Samantha: 23 Months, Week 1

These first pictures are our photo shoot of Samantha in her Easter dress.  Back two weeks ago when Easter actually took place, we were too busy with other things and distracted by the miscarriage.  So, for church on Sunday, April 14th, we decided to put her back in the same dress and take some pictures outside at church.  Nobody else has to know it's not actually Easter, right?  Plus, the weather was gorgeous outside.

Here are our family Easter pictures from last year.  I thought it would be fun to compare how Samantha has changed in the last year.

Later that afternoon, after nap time, Samantha got to play outside.  Her most favorite activity as of late.  I love watching her play outside.  She loves to go on walks, discover nature, listen to and watch the living things growing and moving all around her.  I love to see her active.  I want to make sure we stay active as a family.  We don't let Samantha watch much television, and we encourage her to go outside and play as much as possible, especially on these beautiful, warm spring evenings.  Television is more like a special treat rather than an every day occurrence, and we like it that way.  When the television is on, it hardly holds her attention at all, she would much rather go and do something else.  Sometimes people poke fun at us for not letting her watch much television, or the "weird" reaction she has when someone does put the television on, but I would rather her not know what to do with the television.  I hope this continues in her personality.  I would much rather have a daughter who gets lost in books or lost in exploring the outdoors, a daughter who would much rather interact with her family, than getting lost in the unreality of television.

Thanks for the tricycle Ryan and Melanie!  She doesn't quite know how to push the pedals yet, but she enjoys being pushed around.  That handle on the back is a great idea!

The other benefit of moving to a three bedroom apartment is that now, instead of having our apartment back up to another apartment building, we now have a large grassy area behind our apartment with several trees that attract birds and squirrels.  On one of our walks behind our apartment, Samantha went up to the tree and let the needles of the tree brush across her face, making her laugh and smile, almost like the tree was tickling her.

The weather was just glorious this week.  Oh, how I love spring!  The warm breeze floating in our open windows, the green sprouting up everywhere, the flowery, sweet-smelling blooms on the trees (after all, we do live in Bloomington!).  It seems everywhere you look new life is growing and it is always such an encouragement to me after what seems like a long, dreary, cold winter in Indiana.

We have the most joyous sign of life living right in our very own house, our sweet Samantha who is now a month away from being two years old.  I can't believe it.  It seems like just yesterday when I was pregnant with her and eagerly awaiting her arrival.  However, at the same time, I can't imagine our family without her in it.  What did we do with all our free time?  How was our family ever complete without her?  

The next Sunday, April 21st, Samantha was having a hard time falling asleep for her afternoon nap.  Daddy lovingly went upstairs to see what was the matter.  She fell asleep with his strong, protective hand resting gently on her tummy.  Afterwards, Ben snatched the opportunity to get some sleeping pictures of our darling daughter.  We haven't gotten any pictures of her sleeping for quite awhile since she usually goes to bed independently and rarely needs us there to fall asleep.  It's nice to feel needed every once in awhile as a parent.  Children are so peaceful while they are sleeping.  Especially with Samantha, sleeping is the only time when she is still and not talking.  She certainly is a talker! :)

Such precious moments, such precious gifts that God gives us every day, such a tremendous responsibility we have in raising this little girl who is created in His image and who has a special plan for her life that God designed and only God knows.