189.4

Eight weeks with this girl, and we're officially getting smiles when we talk in our babiest of baby voices. Yesterday we ran out of disposable diapers in her size (thankful that we haven't had to buy a single diaper yet) and started into our cloth diapers (which we bought when we were pregnant with Christian). I feel like there's a small learning curve, but so far so good. My birthday is a couple of weeks away, and I'm looking forward to a date night with Matthew. I think we're going to leave Charlotte for the first time that weekend, so I've been saving up milk (and preparing mentally, which I think is harder than finding time to pump). Today, Charlotte rolled from her tummy to her back on her Grandma Pearson's bed (twice). I love watching her grow.

My friend Hannah has a course for people with DSLR cameras, and I was excited to take it and learn a little bit about using my camera on manual. It's tricky, but I think more rewarding when you get the picture you're hoping to capture on manual.

My phone died this week, and I spent five days without it. Since we don't have internet access or a television at home, I felt a little cut off from the outside world. That sounds like a negative, but I made it through most of the first Anne of Green Gables book (which is as clever as the Anne you've seen on screen) and enjoyed the slow pace of being technology free.

The pounds have dropped off more slowly this week, but I'm still working steadily on plan. If you start doing Trim, Healthy Mamas, let me know which recipes you're loving. The food is great, and I love the Facebook community of ladies posting about their victories and answering each other's questions. I'm wearing a pair of jeans today that I haven't worn since pre-Christian (first pregnancy), so that feels like a major non-scale victory. Eleven pounds officially down in three weeks. I've made it as far down as fourteen pounds gone, but I like to stick to the number I'm always below.

Another community I'm thankful to be a part of is Wild+Free, which Matt got me a membership to for Christmas. It's a group of homeschool families who mostly follow Charlotte Mason's homeschool methods. I've always been the kind to be looking toward the next stage of life, and Charlotte Mason's ideals are my preferred homeschool foundation, so I'm compiling the ideas that strike a cord specific to what I'm hoping to give our children through their schooling.

If I sound busy, I don't feel it. Busy with arms full of a beautiful daughter and tired from lack of sleep, but not frazzled or ruffled. Thankful. I hope I sound thankful.