Seven Months.

Well, I'm just a few days late on writing Margot's seven month update, and in the summer-Bar-exam-madness, I never even wrote a six month one. Oopsies! Sorry, Margot.

A lot has happened since her five month update. One of the most exciting things is that she has two teeth now! It's pretty much impossible to catch them on camera. The two on bottom started coming in a couple weeks ago, and we think she may be working on a couple more on top. Once in a while the poor girl just lets out a wail and puts her hands to her mouth as if there's a sudden wave of pain. Most of her seven-month pictures reflect this. :(

We are still doing a combination of nursing and giving her formula, and now she's eating solids, too. Just before she turned six months old, she went through a huge growth spurt and my body just couldn't keep up. I tried every recommended thing to give it a boost, but it simply wasn't enough. She is doing really well on the breastmilk/formula combo, and growing like crazy. The transition was not so bad, despite a little constipation off and on. I still nurse her as much as I can, and she does well switching between the two. She LOVES eating purees now. The only things she does not seem to like so far are broccoli and peaches. I think the peaches were just too tart, and who could blame her on the broccoli?!


She has experienced many "firsts" in the last couple months, many first foods, first trips to new places, first time having both parents at home, and neither of which are studying for anything! We also had a first in our marriage, first time purchasing a car! We are the proud owners of a Toyota Prius V, and we couldn't be more excited. Since we are not studying and not bound by a small, impractical car, we have a few road trips in our future. The first trip will have to be to see Papa Mo and GranNan down in Anna for a weekend, another first for MJ!


She rolls all over the place. She is trying hard to Army crawl, and she can kind of do it when she gets her head involved. It's a strange sight. She can sit up unsupported, but only if you help her get there. She's not yet able to pull herself up from laying to sitting, but she's getting close! She still loves to be outside and go on walks. She loves being in the Ergo carrier or in her stroller, it really doesn't matter as long as she is outside!


Today we took her to the Saint Louis Zoo for the first time. We all enjoyed one more family day before Daddy starts work full-time tomorrow.

It had been quite a while since Kyle and I had visited the zoo, and there were many new attractions. The Sea Lion show was great! Kyle and I couldn't help but grin throughout the show at the sweet, playful creatures. Margot didn't really get it, but that's okay.


Margot's favorite part was the butterfly house. She was mesmerized by the magical, fluttering creatures, the brightly colored flowers, and the peaceful atmosphere. Mommy was, too.


It was really a wonderful day with our sweet, happy, seven-month-old girl! I can't believe how big she is, how much she's changing, and much more we love her every day.  You are a joy and a blessing, sweet Margot Jane. Mommy and Daddy love you so, so much!

Kyle's Summer

A few people have asked about what Kyle has been up to this summer, and since I cannot convince him to start blogging again, I thought I would share a bit about it.

He has been working for the Simmons firm,  primarily in the intellectual property department, and LOVING it.  Springfield friends will be familiar with the Simmons name from their cancer institute in Springfield. I think he has found his dream job, and I am so proud!



I cannot express enough just how happy he is with his job this summer.  He continues to put in a lot of long hours and work very hard.  He is getting so many great learning experiences, and getting to see what a day in the life of an attorney is like.  His hard work has not gone unnoticed, and he feels like he is appreciated there.  I know he finds the work challenging and fulfilling.

I'm not sure that I have ever seen him so happy or enthusiastic.  His job has been, without a doubt, the best thing about this summer.  I am so, so grateful that he is finally getting to do something he loves!

July twenty-ninth.

There are two significant events that have occurred on July 29th for Kyle and I.  They might sound silly, but they were very important to us at the time.  The date will never roll around with me thinking about them.

July 29, 2006.  Kyle picked me up in Gatlinburg, TN after I had been gone for two months working as a missionary in the Smokies.  That was a long, hard, blessed summer.  Reading this old post  reminds me of just how challenging it was, made more challenging by my excitement about getting married at the end of it!

Finally, July 29th came.  My man was on the doorstep of that mountain cabin and he was taking me home!  Two weeks after he picked me up, we were married in Springfield, IL.

Fast forward to July 29, 2010.  After being married and living in southern Illinois for four years, Kyle finished his very last day working for the Southern Illinois Miners.  In May of 2010, we moved all our belongings to Saint Louis, MO, where I was beginning graduate school.  Kyle stayed with his parents IL for two months to keep working until he started law school in August.  Again, we had been living apart all summer, and on July 29th we were together again!  That was another hard summer, and one I would very much like to never repeat.

This July 29th is not nearly as eventful.  I just finished my last summer of classes (291 days till graduation!), and Kyle is working until 5 (working, by the way, for a firm he loves).  All in all it has been a pretty great, normal day.  Sometimes the ordinary is extraordinary.

The adventures of Watson, the farm dog.

Our sweet pup spends most of his days in our small flat with no real yard.  He gets long walks around the neighborhood, but he is always tethered to his mommy or daddy.  Whenever we go visit my mom or grandparents, Watson gets to run however he likes around their yards, and we love to watch him romp and play.

On the farm, however, his romping goes to a whole other level.  There aren't fences there, and my dad's "yard" is about 2 acres, which opens right up to the rest of the land they live on, about 35 acres.  The first time we took him there, we were a little nervous that he just might bolt out into the cornfields and we'd never see him again.



To our great surprise, he mostly stays right by our sides.  If he runs ahead, he'll often stop and wait for us, giving us a look like, "Are you people coming or what?" Sometimes he'll circle around us like he's herding us.  We really get to see how good of a dog he can be.

I've never seen him more happy or excited than when he's on the farm.  He's kind of like his mommy in that way.  I mean, look at that view, isn't it lovely?



He's always tracking something. Nose to the ground.

Trapesing through muddy ditches.



Getting clean from said mud and about a hundred burrs he got stuck in his fur from the fields.

He never stops moving or wanting to play.

He steps a little lighter.

Jumps a little higher.

Pants a little harder.



Snuggles a little sweeter.



Crashes a lot harder.  Please note the open door.  He went in on his own.



Watson loves being a farm dog.

In the summer, in the city

Our little flat on Magnolia Avenue isn't exactly overflowing with green space.  While we are fortunate enough to live on a street lined with giant, old, shady trees, our front yard is completely sloped and the space out back is completely paved.  This means that a would-be green thumb like me has to make do with a few potted plants, and shoving growing things into every nook and cranny that she can.

This year I have a total of 14 (eek!) containers of multiple shapes and sizes, full of as many different kinds of flowers as I could manage.  I hung three large planters over the side of our deck.  The flowers have been struggling a bit due to the severe heat we were having, but this week's cooler temperatures have allowed them to green right up.  And yes, I have a garden gnome.  A garden needs whimsy, okay?  A garden needs joy and laughter.  A garden does not need stupid lawn ornaments, but a garden does need one small gnome named Mungo Boffin of Needlehole.



I also dug up some over-grown hostas along the side of our building to insert some color in the shade.  No one really sees this space but us, but we have to make the best of what little we have.

While this century-old brick patio may not look like a haven to you, it certainly is to us!  It is also a huge chore to keep looking nice.  Well, er, sort of nice.  Have you ever tried to manage the weeds in a century old brick patio?  Trust me, it could be a full-time job.  I do my best.  We have some plants and a fire pit.   It's nice enough for now.



Watson and I sat for several hours on the front stoop tonight.  We've never done that before.  It was really nice out and we got to see the neighborhood pass us by.  Watson is a very active member of the neighborhood watch association.

Whitaker Music Festival

Kyle and I packed a picnic and headed over to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, just down the street from our house.  We met up with some of my classmates and their men to partake in the free concerts that happen every Wednesday night at the Bo.Gs, as I like to call them.






It was the most beautiful night of the summer, so far.  The temperature was perfect, no humidity, full moon, fireflies galore.  It was a super sweet little picnic with my man and my friends.

Plus, I finally got to use my picnic basket.  We got it as a wedding gift, and after nearly 5 years, we finally got to show it off.  It received many oohs and aaahs.  Thanks to whomever purchased it for us.  I can't remember who you are anymore.  I should've taken a picture, it was so pretty.  Next time! Hopefully not five more years...



If we get more nice weather, I would love to go back and do this again.  It was free and full of happy people and it was awesome to enjoy the beautiful, fragrant gardens.  Oh yeah, and some band played, too, but we couldn't hear them.  It didn't matter.  The company was too good.

Right now my life looks like...

Inspired by a friend's recent list post, I decided that I, too, love writing and reading list posts, so I would write one.

So, right now my life...

• It looks like a mess of unfinished projects. I still have a handful of invitations I need to send out for an upcoming bridal shower for Keith and Loni; I have two large bookcases on the floor of my spare bedroom with a coat of primer that takes seven days (!) to fully harden; I have two cans of paint waiting to go on the walls of our spare bedroom; I have a kitchen table in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint after nearly five years of my abuse; I have a painting that I started months ago that I feel like I'll never finish. Basically paint, paint, and more paint.

• It looks like me going crazy trying to finish said projects before I start school again, and at the same time knowing that I probably won't and don't really need to rush.
• It looks like chasing after a very bad puppy who insists on eating every rug in the house and scratching up grout from between the tiles in the kitchen.
• It looks like a string of doctors visits and lab work as we're still trying to figure this fertility thing out.
• It looks like afternoon dates with friends to hang out while I have time.
• It looks like a hundred trips to Lowe's, Garden Ridge, and Target.
• It looks like eating dinner at home every night with my man, which is wonderful.
• It looks like naps and movie marathons.
• It looks like two people reading whatever the heck they want to read, which for me currently includes some Sci-Fi, and some non-fiction fertility books.
• It looks like a house ransacked by toddlers, just like Jenna, but I don't have any toddlers to blame or even my husband really.  The messes made are mine, and I've reached that point where I am uncomfortable and I feel like it will never look good again.
• It looks like early to bed, early to rise, which may be a first for me while I'm on break.
• It looks like wearing the same clothes three days in a row because who's gonna know?

This break has been oh-so-good, but part of me is excited to start school and just get these last two semesters of class over with so I can graduate already.

Engaged: Keith + Loni

This weekend, not only did I have the spectacular privilege of hanging out with my brother and soon-to-be sister, I also got to talk with them about all things wedding and marriage and even take their pictures.  We had a blast roaming around the city together.



Loni and I had our own little adventure on Friday while we drove around the greater St. Louis area like mad women dropping of resumes for her at a bajiliion dentist offices.

She's a hygienist, you know.  Can't you just tell?  Look at that beautiful smile!

We spent the rest of Friday afternoon and all of Saturday morning at Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond working on her bridal registry.  Loni and Keith had already made a good start at it, but sometimes walking around with someone who's been married for a little while, who knows what you might need, is helpful.  It was fun to see what their tastes were and all the things they picked out!

When Keith arrived on Saturday, we spent the afternoon all over Tower Grove Park, Soulard, and Lafayette Square.  There were a few places I had been eyeing for the better part of a year thinking that they would make fabulous spots for photos.

We met Loni's sister, Lindy, and her hubs, Adam, for dinner at one of our favorite places, Square One Brewery.  They were in town celebrating their 5th anniversary, and I loved meeting them!

On Sunday, we had an all-day adventure just trying to get brunch somewhere! It was painful, but the crepe I had at the end of it was worth the whole grueling experience.  Sadly, shortly after we returned, Kyle started getting sick.  It could have been the food, or one of the many objects we found floating in our water glasses.  Let's just say that the restaurant we picked was probably not up to code for cleanliness.

Overall it was a fabulous weekend, and I was so sad when Keith and Loni had to leave.  Here's hoping that they'll find jobs here and live close by!

If you want to see all the pictures from the engagement shoot, and you're my friend on FB, you can see them here.

Summer break.

Life got a little busy in the last month, but I'm happy to say that it has settled back down again.  This is my summer vacation.  I have three weeks off before summer classes and clinic resume.  I am already enjoying this wonderful time and making plans for how I want to use my next few weeks.  I even started a list of all the little things I want to do using the "Tasks" function in my Google calendar.  I love that thing!

Anyway, some of my rough plans include:

• Not wearing makeup, even in public.  One of the beauties of living in a big city is that you can be anonymous.  Chances are, I won't see anyone I know, and if I do, they probably won't recognize me, ha!
• Finishing a couple paintings that have been in queue for months now.
• Run, run, run.  My first 5K is right around the corner.  I don't think I'll be able to run the whole thing.  Right now, I can't run two full miles, and I'm supposed to be able run 3.1 in less than a month! BUT, I will try.  I will finish it, even if I have to stop and walk.  My only wish would be that Kyle could run it with me to keep me moving, but he still can't run because of his knee.  
• Cooking.  I miss cooking for my man.  I haven't cooked much at all in the last year beyond throwing something frozen in the oven.  I used to cook all the time.  I miss the satisfaction that comes from feeding my little family.
• Catching up with friends.
• Finishing many little household jobs, like mending a couple shirts for Kyle, cleaning out our office, getting the apartment manager to come fix a couple things, etc.
• Getting a tan.  Well, not much of one, but a just a little sun won't hurt, right?
• Taking pictures. I'm doing some engagement pictures for Kyle's youngest brother, Keith, and his lovely bride-to-be.  I also just want to point my camera at everything because my poor little Canon just hasn't seen much action lately.  My Flickr photostream has been inundated with Instagram pics lately, though, like this one of my mom's dog, Starbuck, and me.  He's my bebe brudder.

I'm sure I'll find many more projects to do along the way.  I've been working on the invitations for my soon-to-be second sister-in-law's bridal shower we're having down in Anna with the Bass family.  I love doing things like that!  

One Year

Inspired by a blog friend, I decided it would be beneficial (for myself) to break down our year.

January:  We spent New Year's Eve at the Corson's house, and made brisket for friends on New Year's day.  I continued to nanny for the Horst chil'ins.  I began my last semester at SIU.  We completed our applications to law school and grad school.  The waiting game began.

February: We celebrated my birthday and Valentine's Day (or Birthentine's, if you're nasty) by going to St. Louis for the weekend.  We stayed at the Cheshire Lodge, had a date at The Fountain on Locust with our newish friends, Josh and Kim, visited the art museum, and discovered Gioia's Deli.  I spent the month wondering where in the heck God was going to send us or if we would stay in Carbondale for a few more years.

March: I spent the first half of the month anxiously awaiting news from graduate schools.  I started feeling like we weren't going to be staying in Carbondale and treasuring our time there.  Over Spring Break, I got my first acceptance, and it was to SLU!  I was at my grandma and grandpa's house when I got the email on my phone.  We all screamed and smiled and cried and jumped around the kitchen.  It was a really special moment.

April:  After three acceptances and two rejections for me, we were feeling like St. Louis was the place God was calling us, though all the details weren't exactly in place yet.  Kyle still hadn't heard from SLU Law (and a few other schools), but planned on just getting a job in the STL area and re-applying because we were so sure we were supposed to be there.  We had a marathon day of apartment searching, signed a lease, and the next week Kyle got his acceptance to SLU.  Crazy lessons about stepping out in faith were learned.

(I took not a single picture in the month of April.)

May: A month of celebrations and new beginnings.  Had a great celebratory night with classmates meowing around Carondale.  Graduated and moved to St. Louis on the same day with the help of many friends and family.  Started attending August Gate, where we knew we should go even though we'd never set foot in the doors.  Started graduate school at the end of the month, and began a painful summer of living away from Kyle while he finished up his job in So Ill.


June: A haze of school and loneliness and driving back and forth between STL and So Ill.  Oh, and threw a bridal shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Hope.

July: A haze of school and loneliness and driving back and forth between STL and So Ill.  Oh, and threw a bridal shower for my dear friend, Ellen.  Then we both stood up with her and Bradley at the end of the month at their wedding.  It was our last hurrah in Carbondale.  Saying goodbye at the end of their reception left many of us in tears.

August: Kyle came home to Saint Louis for good!  We celebrated the end of a long, hard, lonely summer.  We got a puppy!  Celebrated 4 years of marriage.  When we first began praying about going on with school together, we just prayed we'd be in the same city.  God went further.  He put us in the same city, at the same school, and our buildings right next door to one another.  Unbelievable goodness and grace. No accident there!

September:  Traveled to Virginia to celebrate the wedding of our brother and sister, Kent and Hope.  It was fun to travel with family, and even more fun to gain a sister in the Bass family.  Went to school.


October: Really started making better friends at church and at school.  Praise God.  The summer was so lonely, even though friends at church reached out to me, I definitely was not myself then.  October finally clicked and I started feeling more like me.  School started getting harder on us, and it became very clear that our dog was really, really bad.  We knew he was our "Marley."  We hosted a Halloween party that seemed like a pretty big success, but we forgot to take pictures.


November: A haze of school and puppy-wrangling.  In John Mayer-fashion, I wonder if I am going to make it through to December.  I got to travel to Philadelphia for my first ASHA convention with classmates and faculty.  Spent Thanksgiving with Kyle's family in Anna.  Got to celebrate with Keith and Loni the night of their engagement.


December:  Completed our semesters by the grace of Jesus.  When the semester ended, we mostly spent our days at home wrangling our bad, bad dog, cooking, watching all the TV we missed during the semester, and enjoying each others' company.  Christmas in Springfield with my family.  As things slow down, the pain of infertility creeps back in as it always does when I'm not insanely busy.  As always, I'm ready for a new year and thankful for a God who is faithful and isn't done with us yet.