August 19

Today is Lily's 13-month birthday! 

Like the stellar mom that I am, I completely forgot to even attempt to take a good picture of her or weigh her. But since it's not the first year anymore, it doesn't matter as much. Right? Right???

What does matter is that today was also my 12-week prenatal appointment. Caleb and Daisy were at school, and Chris was at work, so it was just Lily and me. We got to hear Baby's heartbeat, which was steady and strong. There is something about hearing each baby's heartbeat for the first time that moves me to my very core. "The miracle of life" is such a cliche, but I can't think of any other way to describe the fact that the God of the universe has chosen to grow a life - His child! - in my womb. So far, this pregnancy has been so easy that the baby feels like more of a concept than a reality. I don't "feel" pregnant, so it's often easy to forget that I am carrying a new life around inside of me. But today, when I heard our sweet Baby's heartbeat?

Bam. It was real. 

What a miracle.

After the appointment, Lily and I picked Daisy up from school, and the girls both napped for two or three hours. It was beautiful, but I wasn't expecting Lily to sleep that long, so I wasn't able to fully enjoy it. So it goes.

We picked Caleb up at the bus stop, and he emerged from the bus wearing a crown on his head.

He was Star Student today, which meant that the class learned about him, said a rhyme with his name, and then all drew pictures of him. His teacher bound all of the pictures into a book for him to keep, which he was really excited about.

Lily, meanwhile, was just excited that her brother was home.

(I think she is just cutting tooth #4 today... let's hope it happens quickly!)

And right after I took the picture above, Daisy swooped in, wrapped her arm around her sister, and cheesed for a picture. Yes, Daisy's hair is an unruly, bedraggled mop. It gets that way after her epic, three-hour, sweaty naps, but she hates brushing it. My rule is that we have to brush it in the morning and at bedtime, and I don't fight it any other time. Hence the hobo-chic look the girl is rocking. But hey - she loves her sister!