Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Happy Fall Y'all

This video is of Dakota singing The B-I-B-L-E

I am trying something new...Videos. Dakota loves to sing, and act out for the camera.

Life is going good here in Texas...Fall is here...Some of the leaves are starting to change. I love this time of year.

Lily and Dakota are growing up so much. Lily is into her jabber mode...she always has something to talk about (even though it sounds like this: "dadadadaddda mamamamamama" and sometimes even a "tota"--i think that is for Kota) Dakota is talking in full sentences now..and more people are starting to understand him (yay!!)

We are starting to plan for Lilyann's 1st birthday...Can you believe she is about to 1? November 30th is her birthday.

Fall brings on the holiday season...Yamboree (in Gilmer), Halloween, Thanksgiving, Lilyann's birthday, Christmas, Jed's birthday, Dakota's birthday...makes me tired just typing it all.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Aww... Little Miss Independant



Miss Lilyann is getting to be a professional "puller upper". She didn't go to sleep last night until late, because she was cruising around in her crib last night. I guess when she learns a new thing, she has to improve it as best she can. Jed and I were watching her yesterday and saying that she is too small to be up and moving about. Because once she starts pulling up, then the cruising the furniture comes, and then the walking. My little baby is growing up. One nice thing, I am still needed...she has learned to pull up, but is still needing mommy to help her back down. (as you can see from the picture) I think it frustrates her that she doesn't quite have it all figured out.

OH!! and we now have tooth #5...It came through yesterday...She is getting used to her new teeth...the grinding has started...yay!! not!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Our Weekend and Ike....


I'm going to add in our Monday, also. Marge came over with the kids, Samantha and Cash; so all the kids could play together. Marge and Sam still don't have power, but they have a generator. So today, we went down to the park to play...and wear out the kids a bit. The kids had a great time...as you can see from the slide show.
Friday was a good day....Dakota got to go play at Grandma's house while watching the men work (Grandma is having the foundation of her house repaired). Friday afternoon/evening is when the scattered showers started...But Jed and I still kept our plans to go to see John Tesh in concert. That was quite an enjoyable experience. He played some wonderful selections...you can read more about him at http://www.tesh.com/ . We know alot about the website and it's link...if the audience cheered every time John Tesh mentioned the website, then t-shirts were thrown out into the crowd...we didn't catch any though. You should hear his take on I Can Only Imagine and Yes, Lord, Yes~~inspiring! We didn't take any pictures of the concert. We were under the impression that no flash photography was allowed during the show.
Also on Friday or Thursday night, Lilyann has started pulling up. She gets up on her knees and pulls up on whatever is around her. She has started pulling up in her crib...she is only on her knees, but she sometimes cant figure out how to get down. Soon, she will be pulling up to stand. Dakota is enjoying having Lilyann more mobile and sitting up on her own. The two of them have been playing alot better together.


Just to let you know, I don't think that i will every first associate Ike with Mike and Ike's (yummy candies)...it will be associated with Hurricane Ike. We got some winds and rain from Tropical Storm Ike (it downgraded before it hit us). We lost power for about 10 hours, but nothing as devastating as what others got. It was fun at first, but after awhile, it is hard for a 2 1/2 yr old to understand that the power is out and the TV doesn't work. Dakota had a few meltdowns (he loves to watch movies...especially Happy Feet, which he had borrowed from Grandma's house); but we let him play some games we don't usually play: like peek-a-boo from window to window, making towers with the mega blocks (these are our rainy day toys), and just opening all the windows and watching the wind and rain. So that is how we spent our Saturday.


Lily and Daddy watching the wind and rain together

Dakota during one of his meltdowns



We started Sunday morning (early) at Boo's house (Jed's Grandma). We drove out to her house-she still had power-and since we didn't and it was getting hot and humid in the house, and the kids were fussy; so we decided to stay the night (Friday) at Boo's house. After an hour of us being at Boo's house...The power started flickering and goes out. Though the power was out, it was still a good night...the kids had a change of scenery and Dakota loved playing with the flashlights. We came home Sunday morning around 8am...our power was already back on (it came back on sometime during the night) so the house was cool and Dakota had his cartoons back! YAY!! Jed slept on the couch with Dakota while watching cartoons, Lily went back to sleep, and I fell asleep once i hit the bed. Sunday School was cancelled due to power outages, but regular church service wasn't. So, we head on to church. Seeing our friends was good.


We had a long weekend, and we are thankful that it was a safe weekend given the circumstances.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Lilyann is 9 months old

Lily with Katie (Jed's cousin)
Dakota with Brooke (Jed's cousin) Dakota was climbing around the pool..he had a blast

Lilyann is now 9 months old. Can you believe it? It is funny how the last 9 months have flown by, but the 9 months that I carried Lily seemed to take forever.

Alot has happened in the last 9 months...but all of what has happened has made Lilyann, Mommy, Daddy, even Dakota, and all those around us stronger. It is amazing to see the endurance and determination such a little one has. She is an example to us all...especially me.



Today was Lilyann's 9 month checkup...no shots, today...so that made it an even better visit for us all. Lilyann weighed in at 15 lbs 13 oz (7Th percentile) and is 27 inches long (25Th percentile). Dr. Waldrop is happy with her progress. We talked about Lily's nonstop eating...yes! i said nonstop eating. I can't keep up with feeding her. She is now on table food and she loves it. She LOVES cheese. You want to see Lilyann all happy, show her a piece of cheese and she nearly climbs out of the high chair to get it. Lilyann is taking her bottles like a pro now. She just can't seem to get enough...the Dr says that she is making up for lost time (you don't have to tell me that twice!).



Lily is army crawling still...but she gets where she wants to go. I found her in the bathroom the other day...and now she has learned to make her way to the kitchen. She loves her big brother...he is her hero. She watches him in awe. When he actually gets down on the floor and plays with her, she is smiling from ear to ear. She loves when Dakota plays peek-a-boo with her. I can tell that they will be the best of friends.



Another Lilyann milestone: She has cut tooth #3...she now has 2 bottom teeth and 1 top tooth. She bit the Dr's finger today when the Dr was checking her gums..she actually made the Dr jump back...with Jed and I laughing.



I better get to bed soon...It's not every night that the kids actually fall asleep at the same time...i had better take advantage. Night night to all our friends and family. Thank you again for your prayers. What would we do without the power of prayer??

Monday, September 1, 2008

Small Moment

Lilyann (April 2008)
Cash and Samantha with Lilyann (August 29, 2008)

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. Isaiah 54:7



Our pastor used the verse stated above for his text today. He talked about things happening that seem as if the world is about to end, but then when you look back on them. You see that is was "for a small moment." It wasn't forever. And God's mercies were there for us. It caused me to think back to when Lilyann was diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Defect. I thought that my world had ended or was at least coming to an end. I was so distraught. I didn't know what to do. My little girl was sick, not eating, not gaining weight...She just was not doing good. It was a long 3 months that seemed to never end. But it did end. God's mercies shown through. And as i look back on those long 3 months, I realize that it was but for a small moment. My world did not end. It made me stronger. It was something that we all needed as a family...God knew what he was doing.



Just remember...God is there. It may not seem like it, but "For a small moment I have forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee." Claim God's promises.