16 Years

16 years ago today Shelby & I had our first date. Tonight, we celebrated with our two baby girls! Our celebration consisted of eating out at a KFR (Kid Friendly Restaurant), going to Kirkland's to buy a lamp, and grocery shopping. Although Shelby & I didn't have a romantic dinner reminiscing about the last 16 years, (have we EVER had a romantic dinner?!?!?) we got lots of smiles, hugs & laughs at supper from two special little ladies. After groceries, it was home for baths and play time before bedtime stories, milk, and cuddling with our two little loves. That's one of the things I love most about having babies. They have a way of making you slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. I am totally content and in my happy place when I am surrounded by my family, doing the simple things like helping Georgia mark off the groceries on our shopping list or tickling Ivy Jane until she belly laughs or singing the Elmo alphabet rap with Shelby while our girls laugh and clap...thank you, Lord, for this sweet family you have given me!

Miss Independent

Georgia & Ivy Jane received a package in the mail today from Mimi & Aunt Heather. Georgia had a Sesame Street t-shirt & stickers and Ivy Jane had a shirt & book. Georgia was SOOOO excited when she saw the shirt that she immediately started taking her dress off and wanting to put the t-shirt on. When I tried to help her, she said, "No Momma! Joja do it!" So, like every other time she gets dressed, I let her try & try at it until she finally gives up and says, "Momma do it!" I must say I got the best laugh as I was chasing her around the living room with the camera. She was squealing and laughing and drooling (I think she's cutting her 2 year molars). Here are the pictures of "Miss Independent" trying to get dressed herself! And notice she's still wearing her bloomers from the dress she was wearing earlier...too excited to get the t-shirt on to stop and take the bloomers off!

Finally, she gave up and asked me to do it...thanks, Mimi & Heather for the goodies (and the great laugh that came with them)!

Spaghetti Faces & Hooded Monsters

Shelby thought he would be home about 5:30 tonight, and I've been trying to have supper ready so that we can eat when he walks through the door. The girls are always so ready to eat...it's all I can do to keep them happy until time to eat. At 5:35 Shelby was still at work, and Georgia had climbed into her booster seat and had her strap buckled so I decided to go ahead and let them eat!

Ivy Jane LOVES to eat! I have not found a thing that she doesn't like. She's learning to use a spoon and is loving the process and I love watching her figure it out! I learned a long time ago that spaghetti night means stripping both girls down to their diaper and heading straight to bath afterwards!

She wouldn't stop eating to smile at the camera!

She ate every bite of her garlic toast!

Georgia's eating habits are a little less desirable these days. She does love spaghetti, but she didn't touch anything else...ugh. I would say that is my biggest stress as a mom lately...mealtime with the 2 year old who has decided she's a picky eater...

Have I said lately how much I love these little girls?! Picky eater or not...I think I'll keep them both! =) GREAT facial expressions...
They were so messy that I ran their bath water while they were still strapped in their seats and then I took them STRAIGHT to the bath! Shelby got home while they were playing in the bath. I'd say they were glad he was home!

I just love the hooded towels...

Cutest little hooded monsters I've ever seen!

Today I am thankful for spaghetti faces and hooded monsters! I really am loving the life that God has blessed me with, and I do not take it for granted. The way Ivy Jane belly laughs and Georgia counts, "One, two, fwee, fi, six, seben, eight, nine, ten" (she always leaves out four) are priceless. I hope I never forget those sounds.

Peek-a-Boo in Momma's Closet

While I was getting ready today Ivy Jane and Georgia were giggling in my closet. I knew it was probably a kodak moment waiting to happen, so I ran to get my camera & this is what I found!

Peek-a-boo Ivy Jane!
Big Sis joins in...I loved hearing their "sister talk"...
Peek-a-boo little sweeties!

Alee Update

I just realized I never updated everyone on Alee. She got to go home last Wednesday! YAY! She started talking a little, saying Momma, Daddy, & Baby. She even got up and walked on Tuesday evening, even when the doctors thought it might not be possible. She's a fighter, but still has a journey ahead of her. A cure has not been found for Tubular Sclerosis, but we know that with God all things are possible! Please continue to pray for her and her parents.

Fun with Family

Shelby was able to take a couple days off so we headed to see his family. Taking a trip with a one-year-old & a two-year-old is not exactly easy, but knowing the girls are comfy at Granby & Mimi's house is a comfort to me. We had a great few days and Shelby & I got to go shopping one afternoon & out to eat one evening-just the two of us & it was glorious! Shelby had to work in Kilgore on Wednesday, so it worked out that the girls & I could go with him that morning and spend the day with my parents (AND we'd be one hour closer to our destination)!

Mom & Dad have a little rocking chair that Ivy Jane learned she could climb into and she was so proud of herself. Look at this happy little face...

And then she figured out she could play peek-a-boo in the curtains!
Georgia & I played and played with the Fisher Price little people garage. She enjoyed putting every chair that she could find on top of the garage...of course!
We got to Granby & Mimi's house Wednesday night and played awhile before getting in bed late. The next morning we slept late, ate breakfast, and played until time for lunch!
Going to meet Granby for lunch...
Sisters waiting on lunch at the tea room...
Georgia REALLY enjoyed the chocolate cake & ice cream that Mimi shared with her...
Shelby's Grandma sold her house last month and moved into a retirement center that is WONDERFUL! She has a small apartment with huge windows...the perfect space for her! It is like a very nice hotel with a small library, grocery store, hair salon, dining room, etc. She lives alone but her best friend lives in an apartment nearby & she is enjoying playing bingo twice a week! =) She reserved a special family dining room for us Thursday evening to eat dinner together. It was so nice and afterwards we enjoyed visiting with her at her new pad!

Georgia warmed up to her when she started reading her Elmo books!

She's too busy to take a "normal" picture with Momma...
She LOVES her Mimi & Ivy Jane was enjoying "getting" her sister! =)
I'd say Georgia got comfy...
Ivy Jane climbed in the booster seat that was on the floor and ate pineapple sherbet from Grandma...Georgia warmed up REALLY quickly to future uncle Julian. His nickname is Jules, but Georgia calls him Juice! Having a snack...

Reading books...

Playing with toys...

Watching Cookie Monster in the media room!

As great as the trip was, it's always good to get home, get back on a schedule, get the laundry done, and sleep in our own beds! Thanks for a great visit Granby, Mimi, Heather, Jules, & Great Grandma!

Prayer for Alee

Look at this sweet little angel named Alee...

She's in the hospital tonight intubated and sedated after having a seizure for more than an hour last night. Her mom Mindee is a sweet friend of mine, and an awesome teacher in Kathy's Mother's Day Out program. (She would have been Georgia's teacher this year...wahhh!) Alee was diagnosed with Tubular Sclerosis when she was about 9 months old. Unfortunately, there is no cure for it. Kathy, Mom & I were able to see her tonight at the hospital. Mindee is asking specifically for prayer tomorrow. IF Alee's brain activity levels out they will take the tube out and off the sedation and Mindee is scared. She wants her Alee back, but they know she had some brain damage since the seizure lasted so long. Please pray specifically for MINIMAL brain damage and that Alee is Alee when she wakes up. What a privilege it is to be able to pray for our friends and loved ones. God is able to MOVE mountains and I'm believing that He is going to move the mountains for Alee and her family!

New Beginnings

Mornings are one of my favorite times of the day...the girls have serious bedhead, and huge smiles & hugs for Momma, and we start the day out refreshed and renewed (most days)! They usually hang out in my bathroom with me while I get ready. I bring a basket of toys and lock both doors so they can't get out! Georgia loves her baby doll...I think she's under all of those blankets!

Ivy Jane has learned to love books just as much as her big sis! We usually have at least one or two arguments over books each day!

School started here in Louisiana this past week. As I was shopping in Target with my girls one day I saw a mom and her two little girls shopping for school supplies. I looked at them for a second and thought, "that will be me in NO TIME!" I cannot believe I already have a two year old and a one year old. As I was loading yet another box of diapers into my shopping cart I said a prayer of thanksgiving...right then and there. Thank you Lord for these baby girls...thank you that I can stay home with them...thank you for Shelby's job that allows me the PRIVILEGE of staying home with them. This time of year always makes me miss teaching a bit, but then I snap out of it! =)

I came across this prayer in another blog and I had to share it with my friends who are facing a new school year! May your year be blessed!

Here we are again, Lord. Their backpacks are loaded and their faces are scrubbed and their lunch accounts are full. And I know you'll walk with them, Lord. You always do. But a mom still has to ask. Will You walk with them? Will You whisper to them what they need to hear, when I'm not there to whisper it? Will You please, oh please, cover their school with the protection only You can give, and will You keep harm far away? Will You make their minds strong and ready to learn? Will You help them understand that hard work honors the One who created them? Will You guide their teachers, giving them patience and wisdom and creativity and even more patience? Will You bless them for their efforts? Will You love all those children there, the ones whose lunch accounts aren't full, the ones who feel alone? Will You teach my children to be kind and unselfish and to love those who are different from them? Will You point them back toward home just as soon as you can? Lord, I give them to You today and everyday, trusting them to Your care. Amen.

One of Shelby's friends at work invited us to his daughter's first birthday. We went this morning and had a FANTASTIC time! Adley turned one...just FIVE days after Ivy Jane! In all there were 7 families with 12 kiddos ranging from about 9 weeks-5 years!

Shelby really likes the guys he works with and I'm so thankful. Most of them are new to the area, too, so it's great having connections with people who are in the same boat as us.

Since we moved (really since we first found out we were moving) I've been praying for friends for us, but especially the girls. Looks like we may have found ourselves some friends! The wives have jobs like...OT, dental hygenist, HR recruiter, kindergarten teacher & there is one other stay-at-home-mom...YAY!!!! Thank you, Lord, for new beginnings!

Trying to remember everything...

So I see my blog as an online baby book in a way...one that I can go back to & find the dates, etc. when the girls performed certain skills, especially since I am SOOOO behind on their baby books! Ugh. I'm horrible when it comes to scrapbooking, baby books, etc. I HAVE to be better at that. So, I'm blogging this morning to add a few things that Georgia is saying & that Ivy Jane is doing right now that I forgot to mention on the previous post. I want to remember EVERYTHING they are doing and saying because it changes so very quickly!

Georgia--

*"No Momma, Jo-ja do it. Jo-ja do it!"...as she buckles herself into her carseat or puts on her pj's or shoes.

*"Help me! Help me!"...as she runs to help me sweep, mop, vacuum or unload the dishwasher. She says "help me" because I always ask her, "Do you want to help me?"

*and "Hold you!"...as she reaches up for one of us to hold her.

Here is her attempt at putting on her pj's by herself. Shelby said it was her first (and ONLY) tube top that she would wear!

Ivy Jane--

*crawling crazy fast!

*cruising around the furniture...yesterday she turned loose and reached from one chair to another

*laughing hysterically (big, belly laughs) at her big sister

*climbing up the stairs (thank goodness for the baby gate!)

Here is Ivy Jane waiting patiently for her sister to wake up from her nap! She kept crawling away and getting more toys!

I love these girls! They definitely keep me on my toes and I'm loving it!

Busy Georgia

Oh where do I begin about Georgia Claire? She is such a delight! She is totally into ELMO right now...she loves to watch Elmo videos, sing Elmo songs, wear her Elmo t-shirt, and read her Elmo books.

Other things she's doing...

*counts to 10 (when SHE wants to!)

*says "please" & "thank you"

*sings "twinkle twinkle little star" and "Jesus loves you" when we sing it to her

*says "new house" when we drive into our neighborhood & then, like clock work, says "gape" when we drive through the gate

*LOVES her babies...especially rocking & humming to them, and then telling her Daddy & me "baby ni ni...shhhh!"

*makes friends when we go shopping, saying "hi" and "bye"

*"reads" books for a long time. She loves to sit and read while her Daddy or I sit and read.

Here are some favorite pictures of her these last few weeks...

Playing hide 'n seek with me...

Happy girl after spaghetti for supper...
Early morning reading with her baby...
Putting her baby to bed...(she got embarrassed when I came in and saw her covering her up with a blanket & humming to her!)
Sweet 2 year old...

Happy First Birthday, Ivy Jane!

Ivy Jane turned a year old on August 5th...where did the year go?! She has become such a sweetie pie, but I'm afraid she's going to be my strong-willed one! As the doctor said today at her check-up, there is nothing wrong with strong-willed! It just means that she's going to be a leader one day! Sounds good to me...I'm going with that! =) She weighs 21 pounds, 13 oz and is 30 inches long. She's wearing 18 month clothes and has almost caught up to her big sister! She's saying "momma", "dadda", "no no", "nana" for banana, "cows", "cracker", "paw paw", and LOTS of gibberish...I'm thinking she's going to be caught up with Georgia in her language, too!

On her birthday I went into her bedroom singing "Happy Birthday" to her and here is the sweet little squinty-eyed smile I got in return...

Opening gifts...she was already getting tired, can you tell?!

Kids Table...Georgia is so big!

Happy Birthday girl...
Our attempt at a family picture...Georgia was running around with her cousins and wouldn't stop for a photo!

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to! (Right after this picture, she went to bed!)

Georgia & Caroline playing...the faces say it all!
Three little monkeys jumping on the bed!
The decor...I put pictures of Ivy Jane throughout the year in mason jars. Shelby's mom added pink roses that I bought...it was girly and oh-so-cute!
When Ivy Jane woke up she finally ate her mini strawberry cake and thoroughly enjoyed it!
She was pooped...fell asleep in Daddy's arms at 7:30!
We love you, Ivy Jane! Thank you for being a precious addition to our family. We cannot wait to watch you and Georgia grow up together!