Seeing as I started this blog and then have done nothing with it I figured the easiest way to start up would be to post pictures. Easy turned out to be a relative term because it apparently takes forever to download pictures to blogger.
This is Eliza and Jonathan in her first hotel room ever (I know, I know, not the biggest milestone in life but still...) Note the jail like crib beside them.
I knew there would be a pool and was excited to use it for the week. Upon arriving we discovered the pool was inhabited by the swamp thing.
I'm often amazed at how little Eliza is compared to the grown up world.
I love the below pic because it captures her new personality. Now that she's learning to sleep and eat like a champ she's a very chill baby. Although she looks almost bored in this picture. "Mom, what are you doing?"
We took a trip into DC for the day as a family and had a blast! Jonathan had never been so we were official tourists (I even put my camera around my neck. oh yes). It actually was really neat to see our nation's capital. Maybe I'm maturing after all these years.
Jonathan and I quickly came to the conclusion that Eliza is the easiest to travel with that she'll ever be. We pretty much just put her in the stroller and slung her around for the day and she did great! Here is she on the metro.
And here is her face on the metro.... can we say she's just a little excited?
Learning to get around the city with a stroller was definitely different. Wheel chair accesses and elevators were our friends.
Our first stop in DC was the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. Originally going to a museum was my gift of love for Jonathan because he loves museums and I could care less about them but this museum was amazing and we had a lot of fun!
My favorite exhibit was the photography one. The pictures were stunning and I found myself inspired.
This was the Hope Diamond in the Harry Winston exhibit. Yah, I could rock that.
Under the sea (cue Little Mermaid song).
Who knows if Eliza took in anything but she sure stared at some neat things (yes, that is Jonathan showing her skulls. Way to go Dad)
Jonathan loved dinosaurs when he was little so this was his favorite exhibit.
The Washington Monument (plus some awesome construction).
Eliza was so excited about being surrounded by such history that she blew out of her diaper. We changed her on a picnic table near the monuments and felt like quite the hard core set of parents afterwards.
I couldn't help feeling patriotic while there.
This my friends is the epitome of American tourism. You could rent these rolling things (I have no idea what they're called) and ride around the city on them. Only in America...
We ended our day in the city with a trip to Georgetown. This was actually a favorite of mine because the town was so cute and quaint. We ate at a pub called The Tombs that had amazing food.
Saturday we went to my cousin Kim's house for a cook out and a bunch of my mom's relatives got to meet Eliza for the first time. It's a good thing she doesn't mind being passed around because she certainly was held.
Well, that's the end of my picture tour. I wish I had gotten a picture of Jonathan preaching because he was amazing. I have a new found respect for my husband and can't believe I get to spend the rest of my life with him. Eliza and I were his groupies all week and the camp kids were cute loving on her as well. I discovered that she's a good conversation starter with strangers.
I have no clever way to end this post so ta ta.
For our first memorial day as a three membered family Jonathan and I had grand plans of cooking out with friends, taking Eliza to the pool, and getting in some much needed family time. Little did we know that our destiny was instead to have a date with the bubonic plague (or to be less melodramatic, a nasty virus). From Thursday to Monday we hunkered down and had family sick camp at out house. This was the first time any of us had been sick since Eliza's arrival and as fate would have it, we were all drastically sick at the same time. I had no clue how to be a mom and be sick at the same time. Were we all allowed to throw up at the same time? Thank the Lord on High my parents are close and came over to help with Eliza. (hence the picture)
This weekend turned out to be a rather scary venture into real faith. Eliza's fever found us in the ER on Friday night. It broke my heart to watch my child scream as her blood was drawn, urine taken, and chest x-rays given (she was having a little trouble breathing). She was hurting, scared, and tired and I couldn't do anything to make her better and as I held my screaming baby I remember marveling at how much peace I had at the moment. Peace because I had a real assurance that it was not me or these doctors that would make my little girl well. I knew that the God who made her could fix her. In a hospital room where she was in pain, tired, unable to breath right, and not sure what in the world was going on she was screaming out, and looking at me with these "help me" eyes. That, Jesus reminded me, is exactly how I am to come to Him. In the bad times (and the good), I am to lock my eyes on Him and scream out for help because he is the only one who is able to answer.
Our fevers broke Sunday night and on Tuesday we attempted to finish our Memorial Day slump on a high note by taking Eliza to the pool for the first time (thank you Julie Forrest for such an adorable bathing suit) She was hilarious. Here are some pictures. In retrospect she kinda looks like a pool cowgirl.
She spent the majority of her "pool time" with eyes closed. I feel like she's saying, "This is to much for me to handle so I will block it out".
