Snaggletooth

Yes, this is the name by which the Everts family calls their sweet Ava. However, yesterday on the solemnity of Christ the King, Colette entered the realm of the snaggletooths. She has a tooth! I noticed about a week and a half ago that she had a pointy little dagger of a tooth in the back of her mouth. I could feel the point, but was unable to see it, leaving me with little proof that my daughter was one in a million by having a molar be her first tooth! However, now there is proof of a tooth, just not in that spot. Yesterday at mass I put my finger in her tiny mouth and felt a poke! Right there in the front on the bottom left is a tooth! It is barely there, but it is there! Visible like the white cap on a wave. I can't believe our little girl is getting so big. In two weeks she will be half a year old! It never ceases to amaze me when I consider the depth, breadth, length, involvement and intricasies of the universe and all it contains, that something as seemingly insignificant as a tooth can mean so much, but it does.

Baby Bish #2

Yesterday was my 23rd birthday. As my brother Micah stated while on our birthday phone call yesterday: "Welcome to the streak of non-discript birthday." I agreed with this. I am married, have a child, honestly are birthdays all that important? I realized this morning that yes, they are. While they may not seem important as you pass from one measly twenty-something to another, they are important when they begin. Nine months before that birthday takes places there is obsessive speculation on when it will be...one's due date, late, early, and every day counts! While it seems that just yesterday I was doing such a thing in regards to Colette's day of birth, I find myself doing it once again. Yes, here on the day after my birthday, it has been revealed to me that there is a little life growing inside of me. Am I surprised? That would be putting it mildly. But to say I'm overwhelmed with joy- that barely scratches the surface. It is incredible to realize that I will probably only ever be pregnant a few times in my entire life, and yet the Lord has given me the precious gift of having two of my pregnancies so close together. Am I afraid? When I focus too much on myself and my own weakness I am, yes. I am afraid that I don't have enough love for both of you. I am afraid I do not have enough patience. But when I focus on the God who gave my children breath, I do not fear. He will multiply my love. He will increase my patience. I need only trust. For the past few months Adam has said: "I'm ready for another baby, I'm just not ready to have you pregnant again!" Well, God willing this will be a smooth pregnancy. I pray that I will cherish every moment of having you inside of me. As soon as you leave me and enter the world, I can never have you so close again. I love you so dearly. Know that you are so wanted. Know that you are so loved. WE NEED YOU. YOU. You complete our little family. Thank you for existing. Love, Mom

Family rosary and shadows

Colette was in bed by nine tonight and dad and I snuggled together to pray a rosary in the month of the rosary. We're working hard to develop daily family rosary as a habit in time for the kids to see it as the norm. We made it through two decades before Colette decided she wanted to join. We got out the wooden children's rosary that her God-father had given her as a baptism gift and she held it for the first time. So beautiful, that moment, realizing it marked the beginning of her relationship with Our Lady. Colette, I pray that you embrace her as your true Mother and use her as a means to grow closer to her Son. As we sat on the couch praying, Colette turned and discovered something for the first time-her shadow. There it was, a little gray head, bobbing next to her on the couch. Entranced by it, she spent the next several minutes of the rosary cooing and blowing bubbles at her shadow-head and my hand. Sorry Lord, looks like she is already struggling with distraction in prayer!

1/3 of a year old.

This past Saturday we celebrated Colette Therese's 4 month birthday. Grandma Bishop flew in for the weekend and joined in on the celebration. The past two weeks, Colette has not been sleeping well-we think due to teething. One of the only ways to get her to sleep is to bring her into bed with mom and dad. Since the bed is a "full" size, we have minimal room to move. Especially since Colette takes over the whole thing! We awoke Saturday morning with our precious daughter between us. No matter how little she sleeps during the night, and how frustrated we get with her, I fall in love with her all over again in the morning. Waking up in bed with her is my favorite thing. Such a happy girl. Dad and I were playing with her when we both realized that it was her special day! She received extra hugs and kisses because of it. To "celebrate her day" we took her to Erwin Orchards for the first time to get cider and donuts and then picked up a pizza and took it to Island Lake State Park for a late lunch by the water. It was a perfect fall day and such a pleasant time with her. She is getting so big, amazing us daily with her constant growth. She hailed in her fourth month with her first roll over! She rolled from her back to her stomach-proof once more that we have a gifted child! She had been trying to roll over the whole day but would only rock back and forth before giving up. I was leaving her alone on a blanket while I made dinner. This time alone provided her with the focus she needed! Dad got home and five minutes later she performed in front of both of us her first roll over! She was very surprised when she did! On top of rolling over, she has also learned to intertwine her fingers, which is a wonder to behold. She sits gazing at her entwined hands for minutes at a time. She laughs when daddy "snores" and when we tickle her belly with our faces. She smiles at just about everything. She is very vocal-yelling so the whole world knows she is here. We know you're here baby girl. We're so glad you are.

Blow-outs

Colette,

There was a time in your infancy where you were pooping daily. Then it became every other day. And now we have progressed to the fateful every five days. I will never understand it as I try to be a relatively healthy eater, and you're breastfed, but your poop schedule is what it is. We have had four poops according to this new schedule. Here is how they have ensued.

1. I calle the MD because I was worried, you hadn't pooped in almost a week. You were fussy and I knew you had to go. Before I had even heard back from the doc that day, we were visiting your meema and beeba, and thats when it happened. Beeba was holding you in his lap, and you started to look very serious; eyebrows draw down, you were strainging, your face getting red...and thats when we saw a stream of mustard creep across your onesie. Beeba lifted you up to find both him and you covered in poop. From your belly button to your toes you were covered. We had to use towels to clean you since we ran out of wipes, then had to throw away your clothes. But you were happy.

2. We had changed your diaper and your dad was putting you to bed. You had been gassy all night and it had been awhile since you'd pooped last. Due to the gas, your dad decided to check your diaper one last time. Diaper, onesie, sleeper and swaddle had been marked by your explosion. Not only did we have to throw your onesie away, we had to cut it off of you so as to spare you getting your poop all over your face!

3. Your dad was the victim here. You had been up since early that day and he was exhausted but you just wouldn't nap. He fell asleep on the bed finally, holding you sitting up in the crook of his arm. I was picking up the house and was in the bathroom when I heard it! I came back into the bedroom and you were smiling ear to ear, your dad still sleeping. I picked you up to change you, and still don't know how it happened, but somehow the poop by-passed your clothes but got on your dad and the bed! I woke up your dad to quite the pleasant surprise! Poop was dripping from his shirt onto his pants!

4. This just happened today. It has only been four days so I wasn't expecting a blow-out until tomorrow at least. We were out of the house and I had just changed you before taking you into Eucharistic adoration. Fr. James came in as well and stopped to say a quick hi and give you a blessing. It was barely a moment after he sat down that you blew. It was loud and it was long. James and I attempted to stifle our laughter for the sake of the other parishioners in the chapel. Of course I had just used our last diaper so we had to cut the holy hour short so I could take you home. All clothes were spared!

Little Talker

Since she hit the three month mark, Colette has become a little chatterbox! From morning to night she graces us with her precious voice!

Sailing

Today we took Colette sailing for the first time! It was also daddy's first time on a big sail boat. I came home from work and snuck a three hour nap before we left. We got to pick up Nana on the way and met up with Aunt Lori, Uncle Jim and Joseph at the Jefferson Beach Marina at noon. It was a perfect day for sailing; not a cloud in the sky but plenty of wind. Sadly poor Cole hadn't developed her sea legs yet and was getting sick. I felt terrible- I had never even thought that a baby could get seasick. I took her downstairs to change her diaper, and things got worse! She was not a happy girl. I normally don't get sick on boats but found even myself having to snack on lemon drops and gingersnaps. The windy day made for quite a bumpy ride. Eventually once the sails were up, things settled down. After spending some intense moments sticking her cheeks to the wind, Colette fell asleep on me. Upon our return to the marina, Meema and Beeba joined us for Uncle Jim's annual "turkey cruise". He began cooking the turkey while we were out on the water, and now that we were back on land, the aroma was intoxicating! We sat on the boat, sipping wine and hearing my Aunt Lori's stories of she and my mom growing up. No leftovers were left after that dinner. We even enjoyed a special chocolate bar "experience". Overall a great trip. Adam wants to buy a saillboat now. I slept on the way home and at home and was well-rested for work. Colette experienced her first time at sea!