Oh, hey there.

Hi friends. Before I forget to tell you, we have a new trick these days. Caroline has learned to wave. And feed herself puffs. Sometimes with more success than others (with the puffs I mean. She's already become a waving pro).

Sorry for the silence lately, we've been a bunch of sickies in this house again. And I've been busy trying to work, mother an ever active (and sick) 8-month old, take care of household "stuff", and try to climb out of this miserable sickness-hole - while not letting any of the balls drop. That didn't work so well, and with my attempt to keep things running business-as-usual, I got less and less sleep, while driving myself further and further into illness-misery.

The past week+, Caroline and I have had a nasty chest/head cold. Luckily, this time, Hubby was spared. I was sick for over a week and Caroline is, just today, starting to seem "normal" once again. I love her little baby coos, but boy - how I wish she could tell me how she was feeling and what was wrong.

Okay, but back tracking...where to start and what have you missed? Hubby got me some lovely flowers for Valentine's Day, which over a week later, were still looking great.

He also made me a lovely dinner for the lovey-dovey holiday. He claims it was nothing fancy, but I consider it quite the occasion when I don't have to cook dinner. It could have been frozen pizza and I would have been as happy as a pig in mud.

In addition to waving and puffs, Caroline has been quite the little monkey.

She might look cute, but man - she wiggles and squirms these days and is totally interested in everything.

She loves climbing all over the sofa and all over whomever is trying to contain her.

And although I thought I was being so prepared by lowering her bed two weekends ago, little did I know that it would be short lived.

Caroline learned that the bumper pads are great tools for holding on and trying to stand. So with that latest revelation, my gorgeous nursery crib, the one that Caroline welcomed on her very first days - is now officially as low as it can go and totally un-foofey. (The head of her crib was raised temporarily to help with nighttime congestion.) I switched the fancy bumpers out for the breathable ones, which are decidedly less helpful when it comes to using them as leverage. I feel like although it seems like a pointless landmark, switching the crib around a bit is a small, but sad, milestone.

...which brings me to another thought. Another milestone will likely pass soon enough, that will undoubtedly make me shed a tear.

Her gummy smile. Still no teeth, and I can't say I'm bummed. I can't clearly see any either, but I know my gummy-smile days are likely numbered.

I have been taking countless wide-mouth-grin shots for the past couple weeks, with the hope of freezing time and capturing that adorable toothless mug once more. I know I will be excited for her when she finally gets her first tooth, and we will start talking up the Tooth Fairy when the time comes. But until then, I am loving this baby face more with each passing day.

But you know what regularly reminds me that I still have a young baby that needs my constant love and care - and not some pre-teen on the verge of dating?

Caroline is still almost totally without hair. That bald beauty is my reality check - that even though she may be growing up so fast, seemingly overnight, she is still too young to be growing much hair. Emotional crisis temporarily averted.

This little girl was also spoiled a bit lately. Her mommy and daddy bought her not one, but two new pairs of shoes.

We are planning to visit Caroline's great grandparents in Florida, so what better excuse is there to head out shopping for fresh summery clothes?

We also picked up an inexpensive drum for Caroline to bang on. She loves slapping the top to hear the fun noise.

What else? Oh, how about the terrarium that I received for Christmas? I promised I would post photos of my very cool gift.

The plants have made significant progress since December, and I imagine soon I will need to divide some of them up or it may get too crowded in there. I love looking at the little plants each day, growing quietly thanks to the never-ending watering cycle. It's by far the healthiest and most thriving plant I own, mostly because it requires zero intervention on my part, I imagine.

And for those who might be wondering, Riley is not dead. She is alive and well and has been loving her little sister. Each day, she gets better and more tolerant of Caroline's attempt to strangle her and pull her ears. Riley just sits there like a champ, and tries to sneak in a smooch when Caroline's not looking. It's such pure love and acceptance on both of their parts. I love to watch the two of them "hang out".

I should really have "Riley" post on the blog sometime soon, it has been awhile.

So that's all for now. Sorry to give you the silent treatment lately. But I will be back tomorrow, as well.  Promise.