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...