What a life

Yes, she's asleep in the pool and stayed this way for about an hour.
Her life is rough.

This is how we roll

This video explains why Piper is never in the same place I leave her, whether in her crib or on the floor. We can't leave her unattended in open spaces anymore!

Silly girl

It's a little difficult to suck your thumb with a lovey in the way!

Taking the plunge

After months of debate and lots of prayer, Josh and I have decided that I will not return to work in the fall. We feel that, although it would be much more financially comfortable for the two of us, Piper's comfort level is all that matters now. Neither one of us can bear the thought of her in daycare, and paying someone to raise my child so I don't have to just doesn't make any sense to me.

That said, it wasn't easy to quit my job today. I have finally gained a little seniority at my school and have a great schedule of classes for next year. I love working with the kids in Habitat. Piper would be attending daycare at my school. And of course, there's the money.

But we decided that none of this trumps being at home with our baby. Instead of being worried about the money, I am excited about what lies in store for us. I can't wait to watch Piper grow up knowing that I will be with her (literally) every step of the way. We won't get to take fancy vacations, but we will get to soak in every little laugh. We won't get to buy a new house any time soon, but we will get to cuddle before every nap. And we won't be dressed in the fanciest clothes, but we will wipe every tear.

I know it won't be easy. I'm actually a little worried about the future of my sanity. But I know that this sacrifice will be the best for our family.

Play

Piper has played a lot this week. She had her first pool date on Tuesday and had a great time! I couldn't even get her to take a nap because she was so excited about the water. Now that she is old enough, we have put her in her jumper. She doesn't quite know what to do in it yet, but I think she'll catch on quickly. As you can see, she doesn't weigh enough yet to pull it down to the floor!

Piper had a play date with Baker today. They really paid attention to each other for the first time. Piper kept trying to eat Baker's overalls, and she had to take a nap in his bed (scandalous, I know). Baker's daddy is a musician in town, and he serenaded them with some really cute kids songs from country legend Tom T. Hall's "Songs of Fox Hollow" album.

New toy!

Piper has been wearing me out lately because she is so active. Josh
and I decided it was time to set up her exersaucer, and she loves it!
We put her in it tonight so we could eat dinner in peace, and she
immediately started checking out all the toys. We had to put a book in
the bottom of it because her little legs are too short!

Our church asked all the children to film a short tribute to their fathers for use during the Father's Day service. Since Piper can't say how much she loves her daddy, I used pictures to tell her story. Enjoy!



Also, here's a short video taken at church for the service. I'm fairly certain Piper is not the hit of the nursery!