17 months old

Can you believe our Baby Bear is 17 months old? I can't for the life of me figure out where the time went. Each day is full of new experiences and wonderment as I relive life through the eyes of a toddler. When else will I get to spend 30+ minutes playing "put the crayons in the bucket, take them out, and do it all over again?" Everything is so exciting and new with nothing taken for granted. Shouldn't we all live this way?


With that said, our miniature philosopher is developing her own little attitude. I can't figure out where it comes from but David seems to think he has an idea. :-D She had been in the tub for 5 minutes or so when, ah, shall we say, things got a little stinky. It wasn't one of those situations quickly remedied so I had to get her out of the tub. Thankfully, I had already bathed her and she was just in the playing mode of bath time. That didn't stop the kicking and fussing, though! Her, not me.


I get Amelia to her room and onto the changing table, drying her along the way. She flings herself back, pushes my hands away, starts shaking her head hollering, "no, no, no, no." Ok, I found that highly amusing since it was the first time she'd shaken her head "no" and the first time she'd actually said, "no." I cracked up, and of course, that went over like a lead balloon. How dare I laugh at her!



Once I start acting stupid, she forgets why she was ticked off and gets down in the floor to play. I sat down behind her and pull her pajama top over her head, of which she jerks back off and says, "no!" Ok, so it wasn't quite as funny the second time but it didn't really matter if we put her PJs on right now or not. I begin to inwardly chant, "pick your battles. pick your battles. pick your battles."



This is when we started playing "put the crayons in the bucket, take them out, and do it all over again." Fun-filled game, but I warn you, not for the beginner. :-p I started out trying to get Amelia to scribble on a box of wipes but she preferred her game - and we all know she's in charge. She made one or two marks but I guess she's just not into that yet. On a positive note, she only tried putting a crayon in her mouth a couple times. Progress.



I've also recently realized that she knows what,"sit down" and "lay down" mean AND will actually comply most of the time. "Stay" isn't in her vocabulary just yet, though. lol She leads me to the fridge for cheese and her bottle, will take me to her room for a diaper change, and will take me to our bed for naps. Some days she's more adventurous than others but she usually prefers to stay right there with me, rarely crawling to where she can't see me.



I still can't go from the living room to the kitchen without the waterworks flowing although she can see me every step of the way AND she's more than welcome to follow. She hangs onto my legs 99% of the time I'm standing and have the audacity to not hold either her or her hand. lol You know what? It's frustrating sometimes but I will miss feeling her little hands on my calves when she decides she no longer needs me. There's something sweet about the gentle tugging on my pants as she clumsily walks beside me and the proud grin she gives me when I look down. It's the whining I can do without. ;-)


Amelia helped me unload the dishwasher the other night and her favorite toy is my Swiffer. She's constantly bringing me her toys and imaginary lint out of the floor. I just say, "thank you!" and wait for the next treasure she wishes to bestow upon me. She helped me unload the dishwasher today...and then tried to help me unload it again as I was loading it. We may need to do a little more training.


We have steps! She'll take a few steps on her own before her sea legs take over but she's getting there!


Amelia had her first "hair cut" earlier this month. I can tell it was cut but it isn't drastic. She sat so still and quietly. ♥♥


Mom, Amelia and I went to visit my grandmother last weekend whom I've not seen in 10 years. She is such an amazing woman, and I can't begin to describe how much I hate not knowing her like I should've been able to. That's a whole 'nother blog, though. LOL!

Funny story: I told my mom a month or so ago that I was actually going to have to buy Amelia some Fall clothes and that this was really the first time I've HAD to buy her anything to wear. Amelia has been abundantly clothed between the baby showers, Christmas and her birthday. As a matter of fact, she still has a couple dresses she's never worn! We didn't even have to buy wipes until a couple months ago. lol

We have been so blessed by such love and support over the last 18 months. I can never say "thank you" enough nor can I produce the words to describe the feeling I have when I think of the generosity shown on our behalf. Whether it was the gift of time to pray, gifts for Amelia, or a simple email or phone call to let us know you were thinking of us, we've been surrounded by support. Thank you...

Click for September pictures

Click for October pictures

♥♥♥♥♥(((((((((((((((((((((((Big hugs)))))))))))))))))))))))♥♥♥♥♥

Beach Trip!

Hi there! I know I say it every single time, but it's true...I can't believe it's been a month since I posted! Where on earth does the time go???? I really hate myself for not doing a daily update because there are so many little things I've forgotten. Yeah, I know, you're hearing the teacher from Charlie Brown right about now - "wahh wahh wah wah wah wahh wahhh." hmph!

Guess what! Amelia went to the beach AND she was gracious enough to take us with her. Oh my goodness, she LOVED it! Well, except for the part where she was sick the entire time. Yes, that was fun. Let's break this down: three teeth coming in at once, allergies, unfamiliar surroundings, AND a double ear infection. Yayyyy! Eh, it really wasn't all THAT bad and the ear infection didn't likely happen until we got home. She really and truly did well considering she felt crummy. ♥

****Click here for beach pictures****

We arrived Saturday and then took her down to the beach on Sunday. She squealed and laughed, walking further and further in the water. She has no fear. None. She held my fingers and just kept walking, giggling when the water would splash up on her! When we walked back toward the shore, she plopped down and started digging in the sand. Then, she'd want to walk back out in the water. She's a real beach baby!

She started feeling crummy on Monday and was seeming better when we got home Saturday. She slept well Saturday night and then was terrible Sunday and Sunday night so off to the doctor she went Monday. That's when we found out she has a double ear infection but it didn't "look too bad" whatever that meant. Apparently, it was a fairly new development.

Amelia isn't quite walking on her own yet but she will hobble along while holding onto just one of your hands instead of needing both. She still crawls on one knee an one foot, which I think is the cutest and funniest thing I've ever seen. She's as much of a Daddy's girl as ever and has shortened her "Daddoo" to "Daa!" It doesn't matter what she calls him, he'll come running. Then again, I'm usually not far behind! lol

She really has us wrapped around her chubby little fingers. I admit it and I'm not a bit ashamed. Her smile lights up our world and it seems like we'll do just about anything to make her laugh. While we were at the beach, my mom finally got Amelia to consistently clap to "If you're happy and you know it." It's so cute!! Every once in a while, she'll throw both arms up, slightly wave her hands and then bring her hands back down and clap. It looks like she's having her own little church service!

She also randomly exclaims, "Lordy lordy lordy lordy." We've tried and tried to capture that on video but she won't do it on demand. ha! Imagine that! Her? Do something/anything on demand? pfffft! This is where David says, "She's just like her Momma." *smiles innocently*

I think we're going to have to get her hair trimmed. We don't want to get it cut but it needs to be trimmed and shaped up some, especially in the back where it's been broken off due to her rubbing against the mattress in her sleep. Even if I put some sort of product on that part, it's all fuzzy again as soon as I take her out of her carseat.

We took Amelia to Amos Cottage earlier this month for her 12-month-adjusted evaluation and she's still doing well. They think it's time to take away her bottle but Amelia disagrees. They suggested we put her in her crib without her bottle and let her cry, even if it meant we go outside to make it easier for us. Yeah, um...no. Y'all know how I feel about that.

She only takes a bottle at nap/bed times and has been that way for a while now. I know she can't keep her bottle forever, and trust me, I'd love to be done with them, but does it have to be so abrupt and mean? It's not her fault she's grown accustomed to "nursing" to sleep. That's just what happened. When she was tiny, eating absolutely wore her out so she would fall asleep halfway through. As she grew and became stronger, that's just what happened. We'll eventually be done with bottles. It's not like she'll still want one when she's 20. Oh well, at least we don't have to deal with taking away a pacifier! LOL

I started this post 6 hours ago, then Amelia woke up and I fell asleep while getting her back to sleep. Needless to say, my brain isn't functioning properly right now, so I'm going to stop while I'm ahead. If not, there's no telling what will come out of my, um, fingers!

Don't forget to click on the link above to view Amelia's beach pictures! Have a grrrrrrrrreat day! ♥♥

Hugs,
LáLa

I hate coming up with titles...

Hello!!!

So, I'm having issues. Ha! Go figure! David is on his way to drop Amelia off at Nana's for the day AND the night AND part of tomorrow. I know I should look at this time as time to get things done that I can't do when she's here, and I do...BUT, and there's always a "but...." I have this irrational fear each time she leaves that something will happen to her while she's gone and I'll never see her again. The feelings aren't nearly as bad if I'm the one dropping her off or if she's only for the day and this isn't the neurotic thoughts of a first-time parent. I've had these feelings about four other people in my life; my mom, my papaw, my granny and David. Do you see a pattern?

Considering only one of those four are gone, I'd say the odds are in my favor that she WILL come home tomorrow and that God will continue to "protect Amelia, growing her healthy, strong, perfect and whole, inside and out." Yes, I still say that prayer over her each night as I put her to bed. If David is the one that's taking her to her crib, then I have to say it before he takes her. Hmmm...OCD much? nooooooooooooooooo, not me!

Ok, now that you know for a fact that I'm completely loony, let's change subjects.

Amelia crawls funny. She crawls with one knee on the floor while pushing herself off with the other foot. hehe! Hey, at least she's crawling..or whatever she's doing! lol She's pulling up on things with virtually no effort and and will "forget" to hold on while playing. She has taken a couple steps here and there but she didn't mean to. ;)

One day last week, Amelia crawled over to where I was sitting and started climbing up my leg. I knew she wanted to take a nap and that there's no way she was going to take one without her blanky.



Before she made it to my lap, I asked, "Where's your blanky?" not expecting her to know what on earth I was talking about. She stopped climbing, dropped back down to the floor and crawled over to where she'd left her blanket. She picked up the corner and said, "anky!" then crawled back to me, handing the blanket up for safe keeping, then reaching to be picked up herself. Of course, I got a little misty-eyed 'cause I'm a dork like that...

Now, each time she wants to be picked up, she'll lift her blanket up to you, say 'anky!" and then reach for you. Could she possibly become any cuter?!

Oh! You've GOT to see this if you haven't already! Amelia Laughing

She's growing up on us and seems to favor little bursts of temper tantrums, complete with high pitched squeals and kicking of the feet. We're not impressed.

I've not taken nearly as many pictures lately as I was before, but here's what we have:

July Pictures
August Pictures

I'll be glad when it cools off some so we can get back outside on a more regular basis! The mosquitoes are terrible this year and they LOVE Amelia. We were outside for 10-15 minutes the other evening and we each ended up with over 15 bites in that short amount of time. David, of course, wasn't bit one single time. I guess we're just sweeter than he is. :-D


We had our first "blood accident" a couple weeks ago. Amelia tried to cruise from the couch to her Harley and miscalculated, resulting in a nice, solid face-plant to the wooden rocker on her Harley. Her gum bled some but she was fine after a minute or two.

Speaking of gums, we have a million teeth! There are four up top in the front and three on the bottom, not to mention the molars are coming in, too, and the little white dots over the remainder of her gums. Let's just say some days are better than others... ;-)

Well, Amelia has been safely delivered so I think I'll go take a nap then hopefully prime and paint today.

Bunches of love!

Growing Up

I guess we all have to grow up sometime but does Amelia's time have to be now? She pulled up on the couch yesterday and started walking down the side of it. That lead to pulling up on any and everything humanly possible throughout the day, leading into today. She scooted across the bathroom floor this morning, tugged on my capris, and when I looked down to see what she was doing, she was peeking up at me between my knees, grinning with pride at her new found skill of standing. She's becoming a little more brave about walking and will sometimes take a few steps while only holding on with one hand.

Amelia has started scooting on her tummy and pulling herself across the floor but isn't quite crawling yet. She still prefers to be escorted from place to place but will get mad enough to relocate on her own if left to her own devices. Yes, I'm evil.

She was super-duper whiny and clingy yesterday, not wanting to stand, sit, lie down, crawl, walk, sleep, stay awake be held, be left alone...nothing. I took a peek in her mouth and she has no less than THREE teeth coming in at one time. I think there's at least one more but I'm not 100% positive. I'd be cranky, too! Who am I kidding? Some days, it takes a LOT less than that to make me an unhappy camper. No comments from the peanut gallery, please.

Oh! Amelia is "talking" with two-syllable "words!" Her most common is "Dah-Doo," complete with the cutest little puckering of the lips when she says "Doo" that you've ever seen! We were at the post office today when another little girl came in with her grandmother. Amelia exuberantly greeted them with, "Hey!" and a wave. Does she know she's saying "hey?" I don't know for sure but she seems to say it at the right times. She DOES know "DaDa" and "MaMa," though and that's alllllllllllllll that matters! hehehe

You know how most relationships start with the blind infatuation, complete with butterflies and total adoration? As time goes on, you spend more time with the object of your affection and begin to notice their quirks and oddities. This is usually when the decision is made to continue with the relationship or to call it quits. If you move forward, you're likely to find yourself falling into a completely different sort of love.

It's the kind of love that sees ALL "faults" yet doesn't hold them against you. It's a stronger, more real sort of love that gives you a safe place to land when the world is against you, even though there are times you think the last place you want to be is "there." I found this sort of love with David years ago but I never realized he and I both would feel the same sort of progression of love with our child(ren).

When Amelia was born, and even for months after she came home, I was on Cloud 9, in my own little world of euphoria. As time passed, the head-in-the-clouds feelings went away to be replaced by the realization that I'm not always going to like what Amelia is doing but I will somehow wake up each morning, loving her more than I did the day before. Every day will NOT be a good day, but it WILL be a blessed day. There will be tears, hers and mine. There will be frustrations and days that can't come to an end quickly enough. There will be ear infections, teeth coming in, sleepless nights, grumpy moods (again, hers and mine), and just downright crummy days.

There are also those moments when I look at her and am still amazed that I was chosen to be her mother. Those times when I look in my rear view mirror to see her holding up her blanky in hopes that I will see her and play Peek-a-Boo. How about the times she leans in, mouth wide open, for a kiss? I can't even begin to explain the feeling of pride I felt yesterday when I watched her pull up on the couch all by herself. My heart melts when Amelia smiles and there's no sweeter sound than her laughter. THESE moments are what we'll remember. THESE moments are what we strive for, and those others? Well, those other moments are just a little thing we call being human.

I ran across this in one of my inboxes tonight and thought I'd share. I wonder what it smelled like to Amelia....

It Smells Like Rain
A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the
Doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still
groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced
themselves for the latest news.

That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana,
only 24 weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency cesarean to deliver the
couple's new daughter, Danae Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long and weighing
only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously
premature.

Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. I don't think
she's going to make it, he said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a
10 percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if
by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel
one."

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor
described the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived.
She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind,
and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from
cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

"No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their
5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a
daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that
dream was slipping away.

Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest
thread, Diana slipped in and out of sleep, growing more and more determined
that their tiny daughter would live, and live to be a healthy, happy young
girl. But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of
their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less
healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable.

David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral
arrangements. Diana remembers, 'I felt so bad for him because he was doing
everything, trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn't
listen, I couldn't listen.' I said, "No, that is not going to happen, no
way! I don't care what the doctors say; Danae is not going to die! One day
she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us!"

As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Danae clung to life
hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her
miniature body could endure. But as those first days passed, a new agony
set in for David and Diana. Because Danae's underdeveloped nervous system
was essentially raw, the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her
discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their
chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Danae
struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and
wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little
girl.

There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger. But as the
weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of
strength there. At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were
able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months
later - though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances
of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero.

Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had
predicted. Today, five years later, Danae is a petite but feisty young girl
with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no
signs, what so ever, of any mental or physical impairment.

Simply, she is everything a little girl can be and more - but that happy
ending is far from end of her story.
> > >
One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in
Irving,Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a
local ballpark where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As
always, Danae was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other
adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms
across her chest, Danae asked, "Do you smell that?" Smelling the air and
detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells
like rain."

Danae closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell
that? " Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get
wet, it smells like rain. Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head,
patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No,
it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His
chest." Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to
play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words
confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family
had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days
and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too
sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest and it
is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will happen. It is the evidence
of what we cannot see, so you see it is impossible to please God without is.
Believe in the Lord by faith and don't doubt it. If you want to come to God you must believe that He exsists and that He rewards the ones who come to Him by faith.
~Hebrew 11:1&6~

---source unknown

July Pictures - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2070460&id=1378911125&l=8219271a36

David says he likes Amelia's hair down better than always being in a bow up top. I told him we'd need to get her hair cut if we were going to leave it down and he wasn't going for it. He said we can't cut her hair, she can't stand, she can't walk, she can't GROW UP! hahahaha! He's going to have such a hard time in a few years.....

Thank you for still checking in! ♥♥♥

Saying "hi."

Hello there!

It's been a little crazy around here with a teething little girl nursing a double ear infection but I think we're over the hump! I HOPE we're over the hump. lol Amelia's ears aren't bothering her anymore so we're "only" contending with the mouthful of teeth she SURELY must be getting. I know for a fact that one of her upper front teeth is coming in but there seems to be a couple more trying to catch up. ;)

We managed to let her stay at Nana's again last night and ended up sleeping until nearly noon! Apparently we were a touch tired, to say the least. David then went to get in the pool with Amelia since he hasn't been able to do that yet this year. We're crossing our fingers and praying really hard that she doesn't get another ear infection. I know the two probably aren't a bit related but the double ear infection she just got over reared it's ugly head one day after going swimming with me a few weeks ago. If it happens this time, then we'll know!

Goodness...she's growing up so fast but still refuses to crawl! lol She'll slide around a little on her belly and go in circles playing with whatever toys are within reach but she just won't get her butt and shoulders off the floor at the same time. She will, however, pull up on furniture and promptly hold out her chubby little hand to be escorted through the house. It'd be a pain except she has the most dazzling, make-you-climb-mountains-smile I've ever seen and when she laughs...well, I just can't describe it. There's just something really special about this little girl that makes her absolutely glow. ♥♥

Is it always rainbows and gumdrops around here? ha! Not quite but the good outweighs the "bad" by leaps and bounds. Isn't that what's important? That the good days are so good that you forget about the not-so-good ones?

Believe it or not, I've not really taken a ton of pictures this month but you can take a peek at them here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2066749&id=1378911125&l=f10d939365

I've sat here, trying to remember all the cute things I told myself I would remember to tell you but my mind is blank. :( I don't want to forget a single minute but I seem to have misplaced my braincells. *sigh* I guess there's only one cure and that's to document everything each day, but that takes that elusive thing called "time." lol It's worth it, though...it really is.

I have four people and situations weighing heavily on my heart, and thought maybe you could add them to your thoughts and prayers....

A friend of mine's daughter in law was just put on bedrest due to too much amniotic fluid. She is due in October and they have a young toddler, too. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she gets through the next 4 months.

Another friend is on the verge of having difficulties with her current pregnancy. There's no problem yet but it's looking like there may be. I'm praying for no complications!

I have a friend that I've known for as long as I can possibly remember. I lived with her and her parents, was always treated like family by her family, we've fought like sisters, and I've always been able to count on her no matter how much time has passed between talking or seeing each other. She was diagnosed with bone cancer last year right around the time I went in the hospital. She spent her Summer undergoing chemo and then found out last month that it has spread to her lungs. She starts chemo again next week. Please pray for her...

And finally, my father-in-law was recently in a motorcycle accident. He's doing well but please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he goes through another surgery and recovers from the whole ordeal.

I wholly believe in the power of prayer and have a perfectly healthy former 25-weeker to prove that miracles DO exist. I also believe there is power in numbers! :)

Thank you for being here. Good night! ♥♥♥

One year ago today...

Since the end of April, I catch myself thinking, "One year ago today, I was....," filling in the blank with the appropriate information. "One year ago today: my water broke, I was transferred to Forsyth, I went into labor, saw Amelia for the first time, touched Amelia for the first time....." The list goes on and on and on.

While writing her journal, I've never gone back to read a previous entry. Until tonight. Since she would've been 2 weeks old today, I read the blog entries from days 14 & 15. I held Amelia for the first time on day 14 and will forever remember the feeling of her tiny, warm little body wiggling against my chest to settle into what would forever be "her spot." I can still remember the feel of her tiny, toothpick sized fingers grasping my index finger and the sterile scent that would quickly become sweeter to me than any perfume money could buy. Her stats became picture perfect and my world suddenly made sense.

In my own words - "As soon as they put her warm, wiggly body under my shirt, against my skin, a peace came over me that's impossible to describe. All was right in the world and every single step we've taken to THIS one, single moment was more than worth it. THIS is what we were praying for, we just didn't know it. "

As much as I loved her then, as confident I was that I could never adore her more than I did in that very second, I'm daily overwhelmed by emotion as I hold our little girl, inhaling her own unique scent and feeling her chubby fingers completely wrap around mine. I go to bed each night, sure that I couldn't possibly love her more. Yet, each morning I wake up to find my heart has expanded to somehow accommodate the love and joy that appears upon seeing Amelia's smiling face looking up from her crib, anxiously waiting for me to peek over the edge. As soon as she sees one of us, she squeals, kicking her chubby legs in excitement. How can you not be crazy about someone that's THAT excited to see you?!

As wordy as I am, I can never find the right words to thank God for His abundant blessings. Thankfully, He knows my heart but that doesn't stop me from trying! Usually, I manage to muster a very sincere, extremely heartfelt "thank you" through my body's replacement for words - tears. Poor Amelia's going to think her mommy is a basket case once she gets old enough to realize I'm crying nearly each time I rock her! Eh...she'll figure out I'm not quite right eventually anyway.

You've heard that "love is blind?" Well, that's not always true. I love Amelia more than anyone could possibly imagine...but I'm not blinded by that love. I know she's rotten. There's no denying it. She has us ALL wrapped around her chubby fingers and none of us are a bit ashamed. She's become quite the Daddy's Girl lately, though. She cries the second he walks in the door because she didn't magically appear in his arms. He HAS to come get her or she has a complete meltdown. hehe Yes, I think it's funny and he tries not to smile. He fails.

If he needs to go outside, well, she NEEDS to go with him. Bathroom? She'd prefer to join him there, too. Across the room? Don't get more than 6 feet away or you're asking for it! Granted, she's like this with me, too, but it's just so cute to see the Daddy's Girl coming out in her! It's even cuter to see this big guy melt to mush just 'cause she says so. Bless his heart, he just doesn't even have a prayer!

Her favorite place to be is in our bed between the two of us. She rolls and climbs all over the place but takes little breaks of lying down between us, making sure to reach out and touch us both. She'll look up at me and smile, then over at David. Once she's confident we've gotten her message, she gets back up and plays some more. She climbs up on David to give him kisses then will roll over to give me kisses. Those are the BEST kisses in the whole, wide world even if they are a bit slobbery! Once she's ready to go to sleep, she'll grab her blanky and lie down between us. She HAS to be touching us both or she can't get situated. She cries if one of us leaves, but that's pretty much par for the course these days. Surely, she won't have such separation anxiety much longer. Surely. Will she? lol

Amelia has been a drooly, whiny, clingy, teething grump this week! Sometimes it looks like another bottom tooth is coming in and other times it looks like one of her top teeth. She really wasn't bad today but yesterday was rough. Hopefully, she'll be good for Nana tomorrow!

Oh!! We went to Amos Cottage in Winston for Amelia's physical therapy evaluation this past Monday. The therapist was absolutely taken back by Amelia's progress and health. She didn't see any physical problems at all and said Amelia was on target for her adjusted age of 9 months. We just need to help her get caught up to her actual age of 1 year but she didn't see any reason, what so ever, why Amelia wouldn't get to where she needed to be on her own.

I could've told them that.

I did tell them that.

Nobody ever listens to me.

I had to laugh when the therapist asked the same question we were asked throughout our time in the NICU - "Are you sure of your dates? She doesn't act like a 25 weeker!"

"Yes ma'am. I've ovulated 3 times in 10 years, all three medicated. She was conceived on a Sunday at 9:27 pm. I ovulated 17 minutes later." TMI?

She seemed genuinely surprised and pleased with Amelia's muscle tone and development, commenting on how strong Amelia was which is something we heard in the NICU, and actually something I've heard all my life. She IS her mother's child, bless her heart.

I suppose I should go to bed in case Baby Bear wakes up sometime during the night. Some night she does, some she doesn't. I REALLY like those nights I get to sleep all the way through, except I rarely manage to sleep the entire night. My mommy ear keeps me half awake at all times, expecting her to request my presence (ha!) at anytime. Some of the very best sleep I get anymore is on Saturday when she's at David's mom's because she's gone all day and I don't have to worry about dropping her off or picking her up. It'll be rainy tomorrow....Amelia will be at Nana's....do you see where I'm going here? *smiles innocently*

I hope you all have a wonderful and SAFE holiday weekend. Be sure to thank a soldier and his/her family if you can and thank you for being here. This miracle girl STILL belongs to us all...

G'night!

What a wonderful weekend!

Although Amelia's birthday isn't until this coming Friday, we had her party yesterday and it seemed to be a success! I didn't get to decorate as much as I wanted or make as many things as I had planned but time seems to slip away a little more quickly now than before. :)

David and I went to set up Friday evening, and since it was going to be so late by the time he picked Amelia up at his mom's, we decided to just leave her there to spend the night. He said Nana managed to not squeal with excitement but could tell she was just a little bit excited when he called to see if she "minded" if Amelia stayed over. Bless his heart, he said his heart dropped and his eyes welled up with tears when he finally made the call after we had deliberated for an hour. Then again, I was on the other side of town, bawling my eyes out because I wouldn't get to kiss my Baby Bear goodnight. What if she cried for me and thought I just wasn't coming to her? What if she thought I had abandoned her? What if? What if? What if?

I cried off and on all night while David agreed that "it just didn't feel right" around here. He finally fell asleep around 3am and it was 4am before I managed to drift off. He was up before 8:00 and I just shortly after. We managed to wait until 8:30 before calling only to find out Amelia had fallen asleep around 10:00, woke up sometime around 1:00 to eat and slept until 7:30. Nana put the phone down to Amelia and she said "hey" to us, at which point her daddy once again got a little misty-eyed.

Nana and Amelia arrived at the church a little after 1:00 yesterday afternoon and I could finally breathe again. Aside from the couple days I was sick while Amelia was in the NICU, I've never been away from her that long. It was almost 24 hours! *gasp* Had I known ahead of time she wouldn't be coming home Friday night, the "hand off" would've been nearly impossible but was a little easier since I didn't have time to think about it. Selfishly, we both wanted her home but it was really better for her to let her settle down for the night instead of her falling asleep during the 30 minute ride home, getting here at 10:00 and then having to settle back down only to be woken up early and taken right back over to Nana's.

It was best...for Amelia. ;)

Her party was wonderful although I felt like I was going to pass out from some sort of hot flash that just wouldn't quit. Everyone else appeared to feel normal and comfortable, but I was walking around on fire. I couldn't even wear the jacket that went with my dress so folks probably thought I had forgotten to finish putting my clothes on. lol So, to you wonderful people that attended the grand event, I really didn't forget, I just didn't think you wanted to have to call 911 when I passed out.



Miss Amelia was a little clingy for Mommy at first but warmed up after her nap and when we placed her on the table with her cake. Just like her mother, everything was made better by buttercream! She dug in as daintily as she possibly could - with both hands. Even though David, my aunt and my mom tried to get her to share, she just knew this cake was just for her! She did give me a bite, though. hehe



After cake, David and his mom cleaned her off in the kitchen sink:



I changed her clothes and it was off to open gifts! Of course, she was more interested in chewing the ribbons and bows but I'm tickled pink by all the goodies she received! You should see some of the dresses and outfits - TOO CUTE! Thankfully, I won't have to buy Amelia any clothes until Fall. Now, if only I could just resist the temptation. *sigh* That's a whole 'nother discussion.

PawPaw Rusty gave Amelia her first Harley:


Isn't that adorable?! She may be a little small for it now but it won't be long before she'll be rocking in style.

Nana & Pawpaw Wayne gave Amelia her very own quilt:


Unfortunately, she won't exactly be USING it but it will be greatly treasured. I think it's perfectly wonderful.

We gave her a tricycle:



and my mom bought Amelia an adorable, pink swing and a beautiful carousel horse for her room. We already had those things so we don't have pictures of them.

Everyone else showered Amelia with fun toys and beautiful clothes. We weren't concerned with gifts; we just wanted everyone to be there for this special day. We're thrilled and extremely grateful for everything received and for those that took time out of their busy lives to celebrate with us. We know those unable to physically be there were celebrating in their hearts. We're very fortunate to be surrounded by so many wonderful, caring friends and family. ♥

Pictures from Party - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064137&id=1378911125&l=92a65af973

It's late and we have to get up early in the morning to meet the Early Intervention lady so she can tell us how wonderful Amelia is. haha! Again, THANK YOU ALL for your prayers, gifts and support throughout the last year. Amelia is a very lucky little girl to have all of you in her life.

I'll leave you with my Facebook status for the day:

I spent last Mother's Day in a hospital bed with my hands on my stomach, praying for the tiny life growing and thriving within me despite all odds. This year, I hold that life in my arms, giving thanks for the beautiful, smart child she has become. Her smile dries my tears and her laughter heals my heart. I am FINALLY who I was meant to be all along. Happy Mother's Day!

Goodnight...

For our 2 remaining followers....haha

Hello to those still checking in! I thought everyone had pretty much stopped reading until I had two emails in the last few days asking where their updates were. lol So, here I am for our two loyal readers. *grins*

Amelia is, as always, simply wonderful! Somewhere along the way, she has come to the conclusion that she MUST be held for the majority of her waking hours...and preferrably her sleeping hours, too! Most folks tend to point the finger at sweet, innocent little ol' me as the culprit but I'm quite sure I have no idea what they're talking about. :-D

She isn't crawling yet but sits up like a pro! For the times she's not wanting to be held, she MUST stand and/or MUST be touching somebody in some way or another. My mom and I took Amelia to Applebee's yesterday, and for the majority of the time we were there, Amelia held my hand. If she let go for whatever reason, it wasn't long before she was reaching back out to grasp my finger. She didn't really LOOK for it, she just held her little hand out and somehow knew what she wanted would suddenly appear. ♥

If she's sitting on someone's lap, she'll find their fingers and slide down until her little feet are on the floor just so she can stand. She doesn't want you to hold her up by holding on to her body - it HAS to be by holding her hands only. Her game. Her rules. lol!

Amelia has 2 little bottom teeth that are sharper than any knife I have in the kitchen. Her toothy little grin is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and melts my each and every time I see it. At church last Sunday, she stood up agains the back of our pew and blew raspberries at the people behind us. I don't think any of us paid nearly as much attention to the message as we did to Amelia. How sad!

Her "words" are starting to sound more like actual vowel and consonant sounds instead of just babble but she hasn't said anything yet. Mom and I are trying to get her to say "Mama" but I think David's mom is trying to get "NaNa" to be her first word. David goes between "Mama" and "Dada." lol Eh, I don't guess it really matters since she won't really know what she's saying for a while and ANYTHING would be an improvement over whining.

Yes, she does take to whining quite a bit. Thankfully, only at home and very, very rarely does she do it in public unless she's extremely tired. Even then, picking her up and carrying her around fixes the whine-box. Holding her so she can stand fixes it at home. ;-)

Amelia is eating very well, preferring "real" food to that icky, smooshed, liquid mush they call "baby food." We chose to do more of a Baby-Led Weaning introduction to solids and it has worked wonderfully for Amelia. She was completely uninterested in solids in all forms for the longest time, but just as it's been with everything else, a light switch flipped and she dug in. She's reached the point of mostly feeding herself by hand and plays a little with her spoon. If we're at a restaurant, we feed her so it doesn't look like a herd of wild animals came through when they weren't looking, but she mostly feeds herself the rest of the time.

She still doesn't hold her bottle completely on her own, though, but that's to be expected since the glass bottles are a bit heavier. Amelia uses her sippy cup fairly well now, so we're moving on to straws and open cups. Now, THAT'S a mess! hehe Thank goodness it's only water!

Ummmm....let's see....Oh! Her birthday party is THIS Saturday and her birthday is the following Friday. I will NEVER have her party on Mother's Day Weekend again if I can help it. lol Who knew people actually made a weekend out of the holiday?! I think it's awesome and hope maybe Amelia and I can do the same when she's a little older but nobody around me had done anything like that. We usually went to see Gran on Mother's Day and that's about it. Maybe we do it all wrong. lol

*sigh* I love her. Each night I rock her to sleep and am overwhelmed with emotion, thinking I couldn't possibly love her more than I do...then morning comes and my heart has somehow expanded overnight to accomodate the additional joy and love a new day brings. Her open-mouth, slobbery kisses are the BEST kisses in the world and her incessant "talking" is music to my ears. Although...I have a feeling she'll be the child that NEVER stops talking once she starts.

Y'all know I've never quite had the words to express the feelings of gratitude and joy I have for the blessing of this child and I still don't. I try but it's just not possible. So, I get a little misty-eyed, say a prayer and hug her a tiny bit tighter. For some things, there truly are no words...

I'm going to go work on some birthday stuff but leave you with a couple picture links. I hope they work! If not, PLEASE somebody lt me know and I'll upload some to Photobucket.

As always, THANK YOU for being here for the last year! Yes, it's been over a year now since my water broke and I went to the hospital. Sometime over the next few weeks, I need to write down how it all happened and put it in the "my story" part of this site. :)

Here are the pictures:

April: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2060256&id=1378911125&l=b20bdd07ef

May: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2063509&id=1378911125&l=ee0993761b

First Easter: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059695&id=1378911125&l=2ece19639f

Thank you! See you soon! ♥♥♥

UGH!

I've GOT to stop Googling! It starts out innocently enough but the end result is anything but! For the last few days, it's been on my mind more and more that Amelia just won't sit. She would rather stand and we've all joked she would probably walk before she crawled. Ok, so I casually Googled something along the lines of "preemie sitting" or something like that. Of course, I'm lead to none other than a discussion board of nothing but developmental problems of preemies.

Did you know it's not uncommon for preemies to want to stand rather than sit because they didn't spend the third trimester squished in the uterus? Did you know crawling leads to other developmental milestones such as reading, playing ball and climbing stairs? Did you know some professionals will actually teach an older child how to crawl even after they're walking so that those parts of the child's brain will start to connect? Huh? Huh? Did you know? I didn't but I do now.

I did know that walkers, jumpers, and exersaucers weren't very good for the development of preemies especially which is why I've been considering packing ours away for the next baby. (No, I'm not pregnant. I mean the next hypothetical baby.) Amelia doesn't really like her jumper for extended periods anyway and it takes up half the living room. lol She and I spend more time face to face, talking and exercising throughout the day than she spends in the contraption, which I would think is better for her development in the long run. Plus, I get to steal more kisses. hehe

Back to my obsessiveness. I read a little blurb about a child with Cerebral Palsy (which has been a fear of mine since before I gave birth) that said he had some stiffness in one of his legs. Welllllllllllllllllllll, the lady at the NICU follow-up clinic said the only "off" thing she saw with Amelia a few weeks ago were her left leg reflexes were a little bit stiffer than in her right, but she wasn't concerned at this point. Well, does that mean she's not concerned because it's not her child or she's not concerned because there's nothing to be concerned about? I really shouldn't Google.

Are there different exercises I'm supposed to be doing that I'm not? If I stretch her anymore, she's going to be my own little Gumby but, hey, if that's what works....Why won't she sit contentedly for more than 5 seconds without trying to stand or toppling over? Why won't she roll over from belly to back yet? Is she just being stubborn? What if she never crawls and subsequently can't read nor climb stairs? I love to read and appreciate being able to bound a floor of stairs if needed. She HAS to read and the whole stair climbing thing is a plu.! Why am I suddenly so freaked out? Does anyone have a Xanex? I really shouldn't Google.

On a brighter note:

Amelia is now 7 months old (adjusted)!!! Did I tell y'all that her birthday party is May 8th? Well, it is. :-D Wanna see something beautiful? Ok, be right back....

Well, hold your horses!

...

....

.....

......


k, I'm back. :-D




Mom and I took Amelia to visit my Granny last Sunday and this is Amelia giving Great-Granny goodbye kisses. Mom called to tell me afterward that Gran told her that Amelia was so sweet, that she didn't even feel like she was holding a baby...it felt like she was holding an angel. AAAAWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! Aren't grandmothers wonderful?!?! *sigh* I love my granny and I'm so glad Amelia will have the same relationship with her grandmothers.

I guess I'm going to take my stressed butt to bed. Well, no...actually, I need to take a shower then go to bed. Mom and I have appointments tomorrow to get hair cuts so I need to get as much of myself ready as possible before Amelia wakes up in the morning. Otherwise, I'll never make it on time! lol

Thanks for reading my totally unwarranted worries. God continues to hold and grow Amelia perfect, healthy and strong. I believe that with all my heart but my mind tends to get in the way sometimes. I guess that's just part of being human. I hope you'll keep us in your prayers and I appreciate your continued support through reading more than you possibly know.

Good night....

Birthday Party Info and a Small Request

Happy Day After St. Patrick's Day!!!

With the awesome help of Nana, we've been able to reserve the church fellowship hall for Amelia's birthday party. Yay!!!! We were unable to get it for the Saturday following her birthday so we went with May 8th, the Saturday before. Amelia is such a sweet, charming little girl...as long as she's had her nap, so I hope she'll get some good zzzzzz's before she begins to party. ;)

I'm so excited! I want everyone to see the beautiful result of their prayers and positive thoughts over the last year. I don't care two hoots about gifts, I just want to celebrate this awesome gift we've been given. So...come play with us! hehe

I've entered some pictures of Amelia in a few photo contests, two of which the winners are based on the number of votes she receives. Y'all know what's coming. lol Would you pretty please, with a cherry on top, vote for these two pictures of Amelia? *flutters eyelashes*

Easter Photo Contest - http://www.thecutekid.com/ckgallery/votemypic/email/43479

LOL Photo Contest - http://www.thecutekid.com/ckgallery/votemypic/email/43505

We can vote every single day and I just know with all of Amelia's buddies out there, she can win by a landslide! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! (The other contest is actually run by professionals so what we say really doesn't matter. lol)

I had planned to do a bit of rambling tonight but I can't seem to keep my eyes from crossing. lol I'm going to hit the hay but I'll talk to you soon.

Don't forget to vote and don't forget to mark your calendar for May 8th!! *grins* Have a great night and a wonderful Friday.

(((((((((((Big Hugs)))))))))))))

~LaLa

I'm ba-aaaack!

That has GOT to be the longest moment of silence honoring a swing in the history of, um, swing recognition ceremonies. I do believe it has been properly acknowledged and we can respectfully move on. ;-)

So, Amelia went for her 6 month (adjusted age) check-up with the Premature Infant Care Clinic (PICC) last week. I think that's what the program is called but we just call it "goin' to Amos Cottage" since that's the name of the place. She went, she charmed and she conquered. Her weight was a whopping 17 pounds, 3 ounces and there seems to be some discrepancy with her length. The nice folks at Amos Cottage measured her in at just under 27 inches but the pediatrician's office measured her at a little over 25 inches today making her somewhere between 25 and 27 inches long. Either way, that's a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnng way from 12.9 inches at birth!

I had to fill out a questionaire full of questions concerning whether or not Amelia was doing certain things yet and was pleasantly surprised when I was able to check "yes" and "sometimes" to the vast majority of questions! Amelia's strongest area of development is in communication and she's right on target for her adjusted age (calculated from her due date) of 6-7 months.

Y'all, she is just wonderful and is such a beautiful gesture of God's love for His children. She is such a happy, charming little girl. She and I were standing in a store waiting for David to come back from the van when I woman came over to say "hi" to Amelia. I did well - I didn't assault her with Purell nor did I cover Amelia and run. I took deep breaths, smiled and prayed. ;-)

Really, I'm surprised by how smoothly I've transitioned from The Purell Nazi to a somewhat normal person. I still prefer complete strangers not breathe all over my child but I'm very at ease with "known" people holding and playing with her. I used to think touching their little foot was more acceptable than their hand but Amelia would rather chew on her toes than her fingers!

Ok, where was I? Oh! Amelia's new friend. Anyway, Amelia just grinned and laughed at this woman from the moment she approached us. The lady checked out, then came back say her goodbyes to Amelia. As soon as Amelia saw her walking toward us, she started kicking and laughing. She really went crazy when she spotted David coming back. lol NOBODY can make her laugh like her daddy can! He walks into the room and her little face lights up.

*sigh* I melts my heart to see and hear the two of them interact. David brought her back to bed with us when she woke up Sunday morning. She sat on his chest while he laid on his back and they played. David would lean toward her saying, "I'm gonna get you!" while tickling her belly and blowing raspberries. THEN she would do the same thing to him. lol!! It was the cutest thing I've ever seen!

My eyes are going crossed and I'm about to fall out of my chair so I guess I'd better make this entry short-ish. Amelia had 2 shots this morning and went to bed at 6:30 so I figure she'll be up rather early in the morning. I didn't mean for her to go to bed that early. We thought we were just putting her down for a nap. lol

I'll check back in tomorrow. Here are a couple links to her most recent pictures:

February - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2053034&id=1378911125&l=6c31ac9439

March - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2056248&id=1378911125&l=5ae8d03ecd

I added a couple to her old Photobucket Album and didn't have the same problems I had before so I might go back to posting pictures there. I'm not sure if there are very many people still following Amelia's story or not, though. If not, it's just as easy to put them on Facebook.

Have a great night! "see" ya tomorrow!

♥♥♥♥♥

Hello ello llo lo o..

Is there anybody in there?! Yes, I know...a whole month has gone by without a peep from yours truly. What on earth are we going to do with me? I know! Send me to my room for a whole day to think about what I've done. Truth be told, I think you should tack on a full night and possibly another whole day. Did I mention, I HAVE to stay in there all alone, without visitors? Just push a granola bar under the door every once in a while and I'll be fine. Thank goodness we have an attached bathroom or we might have a small problem. So, when do we start?

Angel Bear is just as wonderful as ever, but y'all knew that. ;-) Before I go any further, you must see this picture and you are required to look at it today if at anytime you find yourself becoming a grump. I PROMISE you will smile the second you lay eyes on this....




and should you find yourself with the uncontrollable urge to say, "awwwwwwwwwwwww," just take a peek here...




All together now........AAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!


Ok, let's see here...where to start.... First, I truly am sorry for dropping off the face of blogland. Not just for y'all but for all the stuff I've forgotten simply because I didn't write it down! I have vowed to myself to journal more because I feel like so much is slipping by without being permanently ingrained into my brain. I just can't have that! I'm a stickler for dates and times and it "affects me" that there are so many empty gaps of information to read back on since Amelia came home. On the other hand, there have been endless moments of snuggle time! hehe

The last month has been jam-packed with firsts! Our little Easter Bunny has 2 bottom tooth buds peeking through her gum. One is peeking a little more blatantly and is quite sharp! Bless her heart, she bit her own finger the other day but has since learned she must chew her fingers on the side of her mouth instead of right in the front.

Amelia went to church for the first time AND behaved wonderfully. Of course, I'm sure it helped that Nana kept her fully entertained but she was such a little charmer! I just can't tell you how much David and I enjoyed that entire day...

She has now been out to eat 4 times: Mexican, Italian, Chinese and seafood. Granny (my mom) committed a very serious crime as far as David is concerned. She gave Amelia a lemon while we were eating out and David was more than a little perturbed. Why?? He says it's because he has been looking forward to doing that since it was one of the "mean things" and it's a "father's right" to do those sorts of things first. Men!

Amelia has gone from mostly spitting pureed foods out to downing 3 ounces at a time. She cannot stand pureed chicken or turkey but hasn't met a vegetable or fruit she doesn't like. Organic vanilla low-fat yogurt seems to be her favorite food, though. We bought a safety feeder consisting of a mesh bag and handle for her to hold which has been wonderful for giving her actual chunks of fruit. The bag prohibits larger pieces of food from getting in her mouth yet she's still able to eat and suck on the food itself. I've mostly used it for frozen peaches since the cool soothes her gums and she likes the taste.

She's still rolling over from her back to her tummy like a pro but just. will. not. flip back over. She even rolls over to sleep on her tummy, and no matter how many times a night I go in to roll her back over on her back, she always ends up right back over on her tummy. Unfortunately, when she awakens bright and early, she's "unable" to flip back over on her back and go back to sleep. So0000, she wakes up, realizes she's on her tummy, pages us for assistance and MIGHT go back to sleep once flipped. If she's playing in her crib or on the floor, she'll push her bottom up with her feet but she hasn't gotten up on her hands and knees yet. It won't be long....

We packed up her pretty pink swing this weekend. Let's have a moment of silence for the sanity and naps this beautiful, miracle of a machine helped me retain.









Giving The Swing the respect it deserves, I'm going to sign off for the night but I'll be back tomorrow to finish up and report on Amelia's appointment.

I hope you have a wonnnnnnnnnnnnderful day!!!!!

How Ironic...

Y'all know that David and I have gone to great lengths to keep Amelia safe and healthy. Everyone within a 2 mile radius has to Purell before breathing. If you've been sick OR been around anyone that's been sick, you can't come around for 72 hours. If you smoke, you have to wear something over you or change shirts before holding Amelia. You must rub your head while patting your belly while spelling, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and knock three times before entering a room....You get the drift. Well, irony of all ironies, WE are the ones that gave her a flippin' cold!!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, God has a sense of humor.

We're all three croupy and coughy, thanks to David. He started snorting and hacking last week, staying holed up in our bedroom away from Amelia. It didn't work. She started coughing Saturday evening and I woke up feeling like I had been ran over 45 times by a Mack truck this morning. Maybe that 46th time would've left me laying... OH well.

David took Amelia for her Synagis shots for RSV today and THINK she weighed 16 pounds, 6 ounces (they didn't measure her length). She had a little temperature of 96.6 but her lungs were perfectly clear. Whew! Please, please, please keep us in your prayers. We're a sad bunch! lol

Amelia's Early Intervention appointment was rescheduled until next Wednesday so there's nothing to update there.

I'm going to swallow some cough syrup, check in Amelia and hit the hay. Have a good night!

~~LaLa

Cabin Fever

Yep, I has da cabin fever for which there is no cure. *hand to forehead* Whoa is me... I'm ready for yard sales and auctions and thrifting and crafting and creating and and and!!!! I do believe I'd be one of those idiots standing out in -12 degree weather at the only yard sale within a 100 mile radius with shifty eyes and shaking hands, jonesing for THE find of the day - if only another idiot would put their stuff out on their barren lawn of crispy, brown remnants of grass.

I blame my mother for this affliction. She is an enabler and my partner in crime and we fully intend to teach Amelia tricks of the trade starting as early as April when we plan to have our own yard sale. Now, that is quite opposite from our traditional rolls in the whole thrifting endeavor and THAT could very well be why we need to have a yard sale in the first place. We have tons of stuff, and truly, are only selling it to make room for more, new-to-us stuff.

I love all things vintage, another affliction for which Mummy Dearest can take responsibility for. (Boy, she's sure going to LOVE reading this! *waves* Good morning, Mom! Did you sleep well? Good..good..Glad to hear it. hehe) For years, if anyone needed a table or hutch or even a bedroom suite, the checked with me before going shopping. Sadly enough, I usually had it "in stock." My inventory has dwindled over the last few years but I still have a lot of, um, treasures to pass on to the next collector.

David and I are going to pick up my camera tomorrow and I fully intend to sneak in a trip to Hobby Lobby to pick up some stuff for a few projects I have in mind (mostly for Amelia!). I made tarts (wickless candles) and air fresheners this weekend and am feeling wonderfully productive. lol Nope, it doesn't take much but that's part of my charm. :-p

Since the name of this blog is Amelia Gracelyn, I suppose I should stop rambling about myself (I see another blog in my future) and mention The Wonder Preemie. She, of course, is beautiful, sweet, charming, cuddly, funny, happy, at times stinky, spitty, clingy, wonderful, joyful, and any other praising adjective you can think of! I swore I'd never be the kind of parent that went on and on and on about their kids because, well, because your child really is not as wonderful as you think.....But mine really is!!! lol! I'm kidding, sorta, but even when she's screaming for no apparent reason, I think she's absolutely fantastic.

David said something this afternoon about her being a handful because she wasn't happy sitting in her bouncy with me sitting in the rocking chair RIGHT BESIDE HER. If I dared to look at the TV for more than 1.5 seconds, she'd squeal and then smile as soon as I turned back to her. She wants my complete and undivided attention but I can't really say anything about it because I was the very same way! Amelia got tired of being half an inch from me and requested, in her own special way, to be picked up. That's when David said she was a handful. I just laughed and replied, "I'd rather her be like this than for something to be wrong and her be completely unresponsive."

I've said a million times that life is just a matter of perspective. Some would find it completely unacceptable that their child needed to be close a good part of the day. Not me. I think it's an fantastic miracle that she has the ability to know who we are and the ability to communicate her needs. I've decided to FINALLY make a wrap to carry her around in here at home and when we're out. I bought the fabric when she was still in the NICU, but as is the story for the last year, I just never got around to it. I hope to get it done tomorrow evening and start using it Tuesday. Hopefully, she'll like it and we'll be on the road to productivity! ;-)

If you've followed Amelia's story from the beginning, you know I grew to adore so many of the nurses we spent months with. One of those nurses had just announced her first pregnancy a couple weeks or so before Amelia came home. Her beautiful baby was recently born and I would like to ask for you to remember them in your prayers. Also, another lady I know had a premature baby a year or so before Amelia was born, and from what I understand, her precious miracle has been having some issues. Each time I pray for Amelia, I pray for her baby, and if you can, would love if you could pray for her, too.

Honestly...I've come to know so many ladies that have experienced the birth of a micro-preemie and I try my best to pray for them each day. This can be such a hard, trying experience and it takes the prayers and support from everyone around you to pull you through. God IS good and He DOES answer prayers. I find such infinite peace in that...

Amelia still takes a shower with either David or me but she hasn't really shown much interest in what was going on. Since we're leaving tomorrow, I went ahead and took a shower so I could bathe her tonight instead of risking getting water in her ears and taking her out in the cold in the morning. (Where did I get that idea from anyway? I don't remember anyone ever telling me that. lol) Tonight, for the first time, she actually turned toward the shower stream and ran her hand in and out of the water. awww! It was so cute! I love seeing the world again through her eyes. I dare say I'll enjoy it more the second time around than I did the first...

Just a funny picture...LOL



Various Christmas Pics - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050031&id=1378911125&l=bf5c86f7cc

January Pictures - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049721&id=1378911125&l=aa37c8d1d0

Good night, Friends. Sweet dreams! ♥♥♥♥

What a week!

Aside from the severe sleep deprivation I experienced immediately following Amelia's home debut, this has been one of the most tiring weeks I've had since she was discharged. She had her booster and RSV shots on Monday leaving her feeling crummy Tuesday and Wednesday. As a matter of fact, she just hasn't seemed to feel well all week but not really sick. She didn't have a fever and wasn't coughing or anything, she was just whiny and even more clingy to me than usual (if you can imagine that!). Have you ever seen a baby smile and cry at the same time? I have.

David really tries to give me a break, but after a few minutes, Amelia just screams until I "save" her from him. She'll be crying one minute and the second she sees me walking toward them, she starts to smile. Yes, I know, it's sweet and cute and I secretly get a small kick out of it at times BUT sometimes I really do need to get something done around here. Our living room looks like a pink tornado has come twirling through and you would think we ALL drank out of bottles by looking in the kitchen!

Speaking of bottles, Miss Amelia has mostly graduated from small to big bottles! She often eats close to 5 ounces at a time now although that results in more spitting up. I burp her as usual but she still spits up. We're going up a little on her reflux meds and I think we'll probably try to thicken the formula a little more to see if that helps. At least it's not projectile! See? You should always find the silver lining? :-p

Amelia weighed 15 pounds, 14 ounces and was 24.5 inches long at her appointment last Monday. Her weight gain has settled down some since she started regular formula but she grew nearly an inch in length in just four weeks! She is rolling over from back to front like a champ but still gets stuck trying to get back over. She will stay on her tummy a little longer and is holding her head up!



David took Amelia to his mom's (Nana's) this morning to give me a break, although I told him I didn't need one. He disagreed saying if I didn't soon get a little time to myself, I would bite his head off. Of course, I'm just not sure what he could possibly mean by that... I really didn't want her to go! It has nothing to do with where she is - I know she's well taken care of. It just feels weird being home without my little girl. David even admitted to having a hard time leaving her this morning. I guess it just feels different when we leave Amelia with either of our moms for a little bit so we can run some errands. She'll be home soon and I'll be ready for her to go to bed in a few hours if she's still acting like she has the rest of the week! lol That's ok, though, because I can go in her room and look at her and even touch her anytime I want because she's HOME.

I know some of you are thinking, "Just wait. It won't be long and you'll be begging someone to come get her!" Trust me, those fleeting moments have already reared their ugly heads but we really and truly don't want to be away from her for any extended period of time. We wanted her. We dreamed of her. We prayed for her just as we do for any future children. We chose to have children to complete our family, to love and enjoy. Not just so we could say, "Hey! Look at us. We have a baby!" (Unfortunately, I do know some people like that. Bah!)

That being said, I do admit to enjoying my day of sleep today, though... *grins* That's right, I slept until almost 3:00 this afternoon, barring the times Mom and David called.

Amelia celebrated her 8 month birthday this week and I'm in full-on birthday party planning mode! The colors are bright pink and green and I even have her dress picked out! Y'all know I'm a planner. This is what I do. I plan, plan, plan. I spent the year before David and I got married planning and buying stuff to make all the centerpieces and table decorations although I didn't end up with any of it after the wedding because everyone snatched them for themselves! Hey, at least I didn't have to worry about packing it all back up! lol

Why pay someone else to create my vision when I'm the only one that can really SEE what it is I would like to have? I love making things and am feeling inspired to create for the first time in at least a year. I've been asked why I want to go through all the trouble for a party Amelia will never remember. I just smile and respond, "Because her very existence is worth celebrating..." Nine months ago, Amelia's fate was uncertain. Today, she is a beautiful, growing, thriving, smiling, giggling, cooing, crying, pooping, cuddly, precious, miraculous gift from God and we're going to celebrate the fact that she's here with us. (Besides, I like to do stuff like this! lol)

As far as we know, her party will be on Saturday, May 15th. Save the date because you're all invited! LOL! I wish there truly was some way for every single one of you that's prayed for Amelia and supported us through the last year to really be there to witness the result your answered prayers and healing thoughts. Y'all probably get tired of me going on and on about how grateful I am and how wonderful she is but I am constantly filled with such a spirit of gratitude and feelings of being truly blessed. It is said that what comes out of your mouth is what's in your heart and my heart is feeling pretty good these days. ♥

David just called to let me know he was at his mom's! Yayy! I'm really glad Amelia has such wonderful and loving grandparents that would do anything they possibly could for her but I'm ready to smooch the chubby cheeks of my cute little girl! hehe

Goodness, what a long entry. I think I should rename this blog to "The nonsensical ramblings of a sometimes funny, always quirky and usually blonde chick." Think there's enough room for that title? ;-)

Click here for the newest pics of Amelia! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049721&id=1378911125&l=aa37c8d1d0

"See" you soon,
LaLa