The Stonehouses Take San Antonio

We recently enjoyed a whirlwind week at the Stonehouse residence...birthday celebrations, visits from friends and family, treks across the city of San Antonio, many skipped naps, many many meals not eaten at home, lots of Arrested Development, and tons of fun!

Our very dear friends Wes and Katie came to visit with not-so-little-anymore Gentry (and favorite toy Stretch) in tow. I have never seen anyone so prepared for a long trip with kids - their two suitcases held enough wipes, diapers, entertainment, and snacks to keep us all going under any circumstances. We spent our first afternoon touring the Alamo (not worth going inside) and the Riverwalk (very beautiful, and most important, shady).

Downtown San Antonio

Remember the Alamo?

Our little stroller brigade

Heading down to the River Walk!

Possibly the least enjoyable way to tour the River Walk - we opted to hoof it.

Checking out the ducks!

Tuckered out already!

The next day we tackled Sea World, which is 5 minutes from our new rental house. This place has everything - food, rides, shows, carnival games, animal exhibits, and water features. We can't wait to take Jackie there when she gets older. However, she's still pretty dependent on her 2-3 daily naps, so I planned to take her back home at the first sign of trouble. ................. 8 hours later, we were still going strong, though somewhat worse for the wear! Very fun and tiring day!

Woohoooo!!!

Getting ready to see Shamu

Oooohhh!!

Ahhhhhh!!

Ohhhhhhh!!

Time out for some (extremely expensive and sort of gross) lunch

Penguin exhibit

Another one bites the dust...

Bathing beauty

Water exhibit

She's keeping an eagle eye on that water - not a fan.

The dolphin show

Jackie after 7 hours at Sea World

Gentry after 7 hours at Sea World

We were so happy to celebrate Josh's 30th birthday and Jackie's 6 month birthday on June 2nd, and that my brother Graham could be there for it! Something new I learned about Graham - he likes to sleep in enclosed spaces I guess...we offered him a sleeping bag on the couch, and instead he decided to spend the night...under our grand piano...not being one to throw caution to the wind, however, he anchored his sleeping bag to one of the pedals - safety first! Nothing could be better than little 2 year old Gentry's paralyzed reaction when a giant stranger with with Grizzly-man beard crawled out from under the piano the next morning! The boys caught The Avengers for Josh's birthday and the girls made pie for dessert at Josh's request. Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes in the form of cards and phone calls - it made Josh's day!

Birthday kids

Uncle Graham's so fun!

Key lime and chocolate peanut butter pies

Happy 3-0!!

Six Months, Baby!

Little sweetheart

Half a year - we made it!  Sometimes it comes as a shock to me that Josh and I have kept a human being alive with little more than a pack n play, a truckload of wipes and dipes, and some strategically placed burp rags...  Our little girl has definitely left the infant stage and is a giggling, rolling, thumb-sucking, toy-rattling, roly-poly little charmer.

Best things about this age:

• Giggles and smiles galore for any other baby friends in the room, especially the "friend" in the mirror!
• Dreaded "tummy time" is no longer a problem - she figured out how to roll over onto her back.
• Being able to bring her toys to her mouth instead of her mouth to her toys makes playing alone a lot easier!
• Starting solid foods...the road to freedom!!
• Every once in awhile, she'll dance for us - but just with her head. ;)

Truly, there's not much bad about this age about beyond the increased whining because she never wants mommy and daddy to leave the room - and that's pretty hard to complain about ....bring on the next six months!!!

Always with the feet!

Dancing with daddy

Chillin at Starbucks

She loves to play the piano...but only if we sing along with her...

Enjoying some time with friend Gaby

Reading during tummy time

Sup!

Enjoying my jumperoo - I swear my child does wear clothes occasionally.

I can hold things with both hands now! 

Practicing with my sippy cup - still don't get how it works

Getting pretty good at grasping

Sticking out my tongue - new talent

Blocks!

Sometimes I need to just chill in my swing

Happy 6 months!

First Mother's Day Reflections

Mother's Day 2012

There's nothing like becoming a parent to make you reflect on the kind of love God has for us.  One passage that has come to my mind frequently this year is from Isaiah 49:13-16, where God talks about his love for Israel:

For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.  But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."  Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?  In case you have not had the ever-present responsibility of breastfeeding a baby as her sole source of nutrition, I will tell you: definitely not!!  I am constantly thinking of Jackie's needs, her well-being, her happiness, her sorrows, no matter how small.  I have to be there for her every 4 hours or she does not eat; it's just that simple.  How much more does our heavenly Father care for us?  When I think of that, I have never felt so noticed by Him.

We want to celebrate this love that our two mothers gave to us.  We are thoroughly convinced Jackie has the two best grandmas in the world.  We love you so much because you loved us first!

Mama Stonehouse

Mama Hays