of affairs, I can blame it on being busy. Because that is true.

But what is also true is that if things were different and I were a bit less busy, I would find myself wasting time and never actually completing the things I wish I did.

There is the constant big-ticket have-to-do list that lingers over my guilty conscience undone. But what currently bothers is the even smaller things I wish I could 'check-off'.

My current wish list includes: make photo books (on my to-do list for both Caris' first and second birthday), do one of those blog-to-book things, frame some of our favorites, write letters and cards to many a folks, organize our family photos, clean out closets and nooks and crannies (p.s. what are crannies??), put up the pile of clothes waiting for me in our bedroom, plant flowers, swim lessons for Caris, and various other agenda items. Really, simple items that I find slipping by constantly undone.

My intentions seem simple enough, and then so quickly, a year passes and I have yet to enroll in the class we wanted to take, or see the play we promised we would go to, or go to the fun place we always say we should go to. Somehow related to this is the fact that I also found Christmas books and Easter books this year still out that I swear I was just telling myself to put away.

So I sit here, or sit there, letting another hour pass by. And then look back realizing what I should have done with that hour I wasted. I blame it on this fact or that and let the simple things be pushed to the side. And I guess hoping that somehow by writing the fact will somehow make it go away. Or magically get done.

A New Face

As meaningful follow-up to my previous post, and also perhaps a reason behind my blogging infrequency and negligence of significant matters...

It's time to introduce our newest face!

Our sweet baby BOY due to arrive September 13th. We are overjoyed to be expecting a new addition to our little family and excited for what is in store for our growing group.

Right now, I am almost 23 weeks along and enjoying the benefits of the second trimester. Belly still small enough not to be completely uncomfortable but big enough to 'show' off, feeling the baby move, preparing for his arrival, and feeling pretty well overall! It's been a very, very full past 4 months and things have been a little crazy (crazy good, but still crazy!) but we've made it past the halfway point and are excited to shake things up with a boy at the house!

This pregnancy has been quite different from my previous in many ways. I was (am?) much more fatigued, particularly during the first trimester when coupled with a few other little medical hiccups. With Caris, I was nauseous almost constantly but never 'sick' and with this little one, I felt much better overall, but when the nausea hit, was definitely 'sick'. From early on, we could tell from ultrasounds and finding the heart rate that this little guy is already much more active than his sister, who we used to bribe with sugary treats for in-utero peeks and is still our lounging/snuggling queen. The weight gain/belly growth I think has also been different. I have been able to fit in my clothes much longer this time around, but I think I 'showed' baby sooner. It seems to be going by MUCH quicker, chasing a two-year old and working and managing the house speeds the process along! I feel a lot less anxiety about what to prepare and each nuance of pregnancy. It's been nice! Fun to see how different things can be from the get go.

And of course, the big gender reveal! We love finding out the gender and were both very excited to see what we had in store this time. I honestly had a feeling it was a boy because I just felt so different, but at the same time, with all the girls in my family I felt that surely it was a girl! We kind of lucked out because one of our good friends was on a rotation that gave her access to an ultrasound machine. So, we got an early few peeks on a few nights she was on-call. It was kind of fun, sneaking up through the hospital with Garrett, late at night, Caris at home with a sitter, and spending time alone with our new little one. The first try, Garrett left VERY convinced it was a boy (and Garrett isn't easily convinced of these types of things). The second peek was just me and my friend, and at that point, we were both convinced.

Blue it was! Our 20 week sonogram confirmed our early peeks and now we are into all things boy! I think since we are inundated with all things girly, pink, and purple with Caris, we are wanting VERY boy type things. Blue, green, animals!! So fun.

We think Caris is excited to be a big sister. She seems to get it. Largely in part of the fact that my sister just went through the process and Caris LOVES baby Annabelle. Although for awhile, when we would talk about the baby in Mommy's belly, she would point to it and say 'Baby Anbelle?' Now she calls it 'Mommy's baby. Baby brother'. She is sweet and cute already about the baby. We took her with us to the 20 week ultrasound and she loved seeing the baby on the big screen. A few weeks later, we were watching TV and a commercial with a sonogram picture came up and she said 'Look! Mommy's baby is on TV!' I got such a kick out of that.

We can't wait to meet our new little BOY!! It's such a joy to see how our family is emerging and what that looks like for us as we build our little life. It's been I'm sure I will be more than ready come September after spending a summer in Houston pregnant....

What a sweet blessing this little guy is already. Now if we can just agree on a name....

A Mother's Day

As the day entitled 'Mothers' made it's presence known in well-wishes, marketing, and celebration, I couldn't help but reflect on what mothering means to me and what being a mother truly is. Yes, the reflection was in the setting of a highly hormonal, tired, and alone momma, so it was definitely swayed towards the sappy. Advanced apologies if you attempt to read...

Primarily, I was honestly overwhelmed with the sense of thankfulness. So many people make it possible for me to be a mother. I truly couldn't do it alone. We have such a network of support that surrounds us, making it possible to be in this stage of life and to enjoy motherhood. We are attempting to balance two careers along with the financial commitments of school and residency. Truly, couldn't do it alone.

We have Grandmothers who are willingly available to help out in school closures and work commitments and who never visit empty handed, helping with holidays and birthdays and every-days, and who care for Caris the way only grandma's can. Grandfathers who support us and have a special bond with lil C. Sisters/in-laws (Aunties) who love Caris like their own and are the best gift-givers, helping with babysitting and stepping in where mom needs help (primarily in keeping Caris fancy and her hair fixed). Uncles always up for fun with lil C and willing to offer an extra set of carrying arms when Daddy's aren't available. Friends walking through this stage with me, sharing mom advice and trials and planning escapes when needed. Teachers who truly love our girl and make her day great. And of course, husband/father/friend, walking beside my crazy mommy analysis, picking up pieces where needed, and actualizing our family dreams. These people are the reason I am even able to celebrate a Mother's day. Without them, I truly could not be a mother.

And then there was reflection on the Mother's Day. My third, hard to believe. The first spent in the blissful delirium of a two-week old baby. A day I remember vividly; rocking my sweet girl in the warmth of the sun in my newly gifted Adirondack rocker, savoring the newness of motherhood. The second spent with a joyful one-year old and a happy husband, lots of family, and a fancy dinner. Thrilled at what the past year of mothering brought.

This year I found to be most poignant in it's own way. A day planned to be low-key, with my girl, being her mommy. I was home alone with a two-year old in fine two-year old form. Starting off our day with promise, reading books snuggled in bed. Then quickly followed by a breakdown surrounding blackberries. And it was a kind of downhill from there. We had moments of pure mothering joy; dancing silly to loud music in the kitchen, cooking together, and snuggles on the couch. But my girl was in her own mood and mind, and the day was dictated by fits and resistance as the driving force. I spent my day 23-weeks pregnant, managing a toddler's moods, cleaning after a week gone, cooking, and preparing for house changes. We had peanut butter sandwhiches for lunch and macaroni for dinner. I faced my insecurities on gravity of parenting a strong-willed two-year old and the thought of having two littles. It was mothering. And very fitting.

I thought about my own mother, who spent her weekend driving across Texas to help her girls. Who spent a week taking care of Caris while I was gone and did chore after chore and gave gift after gift. Only to spend her Mother's Day home alone with her girls away. I thought about how mothering, at its essence, is self-sacrificing. And how that has been given and demonstrated to me throughout my life. We don't even realize growing up how much our own mother's gave us because they have given so much from day one that it embodies who they are and defines our relationship.

I thought about how beautiful the gift of self-sacrifice truly is. What a precious blessing to be given a mother's heart. Truly, something that can only be explained by a loving offering from our Creator. How a mother can have a day filled with tantrums, or teenage attitude, or newborn sleeplessness and savor each moment and cry at the thought of having to go to work the next day. How the tiny moments of silly smiles, sweet dances, little kisses, and funny quips override the moments of hitting, crying, and demanding. I am so thankful for the provision of a mother's heart.

The gift of a mother's heart is precious and I feel lately challenged to manage it responsibly. Taken in the wrong direction, context, and without guidance of God, sacrifice can turn into something unrecognizable. To nurture the gift of self-sacrifice with joy, selflessness, and love. To be pure in it's virtue and honest in the delivery. And to remain thankful that each day is a Mother's Day.

The Second Year

We've arrived at year two. I want to remember Caris at this sweet age; it's such an enjoyable stage of life. The last several months have brought such growth and development. We have been constantly amazed at each little shift as our toddler takes on the appearance and attitude of a little girl.

Mainly, it's the talking that makes us feel our toddler is more big girl. We have conversations with our little one, such a natural progression that I'm not so sure when they began. I love (as I've said in the past) watching the nuances of language develop. Caris uses pronouns correctly, uses plurals and correct tenses, descriptors and directions, and so many other language details that surprise me daily. She tells us her likes and dislikes clearly and is quick to tell us just what she wants :) I love hearing her sweet voice. I don't get too many phone calls from Caris (as I'm usually the one facilitating the calls) and was shocked on a recent phone call at just how grown up my girl sounded.



She is girlie, our little one. Although still not sure of the origins, we are embracing. All things pink, purple, frilly, colorful, and accessorized. She LOVES fixing her hair and feeling pretty. Braids, rollers, bows, ponies, and 'two ponies' all favorite requests. She opines on her daily wardrobe choice, prefers dresses and sparkly shoes, and oohs with excitement upon receiving new clothes. I'm a little out of my league in this area, but luckily we have a good team of girls for back up :)

Caris loves books and has begun to participate in one of my favorite little one activities by reading along with the reader. She anticipates the next page and reads along as we go. Sometimes she reads alone, telling the story from her own unique perspective. I love that she knows her books. She would read for hours on end if she had the option :)

My lil C seems to embrace learning. She picked up on her Alphabet letters quite easily and can now identify the majority of her letters, even the 'Mommy/Daddy letters and baby letters'. She loves to sing 'Now I know My ABC'. She counts to 14 for some strange reason, but half of the time 8-10 is ocho-diez. I think we had a Little Pim confusion in that learning process....

Caris loves to sing songs. She knows a few favorites and sings her sweet little heart out. Her favorite song to sing, which she literally will sing and dance around to for an hour goes something like this 'Homily, Homily. Homily, Homily'. We have no idea what this song is. If it's real, made-up, or modified. I inquired as to what 'homily' was and was answered with a sassy dance. So who knows. She does love to dance indeed. Adding versions of skills such as 'arabesques, curtsies, and pirouettes' courtesy of Angelina Ballerina. Dancing with the Stars if an absolute favorite. And little one recently dance for three hours straight at a party. Girl loves some music.



Right now, Caris loves animals, babies, princess Rapunzel, dolls, and playing house with small figures. She is in the midst of imagination and pretend. Forks and spoons have been know to 'Go to sleep' under napkins at dinner and she happily shows her animals new things and adventures.


I love watching the complexities of her personality emerge. She is full of both complexities and personality, this little one. She has a sensitive and sweet heart. Offering sympathies and running to the aid when she hears someone crying. She loves to be close to her mommy and has a need for down time and mommy time. She is loving to her sweet baby cousin and initiates kind acts of giving. She was so thankful for each of her gifts and her friends and gave hugs to all. With this sensitive heart comes sensitive emotions and Caris is not shy in expressing how she feels. Caris knows what she wants and is quite assertive. She is a little 'boss' at school (and home) and is comfortable directing others and leading the way. She is talkative and expressive and colorful. She is stubborn, independent, strong-willed, and opinionated. Loving, silly, sweet, and sassy. I love seeing how the intricacies of her personality form.

She is constantly inquisitive. Our conversations are filled with 'Why Mommy? But why Mommy? Why (continued until I can no longer answer....) What happened to....(insert innumerable subjects) ... Mommy?? Where is (anyone)??? Where did (anyone) go??'


We have tried to capture our 'classic Caris' moments in video form to remember this special time. From her funny habit of 'cheers-ing' anything from water to cheese, to her cutie smile, bossing Max around, and happily singing, I want to remember it all. Caris, you are precious to us and I am so grateful to share in the joy of who you are. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store!

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