14 weeks

AJ is a little over 14 weeks old! She's growing up so quickly!

We went up to Illinois and she got to meet Aunt Stacy and Uncle Alan, Caleb, and Asher for the first time. She LOVED watching her cousins play! She would just lay on the floor and watch them run around the room. Wherever they went, her eyes would follow. It was very sweet.

We had a really nice time. Hiking, talking, feeding babies, putting babies down for naps, hugging babies, and cleaning up toys that babies played with :)

When I came back home on Monday I felt refreshed. I realllllllllllllly wish I could have my whole family closer, but I AM very thankful that we have family close down here. Very thankful.

But that didn't stop me last night from making up a dream life where my dad gets a job at Healing Place school of ministry and they live down the street from us :/ And of course Susan (and family) and Stacy would magically move down here, too. Of course.

Sooooo right now AJ is probably working the hardest at bringing things she is holding to her mouth. And attempting to chew on them. She also rolls over from her belly to her back sometimes (typically when she's pretty awake and I lay her on her tummy.) She LOVESLOVESLOVES standing up. She loves it when we sing "AJ Loup-ty Loup" to her and make her dance. She also loves daddy's animal noises.

When I sing to her, I find myself always gravitating toward old Brookhill summer camp songs. "Sanctuary", "As the Deer", "Light a Fire", "Father, I adore you" etc. It's funny! I guess those songs are soothing to me and that's why they come to mind. AJ generally responds well to them.

She's wearing size 1 diapers. She sleeps 8-11 hours per night (although, for whatever reason, she seems to wake up in the middle of the night more often when Charlie has her...?) She also isn't napping great at Mimi's house, but Mimi went overboard and is making her a whole set-up nursery at her place to make AJ as comfy as possible over there. I'm very very grateful that Mimi is doing such much for AJ. It's allowing me to 1) go to work and 2) not worry when I'm AT work! That's just as big as being able to go! I know AJ is smothered with love all day! And I'm sure she'll get more and more comfortable over there and nap like she does over here. (or they'll just get into their own routine).

What else? It's terrible selfish, but I like it when AJ responds the best to me--feeding, sleeping, bathing, etc. Sometimes if Charlie can't get her to do something, I can. That's very selfish, I know. But I feel like it's a Mommy-right! Charlie does WAY more for and with her than I think a lot of men do--and I love that (and I know AJ benefits from it), but I do really like being her mommy. There's nothing else like it. (It's Father's Day tomorrow. Sorry Charlie!) (Obviously I'm wild about you, and AJ is, too!)

That's probably enough for now. Really, probably too much :) But that's okay. I think me and my mom are my only viewers.