Pictures

I am so super excited that I booked a photographer for our first family photo shoot that will take place in September! Noelle will be 6 months old and beautiful, no doubt. I am really looking forward to this day! :-)

Hopes & Dreams

Noelle is getting baptized on Saturday evening. We had to meet with a lady from our church (St. Simon) to get some more information about the baptism, and she informed us that Father Bill will most likely ask us at the baptism what our hopes and dreams are for Noelle. Wow...what a huge question? How do we sum up a lifetime's worth of hopes and dreams for our beautiful baby girl in just a couple of sentences? Luke and I have been discussing this topic around our house lately, and we are having trouble coming up with the "right" thing to say. We hope she cleans her room regularly without being asked? No...too shallow. We hope she follows her dreams and listens to heart? No...too cliched. We hope she grows up to be very successful and gets into a prestigious college and earns a full ride scholarship? True...but I don't think that is what Father Bill wants us to be focusing on. I am thinking about something along these lines...

We hope for you a life where you feel protected, cared for, and surrounded by love. We wish you many friendships. We want you to take each day as they come, one step at a time, truly living for each moment. We dream of your successes, no matter how great or small. We want for you a life with few worries, many celebrations, and unlimited happiness. We pray the times that you are in pain be short-lived, and that your dreams and imagination know no boundaries. And more than anything, we hope you close your eyes each night for the rest of your life knowing how much we love you.

Sounds about right. :-)

She rolled over!

Noelle has officially taken the plunge and managed to flip herself from her tummy to her back last night. OK...so...Luke said she did it Monday night while I was at Zumba, but it doesn't count unless Mommy sees it, right?

Plus...I got pictures of it...so it really, really counts!

Where's My Mom of the Year Award?

They must have forgotten to put it in the mail...?

Because I totally won the award yesterday.

I took my daughter to school and let one of my old students (a 4th grader) babysit her in my room while I worked.

I dropped a toy on her sweet little face while in her pack & play.

I signed her up for Kids' Club at the gym so that I could take her while I go to Zumba starting Wednesday.

AND Luke texted me while I was at Zumba last night...

"Noelle rolled over!!!!!"

I missed it.

So...about that award...?

It's official...

...I am on Summer Break! This is usually the time of year when I hear a lot of complaining from people I know who are not teachers, saying it isn't fair or they wish they could be a teacher to get a summer break. Hmmm. Last I heard, Ball State was still accepting people into the teaching program! 'Til then, I am going to enjoy my much anticipated break from grading papers, planning projects and lessons, driving 2 hours a day, quieting children, meeting deadlines, copying papers, entering grades, picking up my classroom after 19 kids, and the list goes on! In all reality, I am planning on going to school Monday to continue to prep for next year. So...my job is never done!

I AM looking forward to spending all day with my baby girl. I can't wait to read outside and catch some sun. I love that I can be in my PJs all day if I want. It is a great feeling.

To celebrate the end of my year, Luke took me to Bonefish Grill last night. I have always wanted to go there. It is a nice little seafood place. I had shrimp and they were delish! I also celebrated with my teacher friends after school with a little mango margarita action at Puerta Vallarta. Gotta love it!

Noelle's First Swim!

Last weekend, it was so hot and sunny, so we thought maybe Noelle should get a taste of swimming in a pool! We went to our friend Kevin's apartment pool and Luke eased her in. She didn't have a swimsuit yet, but she wore a long sleeved white onesie to protect that baby skin of hers as well as her sun hat. Luke slowly took her deeper until her little bootie was under water. She didn't scream her head off like I anticipated, but I don't think she was a fan of the super cold water!

The next day, we went to Abe & E's and hung out by their baby pool. :-) We did get a swimsuit for Noelle (which happens to be size 12m because she is so LONG) as well as some baby sunblock (SPF 60). I know...worst mom of the year because you're not supposed to use sunblock on babies until they are 6 months old without consulting a doctor, but we put the tiniest bit on and didn't notice a reaction of any kind, so we put more on her legs and shoulders. I really like it-- it's Neutorgena Baby and comes in a deoderant stick form.

Anywho, she slept in her pack & play for most of the day because the heat was so exhausting. She still looked adorable in her suit and hat even though she didn't touch the water that day!

What's Up?

I usually begin my phone conversations this way. What's up?

My dad usually says, "The temperature." And he says this in the winter sometimes. He and I are both hot most of the time. Random, I know.

Anyway, a lot is up. Here's the scoop.

What's Up?

The temperature. For real this time. It's like 100 degrees, or so it feels. I think it is 200 degrees in my car, which is all black with gray (grey, greigh?) interior, when I get inside of it after school. In fact, I seriously burned my hands when I touched my steering wheel today. I cursed my legs as they have always been too short to do the "knee steering" trick-- so I ended up doing the "Look Ma, No Hands!" routine for a few minutes before the wheel cooled down.

My blood pressure. I don't know if it really is, but I am stressed out and I am not sure why. School is ending in a few days. I should be at my peak of relaxation...but I'm not yet. Too much to do and not enough time to do it.

Noelle. Not only is she "up," as in awake a lot of the day, but she is cooing, smiling, and oh-so-on-the-verge of giggling out loud. I cannot wait for that moment. She is just so amazingly perfect and beautiful. I know I am biased, but seriously...she is!

Luke's 4th year of med school. Yes, folks, we are rounding turn four on this race we call IU School of Medicine, and Luke is heading toward the finish. In less than one year, Luke will be graduated and we will know where we will spending our time for residency. In less than one year, he will have M.D. behind his name. I think that's mighty cool. Right now he is on his urology rotation. Kidneys and bladders and urine, oh my!

I found out I will be teaching 4th grade again next year. Yay! I am so happy to have a teaching job at a fabulous school, and I l-o-v-e 4th grade, so I am very, very relieved. All of the worrying and gut-wrenching nerves can take a vacation for at least another year.

Stay tuned for pictures of Noelle's first time in a pool!