Weight: 21 pounds!

Clothes: I bought her a bathing suit and had to return it because it would’ve been unpleasantly tight. But now we’re ready for summer with a cute tankini and surf shirt. I’m also a big fan of the easy-three-buttons-on-the-bottom romper. She’s in 12 month clothes, some especially roomie, others fit perfectly.

Sleeping: We have a pretty consistent sleep routine (*cue hallelujah chorus*). At our old house, her room was pitch black, very different from her new room. It was only night #2 we rigged layers of black trash bags over the double window. Room darkening shades have been ordered. Still taking two naps a day, one is usually close to 2 hours and the other averages 1-1.5 hour(s). Before we moved she was waking up around 7 in the morning, now she wakes up around 6. Upon consulting my favorite internet baby sleep expert, we began putting her down at night a little earlier (6:45pm). The first two nights we did that she slept until almost 8! Now, it’s about 6:30am and we’re okay with it. Thankful she sleeps so well.

Eating: We’re a few days into formula and it’s going well. Also, it’s been fun to let her try anything we’re eating. She likes eggs, raspberries, bread, banana puffs.

Health: Her two bottom teeth are in! Parents are not exaggerating when they teething is a SEASON. Her temperature fluctuates most days, and the discomfort is made especially evident with the whining. It’s a rite of passage, haha, but it’s not fun. Things that help: frozen wash cloth, cold apple slices, frozen teething keys, anything to bite on (including my finger). Still applying cortisone daily and lathering lotion because of her eczema.

Likes: Walks in the stroller, standing up holding our hands, her stacking cups and reading books (aka flipping pages ).

Dislikes: Being away from Mom and Dad (it’s also the season of separation anxiety).

Memorable Moments: She likes to clap now, and if you look like you’re celebrating something, she’ll usually start clapping.

Our church resumed meeting in an outside pavilion, and she has done great during the service — sitting in the stroller, munching on teething wafers or playing with a toy.

We hung out with Aunt Kennie (who Anna loves) a few times, and celebrated her graduation from pharmacy school and she and Nick’s move to North Carolina.

Quirks: She can’t smile without sticking her tongue out. Actually, her tongue is out a large percentage of the time.

She has the entire crib to sleep in, yet majority of the time we see her crammed into a corner, sometimes with her legs UP against the crib’s wall.

Parent Stories: We played in the pool for the first time and she liked it! John dunked her twice and she didn’t freak out, so it’s a start. She seemed to enjoy throwing her hands into the water, and then kept wanting to suck the water out of her sleeve.

John also likes to give her a mohawk whenever he puts lotion on.

Prayers: For rest when we’re sleeping and energy when we’re awake; gratitude and joy for how’s she growing well; asking His presence to fill our home; grace to know God’s help in the small and large decisions; wisdom for the next few months regarding coronavirus; grace to soak up every minute, the joys and challenges, and praise God for each day.

---

“With our own kids, if we are parents, what’s our job? That question could be answered with a hundred valid responses. But at the center, our job is to show our kids that even our best love is a shadow of a greater love. To put a sharper edge on it: to make the tender heart of Christ irresistible and unforgettable. Our goal is that our kids would leave the house at eighteen and be unable to live the rest of their lives believing that their sins and sufferings repel Christ.” Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly