so many new posts from me! i decided to take even more pictures of Genevieve today... what can I say? I'm addicted to the camera... kind of hard not to be with her. I am in aw of how great her skin is looking since we've stopped wrapping her. On average its usually just her feet, ankles and one other part of her body that has wrapping on it (and its usually just a thin strip of bandage). Im excited for her dermatologist appointment on Tuesday, I expect to get a lot of helpful advice and knowledge from the new derm.

She gave me her first real smile and giggle today, and I swear I fell in love all over again. She teased me the rest of the day with it too! Little stinker. While taking pictures, she actually gave me a little one but kept her eyes closed and then peeked one eye open after she heard the camera click.

She's also a little chatterbox, but only when dad isnt around. He thinks I'm hearing things, because he never hears her. One of these days I'll make a video of it.

beauty.strength.change.luck.

When Andy and I first started dating, he was living in Laramie, Wyoming for school and I was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I flew out to visit him a month into our relationship and he gave me a dragonfly necklace, which to this day I still wear on a regular basis. The meaning behind a dragonfly changes from culture to culture, but some of the symbolism's is beauty, change (a new beginning), strength, and luck. It is believed that if a dragonfly lands on you that you will have 7 years of good luck. Two months after we started dated, I made the move to Laramie, Wyoming to be with him. The day after I got there, a dragonfly landed on me and it gave me a sense of peace that things were going to be ok. Since then, we have had many ups and downs and gone our separate ways, but today we are stronger than ever within our relationship. I still wear my necklace, and it reminds me of why he gave to me.... he thought I was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. It was a change for us, neither of us had had good relationships with others... both of us had bad breakups a year before we met, and saw the start of our relationship as a new beginning. We knew things would be different, and that the distance between us would bring strength to our relationship. That if we could overcome the challenges of 13 hours between us, that we could overcome anything. We knew we needed to remain strong for one another. And luck to have found one another.

When Genevieve was born and diagnosed with skin problems, I immediately thought to her future and how to explain things to her when she's a little girl. I thought about dance recitals, prom, her wedding... would the other kids make fun of her... i knew we needed to find a way to make sure she knew she was beautiful in every way, even if she was different. This was before we really knew much about her condition. I feel the symbolism behind a dragonfly also fits for our little girl. Even with all the sores, and skin build up... she is the most beautiful little lady that I have ever laid eyes on. Life will be different for her, I'm sure somewhere someone will say something to her at some point about her skin... but she will be a strong. She is a little fighter already...she's proven that to us.

she rarely gives up her binky.

the closest thing I could get to a smile.