Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

We took our first trip to the zoo on Thursday!! We got in for free with our friends' year pass (the best way to go!) There was hardly anyone there, so we got to see lots of animals up close. It was sunny and warm until the sun went down, but even then it wasn't too cold for early March.

In the monkey house, Lillian and I posed for a quick picture. She makes such a cute little monkey! One of the mama monkeys just had a baby, and we got to see her carrying around her little one, too.

After the monkeys, we saw hippos, rhinos and elephants. Then it was on to the big cats. There were lots of lions prowling about and we saw a beautiful black jaguar up close- he was pacing on the other side of the see-through wall directly in front of us! He was literally only inches away!



We saw three tall giraffes, and then Mommy's favorite safari animal- zebras! By the look on Lillian's face in the photo, she didn't seem too impressed (or maybe the sun was in her eyes).


After the fun afternoon, Lillian and her friend Caleb played on the couch together. Lillian was very interested in touching Caleb's hair and she continually tried to suck on his head. She even put her arm around him as he leaned into her. We'll have to keep an eye on those two! :)

Some recent pics of Lillian

I finally got a picture of Lillian sleeping in her crib.  My friend Alena made the quilt.  What a sleeping sweetie!

    This was taken one morning a few weeks ago.  She was playing on our bed, reaching for her chupie (aka binkie).  She's such a morning person!

 Lillian LOVED playing with this ball of yarn.  Maybe she'll be an early knitter or chrocheter!

 This was taken on my birthday when we had friends over for cake and ice cream.

   When Lillian turned 6 months old on January 23, we had a cupcake party.  She clearly isn't excited about growing up!

 Grandpa Barker and Aunt Audrey kept Lillian entertained during my surprise birthday party last month.

When we got home from church, Lillian fell asleep while I was feeding her.  When I stood up to put her in her crib, Bobby noticed her little hand making the I Love You sign! I think all my baby sign language is starting to pay off!

Lillian practices her social skills with her new friend Caleb Knickerbocker.

Daddy's little girl (who has him wrapped around her finger)!

Courage & Faith

Berit Price is the most amazing woman I know.  Her husband passed away on Friday, February 8.  They were only married a little over three years.  He was the bishop of our ward.  We quickly became friends after we moved to Philly and found out that they lived only half a mile from us.  

 A little over two weeks ago Berit revealed the severity of Rob's health condition to us.  He had been in and out of the hospital a lot over the past couple of  months, but we weren't really sure what was going on.  Doctors weren't hopeful about his condition, but Berit was.  Listening to her talk that night was humbling.  She knew her husband was close to death, but she was optimistic and her strong spirit was carrying her through.  She had the faith to make a miracle happen, but at the same time she knew Rob was on Heavenly Father's schedule and she was ready to accept whatever His plan might be.  As I watched Berit over the next couple of days, not knowing what the outcome might be, I was inspired by her positive attitude and the strong relationship she was developing with the Lord.  She was at peace, free from fear or resentment.

Over dinner later that night Berit told us some stories about their last day together.  She said it was the most joyous day a married couple could have had as their final time on earth.  She was holding him when he slipped away, telling him it was ok for him to go because they were sealed together.

At Rob's funeral his father-in-law told us that he and his wife had some concerns about Rob's health when Berit told them that they were getting married.  Her response was, "I would rather have one day with him than an eternity without him."  Their mortal days together may have been limited, but now she truly has an eternal life with him to look forward to.  

Berit's courage inspires me.  She is facing my greatest fear with astounding strength and unfailing faith.  I will always treasure the example that she is to me.

Free photo session and photos

A lady I go to church with is developing her photography talent.  She's offering free photo sessions and digital photos until spring.  So, if you live in the Philly area (or even if you don't), check her out at http://www.danicaphotograpy.blogspot.com.  Her work is beautiful!

We're paranoid parents!

I realized today that Bobby and I are typical paranoid first-time parents.  Last night Lillian developed a terribly congested nose which later turned into a nasty sounding cough.  She woke up more than usual during the night and stayed awake for more than two hours, not wanting me to put her down.  Pneumonia!  Bronchitis!  Or maybe (if we're lucky), it's just the flu!  We made an emergency appointment with her new pediatrician first thing in the morning.  Her doctor was great.  She looked Lillian over, then smiled at us and said, "It's just a little cold."  A few salt water nose drops and some good sleep would clear it right up.  The paranoid parents were relieved.  We let Lillian flirt with the third year med student for a few minutes (she was all giggles and dimples for him!) then we headed back home.

Now Lillian is trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in.  As I've been writing this she's woken up three times, all teary-eyed and coughing...poor thing.  She's finally settled on her side, which I hope will carry her comfortably through the rest of the night (or at least until the early morning hours when she wakes up for a feeding).