Our 18 month pictures...

...didn't work out today. We're going back for another attempt tomorrow. "Someone" wouldn't stand still long enough to snap the photos! Unfortunately, she's too young to bribe!

Caroline's Big Ride!

Before Caroline was born, I researched everything! I'm sure this is pretty common, and I feel like I learned a lot. I'm not one of those "by the book" parents where I subscribe to any one philosophy, but I did synthesize lots of information to make my own educated decisions.

One of the most important products I researched was car seats. This is something that has been ingrained in me since I was little. To me, there is no compromise here. I wanted the best seat I could get Caroline.

So, we bought her a Chicco Keyfit bucket (which we love, by the way...in case anyone needs a infant car seat recommendation; and, I'm happy that it's being used for another baby right now!) This picture was taken the day we brought her home from the hospital! Then, we moved her to Britax Marathons. Yes, plural...she has 3. Those are great seats, too.

More importantly, Caroline was going to remain rear-facing. The law states that a baby must by 1 year AND 20 pounds before they can be turned around. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends "as long as possible." Many people are advocating that the law be changed to 2 years AND 30 pounds. That was my goal. There is a lot of research showing how much safer it is to ride rear-facing than forward. Think back to high school physics. I would definitely rather have to deal with a broken leg than a broken neck.

Unfortunately, most car seats are only rated to hold kids to 33 pounds rear-facing. And, if you read Caroline's stats from her check-up, you will remember that she is currently 32...naked except for a dry diaper. So, the day has come. I flipped her car seat. I see it as yet another sign that she is growing up!

So, here she is on her last rear-facing "ride." I just backed the car out of the garage to take the picture. We were in the midst of a blizzard/ice storm.

And, here she is riding forward for the first time! Look how much older (and bigger) she looks!!

Mail.

Here's the address. Believe me, you're lucky that you're getting it in writing. Try copying this down over the phone. All I know is that you're supposed to write it just like this. Well, sort of; actually fill in his name.

A---- W------
CJSOTF-A/TF-31
9220 FB MOGENSON
APO AE 09355

Caroline is 18 months old today!

Can you believe it?!? Time really does fly when you're having fun! She definitely keeps us busy, but we love every minute of it.

We went to the doctor today, and she weighed in at 32 pounds (above the 95%ile,) measured 34.75" (above the 95%ile,) and had a head circumference of 18.75" (in the 85%ile.) She is definitely a growing girl!

Obviously, the girl loves to eat. Some of her favorite foods are grapes, frozen peas, chicken, watermelon, eggs, bananas, and Kix.

Caroline is very active and loves to run, color, and play with her baby dolls! Like I said, she keeps us busy. She also loves to build with her blocks and read books. And, by "read," I mean point at different pictures and say, "this?" so you can identify the object for her. So, she loves all animal books as well as a Sesame Street book that has lots of characters in it.

Speaking of characters, Caroline *loves* the Muppets! I DVRd the Muppets "Letters to Santa" special that was on TV, and I estimate that we've seen it at least 9,000 times. I've looked around for a new Muppet movie, but they're not easy to find. I think we might go on a serious search this weekend. (Or, maybe just order one from amazon.com.)

Caroline really loves to dance, too. Her absolute favorite is Raffi. She can't get enough of "Shake Your Sillies Out" or "Baby Beluga!" She even tries to sing along.

She babbles all the time. (I know that's shocking.) While much of it is her own secret language, she clearly says many words like cup, ice, Molly, up, down, this, that, hot, ball, mama, da, eat, drink, eggs, more, and baby.

We are getting some pictures taken on Thursday, so I will post those for you to see, too!

Things I've learned about Afghanistan (so far)...

1. They are 9.5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

2. There are a lot of mountains.

3. You land at Bagram AFB. If you click the map, look for the city named Charikar (just north of Kabul.)

Somethings I will never understand...

There is a little girl named Hannah who was born a couple weeks before Caroline. She has been very sick; one week before her first birthday, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called MPS-I.

Basically, Hannah's body is lacking an enzyme necessary to break down molecules called glycosaminoglycans (long chains of sugar carbohydrates in each of our cells that help build bone, cartilage, tendons, corneas, skin and connective tissue.) Over time, these glycosaminoglycans collect in the cells, blood and connective tissues. The result is permanent, progressive cellular damage which affects appearance, physical abilities, organ and system functioning and in most cases, mental development.

She's been through so much...stem cell transplants and chemotherapy. She has had to fight off numerous bacterial, viral, and fungal infections that she's contracted. This little girl really wanted to live, but her body gave out on her yesterday.

Her mother wrote a beautiful story about Hannah's final minutes, and it simply broke my heart.

You might be wondering why I'm writing this here (because I am, too;) I don't know Hannah, and I will probably never meet her mom. But, there is just something about her; I can't stop thinking about her, and I can't even begin to imagine the pain that her mother and father are going through.

I know Hannah has taught me some lessons that I will never forget, and there are things that I am more aware of and more thankful for than ever before...

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