Georgia On My Mind

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!

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

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

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

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...

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!

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?