"Winter is great to stay in and cuddle, but put me in summer and I'll be a... happy snowman!"

It has been awhile since I have posted anything, but that does not mean that I have left for good. My time for creative pursuits is more often spent inventing dances to disney songs and ways to get all manner of gooey foods to be eaten. Baby girl is just a few weeks past seven months, and while she takes a great deal of my time, energy, and sleep, life with her couldn't be more wonderful. I have very little experience with other babies, but Ana seems particularly happy and calm. Her laughing brightens any dark winter day. She is our whole world. 

Recently, we escaped the southern winter to soak up some Indiana summer. It was a glorious respite that we all very much enjoyed. Ana loved swimming, and she got to be the center of attention both with the family and when we took her for her first visit to camp. The eight year olds crowded around and cooed "oh a little baby, she's so cute" as I thought the same about them. But it seems it makes no difference if you are eight months, eight years, or 80 years old, camp is always fun. We splashed in the lake and sat on the pier. We said hi to the horses and took in the stillness of the trees. There are few other ways that I'd want to spend a summer day. 

The last three months...

As we nestle into Fall, we look back on our first sweet summer with baby girl. We were graced with many visitors that were just as eager to meet Ana as we were. We battled out the hottest days under the shade of the roble trees and baby girl splashed in her new bath tub. We tried out new sunglasses and took many walks, getting to know all of the plants and animals in our neighborhood. 

Time seems to have flown by and now our little lovey is no longer a newborn. She grew like a weed in the summer sunshine; now many little too-tight clothes are stored away. As Ana moves into her third month of life, we see her personality starting to show, shining bright like her still-blue eyes. We are loving this phase of goos and gaas and toothless smiles, yet we know that it too will pass before we fully cherish it. We wonder what the next season will bring. 

At 4:30pm on the 28th of December, 2016, little Ana came into this world.

Since then, our favorite activities have included snuggling with her, watching her while she sleeps, and taking countless photos which our families are probably already getting sick of. But you see, we have fallen in love. You know that feeling when you can't stop thinking about someone else, when it seems that your heart could burst from fullness, when you are completely distracted, and  you make everyone around you ill from your shear disconnect from the physical harshness of reality? That is us right now. 

So far, the sleepless nights feel like a small price to pay when we are nuzzled by a little being this is both half him, and half me. The diaper changing is not so much a burden, rather a new adventure that we are embarking on together. Even the most difficult, the fear of failing or somehow getting it wrong, doesn't seem so overwhelming when she gives us a sleepy little smile. 

Needless to say, it is a happy new year. We hope the same for you.