I can SCREAM! AHHH!

So, Quincey has always been a chatter box when she does tummy time and the other day, I flipped her over to her back after tummy time and the squealing never stopped.  Over the past week she has become more and more aware of the different sounds that she can make.  It's been really fun to watch her find her voice.  

A Father's Day Letter

A letter for Father's Day:

Dear Quincey,

I decided to start this blog for you.  Essentially, it's supposed to be a 21st century baby book that you can look back through when you're a big girl.  So today I wanted to write a letter to you about papa.

This last weekend was father's day.  It was your papa's FIRST EVER father's day.  You don't know it yet but I want to let you in on a little secret.... You have the best papa in the world.  God created you especially for him and he was created especially for you.  That's pretty cool isn't it? 

You see, a little girl's daddy is a very big deal and a very important person.  Every little princess needs a good papa.  There is no one else in the world that can imitate or recreate a father figure.  He plays an absolutely essential role in your life.  So, it makes sense that there would be one day a year dedicated to the celebration of a father.   You just happened to have the best one!  As you grow up you will realize why he's the best. 

I wanted to create a list of some of the reasons why you have the best father ever!

PATIENCE:  Your papa has a very patient soul.  When your mama is about to jump out of her skin, papa remains cool and calm.  He is always willing to invest the patience and time necessary to deal with a situation.  When mama was bawling because it seemed like you would never be born, he would just hold mamma and remind her to be patient.  When mama wants to rush rush rush, he reminds her to take a deep breath and slow down.  When mamma is just overall being *NUTS* he is always patient.  And finally, when you are screaming and inconsolable, he is patient and understanding.  This is a virtue that he has in spades and you will do well to follow his lead here.

INNOVATION:  You papa doesn't see what is in front of him.  He sees what could be in front of him.  Mamma does a really good job of coloring inside the lines but papa... papa sees the lines and figures out a way to recreate those lines so he can color a whole different picture.  Papa never sees a problem, he sees a solution.  Even if that solution is outside the lines, he will find a way to change those lines to achieve that solution.  This is a gift that you need to watch closely.  Learn how to be innovative.  Watch papa and you will learn to ask "how".  May sound simple but, most of us settle for what we're given and don't see beyond that.  Papa always sees the how.  He always sees what can be.  Not what is.

BRAVERY:  When there is a massive mountain for papa to climb, he never tries to find a way around it.  He figures out how to climb it.  He is never scared to ask the tough questions and face the scary monsters.  Once, he told me that he never wants our family to hide from monsters in the closet.  He told me that no monster stands a chance when we face it together.  Now that's bravery.  And, he's right.  Don't run away from those monsters in the closet.  Be like your father and face them with courage and bravery.  Be confident that you can conquer them.  And, if you can't conquer that monster alone, I assure you, your papa will be honored to slay that monster with you.  All you have to do is ask.

CARING:  Papa has a very big heart.  Luckily, you stole his heart the minute you were born.  That means that he will do whatever he has to in order to give you all that you need.  You watch... because he loves you so much, he will always put your needs before his own.  He will move mountains for you.  Papa cares about you so much that he will always be your biggest cheerleader. 

WORK ETHIC:  Everyone has work ethic.  Papa just happens to have amazing work ethic.  Papa takes great pride in his work.  I can't count the nights that papa has gone above and beyond what is required of him when doing a job.  He combines all the virtues listed above and uses them all when he is working on something.  I'm not just talking about his job, although his work ethic has carried him far there, but no matter what task he starts, he always sees it through.  Lots of things can be hard work.  Your job, your friendships, daily responsibilities, and relationships.  Nothing is always easy, but papa will show you how to always put in the work necessary to be successful in any area of your life.  He will teach you how to never take short cuts, how to use your innovation, your bravery and your patience to have a job well done. Mamma's first reactions has always been, "I can't" but papa has taught mamma how to say, "I'll try.  And, I can!"  You're lucky to have a papa that will teach you that!

HUMBLENESS:  Your papa is very good at many things but you will never ever see him brag or boast.  He will be the first to pass on an opportunity to puff out his chest.  You see sweetie, if you are really confident in who you are, there is no need to impress others by finding any opportunity possible to exploit your talents and strengths.  Your papa has the confidence to let his talents speak for themselves and doesn't require the accolades others do in order to feel good about himself.  Be this person.  Don't be boastful.  Do things for yourself, not for what others will think of you.  Don't worry, just papa and you will see how. 

Finally, Papa will show you how you deserve to be treated.  As a little princess, you will have many suitors.  The first example you will have of that is how papa treats your mama and I'm proud to tell you to watch very closely.  If you do, you will no doubt know exactly how a man should treat you.  Papa will show you that you deserve unconditional patience, support, and love.  He will show you that a man should always respect a woman. He will show you that you are worthy of being cared for, of being supported, and being loved unconditionally loved.  He will show you that, even when the going gets tough, a man that truly loves you, will always be on the same team as you, no matter what.

Quincey, to sum it up, watch papa closely.  You will not only learn the importance of good virtues but you will learn your worth.  Mama continues to learn hers from papa every day.

Don't ever forget that you have the best papa ever!

And, I couldn't be happier to share this life with you and him.

Love,

Mama.

 

 

3 Months OLD!!!!!!!!

It's only been three months but I can't seem to remember what life felt like without her in it.  She has becomes such a huge and integral part of my life that (maybe not the best comparison but) trying to remember what it felt like to not have her is like trying to remember what it felt like without an arm or a leg.

She's my world.  And I love my world!

Into The Mountains We Go

What a beautiful Sunday us Schroeder's had in the mountains.  We wanted to get out of town but it seemed like the rest of the town had the same idea.  Part of the fun of going to the mountains is to go where no one else is but it looked as though we would be creeping along the road with every other car.  Until... Joe found a side road that we thought we would explore.  I had literally just told him that we needed to find our own little secluded spot that no one seems to know about that we can always go to.  He said that would be pretty tough in mountains lying between cities but, leave it to my husband to find just that.  It was absolutely amazing!  We drove for miles without a car passing us, pulled off to examine things, and barely scratched the surface of our new found get away.

And check out this tree we found!  CRAZY.

Quincey seemed to really love the fresh air and fell fast asleep with the windows wide open smelling the pines.

What a great day!

    

Quincey's First Play Date!

When pregnant, I chose to take a new approach to prenatal care.  Instead of the traditional doctor/patient appointments I did Centering appointments which included other women that were pregnant and had due dates around the same time as mine.  I was excited to meet some soon to be mommies here in Albuquerque so I could hopefully create some friendships.  Unfortunately, because of Covid, we did get to meet up as a centering group post baby's births but I was stayed in touch with two of the moms and arranged a play date at my house with them.  It was SOOO nice.  

I look forward to spending more time with them and Quincey getting to play with her womb friends on a regular basis.

 

Everything Goes In My Mouth!

Now that Quincey has gotten the hang of grabbing things, she is realizing that she can move those objects to her mouth.  What she hasn't figured out yet is how to not choke herself!

 

 

Weekend Mornings Are The BEST!

We all love snuggling in bed on the weekends when daddy doesn't have to get up to work.  Once Quinn wakes up we just snuggle and play until she is ready for her first nap.  Today she was especially cute as we used her blanket for entertainment.  I think it entertained us more than it did her!  She is just so darn cute!

 

My Water Baby!

Quincey loves loves loves the water.  When she was in my belly I would take a bath every night and she would wake up.  In fact, there was one night that she slept through the bath and didn't move and Joe fed me a huge glass of sugary koolaid because I was so concerned that she wasn't moving and grooving through the whole bath like she always does.  

She loves her nightly scrub a dub in the tub and today we found out that she loves the mist setting on the hose.  We had so much fun spray her down.  She was drenched from head to foot and just kept smiling and laughing every time we sprayed her!

Look her face all misted with water droplets! 

She loved playing with daddy and the sprinkler.

Grandpa Comes To Visit

I was so thrilled when I heard my dad was planning on making his way to Albuquerque to meet his new grand baby.  I was overly excited for my dad to meet our little peanut.  Thanks to Grace, she got the ball rolling and insisted that Quincey would be worth the trip.  So, my dad, Grace, and all of her kids ventured this direction.  

It was, however, tough to face the reality that my mother would not be able to make the journey.  Not only is she in the nursing home but has been quarantined like the rest of the country's nursing homes to keep them all safe.  So, it was definitely different to have just my dad arrive but this is the new normal of our lives and it didn't stop us from having a blast!

Seeing my dad meet Quincey was extremely touching for me.  Again, as I've stated in so many previous posts, I've waited a long time for it to be my turn to be a mommy and I'm not taking for granted one special moment without soaking it all in and, the moment my father met my daughter for the first time was one of those moments that was really special.  

I did it, Dad!  I grew up and have a beautiful baby and amazing husband to finally share with you!

How special it was seeing him embrace her and tell her how cute and precious she is.  Quincey is so funny when people come to visit and scoop her up.  She doesn't cry but looks around like "what's going on?"  She has had limited interaction with people because of the Coronavirus so it's not normal for someone besides mommy or daddy's arms around her.  As grandpa was holding her, she found my face and voice and grandpa said, "well, she surely knows who her mother is."  Sounds like a simple statement but, how rewarding it was to hear from an outside perspective that she actually knows who I am and registered my voice.  It's a lot of work to raise a baby 24 hours a day and little comments like that are just icing on the cake.  

Quincey also got to meet her auntie Lou Lou (Abby).  Abby is just too old to simply be her "cousin" although that's truly what she is so, we have taken to calling her Auntie Lou Lou (cause that's always been my nickname for her).  It was so sweet to see Abby with her.  She has a calming presence just like her father and was able to put Quincey to sleep no problem.  I think Abby was pretty taken with Quincey and loves her very much.

 

The first day we went to the mountains.  Last time the Logans were here they tried to hike to McCauly Hot Springs and turned around just short of making it there so they were determined to actually hike up to them this time.  So, as they marched up the mountain, my father, Joe, and I and Quincey jumped in the car and drove to Valles Caldara.  It was a great drive and I got to see ELK! MY FAVORITE! And... even better yet, my dad told me on the drive that I'm a good mother!  That meant the world to me.  The Logans did actually make it to the hot springs this time and seemed to really enjoy it.

The next day was busy busy busy with backyard fun.  Joe has been revamping our backyard for a couple weeks now.  We started with nothing but rocks and dirt and weeds... lots and lots of weeds. Now it looks amazing! And, I even have a garden! Somehow Joe and my nephew got to talking about how to make the brick wall in the yard more pleasing to the eye and before I knew it, we were on our way to Lowes to buy wood and other necessary materials.  I had no idea what the plan was but was having fun watching it all come together.  My dad, Joe and Gideon worked on the project all day until the sun went down.  They barely finished it before they were out of sunlight.  Joe cut the boards for them while my dad helped Gideon hang them up.  Gideon was the master artist behind the project and I was super proud of him.  It turned out amazing.  Truly, we were all very impressed.

We played pinochle that night.  A family favorite that I have never really played.  Joe thought it would be fun for us to learn so that's what we did.  What a fun game!  While we played the nieces and nephew took care of Quinney and she couldn't have been happier.  They were playing songs for her and giving all the love a little girl can handle to her.  

Their last day here we all just relaxed and spent time together.  I rounded up my nieces and nephews to help me finish planting some things in the back yard and Afton hung lights up for us.  (They look amazing!).  

I love having my family under foot and I'm not sure I would ever get sick of it.  I'm sure this is not exclusive to me but I feel the most peace, contentment, and joy when around family; however, I do know this is not the case for all families and I am just so glad that my family are my favorite people in the world!

It was another great few days full of love and laughter!