My sister called me a few weeks ago. She is so busy right now planning her upcoming wedding (in June) and working all the time. Quite often I have talked with her at 10:30 or 11:00 at night and she is still at work. She is definitely feeling the stress and pressure of trying to achieve the perfect wedding, as well as keep the balance in her life…all the while attempting to keep it all in perspective. When she called me she told me some exciting news. She had just been told that she had won an all-expense paid trip to Spain. This news didn’t surprise me. Cecilia has always been talented at so many things. Her hard work and dedication at her job at The Ritz had paid off and she was being rewarded for it.

However, despite this exciting news, Cecilia was having a difficult time being completely thrilled. With the wedding being so close, she felt the timing was not good and she was trying to make a tough decision. Should she take this all-expense paid trip at the designated time (this week, actually), or should she save it, and have to give up the trip to an international destination? She was seeking my advice. What should she do?

I sat on the other end of the phone line, listening to her, trying to weigh everything out and help her with this decision. But, as much as I tried to help her, I couldn’t come up with anything. I couldn’t wrap my brain around it.

I explained to Cecilia the best way I knew how that I was no longer qualified to help make a decision such as this. Why? Well, just like her, I had been feeling stress that day, but instead of trying to decide about a trip to Spain, I had been making decisions about Brittain…and her constipation problems. Yes, the biggest decision I had made that day was how many times I should put prune juice in her bottle. Poop is now a big decision.

This showed me, yet again, how life has changed. Would I have it any other way? Absolutely not!

Brittain playing. Mommy resting:

Fun with Mimi:

Showing off her favorite new skill, clapping:

More clapping:

Visiting her Great Aunt Janice at work:

Still loving bathtime:

Celebrating Uncle Matthew’s and Pappy’s birthdays at Mimi and Duke’s:

Chillin’, ready for the church nursery:

Visiting Ashley and Savannah Hardie:

Yes, you probably guessed it. Brittain is now saying “Dada.” The timing of this new word was great. Dan left on a ski trip to Utah on February 28th for the bachelor party of Matthew DeAngelis (Cecilia’s fiance). The morning he left, he had to leave VERY early to catch his flight. Although Brittain doesn’t usually wake up until close to 8:00, she woke up shortly after he left, which was around 5:30 a.m. I got her up and put her in bed with me for her to drink her morning bottle. I dozed off while she was drinking, but was coherent enough to notice her talking. The word that I heard? DADA. I raised my head up immediately and said, “What did you just say?” She didn’t repeat it immediately, but during the 5 days that Dan was gone, she said it many times. I finally was able to record a video on my phone of her saying this and I sent it to Dan while he was away. It was priceless and he loved it. It was the perfect message to send to him while he was away from his little girl.

I know that some of you (those of you who check the blog regularly) have noticed that I haven’t updated the blog in quite some time. The boring truth is that I have been so busy spending time with my precious little girl that I just haven’t had the time for much else. I promise to TRY to be better.

Here are some of the most recent pictures of Brittain. She continues to enrich all of our lives in ways that none of us could ever imagine. It’s amazing to me how this little person, who measures less than 2 feet tall can effect our lives the way that she has and continues to do. I thank God every day for blessing us with her life.

Take a look at the picture below. This is still posted at the church, outside the choir room door, over the water fountains. Yes, 5 babies. Can you believe it? The most recent baby that has blessed us with her arrival is Gracie. Hayden Grace Mulder, daughter of Steve and Erin Mulder, was born on January 16, 2007. She has joined the ranks with the 4 other choir babies. What fun!

Here are a few pictures from the baby shower some of us threw for Erin. The shower was supposed to happen before Gracie’s birth, but Gracie came early. The shower turned into a “Welcome, Gracie” party and it was great! Just a few days old, attendees got to get a glimpse of the new little life!