well, hello there

T had a bad case of high fever/roseola/ear infection/pure pitafullness last week and, thanks to the rescue of my parents, I got to spend some quality one on one time with just her. It was so nice. We did girl things(well, once the fever subsided). We went shopping and to the mall and out to eat. It was so much fun. Although I had never been partial to having a boy or a girl, I sure feel lucky to have this little dainty thing in my life. She is a piece of me that I never knew was missing. We bought some fun new dresses and a first 'purse' for her. Who knows, another couple of days and we might have been sporting matching mani and pedi's...only time, only time.

It's been a really long time since I took out my camera with my own children. Sure, we have been taking snapshots with the point and shoot, which I love, however my standards are 'slightly' higher for quality and although I love the pictures, I will probably never print them. This makes me sad. So many months that I have missed of Teagen. So many moments and things. I need to do better. I will do better.

I made it a point to take out my camera for a little while when it was just her. My goal is to take a picture(with my camera) everyday. One of her and one of Eli. I was so happy with how these came out. It really showcases who she is. She is a spitfire. An inquisitive little thing. So easily pleased but yet so demanding. So many smiles and so.much.laughter.

freezing time

I really wish that I could just close my eyes and freeze time. That I could hold onto these moments for a little while longer. In between the sibling bickering and the "my teeth freakin hurt" screaming, I just want to hold onto everything that my little baby is doing. How she would like nothing more than to just sit on the couch with me, she just wants to be close.me. How she will hold up her arms and say "up" until I put her in my lap and then 30 seconds later she looks at me and says "get down". I just want it to last.forever. How she toddles around all day holding onto her favorite containers or picking up the biggest item that she can possible get into her little chubby hands and carry it around. How she knows exactly where her shoes are and diligently tries to put them on and when she can't, she will track you down with shoes in hand and plop her little heiny down and hold up her shoes until you willingly ablige to put them on. How when I tell her she needs a new diaper, she will go find one and bring it to me. I just want to close my eyes and remember. How she has so much love to give, she will always trek over to give her mommy a kiss. How sometimes whenever I go and get her in the morning after she has woken up, she decides that she is still a little tired so she snuggles in and I rock her back to sleep. How she is so fiercly independent. She loves to play by herself and is just as much engaged by a little rock on the ground as some obnoxiously loud toy. How she wants to do everything that her big brother does. He walks, she wants to walk. He drinks something, she wants to drink something. I'm just gonna close my eyes so that I can remember. How she 'smiles' for the camera. How she loves to laugh and her belly rolls can be heard throughout the house. How she runs to you with the biggest arms ever and then clutches on to your shoulders as if she has won the lottery. How in every single way, she is her own person. Not her daddy, not I nor her brother. She is just who she is. A little firecracker with a heart of gold. Yes, let it just last forever.