Perfection

We had the most perfect anniversary yesterday!  Jake dropped by mid afternoon with a pot of these...

My favorite flower in the most beautiful blue!  After he came home from work for good, we had our favorite dinner with flank steak in my mom's fabulous marinade.  I gave Jake a remote meat thermometer, so he loved trying it out and got a good bit of respect from the other guys out grilling!  

We had the bottle of wine that we had been saving due to pregnancy constraints since wine tasting in Jan. 'o7... and Peachy Canyon red zin continues to be our out-of-this-world favorite wine.  We first tasted it during the best meal we've had in California, in San Luis Obispo at Buona Tavola's back courtyard.  I digress.

After dinner, we bathed our little girl and put her to bed.  As I turned on her mobile, it played Canon in D, and it struck me that I was walking down the aisle to the same song on the evening of June 26 four years ago.   How much has happened between that night four years ago and last night!  So our sweet neighbors, Jarrett and Katie, came down and stayed with Abby Jane while she slept... and we went on our first real date in four and a half months!  We went to the beautiful Geoffrey's...

and overlooked the water from our cliff-side table while we had dessert (and Jake sampled the port).  It was AMAZING to know that Abby Jane was fine and sleeping- our two other times away were abbreviated and somewhat distracted as it was while she was awake and we knew she was having a few bouts of drama in our absence!  But last night, we had the most WONDERFUL time talking, sharing, thinking out loud, discussing how we've never been more in love.  It was funny to be the parents who love their child more than anything in the world... and yet so excited to be just Jake and Em for an hour and a half!  We came home refreshed, delighted with where the Lord has us right now, and looking forward to what He has ahead.  I read in Psalms yesterday, and it said, "I will sing to the Lord, for He has dealt bountifully with me."  So true!  Perfection, indeed.

WAR EAGLE

Just wanted to mention that we have definite plans to be at the Tennessee game on Sept. 27th! We would love to see as many of you as we can that weekend! We've been singing the fight song to Abby Jane, and Jake's teaching her a censored version of Bottagetta to get her geared up for her first experience of Heaven on earth.  This was from Abby Jane's last trip to the Plains...

Bathing Beauty

I invested $9.99 in a blow-up baby pool, and we tried it out last weekend!!  Once Daddy added in some nice warm water, she was a big fan and loved splashing around and playing with the various things I threw in the pool for her.  I think we're going to hit a big pool next week!

Father's Day, Rice Cereal, and Grandparents...

Father's Day was so fun- I'm still amazed that I'm married to Jake Gross, much less the mama of his baby!  He is such an incredible daddy, and I am so grateful and amazed by how he makes our family his first priority, even when he has tons of Ph.D. work to do on top of a busy job! We had such a sweet day on Sunday celebrating him and just enjoying some family time in the middle of a busy month for Jake.

On Saturday, we started the child on rice cereal and expected big drama, since Abby Jane has definite tastes and opinions on life in general.  We were amazed to see her enjoy her cereal!  She doesn't eat a whole lot before she decides she's done, but she sure enjoys what she eats... and enjoys grabbing the spoon to hurry mama up with the whole feeding process...

Sandy and Ken (Mimi and Pop Pop) came in town this week to play for a few days.  Jake and I were thrilled to see Abby Jane be HAPPY with someone other than us for the first time since this clingy phase started.  She was very settled with them both, which we all enjoyed!  We had a great time having them here.

I've tried to avoid the semi-naked pictures, but I couldn't resist- I had taken off her nightgown while she was playing the other day to start some laundry, and she was just so cute playing that I had to capture my blue-eyed baby.  Sorry Abby Jane!

Here's one of my girl just happy and playing while taking a break from tummy time.  Jake says I think I'm Abby Jane's personal trainer (when she's trying to roll, I say, "Push, girl, push!") Maybe I'm living out a fantasy or something.

Four months and getting ready for Sammy...

On Saturday, we had Lesley's baby shower- Sammy is coming next month!  It was such a sweet time and perfect weather, fabulous food, great fellowship with a wonderful turn-out of friends, and such precious gifts!  We missed our dear friend Kathryn, who's on staff with Crusade and on summer project in New Jersey until next month- she's the only thing that would have made the day better!  Below are Lesley with the hostesses.  

On Sunday, Abby Jane turned four months!  She is getting so big- her legs kind of hang off our laps now.  Jake thinks she doesn't look like an infant any more.

My mom sent this outfit- notice the personalized tulips- I love it!
Outside continues to be her happy place...

I have also been meaning to tell about Jake's fabulous babysitting last week.  I had a meeting at church, and Jake and Abby Jane had a WONDERFUL daddy/daughter night.  They played outside, had dessert with our neighbors Jarrett and Katie, drank a sippy cup, took a bath, went to sleep, and she slept through the night!  Sleeping through the night is thankfully no longer newsworthy, but doing it with only a sippy cup as her pre-bedtime nourishment definitely is!  YEA!  Jake is such a wonderful daddy.

The other great thing that happened last week is that she laughed without us trying to make her laugh for the first time.  What was so funny to be her first independent finding of humor?  I sneezed while we were getting her ready for bed.  She thought it was hilarious and laughed and laughed.  Which made us laugh, which made her laugh, and it was generally a very funny moment.  

One challenge we do continue to have is Abby Jane's "clingy-ness"- she frequently does not tolerate being passed around or even held by folks other than Jake or I very well at all.  Sometime she does great, especially if we're within sight, but often she hits amazing decibels if she's not with one of us.  I am open to any suggestions!