picking up speed, march 2014

what i leave behind in the morning :(

life is really getting crazy. school has taken a drastic change as our practicum experience has started. this basically just means that now instead of going to classes on campus, i spend five days a week for the next month in an actual first grade classroom with a mentor teacher. during this time, i'll be given opportunities to teach actual lessons to actual students. already i have children hugging my legs and writing me notes throughout the day. first graders adore their teachers. i love that! next week i interview for a paid internship starting in august. then i'll have even more things to plan for! so as fun as that part of life has gotten, it does mean that i spend a lot more time away from zenna. it's a bitter-sweet feeling because i love learning how to be a great teacher and i'm still passionate about that as my career, but i've never spent so many hours away from my baby and that just really stinks. we have really amazing friends that keep zenna for two days a week until drake picks her up, and also an amazing sister-in-law that watches her the other two days of the week, and finally drake has her all day friday. he really loves the dad experience. they are developing a very close daddy-daughter bond that just melts my heart. some pictures of zenna and her bff, RJ, while being babysat:

as you can see, zenna is in really great hands! i couldn't be more grateful for hanna and her amazing help this year! it's just a bonus that zenna gets a best friend in the process!!

on the plus side of march being here, the weather has started to get really nice! we've finally gotten some days to enjoy the sunshine! of course, we took a little walk and enjoyed some reading time under the sun, just like i love to do with nice weather. it turned into more of a photo-taking-session, but that's never a bad thing! 

 

we also had to spoil this girl with new things. although she's only 4 1/2 months old, she's wearing size 9 months stuff, and she's outgrown almost everything we have! so we had to get her a new sunday best church dress, which was perfect timing because of all the beautiful easter dresses on the racks right now, and a new adorable pair of jammies covered in the cutest darn whales i've ever seen. her daddy picked that out for her. shopping for her is so much fun! and she also outgrew her carseat, so we updated to a new model that will grow with her until she's 70 pounds. who would have guessed i'd have such a big girl! i love every bit of her chubbiness though. 

also recently, we had grandma may come to visit (why didn't we take pictures?) zenna got to spend a few days of quality uninterrupted time with grandma may. sometimes that is hard to come by at home when everyone fights over their next turn, especially grandpa. so i think they both really enjoyed their time together! now we're starting to crave other family time too!

this mommy loves her baby girl!