CCPL

[These days, the amount of blogging I do directly correlates with how Lillian is sleeping. Last week was a week of 45 minute naps--leaving barely enough time to shower and do minimal stuff around the house--thus, no blogging. We are starting out this week with a gloriously long Monday morning nap--therefore, two blog posts!]

This past weekend we were able to take Lillian on her first library trip. For those of you who know how much I like to read, you can imagine how thrilled this was for me. I actually teared up looking at shelf after shelf of beloved childhood memories; from Beverly Cleary to American Girl to Narnia to Roald Dahl (and many, many more), all of these cherished publications made me so excited to teach Lillian how to read. Of course I read to her now, but she rarely has much insight to give on why the rabbits in Goodnight Moon eat mush instead of carrots or why the polar bears in God Gave us You travel on a sled pulled by reindeer to get to the hospital (Do reindeer and polar bears like each other?) .
And if Lillian doesn't like to read, naturally I will still love her to pieces and try mightily to change her mind. Plus hope/pray that future siblings do enjoy reading!
Thomas and Lillian reading in the children's section at the Charleston County Public Library downtown. You have to cross a bridge fashioned after the Ravenel Bridge and I can just imagine her running across it someday!

A new cousin!

As of 12:05 am on 1/29/12, Lillian now has two cousins. Thomas' sister Pamela and her husband Brandon welcomed Cason Jacob as their second son this past Sunday. He is 7 lbs, 5 oz and 20.5 in. long, much closer to Lillian in size than his big brother Colton, who was a hefty 9 lbs, 6 oz. at birth, and now a strapping 2 year old.

Lillian was, of course, thrilled by the news of baby CJ and celebrated his arrival by crafting a sign which reads, "Welcome cousin Cason! looking forward to playing with you!" I think her bubble letter abilities destine her for great success as a sorority paint penner someday.
Also, the sign was wadded up and stuffed into her mouth approximately .5 seconds after this picture was snapped. Perhaps she is taking lessons in paper ingestion* from big brother Sullivan or from the many beavers scattered all around our house...

*don't worry, she didn't actually swallow anything.

What I think about the Hunger Games series

Probably the most boring blog post title ever, but hey, at least you won't be surprised at the content of this post! I've been mulling over a few things recently--namely, that I need to think more and challenge myself intellectually more--that will probably manifest themselves on Ye Olde Blog in the coming weeks and months.
Now you're probably thinking, "but Ashley! How can reviewing a young adult fiction series possibly be thought provoking and challenging?" Baby steps, folks, baby steps. You see, I've been in a lovely little Lillian cocoon for the past few months. It's a wonderful place to be, but I'm seeking to transform that cocoon into more of a nest since a nest is influenced more by the outside environment. Okay, enough with the bad metaphors. All I'm saying is that I have been challenged by this verse which was brought up in this study:

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. "
-Romans 12:2

There is obviously a lot to say about this verse, and my goal is to convey my thoughts gradually as I meditate upon what Paul is saying. Sometimes as Christians we get trapped in the "heart/emotions only" box and forget to truly think through things with the rational minds that God has given us.
And there may be people reading this who think that Christianity in general is a check your brains at the door sort of venture. I probably won't be able to change your mind about that, but I can throw some ideas out there and be transparent with you in terms of my thought processes. Phew. I know that my thoughts are all jumbled up, and there is a time when I would have just hit delete! instead of publishing this random smattering of thought. But if I don't start here, if I don't start where I am, then how will I ever get anywhere?

Okay, the Hunger Games. ( I linked up with a synopsis on Amazon). I just finished the three books and in general, I think that the speed which I progressed through each book reveals my true thoughts about it. The Hunger Games, 1 day. Catching Fire, 2 days. Mockingjay, 5 days. I found the first book to be brilliant. An innovative concept, well-plotted and paced with believable characters and situations. I was excited to read about the Hunger Games themselves, which freaked me out. How barbaric and twisted that I would want to do that! But I feel that is Collins' point--it's easy to judge the citizens of the Capitol for putting together the Hunger Games with all of their gory pomp and circumstance. How am I any different or better, though, for wanting to see what happens. For cheering for certain children to die. In this light, I think that this popular series is dead on about our sin nature. Our total depravity. That, as my pastor likes to say, we are all one step away from totally blowing it. T
he Hunger Games bears out a primary tenet of my worldview, namely that we are all sinners in need of redemption. But redemption never arrives in this series, much as it doesn't for many people, I suppose. How sad to be stuck in the darkness and deception of sin with no hope of change or joy. Therefore, I think I would have been satisfied if the Hunger Games were a stand alone book. I found the second and third book to be entirely "too much" and "too little." Way too much violence and too much teen whining. Too little hope and too little change.

So if you're looking for an excellent YA series, check out Narnia, Harry Potter, the Dark is Rising or Anne of Green Gables. If you're looking for a good YA series with lots of action, kissing and blood, then read the Hunger Games. Skip Twilight altogether (although, major props to Stephanie Meyer as a stay at home mom turned author).

I promise the next post will have pictures of my precious baby, who has blissfully napped the entire time I've spent writing this post. Hallelujah!

A quick note

(Hillary, you may want to skip this post. It mentions poop.)

On our tube of diaper rash cream (which is made out of gold, by the way, since we have to buy a very particular kind to go with the cloth diapers), it says in bright! fun! letters:

Safe!
Natural!
Fun!

Now, I don't know about you, but slathering cream on Lillian's girly parts and butt while dealing with a variety of smells and liquids is not really my idea of Fun. I am very grateful for her well-functioning digestive system, but diaper changes are probably not my favorite part of the whole baby deal. Also, she's had very little diaper rash; we are loving our Bumgenius stash for that.

A Sullivan story

In case you were missing the life and times of the goofiest, hairiest dog ever, here is Sullivan in action over the Christmas break. Note the sprawled rabbit toy adjacent to our hero.
This picture was taken in my in-laws' family room. They graciously provided Sullivan a blanket to lie on. BUT Sullivan, being the spoiled animal that he is, decided the floor was not nearly comfortable enough. Every so often, over the course of the weekend, Sullivan would quickly and quietly stretch his giraffe-like body onto the couch behind him and immediately position himself as if he had been there for hours, and he was far too comfortable to possibly be moved. Then he would give a slightly sad, slightly reproachful look to whoever got the fun task of scooping him back off the furniture.
le sigh...
We created a monster, no doubt about it.

Four months!

Lillian at 4 months:
Before she was born, I imagined two things about her. First, that she would be tall, like her daddy. Secondly, that she would have beautiful brown eyes, also like her daddy.
As you can tell by the photo on the right, I am pretty sure that I'm wrong about the second one. Yes, I know babies' eyes can change until they're a year old or so, but Lillian's eyes have continually become a light and lighter blue since birth. It seems like they are going to stay blue (not that I wouldn't be thrilled to see them turn a coffee color like Thomas' eyes!). Currently they look exactly like my dad's eyes.
Her four month stats indicate that Lillian is going to take after me in the height department. So far she is a petite little thing. 23.5 inches (25th percentile) and just about 14 pounds (50th percentile). I'm guessing that traveling didn't help in the growth department and the doc thinks that she is headed for a big growth spurt, so she may not always be petite. But for now, she is a sweet little lady.
Other thing she is doing at four months: rolling over (I never understood why this was a big deal until I had her. You take this inert little bundle who lays around like a blob for months and then bang! presto! She can move ever so slightly on her own!); talking/shrieking/making cat noises constantly--seriously, this is one noisy kid; smiling all the time; and grabbing everything she can get her hands on--Sullivan's fur, books, toys, etc.
We love her to pieces and are simultaneously amazed that it has only been one-third of a year and that it has already been one-third of a year.

So, I have been planning all sorts of exciting posts--Lillian's first Christmas, "11 for '11," etc. I have even told Lillian this AND showed her the blog, but that little stinker has decided that her New Years resolution is to only take 45 minute naps, if any naps at all. Let me tell you how quickly 45 minutes goes when you are trying to do silly things like shower, clean, cook, and let the dog out every 2.5 minutes. Point of fact: Sullivan thrives in the cold weather. Homeboy would play 24/7 if we would go out there with him. Not going to happen though, so Sullivan has spent most of 2012 lying on the couch/floor/bed looking reproachfully at us (read: me) for not taking him outside more. Poor guy.

For now, here are a few pictures from Christmas (which we spent in Aiken and Colorado) until I get the chance to write a real recap. My 45 minute timer is on and I have cornbread to make.

I love love love this picture of Thomas. Lillian was running a tiny fever and generally not feeling so hot--as reflected in the "Dad, you're boring me" facial expression--but I love how excited Thomas is about the Old McDonald hand book. Makes me laugh every time.

Here is a sweet picture from our time in Aiken. We spent a lot of the weekend hanging out--playing games, eating, opening presents, and generally visiting. Lillian sure does love her Grandma and Pops!

Thomas and I were able to ski two days at Beaver Creek, Dec. 23 and 24. We were very blessed by my parents' willingness to watch Lillian, and we had a blast tearing up the mountain together. Or, at least not killing ourselves and remembering pretty well how to ski. We are very well-matched skiers and generally enjoy skiing a little bit of everything on the mountain.

I love everything about this picture! The Christmas tree in the background, the head-sized bow stuck to Lillian's head like a bow on a present, my mom's happy face, Lillian's slightly skeptical face...so much to love! This was on New Years Eve while we were out to dinner for my dad's birthday.

Okay, last picture for the day. The cornbread is calling. I think this is one of the only pictures I have of the three of us from the entire 2.5 weeks that Thomas was off of work. Doh! Good thing it's pretty cute. The L shirt is one of my favorites, although Lillian manages the spray poop all over it just about every time she wears it. ha. This picture is in front of the mantel at my grandmother's house which is a place that I absolutely love.