We strive as parents to teach the Queen in everyday interactions. When the Queen was interested in saran wrap, B. showed her its use in a way she would understand. I think she had fun.

Becoming a parent was not what I expected. I thought I would need time away from my daughter. I thought I would go crazy without adult contact. But now that the Queen has been with us for over a year, the intense feelings of love have increased more than I could have imagined.

B. and I think about leaving the Queen for date night, or even for a weekend getaway, but we hate the thought of being away from her. As silly as it may sound, we are so afraid of missing something! The Queen grows so much on a daily basis, that every minute becomes special. When she, and our other kids, are older, there will be time enough to spend away. But, right now, we love taking her with us. Everything is so much more fun when she is there because her world is still brand new.

Being a mother has been more special than anything I could have dreamed about. I am so grateful for my little Queen and the other little one (not yet named) that is still kicking in my belly.

Apartment update
We found a beautiful upper apartment in a 4-plex. The place is in a cute cul-de-sac south of campus. School is about 2 miles away, perfect biking distance, and a grocery store is right around the corner. B. and I fell in love with the place as soon as we saw it, but waited until we had done an appropriate search. Now, we have the contract signed and are due to move in within the next week. The closer we get to moving, the greater I feel about our decision.

We are following the lead of other family members and friends by scouring garage sales for nice furniture. Our current apartment came furnished, so we are buying our own furnishings. We are excited because we have found some very nice pieces all ready. Right now, we are armed and ready for our new place.