The best dog in the whole world...

The photo below is of Annie and me B.D. (Before Daniel).


And here is a photo of Annie today.


Many things have changed for our sweet dog over that past couple years. Despite the fact that some of these changes (such as being relegated to the outdoors and receiving less attention from the adults but more attention from a rough and tumble toddler) have probably been somewhat disheartening for Annie, she remains her sweet, gentle, loving self. She will let Daniel do anything to her...reach in her food bowl, ride her like a horse, pull her tail, pat not-so-gently...and Annie never even growls. She looks somewhat persecuted at times, but that is about all. Of course, Brian and I are doing our best to teach Daniel proper doggy manners, but sometimes he forgets. A constant phrase at our house is "Gentle, Daniel, pat gently!" He is learning, and I have a feeling someday these two will be the best of friends.

Keepin' it real

I often use this blog as a scrapbook for Daniel. I have a difficult time getting photos developed and put into albums, but this blog is one way I keep record of his babyhood. Therefore, I typically only post the happy, memorable events in our little world.

Well, here is a less-than-perfect moment for the record. On Friday night, Daniel did NOT sleep well. I pieced together about 4 hours of sleep, which is just not sufficient for me. In addition, we had someplace to be on Saturday morning, so there was no lazing around the house. Brian was working, but I managed to get Daniel and I bathed and dressed and packed to leave. Just as we were pulling out of the driveway, I got a call letting me know our plans were canceled. Suddenly, we were all dressed up with no where to go. My exhaustion seemed to make this situation much more depressing than it really was. Brian came home, we got Daniel fed, and he went down for a nap. I had been yearning for this moment all morning. I was free to take a nap myself, dirty house be danged. I ate some lunch, checked my email, and just as I was preparing to lay down, guess what happened? That's right...little Mr. Man woke up. I desperately tried to rock him back to sleep to no avail. I felt like screaming. I felt like crying. I felt like I would never be well-rested again! I scooped Daniel up and carried him into the living room where Brian was studying for his crop insurance test. I plopped Daniel on his lap and said, "I can't do this anymore!" I ran to the bedroom, shut the door, and crawled into bed fully dressed with the covers over my head. As I laid there feeling sorry for myself, I thought I could hear Daniel crying. He must feel upset and rejected by his mommy! I pulled the covers off my head and then realized it was not crying that I heard...it was great peals of laughter. They were obviously quite alright without me. So, I stayed right where I was for over an hour. When I finally emerged from the bedroom, Daniel and Brian were having a great time outside in the kiddie pool.

After reading this post, I feel kind of sheepish. A little sleeplessness seems enough to push me over the edge sometimes. Sigh. Perhaps I need to reread this post and take some of my own advice. I pray that I can learn the lessons God wants to teach me and enjoy this precious little boy He has given to us. In the meantime, I am thankful for a husband who picks up the slack when I have a mommy meltdown.

Baby hands

The other day I was trimming Daniel's nails, and it suddenly dawned on me...his hands will soon change from dimpled baby hands to little boy hands. That doesn't sound like a huge revelation, but for some reason that thought brought a lump to my throat. I love, love, love his baby hands. They were one of the first things I admired after he was born. The thought of those little dimpled knuckles disappearing is heart wrenching!
So, I did what any mom with a camera would do, and I photographed his hands from every possible angle. Now the cuteness is thoroughly documented!


I love this last photo of his little baby hand resting on my shoulder. This is a precious stage.

Monumental event

Take a good look at the photos below. This is the picture of a little boy who has just slept 11 hours. And not just 11 hours, but 11 hours IN A ROW!!! This has never happened before. He rarely (and I mean rarely) sleeps through the night, much less for 11 hours. I am ecstatic and praying that this is the beginning of a new trend in our sleep-deprived household.

I just love the bed head, don't you?

Update: The next night Daniel was awake from 12:30 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. for no apparent reason. We followed the exact same routine as the 11-hours-of-sleep night. Perhaps our sleepless nights have not ceased yet.

A man of many hats

Daniel loves hats. Well, actually he loves anything he can put on his head, which includes hats, helmets, bowls, gift bags, laundry baskets, etc. In fact, he loves my brother's motorcycle helmet so much that he whines when I take it off him. The thing is enormous and must be heavy on his little neck and shoulders. I finally found a bicycle helmet that he would wear in place of the motorcycle helmet. Too funny! Here are some of the photos of Daniel with his many "hats."

Awww....

Newest hobby

I love to crochet! It is so satisfying and makes me feel very... domestic! Brian bought me a crochet book and supplies for Mother's Day, so I have been using spare moments here and there to learn the stitches and make some projects. Here are my first creations... a couple flowers and a jewelery roll. I have no idea why anyone would need a jewelery roll, but I made one nonetheless. My next project is an envelope purse, which I already started and then completely unraveled. Hohum. Perhaps someday, I will work up to making something I (or someone else) will actually use! Watch out, family members! I see crocheted Christmas gifts in your future. :)

If you are thinking, "Is that ALL she has made in two months?" then please remember that spare moments are awfully hard to come by around here. :)