Your First Surgery

Baby Girl,

Here is another one of those "firsts" I didn't think we would have again for a while….your first surgery.  After getting RSV in November, you are been having recurrent ear infections.  Since we have had double ear infections, and an ear infection we spent 21 days on antibiotics and couldn't get rid of it the pediatrician thought we should see an ENT.  Mommy was also concerned because you had been saying the same words since about October, so we were afraid the fluid on your ears wasn't allowing you to hear sounds clearly and we didn't want you to have a speech problem.

After seeing the ENT he decided you should probably get tubes. We have several friends who have gotten tubes so I wasn't so concerned with this option.  It seemed better than you constantly being on antibiotics.  After seeing the ENT we scheduled your surgery for the next week.  

As the day approached I became more nervous.  The ENT assured us the surgery would literally last 10  minutes and we would have you back in your arms.  You wouldn't totally be put under, just enough to get you still.  So on that morning we loaded up and headed to the surgery center to have surgery.  MiMi, Ry, Nanny, and PaPaw all met us there.

Because you were the youngest patient you got to go first.  This was GREAT news since we couldn't feed you before we left the house.  They got you back in a room and in a gown quickly and we were just waiting on the doctor….

Cutest baby in a hospital gown…and yes you had to have a bow!

Once the doctor came in they were ready to go.  You did so good.  They took you from my arms and you didn't even cry.  This made it a little easier for Mommy, but I didn't like knowing they took you from me and I couldn't be with you.  The doctor was right…literally 10 minutes from them taking you, you were back in my arms.  They told us before the doctor came in that we would hear you before we saw you again, and they were right.  We could hear you crying all the way down the hall when they were bringing you back.  It was so pitiful.  Even when they put you back in my arms you just cried and cried.  I know you were confused and just wanted to sleep because all the anesthesia, but it made me so sad!!  We had to stay 30 minutes after getting you back so they could make sure you were ok and then we were free to go.

By the time we put you in the car you were much better!! You had stopped crying before we got out of the parking lot and were asleep before we got down the road.  Once we got you home, Nanny and PaPaw came over.  Daddy went and got us all breakfast.  By this time you were acting like nothing had happened!! It was really that easy!!  

While it was a simple, routine surgery and everything went great, it is something I don't want to have to go through again for a long time.  Here's to hoping you will start talking more and this will help you to not have many more ear infections.

Love,

Mommy

Your First Snow!

Baby Girl,

We got to experience your first snow this year!! Of course, living in the south we are totally equipped for snow so we didn't have the proper toys/ride ons for this type of event so we did the best we could with what we had….

This was super exciting because we got to spend some extra days out of school with you and have fun. It started at night.  Mommy and Daddy couldn't wait to take you outside to see what you thought.  After we spent 15 minutes bundling you up (again we didn't have the proper snow clothes so we just layered and layered and layered) we were all ready to go!!  Since we didn't have sled, we decided to put you in the laundry basket and we found a strap we tied to it to pull you with.

We pulled you around the neighborhood and you seemed to like to snow.  It didn't feel too cold, we we were able to stay out in it for a little while.  You didn't really get out of the laundry basket, but you enjoyed us pulling you up and down the street.

The next morning we decided we were going to see what it was going to do and as soon as we found out we were out of school again the next day due to threat of snow we decided we would go spend the night with Mrs. Christen, Mr. Ben, and Mary Hyatt.  We were so excited.  Mrs. Christen cook us potato soup and peach cobbler.  It was delicious!!  We played and had so much fun making "plans" for the next day.  When it got time to go to bed we made Daddy and Mr. Ben sleep in the big bed and we pulled the remaining mattresses into their den and you, me, Mrs. Christen, and Mary Hyatt all slept together like a sleepover.  It was so much, although it took a long time to get your and Mary Hyatt to sleep.  She would jump from one mattress to the other and act like she was going to land on you and you would giggle.  You were laughing so loud Daddy and Mr. Ben had to get up and come see what was going on.  We finally got you two to sleep and began anticipating what we were going to do the next day.  Much to our surprise when we woke up it hadn't snowed a DROP!  We were devastated!! We decided to pack up and go home not knowing what it would do the remainder of the day.  

We got home and within a few hours it started snowing and didn't stop.  We were off school again the next day!!  We were afraid we couldn't make it back to Mrs. Christen and Mr. Ben's house so we stayed out our house this night.  

While these pictures don't show it, you really weren't a fan of the snow outside the laundry basket.  When we put you down in it you would just stand there and not move… a muscle.  It was so funny!!  You wouldn't walk, and if you fell down you would cry until someone picked you up!  After playing in the snow at home we decided to cook dinner and go to bed and hope that tomorrow we would be able to get somewhere to play with everyone!

We were in luck!! The roads were okish to drive on, so we headed back across town to have fun with some friends.  We were able to go to a friend's house who has a huge hill as a front yard.  EVERYONE was there with sleds and toys….it was great!! We got to sled and we even took our redneck sled (the laundry basket) to pull you down a small hill.  You still didn't care much for the snow outside of the laundry basket but we had a great time!! 

While the snow was very pretty, we were glad to see it finally go away and life get back to normal.  It was wonderful being able to spend some time off with you the past couple of days and do something we probably won't get to do again for many years.  While you won't remember this, it is such a special memory for Daddy and me.  It was another "first"… honestly after just finishing your first birthday I wasn't sure we would have another one of these events for a while!! I can't wait for it to snow again when you can remember it and truly have fun in it!!

Love,

Mommy

Christmas 2013

Baby Girl,

We just celebrated your 2nd Christmas.  What an exciting time!!  This year everyone went overboard.  You weren't sure about what to do with all your gifts, but I know you will love playing with them as you continue to grow.

Our first Christmas celebration was with Nanny, PaPaw, Aunt Jamie, Uncle Craig, Grant and Gracie.  We went down the Sunday before Christmas so we could spend more time with them. Christmas Eve is just too much right now (which is when we normally spend Christmas with them) since you are so young.  Going down the Sunday before allowed us to go in the morning and go to church and then spend the whole afternoon at Nanny and PaPaw's house and end the evening with a great dinner!  After church we came home and took naps and waited on Grant, Gracie, Uncle Craig, and Aunt Jamie to come over.  Once they came over we were all about the presents.  You, Grant, and Gracie rotated in opening presents and it was so exciting helping you open your gifts.  You still don't quite understand it, but I think you had a good time.  You got a picnic basket and the Little People Race Car Park from Uncle Craig and Aunt Jamie, and you got a baby doll, picnic basket, clothes, Little People Ride On, and purse from Nanny and PaPaw.

Here are a few pictures we took at home before we left for the day.

The next celebration was Christmas Day!  We woke up and I couldn't wait for you to see what Santa, Mommy and Daddy, and MiMi and Ry brought you!! You woke up in a funny mood, but I was so excited to take you into the den.  Once we got there you started crying so we weren't sure how this was going to go over.  But you warmed up and within a few minutes you were ready to go.  We had to wait on MiMi and Ry to come over, but that didn't take too long.

 Needless to say everyone went OVERBOARD!! It looked like Toys R Us threw up in our den!  You got a Little People Zoo, Little People Princess Castle, Little People Zoo Train, Little People Princess Stable (do you see a theme), ice cream set, backpack, blocks, puzzles, books, bath toys, cat towel, Happy Birthday Jesus Plate, Minnie Plane Ride On, Baby Doll Stroller, Table and Chairs, Doc McStuffins and Minnie plates, clothes and pajamas….

Next we celebrated with Aunt Nell and Reagan.  We had a GREAT lunch and then got to open presents with you.  Aunt Reagan got you sign with your name on it and Aunt Nell got you a piece of art with a cross on it, Little People Plane, Little People Bus….

Finally we ended the day with MiMi, Ry, Nanny PawPaw and great dinner cooked by Daddy.  This was the first year we have seen Nanny and PawPaw on Christmas.  It was a great ending to a great day!! You had so much fun and I can't wait to celebrate many more Christmas's with you.  I really don't know who had more fun with your new toys….

Love,
Mommy

P.S. We did a TERRIBLE job taking pictures this year.  I am just now noticing this….

You're Twelve Months Old!!

Baby Girl,

The time has come….You are ONE!!!!  What an amazing year it has been.  You have brought more smiles and laughs to this family than I have seen in a long time.  You are a sweet, beautiful, little girl who has brought sunshine into our house each day!!  I never knew a love like this, until you.  There have been many tears shed at the thought of you being one, both sad and happy!!  You are growing up too fast and I just wish I could keep you little forever.

As sad as it makes me that you are growing up, you are beginning to be so much fun.  We can play with you and laugh with you.  You are happy ALL the time!!  It has been an exciting month.  We have celebrated you with family and friends and looked back at the journey we took to get you. You are still not walking, but can get places very quickly!!  You talk and laugh at yourself and Mommy and Daddy.

There is a great song "Mine To Love" by Dave Barnes that speaks loudly when it comes to you.  I first heard this song the month we found out we were pregnant with you and it has been a familiar song in our household ever since.  Dave Barnes so elegantly puts it, "Your mine to love….we have all been waiting on you….your mine to love….come into these open arms.  It took some time to wait it out, but I see it now….your worth the dreaming of….your mine to love."  This is so true.  It took a lot of waiting and time, but looking back on it now, as a year has passed, every second of the wait was worth it.  You are truly the best blessing in our lives and I pray daily that you will understand this one day.

Here are a few of your first pictures as a one year old!!!  

This month Mrs. Stephanie took your one year old pictures and some Christmas pictures of us all.  She did an AMAZING job, as always.  The first pictures are so you!! Mommy and Daddy ALWAYS make sure you have a bow in at all times and you are such a JOY!  She did a great job catching your smiling face.  The bottom two are some of my favorites.  Mommy made sure we were all in our jammies for Christmas pictures.  Here we are reading a book, which is one of your favorite things to do.  The top one depicts your curiosity and interest in all books.  You are always happy when we are reading to you and we try to read with you every day.

 This month Mommy, Daddy, and Mrs. Christen took you and MH to see "Frozen."  We had free tickets and weren't sure how this was going to go over.  You like to be down and into everything so we weren't sure if you sit still long enough to enjoy the movie.  But since the tickets were free we thought we would give it a try and if we had to get up and leave than it would be ok.  You surprised us.   You made it ALL the way through the movie.  With about 30 minutes left you fell asleep in Mommy's lap.  But you were totally intrigued with what was going on on the screen.  It was a GREAT movie!!!

Here are a few pictures by the Christmas tree.  We put it up right after your birthday party (I didn't want you birthday party to be associated with Christmas) but I do like it up early so we can enjoy it.  It is hard to believe we are about to celebrate our 2nd Christmas with you.  I was worried you were going to be in the Christmas tree and was a little hesitant about putting it up, but you have stayed out of it!!

Mommy, Daddy, Miss Christen, and Mr. Ben took you girls to Santa's Village this month.  This was your first time to see Santa and I was impressed that you actually took your picture with him without crying.  Santa's Village was interesting but I think you enjoyed the people more than the actual village.  Every 15-20 minutes they made it "snow", there were reindeer, Mrs. Clause and Santa, the Elves workshop where you could play with toys and color, you could write a letter to Santa, and enjoy a story read to you by Mrs. Claus.

Here are a few things about you this month….
* You are  21.15 pounds
* You are 30 inches long
* You wear a size 3 diaper
* You wear 12 month clothing
* You can say MaMa, Dada, Baba, uh-oh and ah (arf) (The doctor was impressed!)
* You still like Mickey Mouse, Princess Sophia, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates,
* You can walk a few steps without any help
* You are only taking a 8 oz bottle at night and in the morning
* You have 4 teeth
* You love green beans and mac and cheese
* You play with your Little People Farm that you got for your birthday
* You like to play with blocks
* You love to take baths
* You love going to school each day
* You love your paci
* You sleep with Mommy and Daddy (we may start you in your crib, but it only last a few hours)
* You are a people watcher





Baby girl you seem to change daily!  You are growing and learning so much.  You are beautiful and strong willed and I can't wait to see you change over the next year as you have this year.

I love you!!
Mommy