The World Through a Mother's Eyes

It's amazing how much your view of the world changes once you become a mother. I've always been a big news-watcher, even as a kid. I liked to analyze the different aspects of a news story and weigh the pros and cons of all the possible solutions to world problems. My dad would come home from work and sit down to watch Dan Rather or Tom Brokaw. I was usually somewhere nearby, taking it all in, although I usually drew the line at the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour. Some things are even too boring for a 10-year-old news-geek. But ever since Molly was born, I've had the hardest time watching the news. I've stopped watching with my head and have started watching with my heart. Now, instead of seeing the politics or economics in a situation, I see the mothers and the babies. I couldn't read the reports of Red Cross workers trying to feed nursing babies orphaned by the earthquake in Haiti. I can't watch the footage of mothers waiting desperately for food and clean water after the floods in Pakistan. And tonight, I had to turn off a TV program highlighting the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I remember watching the live reports 5 years ago from the Super Dome and the convention center. But tonight, I couldn't even bear to look at the faces of those desparate mothers holding their thirsty babies. I had to turn it off. And now I can't stop thinking about it.

I never imagined that motherhood would change me so much. But I suppose God does this to mothers for a reason. I find myself now with a greater capacity for compassion, love, patience, and selflessness. I'm now less likely to watch the news with the analytical mind that wants to weigh the various political ramifications of a situation. Instead, I'm more likely to watch with an attitude of prayer for the human suffering that is so much more evident to me now than ever before. Please remember to pray this week for the millions of people displaced by the floods in Pakistan, especially the children. Pray that aid would come quickly and that the victims would see Jesus in the hearts of the people who arrive to serve them.

The Best Birthday Present Ever

First birthdays are filled with all kinds of wonderful things.

There are super-cool cupcakes... LOTS of pretty presents to tear open...

New toys to play with and fun guests to share them with... Yummy things to eat...

And, of course, BALLOONS!

But the BEST birthday present of all, is a whole week to spend with Gramma!!!!!
Gramma Schillinger was here in North Carolina exactly one year ago, waiting (and waiting...and waiting...and waiting) for the arrival of Miss Molly Joy. We were blessed that she was able to fly down from New York again this year to celebrate a very special first birthday.

A week with Gramma at the house is so much fun! We got to do all kinds of neat things together. First, we spent the afternoon at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. But we were so busy looking at all the cool skeletons and butterflies and turtles and bugs that we completely forgot to take any pictures.

We spent lots of time swinging this week, since that's one of Molly's favorite activities. I think she would spend all day in the swing if we let her! Swinging is even more fun when Gramma's here to push :)

We went out for ice cream at the new Mebane Ice Cream Shoppe, which this pregnant mama was VERY happy about! Ice cream is not a normal part of Molly's food repertoire, but when it's your birthday and the ice cream is organic and locally produced, we can make exceptions.
Lunch time is even more fun when Gramma's here!

We got to visit Molly's cousins in Eden (and swing some more). Corbin and Isaiah were very excited to have Gramma here too.

They all had a lot of fun playing in the water table. Since all three of them are just hanging out in their undies/diapers, I think Molly just looks like "one of the guys". Such cute cousins :)

Gramma and Molly played a fun game of "catch the water". Apparently, the tongue sticking out is an important component to winning this game :-P

On her last day here, we spent part of the afternoon at Duke Gardens. It is SO beautiful there. We had a great time wandering around the trails, learning the names of all the trees and flowers, and taking in all the beauty. Unfortunately, we only had a short time to be there before we had to take Gramma to the airport and it was quite humid. We can't wait to go back when we have a little more time and the weather's a little more bearable.

Molly enjoyed watching the ducks with Gramma.

Thanks, Mom, for such a wonderful week. We enjoyed having you here SO much and we're glad Molly got to spend so much time with you. Love you!

To my Baby Girl on her Birthday

My Precious Molly-

It was bright and early, one year ago today, that we welcomed you into our lives. You have blessed our family so much and we have enjoyed getting to know you and your little personality over the last 12 months. The love that I feel for you is unlike any other love that I have experienced in my life; it is automatic, unconditional, deep, full, and ever-growing. It's a feeling I could never adequately describe, a feeling I knew nothing about before this year, but a feeling I know you will understand someday when you have a child of your own. I thank God everyday for the opportunity He has given to your Dad and me to love you, care for you, shape you and guide you.

On this special day, I thought I'd share with you some of the things I love so much about you, the ways in which you've grown, and some special memories.

• One of my favorite memories is of the moment the midwife laid your tiny, wriggling, screaming body on my chest and we "met" for the first time. She said, "Wow, what a lusty cry," but you quieted down pretty quickly, snuggled into my chest, and puckered up those adorable rosebud lips. I just couldn't stop smiling. I kept kissing your head and your tiny hands and simply saying, "Hi Molly. Hello. I love you!" You still are quite the screamer, but you also calm down pretty quickly when you're snuggled in your Mama's arms.

• In one year, you've grown from 7 lb. 12 oz. to over 16 lbs. and you've added 6 inches to your height. You're still our little peanut, but as you grow more and more independent, you're starting to act less like a baby and more like a little girl.
• You're a crawling speed-demon, but you also love to cruise around the room from one piece of furniture to the next. Just in the last few weeks, you've started to balance in a standing position on your own. You are very cautious and will go straight back to crawling at the first sign of unbalance, but I know you'll be walking (and then running) around the house in no time. If walking is anything like crawling and cruising, then one day you're just going to take off. You're not really into all this "trial-and-error" falling business. You're going to wait until you're good and ready and then impress us all with your baby swagger.
• You love to eat and are always willing to try new foods. Some of your favorites are asparagus, yogurt, bananas, cottage cheese, eggs, bread, and pretty much any kind of fruit. You also love your snacks (cheerios, mum mums, puffs, teething biscuits). You're not a big fan of sweet potatoes, broccoli, or green beans. You like finger foods a lot, but you always end up putting WAY more in your mouth than you should and turn yourself into a little "chipmunk cheeks."

• I love the way you sleep all curled up on your belly, your cheek snuggled into your lovie, your legs tucked up under you like a little frog, and your 10 tiny toes poking out from under your cute little tushie.
• I love that you view everything in your world with a wide-eyed wonderment. You would hate to blink and miss a single thing going on around you. Those big blue eyes of yours are always seeking, studying, and observing. I hope you never lose that sense of wonderment.

• I love the pure joy you get out of the simple things in life. If I just say, "This little piggie went to market," a smile begins to play on your little rosebud lips. By the time we get to "And THIS little piggie went...", that smile has spread clear across your face, your eyes are sparkling and your whole little body is wriggling in anticipation of the "wee, wee, wee, wee, all the way home."
• One of your favorite things to do is swing in your tree swing in the evening. You grab onto the ropes with your pudgy little hands, throw your head back, and smile so wide that I'm afraid you'll catch some bugs in your mouth.
• You like to "talk" to whomever or whatever will listen. Sometimes that's me and Daddy. Sometimes it's your books and toys. You just toddle and crawl your way about the house jabbering on, "Ya-ya-ya-ya, da-da-da-da, aye-aye-aye-aye." I'm still waiting for your "ma-ma-ma-ma" ;)
  
• I look forward to bathtime every night. Ever since you were a tiny brand-new baby, you've loved your bath. You splash and play and laugh and squeal until your fingers and toes get all wrinkled up. And then I wrap you up in a little towel cocoon and snuggle you into my chest so I can smell your sweet, clean baby smell.

• One of our favorite things to do together is read. We'll gather up a big pile of books, settle into our favorite chair and read some stories together. I read the words while you rub on the pictures and turn the pages. You love to hear the squeak your finger makes when you rub it hard on the page of a boardbook. You like to hear the stories too.

• I actually enjoy the nights that you wake me up in the wee hours for some "Mommy-cuddles" and nursies. We lay in bed together while I stroke your hair and rub your back. These few precious minutes in the pre-dawn darkness remind me of the many precious minutes we spent together in the middle of the night when you were tiny. At the time, I didn't realize how much I'd miss our mid-night rendevous when they were gone.
• Right now you are pretty wary of anyone who is not Mommy or Daddy. Sometimes this can be a real challenge, but it helps remind us that you love us. Even if you can't say it, you show us all the time. Just in the last few days, you've been a little less wary around strangers and even downright happy playing with Grandma and your cousins. I'm proud of how brave you are without me holding your hand.
• Your laughter is one of the sweetest sounds in the world. I remember the first time you laughed for me, I thought I was going to bust open with happiness. You love to laugh and you have many different kinds. I love every single one, from your squeals and giggles to your deep belly laughs. I hope we'll be laughing together for years and years to come.

So, dear Molly, those are just a few special tid-bits for you on your birthday. I love you "across the river and over the hills. I love you right up to the moon and back." And I can't wait to see what the next year (and the many years after) will bring.

Happy Birthday, Molly Joy.

Love, Mommy

Sneak Peak

We got an early sneak peak at little Frueh #2 today and were reassured that all is well in his/her watery home. We had a little bit of a scare earlier this week when I started bleeding unexpectedly, but when we went in to see the midwife, she found our little bean's heartbeat right away. We went in for an ultrasound just to check everything out. They did find what is called a subchorionic hematoma (SCH), which sounds really scary, but really it's just a gathering of blood between the placenta and the wall of the uterus. It should either bleed out by 20 weeks or simply be reabsorbed into my body. The risk to the baby with a SCH is very low (1-3%) and that is only with the largest clots. Thankfully, mine is fairly small so everything should be just fine. As our midwife said, it's just our little boy giving us trouble early on. Of course we have no idea if the baby is a boy or a girl (and we have no intention of finding out), but the midwife said that, in her experience, boys tend to give their mamas the most trouble. We'll just have to wait and see if she's right :-)

This was our first peak at our little bean. The first thing the technician did was zero-in on his/her little heart to set our minds at ease. The fetal heartrate, which is pictured at the bottom was a galloping 171 beats per minute. If the old-wives tale has it right, that could be an indication of a girl. The infamous "they" say that any heartrate over 150 is a sign of a girl. That definitely held true with little Miss Molly. She was over 150 from the very beginning. So, does she have a sister in store? Or a brother with a very fast heartrate? Guess, we'll find out in February.

At 11 weeks, Baby Frueh #2 is almost 2 inches long and about the size of a fig. His/her body and organ systems are already fully formed. The beginnings of fingernails are starting to form on those tiny hands and, as you might be able to tell from this picture, those little toothpick legs are already kicking up a storm! Seeing the baby moving in person was pretty amazing because he/she is still so tiny, but we saw those little legs kicking away for sure.

This is my favorite shot. It's the baby's little tushie with his/her legs splayed out in front of him. A friend of mine said it reminds her of the Peanuts cartoons where one of the characters falls over backwards and all you see are their legs and their rear. I agree! And don't think about making a gender judgement on this shot either. Even to the trained eye of an ultrasound tech, 11 weeks is much too early to make a gender determination. Since we're keeping the gender a surprise, I'm actually kind of glad we had our ultrasound early so there's no temptation to peek and there's no chance of the tech letting it slip.

So, once again, we're praising the Lord tonight for His faithfulness, mercy and blessings. Through this short, but scary ordeal, I've been so thankful for the comfort and peace of mind He's given me. I'm grateful that I can rest assured that our little one is resting in His hands and that He is always working all things together for our good.

Beach Baby, Part 2

As promised, I have more beach pictures to share. Between our camera and pictures taken by Eric's parents, we have almost 300 pictures from the week, so it was hard to narrow down. Between Part 1 and Part 2 of this post, I've included our very favorites. (I didn't think you really wanted to flip through all 300 pictures :) The lawn of our rental house was beautifully landscaped. Between the flowers lining the driveway and the tropical trees surrounding the pool, our little "nature girl" had some fun exploring.

Food was another wonderful part of the week with lots of new tastes to explore. I think Molly was going through a growth spurt because she was a bottomless pit all week. We even took her out to breakfast one morning. Eric and I both left the restaurant a little big hungry because Molly ate half our breakfasts...pancakes, eggs, homefries, toast, fruit...I think she would've kept eating if we let her! In this particular picture, I believe she's savoring a sweet juicy blueberry. Yummy!
Not all the new food experiences were as healthy as Mommy would have liked. I walked into the kitchen one day to THIS...Eric sharing his fudgesicle with Molly. Needless to say, she loved it. I guess anything goes when you're on vacation.

Our little water baby enjoyed splashing in the pool. She had a pretty good time driving her little pink beetle-bug floatie, but honestly, she had the most fun just sitting in our arms splashing around.

It was pretty cool and rainy one day, so we went to check out Fort Macon with Eric's brother Jonathan. It was used as both a Union AND Confederate fort during the Civil War and was used in several other American wars, including WWII. Eric and I are both big history buffs, so we found it very interesting.

I think at this point, we'd taken about 5 pictures in front of the cannons. I love this one because I can just imagine Molly saying, "Geez Mom, enough with the pictures already" and trying to bury her head :) Even though our little soldier was born in the South, she has Northern blood in her veins. So the Union cap it was.

We dug Molly a little hole on the beach to splash around in, which she really enjoyed, but I think she liked playing with my sunglasses even better.

I just LOVE this picture of our little girl with her Daddy!

The waves were really rough almost the entire week we were there. There were quite a few evening storms that really stirred things up. It didn't make for the easiest beach experience for a little one, but it sure was awesome to watch them crashing on the beach. The hardest part was trying to wash all the sand off of Molly without scaring her half to death. The waves were also unpredictable. You'd think you were sitting in the calm surf zone and then, all of a sudden, a huge rogue wave would come and wash half-way up the beach. One of them really caught Molly by surprise as you can see in this little video. Poor baby!



And, I'll just leave you with a few more cute shots of this adorable little beach baby covered in sand. I just can't get enough of that squishy little ruffled bum!!!!