Happy 4th, Maggie!

Maggie singing Creepy Caterpillar to Hannah Kate



It's hard to believe our niece Maggie just turned 4! It seems like just the other day I was telling her to stay in her mama's belly until Wesley and I were able to come back for her birth and she obeyed! She loved her "Nise" even then! Ha! She's a great big cousin to Hannah Kate-she even argued with Jana one day that she is Hannah Kate's sister-and she really is going to be a big sister in a few months! She came and stayed with Hannah Kate and me for a couple of hours Tuesday. She was more than willing to entertain Hannah Kate by reading her books, singing songs, "watching" her so she didn't escape from her bouncy seat--"Nise, if she tries to unbuckle those, I'll just tell her no!" and change diapers, "I'll come with you cause if it's a wet one, I can change it!"

Daily Bread

Wesley and I both get this email devotional each day and we really enjoy them. Yesterday's edition really hit home. How many times do we say or hear someone else say, "They don't want anyone to know, but......" or "(some piece of gossip)..........but don't tell anyone I told you that." I know this is something that we have all been guilty of at some point. When Hannah Kate was in the NICU, we were attending services at Crieve Hall in Nashville and heard this presented in one of the Bible study classes. THINK before you speak.
Is it:
True
Helpful
Important
Necessary
Kind

You can view the article HERE. May we all THINK before we "let the cat out of the bag."

Humbled

Photo by Brittany Richmond


I had many thoughts running through my brain yesterday and tried thinking about how I could compile them all into a blog post. It didn't happen. I am not an eloquent writer like my friend Kristy. I told her once that I wanted to pay her to write pretty stuff about our family like she does hers. I don't think it works that way. Oh well.

Yesterday afternoon, as I rocked Hannah Kate, I found myself praying. I thanked God for this sweet, precious, healthy baby girl. This time last year I was praying everyday for a baby. I prayed that God's will would be done and that I would always remember that His plan is perfect, but oh how I wanted a baby! Everyday when Hannah Kate and I do her Bible time, I show her herself in the mirror and tell her that God made her--that Mommy and Daddy prayed for a baby and God answered our prayers. I am so thankful that He did. I know that if He had not answered in the way we had wanted, His plan would still have been perfect. God blessed us with four babies. One who we never met, two who we had for only a short time, and this precious girl.
Later in the day yesterday, I stumbled upon two blogs. One was written by a mother whose baby is terminally ill. Not only is he sick, but it's a painful illness that causes him to be in extreme pain all day long. I cannot imagine bearing that burden. Another one was written by a mother who has several children and writes about homeschooling. One section of her blog is entitled "The Grieving Mother" and it is about losing their baby when she was 5 or 6 months old. Her story of the moments when they realized their baby was gone and handing her over to the nurse before they left is heartbreaking.
I am incredibly thankful that we have the comfort of knowing that our babies are in heaven. They never had to endure the burdens, pain, and suffering of the world. They are in the most amazing, peaceful, glorious place there is.
I have had many people email or Facebook message me because they read our story on here. Some of them I do not know, some I knew from years ago, and some are good friends. Many people have said that our story is amazing. Part of me wants to say that our story is not amazing, but our God is. Another part of me wants to say that our story is an example of God providing for His children and providing an opportunity to draw closer to Him. Either way, it's not about us, it's all about Him. He is faithful. He is amazing. I am thankful. I am humbled.

Psalm 111:7-8
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
8 they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
(ESV)

Happy girl

This is what I woke up to this morning after trying to catch some extra sleep. Good thing she's cute. :)


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Knitter in training?

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Visitors

Today we had early intervention & visitors! HK did a great job during tummy time. She actually lasted 1 minute or so before she would fuss. Mrs Diana would help her roll over & then we would try it again. She did great!



Vickie & her two high school sons came this afternoon. We taught next door to each other at Ridgeview. Her husband had to
come this way for work, so they tagged along. We had a great visit!



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Our Family....Our Life.....

We are SOOOOOOOOOOOO thankful to Brittany for coming to document our family. Our house still isn't unpacked and Hannah Kate doesn't have furniture, but she's getting too big and we needed our life documented! Brittany and Leah came last week and hung out for a little bit. I LOVE the images she captured. Thanks so much, Brittany! We love you!

Reading Hannah Kate's.....okay, maybe it's mine....favorite book.
One thing in particular that I wanted documented was me rocking her. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture.
HK loves for Wesley to hold her like this. It's weird, she doesn't care much for me to do it.
Tummy time is no fun, but she will push herself completely up on us. Whatever works!

I spend a part of every morning washing bottles, parts, etc. so we definitely had to document some real life! :)
Wesley found an app that has animal sounds-HK loves it!
I wonder how many times a day I kiss her??? :)

Worn out!

Grandparents & U-Dawg

My parents and brother all met here one weekend for a quick visit. Hannah Kate was excited to see Pa, Granna (finally settled on a name although Wesley will forever call her G-Dawg, I am certain), and U-Dawg :)! Hannah Kate is looking like such a BIG girl these days!

She really didn't know what to think of Michael's iPhone :) He even tried to teach her the FFA Creed. I will have to try to post that video later.

July Fun

Hannah Kate has been having lots of fun in July! :) I love this little onesie I got at a consignment store for 99 cents. :)

The Eagles (young adult? group at East Side) group had a homemade ice cream event. I made Hannah Kate this little onesie for the event......with some "help" from her daddy (if you saw Facebook, you know that was a train wreck!).

Are all pictures centered around outfits? Apparently they are in this post. I loved this little outfit someone got her. She wore it to Bible study Wednesday night. She also happened to have her newest Imagination Library book to show off!

Hannah Kate Singing

I have tried for four or five days to upload this video! Hannah Kate LOVES her Bible songs cd that we got. One day she was screaming in the car and as soon as I started playing it, she stopped. Another time, we were listening to it on my iPhone and when "Father Abraham" came on, she started cracking up. It was so funny. Even funnier to me because we have never sang that song to her s0 I'm pretty sure it's the first time she's ever heard it. Apparently she likes it.
We listen to these cds (it's a 2 cd set) at least 2-3 times all the way through each day!
Hannah Kate and I have been doing Bible time everyday and she just smiles and laughs as I sing her different songs. So sweet!
Enjoy the video. :)

Hannah Kate talks to Mommy

I scream you scream

HK looking cute at the Eagles devo/ice cream eating!



I've been trying to upload 2 videos but they aren't working yet.
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Hard work

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5 Months

Okay, seriously. My goal for each month is to take the pictures somewhere around the 2nd and then get the blog post up sometime before the next 2nd! I have got to do better about this! Better late than never! Hannah Kate is 5 months (ahem...5 and 1/2 months old!). I can't believe she is getting so, so big. Nurse Cindy kept telling us in the NICU that we would forget how tiny she once was and I never believed her. She was right.
Here are some fun facts about the 5 month old Hannah Kate:
Diaper Size: 1 (for now.....they are getting pretty tight and we'll be moving up to 2 when we finish this pack)
Weight: 3 days before she was 5 months (June 30), she weighed 11 pounds, 2.5 ounces-she didn't gain as much as she had been, but she was nursing more and possibly slowing down on her growing-she is "almost touching" the growth curve
Clothing Size: 0-3 months-she as a few newborn things that fit just because they are big & most of the 0-3 stuff is too big, but it's supposed to last for 3 months, right?
-She has one inch left in the bassinet.
-Her crib has not been started.....hmmmm.....I play to start putting her in the pack n play for naps to hopefully transition her to it for night time.
-Whenever we pick her up when she's waking up/still sleeping, she stretches and sticks her booty out....so cute!
-She really didn't mind the 4th of July fireworks. She jumped a couple of times when they were really loud, and then she went to sleep.

Things Hannah Kate does not love:
-nursing....finger feeding.....any kind of eating that is not fast and easy
-being where she cannot see us for longer than just a minute or two
-tummy time....STILL....we tricked her into tummy time during early intervention the other morning by putting her across my lap & yesterday as I was trying to keep her paci in so she would go back to sleep on her tummy, she was doing full fledged push ups. Seriously. I took a picture for Mrs. Diana. If she would just realize she can PLAY on tummy time, we would be good.
-riding in the car when we are stuck in traffic-I guess that's more like sitting in the car?

Things Hannah Kate does love:
-her new Bible songs cd (disclaimer: there are a few clapping songs, but we just skip those, it's a 2 cd set and we love most of the songs!) If she is fussy and I start playing it on my iPhone, she stops and smiles and laughs. It seriously cracks her up! I took a video of her yesterday with it playing that I will post soon.
-laughing and smiling at her mama and daddy! (SO SO FUN!)
-her thumbs.....she has managed to get them in her mouth now and the other day had she had BOTH thumbs in her mouth-that takes talent.
-touchy books (you know, the kind with animals that have fur, etc.?)-I will help her touch the first one and usually she touches the rest on her own!
-being in her new house! :)

Okay, here are five month pictures! Can you believe her feet hang off the end of the lamb now? :(

With Mama's hand
Wesley helped me with these by getting her to smile. She's now at the point that she's not too crazy about being stuck in the Boppy for pictures.
July is BEEF month! Hannah Kate encourages you to eat some Hereford BEEF!
I LOVE these shoes from Carter's.
Pictures with Daddy's wedding ring....yeah, this was fun!
Her eyes crack me up!
(No rings were eaten or actually made it in her mouth during the taking of these pictures.)
Thanks to Cousin Celia for the adorable dress!

This precious child is sleepy bc she screamed in the car for one HOUR. Yes, there were periods of quiet when she stopped to take a breath or cough bc she was choking herself & she did stop when we got out to buy peaches for her daddy or if I held the paci in her mouth while trying to focus on the road. Boo on having traffic issues & screaming in the car time. Guess she showed me what she thinks about "cry it out."


I also did not stop to get that double stuf Oreo blast I was looking forward too. I guess she thought her mom should cut back?

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HK played in the jumperoo for 10ish minutes yesterday. She figured out how to move to make the lights & music work. Then, she conked her head on the green bar. It was very sad, but she's ok.


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Skype

HK's first Skype call with Granny.





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Highchair

HK's first time in her new high chair earlier tonight. Can you tell she's excited??


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Her first photography gig must have worn her out!


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Paci or thumb ..... Thumb or paci

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