Finding Her Voice and Her Hands

Bathtime Cuddles

Susanna loves to be cuddled in her big pink fluffy towel after her bath.

Little Tiger

Mark and I met for the first time at Clemson National Scholars weekend, seven years ago this weekend.  (Though, hilariously, he doesn't even remember meeting me--I was one of forty or so finalists there--we did in fact meet then!)  NSP brought us both to Clemson, so in honor of "the weekend" this is what Susanna wore today:

Outtakes

Three Months

Happy three month birthday, baby girl!

Highlights at three months:

• Susanna Cate loves, loves, loves her fingers.  She is constantly sucking on her hands, or whatever else she can find to put in her mouth--but mostly it's a few fingers or her thumb.
• She is taking after her mama already and becoming our little bookworm!  She will sit quietly for two or three books.  She especially loves the Sandra Boynton books--I think because of the simple illustrations and primary colors.
• She is very curious about her world and likes to be held facing out so she can see.  She can be screaming and crying like crazy and calm down the moment we turn her around!
• She likes to "talk" with us--we can have quite the conversation of coos and gurgles with her!
• She likes smiling at herself in the mirror, and she loves kisses on her cheek.

Favorite toys:

• Play gym
• Magical Mozart Music cube
• Bouncy seat
• Taggie blanket
• Prissy the doll
• Rattle on her toy strap on her carseat

Praise the Lord that Susanna Cate's allergies and reflux both are much better.  We went to see a pediatric gastroenterologist who helped a lot with figuring out her allergies and managing her reflux.  He determined that her allergic symptoms just took longer to clear up than anticipated, and he thinks that she is probably just allergic to dairy.  Right now I am off of soy as well just to be sure--but a diet eliminating just dairy and soy is MUCH easier to maintain than the extreme elimination diet I was on previously, and her allergic symptoms are completely gone!  Yay!  Also the GI doctor prescribed a stronger reflux medicine that helps a lot.  Unfortunately though Susanna Cate has learned what the medicine syringe looks like and she gets very upset as soon as she sees it--she hates taking her medicine.  Poor little girl.  :(   

As Susanna Cate has become more interactive and expressive, it is so humbling to us to see how totally and completely she trusts and loves us.  It gives us an entirely new perspective on becoming like a child in our trust in Christ (Matthew 18).  While we pray to be Godly parents to our sweet little girl, we know we will inevitably fail her.  How amazing that not only SHOULD we trust Christ like a child, we CAN trust Christ like a child--because He is worthy!!  We pray that Susanna Cate will know this someday and trust in God as fully as she trusts us now.