Bring out the fans!

It's one of those days where you wake up to the cool fresh air coming through the window and the sun is already shining and filling the air with its warmth and you know it is gonna be a hot one! I love these days. Yesterday it was so beautiful and we took advantage of it by hopping in the car when Josh got off work and took Hallel on her first walk to the beach. There is a 1.5 mile trail that takes you down to the beach called Tennessee Valley Road. Since we are still figuring out how to do activities with a baby we took a lot of stops to make sure Hallel was in the shade. But it was still a lot of fun! Today it is supossed to be 95 so we will proabably spend most of the day inside. But we sure do have fun sitting out on our porch eating Josh's yummo bar-b-que in the evening when it is cool.





























Easter morning all set to go to church



















My two favorite people

Splish, splash my baby loves her bath!

Hallel LOVES her bath time! She gets so excited when the diaper comes off and she is totally free! It must be reminiscent of the womb:) She just can't get enough of the water and kicking those little feet. She has even started holding her head up for me when I wash her hair. It is so cute and I hope that she is always a water girl. Now a days she loves playing with the towel almost as much as the water, ha.

Who says the simple things in life can't be a party! Especially when you are 4 months old.

Hallel LOVES to grab things now

I used to hear other mothers say that they couldn't believe how fast their babies grew up and changed. I used to think that was just an old persons thing to say because time seems to speed up the older you get. But what do you know they were right. It is crazy how even though you spend every day with this little person there is so much change happening right before your eyes. Its like time lapsed photography in person. Well the most noticeable change is that Hallel is ever growing! I have been worrried about her rapid growth at times especially when people tell me she looks like a 6mo old. but after seeing some of my baby pics this weekend I realized that she takes after her momma. Only I was a little more round and stout at three months. the best prize of watching her grow is that her precious personality just gets sweeter and sweeter every day. She is kind of shy but also loves to "talk" to us too. She loves schedule and she LOVES to smile!

Last weekend my sister and her family came to visit us over their Spring Break and it was so fun to have them here with us. It is so special to have Hallel's cousins and uncle and aunt play and interact with her.

Kacy, Signe's daughter who is four, was practicing Hallel's name so that she could say it right when they got here. She pronounced to Signe before they came mom I can say, "Hello's" name. Signe tried to tell her that her name was Hallel but she was confident that she had figured it out to be Hello. kids are so sweet!

Signe made this adorable tooth fairy pillow out of one of my old sweaters and cute ribbon, I love it!

Two buddies napping

Sunny Day

Our lil Irish St. Patty's Day Girl

Yesterday was the first day of Spring! In celebration of Spring we thought that we would give our blog some fresh color. I thought about taking a picture of our beautiful scenery here in honor of Spring but yesterday it was cloudy and rainy, today it is soooo windy and blue sky. We are getting there...

We are looking forward to some sun because Hallel loves going on walks and just looking around wide eyed and excited! I always think that she might fall asleep on a walk but she usually just looks around and coos. And she loves it when we go over bumps in her stroller, that's our busy little girl. I am finding that her womb personality is staying true. She was very active in my womb especially towards the end. And so far once she wakes up she is ready to kick and move! Josh's theme song for her is, "I like to move it, move it" from Madagascar. I love it, but I might get a run for my money when she is mobile.

Her new "trick" is that she can hold on to things so when she is on the changing table or in the stroller or wherever she can she grabs the side of it and smiles like she is so proud of herself. It's pretty cute.

Well, happy Spring all...

Check me out practicing my side style

Thank you Grandma Mathews for the cutey patootee outfit!

Daddy, aren't I the cutest thing you ever did see!!

Rock Stars

My two Rock Stars never cease to make me smile!



















First of all my rockstar husband saved us atleast $250 this morning by fixing our car with parts that he found at a junk yard, thanks baby!
And my little rockstar is learning so many new things!
They both have stolen my heart!

Singing into her mic which is her new favorite toy-hands are cheap too



















Sitting up in the Bumbo chair


































Hanging out during tummy time














Sacked out




























Making daddy laugh














Stretchy

good things come in three's

3 friends

3 bellies
3 babies

...maybe in less than

3 days

we can't wait for you Klont!

A mothers ponderings

My new favorite picture!!!!

One of my favorite lines of the nativity story is that Mary pondered all of these things in her heart. I love to think, probably over think too many things, and love to take in life and mull things over in the quiet. Since being home with Hallel, one of the ponderings that keeps coming up in my mind is that of a child's delight to her parents and unknown to her.

Hallel is so small and is learning such simple things as hand coordination. So that her flailing arms and fingers don't always end up in her eye or punching her face. One of her most common practices of the day are her cat like stretches (that have made Josh and I ponder stretching and how refreshing that is) that occur after every waking period. So in all of this simplicity, yet taxing and hard work for a two month old, is a sheer delight of her parents. Yes, we could watch her all day long with her many expressions and gestures even her sleeping posture is such a thing of beauty. Yet, she will not remember this segment of life, only through stories and pictures. But we, her parents, have her life being etched into our hearts as her personality is unfolding in front of us.

And finally, the main point of my pondering is this. Perhaps - and I will never claim to understand the heart of God - but perhaps, this is the type of joy that we get to bring to our loving Creator. A babe like innocence of how small we truly are in light of God. Yet a pleasure that only a Father could have of watching His image muddle through learning life. Ah the aspect of trust! That I would trust God like Hallel trusts Josh and I for life. And that I would realize that part of worship is just merely being who God made Stacy and that is a delight to my Maker. And that I would abhor sin for the simple reality that it hurts my Father's heart because He does know best.

Here is our little Hallel being the precious baby that God has made her to be and winning our hearts again and again!