September 2011

The month of September brought a chunkin-up three-month-old Eliza Hope, an increasingly curious three-year-old Susannah Joy, and a plethora of adventures for our family.  Our days are full, full, FULL:  full of friends, full of laughter, full of young child emotion, full of infant smiles, full of learning.  LIFE abounds in a home with little ones, and Harry and I are so grateful for the abundance!

Susannah continues to be a chatty, curious, intense little girl whose mood can shift faster than you can say "tantrum." :)  She feels and responds to her world with both tangible excitement and extreme disappointment, rarely touching on the milder emotions on the spectrum.  She is wholeheartedly committed to her own plans and ideas, and like most children her age, detests being told to do something different!  She protests firmly with her very advanced linguistic skills.  (Both a positive and a negative side exist in every gifting God gives our children!)  I need to go ahead and invest in a t-shirt for her that says, "DELIGHTFUL...until crossed." :)    Ah, discipline in our home requires creativity and, above all else, tenacity!  Because she is such a "language kid," she can express her thoughts and feelings extraordinarily well, and also rationalize with the best of them.  She is hungry for knowledge, asking questions and wanting to know the background information and reasons for EVERYTHING in her world.  She pours over books and is expressing continued interest in reading and writing.  She knows the sounds various letters make, and is learning to write her letters and draw with increasing accuracy.  Each face she draws has eyes, nose, mouth, eyebrows, cheeks, and a chin.  She's at the stage where the body doesn't exist; instead, arms with hands and fingers, as well as legs with knees and feet, come from the head.  (LOVE THIS STAGE!!!!)  Finding confidence in drawing, just like finding confidence in all new situations, is challenging for our slow-to-warm perfectionist.  

Susie Joy is involved in Musikgarten classes this fall, making it her second semester in this brilliantly-designed program.  We go together weekly, leaving sweet "Lizey" with our dear friend Aunt Jamie, who has been gracious as to give her Wednesday mornings to us.  We spend a tremendous part of our days listening and dancing to music, dressing up, pretending with her Calico Critters and dollhouse, building with blocks, and swinging on the swingset out back.  Animal figurines and stuffed critters get far more attention than baby dolls do, though she'll engage deeply with just about any toy she can get her hands on!

Eliza Hope is a DELIGHT at every turn!  Her cheeks absolutely BILLOW with strawberries-and-cream sweetness, and her eyes have become a sparkly blue and are lined with long lashes.  She is now reaching for objects with increasing frequency and accuracy, and flutters her arms and legs on her changing table and floor gym for periods of 20 minutes or more.  She is taking naps in her crib now (instead of the bassinet), as she's a sensitive sleeper (here we go again...!).  I find myself looking forward to the moment she awakens in the mornings, as her face absolutely BURSTS into the most precious grin and her body can hardly contain the joy so it too wriggles and scrunches with glee!  I know she connects me with milk, but I like to think she's starting to like me for me in addition ;).  Fall walks in the double stroller through the park are her favorite pastime, and she'll often become so mesmerized with nature and movement that she'll drift off peacefully...only to wake the moment I stop pushing!  Looking at the towering trees against the blue sky, the ducks and swans floating on the  park pond, and the children playing on the playground keep her contented for endless spans of time, it seems.  The joys of this little love are endless.  I adore holding and rocking her, listening to the rhythmic sound of her suck-swallow as she nurses and watching her eyes slowly close as she peacefully drifts off to sleep in my arms.  I also love to hear her "squawking practice" as she finds her little voice and practices using it at will.  I am fascinated by her every move, whether she's awake or sleeping! 

Finally, in late September, my mom was visiting their local animal shelter at my request.  Losing Rylie had left my heart aching all day, everyday.  Her loss left a void that time alone was not healing. Hard as it was for my mom, she honored my request to just go and see what was available at the SPCA.  She cried almost the entire time, longing for the impossible: Rylie's return so that a new pup would not have to be sought.  She did not find anything that suited the needs of a family with two very little children until, on her way out, she noticed an additional room of kennels.  She turned the corner to find a kennel with six pups...and in the corner was a "baby Rylie."  Her heart all but stopped upon seeing this polite little one sitting in the corner alone while her litter mates trampled one another, nipped, and yapped, as puppies are prone to do.  Mom asked the Animal Control Officer about that puppy, and she told her the litter of lab-hound mixed had just arrived a day or two before. She took and sent me pictures of this precious little girl who so shockingly resembled our Ryles, and had the ACO hold the pup a week for us to be able to meet her.  The shelter staff fell in love with this  puppy's meek, gentle disposition and eagerness to please.  And never mind the fact that she was adorable!

I spent the entire week feeling so torn, seeking advice from trusted friends and praying about whether or not we could even handle an extra family member while still adjusting to the presence of a young infant in our home.  I decided to trust that the Lord would let us know upon meeting this puppy if she would be right for our family.  Harry and I went to the shelter Saturday morning, leaving the girls with my mom.  Within moments of meeting that sweet pup I knew she would be a perfect addition to our family.  She became my 33rd birthday present from my parents :).  I named her Autumn Rose, "Rosie" for short, and she has been such a blessing of healing at a time when my heart was grieving so heavily.  At her wellness visit, the vet estimated her to be between four and five months old, and he and his staff could hardly believe her mellow disposition for a lab mix her age.  We have all come to love her, and she has more than filled the hole in our lives that Rylie left.  It feels good to take such a timid, vulnerable puppy from a cage and bring her home...to give her a family, constant love, her own cushy bed, a basket full of toys, a huge yard, food that is all hers, treats for doing any little thing, long walks, and neighbor doggies to romp with each day!  In return, she has been a gentle, loving presence with both of our girls, has been very quick to learn a few simple commands, and is continually trying to figure out which things she can and cannot chew on :).  Most of all, she is companionable and loyal, sitting at my feet when I prepare dinner or wash dishes, and always grateful to be rubbed and fed (she eats anything!) and even just acknowledged.  Our "Rosebud" is such a gift...