Graduation

Our little family at the Spring FCSL graduation 

An Ending and a New Beginning

Tonight marks our last night of living in Ocala. Our cars are all packed up and tomorrow morning we leave for Bradenton. We will be temporarily living in a duplex that Brad's aunt owns for when she comes down in the winters. We will be moving into our apartment on June 12th so we will be in the duplex for 3 weeks. It is such a blessing that we are able to stay there, rent free, until our apartment is available- we are so grateful.

It has been a long and busy 5 months living in a very hectic household. 5 adults, one infant and 2 rambunctious dogs would usually spell a recipe for disaster but surprisingly it has been a fairly smooth transition period in our lives. While it has been wonderful being so close to the Martin family, we are definitely ready to move on and start this new phase in our lives together.

Last weekend marked the end of everything law school related. Brad was in a wedding the day of graduation in December, so he chose to walk at the commencement last weekend with the majority of his classmates. For me, it made everything seem so much more final, seeing him receive his hood. Even though he already has his diploma framed and ready for his office, even though he was the only one at graduation that has passed the bar and been sworn in as an attorney, seeing him in that cap and gown, walking across the stage really marked the end of this chapter in our lives. Fitting, I think, that it came just a week before we move into our own place again, a luxury that as a married couple we took for granted until we didn't have that privacy anymore. And even better now, we are taking our little girl into our own home, and that brings such excitement on its own.

Chances are we won't have much internet access in the next 3 weeks until we are in our apartment, so this will probably be my last blog for a while. I've already done an internet search and found a Starbucks with internet just a few blocks from our duplex so I will try to make it down there once a week to check emails and keep connected somewhat.

Thank you all so much for the continuous prayers these last few months as we have hung so precariously in the balance, waiting for job interviews and bar results. It is such a blessing to have such a strong support group around us. We are eternally grateful and cannot wait to share the next phase with you all.

Happy Mothers Day

Mama & her girl 

deer in headlights ;) 

(she has a secret) 

sweet pea 

excited 

Smile

They come and go so quickly, it is a challenge to catch one on film but we got it! Her sweet, gummy smile for all the world to see :) 

She looks like a flower bud in her sun hat! 

Beautiful Baby 

Stretch! 

I love this one- discovering her hat (we've got oil on her head for her dry skin, the hat is helping it soak in) 

Hmmm... 

I interrupted her yawn here- she's not to happy with me about it  

Sweet girl 

Lounging 

Savannah 

Big Girl

 

Two Months

Dear Savannah,

You are now two months old! So much has changed since you first came into my life. I love you a little bit more every time I look at you. The past weeks have brought so many new milestones in your life.

Just this week you were sitting in my mother's lap. I came over and crouched down and started talking to you- and was rewarded with a huge, gummy smile and sweet baby coos that just melted my heart. In that instant I knew, I just knew, my life would never be the same again. You looked at me with such love on your little face and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

You have a new best friend- your gloworm! I bought it for you out of nostalgia- remembering the nights when Aunt Jaime and I would squeeze them and see their sweet glowing faces. We put it on your changing table and whenever you get fussy during a diaper change, we press (so much easier than the death grip squeeze I remember) and as soon as the lullabys start you quiet down. You love to look at it and sing along with it. We brought it on a car ride this week and you fell asleep (not an easy feat in the car) with the tie on its hat clutched in your tiny fist. Savannah and her gloworm, best friends for life.

You have gotten so strong, and so determined. Your new favorite game is to lay on my lap, or daddy's lap, and pull yourself up into a sitting position. When we count to three, we can feel your muscles tensing with anticipation and the look of satisfaction on your face when you pull yourself up is priceless. You are holding your head up so good now, too. Every day that passes brings so much more awake time- we see your eyes more often than not during the day now!

I sit each day and think of the things I long to teach you, to show you, to do with you. To think of you as a little girl and not a baby- and then I look at you and long for these baby days to last forever, because I know that they will go by too fast and I will wonder where the time went. I know you will be in my life forever; it is just sad to think that these days where you are completely dependent on me are the shortest of your years. So I treasure them so much, and put a little bit of all of it in my heart each day.

I love you, sweet girl, more than I ever knew I could.