I think the biggest lesson I’ve learn in motherhood this past month has been learning to TRUST. I’m sure I’ll spend the rest of my life learning to trust the Lord with her life, but this month really challenged me. When something isn’t quite right with your baby… all you can do is pray for wisdom and healing and patience. It’s a hard balance to TRUST GOD and still act on the “motherly instincts” that I am noticing more and more.

I love being a mom. I love this season of our life! However, what I didn’t realize about becoming a parent was the hard reality that when you LOVE someone so much, it physically HURTS to see them hurt! I love Michael with all of my heart, but the love we have for Evy is different. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. Sometimes I actually feel like there is a small ACHE inside of me when she’s screaming her head off, or when I think about her being frustrated and restrained in her harness. It’s a deep love, and it’s the most rewarding love.

So, I’m currently sitting at the JFK airport because we’re taking our now FIVE MONTH OLD to SCOTLAND! I’m shooting an engagement session over there and then we’re traveling with our friends to see this amazing country! So because there are currently two babies to keep happy in the Delta Sky Lounge for 4 more hours before our flight, I’m going to cut this short and leave you with some things that I don’t want to forget about from her last month!

• Hopefully this isn’t TMI, but she currently stops nursing for a second, and looks up at me and just SMILES!…. And then proceeds to bury her face into me like she’s shy! The sweetest thing!
• We started feeding her REAL FOOD! She currently loves carrots, bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes,  and prunes! We tried in the middle of June, but then the most successful eating started in July!
• She has TWO TEETH!!!!! What?! I cried when I noticed the first one! I thought she had some spit up in her mouth and then I felt it!! YIKES! She bites HARD! The second one popped through within the next two days!
• She got her hip harness for her hip dysplasia… not the best day of our lives, but we’re SO thankful it’s not a SPICA cast, and we’re praying this harness will work and keep us out of the operating room!
• Her hair is out of control! It’s just barely long enough to do a mini-Whale-Tail!
• She loves gurgling, spitting, squealing and ROARING!! It’s VERY entertaining! Just not on an airplane!
• She went to the Lake for the 4th of July with friends and to Florida for a family vacation!
• She met her Great Aunt Cindy and Great GREAT Aunt Faye and Uncle Bill!
• She LOVES to HUG BIG!! When you pick her up, she WRAPS her arms around your shoulder and melts into you. I’m going to be sad when that changes!

A visit to meet her Great Nanny Alsop!
Evy and Knox!  Thanks Jilly for the pics!  Fourth of July at the Lake with Knox and friends!  So glad we got some pool time pics before her harness went on! Thanks Ty!  “If I’m having a bad hair day so are you daddy!” First Pony Tail!!!! First day at the BEACH! Siesta Key is so beautiful!  It was a litttttle hot!  And MICAH showed up!!!! Couldn’t love this little guy more!  First time in the OCEAN!  Hanging with the grandads! Oh my goodnesssss!  She LOVES Aunt Susan’s pool!  Aunt Sarah snuggles!  Oh I love this!  Cousins!!! Bath time!  Not thrilled!  Isn’t he just the best!? Great Aunt Faye and Uncle Bill!  Married 71 YEARS!!! How incredible is that?! Evy slept through these!!! Sooo… I got a new lens…. I’ll blog about it soon! So sharp and so fast!  The spitting! Ah! I took these right after we found out about her hip situation!!! Love these rolls!  Our new and improved EVY GIRL!!!! What a sweet girl!