Beach Trip

Last Sunday, Tim and decided to get out and stretch our legs at the beach. Throughout the winter, we have been taking regular drives out the road and enjoying the beauty of Juneau. It has been a wonderful winter for seeing wildlife and amazing sunsets.



Anyway, last week the weather was good enough for us to bundle up baby, pack up our new puppy, and head to Auke Bay (one of my favorite beaches here in town).

We went to Super Bear, grabbed some fried chicken (which neither of us like very much) and some jojos, and headed out the road.

After scarfing our meal, we packed baby into my wrap, where she nestled in and slept like an angel. She looked so cute and cozy in her little bear snowsuit!



Puppy did not want to walk (and who can blame her - she's so tiny right now!), so Tim packed her in his jacket.

We walked down the hillside to the beach and passed the main cabin where a bunch of people were drinking by the fire. Our little puppy stirred up quite the frenzy. The women were fawning over Truffles as if she were the cutest little thing they had ever seen. It kind of bugged me, only because they were pretty flippant toward Esther. Call me crazy, but I think people here in Alaska some times put more stock in their dogs! Oh well! It was a very interesting interaction, nonetheless!

They called our dog "Tootsie" which had us contemplating a name change (it would be funny to say that a group of drunks named our dog), but that only lasted about 5 seconds. Truffles just suits our puppy better and Tootsie sounded too trashy or cheap. My apologies to anyone who likes the name for a dog!

Anyway, after talking a while with this particular group, we began our hike across the rocky beach. It was pretty slick in a lot of places and I could not see my feet since baby was hanging out front (almost like being pregnant again), so we took it pretty slow. The air was nippy, a crisp feel of winter biting our cheeks, and the water was sparkling gorgeously despite the lack of sun.

Our eyes caught movement in the water and we stopped to try to discern what was dipping in an out. It did not take long to see that it was a big otter carrying a double-ugly in its mouth. We watched as he snaked his way to the shore and climbed up on some rocks about 50 feet from us.

Tim snagged a ton of photos, including the one below, while the big guy ate. He was completely unconcerned by us. Tim walked up on him and the otter barely looked his direction. It was so wonderful!




After we watched him for a while, we completed our hike by walking the rest of the beach and hiking through the woods back to the car. Amazingly, Esther slept the entire time. What a little angel! And what a fun mid-winter outing! We're so blessed :)

Sitting Up Unsupported...

Esther is such an amazing little child. I cannot believe how ahead of the game she is in a lot of her development. Everytime the doctor sees her, she comments about how strong and advanced she is. I don't mean to brag - oh, what am I saying? Of course I do :). I'm a very proud mommy of a very active little girl!

For the past week, Esther has been doing "sit-ups." She absolutely hates being on her back anymore. If I am holding her flat, she'll work her stomach muscles and pull herself, without help, into a sitting position. And she has great head and neck control.

In the past two days, she has started propping herself up on her arms. The first time she tried, Tim was watching her and she had to lean a little on the arm of the couch. But she was still sitting without support from Tim.

Today, however, she was in her carseat in my office and was getting tired of sitting flat against the seat (anymore, she hates having her back against things). I watched in wonder as she pulled herself up from the seat and sat up, resting on her arms for support. Granted, her back was not straight by any stretch of the imagination, but she was supporting herself without leaning on the seat.

I'm so proud! Of course, this comes with a whole new set of challenges. Nursing is a challenge, because she tries to sit up while eating. And I can't leave her unbuckled in her swing or carseat anymore for fear that she will topple out.

The websites I have read about baby development have stated that babies don't even start getting good head control until 4 months and Es is only 3 months, 1 week! According to the one site, they usually don't prop themselves up until 5 months or later. Geesh. She's just getting so strong and big!

Well, I'll stop with my brag session now! Love you all and hope you didn't mind this post :)

Have a wonderful day and enjoy the snow if you have it!

What I love about my family...

10 Things I love about Esther...

1. How she opens her mouth to give kisses

2. How she prefers being upside down and will purposely arch her back to get to that position

3. How creative she already is for such a little person

4. How she is trying to laugh and is really only days away from actually making laughing sounds (you can hear little laughs every now and then)

5. How her eyes literally light up when she is happy

6. How she jabbers away all evening when she's with Tim and I

7. How she smile big when she is about to nurse and then chomps down

8. How she sneezes or farts and gets so happy afterward

9. How frustrated she gets with immobility - it really does drive her development

10. How she cuddles with me after she has happily nursed and is a little sleepy

10 Things I love about Tim...

1. How goofy he always is - he makes me laugh all the time

2. How he is the only person I can share EVERYTHING with and not fear rejection

3. His unforgettable smile that makes me melt every time

4. His strong character and gentle spirit

5. How manly he is - so strong!

6. How he is a real man - one who cares for Esther and I, wants to be there for us, and is willing to work hard to care for us.

7. How sensitive and romantic he is - he's just plain sweet!

8. His big hands - they make me feel safe. It's hard to explain...

9. What a great daddy he is to Esther...she is just enamored by him!

10. How he is my entire world and I couldn't live a moment without him. I love how he misses me through the day and how much fun it is to be together. I love that we rarely argue, but when we do, we talk it out and make up.

Tim is the love of my life and Esther is my little sweetheart. I'm so proud of our little family and am so blessed to have them! No matter what life holds, with God on our side we'll do much, see much, and overcome much!

New Baby Pics

Here are some new pictures of Esther. She's getting so sweet and cute! I won't write much tonight, because we're heading to see Ink Heart.

Tata for now!

Esther eating her binky holder and smiling...

Esther Hanging with Daddy until Dinner Time (she was actually upset at this moment :))

Playing with Dolly at Mommy's Office

Sleepy Smiles for Mommy


Making Faces at Nana

Playtime with Daddy

Being a Working Mom...

People are quick to judge those of us who work and raise children. Since becoming a mother, I myself have heard people pass judgement because of my decision to return to work. The reasoning behind these criticisms is that some believe that working mothers are choosing their careers or jobs over their children. To some, a woman cannot be an adequate mother unless she is a stay at home mother.



What I have learned, though, since returning to work (maybe even before) is that my choice to work was the most difficult decision I have ever had to make. Why do I do it? It's not because I love my job more than Esther and it's not because I would be absolutely lost without work. I work so that I can help support my family.

Because I hold a job, my family has medical insurance, something we would not have otherwise. Because I hold a job, we're able to make a house payment and keep our lights on. We keep food on our table and heat in our home. We can buy diapers and baby care products without worrying where the money will come from. And, yes, we even afford certain luxuries we would not otherwise have.

Would I rather be home with my child? Most definitely. I think about being with Esther all the time (on a side note, I have been blessed with the ability to take her to work with me). Do I believe that, in modern society, it is difficult for a mother to stay home? Yes. In the real world, most women are forced to work. While most husbands hold full-time jobs, it is often not enough to carry all of the household needs. Some may believe it is worth sacrifice, but this is not true for everyone.

I, like any mother, want the best for my little girl. If working means that I can give it to her, then I will work. That does not mean that I am not considering ways to stay home or work part time. At this time it is just not viable. I am coming off 2 1/5 months of unpaid leave and it proved how difficult it would be for me to be unemployed.

Overall, I know that I am doing what is right for our family at this time. It may not be easy for everyone to understand (that being stated, there are some who do not understand why my husband would choose to work non-seasonal work. Go figure!), but those who have had to make the choice to work know where I am coming from.

God bless all the working moms out there! It is a labor of love!

My Darling Baby is so Sweet!

Today is MLK Day and I have the day off with baby. She is getting cuter by the second; her personality developing daily (which I did not think was possible. She was born with so much personality!). This morning, after Tim left, I tried my hardest to catch a few extra winks, but Esther would have none of it. She was wiggling a lot when Tim came in and kissed us goodbye, but after he left, I realized there would be no sleeping in for mommy.

Nonetheless, her eyes were still closed when I got out of bed and peeked into her cosleeper. This gave me a few minutes to hop onto the computer and write an email that needed to be sent this morning. At some point, however, Esther woke up. Instead of crying, as we have grown accustomed to in her first months, she opened her eyes wide and chit chatted with me from the bassinet.

After I wrote my email, I picked her up and took her to the livingroom where I was serenaded for a half hour with her sweet little goos and gibber gabber. Naturally, this led into a screaming session when she realized she was hungry and I wasn't feeding her. Still, that first half hour was so precious and wonderful. I can't remember what life was like before she got so wonderfully vocal. She is just amazing.

As soon as I fed her, she fell peacefully asleep in my arms, all nice and content. She had been having problems eating for the past week, due to adjustments in her life (e.g. me returning to work and her coming with me some days and being left with nana others), but she appears to be getting back on track. She's eating for long periods again and is not nearly as fussy on the breast. Thank God! She's still having problems going to other people, because she wants Tim and I to be with her all the time. I don't mind it in the least, although I'm sure it bothers others.

I know she'll have to get used to being left at times, but I love how important Tim and I are to her and how attached she is. We only get this time in her life for a short while, so I'll enjoy every second!

On other fronts, she is starting to roll over from belly to back more frequently. Our daughter's problem is that she absolutely hates tummy time. She likes being on her back so that she can see the world around her. She is such a smart cookie! In terms of other areas, she's getting better with sitting up on her own and is using her stomach muscles to raise her top half when she's in our laps (she hates laying on her back when being held these days and doesn't like it when I hold her to me, unless she is sleepy or wanting comfort). She also loves standing up. She'll hold our fingers and stand herself up. She especially likes to do this when she is angry.

Well, that is all the update I have for today. I'm biding my time because she's napping in the swing. I must sign off now so I can get laundry done while I can! I posted some recent pics below. I will try posting pictures from the past couple months so that those who have not watched her grow can see the difference!

Love you all!

Esther Sleeping in Daddy's Arms

Esther Loves to Read!

Our New Blog

Hello world (or the very small corners of the world that host our family and friends),

After hearing much complaint about how little you hear from Tim and I and how little you have seen of our ever-growing little girl, I decided that we should start a blog. The purpose of this blog is to give you a journal of our lives as well as photographic evidence of Esther's development and growth. She is simply amazing and getting bigger and stronger willed by the day (which I must say I am enjoying. It's great having an opinionated, stubborn daughter. Reminds me so much of myself at times).

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the blog and pictures and I pray you are all forgiving of my long-winded nature. While this first post may be a little short, I cannot guarantee that future ones will be.

Enjoy!

Much love and many happy wishes,

Meg and Tim

P.S. Here are some pictures of Es and Tim (maybe one or two include me). Esther, at this moment, is a day shy of 3 months. Time has sure flown by quickly!