Tennis Shoes

Mark's Mom, Sandy, shared a video with us of her Uncle Gordon Dalton that she had from a recent trip to celebrate his 90th birthday with him. Gordon is Sandy's father's brother. It was the sweetest video I've seen, and I just couldn't get over how adorable this video was of him dancing with his wife to this little song. Listen to the words, it's cute. He is even donning a special pair of "tennis shoes" just for the occasion.

Gordon Dalton in the Army

Gordon celebrating his 90th birthday

What a sport!

Gordon's wife, Gordon's nephew, and Gordon

Gordon and his wife Florence, known to him and everyone else as Baby.

Baby and Gordon

Lloyd (Gordon's brother) and Berttie Dalton, Mark's maternal grandparents (Sandy's parents)

When they were young, I think Mark took after him.

I don't know why, but I like this picture of Lloyd (Mark's Grandfather).

Looking Back

Looking back to a post I did back in February of this year, I found some words that came to ring true in my life. I was grieving the fact that Mark and I would be losing "just the two of us" kind of freedoms, but in the tail-end of the post I wrote these words, "in due time I will look back again and think of how sweet this time now was, the time of the beginning of our family." I cherish those precious days, and I can't imagine my life without my daughter in it now.

Here is an excerpt from a post I did back on February 24th, just 11 days before Jovie was born:

I am so excited to meet our daughter (due in just under 2 weeks), but at the same time, I grieve the ending of Mark and I, just the two of us. We will never have this time again. And with the way life is, we rush through just getting from one day to the next and I worry that this time will just slip past us before we know it. As we prepare to begin life as a family of three, I am sad to be ending our family of two. I don't think I ever really cherished it until now. May God continue to help prepare me for this new chapter in our lives.

I know we have such a wonderful adventure before us, and in due time I will look back again and think of how sweet this time now was, the time of the beginning of our family. But for today, I am a little sad.

The second I held Jovie in my arms, my life changed. Mark and I would never just be the two of us again, Jovie made us parents. What an incredible gift!!! Parenthood teaches you about selflessness. God blessed us with that change in our life. I am glad that I went through the grieving process, but it is true I look back at the time of Jovie's birth, when we became a family of three, as the sweetest time for Mark and I. Time really does change your perspective.

Jovie in Action

The quilt that Jovie is sitting on was a quilt that my Great Grandmother made me.

Typically face grabbing and pinching. Look out!

Jovie likes to grab my face and act like my jaw is a teether. My little weirdo.

Commando crawling

Rockin' on those hands and knees

She laughs when she gets to rockin', it is really cute. I think she thinks all of this new mobility is so fascinating. She practically starts bouncing in place, which is why I think she laughs.

We'll see if she takes up crawling next, or if she just utilizes her rolling abilities to get across the room. She has gone from one end of the room to the other. I have left the room and come back and found her under the coffee table. I guess baby-proofing our house is around the corner.

Not this parade!

Mark turned 28 on Tuesday, but we decided to have the party on Sunday, and we had grand plans of celebrating. Grill out and then s'mores and hot cocoa. And then it rained ...

So, we moved the party inside. We drank hot cocoa, and just couldn't get s'mores out of our head. So, some of us girls decided to improvise. We used unscented white candles and toasted our marshmallows over little flames using skewers. Not a bad idea actually! Thanks to Julianne, who had her heart set on s'mores (pregnancy cravings), we enjoyed delicious little treats and didn't let the rain ruin our parade. I gave the first s'more to Mark and put a little tea light candle on top to make a little mini s'more cake!!! YUM!

Kelly's slow-roasted marshmallow

Us girls around our "campfire"

Kelly likes to SLOW-roast her marshmallows, I call this one,
'Mallow Love

Hey, if you don't like to char the outside of your marshmallow, these things take time!

Mark and Jovie on Tuesday, Mark's actual birthday

Me and Jovie

Mark wanted to get a picture with Jovie and Mason. Jovie absolutely LOVES Mason, and I guess the feelings are mutual.

Here was my attempt at some birthday cupcakes. I followed the directions to the letter and ended up with all of the bottoms burning. So, I guess I'm not a baker, but at least I can take a pretty picture of my burned baked good.

Self soothing

Just like her daddy, when he was a baby.

7 month activity

Jovie discovered rocking back and forth on her knees and is greatly amused by this new activity. I catch her giggling as she first gets up on her knees and begins rocking quickly back and forth, which often appears like she is bouncing. It is really cute. She has also started commando crawling on her arms along the floor to reach her toys. I think this new since of mobility has eased some of her "stifled independence" frustration.

She is asserting her desires more now as well. When she wants a change, she lets me know, and the instant that things have changed she is immediately satisfied. I am glad that she only does this when she needs something, and hasn't yet begun whining. I'm not looking forward to that.

Right now in fact she is saying "Ba, Ba, Ba ...," which she recently discovered she could say over and over. Mark and I would get eye-to-eye with her and say "Ba, Ba, Ba ... Ma, Ma, Ma ... Da, Da, Da." We could see her concetrating really hard on what our mouths were doing to achieve this sound, and then she would attempt to make it, which typically came out with a lip smutter, spit spray, or blowing some raspberries with her mouth. She was in the back seat as we were driving when she finally made the "Ba, Ba, Ba" sound herself. You could tell that she was so proud of herself, because she went on like that for at least 5 minutes or longer.

Jovie is a little self-soother, and she has really taking up thumb sucking, much like her father when she is tired. It is really sweet! And I am grateful for this obvious sign of exhaustion and her ability to pacify herself before naptime and bedtime. She has recently taken to holding her ear while nursing and while thumbsucking as well. Mark's mom, Sandy (Grandmother) was taken aback when she saw Jovie sucking her thumb yesterday and holding her ear. Apparently Mark did the exact same thing when he was young. So, sweet that she is following suit.

I don't have her most recent stats, since she won't be going back for her well-baby appointment until she is 9 months old, but there is a little update on her activity at 7 months old.

Dressing up

I look forward to the many tea parties and dress up outfits that Jovie
will have for her imaginative playtimes in the years to come. I saw
this little number in etsy and had to share. What a wonderful tutu to
twirl around in.

Get it here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30543344

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