Our church is getting big. Already we have had to go to two services, which is kind of an adjustment for such a close knit congregation.

One of the reasons that our church is getting bigger is because we just seem to love to reproduce (or adopt). I have been going to Saint Elmo Presbyterian since 1998 and in those 7 years, there has never been a time when there wasn’t a pregnant woman in our church. Usually it was just one or two women, but about 2 years ago a boom happened and it seemed like every time we turned around we were praising God for a new life in our church family. In 2003, for about 3 months straight we had a baptism for a new covenant child at least 2 Sundays a month.

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Did you miss one this week? (Also, if you click on the category “daily fuller fix” it will take you to all previous DFF pictures. Just for those of you learning to navigate the blog.)

February 21, 2005

February 22, 2005

February 23, 2005

February 24, 2005

February 25, 2005

February 26, 2005

February 27, 2005

My thoughts recently have been about some upcoming travel.

In March we will be taking our annual Spring Break trip to the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament. This trip is a continuing tradition from D’s childhood and now we are passing it along to the next generation.

We plan on being good Auburn supporters, even if they are solidly in last place. And once again, the Auburn Elvis will be making his appearance, now with a mini-Elvis in tow. All so they can get on TV (and it has worked the last 3 times he has worn the costume).

And the mini-Elvis will be a delight to have with us, but I have a feeling it will exercise our time management skills.

Since Auburn is last in the conference, their first game will be the very last game on the first day of the tournament- 9:45 pm. I told D that we will set up a deal with his uncle. Once Charles sees us on TV, he will call my mother-in-law’s cell phone and then Fuller and I are going back to the hotel room, where he (and I) can crash.

April will see Fuller & me traveling to Auburn to see the NCAA Women’s National Gymnastics Championship. Since Grandma Great lives there, we will bunk at her house and she will get to spend some time with Fuller. Plus Vieja plans on coming down to spend a little time with her little man. I see that trip as being less stressful than the March Madness trip, since he won’t be going with me to see the events.

And then, in May, I have a business trip for a conference in Boston. Last year, D and I went together. This year, with Fuller, it will offer a whole range of maneuvering for traveling with an infant. For example, I was worried about the transport of a car seat. And then I found out, I won’t need one. Did you know that taxi cabs, in Boston, are exempt from child car seat laws? I don’t know if this is a good thing or not. But, I don’t want to wean Fuller yet, so he is my traveling buddy for the next few months.

I like to travel, and having Fuller with me is fun and different, but I know that there is no place like home.

Dear Alli,

I understand that today you are feeling no so right with the whole parenting thing. I understand that you are also tired, so you may be extra emotional too. Maybe it would be a good thing if you remember that.

First, I want you to know that these thoughts are completely normal. Everyone wonders every once in a while if they are doing things the right way and the best way for their baby. Yes, yes they do wonder. Even if you don?t know anyone who has wondered it out loud, they- the mothers and fathers who wonder if they are doing it right- are out there.

Let?s look at the facts:
Fuller is happy, well adjusted, and healthy. He lights up when you engage him. He laughs and babbles constantly. He cries when tired, and can be pretty reasonable about going to sleep. He is a great eater, and now he is enjoying his bananas and getting the hang of eating from a spoon. You keep him warm, clean, and dressed. You go to him when he cries and you let him have his alone time when he just wants to be put down.

So what if he isn?t sleeping through the night? So what if you gave him rice cereal before the bananas? So what if he spits up all the time, soaking his clothes and making his toys grody? He is sleeping. He is eating the bananas. His clothes and toys are washable, maybe you just need to buy him some more bibs.

Quit thinking of the things you should have done, think of the things that you will do. Talk about them with D.

You may not be the parent that you wanted to be, but that will come in time. And if it doesn?t then that?s ok too. It?s ok because you are still a parent. And you love your little boy.

Maybe you can give him a longer hug when you get home tonight. But just know that it is ok and you are a good parent.

Always,
Alli

I need a definition of what is means to sleep through the night. Maybe if I explain it to Fuller, he will say, “Oh, that’s what that means!” and then he will proceed to follow the definition.

Really, what is the definition?

My sister has this request.

We have had rain in the Tennessee Valley since late Saturday night. It rarely stopped all day Sunday and the worst of it came through Monday morning and afternoon.

When it rains hard, it sends our dog, Maple, looking for a safe place that will allow her to find comfort. The problem is, she rarely finds it. The safe place is usually under something, and I think, to her, the smaller the space the better.

She will hide behind the big, gold chair. But once a clap of thunder is heard, she leaves that spot to burrow under the bed. Then that space is no good once the rain gets harder and the wind picks up, so she takes off to disappear beneath Fuller’s crib. She keeps moving, trying to find that safe place. If being under something isn’t good enough, she will try to press her shaking body up to mine or Damon’s, just to know we are there.

Yesterday, Damon helped her find a safe place. It was in very close proximity to Damon and definitely under something.

February 14, 2005

February 15, 2005

February 16, 2005

February 17, 2005

February 18, 2005

February 19, 2005

February 20, 2005

As Fuller grows, I keep contemplating what he will need next. Recently, D and I had a discussion about what we would use after he grows out of his Baby Bjorn. I figured we had two options- a baby backpack or the hip hammock. We received a baby backpack from the oodles of German goodies my mother gave us, so we went to take a closer look at it.

It is a bare bones baby backpack- no back support, no chest support, and it doesn?t strap the child into the pack. But D put it on, just to see what it was like. Then we thought that he should try the pack with Fuller in it, again, just to see. So, Fuller went in, the pack went on D?s back and they went for a walk from the living room to the dining room. It was cute, except that D pointed out that as Fuller sat on his back, there would eventually be pools of drool running down D?s back.

But the one thing we didn?t realize was that as we played with Fuller and the backpack, someone was getting left out- our dog Lively.

Before Fuller, and before the Maple cart, we would sometime take walks and put Lively in a camping backpack. We would stuff a pillow in the compartment and Lively would proudly sit or lay there. She would look around, enjoying her free ride and the view. When we would take the camping backpack out of the closet, she would jump around, knowing that she was soon going for a ride.

So last night, when she wasn?t getting into the new (to her) backpack, she was just jumping around at D?s legs, wondering when it was her turn to take a ride.

Poor Lively. She was just starting to like Fuller too.

I don’t normally comment about the Daily Fuller Fix pictures, unless someone else has already commented and asked a question. But today, I break that silence to tell you that this picture expresses what my heart feels like when I spend time with Fuller- pure joy. Unashamed, unrestricted, boundless joy. I sit and play with him in the mornings and just bask in his babbles and movement, his smiles and laughter.

I love my son.