Pain in the Bite

Its been over a month since I got my wisdom teeth out, and I can honestly say this is the first week that my mouth feels completely better. (not even really normal, but no pain). Right at the end of August, I decided to quickly get my wisdom teeth out (after years of being told to) since my insurance changed Sept 1st, and under my old insurance, I could get the surgery done for free. Not even a co pay. (Now THAT is good insurance). So in less than a week's time, I made arrangements to make it happen. Now before going into surgery, I heard a lot of people's experiences--good and bad. Some people were eating steak 2 days later, and others didn't quite feel back to normal for a couple weeks. Well, let's just say that after my experience, I probably won't be sharing my story with people. Because if they heard it, they would probably let their wisdom teeth take up permanent residence in their mouth. Mine was not a normal experience. And after the weeks of a puffy cheek (yep, just one side--which, in my opinion, is even more awkward), endless pain, no real food, gross sockets, popping Vicodin and Tylenol like candy, smoothies and ice cream (which I could honestly do without for a while), I finally feel better. I can finally take a bite into a sandwich and chew. What's funny is that I still can't have a full, extended bite--yes, this sounds weird. After not using muscles for a while and the fact that my jaw was even considered "sprained" (what the heck, right?!), its still hard to fit a normal bite in my mouth.( I am thinking about taking up jaw yoga to help this). BUT after not being able to bite at all for weeks, any bite is good for me.
So after this fun little adventure, I couldn't help but think, Wow, that was annoying. And wonder (as I do often when things happen in life) why did I go through that? While I realize it wasn't a life changing event, or for that matter, anything huge in the scope of things, it did affect my everyday life for over a month. It changed work, being a mom, being a wife, my comfort, my attitude... therefore, I can't help but wonder why God allowed it to happen. So in pondering this, here is my little list of learnings from all of this (some deep, some practical, and some not either of those things).

• Don't take my health for granted--its amazing when you are in extreme pain how much it affects your life. And how you just want that pain free state back. While my pain was minor in what so many people deal with, it makes me grateful for each day I wake up pain free and can function normally.
• My comfort greatly affects my attitude. I found myself snappy and impatient and realized it was because I was uncomfortable. I had to keep having an attitude check and remind myself this was no ones fault. Not Jon's, not the Drs (ok maybe a little bit of hers), and certainly not Caden or Tessa's. It just was what is was and it sucked. And my attitude could either worsen things, or make it tolerable. One of my supervisors at work reminded me the other week that God often takes us through the same test over and over in order to shape us and teach us--over and over, especially if we don't get what God is trying to teach us. Well, this was another pop quiz. And I failed. So a month later, I realized that I don't want to keep taking this test over and over...I want to look at the bigger picture of things and realize that I am called to be joyful in all things, and again, is this really that bad? No. Could it be worse? Certainly. But more importantly, no matter what physical state I am in, what financial situation we are in, what house we are living in, what comforts I do or don't have, I am called to be thankful and joyful. This learning applies to so much more than my physical comfort...but my emotional comfort, my spiritual comfort, what I think I "deserve" to be comfortable...so I am choosing to strive for change and joy. I realize the quizzes might not be over, but I pray that my heart is changed so with each situation that I encounter, my attitude reflects that change.
  
• Don't open your 2 year olds fruit snacks with your teeth. Just a good rule for life.
• I have an amazing husband. He takes care of me. He takes care of the kids. I often focus on the things he doesn't do, and forget about the many things he does do. And does so well. And appreciates what I do without making me feel bad if I don't do them. He never asks me (or complains about) to clean the house, to do laundry, to make meals...but is grateful when I do them.
  
• I have amazing friends and family. I have so many family members and friends that jumped in to help me with life during all of this. My mom who left her first week back at work to take care of the kids so I could rest. My friends who took Caden for me so I wouldn't have to chase a 2 year old in my extreme pain. All that asked how I was and was concerned for all my "mouth drama". In the scheme of life, it wasn't that big of a deal. But it was hard. And painful. And annoying. And those around me showed genuine concern. I love community like that.
• Don't put your daughters pacifier in your mouth (the ring, plastic part) and bite down on it to hold it because both your hands are occupied. Carry your daughter, then go back and get it. Trying to carry it in your mouth and biting down (bite being the operative term) probably isn't a good idea when you haven't bit on anything for almost 3 weeks. Apparently jaws can be sprained. And it hurts. A lot.
  
• It really nice when dr's offices come to know you by first name and have gotten to know a lot about you. Its not nice when its because you have to go there every day for 2 weeks to get a piece of gauze stuffed in the back of your mouth that tastes like clove--a mix of ginger and medicine tasting flavor. I hate ginger flavor by the way. While it helps a lot of people with nausea, it makes me want to barf. Gagging daily due to the flavor and huge hands in your mouth really bonds you to a group of people. But I can honestly say I don't miss Dr Jui, Rob or Julian. And I think they are doing just fine without me.
  

So that's been my month or so...and I am happy to be moving on and functioning normally, rarely thinking twice about all that happened. And I am thankful that its over and all that I can appreciate more because of it. And even more thankful God only gave us one set of wisdom teeth. Because I will NEVER have to do that again.

Thirty, Thrifty, and Thriving

What a busy month this has been, and its still winding down! The big event of September is (as it is every year) my birthday! It was a milestone birthday though, since I turned 30. Honestly, I don't feel any differently, but it was fun to finally hit the big 3-0 and have an excuse to celebrate a little more. Jon took me out to an amazing birthday dinner at Mastro's Steakhouse---sooooo good. Steak, Prime Rib, Mashed Potatoes, Mac & Cheese, Salad, Wine....We ate until we couldn't eat any more...and then they brought me this...

So then we ate more. :) Could you resist this? Me neither. (And it came with a bowl of fresh whipped cream that I pretty much could have eaten by itself. De-lici-ous. That same weekend we threw a little party for friends and family at my in laws house. We had a taco catering company come, who cooked fresh tacos for everyone, and had a little margarita machine. It was yummy and a fun time to have everyone together. I didn't get any pictures since we were busy trying to hang with everyone and the kids too! But it was a fun night, topped off by my parents taking our kids for the night. Jon and I enjoyed a restful night that night, then went out to brunch the next morning at Marmalade Cafe. (I took the morning off work--I LOVE weekends off!)
In other, not so fun events, this month has also been the month of home repair. A few thousand dollars to repair the air conditioning, dryer and ice machine broken (repairs and/or replacement happening today so we will see how that goes)...home ownership has its downsides. As a result, I am now challenged to have to be even more thrifty to "make up" for these home repairs. Always a challenge when things that I tend to spend more money on are often out of convenience or for the kids. With a pretty much full time job and 2 kids, I seem to buy things when I can and out of need, as opposed to having the time to shop around etc. So I am trying to focus on really what we need, and not what I want. Always a struggle in the bigger and better culture we live in. For instance, we have been talking for a long time about wanting a new coffee table before Tessa starts walking. The one we have has some hard edges and corners that weren't (and still aren't) so kind to Caden. So we plan on getting an ottoman that is soft and can function as both. I was really thinking if we need a coffee table at all or not...and truly, we do since we have no dining room table due to our lack of space in our house, and this piece functions as our "dining room" in our house. So I've been looking around at ottomans...and of course, the ones I love are the Ballard Designs, Ashley Furniture type ones. But I think we are going to go for a good old Walmart one instead. What's the difference? Well, probably quality--but mostly price. And that's ok. Cuz honestly, this new piece of furniture will probably end up with drool, crayons and Thomas the Train indentations in it anyways. And at the rate my kids take down food and diapers these days, its the best choice for us financially.
Finally, here are some pictures of the kids as they grow bigger every day. Tessa had her 6 month appointment and is 15 pounds, 6 oz. and 27 1/4 inches (92% in height)! Caden is getting more and more intrested in potty training but isn't quite there yet. Well, to be quite honest, he very much rebels at the thought of sitting still on the toilet, BUT he wants his diaper changed when its dirty and can talk about when he has to go some of the time. Its still not quite time, but baby steps...in the mean time, his vocab has expanded like crazy! He repeats everything we say (makes us watch our words even more!) and loves calling me "Mom! Mom! Mom!" (yes that many times or more) or "Jen!". Yep, I am working on that last one. They both head back to Mops childcare once a week (while I work) next week, which I think will be great for both of them. Caden LOVES church and class, so he's good to go. Tessa is finally at a better place where not only is she just more into a routine, even keeled and fun, but she feels more independent in playing in an exersaucer or on the ground with toys. A far cry (no pun intended) from my little girl from 0-3 months. So it will be good for both of us to have her more consistently in a class. She hasn't gone to church as much as Caden did by this age but when she has gone lately has done very well.
That's all for now--I leave you with some latest pics of the kiddos!

Caden playing Uncle Chewie's guitar (he says "my play! my sing!")

Going swimming for the first time! (Daddy wasn't a fan of the 2 piece, but I think its adorable!)

Our Growing Girl

Just a few pictures of our growing 5 1/2 month old! Her current claim to fames are:

• Rolling over all by herself....and then getting mad that she is on her stomach. Can she roll back to her back by herself? Yes. But she forgets.
• Smiling and giggling--even if you glance her, she is begging for some eye contact so she can say hi with a sweet smile!
  
• Watching--she stays happiest when Caden is running around like the crazy 2 year old he is and she can just watch the chaos!
  
• Eating cereal! She just did this for the first time yesterday, and so far she loves it! She still has a little bit of that tongue reflex when she wants to push the food out, but she was all about it and enjoying the taste (surprisingly). She was following the spoon with her head all over the place!
• Hanging in her exersaucer--I bought one off of Craigslist for $20 to keep on the patio when Caden and I play out there, and she loves it!
  
• Grabbing--she grabs anything and everything near by. The best is when Caden sets down a toy next to her and next thing you know shes got it! When he notices it, he usually tries to take it back ("baby--no! Mine!" No and Mine are Cadens top 2 words these days). Its been some good teaching moments for Caden on the importance of sharing. It usually ends up with Caden bringing another toy to her (that he doesn't want) and "trades" it for the one she's grabbed. Oh yeah--and I love that she will grab your face if its close enough. And sometimes pull ya in for a kiss (i.e. slobber on your face).

She started on the other side of her play mat, and then I found her here, little rolley polley!

Getting ready for a taste of her first cereal!!

Yummers!!

Vegas!

Jon and I were able to take a little vacation to Vegas for 3 days, 2 nights this past week. Jon's parents watched the kids one day, and my parents for overnights and the other 2 days, so we could celebrate our 5th anniversary. And it was so much fun! It was the perfect amount of time--we felt like we got to see and do a lot, but then were ready to come home and see our kids by the end of it. We ate LOTS of yummy food, walked around, went shopping, gambled on penny slots (Jon won $300 one night on one big win!)...it was great. It was nice to be just the two of us, especially since the weeks preceding the trip I was crazy busy at work, and gone most evenings working and rehearsing. (If you want to see why I was rehearsing, click HERE and fast forward to about 32 minutes in. Its about a 15 minute skit if you have the time or interest to watch!) I kept calling Jon and I "passing ships in the night" those weeks, because we literally would just say hi and bye to each other, or talk "kid"details, or talk work...but after this trip I feel like we got caught up with each other, laughed a lot and even had some good old karaoke time on the road trips...doesn't get much better that that. So now we are back to reality--we missed our kids like crazy, and they look like they grew a ton in just a couple days (Tessa especially). :) We are so blessed to have family close by who loves and knows our kids so well, and offers to take them so Jon and I can have alone time. The kids did GREAT with both grandparents (and with Tessa, this is a huge relief) and, what is even more of a blessing, is even if Tessa had a tough time--I am pretty sure my mom wouldn't let me know. :) But I am pretty sure Grammie is Tessa's fav--TK smiles and knows Grammie's voice as well and Jon and I. Such a blessing.
Here are some snap shots of our few days away!

Our suite at the Palazzo (newer hotel connected to the Venetian--so nice!)

Entertaining ourselves while we listened to some lame music at a lounge...we had fun the first night at a dueling piano bar, but night 2 was more of us laughing at how terrible the music was. But we had fun anyways!

Family Pictures

One of the highlights of my sister and her family visiting California this summer was all of us taking family pictures together. We haven't done that since Jon and I's wedding, so 5 years later--here they are! With kids and all! Here are some of my favs! (More details and pics of our time with the Bowers to come!)

Real Quick

My sister and her family are in town and its been SO amazing to spend time with them! We did some family pictures today and our wonderful photographer already posted this. Rosina is SO talented--she did our Christmas pictures and my maternity pictures (for Tessa) which WE LOVE! So we are blessed to have her take these shots, and I can't wait to see them all! Here is the sneak peek! :)

What's On My Mind

Just a quick post while both kids are napping (ok so Caden hasn't' even fallen asleep yet and is still playing in his bed--but hey, its peaceful!) and I even got to finish some work already. So just some random things on my mind and what's going on:

Car Alarms--I decided I sort of hate them. They go off ALL the time in our condo complex and mostly during my kids nap times or in the middle of the night. Last night there was one (the same one) going off every hour for like a minute straight. Apparently whoever owned the car either didn't care or is on vacation. Or is a really sound sleeper. Cuz I heard it. At 12. At 1am..and at 2am...all the way until 7am. Oh did I mention they send Roxy into a barking frenzy? I think my 4 pound dog is the only one who really thinks someone might actually be stealing the car, and thus goes into crazy defense mode. But the car owner must own an amazing set of ear plugs.

VBS--Those three letters sort of define my life right now. (Those letters or P-o-o-p. But that's another diaper filled story for another diaper filled day). ;)
We are in crazy count down mode to the biggest event of the year for our ministry. With 2000 kids coming to take over the campus, we have a LOT to do. And since I was missing in action for 2 months (i.e. birthing a child and the aftermath of that event), I have a TON to do. I find myself having to not think about it when I am awake in the middle of the night with Tessa or I can't fall back asleep. So I try to pray for VBS without going into too much detail, or I start stressing out about the details and making a mental list of what I need to do. God know the details without me listing them, right? Right. :)

3 hours--this is my new magic number. I am really trying to keep Tessa's feedings to this stretch of time. From the day that kid came out, she would eat every hour if I let her. I figure since at night time she can go up to 5 or 6 hours in between feedings, during the day I can now work on having her consistently be at 3 hours in between. It seemed much easier to push Caden to longer stretches when he was a baby. But my baby girl seems to have a flair for the dramatic (imagine that, where does she get it from) and its been a challenge. But her new found love of the pacifier is helping. Praise God for the paci. I am so glad I kept trying it with her cuz now she is quite a fan. But not so much of a fan that she has to have it all during the night, thus it doesn't interrupt her sleep if it falls out. Ahh the perfect balance. (For now...things change with this kid every week but I will celebrate this victory while I can!)

Friday--I am excited for Friday because Jon is taking the day off work. He has to take 2 vacation days before the end of June or he loses them, so this is one that works great for us both. We have mostly been using his time off for child care issues--having no sitter and I have to work, so Jon takes hours/day off. So I am excited to have a full "vacation" day together. We are planning on going to Irvine Park for some train and zoo fun!

Caffeine--I love it. I need it. I thought once maybe I should cut down on it. Then I remembered I have 2 kids, an almost full time job, and may or may not look forward to my morning coffee with delicious flavored creamer and my free diet cokes I get at work more than I look forward to most things in my day. So its staying.

Online Shopping- I am pretty sure my kids would have no clothes if it wasn't for this. I heart www.oldnavy.com. I am getting really good at shopping when they have online deals and/or free shipping, and getting some great sale items for the kids. Cuz let's be honest, getting 2 kids in the car and having them be happy so I can grab some shorts and onesies that fit AIN'T happening these days. So when I can nurse AND shop at the same time--I'm sold. Literally.


Ok that's all. Time to enjoy this free time by taking a power nap before Tessa wakes up...and she usually does...right when I close my eyes..;)

I Can Wait

Lately I've been finding myself saying the phrase "I can't wait until..." a lot. "I can't wait until Tessa can sit up and play", "I can't wait until we can go on a family vacation", "I can't wait until this event is over at work", "I can't wait until we have a backyard", "I can't wait for Jon and I to have consistent date nights", I can't wait... I can't wait... I can't wait...While looking to future is exciting its no secret that constantly wishing for the future and/or bigger and better things can often blind you to what's going on in the present. So I am trying to cut that phrase out of my vocabulary when it comes to people asking me how I am, what's going on with the kids or my current situation. Because truly, I can wait. There's no hurry. There are great things going on right now. And to be real, even though there a few aspects of my life that are daily frustrating and inconvenient, there are many aspects of my life that will pass me by quickly if I don't stop, take in the moments and enjoy where I am at. I have a 10 week old who is as smiley as ever, and is just seconds away from giggling (I can feel it!). I have a 2 year old who says something hilarious and or adorable atleast every hour (my current favorites: 'Hey Big Mama!' (he recently discovered this adjective (big) and likes to attach it to everything--including my name. I am trying not to take it personal); his pretend games of hide and seek where he (quite obviously) hides things and then pretends to have NO idea where they went. "Where'd it go mama? (with hands in the air) Where'd it go?"; spontaneous outbursts of love--I hear him somewhere else in the house yelling "Mama! Mama!" then once he finds me he says "hug!" and proceeds to hug me and let me hold him. Sometimes it lasts a while, sometimes its only a second, but its one of my favorite things in the world.)
All that to say, life can be hard with 2 little ones, a job that is mentally and emotionally demanding, and all the other things that are demanded of all of us living this thing called life. But why wish for things to be over when I will soon be looking back wondering where time went as we so often do. Why not enjoy what we have, be thankful to the One who gave it to us, and listen to His voice as He teaches us through our circumstances and surroundings. None of this is ground breaking, or a new revelation we all haven't heard before...but its where I am at and a reminder I need. Maybe that is why I cry every time Trace Adkins song "You're Gonna Miss This" comes on. Cuz I don't wanna miss it. And while its fun and perfectly ok to dream, and hope and even plan, I pray it doesn't compromise my ability to be content. Because I CAN wait.

Back to Reality

Just a quick post of some pics! I headed back to work a week ago (May 17th) and now officially need to use any and all free time during kids naps for a nap for ME! I am so tired! :) Being back at work is nuts--great to be back with friends and have some adult interaction, but of course miss my kids like crazy. It makes me appreciate even more walking in the door and hear Caden yell "mama!"and now having to hold Tessa during her fussy times (which are getting fewer, praise God!) isn't quite so taxing. :)
So here are some pics of those kids I miss like crazy each Monday and Thursday.


His cheesy "Cheese!" face

Roxy loves Tessa

Caden loves bubbles in his bath!

Soooo tired....

Its Hard Not to Laugh

So what do you do when you find your 2 year old like this? Well, it took everything within me not to laugh. I literally had to turn away, pretend to get a stern face on and scold Caden...as I ran to get the camera. Contradictory? Yes. Priceless? DEFINITELY. Sure, its a little scary--or a LOT scary, but stinkin' adorable. (By the way, leading up to this I was scared for 3 minutes searching the house for him. I could hear him talking and laughing to him self but couldn't find him. And mind you, our house is less that 1000 sq. feet. I tore through the house and finally found him in the open dryer. I had left it open mid "switch" (about to put clothes in) because Tessa started crying. Then didn't see Caden so started searching around. In those couple of minutes he found a new place to hide).

And man, was he proud of himself.

I find myself having to fake being stern atleast once a day because his naughtiness is often pretty funny. (To be realistic, some times its very NOT funny and I have to fake being calm when everything in me wants to yell) So now I know, don't leave the dryer open (I usually don't) EVER and work on my scolding face...and try not to let him hear me laughing.

Oh yeah-- here is a new picture of Tessa that everyone keeps saying she looks just like me! I love hearing that. Jon gets a mini Jon, so don't I deserve a mini Jen?! :)

So Much to Catch Up On...So Little Time

So here I am, 7 weeks after Tessa Kate was born FINALLY getting around to a blog! I posted pictures on Facebook of the exciting day, but definitely wanted to put them here!
Tessa Kate's birth went pretty much best case scenario--checked in at 7am, was laboring by 8:30am thanks to Pitocin. Then they broke my water (which they waited to do until an anesthesiologist was close by thankfully! Epidural please!), Epidural happened (painlessly), and was feeling good soon after! I kind of stalled out at around 5 cm about 11:00am ish (or so I thought) so was just hanging out...they checked me again at 11:30 and still was a 5 so my sister and I suggested to Jon that he go down to the cafeteria and grab some lunch. He said he was fine so we all continued to just hang out--chatting, me munching on ice chips and a Popsicle...then around 12 Jon finally decided to go down and grab something to eat for himself. The nurse had told me at 11:30am that when I start feeling pressure, then let her know. Well around 12:30 I definitely felt pressure (Jon is still gone eating--cafeteria is on the opposite side of the hospital in the basement), but didn't really say anything. Finally at 1 the nurse came in to check me and I told her I definitely felt pressure. So she checked me and her exact words were, "Well hello baby!" Yep--she was there and ready! I started laughing and the nurse said "Don't laugh! Seriously! She is right there!" A 5 to a 10 in about an hour! So Kristi (my sis) quickly got on the phone to call Jon...and he didn't pick up...and didn't pick up....and didn't respond to texts...what seemed like forever (about 8 minutes to be exact) I finally called him and he picked up (he didnt hear the other calls) and I said "Um, yeah I'm a 10! So..the doctor is on her way..." He quickly replied--I" just got my food but I will be right there! I will throw it away!" I irrationally said (feeling bad) "Well, you can eat some..or bring it up here or something..." He had already hung up at this point, as he was currently shoving half a Philly Cheese steak down his throat and running back to the room. He was there by 1:15, and my Dr was there at 1:20. They set some things up, and 2 pushes later, at 1:32pm, Tessa Kate arrived! 6 pounds 13 ounces and 19 inches. She was perfect! It was so fun to "announce" her name to my sister who was there in the room, and to everyone there after.
Overall, the hospital experience was great--a contrast to our experience with Caden. (We love Hoag, but had some scares/drama with Caden with a heart issue and my nerve damage in my knee.) But this time it was all easy breezy and great!
My parents brought Caden as soon as we got down to our Post Pardum room, and he got to meet his little sis! He was definitely more excited and interested in the Big Brother gifts he received. One from Tessa (matchbox cars), and others from Aunt Sue and Grammie Kathy and Poppie. He was sort of ambivolent about Tessa over all, but had lots to be distracted with since we had a lot of visitors at the time.
We were ready to head home and checked out by 2pm on Wednesday (had a slight delay though we were ready and waiting to leave by 10am. The pediatrician insisted on an ultrasound on Tessa's spine cuz they were concerned about something...but everything came back clear and it ended up being nothing, Praise God! What's a hospital stay without a little scare, right?!)
It was so good to finally be home, and it was emotional for me to get there and see my two kids together. Reality set in and I had a mix of emotions--happiness and yet a little apprehension and sadness as I saw Caden and realized how much things have changed so quickly. But as soon as I heard my little man repeatedly say "Baby! Baby!" or ask where she was when she was out of the room, my heart warmed and realized that as everyone said, he wouldn't remember life without her. Sure, he occasionally tells me to put her down( "Baby chair? Baby night night?!") when we wants my attention. But their bond is already growing and I can't wait for it to strengthen as they both get older.
So there is the abridged version of Tessa Kate Epperson's entrance into the world. The weeks that followed were filled with many friends and family members visiting, bringing meals and gifts and adjustment to change. Tessa is thankfully an amazing sleeper at night--waking once, maybe twice (at most) a night. 11pm-4pm is her normal stretch and I LOVE it! (Trying not to get to used to it since everything changes so quickly with babies!) But that makes up for her frequent eating during the day and sometimes fussy evenings. She's an entirely different baby than Caden, as she should be. She's all girl. Dramatic, moody, and beautiful. (Caden was, but in a manly sort of way). She's dainty and pretty. And if you do something she doesn't like, she will let you know. Immediately.
I love having a little girl--I love dressing her, (I may or may not change her into many outfits each day), holding her, and getting to know her. I can't wait to see her little unique personality. My family joked that our baby would have some big shoes to fill since Caden has such a big, fun and hilarious personality. Now that she is here I have learned that she is going to have her OWN shoes--and they are going to be girly, sparkly and sassy. Cuz man, is she.
So here is the photo journey of Tessa Kate's birth--March 15th, 2010. One of the best days of my life!

About to head to the hospital! The "T" we ordered for her room (we kept her name a secret so this was our little secret letter no one knew about!)

Laboring...with the epidural. Hence the smile. :)

Here she is!

6 pounds 13 ounces 19 inches long!

Dr Christina Lee

My sister! So glad she could fly out from Oklahoma and be there!

Grandpa Tom and Grammie Lori

Grammie Kathy

Grandpa Tom

Aunt Sue

Big Brother coming to meet his new sister!

New Big Brother present (from Tessa, of course)

Contemplating all the change...;-)

"Um, what are you holding, Dad?"

First picture as a family of four!

Aunt Jamie and Uncle Chewie

Poppie

First bath (What is this nurse doing to my baby? ;-) haha Tessa wasn't a fan of the bath!)

Nice and cozy

First smile captured on camera!

She's not a fan of getting dressed...

First Converse (thanks Aunt Sue!)

Heading home!

So tiny in her car seat!

"Um..what is this? And is it staying?"

Aunt B coming to visit!