the baby and complete randomness...with pictures

A long weekend is over and I am so glad.

Betcha didn't expect me to be saying that!

But we've had someone sick in our house for 1.5 weeks and a sick infant = no fun. Then to top it off Jordan left before dawn on Friday for a ski trip in Colorado. I was very excited for him to get some 'guy time' but the timing couldn't have been worse.

He'll be home tonight. And. I. Can. Not. Wait.

You see cause, I can handle it. I can get it done. But I/we WANT him here.

I need his presence to be the mom I want to be. The one I'm called to be.

I NEED is his presence to make our family work.

And that is the beauty of DAD. Their simple presence makes FAMILY. And that is pretty powerful I just realized.

So it was just the kids and I an influenza all weekend.

We watched a lot of movies and spent a little time with Grandma Barb.

What great kids I have!

Torrance started feeling better on Saturday and that made the weekend much brighter.

She also became a big girl this weekend.

Truly she is suddenly a new baby.

And it made me realize that leaving the infant stage is not such a bad thing.

Because we are entering my FAVORITE STAGE!

This is one of her new tricks...

Standing!

She always wants to be standing on my lap.

She will hold my fingers and pull herself up!

Its quite amazing and very fun.

You should just see how proud of herself she is.

She also wakes up in the morning and from naps - happy!

Talking in her crib and looking around. I LOVE that.

And another thing about older babies...just laying them down in their cribs and walking away and knowing they will go to sleep within about 30 seconds and stay that way till morning - rocks.

She sucks her thumb all the time and its so precious. And it keeps her content for long periods...she does not need a pacifier she's got her thumb!

She also really wants to sit up. She doesn't like her baby seats anymore because they are reclined. The bumbo is her favorite. But she twists around in it so much its not very safe.

She is a mover!

She can move a couple of inches when on her tummy...SCARY! Exciting! Fun!

She is very vocal. Always making noise.

I think this week was likely her last week of staying in the church service with me.

She's going to get banned to the nursery because she's too loud!

She loves to tell me stories and make me laugh!

And I kind of like to listen to her stories!

She adores her siblings and simply lights up for them.

They constantly entertain her and fight over her!

When she fusses Tess runs to her and says, 'Its ok baby, I'm here.'

How. Precious. Is. That!?

She wont let me carry her facing me...she has to be facing outwards or she will squirm and basically try to crawl up my body. Its cute...but exhausting!

She is the smiliest little thing you've ever seen. Its the best.

At church yesterday everyone commented on what a happy, beautiful baby she was - they are SO right!

Avery said this weekend, "Mommy, I didn't know she'd be able to do all these things and be so fun now that she is 'old'!"

Cute.

And for more randomness from our weekend:

*when I'm stressed and bored and lonely - I eat. Wow.

*we watched Beezus and Ramona - it made me wish I'd had a sister growing up.

*Someone commented to me that I probably didn't mind having Jordan gone while the kids were sick cause he probably wasn't much help anyway. Uh? what? No. Jordan is a very engaged dad...we wouldn't have five kids if he wasn't. He walks fussy babies, kisses owies, changes diapers, makes meals, wipes mouths and rears, cleans up vomit, gets up in the night and does the work right along side me. This raising kids deal is a team effort. And truly, if he weren't this type of a dad...Lauren would be an only child!

*I love my husband and I love it that I miss him so bad it hurts when he's gone for a few days.

*You know how women tend to lose hair in the months after a pregnancy? Well this is beyond ridiculous. I actually have a receding hair line. It is bad. When will it end? Lauren saw me cleaning out the tub this weekend and she gasped and asked if I was sick because of all the hair I lost in one shower. ITS THAT BAD!

*Also, you know how when you start to have babies and people warn you how expensive they will be? Well you know what is more expensive than babies? older kids! This week I started sweating just thinking about how we will handle 5 kids between the ages of 18 and 9.

*A couple of funnies: Tess was very excited to go to church and 'dance with her friends' yesterday. I don't know where she got this idea...so when we came home I asked if she danced. She said, 'No! Mommy! My friends didn't even want to! I need new friends!' HYSTERICAL.

Also, while watching a movie this weekend we took a break for everyone to get jammies on. 1/2 hour later we were all back on the couch watching and suddenly all us girls realized at about the same time that Sullivan had gotten UN dressed but had never gotten RE dressed. He was sitting on the couch in his underwear...totally glued into the movie. HYSTERICAL again. We laughed...he cried. Poor kid...he really needs dad to come home - he is so outnumbered.

*Avery is so excited for Spring soccer to get started.

She wore part of her uniform around today to 'get ready'. Cute.

*And one last random thought...I am missing my dad a lot right now. I go through periods where I am ok and then periods where the grief is so raw that its like he just died. Days were I think about him constantly. And when I type this, it sounds so silly...I'm 34...should I really miss my daddy so much? But I do. And if he were here I'd sit on his lap. And feel his scratchy face against my cheek...cause I used to do that every night as a kid. I think he just made the world seem safe. That's kind of the beauty of dads and daughters I guess. Its a bond that cant be replaced.