Queen of the Gingerpuffs: March 2010

Alta is now four months old. Can you believe it??? She is living up to her name, and is incredibly tall for her age (27 inches = > 97%). Alta still loves to eat (like her mommy) - and so she is growing like a weed. She is mostly wearing 6 to 9 month clothing.
Alta recently learned to roll over... from back to front. Still hasn't mastered the other... but she doesn't like being on her tummy all that much (who can blame her?). She also learned to giggle. It is a mysterious thing this giggle.... only coming out every once in a while... but when it does - AMAZING!
This girl LIVES for her bath time. She adores the water. She would stay in for hours if I let her. Just playing around. I love taking baths with her - she likes to float and hang out on her back. I have to work hard to keep her from lapping up the water like an animal...

Alta is very curious, and very adaptable. Honestly, she is such a good baby. Her cry is a little talky "heeeeeeeyyyyyyyaaa" thing. When she actually does cry - I get all freaked out. As a mother, I'm spoiled... and now I realize that either God had to break me into this baby thing slowly - or He thinks I won't have another if they aren't perfect. Hmmmmm......

Most of you probably know that we went to Utah for most of February. It was wonderful to see our family and friends, and introduce peanut to everyone. Unfortunately our camera was lost for most of it... but we did have it on our mini-trip to Moab.

Moab supposedly had more snow than it had in the past 20 years... so we went climbing on South and West facing things - and just tried to soak up what sun was available. My heart and soul needed the desert. It was a sacrifice to skip out on seeing everyone in Salt Lake for a few days - but I just NEEDED the desert. I can't describe the longing I feel for this place. How I just don't feel like me without it. I only got to climb 3 pitches... and yet - that was ok. I just needed to be in this place, and to bring Alta there as quickly as possible.

She loved it. She just did whatever we did. This is her napping while I'm climbing on Ice Cream Parlor. Such a good girl.

The trip home helped in so many ways. #1 - I was missing "my people". I have good friends here in Alabama, but in so many ways - it has been lonely. It was just so nice to be with people that know me and love me. Sadly, most of that time was taken up with being sick - and so I had to rush a lot of my friend visits. I guess friends will just naturally wean themselves down as we stay away longer - and the lifelong friends that remain will be those that get to see us in that precious time in the future. There has to be some sort of learning curve to this living away from home/ traveling back thing. It was A LOT OF WORK and really not very vacation-y.
#2 - I got to eat decent food. FINALLY! Shanghai, Thai Spice, Cafe Rio, Taste of Punjab - I heart you.
#3 - It helped me to realize that Alabama is where my life is right now. I think I have spent too much time thinking about being back in Utah this past year. I am going to focus on living where I am. Jaren is doing amazing things with his schooling. He was #4 in his class for the TH-67. Which means that he got to select the Blackhawk for his next airframe. He really wanted to fly this helicopter, and because he did so well the first round - he gets to! Go Jaren!
Anyhow, I'm lucky to be meeting so many new and great quality people. It's sad that you know that all of these friends you will be leaving shortly - but the military world is a small one - and hopefully some of these amazing women that I have met will continue to journey with me after my time in Alabama is done.
As a part of realizing that I'm actually living here, and that I want to have fun and do new things... we took Alta on an adventure today. We went to the "Zoo". Only in Alabama would you find a place like this. It was originally started as a petting zoo for the handicapped, and then it turned full scale (well full-scale for Alabama) zoo. Alta loved it.