Calender Girl

Of course we had to take come 4th of July pictures for our calendar we are making for next year! I’ve had this little shirt for several months and couldn’t wait for her to wear it. Abby is harder to take pictures of these days because she is such a quick crawler. Along with 4th of July I’m excited to have some extra days off work and enjoy those at home with Abby. We don’t have much planned but maybe a trip to the park and of course on Sunday the Annual cookout at Claude and Rosemary’s! It will be Abigail’s 1st time in a big pool! I hope she loves it!

Croup Croup Croup

These pictures were taken yesterday, and looking back at them now, Abby doesn’t seem as full of life as she normally is. She woke up last night about 11:00 AM with a horrible cough. It sounded like a seal, or even a barking dog. It was very distinct in sound and it made her sound absolutely pitiful. I was up later than normal because I didn’t have to work the following day and I went in her room, hugged and rocked her for a while. Jason got the vaporizer down from the closet. We thought that would help with her conjestion and coughing noise. I got her back to sleep and she coughed on and off thorough out the night. This early morning I pulled her into bed with me and we sleep together till about 8:00. She sounded so pitiful and it brought tears to my eyes. When she cried she sounded horse. I feel like this came on all of a sudden. I called her pediatrician at 8:00 this morning when his office opened and he wanted us to bring her right in. He prescribed her a steroid. He said that it is caused as the result of a virus so antibiotics wouldn’t help it. He told us to keep the vaporizer running, and to turn our bathroom into a sauna steam room if she continues to have trouble breathing.


What broke my heart was how scared Abigail looked. She seemed frightened that she couldn’t breathe normally, much less take her bottle without having to grasp for air. We are so blessed with this little angel and we are very fortunate that she hasn’t been sick that much. So around 10:00 AM Abigail seemed to be fine and normal. No coughing and her congestion was clear, however our pediatrician told us that it will last 3-5 days, and that tonight will more than likely be worse than the night prior, we put her down to bed about 7:30 and she has already woke up 3 times coughing. I hope that she gets some rest this evening. Also the steroid that she is on makes her really hungry, kind of agitated. She took one nap in the morning and was up all afternoon. He said the medicine would probably make her not want to sleep, and I think she is proving him right. I’m praying for a speedy recovery – she is too sweet to feel sick!

7 Sweet Years!

Seven years ago today I married my best friend…

Abigail's VBS

Abigail's 1st VBS

Generous Act

I was taught a lesson of generosity this evening. It humbled me in the end and God showed me the compassionate love of a child through a simple act. We had VBS this week; our church van ran every evening through a trailer park near our church. We had a van full of kids every evening from the trailer park. The kids absolutely love Abigial. Several of them want to hold her, hug her, touch her, and help me tend to her needs. There was one little girl that took a special interest in her and stuck by her side most of the week. On Thursday she told me that she had gotten her a present, that was a stuffed animal, but it was at home. I told her that was very sweet of her to get her a gift but Abigail would want her to enjoy the stuffed animal and play with it. I told her that she didn’t need to get Abigail anything, that she could just be friends with her and that would be showing her love and friendship. I told her how we value friends and love above presents. Anyway on Friday, we get to Bible school and she had the brightest smile on her face, and a stuffed bear in her hands, that had a Christmas outfit on. The bear was old, worn, and to be honest wrecked of cigarette smoke. She was so pleased with her gift for Abigail. We acted excited and I took the bear and placed it in the chair beside our stuff. Several time throughout the evening she made comment to the bear and asked if we could play with it, I told her we would have to wait until VBS was over. She asked me several times if we liked the bear and if I thought Abigail liked the bear. She kept seeking approval through the gift she gave us. She so desperately wanted to show us love. She is the sweetest little girl. I have to be honest, my first instinct was to toss the bear, however on the way home, Jason said to me that was a gift given with true love and generosity. She so desperately wanted to give us something. So I am going to soak the bear in dreft this evening, and toss it in the washer tomorrow, and put it with Abigail’s other animals as a reminder to me of this generous act.

I love My Wagon...

Abbyroo loves to be outside.  We got her this wagon for Christmas and she is starting to love to use it.  We will wheel her around the back yard as the dogs follow behind.  She loves her puppies and being with them.  I love watching her grow, learn, laugh, and play.  I just love her enjoying life  Kids are amazing, and it is even more amazing to watch them grow.  It is hard to believe that 11 short months ago we were just waiting for her arrival, anxiously might I add.  She has gone from a helpless little baby, to learning to be independant and wanting to feed her self.  She has gone from wanting her baba to wanting her sippy cup.  She has gone from wanting to be held at all times, to wanting to play on the floor.  She is amazing, I love her more and more everyday.  Nothing in this world compares to the love a mother has for her child. 

Fearfully and Wonderfully made...

Psalm 139:13-14, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. “

I am ready for another baby in the house! Abigail will be one next month and I’m ready to start growing our family. I guess you could say that I have baby fever. I have so many friends who are having babies and getting to hold these new bundles of joy just makes me want another child even more. I’m 28 and definitely want another baby by the time I am 30, so Jason knows I’m ready – and I’m hoping we can grow our family in the near future. I got to see one of these new precious bundles of joy today, Olive Napier was born yesterday, weighing in at 5 lbs and 3 oz, and 18 ½ inches long. She is just precious, just perfect, and wonderfully made!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!!!  I have never seen a daddy more proud of his little girl. Since day one Jason has just been such a wonderful dad and continues to grow in love for her. I was so excited to share in this first father’s day with him. Jason truly sets of example of our heavenly father and shows patience and love in all he does. We celebrated the day at home. Abby woke up with a temperature so she and I stayed home from church. Jason left for church and Abby went down for a nap until about 11. When she woke up we went outside and drew a message on the sidewalk for daddy for when he came home. Jason wanted to cook steaks on the grill, and requested that I make banana pudding. Jason’s parents came over to celebrate, what a wonderful father’s day at home relaxing. We ordered Jason a Frappe maker that he has enjoyed. I couldn’t imagine a better husband and daddy! We love you Jay!!!

Blackboard

I think if they had a blackboard in Abbyroo’s daycare she might have gotten her name written on it today. Abby has made friends with the little girl whose crib is next to hers in her class. They take an afternoon nap about 1:00/1:30 each day and all the babies go into their cribs and they turn off the lights. Abby and her friend got as close as they could to each other laying down, they would reach for each other, one would poke her head up and then the other would, they would poke their little bottoms up in the air, and the other one would, and they would echo each other. I think they were stuck in a game of copy cat. They both eventually feel asleep for their nap, but I’m sure that it disturbed the other kids. Abby sure does love other kids; they can make her laugh the most. It is just not as funny when mommy and daddy play peek a boo. She is starting to develop her own little sweet personality. I treasure each of these moments.

Handprints on the Wall

So I can’t believe we are planning a birthday party! Wow it has been almost a year already – are you kidding me? My baby little girl is 10 1/2 months old. I just wonder where the time gone? That is why I take so many pictures – because I don’t want to forget anything! Her first smile, giggle, slobber lick on my cheek, first roll over, pull up, and yes, 1st step!

I started going through all the pictures that I have taken of Abigail to make a slide show of her first year. This is a very hard process because I have so many of her. I am not going to list how many because it is rather embarrassing, but to be honest, I don’t put all the ones I take of her on Facebook – ha ha, I am sure that you are laughing with me because there are hundreds and hundreds on my FB page. The hard part of this slideshow video is going to be finding the perfect song. Wow, what a challenge. I have had several that have come to mind, but this is a hard decision. We will make it into a DVD for Abbyroo as a gift, and hopefully show this at her first birthday party. Hopefully I will find the perfect song – Do you have any recommendations? I am figuring that the song is going to last about 4 ½ minutes, and with each picture for 3 seconds…so that would be 90 pictures right? I had Jason configure that out for me, he can do all that in his head! I’m a social worker, we aren’t good at math! Maybe we will do a couple of songs, but I would really like to keep the video about 5 minutes.

So I have ordered Abigail’s birthday outfit, I am starting on looking around for decorations, but we have decided on doing a homemade personalized birthday sign with my new cricut expression, along with cupcake toppers and our invitations. We have decided to have her birthday party at the Bull Golf Course in their party room in the pro shop, due to space. Even with immediate family only our house is a little wee small to seat people comfortably, especially on a hot July afternoon. I couldn’t be more excited for this little girl to get all the attention she desires on her special day – we have already ordered her birthday presents, and I can’t wait to give them to her. I told Jason that he should keep them in his office at work so that I wouldn’t be tempted to give them to her. We’re are thinking about getting her one year old professional pictures done a couple of weeks prior to her birthday so we will have one to have framed at her party. So we figure, for 1st year – the simpler the better. We want a fun afternoon with friends and family that have played a special part in her life.

I treasure every day with her, every moment, every second, they are all so precious.

Chorus to Kenny Rogers song, Handprints on the wall:

“Days go by so quickly;
Summer turns to fall.
Seemed like only yesterday,
That you began to crawl.
So don't be afraid to take that step,
I'll catch you when you fall.
An' I don't mind if you leave behind,
A few handprints on the wall.”