The House and My 11 Month Old Daughter :)

Maryn's new room! It doesn't stay clean for long.

This is the part of the house we haven't quite gotten to yet...

The living room, obviously.

In honor of Maryn's 11-month Birthday tomorrow, I thought I'd highlight some of her personality traits that are developing, some milestones we've hit, and whatever else I want to say about our precious baby girl.

Mommy's Helper

Maryn is a hard worker. She is always busy and focused on something. It may be putting the blocks in the dump truck and taking them out again, or switching around the puzzle pieces, or pulling the books off the shelves. Whatever it is, she's serious about it. Here she was, in the picture above, sorting through the plastics cupboard and I could NOT get her to crack a smile.

She's started wiping things down with whatever cloth she can grab. Today she found a pair of her little pants and she wiped down the changing table.

Daddy and Mommy's Sweetheart

Maryn really isn't a wanderer or a huge thrill seeker, though she does love to roughhouse on the couch or bed. She likes to stay near us, follow us, and hates when we leave her behind or walk away without her in our arms.

She models us as she talks on the "phone," hugs and kisses her toys, cleans, packs and unpacks, puts things away in the cabinets or on the shelves, etc. She gives us hugs and kisses, pats our backs, and rubs our faces. She's a sweetheart.

Milestones

Maryn continues to repeat a lot of words and sounds that we say. She says "hello" and "hi" into the pretend phones (which can be anything and everything she chooses. Today she used banana slices as her phone). She still says Mama, Mom, and Dada and Dad. She makes a few animals sounds. At the fair, she baaa-ed at the sheep but I think she must have really wanted to see a tiger, because she kept growling at them as well.

Maryn gives high fives, plays pat-a-cake, "sings," dances to music, and claps her hands. She even fakes a high five with people, pulling her hand away quickly and laughing. She washes her hands by rubbing them together under the water. She can find the mouse on every page of her "That's Not My Truck" book. She stands unassisted, can twist and turn well while standing, and can push her car or truck around while walking behind it. And...

She took her first steps today! That's right. In a few days or a week or two, we may have a walker!

I heart this town!

We're going to the FAIR tomorrow!

Today we woke up bright and early at 6:30 am in order to make it to our Sunday School class which starts promptly at 9:00. Though it was our third time visiting this church, it would be Maryn's first time in the nursery there. Shwew. I was a bit nervous. I hate it when I leave her in the nursery and she cries, because I hate people thinking she's not a good baby. Because she IS a good baby!

We dropped her off without a single grimace or tear, and went to our awesome class, where we talked to new friends like we've known them for, well, weeks, and heard some good, great, fantastic teaching...uninterrupted by the nursery buzzer (yay!). Then we went straight to service where we heard MORE good, great, fantastic preaching...uninterrupted by the nursery buzzer (super yay!).

After service, there were SO many people in the lobby and in the halls, I wanted to push them all over so that I could get to my baby. I mean, maybe our buzzer wasn't working or something. But there she was, busy as a bee, playing. We called her once, twice, three times...and she didn't even turn towards our voices. I don't think she even wanted to leave!

The nursery workers took her on a walk with the other babies in the big strollers. They gave her Cheerios and graham crackers and let her ride on the rocking horses, play with the dollhouse, and chew on every thing she could find.

I am elated, but not giving my hopes up. She did well the first time in the nursery in Naples and the first time in the nursery in New Hampshire. The second time, it's like she knows what's happening and freaks out. I hope both John and I can continue going to the class and the worship service. It stinks when we have to separate.

Today I made cookies for our two neighbor friends, so we chatted with them for a while, and we were even able to give them some of the things headed for Goodwill. Tomorrow we go to Goodwill to drop off our give-away pile, and we are going to the Kentucky State Fair! I am totally amped.

We also got a lot done today in the way of unpacking and decorating. John did, anyway. He took all the donations down to the car, hung up most of our pictures, and set up our dining room table. I cooked a yummy meal of tilapia, baked potatoes and peas (yeah Aldi!) and we were finally able to eat at a table like a normal family. Cooking and cleaning up is quite interesting without a microwave and without a dishwasher. Sigh. But, we're doing well, and I am starting to feel very at home.

Organize and Declutter City!

The wonderful thing about living in a very small apartment is that we have to de-clutter and be extremely organized. I have touched nearly every single thing we own and sorted it. Just a few more boxes to go. Then I have to go back through the give away pile and the store pile and sort those even more. I heart decluttering and organizing. :-) Weird, I know.

I just remembered that I need to post a Friday Funny. I will try to find one. Maybe.

Yay for an internet connection! Finally!

This is where Maryn has been eating: In her Bumbo, between the couch and
the ottoman. Because there isn't room for our table yet. We have two piles of
boxes in our dining area. One pile to store at my mom's and one pile to give away.

Anyway, the above picture is of Maryn eating her VERY FIRST plain piece of
American cheese. Later she had a grilled cheese sandwich and she loved
that, too. She is a very cheesy girl. She also had Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
for the first time the other night. She is still a good eater, but now that
she knows what cheese and graham crackers taste like, she isn't too psyched
about peas and peaches.

Here she is eating her lunch today. Pureed fruit, cottage cheese, tuna and peas.
Yum yum! Don't YOU wish I could cook for you, too???

I took some pictures of our apartment today but have decided not to put them up because they make it look like I've been doing NOTHING, when that is far from the truth. Maryn has been quite cooperative and plays wherever I'm unpacking. She even tries to help by handing me things. It's so cute!

Since we've had no internet and since I, for some reason, do not have service on my phone, I've been able to get A LOT done. Mostly, I've been unpacking and sorting books. And throwing away papers and papers and papers from teaching. I don't know why I used to print everything.

Amanda, Satan doesn't want you here!

"Amanda, Satan doesn't want you here!" Is the message I got from the orientation address at Southern Seminary, given by Dr. Russell Moore on Friday morning. He spoke about hardships we will face while at Seminary.

Classes haven't even started yet, and Satan has made it quite clear that he doesn't want us here.

First there was the whole canceled flight deal. Then, while I was in Ohio and John was in Louisville I realized he had nearly everything of mine with him. And, though our moving trailer was supposed to arrive on Wednesday, it is Sunday night and it is still not here.

Our belongings not being here has been a bit of an inconvenience, especially with a baby, especially on an extremely tight budget, especially since we needed bedding (and beds for that matter!) for four people (my mom and sister were here) plus a baby. Not to mention food, and choices are a bit limited without pots, pans, knives, silverware, cooking utensils, etc. And we can't get our internet/cable hooked up until we have our television here. So that is my excuse for the huge hiatus here on my blog. We sit on the floor and read books.

And my phone is getting very, very bad service. So basically, I am hardly able to communicate with anyone except our neighbors.

Our neighbors! Our neighbors have been so, so nice and friendly. They loaned us air mattresses and bedding, cooking utensils, and they've offered us tons more. Dennis and Betsy live across the hall with their two kids, and Andrew and Melanie live one more apartment over with their two little girls.

Our neighborhood! Our neighborhood is mostly low-income families, so there are lots of cool programs going on to help us out. As well as programs through the seminary. It's so, so great to be around other families in the same boat we're in, you know? Most of them have kids, most of them are around our age, most of them left good jobs and whatever behind to come here in view of a call. It's awesome!

Our church! Our church is so nice. Good teaching and preaching. It has a huge adoption ministry and many of the pastors and church members have adopted. This is very important to us, as we hope to adopt someday and don't have a clue what we're doing and haven't observed many families do it.

(((I really love it here)))

So...since our stuff is arriving late...and since our apartment is about the size of our moving truck...we are going to be storing or getting rid of a ton of stuff. John and I are a tiny bit afraid of what our next week of unpacking and sorting and living under boxes might look like. This is ONE of the reasons we got here early. This is ONE of the reasons we left our jobs ($$$) at camp early. Arrgh. (((There's a bigger picture. There's a bigger picture. God works all things according to His purpose.)))

I also haven't been able to get online to find: children to babysit, a washer and dryer, coupons, Kroger deals and information, etc.

So, please pray for us. I think we're doing okay, and I think God has given me a peace about our situation. Let's face it, it's far better than I deserve. (((What am I going to do with that huge cake carrier and all my cake decorating supplies? Should I keep those? What about all that crazy teacher stuff? What about all my high school year books? Ah! I have too much junk! Too much!!)))

I'm at peace. With a little bit of insane on the side.

A Sunny Day in Orrville

Maryn and Grandma (my mom ) on the swings.
Maryn puts things into her mouth so often, I am always
saying, "Let me see!" So she opens her mouth when I say
that and sticks out her tongue. In this picture I said that,
so she was sticking her tongue out for us.
Grandpa decided to do the same!

Tomorrow my mom, sister Sara, Maryn and I will leave for Louisville in the afternoon. Our moving has been, basically, a huge mess. The moving truck was supposed to be there today with all our things, and we were supposed to be there as well. But the moving company had a truck break down and so EVERYTHING has been delayed. John arrived in Louisville early so that he could get a few things straightened out, and we were supposed to try to get our cable hooked up, our license plate renewed, new drivers licenses, etc. He wasn't able to do any of that without our documents which are stored in a file cabinet in the moving truck. He also has an interview with Target tomorrow, but had no interview clothes. So he had to buy some. Orientation things start on Friday and continue all weekend. So we just have very little time and spent way too much money trying to be organized and prepared. Of course!

But I did get to spend more time with my family here in Orrville, which has been special. But we miss John a lot! It's all so crazy!