Calla celebrated her 1/2 Birthday on November 18th. Yep, can you believe it? She is already 6 months old! She is truly a blessing from the Lord, and we are thankful for each day we have with her. Enjoy some pictures from the past couple of weeks, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I know it's been a long time since Calla pictures have been updated. A lot has changed since I last posted about Calla! She is now about 5 1/2 months old, weighs about 17 pounds, and is already in a size 3 diaper! She has a lot of personality, knows how to giggle, can sit for maybe 1 minute by herself, and has rolled off her tummy a few more times (still working on this!). She went on an airplane for the first time in September to visit California and all the family there. Mommy had to travel alone with Calla and didn't know what to expect. The Lord showed His kindness on the entire trip, from Calla giggling through the airport security line to the stewardess taking our carry-on and putting it with her suitcase, and the nice older man who sat with us and told us during take-off, "You know, everyone on this plane has been a baby once or had a baby once, so don't worry if she cries." Calla went a long time without needing to nurse, so that didn't have to happen on the plane, and she giggled for half of the return flight. Calla got to meet so much loving family, like her Grandad, her Aunts and Uncles, and many cousins and friends. She was quiet throughout the trip, and started babbling her "ba" sounds the day we got home. She reaches for things quite adeptly, and frustrates herself by pulling her pacifier out of her mouth. She wakes up during the night now, so Mommy is getting to know what it's like to have a "real" baby! Enjoy these pictures!
Calla enjoyed her first Halloween as a precious yellow duckie. She slept in the outfit and it kept her nice and warm. She went to Kroger with Mommy and Daddy so Mommy could do her couponing, and Daddy ran up and down the aisles with her. People oohed and aahed at how cute she looks!
You might have seen my posting about the Blog giveaways I was entering. I won the one for some hair bows! See the pink one in this photo. If you have a baby girl in your life, check out the bows at Cloudy Day Creations.
Calla started showing signs that she was ready to start solids at about 4 1/2 months. This was from the first day we tried. She loved it! We stopped for a few weeks and resumed again a couple weeks ago. She is now up to eating rice cereal, oat cereal, carrots, apples, and bananas.
Calla was given this dress by her cousin Audrey. This was her first day to wear the bonnet and tights, too!
Some pics from California. This is Calla meeting her Uncle Danny. He had made a few comments about wanting to see her without the bows, so this is how we dressed her for their first meeting.
Calla got to meet her cousin Luc! They are just 3 months apart, but very different little babies. Luc took his first step while we were there - at 7 months old! 
For those of you who made it through to the end of the post, here is a cute video of Calla babbling and demanding to be heard!
Five years ago today, I married my love. I am so blessed to have a husband who loves me and takes seriously the vows that he made. I thought it would be fun to post the vows that we spoke to each other, and some pictures from that day. Click here to listen to the song Darby wrote and sang for me at our wedding. It's the last song, called "For My Friend." 
"I, Darby Glenn Hughes, take you, Karyn Michelle Hauptman, to be my lawfully wedded wife. I will love you as Christ loved the church, giving myself up for you, leading you as together we grow closer to Him. I will strive to be humble, harmonious, gentle, pure, sensible, and considerate. I promise to serve, forgive, honor, cherish, protect, provide for you, pray for you, and be your comforting arms. Whether the Lord gives or takes away, whether He brings good or adversity, I will have hope in the future, seeking to do you good and giving myself only unto you all the days of my life, or until the Lord returns."
"I, Karyn Michelle Hauptman, take you, Darby Glenn Hughes, to be my lawfully wedded husband. I will love you and submit to you as the church submits to Christ, and help you as you seek to bring us closer to Him. I will strive to be humble, harmonious, sensible, pure, and to have my heart adorned with a gentle and quiet spirit. I promise to serve, forgive, honor, cherish, pray for you, and be your comforting arms. Whether the Lord gives or takes away, whether He brings good or adversity, I will smile at the future, seeking to do you good and giving myself only unto you all the days of my life or until the Lord returns."
We went for a nice walk the other evening at Trinity Park by the river; Calla was enthralled with the scenery as usual. She is such a happy baby!
A benefit of being home is being able to take spontaeous mid-week getaways! Darby decided to use his birthday money on a Bed and Breakfast in Jefferson, TX. Why Jefferson? We were wanting to check out East Texas, having heard that it's green and pretty, so we did some internet searching and came across this cute little town. East Texas lived up to its reputation. As we drove eastward, the trees grew bigger and bigger and became a richer green. We were a little unsure of driving 4 hours with a little baby, but she was perfect! We are so thankful to the Lord for such an easy and sweet baby. She slept a lot of the way, and her only crying fit was after we had already stopped to feed her. 
The following pictures/video are Calla looking adoringly at her Daddy. She likes to talk to him when he gives her lots of attention!
This evening, Calla accomplished a big milestone - she rolled over, from tummy to back! She is only 10 weeks old, we are so proud of her!! She started by rolling off her doll that was under her to help prop her up. She did this for Daddy the first time on July 18, but I still hadn't seen it, 'til today! After doing it twice off her doll, I took the doll away, and she rolled unassisted. I'm so gald I caught it with the camera!
The other excitement of note is a visit from Steph and Suzie Sanderson. We were so blessed by their visit, it's been so long since Steph and I have been able to hang out for a long period of time like that! We had so much fun with our babies and want to try to make it a yearly thing. For those of you who have been following our blog for a year, you will remember Suzie from previous posts, when I asked for prayer for her. She was born 3 months early, and God has magnified His name through Suzie's life, first of all keeping her alive and now helping her to develop so well and look so good!
One of the first simple little songs I sang to Calla after she was first born is the one that goes, "God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He's so good to me," then I would replace "me" with "Calla." Well, God is good indeed. A few months back, when I was still pregnant, Darby and I decided that we would pray for God to make it possible for me to be home with her after she was born, rather than returning to work. God provided abundantly, more than we asked for, and it was through living off of my income and saving Darby's income. Despite God's provision, I continued to be stubborn and seek my own way, and decided that I would go back to work anyways, to keep our cushion of comfort bigger, and Darby would stay home with Calla. The day I would return was set this Monday, and I was excited about it. I would go back less than half-time, and Darby would watch her while he tried to study when I was working. That afternoon, Darby prayed for continued direction on this matter, even though for me the decision had been made. Well, after Darby sought the Lord again on the matter, that evening I suddenly felt my conscience stinging and felt guilty. I started thinking how weird it would be for me to be at work pumping my milk while Darby was at home trying to get her to take some through a bottle. And thinking of the opportunities I would miss taking her places and playing with her, while I was at work playing with other children. Well, all these thoughts started going through my mind, and I spoke with Darby about it that night. Tuesday morning, we sat down and thought about how God had provided more than what we had asked, and I felt convicted that I wasn't trusting Him and instead trying to make my own way. We made an instant decision that for us, it was more right for me to stay home with Calla and helping Darby through his last semester. I called my work Tuesday, and they called me back today - Wednesday - and I gave my notice. It's a sad day for me as well as a happy day. I have been a Child Development Specialist for 6 1/2 years, and truly loved my job! I worked with amazing families and children and coworkers, and learned so much that I can pass on to my daughter. I'm full of joy and excitement embarking on what is essentially a new career. Look at this picture, who wouldn't want to be with her all day?!? 
Look at this chubby tummy! At Calla's check-up, she weighed 11 pounds! She's 50th percentile for weight, 75th for height and 75th for her head circumference.
I let Calla take her naps with her arms free, as long as she promises not to scratch her face. 
Of course, I straighten my hair on a rainy and humid day! 
We haven't uploaded recent pictures in a few weeks, and a few weeks is a lot in the life of a baby. We were busy with her Grammy visiting, and now that Grammy is gone, Mommy is busy taking care of baby with no help! It makes me thankful even more for the time I had help. She likes to be held a lot and of course I like to hold her a lot, but things are slower with one free arm! Also, Calla is calmed by sucking on Daddy or my finger, which also makes it difficult to do much! I am just trying to enjoy this time with my little baby and not worry about getting everything done that I want to get done! I have been using my time to learn about shopping with coupons -- something I'd never before had time to do! Yesterday, I bought: 3 boxes of cereal, 2 jars of mayo and 2 pints of Starbucks ice cream for about 6 dollars! And praise God for Swagbucks, we were able to buy a new digital camera just from about a years' worth of regular internet searches. It's a really nice Canon, which replaces the one we lost. Here are some pictures of our little beauty.
Doing playtime today. Wearing her little hippy outfit that we bought at Kid to Kid.
This pic below is from when Grammy was here. We kept telling her about the "price of fashion," because she likes to complain when being dressed.
I decided to read Calla her Brown Bear book. She was very intent on looking at the pictures and make little sounds while she was concentrating.
It's like she's dreaming of being a princess in her sleep!
We've updated a few videos of Calla on our youtube account.
Today is a very special day for Darby. It is his very first Father's Day, with a little one-month old baby girl who he loves dearly. And it is his 30th birthday! I am so proud of him as a daddy -- he started being a great father even before Calla was born. He went to all of her prenatal visits, and took wonderful care of me to make sure I was rested and to help me make it through my work week. He cooked, cleaned, shopped, let me take naps, and all this in addition to working so much and being in school full time. And getting straight A's again!! Then through the labor and delivery, he proved what a good Daddy he was -- by my side, coaching me when the doctor was distracted, and even getting the doctor back on track when needed! Then as soon as she was born, he was in love! He loves holding her, and misses her when he is gone working so hard. He continues to be involved in everything, from doctor's visits to being up late at night, from diaper changes to burping the baby. And he continues to serve us in so many ways. We thank the Lord for such a great Daddy! I posted some Daddy-Daughter pictures in honor of him.
We are blessed yet again with more loving family to help us through days with a newborn. Calla's Grammy -- Darby's dear Mom is here to visit for 2 weeks. How special that she could be here for Darby's big day! We celebrated on Saturday by going to fancy seafood at Pappadeaux and then going to the park.
I can't believe that a month has passed since God blessed our lives with little Calla. I am so thankful for this little life entrusted to us. God has made her so sweet, so easy, so adorable. It has been so easy to adjust to life with a newborn when she is that newborn. Here are some pictures of the past month. She has had a full little life, though she slept through most of it!
Calla sleeps through her first Dodgers game at the Texas Rangers Ballpark.
Her onesie says, "My first LA game." Daddy made it! 
Redeemer Church throws a baby shower that Calla gets to attend, since the first one was canceled the day she was born! 
Calla visits the Stockyards. Yes, she sleeps through this too! 
We gave Calla her first bath on Wednesday after our outing to Central Market. She screamed the entire time, but was very quiet and alert afterwards. This was probably the highlight of my week!
I have been keeping a journal on Calla, so I don't forget some of our special moments later... Here is part of that entry from a few days ago: Calla is such a good, easy baby. We can always tell what she needs by her little sounds, and she remains pretty calm if it takes a while to meet that need. Calla was making some cooing sounds today. She didn’t spend very much time awake at all. I woke up, nursed her, and by the time I was showered and ready to go, she was hungry again. It took forever to gather all of her stuff to leave the house for our first family outing. Now I really understand why people with babies are late to everything! We got the diaper bag ready with diapers, wipes, cameras, a toy, burp cloth, onesie, blanket, etc. We put her in a very cute pink outfit with pink bow on her head. She was ready to eat, and rather than delay leaving another hour to nurse her, Nana gave her a bottle while we were in the car. We drove to Central Market. What a difference having a baby in the car with you as you drive a few miles. I found myself wanting Daddy to slow down and be extra careful driving over speed bumps and making left-hand turns. It is still hard for me to walk, so Nana and Daddy left me with Calla outside while they browsed for lunch. I used the time to hold her while she slept. I was singing in my head the song, “God is so good,” as I thought about my baby. I had tears in my eyes. I was thinking how amazing it is that she is here, so perfectly made right down to her fingernails and the little hairs on her shoulders. Her feet look like her Daddy’s, with the pinky toe curved inward. I love her fingernails that are pretty like mine. I love kissing her nose. I reluctantly let Daddy put her back in her carrier for lunch. I made him sanitize his hands first, thinking about germs all over the store!
The picture below shows that Calla really is like her Mommy!
Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement to us while our baby was sick. We had a visit on Sunday from the home health nurse, who took her blood sample. We got a call a few hours later that her levels had basically been cut in half, and we can take her out from under the lights. I hung up the phone and ran to the light bed, turned it off, took the eye shields off and held my baby! Since then, she's gradually been more and more like a normal baby. No longer sleepy all day, she wakes when she's hungry and cries when she has tummy pains and keeps us up at night for no apparent reason! Yay!! Overall, she's a very easy baby. She is pretty easy to figure out. And I think we're figuring out this nursing thing, too! Here are some pictures of our little girl, in honor of her turning 1 week old yesterday.
Mommy reading Psalm 139 to Calla. 
Please be in prayer for Calla. Her jaundice has become more severe, and the doctor has ordered a special "tanning bed" to keep at home to treat it. She will be under the lights 24 hours a day except feeding and diaper changes. Poor baby. And a nurse will come over every day to draw blood. As soon as the blood test comes back good, then she will be done with her therapy. The blood draw is very sad for us, as she has had 2 days in a row of this, which causes her to be hysterical and is very hard to watch. Our prayer is for little Calla's body to be healed with minimal treatment, that God will sustain her through this and help her to still feel loved and comforted despite minimal time we can hold her. We also pray for our own response to this trial, that we would honor the Lord as we give this situation over to Him, since He is the ultimate Healer and holds her little life in the power of His sovereignty. 
On a happier note, Calla has gained weight since yesterday, and she did very well at her first doctor's appointment! The picture below is for Cousin Audrey, who wanted to see Calla with her eyes opened! I haven't even seen her eyes very much, especially since she's been sleeping so much!
We included a few other pics to brag on our adorable baby!
She has spent most of the time sleeping, but has had some great nursing sessions. Karyn is starting to feel better and is able to get up and down more easily. It's so great just sitting in our hospital room getting to watch our beautiful girl and hold her...what a baby!
Thank you so much for all of the prayers that God has so bountifully answered by giving us such a strong, healthy, beautiful girl! 
Mommy loves her precious girl!
So here I am with just under 4 weeks to go until my due date. For those of you who don't know, there is a good chance that I'll be having her early, as she's already in position and I've started dilating! Yikes! We got that news on Wednesday, and that night I started having contractions that were 5 minutes apart. It turned out to be false labor, though, which I'm thankful for to buy us time to set up the nursery and do some final preparations.
The above pic is from just yesterday, when I am at 36 weeks. Not my favorite picture, but I know several of you are dying to see what I look like now! 
Above is Darby and I, when I was at 32 weeks.
I think the picture above is about 34 weeks.
This picture is at 35 weeks.
This is me at about 351/2 weeks at my work baby shower. God truly blessed us through my sweet coworkers! 
This is my adorable cake from my work shower. Pretty creative! 
