mon coeur

Pray

2010-11-18T23:59:00.007-06:00

After almost three years, close to 300 posts, over 60 doctors appointments, and three surgeries, I am going to stop posting here. Mary's escapades can join her brothers' over at Homemade Mama.
Mary really was praying when I snapped the above photograph. I should have been praying, too, but I had one eye open and couldn't resist taking a picture (thank God for His grace). I love that she already knows in her little heart that God wants to hear from her, and that He will always answer her prayers. She is an answer to my prayers. My prayer for her is that she always turns to Jesus first. That she strives to lead a life that is pleasing to Him. And that she never forgets that God is steadfast in His love. God is Good. All the time.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2

She is Three

2010-11-06T23:54:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Mary's birthday with family today. She was so excited about her "parents" (what she calls grandparents) coming~
She wanted a pink birthday cake~

We sang Happy Birthday to Aunt Donna, too. She let Mary blow out her candles~

This is a typical stance for Little Miss Bossy (hands on hips, although I don't think she was actually bossing anyone here) ~
Mary got tons of baby dolls and accessories~
She loved them all, my little attachment parenting mama~
And with Pam~
In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. ~ Robert Frost

Three Is A Magic Number

2010-11-01T23:53:00.004-05:00

Yes it is. It's a magic number. Our baby is a little girl (except when she's sleeping, then she's all baby). I can't believe how quickly time is flying by. I knew it was going to go fast, but I didn't realize it was going to be incomprehensibly fast. Mary was really excited about her birthday. She's been talking about it for the last several weeks. She loved her birthday pancakes (with M & M's) ~

And lunch at McDonald's (her favorite thing is "burger fries") ~
And tonight the Pesek's came to help celebrate (Jacqueline is one of Mary's best friends) ~
Look at the beautiful cakes Jacqueline made~
BFFs~
Goofy~

We're having family over this coming weekend. Mary is doing great. She is so brave every time we go to the endocrinologist (and to the lab for blood draws every three months, now). She sees her cardiologist every 9 -12 months. And since she had the tubes put in her ears, she hasn't had another ear infection. She loves to sing, and read and count and "do math". She spends way too much time playing on PBSkids.com, and loves to boss pretty much everyone around. Her favorite people in the whole world are her brothers. She usually dresses herself, but prefers to run around naked at home. She brushes her teeth every morning and every night and loves to help me in the kitchen. I love her so much (we all do). And thank God she is here, every day.

I can hear her heart beat, for a thousand miles. And the heavens open every time she smiles. ~Van Morrison

Personal Flotation Device

2010-10-29T23:19:00.003-05:00

While the boys are away, the girls will play~
Mary saw the life jacket in the garage on our way in. She had blood work today, so I'm feeling especially indulgent.

Ouch!

2010-10-06T23:47:00.005-05:00

Somehow Mary got a sliver in her hand. We tried to get it out last night, but we would have really had to dig. Here is it 24 hours later - her body is trying to heal thyself~
The sliver didn't stop her from having fun at the birthday party today~
Tonight after her bath, the sliver came right out with just a tiny bit of pressure. No crying, either!

Fast Food

2010-10-01T23:29:00.002-05:00

I took this picture of Mary while she was waiting outside of Sam's cello class. She's eating her new favorite salad - romaine with blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. I'm ashamed by how many "burgers fries" she's eaten, but I need to remember that her palate is pretty sophisticated~

Beaming

2010-09-30T23:33:00.002-05:00

Gymnastics!

2010-09-16T23:57:00.004-05:00

Now that Mary and I will have Thursdays to ourselves, I was looking for something special to do with her (and also something to keep her mind off the fact that both her playmates are gone for the day). How perfect that there is a parent and child gymnastics class on Thursday mornings! Mary is a natural~
She was a little shy around the instructors at first, but she loved the equipment~

She walked right across the beam, with no hands, the very first time she tried~
I think we're going to have a lot of fun! We've even been riding our bike over :)

Good Sport

2010-08-28T23:59:00.002-05:00

I wonder what percentage of her life Mary has spent watching her brothers do something athletic~
She is always such a happy camper!

Little Miss Mischief

2010-08-27T23:56:00.002-05:00

Beach Blanket Beauty

2010-08-27T23:54:00.003-05:00

Mary today~

She's gotta wear shades~

2010-08-24T23:11:00.002-05:00

Hau`oli

2010-08-21T23:53:00.002-05:00

Today at Scott's company picnic~

Rocky Mountain High

2010-08-17T23:58:00.028-05:00

Daddy and the boys took a road trip to Memphis this past weekend, so Mary and I flew out to Colorado to visit Jennifer and Tom. Grandma drove us to the airport. We knew we'd miss our boys~
Mary settled right in to our upgraded seats (thanks, Grandma!) ~
We were so happy to finally arrive. Jen met us at the gate (did I mention before I was nervous?). Mary received a lot of comments walking through the airport with her rolling suitcase~
After such a long day of travel, Mary fell asleep on the way to lunch~
We had some delicious mexican food at Cantina Laredo, and then walked a bit on the 29th Street Mall in boulder~
Saturday we headed over to the Boulder Farmers Market. The selection of produce and cheeses (including some raw milk) was wonderful. Mary really enjoyed the Noosa yogurt Jennifer turned us on to, and the popcorn (and ice cream)~
We then went over to Pearl Street, where we enjoyed the street performers, checked out the funky shops, and people watched. Mary had a blast playing in the fountains~
At one point, Mary ended up naked because she didn't want to wear her wet clothes. I was a little worried about what the crowd might think, but Jennifer reminded me we were in Boulder, after all~
We had a great lunch at Dish. We sat outside and near the end of our meal a cat hacked up what looked like a placenta. Yum :)

Boulder is really kid-friendly~
One cool thing is everywhere we went, the disposable cutlery was compostable. Boulder has really embraced sustainability.
My little bear cub~
Before we left downtown we stopped at Tee and Cakes, where Jen had a coconut cupcake, Mary had strawberry milkshake, and I had something I'd only previously dreamed of - a chocolate bacon cupcake (it tasted better than it photographed) ~
Jennifer and Tom have a pick-up truck (comfortable and easy to get in and out of) and a Jeep (embarrassing to get in, but fun once we're settled - except when we're on the highway - Mary did not like the wind). "Nothing to see here, folks" became my mantra every time I climbed into the Jeep. On Sunday we drove over to Eldorado Springs~
It's a really cool artists community at the base of the Rocky Mountains (the original is in Jamestown, NY) ~
Mary loved hiking, and checking out all the information kiosks. I love her "reading" here~

Mary trying to get a look at the people climbing the rock across from us~

Jennifer was very worried about Mary being near the edge - Tom was happy to keep a close eye on her~
Mary was pretty funny - every time I called Jen "Jen", she would say "her not Jen, her Jennifer". Eventually I would catch myself and say Jen, and then quickly add the "ifer" just to keep Mary from correcting me. She's kind of bossy, but she wraps everyone around her little finger~
We hiked a good distance, only giving up and turning back after the path narrowed too much for the stroller. It was really beautiful~
Monday Mary and I walked to the park in the morning, while Jennifer worked~
Mary loved "taking my order" ~

For my birthday, Jen took me to a really lovely restaurant, "Colterra" in nearby Niwot. The food was divine~
Then we walked over to Jennifer's favorite consignment shop, "Rockin Robin's", where Jen channeled Helen Roper~

Monday night we were supposed to head back to Chautauqua for a music festival. But that afternoon, when Mary felt warm, I started thinking about how clinging/whiny she had been all day, and the fact that she didn't eat anything for lunch, and began to worry that maybe she had an ear infection. Concerned that we would be flying the next day, I wanted to be sure her ears were okay. So, we headed over to urgent care, where we found out she "just" had a virus. About 10 minutes after we left urgent care, Mary coughed a little and then puked all over herself, and the car seat :( We were just about to stop at Whole Foods to pick up something for dinner, so we ran in with Mary and cleaned her up as best we could. Jen (ifer) was so gracious about the whole thing. And when we got back to their house, Tom cleaned up the carseat and the car. Thankfully, Mary seemed okay the next day, and actually ate a "burger fries" (as she calls the Golden Arches) at the airport. Jen (ifer) was able to get a gate pass, and help me get through the airport. We had so much fun, and it was sad to say good-bye.
My little seasoned traveler, before she fell asleep~
Monica and Chandler at 30,000 feet~

Bo

2010-08-12T23:58:00.001-05:00

When Charlie was a baby, someone gave us a little gift set that included a onesie with the Minnesota Vikings logo, and also a matching pacifier. For some reason we've kept that pacifier around, even though I never actually used it with a baby. Mary has used it with her dolls lately. And even though she had a pacifier in her mouth a couple of times in the NICU, she never really took one once at home. But this is what she would look like if she were me at that age, with a "bo" as I called it~
I am really glad none of my children ever really used pacifiers.

Playing Doctor

2010-08-08T23:33:00.002-05:00

Mary has spent a lot of time in doctors' offices and labs. She's picked up a lot of useful skills, such as the belly button temperature check~
Sometimes you have to really push hard~
Best of all, though, is she knows to comfort the patient after a particularly trying procedure~

Everybody Loves Mary

2010-07-20T23:56:00.005-05:00

Mary spends a lot of time at her brothers' baseball games. Thankfully their teammates (and their siblings) like her~
Alyssa is Charlie's teammate's sister. She entertains Mary at many games~

Love (Ear) Canal

2010-07-16T23:57:00.005-05:00

After 8 ear infections in 6 months and at least 4 ruptures in the same amount of time, Mary had tubes put in her ears this morning. Even being a hungry, and waking up much earlier than normal, she charmed the nurses and doctors. They all were amazed at how cooperative she was~
She only looks crabby here because she didn't want me taking her picture again~
In the final moments before the verset started working, she was happy to watch The Cartoon Network~
Mary did great! She was the first patient, and we were home a little over an hour and a half after we left! Wow! Now keep your fingers crossed that this works! The ENT said she may still get ear infections, but the tubes will prevent her eardrum from rupturing.

Sugar on Top

2010-07-09T23:19:00.004-05:00

Mary "in the stands" at Sam's baseball game~

I am Mary, hear me roar!

2010-07-08T23:52:00.003-05:00

Mary spends a lot of time at baseball games~
She's pretty good at entertaining herself~
But one of here favorite things to do is make silly faces, and then look at the pictures on my camera. She was very proud of this one~

Sunday Best

2010-07-08T07:21:00.007-05:00

Scott picked Mary's outfit out for church today. I love unexpected "little girl" things, like ruffled socks~
Tonight, Mary was rocking out to "Love Shack" ~

And Mary just cracked me up here - I'm only getting about 50% of what she's talking about, but it's funny~

Where A Kid Can Be a Kid

2010-07-07T23:51:00.001-05:00

Mary visited Chuck E. Cheese for the first time today for a friend's birthday~

She really liked it~
Pizza, games, cake - what's not to like?
We still have baseball tonight...

Sea Urchin

2010-07-06T23:55:00.002-05:00

The Naked Chef

2010-06-28T23:22:00.002-05:00

After tonight's dinner of grilled Italian sausage, Mary went back to scavenge the remaining peppers~
It always surprises me what she decides to eat, when she's in the mood~
Bon appetit!

2 Years Later

2010-06-26T23:23:00.004-05:00

When I saw this picture, I immediately thought of this one ~
Mary is such a blessing to us - she makes us laugh every day, and reminds us how quickly life goes. She never stops talking, and she sings a lot, too!

Hiya!

2010-06-26T23:22:00.001-05:00

Mary (with the boys and Scott) went for a swim during Tracy's 40th Birthday party in Starved Rock today~

Working the Crowd

2010-06-25T23:50:00.003-05:00

Mary makes friends wherever she goes. Here she is with Sam's coach's parents. She started calling them Grandma and Grandpa today~
They have a dog and candy - she really likes Deirdre and Ralph~

Yes Sir, that's my baby!

2010-06-11T23:57:00.002-05:00

Turn on your Heartlight

2010-06-04T23:51:00.001-05:00

Mary had a visit with her cardiologist today. She just might be the world's most cooperative 2 year old~
I am amazed by the fact that she has never needed a sedated echo (almost unheard of between the ages of 1 and 3). When she's acting more like a typical toddler at home, I need to remember these moments.

Animal Planet

2010-06-01T23:25:00.001-05:00

Today at the Juricha-Suchy Museum~

Dora the Explorer

2010-05-21T23:47:00.002-05:00

We visit the library a lot. Mary's gotten into the habit of playing on the computer there every time we go in. She loves to play the "Dora" game~

Her bangs are pretty cute~

Growing

2010-05-20T23:54:00.003-05:00

Mary had an appointment with her endocrinologist, Dr. Minutti, today. She is right on track. She's tipping the scales at 25.13 pounds, and 26 1/2 inches tall. Sam is always so good about keeping Mary company at doctors appointments~

Babe in the Woods

2010-05-19T23:29:00.002-05:00

The boys participated in a "Wilderness Survival Workshop" at Fullersburg Woods today. It lasted a couple of hours, which gave Mary and me time to explore the forest preserve and visit the really great visitor center~
The first thing the guides did was to point out poison ivy, which I took a picture of, because I never knew exactly what "if you see three, leave it be" looked like. I took a picture for reference. I suppose I could have looked in an encyclopedia...
We had a picnic lunch and then headed home to cool off for a bit before Sammy's game tonight. The boys were thrilled with the flint we purchased - the handle was made of a deer antler. It will be fun to start fires in the back yard!

Just a Trim

2010-05-18T23:50:00.004-05:00

The boys were celebrating their friend Cole's birthday at Magiquest today, and although I vowed not to give Mary bangs, the fringe obstructing her vision coupled with her reluctance to keep a barrette in her hair for more than five seconds, compelled me to take her into a local salon for a little trim. She was excited until they put the cape on her~
Of course that old beauty shop/doctor's office.bank standby worked to quickly calm her down~
She liked it more and more as we went on~

She looked so different to me as soon as the bangs were cut. So much older~
It's cute. She's cute~
And her daddy and brothers were pleasantly surprised when they saw her~
In case it's not obvious, Mary picks out all her own clothes :)

Little Mascot

2010-05-15T23:47:00.002-05:00

Mary has probably been to over a hundred of her brothers' baseball games. Although not many in her winter coat~
All the boys love her. As soon as we showed up tonight she ran in the dugout and they all wanted "knuckles" ~

Wheeee!

2010-05-14T23:53:00.002-05:00

Mary loves to swing. The minute she gets seated, she demands "underdog". There is no too high or too fast for her~
We all had a lot of fun at the ROCK park day. The older kids played tag, while Mary swung, and said she needed to go the bathroom what felt like eleventy-billion times. Good thing she's cute~

Sleep Like An Egyptian

2010-05-10T23:49:00.003-05:00

At the Field Museum today~

Ponies

2010-05-06T23:27:00.002-05:00

I've just figured out how to keep Mary's hair out of her face. She's a good sport while I'm putting them in, but she pulls them right back out within 15 or 20 minutes.

Pebbles

2010-05-02T23:35:00.003-05:00

Springbrook Nature Center

2010-04-30T23:41:00.005-05:00

Mary and I are keeping busy while the boys are in Arkansas. We had a chiropractor appointment this morning, where Dr. H diagnosed Mary's 5th ear infection since January :( I loaded Mary up with Tylenol to get through the afternoon until her ped could see her. We went to lunch at Delia's with Kelly and Johnny and then took a walk through Itasca's nature preserve~
The weather was beautiful~
I'm continuously amazed by what these suburbs have to offer (for free, or very inexpensive) ~
Johnny looking very handsome, and Mary with her cheesy smile~

They liked watching the river~

Mary saw Johnny pee off the bridge, and decided to try it herself~

Anything Johnny did, Mary had to also~
We also walked over to the library and played with the puppets in their children's department for a while. Mary was in exceptionally good spirits, even though her ear was pretty bad. We can't wait for the boys to come home!

Chest Bump

2010-04-28T23:49:00.001-05:00

Mary provide all the sideline entertainment at her brothers' baseball games~

All the Single Babies

2010-04-23T23:53:00.002-05:00

Mary has seen this video, and then this (but just for reference). And once we heard the song in the car. But she sings it like this~

Rainbow Brite

2010-04-21T23:55:00.004-05:00

Mary helped me make tie-dye cupcakes for Charlie to bring to the Greenhouse for his birthday. I looked up from filling the muffin liners and saw this~

2 Years Later

2010-04-11T23:28:00.005-05:00

This was Mary two years ago today~
Here she is now~

I remember seeing her after her surgery for the first time and thinking she looked so different. She was very swollen and pale. Now she is full of energy! She uses the potty like a big girl, dresses herself daily, never stops talking, and knows most of her letters and their sounds~

She has come so far! And we will never be able to properly thank all the people who helped get her (and us) here. God has been very, very good to us.

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ice Princess

2010-04-06T23:01:00.003-05:00

Today when I took the boys skating, I could not keep Mary off the ice. I had not brought a coat, or gloves, or a hat for her, but she really wanted to get out there~
She loved it, in spite of her little red hands and runny nose (doesn't Charlie look so great in this picture?) ~

I'm not even sure they make skates in a toddler size 5, but Mary has no problem keeping up with her brothers~

The Thrill of the Hunt

2010-04-03T23:26:00.001-05:00

Even though it was pouring rain, and freezing cold, I took the kids to an Easter egg hunt at Cornerstone Christian church. The kids were divided by age, so I only got pictures of Mary~
She loved it (picking up each egg and saying the color). She was a trooper walking back to the car~

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-03-16T23:14:00.003-05:00

The temperature rose just above 60 degrees today, and to Mary, I guess that's a heat wave~

Discover

2010-02-26T23:50:00.002-06:00

Today while Charlie was at the Greenhouse for Latin, and an extra play practice, Mary, Sam and I checked out the Dupage Children's Museum. We went once last year, and had a blast. This time Mary was big enough to reach the water table~

Race Fan

2010-02-21T23:53:00.001-06:00

Mary had fun at the AWANA pinewood derby race tonight~

Fatigue is the best pillow. ~Benjamin Franklin

2010-02-06T23:46:00.000-06:00

Sick

2010-01-26T23:34:00.002-06:00

Poor Mary has a terrible cold. She fell asleep sitting up on the couch this afternoon (my flash caused her to open her eyes a bit) ~

Bundle of Joy

2010-01-08T23:56:00.000-06:00

Here's Mary, all bundled up and ready to try sledding for the first time~
She really liked it! It took forever to get her ready to go though, and then she only stayed out for about 20 minutes. But she liked going down the hill, and didn't even cry when she got a face full of snow.

2009-12-28T23:55:00.001-06:00

Mary hanging out at the MSI today~

Christmas Cookie

2009-12-24T23:55:00.002-06:00

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~Charles Dickens

Spirit of the Season

2009-12-19T23:59:00.003-06:00

We finally got our Christmas Tree up today. Mary had a blast! She is such a goofy hamball sometimes~
And of course, after all that hard work, Sam and Mary needed an apple to make it to bed~

Fine Art

2009-12-18T23:09:00.002-06:00

While trying to get some school work done today, I set Mary up in front of the easel for the first time. It's twice her size!
But she really liked it~

And she was pretty darn pleased with her work~

You can barely see it, but she pretty much stuck with only green and yellow~

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. ~Pablo Picasso

"A little Snow was here and there..."

2009-12-10T23:55:00.005-06:00

Mary thinks she's a big kid now, right in the midle of her brothers' and their friends' snowball fight~
She loves being in the snow~

Snow Bunny

2009-12-03T23:37:00.001-06:00

We had our first snow here today - and Mary is finally old enough to really appreciate it. She loved it!

O Give Thanks

2009-11-26T23:54:00.001-06:00

Mary and I spent a quiet Thanksgiving with Grandma and Aunt Jessi and Jaiden and Julian. Everything was delicious, but we missed our boys.

Young Pup

2009-11-25T23:57:00.002-06:00

Mary loved the Wolves game tonight - we are working on her mullet...

Dance Partners

2009-11-20T23:20:00.004-06:00

We caught a performance of Jim Gill's at the library tonight - he was fantastic! Elliot and Mary really got into it; they've really improved their moves~

Birthday Girl

2009-11-07T23:59:00.003-06:00

We celebrated Mary's birthday with the family today - it was wonderful! Mary really loves penguins, which she calls "ducks", and so a (very loose) theme was born. Emily gave me this idea - olives stuffed with cream cheese~
They were a hit - but a lot of work (Scott and I spent an hour making these early this morning). We had chili, and cornbread for dinner, and finally, cake!

It's a quadruple layer butter pound cake with fresh strawberry puree and whipped cream frosting. 100% homemade! The igloo is molded from Rice Krispie Treats and the penguins are assembled from gumdrops and Reeses Pieces~

I love Mary's tongue sticking out~

The dress was in a bag of hand-me-downs and fit perfectly~

Two is a great birthday - they finally "get it" at this age and really enjoy their parties~

I am very proud of this cake~

And this little girl~

Pleasure is spread through the earth

In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.

~William Wordsworth

I got a Nikon camera...

2009-11-05T23:43:00.003-06:00

Second attempt with my new (to me) camera~

Sweet childish days, that were as long, As twenty days are now.

2009-11-01T23:59:00.003-06:00

-William Wordsworth

It goes so fast! Mary is 2! She delights us every day. She is talking up a storm! And mimicking just about everything we say and do. Mary smiles easily, and has an entertaining independent streak~
Tonight, right after the boys returned from Father-Son camp, we had pizza and cake with Grandma and Grandpa~

Sam wanted a turn as the princess, too~

Mary and I made her cake this afternoon - chocolate with mocha icing~

She loved the candles~

She wasn't quite sure how to blow them out~

Mary dug right in~

She really is so happy and healthy! We are incredibly blessed~

Some pictures with my new (to me) camera~

Sometimes my heart squeezes with the overwhelming gratitude, and humility, I have for God's gift of my children~

1 Dalmatian

2009-10-24T23:44:00.003-05:00

Mary was the cutest little puppy at today's Spooktacular~

Mary ♥ 's these slippers!

2009-10-23T23:52:00.008-05:00

Emily made some wool slippers for Mary, and she won't take them off~

According to Mary, they're so comfy, I'd like a pair in my size!

Say Anything

2009-10-15T23:54:00.006-05:00

Mary surprised us with a new word tonight:

Mimi is talking a ton lately, most of it unprompted. Although, she will repeat most anything, too! Some favorites include "Mow" (meow = cat), "cookie" (pronounced "kooky"), "spoon", "Chuck", "Chuckie", "mook" (milk), and "mookie" (for milky). "Pookie" is potty and "buck" is butt. Just recently she broke out "cool" while showing me a pair of boys pajama pants at Kohl's.

In-between

2009-10-10T23:36:00.003-05:00

Mary is at that age of "too big to be held happily for long, and too little to sit quietly for long". Which means that at Sam's concert today, there was a lot of in and out, and up and down. We were in the foyer for a few minutes here~
I love her little outfit! A friend of ours from the library gave it to her, and it's fitting perfectly right now :)

Raspberries!

2009-10-07T23:53:00.002-05:00

We were apple picking today, and the orchard we visited had raspberries, too! I'm pretty sure Mary ate close to her weight while picking (there is nothing so delicious as fresh picked berries!) ~
She loved the farm animals on site~

At the Arboretum, Again!

2009-10-05T23:59:00.003-05:00

We were at the Arboretum for the second time, in less than a week! Today we visited the "Children's Garden" ~

Spider Girl

2009-09-29T23:10:00.005-05:00

After Sam's cello lesson, we spent the morning at the arboretum. Mary loved the animal habitats~
In a heron's nest~

Checking out the skunk's den~

What a stinker!

Daddy's Little Helper

2009-09-27T23:55:00.002-05:00

Scott is part of a ministry in our church that sets up and breaks down our sanctuary every week (we rent space at a local high school). Mary loves climbing on the truck when it's Daddy's Sunday to work.

Put It On the Board

2009-09-20T23:46:00.003-05:00

Mary finally made it to her first White Sox game! She loved it, of course. She fell asleep on the way down there, so I waited in the car with her until she woke up, during the 4th inning. She jumped right into the party - clapping and cheering~
The weather was great, too~

She's her daddy's girl~

Whoever is happy will make others happy, too. ~Mark Twain

2009-09-17T23:46:00.004-05:00

Mary had fun at Catigny again today. Lately she's been wanting to bring a baby with her wherever she goes. Doesn't matter which one (she has three) or even if it's "human" (she also has a monkey she's fond of). She'll say, "mm, baby" as we're walking out the door and as we're getting out of the car to remind me to grab it. She's cute and fun (and growing so fast!) and she makes us terribly happy!

Roadtripping

2009-09-07T23:59:00.002-05:00

We spent the weekend in Green Lake, again. It was a long drive filled with tons of traffic and construction, but Mary was a happy little traveler for most of it. She finally lost it around the 4 hour mark, but once we arrived Mary had lots of fun - biking, tennis, swimming and boating.

Giggling

2009-09-02T23:00:00.002-05:00

Dunes and Canoes and Blueberries, Oh My!

2009-08-25T23:59:00.006-05:00

Mary had fun on our annual trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Stretching her legs when we stopped for dinner on our way up~
"Cheese" at Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive~

Her first dune climb~

Choosing my battles - Mary loves to take her clothes off~

And she's off~

Checking out Lake Michigan~

She likes it~

"Voyager upon life's sea,

To yourself be true,

And whatever your lot may be,

Paddle your own canoe." ~ Sarah Bolton, 1851
“Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean" ~John Muir

Mary loves camping - we all do! There was a point in the trip, though, when I was reminded of that Twighlight Zone episode, "It's A Good Life" about the little boy, Anthony, who controls the world and all the townfolk are afraid of upsetting him. I must have said some variation of "don't bother her/leave her be" a gajillion times. Mary is a delight, but she can be demanding at times. Then again, being homeschooled, she is advanced, and has entered the "terrible twos" early ;) Although, Mary "terrible", is still some kind of wonderful.

Dancing Queen

2009-08-15T23:58:00.003-05:00

Mary getting jiggy with it at Cruise Nights~

Sprinkler Head

2009-08-14T23:26:00.001-05:00

Just like her brothers, Mary loves the water. She's having a lot of fun at our new community pool this year. She likes to sit on the edge of the pool and count, "one, oo, ee" and jump in, whether I'm standing there or not!

Body Pillow

2009-08-05T23:00:00.003-05:00

For about the first 18 months of Mary's life, she and Noe had a tenuous relationship. Noe was not afraid to bat at Mary, usually scratching her face or hands :( Recently, though, they have formed a sweet friendship - Noe must be getting soft in her old age~

Potty Time

2009-08-04T23:57:00.002-05:00

Mary went pee-pee on the potty today! She was very proud of herself :)

Pony Girl

2009-07-25T23:56:00.001-05:00

Mary rode a pony for the first time today~
She loved the horses during the jousting, and we realized there were pony rides near the exit, so we let her try it on our way out~

She was very happy, until they stopped to allow a little boy to join the circle late. Something about the waiting scared her. Next year, though, I'm sure she'll want to keep riding :)

My Fair Lady

2009-07-22T23:59:00.001-05:00

We all had fun at the Dupage County Fair, today~

iBert

2009-07-10T23:48:00.003-05:00

That's the name of the seat Scott has on his bike for Mary. She loves it. It's great because she can see everything, and Scott can talk to her about their ride. We usually take turns with her. She obviously enjoyed our ride tonight~

ma chérie

2009-07-07T23:39:00.002-05:00

American Girl

2009-07-05T07:18:00.004-05:00

Mary celebrating the 4th with our friends, the Bishops.

Mary Go Round

2009-07-03T23:58:00.004-05:00

Mary took a spin on a carousel for the first time tonight, at Taste of Lombard. She was thrilled, which surprised us, because it actually was going very fast! But she was all smiles, the entire time~

She liked it so much, we had to take her a once more, before we left...

Googly-Eyed

2009-06-29T23:50:00.004-05:00

We went swimming in Aunt Darlene's pool this afternoon. Mary found the bin of goggles and had to wear them. All while being catered to by Madeline - a snack, and a ride!

Fashion (non)Sense

2009-06-27T23:19:00.002-05:00

Mary picked her own outfit today. She looked a little like a deranged old lady~

Chinny Chin Chin

2009-06-26T23:56:00.002-05:00

I guess it just wouldn't be childhood without a trip to the ER... Tonight at bedtime, Mary was jumping on the bed, and split her chin open on the nightstand :( Scott and I debated whether the cut needed stitches for about 15 minutes before calling the neighbor to stay with the boys and heading over to CDH.

The doctor there decided to use dermabond. Here's Mary waiting for the topical anesthetic to take effect~
Shrek was on TV while we were there - Mary was mesmerized~

She was so brave and patient while they applied the glue. I held her arms, but she didn't even cry. She just seemed sadly resigned to the whole thing. The nurse held her head still, and Mary just sat there with her little lip quivering the whole time. They were very nice and two different people commented on what a beautiful child she is.

Sound asleep after her ordeal - her chin doesn't look too bad~

Mimi

2009-06-19T23:59:00.004-05:00

That's what Mary calls herself. Here she is after tonight's storm~

Muse

2009-06-14T23:21:00.006-05:00

An exceptionally talented artist and very nice young lady we know (who also happens to be Charlie's former art teacher at the Greenhouse) commented to me last week, that she had been thinking about how beautiful Mary is, and asked if she could paint her. Of course, I said yes! Today after church, Laura snapped a few photos of Mary to take with on her trip to England. Here's one of my favorites~

Two

2009-06-11T23:45:00.000-05:00

Two from Gabrielle Reczek on Vimeo.

No No

2009-06-11T23:44:00.003-05:00

Peace Train

2009-06-09T23:58:00.002-05:00

On the Union Pacific West Line today~

Summer Lovin'

2009-06-08T23:48:00.002-05:00

Our first visit to our brand new waterpark!

Holter Monitor

2009-06-08T10:06:00.002-05:00

We saw Dr. Varga on Friday. He said Mary looked beautiful. We won't see him again until March of next year! At our visit he explained that he will monitor Mary's heart once a year with a Holter monitor, to check for cardiac arrhythmias. She had to keep it on for 48 hours - we just took it off this morning. This is probably the most difficult age to do this - she's old enough to grab at the leads, but not old enough to understand why she shouldn't. She did pretty well with it, though~
This was a cell phone they gave us to continuously transmit the data. Technology is really amazing. The downside to this was it had to be within 10 feet of Mary at all times, and she did not like to wear it (it was pretty heavy for someone who weighs barely 20 lbs.). So Scott, the boys and I took turns chasing after her this weekend.

Here's our girl attempting to blow bubbles for the first time (at our church picnic, where daddy won the 1st Annual Cornhole Tournament with Gary B.)~

Isn't she cute?

Mary Ingalls

2009-06-04T23:33:00.000-05:00

We rode close to 7 miles today, mostly on the prairie path. Sam rode all but 1.5 miles himself, although he was pretty tired by the time we got home. Mary loves the bike - we've been riding several days a week, and she never complains. I usually have her in the seat on the back of my bike, but sometimes she'll ride in the trailer. And once in a while, she takes a ride with Sam next to her, while Charlie tows them.

2009-05-29T23:46:00.002-05:00

Gazoo

2009-05-22T23:57:00.003-05:00

Remember him?
When Sammy was a toddler and would walk around with a batting helmet on his head, we used to call him Gazoo. Now it's Mary's turn~

Aha~

She loves her daddy~

We've had a lot of rain, so many games have been cancelled. And Mary has napped through quite a few, as well. But when we're able, we try and make it. She's the little mascot, and a nice distraction for the fans when the games drag...