Welcome Spring

So since today is the first official day of spring I decided to be ambitious and create a spring cleaning list. I don't have a time table since I have PJ to take care of in between cleaning so I imagine once I get to scratch things off I will have to start over and redo those items, but I am looking forward to the house being clean and hopefully clutter-free. Maybe I should have just written "de-clutter" on my list and stuck to that one chore.

I'm a little nervous I won't get all of this finished and will feel a little overwhelmed. I'm allowing myself about a week to get it all down, but I'm hoping I'll have it all done in 3 days. The biggest obstacle will be the windows and upstairs. I only go upstairs at bedtime so motivating myself to get up there and get the work done will be hard.

I just realized I completely forgot to include the LOFT on my list. Ugh, even more to do now. Anyway, good luck with your Spring Cleaning! Here's to many clean houses in the next few weeks.

Almost 5 months

Dear Peighton,

You are almost 5 months old! I cannot believe how much you have grown and changed in the last month. I'm doing this post a little early because you have learned so many new things I want to remember them all. So, I'm going to talk about some of my favorites and then next week I'll talk about the others.

You are finally slightly getting used to the carseat. You still scream and cry...but it's much better than before. You at least wait until we are out of the garage to cry and I have learned that if I hold your hand and slightly caress it you will find your thumb and fall asleep. I look forward to many days like this when I can talk/sing to you and you are not screaming...but listening ;)

Your daddy has your addicted to sports. Before he left, we all dressed in New York Yankee shirts and spent the day together and that evening watched the Yankees on tv for spring training. Someday, your daddy will take you to NY for a Yankee game. We can't wait!

A new favorite thing to do is grab your toes...it even interrupts your sleep. This particular day you played with your toes for about an hour. You were trying to put them in your mouth, but I guess you could not bend that way in your bed.
You were able to get them in your mouth though! You have the most accomplished look on your face. I love seeing how excited you get when you achieve new milestones.
On Friday, we did our first 5k together. When mommy & daddy lived in Hawaii I loved to run...maybe because of the great weather and the free feeling running there. I wish I could say it was a great experience, but it was stressful. We did finish it, but not without obstacles. First, you screamed from the moment we got on the path and then you continued to scream. Along the way I had to pick you up several times, clean up your spit up (it was a bumpy drive), and to make it worse I had horrible hip pain that left me unable to run the last half. You and I crossed the finish line together...with you in my arms because you wanted to me held and out of that stroller!

You will someday understand the sacrifice that your daddy is making for us. He loves us so much that he's willing to leave for a long time to keep us safe and help people in another country find freedom. I know you are too little to understand now, but this is something that you can be proud of and thankful for. Daddy is definitely our hero :)

Your first St. Patrick's day you wanted to be a big girl and sit in the cart. I don't blame you, it's hard to see when you're in the buggie. You look like such a big girl here. I'm not ready for you to grow up so fast.
This particular day we mailed off our first packages to daddy. He will love all the goodies we got him and the special drawing you did for him :) I love when you are smiling...especially when you smile in your car seat.
Peighton you really are a Joy to everyone who loves you. Please slow down and do not be in any hurry to grow up. Take your time.....I'll always be here to hold you when you want to be a baby.

I thank God every night for blessing us with you. I pray your life is filled with love and you understand God's love for us.

First on Camera

This was the first time I ever caught a "first" on camera. I was taking a picture of her playing with her feet for hubby and she stuck her toes in her mouth!

I was super excited and she instantly looked at me and cried...maybe I squealed or something. haha!

Anyway, this picture will go straight to her baby book and be shown to "boy" friends for many years to come ;) Love you Peighton Joy.

My sweet cheeks

This week has been a tough one. Hubby deployed for a short deployment (well, short compared to the others). It was a hard day for all of us, but we know he will be ok and be home soon.

Playing with a weapon (I was not in the room at the time, but pictures alone make me cringe.)

PJ got lots of cuddles that day with daddy.

Our family

In other news, PJ's hair is getting so long. She officially has a mullet :) but putting it up makes it look a little less hillbillyish.

I just love her sweet face and cute cheeks. This girl can make me smile anytime (even when she's refusing to go to sleep like right now.)

She started making super silly faces and funny noises to go along with them.

I just love her little face and chubby cheeks.

So, in a few short weeks Peighton will be 5 months old. I will look back at these pictures and be stunned at all the changes and how fast she grows.

Dear Peighton,

I am amazed at all you do these days. You are growing, changing, and becoming a big girl right before my eyes. I love to see you learn new things like grabbing your toys and my phone. You love to stare at mommy and daddy when you wake up in the morning. You usually make it in to our bed around 2am and stay there until it's time to get up...you make the rules around here so wake up time is usually bright and early. You also are learning to play with the dogs. When they come close to you, you will grab for them and pull their hair. They don't like it, but I think it's pretty telling of how you will treat them in a few months. We are taking a big trip in a few weeks and I am very nervous about how you will be. I beg of you...please please don't scream in your car seat. It will leave mommy with some sanity. For now, continue to be super cute and happy.

I love you,

Mommy