A Purposeful Peek

Charlotte Ann, You are turning into a fearless adventurer...so let the child-proofing projects commence! You are a speed-crawler, and love chasing your doggies, cousins, or anyone else who dares to race you around the house.  You can stand on your own and have thought about walking, but when you realize it's a slower process than speed-crawling, you change your mind. Only when Daddy's holding your hands do you like to walk, and even then you sometimes prefer to hop (thanks to your doorway jumper that has taught you how to work on your "ups.") My dear, you have two speeds: GO...and SLEEP. There really is no in between. You tackle each new task with full force energy, so at night time you are exhausted and collapse into bed after a full day.  The only time you sit still in our laps, allowing us to rock you is when you we read bedtime stories, and you are hanging on every word. Even then, though, you are an active participant, turning the pages, po...

Fathers. There is something so very special about the role of a father in a child's life that no one else can fulfill in quite the same way.  Even more specifically, there is something incredibly unique about a father-daughter bond.  I have been so blessed to grow up as a "Daddy's Girl" and have many fond memories of my wonderfully involved Dad coaching my softball team, spending hours at the kitchen table helping me with math homework, teaching me how to draw 3D images, laying outside on a starry night searching for shooting stars, and serving as my "agent" in all things relating to "grown-up stuff" such as college applications. This Father's Day, it is surreal to be living only 5 mintues away from my Dad, after nearly 13 years of living hours and many miles apart!  I still rely on him as my "agent" for any life matters, seeking his advice on topics big and small, and even catching a ride t...

Charli Ann, Our beautiful little blondie, it is amazing to think that you have now been in our arms for nearly as many months as you were inside my belly.  The past 18 months have been the most incredible months of our lives, but especially the past 9 months! You Momma survived our first extended time apart; Momma and Daddy went to Minneapolis for a work conference, and you stayed home with your Mimi and Didi.  Your Grandma, Mammo, and Pappo also came to visit, and your cousins kept you plenty entertained while we were gone. You LOVE your people. Last month, you were exploring what it felt like to pull from sitting to standing, and this month tested your limits by beginning to "cruise" around furniture. You learned the strength of your legs in your Jumparoo - you went from bouncing to JuMpInG and twirling. This month you also discovered your words.  You've babbled and "sang" for months, but now you ar...

Only a few months old and about to undergo a significant treatment, my tiny patient squirmed tearfully in the arms of a stranger. No parents in sight, a hospital staff member had been assigned to hold her during this painless, yet uncomfortable procedure. The fluorescent lights in the hospital room glared down upon this sweet baby, and the television had been turned to a loudly obnoxious cartoon channel in hopes of distracting her.  In his loud, authoritative voice, the attending physician rattled off confirmation of the patient's labs, medical condition, and procedure that was about to take place. Then, he looked at me and said, "I'm afraid this isn't going to go well." As the clinical pharmacist, I had been asked to assist in monitoring the patient's blood pressure at the bedside during this treatment and to dose the appropriate medications if needed to help control it.  As the baby began to scream lou...

Each woman's journey into motherhood looks completely different.  Some enter into it without intention, while others long to become a mother and yet grieve the heartache of infertility.  Some must wait for years to be matched with their forever child, and still others receive the blessing of motherhood naturally and expectantly.  Today, I honor three women, whose stories are woven into my own journey to motherhood... She was young and in love. Engaged and planning to spend forever together.... until she became pregnant before the wedding. This simply wasn't acceptable in her family, or even in his. No, this could not happen, would not happen. He walked away.  Her family pressured her to end it all. But despite her world crumbling around her, she somehow found the strength to nurture that tiny life inside her for 40 weeks, enduring the stares and whispers, perhaps being disowned by her own family. She birthed that perfect baby boy, and then she gave him away before ...

Charlotte Ann, Little CA, Charli-girl... Our little energizer bunny, you are filled with excitement nearly ALL. THE. TIME. To you, every day is the BEST day of your life, and we can't help but think so too because your energy is so contagious! You are the smiliest, giggliest, chattiest little lady, and you love entertaining a crowd. This month, you learned how to push and pull up to standing position using boxes, furniture, human legs, and anything you can get your tiny hands on. Your strong, chubby legs are still a little wobbly, but you are holding your own against that ground under your feet. Your two bottom teeth are peeking their way through, and your little gummy smile lights up your whole face.  You are eating everything we put in front of you (fruits and veggies, mostly pureed), and are always insisting on holding your bottle and sippee cup all by yourself.   This was a month of many fun celebrations!   We attended ou...