Allergic reactions

Well, my little Livie is now in a full blown allergic reaction to something. She has broken out all over her tummy and back, her neck and a little on her face. She is all stuffed up, and she has an ear infection. She is remarkably cheerful for all of that. The sad thing from her perspective is that they have taken her off of everything that could have caused it. She can no longer eat her rice or oatmeal cereal, which she loves. (The only way she would open her mouth at the doctor's for the doctor to look at her throat was for me to get her spoon out and act like I was going to feed her.):) She cannot use her lotion. She cannot use her medicine for outside allergies. She is even on her first dose of antibiotics. But, she is still smiling. I love being a mommy. I love being her mommy. She was up last night three times in the middle of the night, and once I got over looking at the clock and saying, "again?", I just thought about how privileged I am to have her. I was having my own little miracle moment in the middle of the night, realizing the blessing she is and how lucky I am that God gave her to me. She is my little miracle.

This weekend was wonderful. I got to spend the entire weekend with family. Friday was my niece's birthday. We went to her house for dinner. She was so excited to get her new Hannah Montana things. Livie just smiled and begged to be fed and laughed at my niece as she opened her gifts. She also got to experience a balloon for the first time. She kept playing with the string and watching the balloon move in the air. It is really neat to watch her face as she encounters new things. I see her capacity to learn and am astounded by her daily.

Then Saturday, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Great Grandma's 80th birthday party. Everyone from DH's family was there. They all thought my little Livie was "so cute". She smiled for them and was happy to be passed around. The only time she really cried was when she got to the third person in a row and she spotted me over the other person's shoulder. I had a bottle in my hand and she decided she wanted it. And some people say babies can't tell you what they want.:)

And then the fun part came. On Sunday, we went to the camp ground for a two day event. While DH and I set up the tent, Memaw watched Livie. Memaw even asked if Livie could sleep with her and Papa in the trailer for the night. We said yes and had a night to ourselves in the tent. The most fun part was watching Livie's face as she rode the golf cart for the first time. I was driving and Memaw was holding her. She just about laid on her side in Memaw's arms, putting her head out toward the side and getting a small breeze on her face. And of course she was sucking on her fingers the whole time. Then she got another first, eating oatmeal cereal. I wasn't sure she really like it until the third bowl of it had been devoured. I guess she is okay with oatmeal, too! Next week we get to try green beans or squash. I am so excited. Livie also loved the fire. She just stared at it intently like she was trying to figure out what it was. I guess you could say it was our first little vacation as a family. What a great weekend!

Miracle Moments in the Making

I never thought of myself as a blogger before, but motherhood has brought me into many new things in life. I am a new mom. My daughter Livie is my miracle. She is the baby I didn't think I could have whom we found out about last year, on April Fool's Day ironically. Having her has helped me to see a plan for my life that God set in motion years ago, but of which I am just now catching a glimpse. I went from being the late-twenties single woman who bought a house and two cats planning to be alone forever to being a woman terribly in love with her husband and greatly thankful for the beautiful little girl who goes to sleep in my arms sucking on her binky and holding on to her burp cloth like a security blanket. I feel so blessed.

I am usually terrible at writing down details because I just live life every day as it comes. My mom told me that I am going to forget all the details of these precious days with Livie and my DH if I don't write them down. This blog is my outlet to remembering all those precious moments that God has given me. Maybe this will even inspire me to start Livie's baby book, or even write down the details from her birth. (She may want them some day:)) I hope you enjoy my posts as I try to write down all the things that I will want to remember about my wonderful ordinary life as a wife, mom, sister, daughter, aunt, and friend.