TEETH

Justice has teeth!  We’ve been trying to get a good picture.  Turns out it’s harder than it looks.  Eric finally snagged this picture, which is a real treasure capturing BOTH a (half) smile and 2 teeth! 

I have been thoroughly enjoying my summer off.  Though I just finished my 3^rd year in the classroom, this is my first summer off, and I must say, it’s fantastic J  We have certainly kept busy with our trip to Hawaii, a move, a trip to Chicago, and visits from friends and grandparents.  I still have a “to-do” list for almost every nap-time trying to get our belongings settled in a new place.  But the highlight amidst it all is enjoying our daughter and watching her grow.  I can not believe she is merely days away from the 8 month mark.  She has been a bundle of fun!  Justice now claps, is starting to wave (more of an arm-flap), and is gaining dexterity as she learns to drink from a sippy-cup.  She loves peek-a-boo, loves the cat, and loves her dad!  Her eyes track him, she reaches for him, she giggles at him, and she loves to play with his beard.  She’s still not crawling, but I’m increasingly more convinced she’ll learn by trying to reach her dad.  Our family time together is a blessing to us all.  

*Hope to have a video up soon*

Go Big or Go Home

Justice turned 6 months on Saturday, and we celebrated with gusto! 

Farmer's Market

 Justice's first food... Bananas!  

 First trip to the pool. 

 She loves water :) 

 Sunday afternoon bliss.

Easter

The day before Easter, at our church Easter Egg Hunt.  We (obviously) didn't hunt for eggs, but we did have a nice picnic at the park.  Justice's good friend Elias is already holding her hand :)  

Easter Sunday with Daddy.

Getting kisses from Daddy and Momma!

Michigan Meets Justice

Justice and I flew to Michigan during the first week of April.  She got to meet a bunch of family and friends, and she was an excellent traveler. :) She's 18 weeks in these pictures. 

Chatterbox on the airplane.

Discussing life's finer things with Grandpa Craig.

 Four generations of ladies! 

 Giving Great-Grandma a smile!

 Meeting friends!  The children of my childhood/adolescent/high school besties!

(Minus one - Our darling hostess had gone to bed.)

Loving Marinos - and meeting Jenny.

 Being loved-on by cousin Ella.  (Ella will be a GREAT big sister some day!)

 Giggling with Papa.

Receiving one of the best gifts ever.  Each member of the family made one square, and Great-Grandma Mary stitched it together to make this beautiful quilt.  We LOVE it!

Eric - excited to welcome us home, even if it was 7:00 am :) 

A Weekend of Firsts

Spring break is here!  HOORAY!

We've had a weekend of new experiences for our family.  I'll start with Friday :)  

Justice loves to be outdoors, so Friday we spent some time sitting in the grass.  Thus far, all of our outdoor time has been walking, so either Eric or I is always holding Justice, so sitting the grass (or on a blanket) was a first, and fun! 

 Saturday, Justice slept in her crib for the first time.  Confession: this is a bigger deal for me than in is for Justice.  We had a minor setback with Monster...

 But in the end we were successful! 

Saturday night Eric and I had our first date night since Justice was born!!  Thanks to some great friends who watched Justice for us, we were able to have a great meal at a local restaurant in East Nashville, and did a little shopping.  Lovely.

And today Justice went to the church nursery for the first time.  It was during her nap time, so we asked politely that she be put down for a nap.  That did not happen.  But in the end, our daughter was cared for and loved.  And I am thankful.

Justice wore a super cute dress to church today, and I was determined to get a picture.  However, she exploded her diaper before I could reach my camera.  I, selfishly, still wanted a picture.  So here's the outcome of me trying to hold her without getting myself poopy.  Oh yes, she's also spitting up in this picture. 

Because I had convinced myself today was a day for pictures, Justice promptly changed outfits and we tried again.  Except this time her hand was far more exciting than me. 

After our photo shoot we went outside so I could get a little work done.  As previously mentioned, Justice loves the outdoors.  We camped out on the balcony for a bit so I could finish entering grades (boo... but I wanted to finish so I have the rest of the week free of school responsibilities).  Check out our hat!

This week will add several more things to her "FIRSTS" list.  Tomorrow, we fly to Michigan and she'll be meeting lots of family and friends for the first time.  

*Justice would like to add a quick shout-out to her cousin Aaliyah for providing her entire wardrobe.  We love you, Aaliyah! 

Justice Grew Up

I haven't written much anything the past few months because I went back to work.  And it's been difficult.  The time we have at home is sacred family time, and when Justice goes down for the night, I'm not far behind her (pulling blankets off her face)!

But the baby grew up, all in a weekend.  Okay, so I guess it's been happening a little every day, but it just caught up with me today.  Sitting at dinner tonight (at the church), she grabbed my napkin, my plate, and held on to the table with both hands through most of the meal.  Where did this child come from?  She's throwing her weight around, still fascinated with her hands, and just found her toes!  She rolls onto her side, but can't quite make it all the way to her tummy.  We know it won't be long.  Justice is in love with her dad, following his voice everywhere and gazing at him whenever he's in the room.  She has a lot of personality, and it's SO FUN to see!    We all love to be outdoors, so we've been trying to spend some time outside every day.

We're all still amateurs over here - but we're trying to capture the moments as they come.

Baptism Day: A Picture Post

We had Justice baptized on Sunday.  It was a great day, indeed.  We don't have any spectacular photos, but here are a few from the morning. 

We also shared this special commitment with the Emmaus Fellowship Eric leads on Sunday evenings.  It was a special time for our family :)  

Later that evening we gave baby girl her first bath in the tub.

The evening ended with some play/cuddle time with Dad.

Love this girl!