Friday, August 04, 2006
In My Arms
Morgan woke up an hour into her usual 2 1/2 hour nap today. Great, I thought, there goes watching "Days" in peace today! By the tone of her cry (and past experience), I figured she was not going to go back to sleep. Kirklyn was sleeping in the guest room across the hall from Morgan at the time, so I ran to Morgan's room to get her before she woke Kirklyn up. I noticed as I walked in the room, though, that she wasn't her normal perky post-nap self. I usually go in to find her bouncing up and down while holding onto the crib rail. I swear one of these days she is going to launch herself over. Today, however, she was just sitting there clutching her bear with the pink blanket still wrapped around her. She was kind of in a "I don't think I'm supposed to be awake yet" daze. So, I picked her up and laid her in my arms. Surprisingly, she didn't object to being horizontal, so I sat down in the rocking chair. Lately when I try to hold her like that, she will have nothing of it. She squirms and arches her back to be released from the grasp of my arms. Toddlers just do not want to be confined - even for a minute! Today was different, though. She was lying so still and was snuggled up next to me just like old times! I couldn't believe it when she fell asleep a few minutes later. It seems like an eternity since she fell asleep in my arms. We have been so concerned for the last year about "putting her down while she's drowsy, but not asleep", as all the books instructed us. In all my haste to teach her to sleep on her own, I forgot what it used to be like when we rocked her to sleep. It really touched my heart today to hold her in that way again. I realized a few things in those few moments as I rocked her...
So, after gazing and Morgan for those few minutes which seemed like an hour, I decided it was time to put her back in her crib. I wiped the tears from my face and then realized I didn't remember how I was supposed to get out of the rocking chair without waking her up! Those early motherhood fears came rushing back to me very quickly! I definitely took a few minutes to psych myself up for the task. I planned my strategy and prayed I could get all 3 feet of her her, as well as the bear and blanket, in the crib without tripping over the toys in the floor and/or ramming her into the side of the crib. It went very well and she stayed asleep for another hour or so.
Our family life has been so chaotic this summer with trips, events, everyday busy-ness, and the nature of an 18 months old a.k.a. the Tazmanian Devil (as I like to call her). I think that God was telling me today that I needed to STOP in the midst of the chaos and remember what is truly important. I wouldn't have all the chaos if I didn't have this precious little girl. She is why I choose to stay at home instead of working full time. Her physical, emotional, and spiritual growth should be my focus daily. Don't misunderstand, I don't feel like I've neglected her in any way. I just realized today that it is way too easy to get caught up in other tasks that we think determine our success as moms (laundry always done, gourmet dinners every night, dirt free floors, etc.) I pray that God helps me focus on the big picture more and the everyday business less.
Thank you, Morgan, for waking up early from your nap today. It was just what I needed! : )
- The distinct shape of her eyes - they are so much like my sister's.
- The softness of her eyebrows, which are white and perfectly compliment her eyes.
- The way her nose angles up perfectly at the tip.
- Her white hair resting on my arm. She didn't have much hair the last time I rocked her to sleep. Today her cowlick was being blown softly by the ceiling fan.
- The way her lips are perfectly shaped - this was the first feature Greg and I noticed in the hospital when she was born.
- How much she has grown - she is 34 inches long and her feet now hang off my legs as I'm sitting in the chair
- How she looks like an angel when she sleeps. She has always looked that way to us.
So, after gazing and Morgan for those few minutes which seemed like an hour, I decided it was time to put her back in her crib. I wiped the tears from my face and then realized I didn't remember how I was supposed to get out of the rocking chair without waking her up! Those early motherhood fears came rushing back to me very quickly! I definitely took a few minutes to psych myself up for the task. I planned my strategy and prayed I could get all 3 feet of her her, as well as the bear and blanket, in the crib without tripping over the toys in the floor and/or ramming her into the side of the crib. It went very well and she stayed asleep for another hour or so.
Our family life has been so chaotic this summer with trips, events, everyday busy-ness, and the nature of an 18 months old a.k.a. the Tazmanian Devil (as I like to call her). I think that God was telling me today that I needed to STOP in the midst of the chaos and remember what is truly important. I wouldn't have all the chaos if I didn't have this precious little girl. She is why I choose to stay at home instead of working full time. Her physical, emotional, and spiritual growth should be my focus daily. Don't misunderstand, I don't feel like I've neglected her in any way. I just realized today that it is way too easy to get caught up in other tasks that we think determine our success as moms (laundry always done, gourmet dinners every night, dirt free floors, etc.) I pray that God helps me focus on the big picture more and the everyday business less.
Thank you, Morgan, for waking up early from your nap today. It was just what I needed! : )
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Happy Birthday Isaac!
We were so excited one year ago today when we welcomed you into our "family". You have such a sweet spirit and a wonderful smile. We love you and your mommy and daddy very much and we can't wait to celebrate your birthday with you!
Love,
Greg, Alison, and Morgan
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Summer Fun
I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. Time has flown by. We've been out of town quite a bit, which has been fun, but tiring! We're settling back in now and we're ready for the rest of the summer. Here is our month of fun narrowed down to 13 pictures...
1.) Morgan's 1st haircut. This is Marty, our family hairdresser. She has cut my hair since I was 5 years old.
2.) 1st trip to the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, TX. My sister and I pretty much learned to swim in this river near my grandparents' house. It was so neat to have Morgan share a piece of my childhood like that, although, the water was too cold to swim that day!
3.) Hunting ladybugs at her friend Marlee's birthday party. Morgan enjoyed squishing them between her fingers after catching them.
4.) Enjoying ice cream and cupcakes at the party with Kirklyn.
5.) After the party, we dropped Greg off at the church for a mission trip to Houston. We then headed up to Aunt Katie's house in Frisco where she was having a Kojie roommate reunion! They were so nice to invite us! Morgan made a new friend, Ashlyn (17 months), who belongs to Katie's roommate, Andrea (Hise) Whiteside. The girls are enjoying beverages by the pool.
6.) We then headed over to Jamie (Sommers) Schlegal's house in Plano for "Pancake Night".
7.) Morgan and Ashlyn playing with Jamie and Steven's dog "Biscuit"
8.) Morgan can hardly stand all the excitement!
9.) We came home from Frisco and attended our Bible Class swim party at the Howard Moore Splash Pool in Arlington. Here, Morgan is posing with her new friend Kasen Underwood, who is Kevin and Lacy (Litton) Underwood's 3rd child!
10.) Next, we headed down to Houston to spend time with Greg while on the Mission Trip to Impact. We stayed with Greg's dad and did lots of fun things. Here, is Morgan with her new pal Andre at the Astros game. He is one of the interns with the Impact Church.
11. In Grandad's backyard with Aunt Leigh Ann, who is due around Thanksgiving with Baby #1! His name will be Brandon Scott Kasberg. Morgan is excited to finally have a cousin! See how green it is in Houston? That's because it actually rains there!
12. Back at home with her BFF Kirklyn. They were twinsies that day! This was 2 days after Morgan turned 18 months old!
13.) Greg and I last weekend in Chicago, where we attended a friend's wedding. Morgan stayed at home with Grammy, Grandpa, Mike and Katie! It was our first time to leave her for more than one night, but she did great and we had a fun, relaxing weekend!
1.) Morgan's 1st haircut. This is Marty, our family hairdresser. She has cut my hair since I was 5 years old.
2.) 1st trip to the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, TX. My sister and I pretty much learned to swim in this river near my grandparents' house. It was so neat to have Morgan share a piece of my childhood like that, although, the water was too cold to swim that day!
3.) Hunting ladybugs at her friend Marlee's birthday party. Morgan enjoyed squishing them between her fingers after catching them.
4.) Enjoying ice cream and cupcakes at the party with Kirklyn.
5.) After the party, we dropped Greg off at the church for a mission trip to Houston. We then headed up to Aunt Katie's house in Frisco where she was having a Kojie roommate reunion! They were so nice to invite us! Morgan made a new friend, Ashlyn (17 months), who belongs to Katie's roommate, Andrea (Hise) Whiteside. The girls are enjoying beverages by the pool.
6.) We then headed over to Jamie (Sommers) Schlegal's house in Plano for "Pancake Night".
7.) Morgan and Ashlyn playing with Jamie and Steven's dog "Biscuit"
8.) Morgan can hardly stand all the excitement!
9.) We came home from Frisco and attended our Bible Class swim party at the Howard Moore Splash Pool in Arlington. Here, Morgan is posing with her new friend Kasen Underwood, who is Kevin and Lacy (Litton) Underwood's 3rd child!
10.) Next, we headed down to Houston to spend time with Greg while on the Mission Trip to Impact. We stayed with Greg's dad and did lots of fun things. Here, is Morgan with her new pal Andre at the Astros game. He is one of the interns with the Impact Church.
11. In Grandad's backyard with Aunt Leigh Ann, who is due around Thanksgiving with Baby #1! His name will be Brandon Scott Kasberg. Morgan is excited to finally have a cousin! See how green it is in Houston? That's because it actually rains there!
12. Back at home with her BFF Kirklyn. They were twinsies that day! This was 2 days after Morgan turned 18 months old!
13.) Greg and I last weekend in Chicago, where we attended a friend's wedding. Morgan stayed at home with Grammy, Grandpa, Mike and Katie! It was our first time to leave her for more than one night, but she did great and we had a fun, relaxing weekend!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Lots and lots of girl time!
Having a husband as a youth minister has it's privileges. For instance, you get an extra set of keys to the church building (handy for mid-errand diaper changes), you always get invited to the church sandwich suppers even when the party doesn't directly apply to you (I happen to love the token pimento cheese sandwiches), and you also get the most wonderful wedding and baby showers thrown in your honor. With the perks, however, come the disadvantages. Most youth ministers are gone to camps 2-3 weeks sporadically during the summer. Our youth minister, however, is gone for 4 out of 5 weeks straight. Therefore, Miss Morgan and I are trying to keep busy without being outside too much, yet without getting cabin fever! What a task it has been! Luckily we've got 2 weeks down, 2 to go!
13 Creative Ways Morgan and Mommy have kept busy while Daddy's gone
1. Made a picture bulletin board of Morgan for church (it was her turn to be featured outside the nursery)
2. Story time for babies 0-18 months at the library followed by...
3. Story time for 2-3 year olds at the library - I felt Morgan was advanced enough for the older group (and I was desperate last Wednesday)
4. Stayed in for 3 days with a stomach virus
5. Weekly swim time at Carrie (Holley) Foster's house
6. Weathered our way through Morgan's daily "independence declaring" fits. Today it was because I wouldn't let her suck toothpaste out of the tube.
7. Began a new season of MTV reality shows with The Hills (love it!), Cheyenne, and Fresh Meat (I watched these, not Morgan)
8. Rejoiced as Patch and Kayla returned to Days (Morgan and I both did this!)
9. Shoplifted a .99 cent water bottle from Hobby Lobby on accident
10. Found ACU and Lamar High School alumni on My Space
11. Killed our beautiful hanging flower baskets due to excessive heat (and forgetting to water them)
12. Faithfully watched every Mavs playoff game in its entirety
13. Above all, Morgan and I have grown closer and are more mother/daughter bonded than ever. It has really shaken her world with Greg being gone, but she really has handled it the best she can! She is so precious to me and I am learning to treasure our alone time together rather than feeling anxious about being an only parent for a month!
2. Story time for babies 0-18 months at the library followed by...
3. Story time for 2-3 year olds at the library - I felt Morgan was advanced enough for the older group (and I was desperate last Wednesday)
4. Stayed in for 3 days with a stomach virus
5. Weekly swim time at Carrie (Holley) Foster's house
6. Weathered our way through Morgan's daily "independence declaring" fits. Today it was because I wouldn't let her suck toothpaste out of the tube.
7. Began a new season of MTV reality shows with The Hills (love it!), Cheyenne, and Fresh Meat (I watched these, not Morgan)
8. Rejoiced as Patch and Kayla returned to Days (Morgan and I both did this!)
9. Shoplifted a .99 cent water bottle from Hobby Lobby on accident
10. Found ACU and Lamar High School alumni on My Space
11. Killed our beautiful hanging flower baskets due to excessive heat (and forgetting to water them)
12. Faithfully watched every Mavs playoff game in its entirety13. Above all, Morgan and I have grown closer and are more mother/daughter bonded than ever. It has really shaken her world with Greg being gone, but she really has handled it the best she can! She is so precious to me and I am learning to treasure our alone time together rather than feeling anxious about being an only parent for a month!
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Happy 17 months!
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(written in Mavs blue in honor of Game 1 tonight) |
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Sunday Seventeen
Well, I missed posting my Thursday Thirteen last week for several reasons. We had a very busy week last week cleaning and running errands for our 1017 Roommate Reunion. So, when Blogger would not cooperate during the small timeslot I had set aside for this on Thursday, it unfortunately got pushed to the bottom of the to-do list! To make up, I've decided to start a new fad called "Sunday Seventeen" for those of us who miss Thursdays! You could also do "Saturday Sixteen" or "Tuesday Twelve". I don't think it matters, as long as aliteration is involved!
We had so much fun on Friday all seeing each other again. Lynley, Leigh Ann, Laura, Kara, and I had not all been together since Kara's wedding four years ago! Now we've added 3 kids to the group, which definitely made for a more chaotic meal than we used to enjoy back in Abilene.
Morgan, Elizabeth (Kara's daughter), Isaac (Lynley's son)
Unfortunately, this is the best picture I got of the three of them! Elizabeth looks as if she is about to attack Morgan while Isaac looks on innocently.
Here are 17 fond memories I have of our "1017" days...
1. Tuesday night is Pancake night- tap, tap, tap, tap. This tradition was carried on by my sister and her Kojie roommates. They still have a Pancake Night at their roommate reunions!
2. Hosting "Pajama Rush" - our house was way too small and stuffy for this event. Why did we choose to host an event in which everyone would wear flannel?
3. Brandon Sheets' revenge - involving limbs against the front door, the police, and Laura screeming
4. Doug Crum risking his life to put a Happy Birthday Lynley sign on our roof. I'm thinking that a letter was written backwards on that sign, but I can't remember exactly.
5. B.O. "Peeps" Youngquist - enough said
6. Soldier Lady
7. Blind Man
8. The "Friendship Chair"- a touching ministry to those in pain (e.g. Rusty)
9. The Jackson 5 - I'm sure we could have tried out for American Idol with that routine!
10. The Tish wig - not only stealing it from Tri Kappa, but the hours of fun we had trying it on. I remember crying so hard due to laughing whenever Shelly put the wig on and asked "Anyone got any bread?"
11. Doing a group session of Tae-Bo in the living room. I still have this on video and may use it as blackmail in the years to come!
12. Our baby pictures on the mantle. Why did people say mine looked like Tracy Baugh?
13. Beware of this memory!
14. Leigh Ann side-swiping the house with her car. Apparently she couldn't drive and eat a banana at the same time! Isn't that what happened?
15. The chore board - such a clever idea, yet so poorly executed by the roommates
16. My 2 surprise birthday parties our senior year and being embarassed in chapel without actually being there.
17. Our post-graduation dessert we threw for our families. Such a fun and memorable, yet strangely awkward event to close out our college years together!
Living with those 4 girls was such a blessing to me in college and their continued friendships are an even bigger blessing to me now that we've moved on to the next phases of our lives.
Ironically, these are the same faces Lynley and I are making in our Kojie picture in our senior yearbook. What a touching legacy of being photogenic we have left for our children!
We had so much fun on Friday all seeing each other again. Lynley, Leigh Ann, Laura, Kara, and I had not all been together since Kara's wedding four years ago! Now we've added 3 kids to the group, which definitely made for a more chaotic meal than we used to enjoy back in Abilene.
Morgan, Elizabeth (Kara's daughter), Isaac (Lynley's son)
Unfortunately, this is the best picture I got of the three of them! Elizabeth looks as if she is about to attack Morgan while Isaac looks on innocently.
1. Tuesday night is Pancake night- tap, tap, tap, tap. This tradition was carried on by my sister and her Kojie roommates. They still have a Pancake Night at their roommate reunions!
2. Hosting "Pajama Rush" - our house was way too small and stuffy for this event. Why did we choose to host an event in which everyone would wear flannel?
3. Brandon Sheets' revenge - involving limbs against the front door, the police, and Laura screeming
4. Doug Crum risking his life to put a Happy Birthday Lynley sign on our roof. I'm thinking that a letter was written backwards on that sign, but I can't remember exactly.
5. B.O. "Peeps" Youngquist - enough said
6. Soldier Lady
7. Blind Man
8. The "Friendship Chair"- a touching ministry to those in pain (e.g. Rusty)
9. The Jackson 5 - I'm sure we could have tried out for American Idol with that routine!
10. The Tish wig - not only stealing it from Tri Kappa, but the hours of fun we had trying it on. I remember crying so hard due to laughing whenever Shelly put the wig on and asked "Anyone got any bread?"
11. Doing a group session of Tae-Bo in the living room. I still have this on video and may use it as blackmail in the years to come!
12. Our baby pictures on the mantle. Why did people say mine looked like Tracy Baugh?
13. Beware of this memory!
14. Leigh Ann side-swiping the house with her car. Apparently she couldn't drive and eat a banana at the same time! Isn't that what happened?
15. The chore board - such a clever idea, yet so poorly executed by the roommates
16. My 2 surprise birthday parties our senior year and being embarassed in chapel without actually being there.
17. Our post-graduation dessert we threw for our families. Such a fun and memorable, yet strangely awkward event to close out our college years together!
Living with those 4 girls was such a blessing to me in college and their continued friendships are an even bigger blessing to me now that we've moved on to the next phases of our lives.
Ironically, these are the same faces Lynley and I are making in our Kojie picture in our senior yearbook. What a touching legacy of being photogenic we have left for our children!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
My favorite sounds
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4. Morgan's first cry the day she was born5. My cats purring |
Monday, May 22, 2006
Friday, December 23, 2005
Testing, Testing 123
Lynley introduced me to the program to make these collages, so I thought I'd try! Here's a collage of our Thanksgiving (and week after) activities! (1) Christmas card picture taking
(2 &3) Uncle Mike's birthday party / UT vs A&M game
(4) 1st taste of Thanksgiving turkey
(5) Being silly with Daddy at Grandma's house
(6) Bath time
(7) Big 12 Championship game (both loud and tiring according to Morgan)
(8) Morgan's gangster pose - she rolls with the big bucks!
Next we'll try Christmas!
Saturday, December 10, 2005
A rough night
"Eeeesh!" That's Morgan's new word. That and several other C-V-C combinations that make no sense. I love to hear her connect new sounds together. She sounds like she's speaking in sentences, which is so cool. This shouldn't surprise me, as a speech pathologist, however, it's just much more interesting to actually see language developing than to read it in a textbook! Anyway, back to eeeesh, as in "eeesh, this has been a long night". Morgan woke up this morning with her first fever. I knew from the second she woke up that something was wrong. So we checked her temp, and it was 100.7. We went to the doctor and they said it's the same virus that Kirklyn had last week, just without the mouth ulcers (so far). So today was spent holding Morgan as she slept and giving her dose after dose of tylenol. Her fever got as high as 103. Poor thing, I can tell how bad she feels. Selfishly, I do like how she is only comforted by me. She has become so independent in her old age of 11 months. It's nice to know that she still needs dear ol' mom. : )
In the midst of the sick child, I realized tonight that I hadn't seen our cat Vince all evening. This isn't too uncommon, but I just had a bad feeling. I guess I have motherly instincts for my cats, too! So, Greg got home from his party and I headed outside with the flashlight. I just started sobbing as I called him up and down the street. I started having flashbacks of when Vince lived in Abilene with Jennifer and Katie. He had gotten out and was hit by a car. They found him under a bush injured pretty badly. Anyway, as I'm walking up the street in Greg's houseshoes and coat sobbing (I'm surprised I wasn't reported), I hear a faint meow coming from the other direction. I turned and as I headed back toward the house, I saw Vince sitting on our sidewalk meowing at me! I can't express the relief I felt. So, I joyfully pick him up and I carry him into the house while I'm still sobbing controllably. I anticipated a great family reunion to commence in the bathroom where Greg was bathing Morgan, however that was not the case. Morgan was screaming in the bathtub, drowning out my sobs and scaring the crud out of Vince. At that point, Vince scrambled out of my arms, scratching me in the process. So, the reunion was defunct, but I was joyful none the less.
After days like today, I need to thank God for those not-so-eventful days, even though at the time they seem crazy. I am thankful that my family is all together and hopefully on the road to recovery!
In the midst of the sick child, I realized tonight that I hadn't seen our cat Vince all evening. This isn't too uncommon, but I just had a bad feeling. I guess I have motherly instincts for my cats, too! So, Greg got home from his party and I headed outside with the flashlight. I just started sobbing as I called him up and down the street. I started having flashbacks of when Vince lived in Abilene with Jennifer and Katie. He had gotten out and was hit by a car. They found him under a bush injured pretty badly. Anyway, as I'm walking up the street in Greg's houseshoes and coat sobbing (I'm surprised I wasn't reported), I hear a faint meow coming from the other direction. I turned and as I headed back toward the house, I saw Vince sitting on our sidewalk meowing at me! I can't express the relief I felt. So, I joyfully pick him up and I carry him into the house while I'm still sobbing controllably. I anticipated a great family reunion to commence in the bathroom where Greg was bathing Morgan, however that was not the case. Morgan was screaming in the bathtub, drowning out my sobs and scaring the crud out of Vince. At that point, Vince scrambled out of my arms, scratching me in the process. So, the reunion was defunct, but I was joyful none the less.
After days like today, I need to thank God for those not-so-eventful days, even though at the time they seem crazy. I am thankful that my family is all together and hopefully on the road to recovery!
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
A wild week!
I think we have finally recovered from Thanksgiving! Morgan has been on overload since last Wednesday and I believe she is beginning to come down. Bob came up from Houston on Thursday morning and my parents then came over for lunch. Since lunch in my family = late lunch, we didn't eat until 2:00, right in the middle of Morgan's nap. This worked out, though, because by the time she woke up, we were still eating. She sat in her little high chair looking quite confused as to why almost every familiar face she knows was staring at her at the table. We gave her a little turkey, which she promptly spit out, as she did the sweet potato casserolel. She did enjoy the roll, however, which I guess can be considered an accomplishment. We then went over to Greg's Uncle Jamie's house where many of Greg's cousins were. They all descended on Morgan as if she were an alien! They haven't had a baby in their family in a long time, so they were quite excited to see her. All of Greg's cousins on his dad's side are in their 40's with teenagers. We are actually closer in age to the cousins' kids. Anyway, from there it was on to Garden Ridge to find the perfect pre-lit tree, however, none were to Greg's liking (price-wise), so we left and I was a bit dejected. The tree we decided to get was going to be $50 cheaper on Sunday, so why buy it on Thursday? Deep in my heart I knew it was going to be gone. Sure enough, Greg went back at midnight Saturday night and it (along with all the other non-skinny trees) was gone. I resisted saying "I told you so" and we ended up getting a tree on Sunday at Target!
Friday was spent up in Frisco with my family + Bob+Mike's dad for Mike's 26th birthday. We watched Texas almost get beat by A&M and then Katie and I hit some stores. Saturday we traveled to Stephenville to visit Greg's grandmother and Brad and Leigh Ann. We had a good time and Morgan had fun crawling around Grandma's giant (all couches around the perimeter) living room. Sunday was a normal church day except we had nothing that night, which was nice. We got 2/3 of the lights put up outside as well as the tree (the whole tree that is). So far, Morgan has ignored the tree, which I am thankful for. We'll see what happens when we decorate it!
In addition to the crazy Thanksgiving weekend, I had Kirklyn from 6:45am-5:00pm yesterday and Mom, Morgan, and I went to McKinney today to meet Aunt Mary and Aunt Molly for shopping and estate settling. Morgan slept for 2 hours in her car seat on the way home and after we came in the house!
Needless to say, we are all pooped. We need to stop and breathe, but we still continue to press on. Morgan will go to Amanda's tomorrow so I can have some much needed alone time. I don't have to work, so I guess I will decorate the house for the next whirlwind holiday! I am really looking forward to Christmas this year. Having Morgan has put a whole new spin on it. It will be so much fun!
I have to say a prayer for Lynley tonight. Her grandfather passed away somewhat unexpectedly tonight. I know how close she is with all her grandparents, especially him and her grandmother. It's hard to say goodbye to someone who's been there your whole life. It's especially hard to watch your parents mourn their own parents. I know exactly what Lynley is feeling tonight and I know how hard this week has been for her already with Isaac being sick.
I love you Lynley!
Friday was spent up in Frisco with my family + Bob+Mike's dad for Mike's 26th birthday. We watched Texas almost get beat by A&M and then Katie and I hit some stores. Saturday we traveled to Stephenville to visit Greg's grandmother and Brad and Leigh Ann. We had a good time and Morgan had fun crawling around Grandma's giant (all couches around the perimeter) living room. Sunday was a normal church day except we had nothing that night, which was nice. We got 2/3 of the lights put up outside as well as the tree (the whole tree that is). So far, Morgan has ignored the tree, which I am thankful for. We'll see what happens when we decorate it!
In addition to the crazy Thanksgiving weekend, I had Kirklyn from 6:45am-5:00pm yesterday and Mom, Morgan, and I went to McKinney today to meet Aunt Mary and Aunt Molly for shopping and estate settling. Morgan slept for 2 hours in her car seat on the way home and after we came in the house!
Needless to say, we are all pooped. We need to stop and breathe, but we still continue to press on. Morgan will go to Amanda's tomorrow so I can have some much needed alone time. I don't have to work, so I guess I will decorate the house for the next whirlwind holiday! I am really looking forward to Christmas this year. Having Morgan has put a whole new spin on it. It will be so much fun!
I have to say a prayer for Lynley tonight. Her grandfather passed away somewhat unexpectedly tonight. I know how close she is with all her grandparents, especially him and her grandmother. It's hard to say goodbye to someone who's been there your whole life. It's especially hard to watch your parents mourn their own parents. I know exactly what Lynley is feeling tonight and I know how hard this week has been for her already with Isaac being sick.
I love you Lynley!
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Thankfulness
Let the cleaning begin! Morgan is at Amanda's today because they are going out of town tomorrow. Luckily I don't have to work this week, so today is cleaning day! Bob is coming tomorrow and I'm hosting Thanksgiving at our house. It will only be him and my parents, but I want the house to be clean none the less. I don't feel that smashed peas and ravioli on the kitchen floor are appropriate for a holiday meal. Speaking of food, Morgan has tried many new table foods lately. Most have been at restaurants when we are trying to find anything to keep her occupied while we eat. Don't get me wrong, she's wonderful in public. She loves smiling and talking to the people around us, but sometimes she gets a little too excited. That's when the squealing starts. Most people think it's cute, but I'm convinced that if it goes on for more than 2 minutes, we might start to get dirty looks! I don't want to be that mother! Anyway, back to the food. Morgan has tried fried okra, pancakes (aka Morgan's first pancake night), peas, ravioli, carrot bits, chicken, french fries, rolls, peach cobbler, mandarin oranges (later I found out I shouldn't do citrus until 12 months, oops), grapes, pickles, and many others I've forgotten. She seemed to like everything, except the pickles. She thought she liked them at first, but then she sucked on one really hard and made a really funny "bitter beer face"! She's still eating mostly baby food, but I'm having her chew at least something at every meal so she gets used to it.
That's all for now. The clock is ticking and I've got to get started. Overall, we are really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. Bob hasn't seen Morgan since August and she has changed sooooo much since then. We also get to see Brad and Leigh Ann on Saturday. We also get to remember all we have to be thankful for. I get teary eyed thinking about all God has blessed us with this year. We have a healthy, happy, beautiful baby girl who just adores us. She has taught us to love in a different way than we've ever known before. She brings us more joy than we ever could have imagined. Greg and I are truly proud of our accomplishment, but we know she is a miracle from God. I can't imagine my life without her!
Happy Thanksgiving!
That's all for now. The clock is ticking and I've got to get started. Overall, we are really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. Bob hasn't seen Morgan since August and she has changed sooooo much since then. We also get to see Brad and Leigh Ann on Saturday. We also get to remember all we have to be thankful for. I get teary eyed thinking about all God has blessed us with this year. We have a healthy, happy, beautiful baby girl who just adores us. She has taught us to love in a different way than we've ever known before. She brings us more joy than we ever could have imagined. Greg and I are truly proud of our accomplishment, but we know she is a miracle from God. I can't imagine my life without her!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 07, 2005
Morning Praises
1. Both girls are down for naps simultaneously!
2. Kirklyn is leaving early today (I love her dearly, but a little break is good)
3. Our friends Ryan and Amy Gibbons are coming over tomorrow night to watch Morgan so we can have a night out. No strings attached!
4. Kirklyn's daddy, Dewitt, has a 2nd interview today for an AP job in Everman.
5. Greg comes home early tonight - no FCA!
6. I think AJ's anxiety and stress are getting better.
7. I got all of the poop out of Morgan's new swimsuit!
8. Christmas parties are being scheduled right and left!
9. The weather is gorgeous (though warm for November)
10. I'm taking lunch to a friend at Crow on Wednesday.
It's good to start the day counting little blessings. God blesses us every moment of everyday. It's so easy to get caught up in minor frustrations (i.e. poop in the swimsuit). I'm going to praise God for the good things instead of focusing on the bad!
2. Kirklyn is leaving early today (I love her dearly, but a little break is good)
3. Our friends Ryan and Amy Gibbons are coming over tomorrow night to watch Morgan so we can have a night out. No strings attached!
4. Kirklyn's daddy, Dewitt, has a 2nd interview today for an AP job in Everman.
5. Greg comes home early tonight - no FCA!
6. I think AJ's anxiety and stress are getting better.
7. I got all of the poop out of Morgan's new swimsuit!
8. Christmas parties are being scheduled right and left!
9. The weather is gorgeous (though warm for November)
10. I'm taking lunch to a friend at Crow on Wednesday.
It's good to start the day counting little blessings. God blesses us every moment of everyday. It's so easy to get caught up in minor frustrations (i.e. poop in the swimsuit). I'm going to praise God for the good things instead of focusing on the bad!
Friday, November 04, 2005
Crank up that monitor!
Ahh, finally a moment to myself. I love naptime! I only wish I knew exactly how much time I had before the little darling wakes up. After she goes down, I live as if she is going to wake up in 20 minutes, which happens sometimes. Any longer than that is a treat. What do I do first? Hurry, go to the bathroom! Next, dry your hair! Go warm up your lunch so you can eat without someone tugging at your pant leg! Maybe you'll get lucky and get to fold some laundry! Before I became I mom, I never had to prioritize my daily (and hourly) activities!
We had fun on Monday night (Halloween). We went to a few houses, but Morgan mostly sat in our entry way and dug candy out of the bucket. I attached a picture that Lynley liked. Next year I need to find a costume that is a little more obvious than the strawberry. All night we heard, "Awww, what a cute tomato or apple or watermelon". Jerks! Just kidding.
Morgan has started this disappearing act several times a day. We'll be in the living room playing and all of the sudden, she's gone! She has followed a cat out of the room and usually ends up in her room playing. It's funny that she bypasses the guest room and bathroom. It's like she's knows which room is her's. Once I realize she's gone, I have a split second where I unrealistically think, "She'll be OK by herself! She's a big girl now!" These crazy thoughts stem from exhaustion, I'm sure. So, after a brief moment of insanity, I go find her. She thinks it's a fun game. More than anything, I think she just likes to play in her room. I'm glad since Mike and Katie spent so much time painting it!
Tonight we are heading out to the Lamar/Arlington game. It's the last game of the season, and I'm pretty sure Lamar's going to lose. Greg has 5th quarter afterwards, so he won't be home until 1:00am. Another night of putting Morgan to bed on my own! I don't mind it nearly as much as I used to. I used to get really uptight and dread it because Morgan and Greg have their little routine and she goes right to sleep. She will go to sleep for me fine, but I hate for her to miss out on being with him. It really has become a special time for them. Someone at the football game last night leaned over to us and said, "That baby must be a daddy's girl!" because of the way Morgan was looking at Greg. I think it's sweet and I know how lucky we are to have Greg so involved in every aspect of her upbringing. I couldn't ask for more!
Oh sweet, I hear Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" coming over the baby monitor. No, no, they aren't performing a private concert in Morgan's nursery, though I think that would be fabulous! They are actually on 103.7 KVIL. Morgan tends to nap better with a little background noise, so I turn on the radio very soft. I chose KVIL because the music is soothing. At first, I had it on KISS fm, but I didn't think that 50 Cent's "In Da Club" was the best message for Morgan to hear subliminally as she slept. So, I'm going to crank up the monitor and have a moment to myself!
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