Chomp Chomp Chomp

Presley is biting down on anything and everything she can get her

hands on these days. Dirty fingers, Giulietta's shoes, and table tops

are among her favorites. So, I usually keep a baggie of Graham Crackers

around to keep her hands and mouth busy. 

As you can see, she has added another pearly white to her collection, 

for a grand total of 2! 

Goodbye Paci

Being a parent requires one to make decisions that are often times 

rather difficult such as when to move the baby to their crib, when to

switch from breast milk to cows milk, when to take away the bottle, or

when to say goodbye to the paci. It is my belief that the easiest way to 

make these parenting decisions is to listen to your young, rather 

inexperienced child, and yourself. After all, it is the parents who know

their own child better then anyone else. 

However, for a parent, making these decisions are difficult because it requires

 change, which is not always welcomed on the part of the child. And, it is an 

outward sign of growth by the child, which signals the need for a parent to let 

their baby go a tad bit more. 

Last night, Ryan and I watched Giulietta say goodbye to her last paci!

It was bittersweet to watch as Ryan and her sat down at the 

table to make an envelope perfect for the last piece of her infancy.

She picked up her beloved paci off of the table, and gave it a few last 

sucks before tossing it into the homemade envelope. 

Then, Daddy and Giulietta closed up the envelope real tight, and tossed it

 into the mailbox for the paci fairy.  

I stood in the threshold of my home with tears brimming my eyes 

as I looked at my daughter in a new light. 

It suddenly hit me that Giulietta is no longer a baby. Every remnant 

of her infancy has either been given up, passed down to her sister 

Presley, or packed away. Although her growth is natural, expected,

 and amazing to watch, it is never easy to accept that she is quickly becoming 

more and more independent, intelligent, and beautiful with each passing day. 

The transition from paci to no paci seems to be going as smooth as all G's other 

transitions from infancy to toddlerhood. She whined a bit, asked for it

back, but finally acknowledged that she was a big girl and ready to move on. Now, 

when she is resting peacefully in bed she has her arms wrapped around her new

Cinderella baby that the paci fairy brought. 

Two Wheels for the First Time

Last week we decided to take Presley on her very first bike

ride. And, as we were preparing her for the ride it seemed so familiar.

In fact, It seemed just like yesterday that we were given the bike 

seat by our dear friend Laura, and strapped Giulietta up in it.

Presley thoroughly enjoyed the little ride we took.

She smiled and giggled, 

 held on tight and kicked her legs, 

and was swallowed up by the rather large helmet! 

Next time we plan on attaching the trailer and taking both girls with us! 

Dressing Up in "The Dress"

Many women spend countless hours dreaming about, hunting for,

and admiring over their perfect wedding. Then, when their wedding day

comes, they feel like a princess in it for a few short hours. What they do

with it after is unknown, but most preserve it because after all it is "The

Dress."

I, on the other hand, picked out my dress at the first store I went to. I wore

it on my wedding day, and felt rather awesome in it. And then, I gently placed it

in its garment bag, laid it in a plastic box in my closet, and let it sit there until

Giulietta was baptized.  At that time, I requested my Mom and Aunt to cut my dress

to make a baptismal gown for my first born daughter. So, they gently took all the 

lining, and left my dress still intact. 

Now that I have Presley and her baptism was only a few days away, 

I decided that it was time for the dress to make its way out of its little nook,

to be stripped of more material to make Presley's bonnet. 

This time, Giulietta was in awe of what she saw. You could see the twinkle

in her eyes as she caressed her hands gently across the satin fabric adorned with

the lace and beads. After several minutes of carefully holding the dress in her small

little hands, she finally asked if she could put it on. And, of course my heart melted

as I saw her sweet smile stretch ear to ear as she wore my wedding dress for the first,

and probably last time. 

Presley even gave the dress wearing, or playing a try! 

I have thought often about the 15 minutes my girls spent wearing my dress,

and have realized that one day I will be standing in a store, at a church, and 

on a dance floor with them wearing their own dresses. Even though that time

seems so far away, I know that it will pass like a blink of an eye. For now, I 

will try to soak up the sweet innocence of my girls smiles, their boisterous 

giggles, and their outstretched arms, because tomorrow is only a day away.