Almost Famous

Our family has been in San Antonio for a month, and we're already in the paper! Kudos to our new church, Hope Community Church, for getting the word out about their second annual Easter Egg Drop and some great publicity for the church in the San Antonio Express-News`this week. You can view the article here or see the pics of our family below.

Three to Four Months

Our sweet baby girl is growing up...four months old as of April 2nd! Looking back, this has been one of the most enjoyable months so far, as she is more social, sleeping and eating better, and learning more tricks than ever before! Best of all, today she rolled over from tummy to back for the first time! It didn't seem to faze her...or impress her that much either. It's exciting and intimidating to think of a mobile Jackie! But bring it on!

Portland Visit

What a nice visit we had with my parents in Portland, Oregon: full of home-cooked meals, visits with old family friends, and time with siblings Andrew and Julia. It was a great respite after being on the road and in transition for so long. Baby Jackie went through her three month growth spurt at the beginning of the week (back to eating 8 times a day!) and then began sleeping through the night without eating for the first time in her life - mom and dad can't complain! Every time we have visitors or travel somewhere, she grows leaps and bounds in her social ability, and she LOVED the attention from her adoring fans...grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We were so thankful Josh was able to take a 5 day break with us before starting his new job in San Antonio. We left for our new home refreshed and ready to start over again in a new city.

I don't think we're in Virginia anymore, Toto

 
 
Oh boy, I'm going to have to watch my attitude here - my Texas friends, I love you dearly, but when we left Texas 5 years ago, I remember saying, "Thank God we never have to live in Texas again!" I don't think I knew God then as well as I do now...He is funny! So with an effort to find the humor in any situation, I've compiled this list, and this comes from someone who knows, folks...

Farewell, Florida!

Our knights in shining armor!

President's Day was our last big hoorah in Florida, and we were lucky to spend it with Josh's parents. Our warm welcome was not to be outdone by the fire alarm, whose ostentatious arrival at 4 a.m. was the highlight of the evening. There were loudspeakers in every room and a robotic voice that foretold the immanency of the Apocalypse and recommended that we depart the building immediately. Apparently Florida building codes require beachfront property to withstand a CAT3 hurricane but not Biblical quantities of fire and brimstone. One hour and one screaming baby later, the fire department notified us that the end times would not happen that evening, but that we should be diligent to observe all standard safety precautions because was still a realistic possibility for the future... especially since that week was Mardi Gras. That night set the tone for the rest of the week and it was a tough one. Fortunately, my parents were there to take the baby-reins and let us get some Josh&Alison time. We will definitely miss living near them in Virginia, especially with their new Granddaughter, but the time we had living near each other was a blessing that we will cherish. Remember... Texas isn't that far away!

 

2 months young!

 

Real women have rolls!

Jackie's 2 month birthday was yesterday, so naturally we celebrated by taking her to the doctor to get probed by cold metal objects and stuck with various concoctions of viruses and bacteria - aka immunizations. The doctor smirked at my concerns and questions about feeding. I think it might have something to do with her weight, which is now a staggering 12 pounds, 13 ounces; believe it or not, this is actually a lower weight percentile than she was in when she was born - someone out there is feeding their baby too much formula. She has grown to a lengthy 23 1/4 inches. Everything seems to be healthy as can be, especially her lungs! This age is really fun and can be really frustrating. Lately I've had to feed her under a blanket because she is so curious about the world around her, she can't focus on anything else. She has her own ideas about how it would be best to eat and wants to fight me over it. :) However, she is also full of smiles and coos that win my heart over every time. The highlight of our day is usually bath time, when she gets to watch the water running and kick her feet in the tub. Sweet little girl!
 

Wuv...twoo wuv...

 
No seriously, she LOVES the ceiling fan...and the chandelier... So much more exciting to look at than daddy...