Italian

We keep telling her she's Italian.... but she looks SO dern cute in her little FRENCH beret! :)

You *might* live in the country AND hold a grudge...

When the sight of a DEAD porcupine has never made your Husband look HOTTER to you :) Love you baby! :)

Reebsie and I THANK you :)

For those who *might* be homesick...

finish up strong ladies... finish up strong... few more months and you'll be back here where you belong...

O-boyz... just not so sure how LONG this will be YOUR home... :) :) hrrrmmmm

Thursday ~ Weekly Play Date

It was the monthly get-to-gether with the Mom's, J.T., Dani and Minnie and this month it was at my house... The girls were on COMPLETELY different schedules all afternoon until right before they were getting ready to leave and we interrupted Minnie's food.....I hope the succession of pics makes you giggle 1/2 as much as J.T. and I... :) ~ click to enlarge

These were taken after everyone left for a girl that is on Husband's track team. She made this winter hat for Minnie using yarn from a local shop... I think it will be perfect NEXT winter but she just looked so dern cute I had to snap a few pics to send over to HP.

and he's not too shabby either *wink, wink* :)

Happy Four Months Baby Girl!

UPDATED WITH STATS:

11 LBS 11 OZ 15%
25 inches 75%
40 cm (head cir.) 25%

Minnie,

Today you are FOUR MONTHS OLD!!! Crazy to think that we found out about you just YESTERDAY one year ago...

Since we have figured out your feeding "issues" (again) and you are eating more and better you have really blossomed into such a fun little friend! We find out tomorrow how much you weigh and we are excited to see your growth!

You recently have become interested in your toys and you will crinkle them and try to get them ALL into your mouth. You are tolerating "tummy time" a little bit better and on Friday night Mimi worked with you to see if we could get you to roll over... Mama doesn't want you to do that TOO quickly because I sure do like telling you to "stay right there" and you do :)

Since we went through your food challenges you started choosing not to sleep through the night anymore... you also thought it would be ok to only take 10 min. naps a couple of times a day and thought that was going fly for a growing girl. This past week Mama became the "sleep nazi" and you have responded BEAUTIFULLY....you are a big fan of your bed now, barely fuss at all and a few times have even gone down for a nap with a smile on your face. That warms my heart. It also makes for a very happy girl when you've slept for 1.5-2 hours at a pop and also makes you a MUCH better eater.

We also got back to you sleeping a few times through the night, even if you were up at 4:54AM which is STILL before 5AM and Mama considers it the middle of the night :)

Your current schedule is up for the day around 5AM, you eat, hang out with Dad until 6:15-6:20 when you want to go back to sleep... you are back in your bed until about 8-8:15 and up and happy hanging out until you eat again around 8:45... we typically get you dressed for the day then and you play with your toys or in your swing until you are ready to go back down for another nap around 10-10:30. This one isn't typically too long but sometimes you sleep until 12 when you get up to eat again... around 1:30 you are back in bed and typically Dad gets to get you out of your crib because you sleep until AFTER he gets home...after that nap you are up for the duration and we play, have dinner, hang out and around 6ish you are ready to eat again and head off to bed.... it is not a schedule that I mind though I would prefer you to sleep past that 5AM feeding :)

I went through the tote of clothes for you this week and pulled out your 6-12 month things. Your 3 month jammies are too small for you and we are expecting some warmer weather soon so you'll need your spring things :)

You have finally realized Rebound exists and will follow him when he hops around the house.... though Daddy is still your favorite BY far and he doesn't mind one bit :) Neither do I :) We are so happy that God picked YOU to be our girl and we look forward to seeing what this NEXT month brings our way in raising you little one!! :)

One year ago, TODAY

Hard to believe we went from this.... (all my fertility meds, strips, cards from friends, charts, needles and negative results)

To Husband and I getting the SHOCKED BLESSING of our lives...

That today... looks like this :)

MY BFF...

I love this girl :)
For so MANY reasons... :)

Swirling Around My Head...

I saw my friend today... you know the one... the one we've all been praying for. The one who is a living breathing miracle? Yeah. Her.
She's doing famously. I, however, was a TRAIN WRECK on the WAY to see her, nevermind actually going IN to see her. I thought about the past week and 1/2. I thought about how her brother was in church with his family on Sunday. I thought about how her son was having a hard time in the nursery so her baby brother held him through the entire service. I thought about how he wants to buy his wife a Bible for her birthday. These are HUGE huge things. Only God opening doors sort of things...

I thought about her kids and how they are her life. I thought about her daughter at 6 years old, SAVING her mother's life. I thought about her son, whom she advocates for to get special services she thinks he needs, how she knows him inside and out and does whatever she can to make sure he's a happy, well-adjusted kid. NO one else will do this for this boy. He needs his Mama. I thought about Tribble and the fact that today is her 2nd birthday and her Mama wouldn't be there for chocolate covered strawberries but that her Mama is so THERE and will be just as soon as she's able. That Tribble won't need to spend another birthday, Lord willing, without her Mama.

I thought about her Husband. How he has faithfully been by her side, literally, since the Saturday this happened. How everyday he juggles kids, food, hospital, family, updates, friends and life. I thought about how thankful he is that his wife is ALIVE. Someone asked me recently if this had shaken his faith at all. It's a legit question. But no. No his faith has not wavered. He has remained constant and true to the Lord he serves never questioning and keeping his eyes upward. His faith has been that which has witnessed to others around him whether he realizes or not.

I thought about Laurie. And how tough she really is... and how tough she's going to have to be...

Will you continue praying for her?

It happens EVERY time...

This is just a RANDOM shot of how strange our pooch is... he followed me around the house like something was bugging him on Monday... Minnie was sleeping and I was in mid-mess in the bathroom between doing laundry, ironing, and switching out shower curtains. There wasn't a WHOLE lot of room for him to be in there as well but he'll cram himself into any small space he sees fit... Good thing we sure love him a lot :) This week I have been working on sleep training with Minnie. The past week or so with the time change, trips out of the house all day and her getting up in the middle of the night have made for a very grouchy, over-tired girl... she's doing famously so far. Much better than even I anticipated. She just needed to know what I expected from her I think and now she does :) These pics were taken at the point where she was waking up after her nap (and had just pulled the covers over her head, I watched her) and it cracked me up that the foot is hanging out.

Everytime she wears these PJs she manages to get that foot out...You all know I love me some hand-me-downs and these happen to be Dawson's old jammies. The kid is 11... the jams are old. :) They *might* be a little stretched out, a little bit big? and Minnie *might* just have her some skinny legs to fit through the holes

She does crack me up :)

Sunday, the only part of the Weekend Report...

On Sunday, Glory hosted a surprise baby BOY shower for our new friend Sweetie/GiGi? :) The tasty treats!! :) WORLD FAMOUS Cinnamon buns by Momma S and creative fruit display! Crazy cake by yours truly. Good thing I have 8 months to practice before Minnie's b-day because cake decorator... I am NOT. :) The guest of honor with her NOW youngest...

Sky holding BIG Baby bit and Momma S with Minnie :) OR should I just start refering to you with your new nickname Momma S? :) tee hee hee

The whole T family... (and hey look, it's Glory :)

Mama H and her boys were there as well but Minnie was a lil' skreetchy so there were not too many pics... good times had by all though. Thanks again for hosting Glory! :)

LAST Thursday...

As I'm sure you have gathered from my blog entries and FB updates, my thoughts are a "little" consumed with my friend Laurie, her healing, her family and her future...but I do know and realize some of you MAY come here strictly for the little people :) So I will oblige.. I also know that Laurie's husband, though he may not have time to check the blog right now, thinks of Minnie as his "comic relief" :)

On Thursday we met up with J.T. and Dani at the park to hae a picnic and take a walk. The girls slept through the WHOLE thing. :) Nice. After 5 days of rain here in Northern New England this Mama needed her some Vitamin D...
When we got home though rest assured no one was resting... I might just start calling Dani, "giggly" since it is all she seems to do :)

So cute! :)

Whatever will we do when these girls don't fit in the Bumbos anymore? :)

It was so nice out that J.T. had to bring her firstborn... these two got along great as usual until JUST before they had to leave....not sure who started what but there was a bit of a tussle that was quickly broken up by J.T. and Husband. Yipes.

And because I couldn't just pick ONE of these to post you got the whole shi-bang! Click to enlarge :)

When Husband got home frome work he snagged the opportunity to snuggle with BOTH the ladies...:)

hrrrmm.... what COULD their attention be focused on?

ah yes... they would be the daughters of outdoorsmen :) never too early to learn the love and passion their Dad's have for hunting, fishing and all things outdoorsy :)

Fun times! As usual.