The Chronicles of Little D.

Thank You, Gramee!

2011-01-15T16:04:00.003-06:00

Or is it Gamee, or Grammee...

Well, we love you & just wanted to say thank you so much for the great Christmas gifts. Here are a few pics of them in action:

After much internet and mall searching, I could not find a bedding set that was cohesive with our original colors and style. So, sort of on a whim, I asked Topher if he wanted to check TJ Maxx for bedding & he brought home this gorgeous ensemble. The result? Drew loves her new big girl bed and bedding, and so do I.

I love that you remembered how much I wanted an electric griddle & how handy it was for cottage cheese pancakes! Isn't this a thing of beauty? It also makes a perfect grilled cheese sandwich...or two.

It's funny how small kitchen appliances have continued to be some of the best, most useful gifts over the years.

Thank you as well for the amazing toothbrushes (Drew wants one now) and for the watch and cutting food for Drew. That was the last gift she opened on Christmas day & played with it the rest of the afternoon! I somehow don't have pics of those, so you'll have to come see first hand. Can't wait for you to visit!!!

Love you & many thanks!

Drew is 2

2009-09-14T13:31:00.004-05:00

well, i had a great birthday! as you can see, i thoroughly enjoyed my cake...but let's rewind for a sec:

the morning of my birthday, mama made me a special pancake breakfast. yum, yum. we even put a candle in it. And daddy stayed for breakfast & to open a couple of gifts with me--that time with him was my favorite part.

when the mail came, i was able to open a couple more gifts! thanks, Grandpa Bill & Sandra. i love my new princess dress up clothes and book.

finally, on saturday, was my party! oh how i love parties, especially ones with cake. this party had a cake just for me.

lots of my friends came over to play with me. we had a great time playing in the the water, especially with my new sprinkler.

after the water games, i got to open birthday gifts. what a lucky girl i am! it was so much fun!

most of all, i loved spending my birthday party with so many friends and family. thank you everyone!

drewster at the beach

2009-06-30T13:22:00.004-05:00

it was very fun to get to go to camp this year with my mom & dad.

hold me tight, daddy! (i got you, drew says)

and, i even got to hang out with my cousin T & aunt jill & uncle lamar & Grammy!

this "working vacation" couldn't have been better. sun & fun, family & friends. mmm, perfect!

see ya next year, beach!

drew-isms

2009-05-21T20:27:00.002-05:00

A's = letters. also in this category is "RT" and her latest, "W". if she sees letters or typing, she use to only call them all A's. now, though, when she wants mommy to write, she asks for "RT". today i overheard her "reading" a sign to herself..."R,T,W..." she is, however, learning to sing her ABCs and is doing a wonderful job. i love it!

hold you = hold me. she does not say "hold me" or "pick me up", or even "up" it's only ever, "hold you" usually followed immediately by "mommy". "hold you, mommy" is one of my favorite phrases.

for the fruits: manna=banana (she use to say banana, but no more). strawbees= strawberries. she loves to say melon & most words with L. we use melon for cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew...all of it.

when she passes gas, she says, "booty" to which we've taught her to add, "'scuse me". when she hears someone else pass gas, she does the same.

her favorite songs:
jesus loves me. it sounds a bit like, "sheshush love me, s i know. for bible me so..."
she emphasizes the words "for" & "bible". it's perfect.
ABCs. she first started singing this the way it's sung on Super Why by Pig. a very snappy tune, which she seems to prefer over the traditional. we still sing both versions, though. it would feel almost blasphemous not to.
ring around the rosie. both a song & a game, really. she loves it! her version: ring round rosie, pocket posies, ashes, ashes, all fall down. who needs the other words? many times, it's just ashes, ashes, all fall down. and, when things drop or fall, it's "uh-oh, fall down".

cowell = owl and also cow, and sometimes our neighbor, kyle. here again, she use to say both animal words just fine, but has abandoned them to this. it started a few weeks ago when she was trying to say "kyle" and it came out "cowell". cute, right? but now, she really won't say owl or cow properly. hmmm?

she still uses some of her sign language, mostly the sign for please, which has become a quick swipe across the chest or tummy. sometimes she even swipes both hands at the same time, one on each side...but, it's more of a 4-finger swipe than a whole hand. she also likes to sign "hot" and "all gone/finished".

that reminded me, she says "inished" and "inger" instead of finished or finger. but, she will say fish & fall. hmmm, again?

she calls my parents mamaw & papaw and calls topher's mom Grammy. yesterday, she was talking about all of them & put two of them together & said grammaw. she calls uncle lamar "mar" but she can say tyler & jill's names quite well.

well, there are many more, but those were on my mind. if you're reading this, chances are you don't get to see drew as much as you'd like, so that helps you imagine what her personality is like. she has a precious little voice. and, i don't even mind when she smacks her food...go figure.

more like chronicles of leya...

2009-04-23T13:21:00.005-05:00

hey, everybody. i got an email from my Mamaw Lou (mom's mom) saying she checked on our blog this week & that she can't believe how much drew is growing. turns out someone actually does read this from time to time, so i guess i better post an update, especially since drew's grown even more in the last 2 months! again, somehow i seem to be keeping with my every-other-month trend.

well, at the end of february, my precious Mamaw Nelda (dad's mom) went to be with Jesus. it was a surprise to us and was, of course, an emotionally challenging experience. i went to spend 6 days with family in arkansas, while leaving drew & topher at home, so that added to my grief a little, too. it's always good to be reunited with loved ones, it's just hard under such circumstances. God used the time, though, to draw us closer together. i can't describe how blessed i am to have those hours with my grandad, especially. he told me story after story about his life & his journey with the Lord & i absolutely hung on every word. i did get a few pics. hope that's not too wierd. here's my adorable grandad, Papaw Freeman...me & my "bubba" Jon...and my gorgeous youngest cousin Barbara, whose middle name is Fay, after our Mamaw Nelda Fay.

when i got home, my precious baby & husband had painted a huge banner to welcome me!

notice how drew's covering her face. that's what she did for a while anytime someone tried to take her picture.

part of my problem is that i haven't taken many pictures since this. i do have a couple of our visit with uncle lamar, aunt jill & cousin tyler, so i'll post them next. honestly, i didn't even get any of drew in her easter dress. what kind of mother am i?! i did get some of her hunting eggs, though & they're cute, so i'll share those too. and, rest assured i plan to get her back in that dress as soon as possible. she looked too cute not to show the world.

2009-02-20T08:44:00.003-06:00

hello, everyone. so, here's the Christmas pics my mom promised. turns out she didn't take many. i think she was distracted that day by all the family fun & the web-camming. it was so great to be able to share Christmas with our family, some who were right here with us & some who were miles away. this fabulous tricycle is from my papaw who lives in tx. that's my dad's dad. he and his wife will be visiting me this month & i can't wait. we shared christmas with them over the webcam.

look...i got 2 little laptops for christmas, one from each grandma. i was really needing my own, b/c mom & dad won't let me play with theirs.

one of my favorite things is this hat, scarf & mitten set from mamaw. i love to wear them, even inside.

opening gifts this year was so much fun. last year i only wanted to chew on my presents, but this year i could really play! i also got am adorable outfit from aunt jill, uncle lamar & cousin T, who we talked to over the web cam & will also be visiting in a few weeks. i'm gonna have so much fun with them!!!

it was a wonderful christmas and i got to spend it with my grambee from tx, plus my mamaw & papaw from al. and, my mommy & daddy too. and angel, who also got a new collar & some treats. lucky dog.

i love my family!

my little pumpkin

2009-01-05T12:27:00.005-06:00

thanksgiving comes before christmas, right? well, in the interest of our OCD readers (and writer) here are our pics from october & november:

we went to a little pumkin patch to have some fun & bring home a few small fall decorations

look, daddy. there's a lady bug!

why is it so hard for us to get a good family photo? this one did not make the calendar.

there's our little pumpkin, sitting with all the huge pumpkins. we really did only bring home this next little one that she picked from the patch, plus a couple of small gourds for a table decoration.

i took a pic of her pumpkin, plus this precious little artowrk she brought home from sunday school. can you read it? it says, "i made a little turkey so everyone can see that i am very thankful that God's been so good to me." i love it!

so, she learned to say "pumpkin", of course, which she did properly for many weeks. but somehow, pumpkin became mumpkin, and then eventually monkey. go figure.

as for our little drew pumpkin, when we went for her 15 mo. check up (at 16 months), she weighed a bit over 25 lbs & was more than 34 inches tall. so, she's still "off the chart", as they say. she seems to be taking more after her daddy, who was tall right from the start as well.

happy new year! we'll tell you about our Christmas soon...

Amen!

2008-12-02T11:26:00.002-06:00

So, just a quick post to share something totally adorable...at least to Topher & me.

Last week, on the Sunday night before Thanksgiving, Drew did something that completely cracked us up & also caused us to marvel--both at the sponge-like quality of children & at the sweetness of our Lord. Most nights, part of our bedtime routine is a family prayer. I usually hold Drew in my arms & Topher wraps his arms around both of us and prays. Not too long ago, Drew would just squirm and whine & was sometimes impossible to hang onto. Those were short prayers mostly. But, in recent weeks, she's begun to calmly and sweetly look up at her daddy while he prays. I love to watch her face watch his. On Sunday night, when he was finished thanking Jesus for our little family, he finished with an "Amen"...and so did Drew! Her little amen was so cute and sweet in her soft sleepy voice. Oh, how precious. I can't even express how much we both delighted in her response. Topher was especially impacted by it.

Thank you, Lord for my incredible family. I imagine how much you delight in the prayers & "Amen" agreements of your children. You are so good to me. More than I deserve. I love you!

--Amen

just for fun

2008-10-16T12:27:00.002-05:00

Playing with my Daddy. He loves this game and so do I!

Mommy's 30th birthday! My Mamaw & Papaw & Uncle Jon came from Alabama to celebrate. We had lots of fun together.
I'm just trying to be cute here, people. A little pouty, a little coy. Clinging to Daddy. You get the idea.
This picture was taken back in August, so I've grown a lot since then. This is one of my favorite outfits, given to me for my birthday by my Aunt Jill! Isn't it adorable? I couldn't be cuter in it.

And, here's a little snapshot of me with my Grambee, taken at the botanical garden across the street from my neighborhood. Grambee came to visit last week! I'll have some more pictures soon of me in a pumpkin patch, which we played in while she was here. I even picked out my very own pumpkin.

---See you soon!

sizing up

2008-09-08T11:06:00.002-05:00

when i posted her birthday pics, i didn't let you all know how she's growing...

at her 12 month check up, she was 32 inches tall & weighed 22.8 pounds. can you believe she's grown a foot? yes, she's very tall. which is much more noticeable, now that she's WALKING! yay. she took her first "official" steps on Aug. 16 & is getting better by the minute.

One Sweet Year

2008-08-05T14:46:00.010-05:00

Happy Birthday, Drew!

ok, seriously, i heard Topher say the words, "no way, dude. i have a one year old..." and this totally sent me reeling. (it was in response to a late night inviation to dinner, by the way, which was not the part that took me aback.) if Toph has a one year old, that must mean i do too. whoa nelly. where did she come from? because, I have a baby, don't I? not an almost toddler! I suppose i'll get used to this growing up business at some point.

nah. no, i won't.

alright, here's how we celebrated:
one of our dearest friends, Kaleigh, came for a perfectly long visit & was able to help us party it up all week long! So, we started Tuesday with a special birthday breakfast & a couple of presents. One of them was a float for the pool. So, after the special birthday lunch, (mac n cheese) we went for a swim.

mmm, i love mac & cheese!
is this drew showing us she's one? she has also learned to point to her nose when you ask her where it is...perhaps with all the slippery cheese...well, you know. yuck.
pretty girls at the pool

So, after a special breakfast, special lunch and pool time, we went out for...a special dinner! we all love japanese hibachi & drew has been a few times, but this time she actually cried when the chef made the big flame. too bad i have no picture of that.

finally, right before bed we opened a huge gift bag full of tons of great stuff for the birthday princess. thanks to "momma Gail" who is topher's assistant at church. the gift bag included her special princess "1" tiara, and a precious baby doll that drew loved to kiss, plus lots of other great stuff. so awesome!
when we said we celebrated all week, we meant it. drew got some great gifts that came in the mail from wonderful friends & family in oklahoma, tennessee and texas. wow, we feel loved! thank you so much!

finally came the party on saturday! Mamaw & Papaw from Alabama, Nikki and Kaleigh from Tennessee, and Whitney and Kelsi from Oklahoma were all here for the weekend. we had so much fun! Mamaw Delena made this adorable cake & we had a rubber ducky theme...and lots of pink!

She wasn't really sure about the cake. she does love making a mess with her food, but this was so new that Dad had to help smash her hands in it. she also loves to clap her hands, especially when someone says "good job", so that, plus the icing equaled much fun. we just had a blast the rest of the weekend spending time together. we played & played, and we ate & ate.

drew was certainly worn out by the time everyone went home. but guess what? she can't wait to do it again next year! happy first birthday, baby girl.

Georgia On My Mind

2008-07-18T20:49:00.004-05:00

Well, guess we'd better post something now before Drew turns ONE...next week! I simply can't believe how fast time is flying. Someone tell me what i can do to slow things down.

Well, here's our place. Isn't it cute? We've been working hard to paint & get unpacked. There's only so much we can do at a time with the little one always on the go. Here are also a few cute pictures of our gal in her new house:

That's actually her standing up on her own, but every time i grab the camera, i miss the shot. Then, you see her dad is making sure she only drinks the healthy stuff. Plus, notice the great shot of those 2 top teeth. She cut another bottom one last week, so we're up to 5. Finally, i just liked this sheepish little grin she gave me in this picture & notice all the boxes in the background? That's my world these days. No, really those are unpacked by now...mostly.

And, Drew would like a word...

Hello, everyone! Just wanted to share about my first 4th of July experience:

Mom & Dad took me to the local community celebration at our church. There were lots of nice people (who really like to hold me) & some yummy food, too. Look, Grambee, i wore the cute dress you gave me & i looked so fabulous & patriotic (not sure what that means yet).

See my close up...
And, you know that yummy-ness i mentioned? Well, here's a picture of me getting to "nibble" on a brownie. I got to nibble almost the whole thing, which made my mom a little nervous. Then, someone gave me Gatorade in my sippy cup. Yay for sugar. All that sugar might have made me crash, or perhaps it was the terribly long wait for those wonderful fireworks. I had some fun snuggling with my daddy & was getting very sleepy when mom & dad decided it was time to leave and go to bed--fireworks or not. Then, luckily, just as we were heading for the car...BOOM! The fireworks began. What fun. Since Daddy was holding me, i didn't even flinch. I can't wait to do it again next year.

Hope you all are well... come visit us in Georgia!

so much fun!

2008-05-13T20:09:00.003-05:00

well, hello all! you guys need to see some cute pictures of me, yes? well, good news...i have some to share! Here's a fun one of me, my mama & daddy on Easter. we continued our "tulsa tradition" of having lunch at the Connors, who are Aunt Bethany's incredible parents (that'd be Uncle Trent's in-laws). They are so great & treat us just like family. we love them so much! and, they even gave me my very first Easter basket, complete with a soft plushy bunny, who was so cute...until Angel got ahold of it! but, that's ok, i don't mind sharing. and, i'm not naming any names, but uncle trent definitely stole the M&Ms that were meant for my mom. she, however, does mind sharing, when it comes to chocolate.

then, i had a great month in April when my Mamaw came to visit from AL. here she is being so silly with me! And, she also bought me a fabulous activity center!!! it's a blast. here's a picture of me loving it. Thanks to my Papaw, too, who knew i'd love this exact one. it's perfect for me!

Also in April, my new friend Crystal came up from Texas to meet me face to face for the first time. i've actually met her before, but i was still in my mom's tummy. Crystal & mom took me to the park & took lots of pictures of me. they put me in my adorable Easter dress and let me pull grass & pick flowers. it was pretty fun, but i sometimes made them work very hard for a smile. take a look:

finally, i had my nine month check-up at the end of last month. guess what? i measured 29.5 inches! that means i've already grown 9 inches...one each month! and, i weighed just over 20lbs. wow, i'm getting so big. since i've mastered this crawling thing, i try to go everywhere i possibly can in our little house. and, i've figured out how to pull myself up to my feet all by myself. it's especially fun to do in my crib, and boy did i surprise my mama. this week, i'm feeling brave enough to try to "cruise" around the furniture. i've got a few bumps and bruises from this adventuring, but it's so much fun, i don't even mind.

see you next time!

month of milestones

2008-03-19T16:45:00.004-05:00

February was a big month for us. As we rolled into the beginning of it, our little "slug baby" (Uncle Lamar & Aunt Jill's phrase for the infant stage) learned to sit up on her very own. She'd been a supported sitter for awhile, but it was so cool to see her manage it steadily without help. And, it makes for many more photo ops. How cute are naked babies?!

We took off on a long road trip to great state of Alabama to visit Drew's Mamaw & Papaw and Uncle Jon in Hunstville. She traveled great and had an incredible week. And, even though she started cutting teeth, she wasn't fussy at all!

Those 2 teeth, which popped through one day after the other, led to her first Biter Biscuit. Lots of fun...and mess.

She's also learned that rolling can be used as a form of locomotion. I can't capture that in photos very well & don't even want to begin to deal with uploading videos, but trust me it's a blast & it's changing the way we live. Who knew rolling could be such a fast way to get from one room to another? So, she had her 6 month check up (almost 2 months ago now) and weighed in just under 18 lbs & 28 inches. I wonder where she gets her height...

As we're approaching the 8 month mark, she really changes every day, all the time. I've been saying that for, oh about 8 months, but, it's still true. She loves to "talk" & her favorite babble is "da da". Does that makes daddy's heart melt or what? Who cares that she doesn't quite know it's his name she's saying.

Well, this is my afternoon off of mommy duty, so i better get on with enjoying it. Let me leave you with a few of our favorite faces as of late:

Drew's First Christmas

2008-01-29T11:35:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am just now posting our Christmas pics. My apologies, but i have come to grips with the fact that i may never be "caught up" on things in my life again. And, i'm ok with it, at least in the blogging world. (clearly) Thanks to great-grandma Lou for outfitting Drew with all the adorable "First Christmas" gear. It doesn't get much cuter.

We really do have friends, and here they are. After much coaxing & face making from Trent, i think Drew's almost smiling in this one.

Now, let the games begin...

We got to spend Christmas with Grambee Beth. She drove up from Arlington with a load of gifts for all of us. Mostly for Drew.

Presents are really only good for one thing...munching on.

And, the gift wrap's good for snacking, too.Yummy...

Grambee hooked us up with some new clothes, cool books & fun toys. Thank you! And, Drew's Mamaw & Papaw (or is it Nana & Papa??) in Alabama sent us some much needed gift certificates. Drew's already spent hers & says they were also good for chewing on.

Poor Angel must have been lamenting over not being the baby in the family anymore. She's still so cute, though. And, don't worry, she & Coy got chewy bones for Christmas.

Toph's Dad, Mr. Bill, & his wife, Sandra, came up a few days after Christmas to celebrate together. Drew once again enjoyed both the paper & the toys! While they were here, we all went to church to share in the Lord's Supper. Topher (wearing a suit!) got to lead us, and it was just our family praying & celebrating in the Lord together. I can't really describe how special it was.

We got a surprise in the mail, too. Our sweet Gossett friends sent us (me, and i'm not sharing) a super-snuggly blanket & a cool phone for Drew...

hmm...what's this?the chew test...and...i love it!

well, i guess we'll be back in June to post our Valentine's Day pics.

many things

2007-12-22T09:51:00.000-06:00

to finish out being tagged...i couldn't & still can't pick one last thing, so here's a quick summary of the last few bits of me:

6. A) gift giving is my primary love language (does that mean gift receiving is too?). B) birthdays are still pretty important to me. this may have to do with the gift thing. i discovered this this year, when i felt my birthday was mostly forgotten. :o( the good news is, i've had some pretty incredible ones in the past, so i'll just remember those. C) the Lord often uses dreams to speak to my heart, usually for the purpose of intercession. i really love this & have missed it with so many sleepless nights. D) i just want to say again that i am crazy in love with my Jesus, my husband & my baby!

on to more important things...DREW!

well, since the rolling over from tummy to back, we've had a few more milestones:

Solid food! it was really nowhere near "solid" to start, but hey, it's more than just mommy milk. she really loves it. we had a setback in there when she got a tummy bug & was sick for a little while. it took her a few days to want solids again. ps- that tummy bug spread through our whole house & was our first experience with such an illness that plagued us all. we had to call for reinforcements. thank you, grambee beth, for coming to our rescue!

here's a pic from our parent dedication in november.

we had our 4 month check up on nov. 30th. this is drew & toph looking out the window while we waited on the dr. Drew was 15 lbs 12 oz and 26 3/4 inches long. that's our tall girl!

we got to meet Drew's greatgrandma Lou over thanksgiving break. this was very special to me because i am so thankful she has greatgrandparents, and i have a special relationship with my Mamaw. Great-Mamaw Lou lives in Whitney, TX and was so excited to see her great granddaughter. she gave Drew the sweetest little "Baby's First Christmas" red velour sleeper. Drew loves it.

yes, this is actually Drew sleeping! it's been setback after setback as far as sleeping goes. the reflux, family vacations, holiday travel, vaccinations, illness...on & on. my dear friend Donna came to stay while Topher took the college students skiing last week & she first gave me a couple of nights off, then stayed up with me for the "cry it out" nights. what an amazing gift. drew is still waking a couple of times at night, but now they are very brief & i only nurse her once, after she's been down for about 8 hours. it may sound like a lot to some, but for a girl who used to wake more than 12 times, it's a little peace of heaven. Thank you, Lord! and, thank you, Donna!

Jill tagged me...

2007-12-19T22:00:00.000-06:00

ok, so i know this was a while ago, but that's my world...a bit behind on most things. what's the deal? share 6 things about me? that's a lot. hmmm...here goes:

1. i crazy love being a mama. it's so hard & so great all at the same time. drew's not been the easiest of babies, so in just our short almost 5 months, we've been through a lot already. don't worry, i know there's much more hardship to come, but these first few months have been no cake walk either. yet, they've been incredible. i love feeling so flipping tired i could just die, but yet loving & wanting to cuddle with my little snuggle bug all at the same time. seriously, she drives me mad with the fussing, but i just want to gobble her up & smooch all over her chubby little cheeks. i often sit in awe of the fact that she's really mine, while at the same time feeling so inadequate about the fact that i have no clue what to do with her. it's wonderful & overwhelming.

2. i miss living in tennessee. it was such a "mountaintop" experience for me. the Lord took me to intimate, peaceful, exhilarating, new & unimaginable places with him & i miss walking that path. i can't even put into words all i learned while there. i have to cautiously guard my heart now & be careful not to spend time distracted by what i fear i'm missing. He's been so faithful to gently show me that where i am now is also part of the plan & he has plenty more to show me & that all the greatness didn't stay in beautiful tennessee. while it was so hard at first, i am now incredibly grateful both for the time i had there & for what lies ahead here. still...i miss it. a lot.

3. are you ready for this? i gained almost 60 pounds while pregnant! seriously. shhh...it's my little (big) embarrassing secret. turned out my baby was HUGE (10 lbs 5 oz) so that had a lot to do with it. also, i never had morning sickness. no during-pregnancy weight loss for me. just call me jenny mccarthy, i guess (except for that whole playboy thing). on the up side, it really was a ton of water retention, as evidenced by the speed with which the weight disappeared. i lost 20lbs the first week & 10 the next, then steadily until now i'm realizing that no matter what the scale reads, my body will likely never be the same. pity, really. stretch marks? none on my tummy.

4. i LOVE college ministry! i have since i myself was in college & involved in the college group as a student. to be doing it now is a great blessing. our students are incredible. i pray for mind-blowing things for them & long for the Lord to take us to incredible new places. i imagine a love for Jesus that spreads like fire & so changes us that our worlds are never the same again. freedom...constant abiding in him...loving his word...loving other people...being so in love with him that we can't help but talk of & about him. i long for that for our college students.

5. i miss my parents a lot. they are in alabama & i haven't seen them since drew was born. many, many days i just wish they were close enough to drive up for a visit. i've needed them a lot in the last few months. thankfully, i can call & chat & be encouraged by them any time. they often call to check on me, which always makes my day.

6. i can't decide what to share here. i've typed & deleted 3 different things. what should i settle on? that fact that it's getting late at the time i'm writing this...that my baby's asleep & so should i be...i'm quite exhausted as usual...so, good night!

C'mon Mavs! C'mon Refs!

2007-11-29T09:53:00.000-06:00

These pics were Drew's first time watching the Mavs with her daddy. Thanks, Gossetts for this great onesie, so she can show her support. Her expressions were very fitting...for the games of late.
Seriously, they can't buy a bucket. They're down by 3. Ooh, go Dirk. Now it's tied. Two more threes! Will they pull it out?
What the heck?! Ref, if you had another eye, you'd be a cyclops. I'm with Avery...and, if i was there, you'd be throwing me out, too. I'd make my uncle Lamar proud, I would. Is it bedtime yet? Oy, Vey. They lost. Now I'll never sleep (I'm just like my dad). Where's my paci?

Roll Over

2007-11-13T10:26:00.000-06:00

she did it! this past saturday, my little girl rolled from her tummy to her back, unassisted. it's really cool to watch things happen for the first time. it's also amazing to realize how much our kid is learning, literally day by day. from one day to the next she picks up new noises, gestures & quirks. i love it. she keeps me on my toes, too, because with the learning comes constant change & as soon as i think we've settled into something, there she goes changing it.

she is beginning to sleep better at night. mostly only waking twice to eat now. that really beats the 15 times she was waking & crying for the 2 weeks after we got back from trent & bethany's wedding & moved her into her own room & own crib. yikes! i still feel like i haven't recovered...but, will i ever? by the way, if anyone has sleeping tips...do share.

our "parent commitment" service is this coming sunday night. it will be a time when we stand with our friends, family & church and promise, with the help of the Lord, to raise Drew in a home that loves Jesus, and to teach her about that love. will you partner with us in prayer for that pursuit? if so, i'd love to hear from ya.

we can't wait for thanksgiving! we'll be back in the great state of Texas to visit family & see friends. i just love the holidays...don't you?

too cute not to share

2007-10-08T20:36:00.001-05:00

ok, more of my favorite pictures thus far...

aren't we cute? mommas & babies
tyler loves his cousin drew & pledges to look out for her always. daddy time! i think this was around toph's birthday in august. notice drew's outfit...bought by her daddy!
oh my goodness, this was one of those heart melting moments for me & tops my list of fave pics.
we met uncle josh for the first time in september. he was great & loved cuddling with drew. she kept licking his arm like a little cat...and, what's funny is that she licks things all the time now when something's near her mouth.

lucky me

2007-10-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

in the spirit of an actual web log, here's the scoop on our last two months:

well, you know about the reflux. the sad news is that the pediatricians have recommended i refrain from most of all of my favorite foods in case they aggravate her reflux & upset her tummy. the worst of it? NO MILK! honestly. if you know me at all, you recognize the travesty of that. so, no dairy (man, i miss cheese), no chocolate (i discovered on my own that this gives her much gas), no peanut butter (not sure this really bothers her) & now...no juice, especially apple. without the milk, i had seriously upped my juice intake. when i scoffed, the pedi asked, "what's wrong with water?" NOTHING! that's what's wrong with it. anyway, the first pedi assured me i'd not be subsisting on only water & boiled chicken, while the second seems to have no sympathy for me (the second one is female...go figure). of course, trying to be proactive about the whole sensitive tummy thing, i am staying away from spicy foods. it almost seems like i'm staying away from flavorful foods, essentially. woe is me.

ok, for the good stuff...the stuff that makes it all worth it:

when she was one month & one day old, i witnessed my daughter's first real smile. since birth, she seems to smile & laugh as she falls asleep, but kept the responsive kind to herself. it was the morning & she woke up in a good mood. i had her laying on the bed & we were chatting face to face & there it was! are there words for that kind of feeling?! SO SWEET. for the last several weeks, she's continued this happy morning ritual with me & even added in her own conversation. i love to talk with her, as she coos & babbles & makes all kinds of great noises, most resembling a cat and sometimes a chicken. she really is talking to me in her own little 2 month old vocabulary. does it get any better? yes! this past friday, she laughed aloud on purpose for the first time. this time, daddy was the witness, as well as the cause. sadly, i missed it, as i was taking full advantage of "daddy time"& soaking in a bath. that didn't stop topher from calling me out of it twice to witness drew's latest milestone...only to miss it both times. oh well. i actually love that it was shared between the two of them, as he isn't privy to our morning conversations usually.

my friend debbie was right. seeing your husband with your child is one of the most intense sights you'll ever behold. has he ever been more attractive & sexy than then? oh my goodness, i love it. i was actually surprised by how the daddy in him came out. our second night home was when drew decided it was time to show us what this new parenting stuff was all about. i think she learned to cry that night, i really do (a lesson she's not stopped sharing). well, toph's response to that left me worried at first. soon enough, though, he realized that she didn't quite speak english yet & speaking it louder did not help her understand him, nor him understand her. (turns out you're supposed to speak soothingly to calm a baby, not yell at them). from that moment on, he's a whole new man, i think. and, i too, am a whole new woman. one with a beautiful baby & the sexiest husband alive. lucky me.

wanna see what i see every morning? this sweet face...

more new old pics

2007-10-08T13:11:00.000-05:00

so, is it ok to just do a few posts now that i have a minute or two? i'm really not good at this yet & it takes me too long, so i'm not sure how to be more efficient at it. anyway, the blogging continues...

remember when your dog was your only "kid"? i love these of my Angel & my sweetie pie together.

the dogs have actually been quite good with the new addition. we're still cautious, of course. and, i'd say the dogs have more outbursts of stubborness than before, but all-in-all, they've done well. it must stink to be demoted like that. as sweet as can be. we love aunt jillie & uncle lamar!
silly time...tyler & uncle toph. i love to watch them play together. topher's really a great daddy & uncle, too.

ok, gotta go...it's diaper change time!

got a minute?

2007-10-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

so, apparently the blog will post even when i'm not finished with it, as that last one did. well, i better hurry & get some more things posted. sweet drew is now almost 14 pounds & 25 inches long. she's really growing too fast for me...while i can't wait for each new stage, i'm kinda sad they fly by so quickly.
some more of our fave pics:

more of the famous Willie T...
baby feet are so sweet!
since lamar & jill are old pros at parenting, we asked them to show us the ropes on taking baby out. this was our first outing. drew was a couple of weeks old & we decided to go to the mall. it turned out to be tax-free weekend, so everyone else in tulsa was also at the mall. the kids were great, though & slept the whole time. i kept wondering about germs...

Catching up is hard to do

2007-10-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

well, since i'm so far behind getting pics & updates posted, i figure i'll just browse through the last few weeks & pick my favorite snapshots to share.

Drew with Paw Paw. this pic melts my heart!
Meeting cousin Willie T for the first time...
...he was so sweet... ...and she made him cry!

Two Months!

2007-09-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Time really flies, doesn't it? Oh my goodness. well, i only have a sec to throw up these pictures of my little sweetheart, who is now two months old. can you believe it?! this weekend, our Grambee is coming, so we'll have time to sit & share what's been happening the last few weeks. there have been a couple of heart-melting moments for me. Mommyhood is incredible, i say. what a blessing. it's crazy hard & so fulfilling at the same time. well, she's chirping for some attention, so i'll bid farewell for now.

ps- her 2 month check up is friday & we can't wait to see how she's grown!

Rolling along...

2007-08-20T09:40:00.000-05:00

Well, keeping up with the blog is tough when you have a fussy baby who cries a lot. Looks like she's got acid reflux (GER) which makes her very uncomfortable & causes some major crying spells. It's possible there's some colic happening, too, but we're trying to treat the reflux to get that out of the way first. It's really just a matter of time for the other, right? I hear they outgrow it. I hope so!

Enjoy the pic. A good friend of mine took it on a recent visit & i think it's absolutely beautiful! i'll try to get more up when the crying stops.

Quite the social butterfly!!

2007-07-30T20:02:00.000-05:00

Drew's new friends

2007-07-30T09:56:00.001-05:00

We made it home

2007-07-30T09:44:00.000-05:00

After 4 days of starring at hospital walls and eating the finest of the hospital's delicacies it was good to go home. The first night at home was a little rough because we had our days and nights confused, but Drew and mom survived and have made a pact to sleep at night and play during the day.

Looking better after a bath

2007-07-25T16:50:00.001-05:00

I think we all looked a little better after the alien goo was gone...

Say Hello to Little D.

2007-07-25T16:35:00.000-05:00

We're not sure where the dark hair came from but there is no doubt she has mom's chin

Drew has arrived

2007-07-23T08:21:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to get into all the dirty details today, because I think we are all more excited about seeing pictures. Drew was born at 5:05pm Sunday, July 22. She was 10lbs 5oz. and 20.75inches long.

Leya is doing great... and has repeated said now she knows why she has been so hungry. Dad is doing pretty good but is still soaking it all in.

Let's take a look at what happened before Drew arrived..

Counting down...

2007-07-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

Just three more days!!! Drew is schedulede to make her first in-person appearance on Monday, July 23rd. We would love it, of course, if she showed up a little earlier, but the waiting & wondering if we're in active labor is driving us crazy, so we're just pressing on with eager anticipation that we'll meet her in just a few days either way.

We've been working diligently on the last minute decor of her room. Topher has an incredible eye for such things, it turns out. :o) Here are some pics of what we've come up with, and a few other cutesie ones of my Drew tummy.