Things I Love - 8 months

This is mostly for me to remember, so feel free to skip this post altogether, but I wanted to make a list of some things that June Anne is doing right now that I absolutely love:

1. Playing with her hair when she is sleepy. I can't wait to see if this habit continues into her childhood. In connection with this one, I love how crazy her hair is in the morning since she plays with it in the middle of the night to sooth herself back to sleep. It sticks straight up! So funny!

2. Tilting her head and bending in all directions to try to see someone or something. She is so interested and inquisitive.

3. The way she plays in her crib until we come get her in the morning. Such a sweet, happy girl.

4. How she "talks" to the dogs when she sees them. She makes an "eh! eh!" noise as if saying, "Please come here!" When they come close to her she squeals and laughs and touches their hair...so interested.

5. How she ENJOYS her food. She gets so excited when she sees me preparing it. With each bite, she says, "Mmmm" and opens wide for more. A girl after my own heart!

6. How she lights up when she sees her Daddy and says, "Dada, dada!" These started out just as syllables, but we have tried to make a point to associate them with Daddy, and she has definitely made the connection!

7. Her social personality. Jason and I love being around friends and family, and June Anne is the same way. She will happily go to anyone and everyone! And on the mornings that I take her school, she lights up as soon as she sees her friends and teachers. Warms my heart. Yesterday, we took her early since I had to be at the hospital at 7:00 am for surgery. She was the first baby there, and she looked so confused as if saying, "Wait, where are my friends?!" Sometimes I wonder if she gets bored here with me and Jason!

8. Her sweet smile. She smiles with her entire face, especially her eyes, not just her mouth. Love it!

9. Her belly laughs. So contagious!

10. Her hugs and kisses. The hugs she's been doing awhile, and I thought there was nothing sweeter...until the kisses came along! They are few and far between. She is much too interested in everything else to take time for that! But, when you get or of those sweet, slobbery kisses...oh my goodness! Nothing more to say here.

11. How she loves her beauty sleep. On the days I stay home, she will usually sleep from 7:15 pm to 7:30 or 8:30 am! No training. Just her own schedule. Love that!

Update

Some things happening right now in our lives:

June Anne is HUGE!!!! I can't believe she is almost 8 months old! It can't be possible! She is such a sweet JOY in my life, and when I think things can't get any better, they do! I miss my sweet, snuggly newborn, but I am so amazed and in love with the happy baby my girl has become. She is so inquisitive and attentive. And so interested in people and what they are doing and why. She will bend in half to strain to see someone. And when she finally has them in sight, she studies them and smiles.

She is wanting to crawl so badly, but hasn't quite gotten the hang of moving forward. She scoots back, further and further from her toys. It's so funny to watch. She'll get it! She is also pulling up on stuff and standing, so maybe she will skip crawling altogether!

June Anne loves to eat. I have been making my own food, and she loves it ALL! Peas, green beans, butternut squash, regular squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, plums, pears, nectarines, bananas, natural applesauce and blueberries are her current staples. And she has not turned her nose up to any of them! A true Benson at heart! (My mom's side of the family loves food...good food.)

My sweet girl was baptized last weekend. It was a sweet time celebrating God's love for us. More on that special event in another post.

In less interesting news, I am in the waiting room at the hospital to have my gallbladder removed! I started have symptoms in November, and thought that I just kept getting the stomach bug. After the 6th bout, I decided to see a GI doctor. I was convinced I had ulcers. (Can you imagine that? No way, right?! I don't worry about anything! Yeah....right). Anyways, after an endoscopy last Thursday, which revealed no ulcers, I was sent for an ultrasound and hidascan to determine if the problem was my gallbladder. It turns out a normal gallbladder works at a rate between 35-75%. Mine is currently working at a rate of 27%. That number, coupled with the symptoms I have been having, led the doctor to recommend that the gallbladder come out, especially since Jason and I would love to start thinking about having another baby soon. (Apparently its very common to have problems with your gallbladder after having a baby! Who knew?!) So, here I am! To top it off, June Anne started running a fever yesterday and has an ear infection! Poor baby! Or, should I say, poor Jason! Thankful to have such an amazing husband and father to take care of us this weekend.

So, it has definitely been quite a month in my house. Between the gallbladder attacks, my father's passing, June Anne's ear infection and my diagnostic tests and now surgery, I'm ready for May to get here! Jason and I have a trip planned to Mexico the first full week in May, which will be a nice reprieve! No, June Anne is not going. Yes, it will be the first time I leave her. Yes, I am nervous. Yes, I will probably cry and miss her terribly! But, I know she is in good hands. She will be gracing both sets of her grandparents with her presence for a few days each. Maybe Jason and I should've done a weekend test run before leaving her for 5 nights?!

Headed back soon, but here are a few pics:

Happy Easter!

This past week has been a sad week as I mourned the loss of my real dad. His death was so unexpected and happened so quickly. And his life was such a sad one that much of the sadness I feel comes more from that than his actual passing. I know that he knew Jesus. So, I rest his knowing that he is in a better place and made new. We had a small service for my dad on Good Friday. How appropriate that we bury a sinner saved by grace on the day that we observe Jesus Christ's ultimate sacrifice.

I am happy to be home after a long, emotional week. And I am happy to be celebrating Easter with my sweet husband and daughter, grilling steaks and watching the final round of the Masters. (Side note: only in Augusta are you torn between putting your child in their Easter dress or their Masters outfit when Easter Sunday and Masters Sunday fall on the same day!)

Happy Easter everyone! Thankful today for our Savior's death and resurrection!

Sad Day

My dad passed away two hours ago, at 10:35 pm on April 2, 2012. My heart is very heavy. It may make me feel better to write about it one day. For now, I mostly just wanted to let anyone that reads this blog know. And ask for your prayers. Prayers for strength and for peace and most of all that God will provide me with enough grace to avoid the regret and guilt that come with losing someone so close to my heart yet so far away.