Pippa is THREE months old!

Our little Pip is still a tiny one, but she is growing! 

Piper weighs in at 10.5 pounds and measures 24 inches.

She Can hold her head up for almost 5 minutes and can push up with her legs. 

She has started to making crawling motions while on her play-mat, but doesn't have the arm strength just yet to actually create movement. 

Piper is starting to say "a" and "o" sounds. And she is in LOVE with her Palsy (my grandfather). She will "talk" to him for 20 minutes while smiling, cooing, and batting her LONG eyelashes.

Piper still loves bath time and the pool. Being in water seems to be Pip's happy place.

 Piper is wearing 0-3 month clothes, but girlfriend has long legs. We have had to move up to 3 month and 3-6 month pajamas to make room for her gams. Pip's a skinny mini though her little waist and bum barley hold up 3 month bloomers. I am saying she got her Daddy's flat bum, because Momma has some junk in the trunk.

When people ask me about Piper and I can't help but gush that she is absolutely amazing. I love how she is growing and changing and getting her own personality. She loves to stick her tongue out right now and I am thinking she might have some sass in her. I wonder who she got that from? 

Mr. R. is home!

And all is right with the world.

Also, this single parenting stuff is for the birds!

Pip & Me

12 weeks worth of diapers $480.00

12 weeks worth of clothes $420.00

Car seat $170

Stroller $159

84 loads of Piper's laundry $120

84 cups of coffee needed to stay awake $42

6 doctor visits $150

9 packs of wipes $63

154 sleepless nights

17,280 minutes spent with my girl: PRICELESS

Wordless Wednesday (Almost)

Loving her new facial expressions! She now smiles, furrows her brow, and opens her eyes as wide as possible when she is surprised or excited. She is also squealing and starting to laugh. She amazes me everyday!

Nanny Faye

I am a big believer in the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. I think I like the idea of having a village because it gives Jeff and I some help in shaping and molding our daughter. It's a relief to know that 100% of the parenting pressure isn't resting just on our shoulders. The members of our village include family (of course), my neighbors from back home in NJ, our church family from 1st Assembly of God in Millville, a few college friends, My bestie Nicole, teacher friends from here in Florida, the rockin' Jacobson's, a few good Republicans from Mr. R.'s camp, and our extended Florida family that hails from Good News Church. 

Nanny Faye is part of our extended family. She and her husband Cal also play a big role in our village. 

 I don't know if Piper will ever know how lucky she is to have so many people who love her. Faye has loved her since she was a cell in my womb. She prayed for her all throughout my pregnancy. And now that she is on "the outside". She is continuously loved and rocked by her 2nd Great Grandmother. 

Yes, Miss Pip is one lucky girl.

Love this story...

In doing Ali Edwards Week in the Life, it taught me that scrapbooking or blogging isn't so much about the picture, the camera, or the person behind the camera. The point of your scrapbook page or blog post should be the story. What do you want to remember? What was the point of capturing the picture if you can't remember or don't bother to tell the story behind it? A picture may be worth 1,000 words, but is it really worth your time if you don't share the words? 

Last night we headed over to my grandparents for dinner. Piper had just woken up from a nap and could have easily gone right back down for 20 more minutes. My grandmother offered to rock her while I set the table and my mom cooked. It was in that moment I was reminded just how lucky I am. 

My grandmother is still living and loving my own daughter. Gathered around the dinner table last night were four generations of Morris women. We are very different in our own right. But I can see the physical resemblance passed down from generation to generation. As well as the sass and spunk that makes us Morris women after all. 

Once dinner was over and the table cleared we moved to the living room for conversation. My grandmother and grandfather took turns talking with Piper teaching her letters and sounds. Marveling at how she has learned to control her head and neck and laughing at her new trick, sticking out her tongue. I am so blessed that they live so close and can be a constant presence in Piper's life. 

Before we left my Mom read a chapter from The Reading Promise aloud. Even Piper was in on story 

hour. Read alouds are nothing unusual for my family. 

My grandmother read to my mom for years and once she became a teacher of 4th grade she read to her students. My mom read to me faithfully each night until I turned 10. And now Jeff and I read to Piper. I am so grateful that I was raised in an environment that touted education, made time for family every evening, and that we still can gather together. 

It's these stories, these little moments, that make our life story worth living, worth documenting, and worth remembering. 

Hometown Tourists

I love St. Augustine. I love the beaches, St. George Street full of its cute cafes and boutique stores. I love the history our town holds. I love taking our pups to the fort on Saturday mornings. I love strolling the farmer's market stalls at the pier and the amphitheater. I love the island for Sunday drives and water ice stops. 

When my Mom is in town I get to play tourist and hit all my favorite places with gusto. I get to show her the new shops that opened, the new eats we have found, or just visit our old haunts with a pair of fresh eyes. 

Today we ventured downtown to stroll the shops, I am loving Red Pineapple and Dragonflies right now and sample the new flavors at the Hyppo (home of the best scratch made organic popsicles on the planet). Mom had keylime, which she gave two thumbs up, and I had the Elvis (chocolate, peanutbutter, and banana). All I can say is, the king new what he was doing when he created that flavor combo!

And of course we always make room for cupcakes at Luli's!

 The flavor of the month is Keylime, but after trying the oreo red velvet I think that is my new fave!