The Arpin Family: May 2011

Austin has officially been crawling since Easter. I swear I can't keep her still. She prefers standing and cruising over crawling. Needless to say life will never be the same for us. By the end of the day I am beat from keeping up with her.

Here are some April into May action shots!

Mastering the pincer grasp

With Hayden (it was hard to keep her still next to the little one, she kept climbing on him).

And flirting with Jack.

Her downward dog. This was during her phase where she was mastering crawling but kept trying to stand up instead of keeping her knees on the ground. It was cute while it lasted.

9 Months.

Happy Easter.

The best we could do for a group shot.

Austin likes to lay out in the yard while I garden.

Took Austin to the doctor today. Seems she may have her mommies allergies. I feel for her if that is the case. Otherwise, this is one happy, sweet little girl.

So, we have officially gotten through the first two months, and needless to say it has not been the easiest two months I have ever experienced. I am truly being challenged as a wife, mother, daughter, sibling, friend, and individual (and any other role I may play that I am overlooking at this moment in time). This has become more demanding of me than I could have possibly anticipated. I often wonder how I can do this until March, because as I look back on these last two months I got to spend five spectacular days in Texas with Ray and Austin. Needless to say they were bittersweet but more sweet than bitter of course! So, in retrospect, it has not been a solid two months, as we got a nice visit with him in the middle. UGH!

The up side is that Austin is by far the brightest point in all of our tribulations. Her immediate and perpetual smile whenever she lays eyes on us (or anyone else for that matter, Ripken included), are more exceptional than any accolade we could ever receive. We are truly blessed to have her as our daughter, and she reminds us of that every single day.

While I am still learning to balance all of the responsibilities life holds by myself, I am constantly supported and reassured by my persistent husband. He reminds me all the time how this distance will strengthen our relationship in ways that we could never imagine, and he is right. There are times when it is hard to remember that, especially when I really miss him, but there is no denying the reality of that statement.

So, I hope Ray looks as these pictures and takes comfort in seeing what is going on at home. We love you!

Pictures from our trip to Texas:

Ray and Austin seeing each other for the first time.