Thirty-Two Weeks

Or at this point, thirty-two weeks and two days. Excuse the delay. The weekly photos are usually taken on Mondays, but this past Monday we were traveling back from Pennsylvania. After a weekend of not really being herself and sleeping pretty poorly (although she seemed to handle the swarm of relatives like a champ), that night Surrey seemed to be coming down with something. During the night she was up for over an hour straight screaming and that happened at both naps on Tuesday. So, no photo on Tuesday. They wanted us to bring her in since it sounded like she had a potential ear infection, but of course, nothing. It's so frustrating to know something's not right and see your baby sick but be told nothing is wrong. Anyway, that brings us to Wednesday. We took the photo but I ran out of time to post it until today. Happy Thursday! We're all feeling a bit like this nowadays...

Poolside

I was starting to feel a bit down in the dumps after reading post after post on facebook of friends sitting "poolside" all Memorial Day weekend. Why isn't it sunny here so I can get a tan? Even if it was there's no pool here. On the upside, thank God I don't have to wear a bathing suit. But boy do I really need a tan. Wah, wah wah. Then I realized one of my thoughts was seriously mistaken...or at least it was in its vagueness. You see, there was a pool there. Just so happens that this pool was inflatable, cost just shy of $5, and only fits a very small child. Enter Surrey's first dip in a pool! And of course by dip I mean she was plopped down on a towel in the few inches of water. Wild child. As you can tell by her elated expressions, she loved it. Ha! Here's to being poolside on a holiday weekend.

Crash Course in Parenting

Aunt Andria visited for a couple days after Surrey's baptism, giving her a little crash course in parenting. Perhaps one of the dirtiest jobs she helped out with was feeding Surrey solids. She quickly learned feeding a seven month old with an uncontrollable tongue (which my mom believes to be tongue-tied) and drool for days isn't quite as easy as feeding oneself. Thanks for the help!

Traveling Companions

How in the world did I ever travel before Thirty-One?? No one knows. Check out just a few of the products I used to cart Surrey's stuff up north. I also used the brand new Top-A-Tote on my Large Utility Tote to ensure everything stayed in place while packed in the car.

June Customer Special

Can you believe June is only a couple days away!? Nuts. June is a happy month for me because it's my birthday month, school finishes up, and I can get my hands on a Large Utility Tote for only $10! For every $35 Thirty-One purchase you make, you're able to get the popular LUT at a $25 discount! That's big. When you take advantage of this deal, you're also going to want to pick up the brand new Top-A-Tote lid in a coordinating color. At only $10, this see-through lid easily slides onto your LUT to keep sand, dust, or dirt out and all your belongings in. It's great if you use your tote for going to the beach or traveling, where things can easily get jumbled around.

mythirtyone.com/blink

brianna.link@gmail.com

Baptism

This past Sunday was a day of celebration in our family. Our sweet little Surrey girl was baptized at our church. It was a very significant morning that I really hope we won't take lightly or let fade in memory. We love our church here in Richmond - Hope Church - and appreciate the way they approach baptism. Hope recognizes this as a very important moment in a family's story, not just the child's.
As Christians, we were asked to reaffirm our belief and faith in Jesus Christ. As partners, we were asked to recommit ourselves to the covenant we made with each other, recognizing that the marriage is central to our family's health and sustainability. As parents, we were asked to dedicate ourselves to raising Surrey to follow Christ. And as part of the body of the church, the members were asked to raise their hands in commitment to coming along side of our family as encouragers, models, and supporters as we journey through parenthood. I barely could hold back tears seeing literally hundreds of hands raised in our support.
It was special that both our immediate families were able to make the trip to celebrate with us. After the service we had them and some close friends over for a small brunch. We are so thankful to have such great people surrounding us and joining us in the ups and downs of life as new parents.

I'm ashamed that I didn't take many pictures. For much much better pictures than I have head on over to my good friend Bevin's page here. Doesn't she just have the nicest things to say? Thanks Bevin!

May Customer Special

There's still a week left to take advantage of the awesome May customer special! For every $31 you spend, you are able to purchase an All-In-One Organizer for only $5 - a $15 savings! You can personalize this tote for a flat fee of $7. These organizers can be used for so many different things. As we speak I have mine packed with Surrey's food pouches, formula, spoons, and bottles to take with us to Pennsylvania this weekend. In the past we've used this tote to haul DVDs and books. Other uses for the All-In-One may include holding children's toys, paper products for a picnic, diapers and wipes, shower caddy, crochet/knitting supplies. Try using it as a mobile office or a gift bag stuffed with goodies. The possibilities are endless! This month only the All-In-One is available in the Pink Lotsa Dots print - perfect for that special female in your life, or a little girl on the way!

www.mythirtyone.com/blink

brianna.link@gmail.com

At Least It Wasn't A Mullet?

Our poor child has had a rattail for several months. Yes, months. We've been waiting and waiting for it to fall out with the rest of her first phase of baby hair. We haven't researched the details of this near balding experience, obviously. When my mom visited in April she mentioned she was shocked I hadn't cut it yet. I was shocked she would even suggest it. My mom is a big traditionalist and although I value traditions a lot, I can have a bit of a rebellious spirit. Just a bit. And in this conversation, for a brief moment, I felt understood. Wouldn't this nullify the sacred first haircut?? Are you really suggesting I just take a pair of household scissors to my first baby's hair without an appointment on the calendar or a cape around her neck? It took me some time to process this. I was torn - feeling for my poor daughter with the unsightly rattail, but wanting to preserve fond memories for her. I've already blown any semblance of a baby book, or even tracking milestones on a calendar that has all the stickers printed for me. I don't want Surrey to look back and think we didn't make a big deal about her life. 
But as that tail of hair coming not from the nape of her neck but the lower-middle of her head stared me at me each day after that, I decided the time had come. We'd make it semi-significant by trimming it off the day before her baptism and snapping a few photos. And so I did. I now have a greater appreciation for hair stylists who have to cut kids' hair. I only had one chunk naturally sectioned off for me and couldn't even cut it in one snip.

Thirty-One Weeks

For the life of me I can't remember much before this past Saturday. Maybe it's because I was up from 4:45 - 6:00am with Surrey, and unfortunately we've had a similar trend for the past week or two. I've now convinced myself that transitioning Surrey down to two naps at the same time I transitioned Stella (who is two months older) was a bad idea. Surrey's naps aren't great, she's becoming extremely cranky around dinner time, and isn't sleeping until close to 7:00am like she used to. Ahh! I feel like I set her up for failure and now my own quality of life is slipping away with it. Hopefully she'll adjust soon enough or I'll figure out a better solution. This parenting stuff is hard when you've never done it before!

Thankfully, she was very happy during her photo shoot and we got several fun pictures.

For the Grandmothers

Here's a peek into what Surrey did for her grandmothers for Mother's Day. If you're a perfectionist like me and may one day try this for yourself, be warned: a six month old's foot does not hold still very long. Very high risk having only one shot to get the footprint - it's not perfect by any means, but it'll just have to do.

First Mother's Day

How strange and wonderful that I just celebrated my first Mother's Day. Until a couple weeks ago I actually don't think I realized I now am someone being honored on this holiday, in addition to honoring my own mom. Strange and wonderful.

Jeremiah and Surrey sure did make me feel extra special yesterday. Surrey decided she just couldn't wait to spend time with me, so she was up several times during the night. What a sweet girl. We enjoyed a special Panera breakfast treat and a little lunch from Fresh Market - a household favorite. The most notable part of the day was our excursion out to Maymont Park for a quaint picnic dinner. Surrey was so excited for her first picnic that she snoozed on the car ride there. Happy Mother's Day to me. Jeremiah created a tasty menu consisting of shrimp BLT wraps, pickled cucumbers and onions, and fruit salad - ALL homemade. Surrey enjoyed pureed apples. It was so fun to get out to a quiet, scenic place and enjoy time as our little family of three. 

Thanks to my husband for honoring, loving, and serving me yesterday. You've set the bar high for your special holiday in June.

And yes, Surrey did have a wardrobe change. 

Thirty Weeks

This was a week of many firsts! And although Surrey was moody and needy during today's photo shoot, she had a wonderful week showing off all her new tricks. As predicted from last week, this girl is now a roller! She can successfully muster up enough strength to roll from her back to her belly. Woo hoo! I think it's also safe to say she is a sitter. She's been working up to it for quite some time, but now she's pretty sturdy on her own. Of course there's an occasional tip backwards or a minor face-plant here and there after a big reach for a toy, but for the most part this girl can sit (just keep the Boppy close).

And finally, Surrey's cutting her first tooth! It's about time after months and months of significant drooling. Although it's tough to see with the naked eye, we can definitely feel the sharpness coming through her gums. Next week she'll be eating steak I'm sure.

Unwinding

This past weekend was a busy one for the Link family, and when Saturday night rolled around Jeremiah and I were ready to crash. An overdue DVR line-up, a sleeping baby, and this rare treat made for a relaxing evening at home.

SG & SG

Surrey Gray and Stella Grace. A day in the life of these BFFs. They finally seem to acknowledge and enjoy each other - and especially enjoy each other's toys. Who knew at six and eight months kids already want what someone else has? That's nature, people, and I admit I was scarily surprised when it first happened. So, I find myself already teaching the fine art of sharing and taking turns. I don't think they quite get it yet, but never too early to start I guess. And looks like they've started sharing secrets. Oh girl talk.

Social Networking

Oh just checking up on her facebook peeps with Uncle Cam. Got so excited she pulled one of the keys off his computer. Whoops!

Twenty-Nine Weeks

I'm not sure there's much to report this week. Surrey is on the move nowadays and I just caught her almost rolling completely over post photo shoot. She'll get it soon! And if you haven't had the good fortune of seeing her voluminous hairdo in person, feast your eyes upon this. Surrey's hair has a life of it's own, rarely laying flat. I'm sure that one day it will. Remember when she was younger, thus having shorter hair, and it would literally stick straight up in the air? It's calming down, but I definitely wouldn't call it calm.

We also had our first high school babysitter this past weekend and she had only good things to report. Jeremiah and I got to go out with some friends to an engagement party. I snuck out ahead of Jeremiah since she seems to be going through another version of the mommy separation anxiety, and we think that made the goodbye much smoother. This coming Friday we'll have a different high school babysitter. Hoping for similar results.