Weekend Fun

Ziva ate peas for the first time this weekend. This is her honest reaction, but I think they're growing on her.

When she started to get tired of eating, Vince let her feed herself completely...this is actually one of the neater shots!

Playing with Uncle Mitch (she loves to grab faces)

Swinging at the park with Mom

Swinging all by herself...she's even holding on to the chains!

Sleepover Pictures

Ziva spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa Calvert last night, so Vince and I could have a date night (it was wonderful!). While she was there, they had a "photo shoot"....enjoy these up-to-the-minute 6-month old pics!

I just love this face!

Who knew toes were so yummy?

6 Month Update and Pudding Piggies

Tomorrow Ziva turns six months old! We went to her checkup this afternoon, and here are her latest stats:

Weight: 15 lbs, 4 oz (45th percentile)
Length: 26 3/4 inches (90th percentile)
Head: 42 1/2 cm (50th percentile)

Still long and lean, but she's catching up in the weight department! The doctor gave the green light to start introducing any foods we want, so we may see that weight go up even more in the next few months! Ziva also got two shots, but they were the last ones for six months (hooray!)

Here are a few pictures from our world this week...

This was the day Vince and Ziva got back from Florida....almost as soon as we got home, Ziva sat up all by herself!

What a sweetie!

Ziva did her first art project at school this week....painting with pudding!

Miss Stephanie and Miss Angie decorated with a "Charlotte's Web" theme, and since Charlotte calls Wilber "radiant," they put it on the wall just for Ziva, since her name means "radiant"!

Home Sweet Home

Vince and Ziva made it safely home yesterday. Their flight was good and they really enjoyed their trip. Ziva had a lot of fun with her Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt NiNi and Uncle Alejandro. Oh yes, and Sachi, their little black pug. We think Ziva picked up some behaviors from Sachi because since she's been home, she's been sticking out her tongue all the time, and she even panted a little bit yesterday while she was playing with Vince! Hopefully she'll go back to being a little girl instead of a dog soon! :)

Some new things in Ziva's world just in the few days she was gone: sitting up by herself, super-speedy crawling (she's so funny when she crawls - she picks her arms up really high in the air, more like she's swimming), another tooth about to come through, and getting better at pulling up. This Friday is her 6 month check up, so we'll be sure to report any interesting facts from that visit. I'll just be glad to take her to the doctor for a reason other than being sick!

I don't have any good pictures from Florida...Vince took our camera, but everyone ended up taking pictures on their own cameras, so I'll have to have everyone email me their pictures, and hopefully I can post some soon. Vince took Ziva in the pool for the first time, and I hear that Selena got a really good shot of that. So more to come soon!

Hello World!

This picture is a couple months old, but it is my favorite!

What I Love About Being Married

With Vince gone, and especially since he's at a wedding, I've been thinking about all the things I love about our marriage, and I thought I would post a few thoughts. (Can you tell I miss my family??)

The one thing I love the most about my marriage is Vince! If I had any other husband, my marriage wouldn't be what it is, and I love it just the way it is. It's so amazing to see how perfect for each other Vince and I are...we see eye to eye on so much - how we spend our time, our beliefs, parenting, what we think is funny, how to spend money, how to decorate our home, choosing friends, getting along with family...having someone to live life with is such a wonderful thing! It's great being part of a team (even though if we ever go on Amazing Race, we will not be on the same team!), knowing that at least one person in the world always has my back and will support me no matter what.

Another thing I love about marriage is all the spiritual lessons I learn from Vince and through the circumstances of our daily lives. There are times when I may not understand a decision he makes or why something happens, but when I trust him, and trust God in him, it becomes clear, and I'm reminded that God works the same way...I may not always understand what's happening, but there is a good, thoughtful reason behind it, just like in Vince's choices.

I also love getting to take care of people. My aunt once called me a "domestic goddess," and while I am far, far from anything close to a goddess in anything, I do love all that comes with being a wife, mom, and homemaker. Sure, it's hard work, but I love knowing that what I do is important to the people in my family, whether it seems important in the big picture or not. Cooking and cleaning are just so much more satisfying when you're doing them for someone else.

And finally (since there's more to love than room on the blog!), I love the hope of our future. We know that God called us to be together, and I believe He has a big reason for that. Ziva is a part of that, and the other children we will hopefully one day have; but beyond that, we have yet to discover all the wonderful things He has in store for us. We've only been married a little over a year, and already God has done some big things in our life. I know He has a lifetime of big things for us, and it is so exciting to dream about and look forward to those things, wondering how God is going to use us for His kingdom. I love that God gave me a husband who shares the same heart for youth and ministry that I do, and I'm excited to spend a lifetime with him, loving each other and loving other people together. I hope that Andrew and Chrissy find as much blessing in their new marriage as Vince and I have in ours!

Report from Florida

Vince and Ziva made it safely to Florida! Vince said the flight was good and Ziva did pretty well, so thank you for praying! I am very relieved. :)

So far, everyone is having a blast with our little peanut. She is crawling all over the house chasing Sachi (Selena's dog) and talking up a storm. I tried to talk to her on the phone, but she's usually more interested in the phone itself than who's on the other end. I did hear a good, loud squawk in the background, so I know she's having fun. They've promised to take lots of pictures, so when Vince and Ziva get back I'll put them up. So now I guess I'll go find something to do....how weird.

Antibiotics

Today I felt a little like one of those over-anxious, over-protective, obviously-first-time moms. I took Ziva to the doctor for the third time in two weeks because last night she developed a "juicy" cough to accompany her nine-day old cold. But since she's flying to Florida in T-minus 2 days, I figure we can't be too over-cautious. The doctor agreed, and gave the diagnosis of a sinus infection, and prescribed some antibiotics. So now not only will Ziva be flying for the first time; she will also be on drugs at the same time! So much for a mom to pray about!! Please pray for her ears....the doctor said that her sinus problems could make ear problems more likely in the air, so we're asking for perfect health and comfort in flight (for Daddy too!)

A Few Action Shots

She starts off by pulling down the bumper pad...that's the warm-up.

Getting ready to make her move....

One arm up!

Almost there!

This one's just cute! We love our happy little peanut!

Two More Milestones

Milestone #1: Pulling Up.

That's right, Ziva is pulling her little self up to stand. She's very wobbly, but she is doing it. Today we'll have to lower her mattress so she doesn't topple out of her crib. Yesterday was the first day she did it, and she seems to do best pulling up from Vince's or my legs when we're laying on our side in front of her. But she's also reaching for the bookshelf, coffee table, TV stand, couch, and of course, that crib rail! I'll try to get some pictures of her in action and get them up soon.

Milestone #2: Flight.

Okay, so our daughter is not Wonder Woman....she won't be flying that way. But she will be flying to Florida this Thursday with Vince when he goes for Andrew's wedding. I'm a teeny bit nervous, but mainly for Vince if Ziva is fussy on the flight....I wouldn't want to go through that alone. But we're preparing everything we can to keep her happy, comfy, and healthy, and we're praying a lot! If you're a praying person, pray for us that all the flights are on time, especially connections, that the weather is beautiful (no hurricanes!) and the flight is smooth, that Ziva doesn't cry much on the flight, that her ears don't hurt her, that she'll be able to sleep and eat enough, that Vince will be cool, calm, and collected in keeping up with Ziva and all of her stuff, that they just happen to have an empty seat next to them for comfort's sake!, that all the people around them on the plane are good sports and love babies, that Ziva has a super fun time with her Florida family, that Vince has a blast with his friends and family, and that Drew and Chrissy's wedding is special and just what they wanted. Oh yes, and please pray for Vince and Ziva's health....I'm recovering from a week long cold (one of the perks of being a teacher...) and I don't want either of them to get sick this week!

We should have lots of pictures to post after the trip, so be on the lookout for those, and many more milestones to come!

Laughter is the Best Medicine, After All

This weekend Ziva played peek-a-boo with Daddy and had lots of fun laughing. Her sickness from last week is totally gone, but now we're dealing with a cold. Poor baby. But she's still having fun! I think you'll laugh with her!

This Week's Pictures

Ziva went back to school today, and since it was in the 60s this morning, she got to wear her first fall outfit! It went right into her mouth, just like everything else these days!

Playing in the pillows

Getting ready to eat...yum!

Ziva's favorite position (do we have a future Longhorns fan?!)

Reading a book a little more on her level

Yep, it's a tummy bug

Ziva and I got in to see a doctor today (not her regular doctor, but this one was great too), and she confirmed that Ziva caught some kind of virus. If teething was making her sick, it wouldn't have lasted this long. And since she's still been sick today, we will stay home again tomorrow. I hate that she's sick, but she is still happy, and I'm enjoying the extra days home with her! So we'll follow the doctor's orders for Pedialyte, extra rice cereal, and some naked play time to air out that diaper rash! Hopefully she'll be 100% by tomorrow.

Tummy Bug?

Our poor little Ziva is experiencing her first bout of sickness. Yesterday morning she started having diarrhea, and it hasn't gone away yet. So tomorrow we'll both stay home from school and hopefully see the doctor. It may be just teething, but one of the other babies at school had diarrhea last week, and her doctor said it was just teething, but maybe not. It sure is hard seeing her sick and not really knowing what to do about it, but we know that God is her creator and healer, and He knows what to do and helps us along the way. Just one of many opportunities, I'm sure, to trust Him in this journey of parenting.

Oh yeah, and Ziva has been a real trooper. She has a nasty diaper rash that bothers her some, but overall she has remained her playful, cheerful self. What a joy!