Mara-10 Months

Weight: You are probably still hovering around the 19 lb mark and 27.5 inches.  This has been the longest you have stayed at the same weight.

Health:  You are super healthy.  You just got another tooth and it didn't even phase you.

Social: You are interacting more and more with kids your age.  We went to a play group on post the other day and after a few minutes of warming up you loved seeing all the other babies your age.  I'm only sorry we haven't made it to this group earlier.

You also love talking and interacting with older kids.  You really warm up to toddlers and seem to want to do what they are doing.

You are still very hesitant with new situations and you are very aware of where your mommy is in relationship to you.  Mama's shy so you may have gotten this from me.

Diet: You are still almost exclusively feeding yourself unless we are out and about.  You LOVE strawberries and will eat them all before you touch anything else.  You also like turkey and peas.  You are hesitant about peaches and pears but I just suspect it's because you like strawberries more.

I just introduced you to a plate and you did pretty well until you signed "all done".  You proceeded to dump it.  I'm just thankful that it wasn't on the floor although I'm sure you'll learn this trick soon.

We are still not seeing much progress on the sippy cup front.  Today you drank about 3 oz. of water from your NUK cup.  That's the only one I've seen you take anything from.  I'm curious if you'd do better with a straw.

Clothes: You are still in 12 month clothes exclusively.  I'm a little unsure about what to pack on our upcoming trip because we'll be gone for a couple of months.  Are you going to grow out of your clothes while we're away?  It's also hard to plan because you'll be in disposables rather than cloth diapers so you'll have a little more room in the behind.

Mama's Favorites: I love watching you skype with your daddy.  Lately you have a ton to say to him and rule the conversation.  You babble on and on while he entertains you.  I love seeing how you recognize him and connect with him.  It's also pretty awesome for him too!

Crying:  You are still very attached to mama so anything that takes you away from me usually results in crying.  Buddy seems to be the only distraction that works.

You get the biggest tears when you cry and it really breaks mama's heart.

Lately you have been fake crying in the car if I don't hold your hand.  I know you aren't really crying because there are no tears.  You also stop periodically as you get distracted by something out the window.  It's quite funny actually.

Sleep:  We are emerging from this sleep regression! After a few rough nights, you are finally able to settle yourself back down.  I don't know what clicked but I am so thankful for this transition.  You are back to your once a night nursing wake up sometime around 3-5 depending on when you go to bed that night.

You usually wake up about two hours before you are ready to and want to come sleep with mama.  I let you and for the most part you do fine.  Lately you have just been all over me, pinching and kicking me in your sleep so I don't know how much longer we will do this morning ritual if you keep that up.

This Week: We went to a play group on post and kept busy seeing friends and preparing to head north to visit family.  We have talked with daddy everyday and you love to entertain him with your antics.


Baby Likes: You still love Buddy.  You pet him and chase after him whenever he is in your eye sight.  You have recently started to be aware of what he likes to play with and will dangle a string near him in order to see him go for it.

You love stuff animals.  You will always go for the animals if they are near.  You don't play with them long but always give them a squeeze or a lick before moving on.  You have your teddy bear, your daddy bear and your bunny.

You love to get into everything.  You are pulling things out of drawers and dumping out your toy box on a daily basis.  I usually spend the first five minutes after you go to bed picking this all up.  Mama can't wait for daddy to come home so he can do this while I put you to sleep (hint hint :)

Milestones:  You are pulling to standing on many things in the house including the fireplace, french doors, your music table and the couch.  You have even taken a few hesitant steps from the fireplace to the cat door.

You respond to simple commands from mama.  You understand when I say, "Come here." and "Do you want to eat?".  You also understand all the signs we have worked on.  You know milk, eat, more, Buddy, and all gone.  The only one you actually use is milk though.

You help mama get you dressed in the morning.  You push your arms through when I put your shirt on.

You are more and more vocal everyday.  Now you are good at mimicking sounds and like to hold conversations with whom ever you are talking to.  You love doing the Indian war cry.

You have started holding mama's phone and your phone up to your ear.  You also do this on demand when we say hello.

Tooth number seven is in.  You added the bottom right one next to the center two.  I'm betting the left one isn't far behind.

Best of Times:  We are both sleeping a ton better now that you're sleeping more at night.  You have also had some really good skype dates with your daddy.  You have engaged him the entire time sometimes trying to "talk" over mama.  You are such a ham trying to entertain him.

Worst of Times: Sometimes mama gets overwhelmed being the only parent present.  I have my moments baby girl but you always keep me smiling in the end.

9 Months of Mara Rae

9 Month Favorites

It seems like everyday the list of baby products we are currently using is changing.  Mara can literally love an item one day and then be over it the next.  We have found a few though that have stood the test of time and are our go to's whenever we need something to carry, entertain and just do life with Mara.

1. Baby Carriers:  We have the Ergo and a Little Frog ring sling.  I use both almost daily.  For quick carries such as running into the store and all public nursing I use my ring sling.  It gives me both hands free as well as keeps Mara right in the action.

My Ergo is mainly for long hauls and when I really need all hands free. (In the sling Mara rides on my hip so there is a bit of movement restriction.  In the Ergo she's on my back.)  I put her in there while we grocery shop, run to Target and vacuum the house!  We also use this carrier for hiking.  It can get a bit hot if you are really moving around outside but for the most part it's our favorite.

2. Britax B-Agile: Lately Mara has become such a fan of her stroller.  We have incorporated a daily walk into our routine.  Mama gets some exercise and Mara gets some fresh air.  She totally just zones out while we cruise around the neighborhood.  The stroller isn't quite a jogger but it's beefy enough to run with it occasionally.  I have noticed some wear on the tires so I guess we'll see how it goes long term.  It's not too heavy although I am sure there are lighter ones on the market.  Right now though we're happy.

3. Fischer Price Lunchbox:  There is no doubt this is Mara's favorite toy.  My mom bought this for her for Easter and she has loved it ever since.  It is small enough to tote around yet has a lot of components to keep her busy.  She pulls out the food inside and bangs them together.  She also now loves trying to put them back in their spots which is helping her learn shapes.

4. Telephone: Mara has the old school Fischer price rotary telephone.  She loves pushing it around and playing with the string.  She hasn't quite figured out how to pull it yet but I am sure she will do this as soon as she starts walking.  She now holds the phone up to her ear and pretends to talk into it.  She will do this on demand if you say hello to her too.  Buddy also loves this toy as the string brings a lot of entertainment.  Mara has also on occasion dangled the string in front of Buddy and "played" with him.

5. Popping Hippo Car:  I found this push toy around Easter as a little add in to her Easter basket.  I liked that it had balls that popped yet wasn't that annoying pushing popping toys that I'm sure drives many a parent nuts.  At first Mara just shook it but now is pushing it around the floor on a regular basis.

6. Musical Table:  I think a lot of parents have a version of this table.  The legs can be taken off for sitting babies and then put on to encourage standing.  Mara has loved this since the day I brought it home.  With the legs on it, she pulls up on this multiple times a day.  She bangs on all parts of this to hear the music and see the lights.  She especially likes the laptop part because she likes to open and close it.
 
7. Chico Clip on Highchair:  This is more a mom item then a Mara item.  With a high table in our kitchen we knew we didn't want the typical stand alone high chair.  We picked this item up at a consignment sale and love it.  It clips on to the side of the table and is super sturdy.  It also disassembles easily for cleaning and has come out spotless every time I have washed it.  My only regret is that we didn't get one with a tray.  I can't say this is a fault of the chair just I wish we would have found one with a tray.

8. Joovy Walker:  This is our newest addition to the baby gear collection.  I originally thought walkers were pretty dangerous but then after doing a little research decided that it would be a good tool to show Mara how she can get around.  She took awhile to crawl and I think she'll progress to walking quickly.  Already she loves to cruise around in this.  She chases Buddy around and rams into everything.  I like the Joovy Walker especially because it didn't have any bulky toys on it.  It also had clean lines and wasn't "themed".

9. Swing:  Mara loves her outdoor swing.  Josh hung it in our covered porch which is perfect for swinging anytime.  She instantly gets a smile on her face when she is in it and is pretty content to swing for about 30 minutes.  What's nice about this swing is that it should grow with her at least another year.

10. Remotes, Chords, Nail clippers, etc.: Doesn't every baby love these items?!  I feel like no matter how many toys and baby gear items you have at your disposal every baby somehow gravitates to anything that isn't meant to be a toy.  In our house it is the TV remote, nail clippers and empty plastic bottles that hold Mara's attention the longest.  It makes me wonder if I could get rid of the other nine things on this list and she wouldn't even notice :)

Mara-38 Weeks

Weight: You are 18 lbs 14 oz and 27.6 inches tall.  You are now officially under the 50% mark.  I think it's because you've been so active as of late.

Health:  You are still super healthy still despite a few bumps and bruises.  As you get more and more mobile we have had a lot of boo boos, but nothing a few kisses and cuddles hasn't fixed.

This is what she looks like when she gets a decent nap...happy.

Social: A shyer side of you is emerging.  You like to study people from afar and are hesitant to approach others if you are unsure.  When there is a lot of people around you tend to hang back and cling to mama but when it's just you and another person you love to engage them and talk.

You haven't like the church nursery lately.  You will go in there for about 15 minutes and then fuss for your mama.  Usually there's nothing the matter except you were looking for me.

Morning sillies

Diet: You have suddenly decided that you are over purees.  You adamantly refuse them at meal time unless you can eat them from the packet.  You are still eating twice daily with dinner being your bigger meal.  You also usually have a snack sometime during the day consisting of puffs.  Oh girl how you love puffs.

A typical meal currently includes avocado, sweet potato and strawberries.  You have also tried bananas, pancakes and turkey.  You don't like bananas but seem to like the pancakes and turkey.

You really don't drop food much anymore.  You only do this when you are done eating and bored.  You are, however, a super messy eater.  You squish it in your hands and smear it on your clothes.  We almost always have to have a bath right after.

She did this awhile in protest of purees

Clothes: You are completely in 12 month clothes and most of your bottoms are 12-18 months.  You keep growing out of clothes despite not really going up in weight.  It's kind of baffling to me.  I'm hoping you don't get into 18 month clothes within the next month or so.  We really don't have to many 18 month items!

First day of finger foods

Mama's Favorites: I love watching you become more mobile.  Girl you are all over the place.  You are getting into drawers and pulling everything out.

Crying:  You have been having major melt downs at night and will just scream until I come in.  It's so hard on mommy's heart.

You also fuss when I leave you in the nursery.  You are very attached to mama and do not like to be out of eye sight of her.

Dinner always is followed by a bath now!

Sleep:  We are going through a massive sleep regression.  I've read that with the major physical and cognitive developments you are undergoing that it's normal but man is it hard.  Every night is different.  You sleep anywhere between 1 and 6 hours then wake up.

Getting you back to bed is difficult.  Sometimes you are asleep but then wake up screaming when I lay you down.  You proceed to scream until I pick you up again.  You are so persistent in this.

Naps are about the same.  Most times they are about 30 minutes.  On a rare occasion you will sleep about an hour.  The other day you only had one nap but I think it was a fluke.  You do not seem ready to transition to one nap a day.

Anything that isn't a toy is her favorite things

This Week: We have been visiting with friends and trying to keep busy.  We have also been thinking ahead to our upcoming travels and getting excited to see family and friends.

Out for our nightly walk

Baby Likes: You love anything that is not specifically a toy.  You constantly pull on extension cords and throw coasters around.  You open every drawer you can and pull out everything that is inside.

You love to crawl around after Buddy.  You have discovered you can easily catch him and chase him around the house daily.  You get so excited when he comes into the room and you love to pet him.

You like going on walks in the afternoon.  You seem to zone out while we are on walk especially if I put on your sunglasses.  You have even fallen asleep once (which is so unlike you).

You like to have mama brush your teeth every night.  You open your mouth wide and let me brush away!

Milestones:  You are on the move girl!  There is no stopping you now.  You are cruising and checking out your world.  I cannot take my eyes off of you for fear that you are getting into something anymore.

You are still talking and making more noises daily.  You jabber all the time and seem to think you are really talking.

You are mimicking more and will copy me when I do the Indian noise or clap.  We are still working on waving and blowing kisses.

You will take steps when someone holds your hands and have taken a few cautious steps behind your walker.


Best of Times:  This week I am grateful for the sweet little moments.  The kisses and hugs make the hard moments better.


Worst of Times: The sleep regression is driving this mama crazy.  I hope we can emerge from it soon.

Mommy-hood Confessions

I think sometimes with the technologies of social media we paint a rosey picture of motherhood, of perfectly decorated rooms, well-crafted meals, pinterest crafts galore.  Yes sometimes there's enough time in the day to make a good meal and clean up around the house, but most days the house goes unnoticed as the focus is on Mara and taking care of her.  

Here are some of my Mommy-hood confessions:

1. Mara's favorite toy is my keys.  Yes I realize they are probably disgusting but I'm just building her immune system right?

2.  On that note I usually just pick up dropped toys and hand them back to her.  They usually promptly go into her mouth.  Think immune system. 

3. Sometimes I unplug the extension cord and let her play with it.  If its not plugged into the outlet its fine right?

4. Mara has on numerous occasions swallowed balls of cat hair.  She picks up everything and puts it in her mouth.

5. Lately her favorite toys aren't toys at all.  She loves DVD covers, sunscreen bottles and remotes.  Does that stop us from having baskets full of toys...no.

6. In the morning her favorite toy is a thermometer.  If I give her this it usually buys me another five minutes of sleep.  I'd do anything for sleep.

7. Before Mara I tried to make sure I wore real clothes everyday, occasionally make up.  Now I count a shower as a good day.

8. When I am really at my whits end, I turn on TV and sit her in front of it.  She is mesmerized and I get a minute to collect myself.

9. Sometimes I'm not in love with nursing.  I love that I can feed her and that I don't have to wash bottles but sometimes I just need space.

10. Sometimes I let Mara cry outside the bathroom door simply because I want to pee in private.  Is it too much to ask to not have a baby crawling up your legs while on the toilet.

Motherhood has its ups and downs.  Its trying and oh so rewarding.  Mara is such a blessing to my life and despite the trials I can't imagine a day without her.

Adjusting to Deployment

A little more than a month into this deployment I feel like Mara and I are finally getting into somewhat of a routine.  The days aren't dragging on as much and my mentality has shifted from a "let's get through the day" to larger scale picture.

At first it seemed like he was just in the field.  Yes I knew where he actually was but it didn't feel permanent; like it would be over in a week or two.  Now I feel like I am getting more focused on the bigger picture.

Thankfully we have been able to connect with Josh everyday.  The ease of communication continues to astonish me and I hope I don't take it for granted because I know its a blessing.  Mara has been able to "talk" with Josh and does a really good job of engaging with him via the computer.  It's so great to see.

We have also been texting throughout the day and I try to send care packages and cards occasionally.  I hope it lightens his day and keeps him smiling.  As hard as some of my days here, I can't even imagine what Josh is going through on a day to day basis.

I don't mean to sugar coat it.  There are good days and there are bad.  There are times where I think yes I can do this then others where I literally say I'm done; tell the Army you need to come home (lol) I think there is things I need to work on.  I need to learn to take help from others and take time for myself.  But we're getting there.  We will figure this deployment thing out.  We will get through this and it's only going to make us stronger.  

We've been singing this song in church lately.  It's really hit home with me and I can't get through singing it without tearing up.  It goes like this:

Jesus, Draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm
You have called me to this passage
And I'll follow, though I'm worn

May this journey bring a blessing
May I rise on wings of faith
And at the end of my hearts testing
With Your likeness let me wake

Jesus, guide me through the tempest
Keep my spirit stayed and sure
When the midnight meets the morning
Let me love You even more

May this journey bring a blessing
May I rise on wings of faith
And at the end of my hearts testing
With Your likeness let me wake


Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go
And at the end of this long passage
Let me leave them at your throne

May this journey bring a blessing
May I rise on wings of faith
And at the end of my hearts testing
With Your likeness let me wake

A Solids Update

The last couple of days Mara has suddenly decided she is over pureed foods.  She shakes her head "no no no" when I try or grabs the spoon and promptly drops it on the floor.  I kind of expected this day would come I just didn't think she would make such a drastic change.  (Literally one day she was done)

We have since switched to a more baby led weaning approach.  I've been giving her pieces of food that are manageable for her and she is feeding herself.  For the most part the food doesn't really make it down.  She chews most things and then lets it fall out of her mouth.  I'm not too worried about this because we are still nursing pretty regularly.  I also know Mara and when she's hungry she'll eat.

I've had fun trying to figure out foods for her to try.  It's been a bit difficult but I think I am getting the hang of it finally.  Sure it takes a bit more planning but that's ok.  Mara has tried avocado, banana, toast, sweet potatoes, carrots, strawberries, oranges and turkey.  She has eaten all but I think loves the strawberries the most.  I can't wait to venture into more foods and let her try new things!

I'd say the only downfall of this is the mess.  Man this girl does not care about getting dirty.  She squeezes the food between her fingers.  Smears it on her face.  Licks the table.  Rubs it on her clothes.  It almost always requires a bath immediately after.

As with everything in this whole parenting thing, the normal is constantly changing usually right when I feel like I have finally gotten the hang of it.  She likes to keep me on my toes :)  But these changes also means she's growing and developing and that's always a good thing.  It'll only be a matter of time before she's reaching for food off of my plate!  

9 Month Sleep Regression

Mara has never been a great sleeper.  Sleeping through the night you say.  What's that?  Even at 9 months I still count 5 straight hours as a good thing.  Then she started only waking once at night.  What's this I thought?  This is amazing.  I can get a solid 6 hours minimum before she woke up to nurse.

Enter our recent couple of weeks.  Suddenly my sleeping child is waking up every two hours or so.  Yes I did this with my newborn but wow did it frazzle this mama 9 months in.  I was angry.  I was sleep deprived.  I was frustrated.  To top it off I was in this new sleep battle alone.  Now I didn't have Josh there to converse with; bounce ideas off.  It was up to me.

There was tears from both Mara and me.  Long restless hours in the middle of the night where she frankly refused to fall asleep.  Nights that once I got her to sleep I laid there willing my now awake brain to shut down and go back to sleep.  Mornings where all I wanted to do was throw the covers over my head and escape from it all.

We are in no way emerging from this regression.  (as I write this Mara is stirring and likely to wake up) But I am starting to come to terms with it with a whole lot of prayer and grace.  When I feel like I can't do another day, He gives me the strength to go another hour then that beautiful girl flashes me the most amazing smile and makes it all better.

I have also been blessed with the most amazing community of family and friends around me.  They have surrounded me with love and laughter.  They have lifted me up in prayer when I was too discouraged to turn to Him myself.  And my poor husband.  I can't even imagine what he's feeling when I text him about ready to pull my hair out in the middle of the night; in the middle of my struggle.  How helpless he must feel.  But he's amazing and encouraging.  He's never once downgraded my feelings or made me feel like I was overreacting.  He may be thinking it (haha) but he's never expressed it.  Even halfway around the world he's great.

Currently Mara is waking up anywhere from 3 to 4 times a night.  She seems frazzled and restless.  I read that 9 months can be a really difficult time for them as they are learning all sorts of new motor skills as well as their brain is really starting to remember and analyze their world.  It's hard for them to shut it off.  Sure some babies sail through this phase without a blink of the eye but not Mara.  But that's ok.  We'll get through this.  She will sleep again.  I will sleep again.

Mara's Nursery

Minus a few pictures in frames, Mara's nursery is finally done!  With her space I wanted to keep it simple as I knew we would likely move out of this house before she turned two.  I also wanted something that didn't scream girl or was themed.

Josh basically gave me free reins with this room in terms of the decor so I decided to go with the colors teal, red and yellow.

I love the gallery wall above the dresser.  I used old wooden embroidery hoops and stretched fabric in the colors of the room.  I also added a small mirror, a cork board with one of my favorite quotes displayed and a wooden sketch done by Josh when he was little.  The furniture is from my nursery that my parents had saved all these years.  It was in such good condition that we couldn't help but use it in Mara's.  

A small toy basket is in the corner.  It is already filled to the brim and I'm sure won't suffice as she gets older.  

On her dresser I've added a family picture along with a few knick knacks from our childhood.  The pull along Mickey is salvaged from Josh's grandmother's house.  The cookie jar in the back holds all of her bows.

Our diaper changing station was gifted to us from a friend.  I just added the display boxes above and again they are filled with knick knacks from our childhood.  The camel print is from a giveaway that I recently won from Megan over at A Blessed Nest.  I think its perfect for Mara's room as it has a Moroccan feel like her rug.

This light is a recent addition to her room.  I had been swooning over them at a local art store in town but had yet to pull the trigger.  I finally purchased one and I love the whimsical nature of it.  Mara will stare at this light forever when it's on.  

Like most things in Mara's room, her mobile was from one of our treasures.  I picked this up during our time in Kenya.  Luckily the colors fit perfectly in the room!

A few stuff animals are always necessary!

This rug was actually the first thing we purchased for the room specifically.  We were on our honeymoon in Morocco and looking at rugs.  This rug is so soft and is traditionally given as a dowry present to bring fertility.  I love the sentimental touch and obviously Mara thinks it's pretty great too!

My wonderful sister in law gave us this last Christmas and I absolutely love it.  She so thoughtfully painted it to match the room and I love switching out the pictures as Mara grows.  

Above Mara's crib I wanted to keep it simple as I knew Mara would eventually become very interested with things hanging there.  I just added a red M to fill up the space.  Again her crib was once mine.  We kept the bedding simple.  She just has a basic cream sheet and now a breathable bumper to keep her feet from slipping between the rods.  The red polka dot bed ruffle adds a playful touch.

We spend a lot of time in this corner of the room.  The rocker was once my mom's and again used to be in my nursery.  I really need to get a back cushion for it as I am currently using this blanket that was gifted to us.  The teal side table was from my college days and I painted it teal to mach the decor.

This wall houses Mara's books.  I saw the famous Ikea spice rack hack and knew that was going to work great for this wall.  A little red paint and they're perfect.

The last corner of this room is decorated with Mara's ultrasound pics.  These are such sweet images and I didn't want them to get lost in a baby book somewhere.  I had these frames from before and simple repurposed them in this room.  

My hope for this room is that Mara will grow to love it as much as I do.  I know it's something she can definitely grow into.  

Life Lately

Life has been a mix of slow and fast lately.  Some days seem to drag on while others are gone in the blink of an eye.  Mara has been getting very mobile lately so I spend most of my day chasing after her.  It seem every time I turn around she's into something new and most of the time it's something she shouldn't be into!  BUT that's this phase of life and it's important for her to be exploring her surroundings.

Her and Buddy have been becoming the best of friends lately.  Poor Buddy is missing all the attention from Josh so he has resorted to Mara and I.  I love him but after being pinched, poked and prodded all day by Mara I just don't want to be touched anymore and he sees the brunt of this.  So he goes and rubs up on Mara.  She pulls his ears and fur.  He puts up with it for the occasional pat of his belly.

We've been getting together with friends when we can.  Just this weekend we participated in a multi-family garage sale and spent the morning making deals and organizing items.  I didn't bring that much to sell because frankly I didn't have much time to sort through anything.  I ended up selling a few clothing items and shoes which is great because I definitely needed to clear a little space out in my closet.

I keep thinking we need to get into more of a weekly routine around here.  Maybe find some play groups in the area or something.  It's been a little hard getting motivated to with our big trip up north coming up shortly.  I hate committing to things to only have to say, "Oh by the way we can't make it."

Mara and I are planning on going up north for a bit to spend some time with my family and Josh's.  I'm excited to see everyone and am hoping that this vacation will help make the time away from Josh go a bit faster on our end.  We'll be driving up there which is a whole new ball park for me.  Thankfully my aunt Mary is coming down to help (praise the Lord!).  She's such a trooper when it comes to driving distance that I know this trek is going be so much easier.

I've been thinking a bit about Mara's first birthday (how is my baby almost one?!).  My mom wants to throw her a party and who am I to say no.  :)  I'm thinking we'll do some simple decorations; ie I'm going to make almost everything.  Maybe Twinkle Twinkle star themed?  Star shaped food.  Star garlands.  Sounds easy enough right?

Otherwise life has been pretty much the same daily routine.  Yes it's different without Josh here and we've had to make some major adjustments but the daily household grind is the same.  The clothes still need to be laundered.  The dishes still need to be washed.  It's just not as much laundry and dishes as before.  I keep saying we're figuring out our new normal and we are.  We're not quite there yet but we're on our way.

The Fourth of July

Holidays are always a little bit harder when a loved one is away.  We usually don't do anything special for the day but Mara and I did miss that family time with Josh this year.

On Friday Mara decided we should get up a little earlier to celebrate the nation's birthday :) (My 8:30 am wake up call has slowly gotten earlier and earlier as of late. Little girl don't you know your mama isn't a morning person!)  We had a slow morning of the usual playing and morning chores.  Mara got decked out in her festive attire and we got to connect with Josh in Afghanistan.  

That evening we were supposed to head to a friend from church's house but a lack of morning naps and cranky baby kept us at home.  When we were finally well rested we grabbed a quick dinner then headed down the block.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before but our neighborhood here in Fayetteville is amazing.  They love to get together and are seriously the most giving people.  We love it.

But back on topic....The neighborhood was getting together for the annual Fourth of July block party.  Everyone brought a dish, gathered in someone's driveway and had a great time.  We have such a great mix of military and non military and everyone is so supportive when it comes to deployment.

After mingling for awhile everyone was headed down the street for some fireworks.  Mara was done for the day so we headed home instead where she went to bed and I enjoyed the fireworks from the comforts of our living room.

Overall it was a good day.  We got to talk to Josh and enjoyed getting out of the house for a bit.  The day also gave me a different perspective on the holiday as a whole.  We remember the troops on Memorial day and veteran's day but I've never thought of them on the fourth.  WHY NOT?!  We are thankful that Josh and other service members are sacrificing being away from their loved ones this holiday so we can celebrate here in the states.