One Year Ago....

One year ago today...I found out I was pregnant.  I can't believe it has been a year since that day!  I remember it like it was yesterday....

We had experienced a miscarriage in August of last year and had just been praying about what the Lord's plan would be for us after that....

I had no symptoms or signs of pregnancy, except the obvious "lateness" but to be honest, I didn't even think that I was really "late" so much as I thought that my body was still readjusting to all of the hormonal changes from my first pregnancy a couple of months back. 

I had stopped at Kroger on my way home from school and for some reason just decided to pick up a pregnancy test.  I thought, what the heck...I've already taken so many in the past six months....what's one more? =0)

I went home and did what I had to do....and was 100% floored when the little pink line appeared before I had even set the test down to wait the standard three-five minutes!  I almost passed out right then and there.  Of course I was home alone and was just DYING to tell Jeffrey!!  I called him at work (trying to sound as calm and as normal as possible) to ask him when he was coming home....and then I paced and watched the clock for the next 45 minutes.

When he FINALLY got home, I gave him this card:

He thought nothing of it, because I am ALWAYS giving him cards...and since it was the day before Halloween he just figured he was getting his Halloween card early!

Boy was he surprised when he opened the card and saw this:

We laughed and cried and prayed and then laughed and cried and prayed some more!

The next day we met my parents at Cracker Barrel for breakfast and shared our good news!!

It was such a joyful breakfast....maybe that's one of the reasons I heart Cracker Barrel so much?!

Now, one year later....we have our precious Libbi.  We are amazed at how the Lord has guided us through this past year and with all that He has blessed us with.  It is really so much more than we could have ever imagined.  He is faithul to bring beauty from the ashes and joy from the tears.  We were heartbroken when we lost our first baby, but the Lord turned our sorrow into joy as he blessed us with our sweet Libbi!

Here's Libbi checking out the card that I gave her Daddy last year....

She's thinking hard about how to get into that Milky Way (and yes, I did tape it to the card LAST YEAR...and yes, it's still on there....and yes, it's only on there because I don't like Milky Way's - I obviously wouldn't waste the good candy on a card!)

October 30, 2008

October 30, 2009

"For you created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from You

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

Your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in Your book

before one of them came to be."

Psalm 139:13 - 16

A Taste of...Everything!

Last weekend was a busy weekend, but I never got around to blogging about it or posting any pictures....I guess I have just had a *few* other things going on these days ;0)
The past few Saturday mornings Libs and I have met Buddy and Mimzy (my parents) for breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  We love us some C.B!!  Libbi loves browsing around the gift shop and rocking in the rocking chairs.....she just gets so frustrated at that dern peg game! Jeffrey has not been able to join us, because he has his tennis matches on Saturday mornings. Of course we love to cheer him on and support him while he plays....we just choose to lend our support from Cracker Barrel instead of the tennis courts! =0)

Last Saturday after a delicious breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we went home to wait for Jeffrey to get home so we could go to the Town centre for "A Taste of Suwanee."

"A Taste of Suwanee" is a fundraiser for a local high school.  Tons of the restaraunts in our area participate in this event and you can purchase tickets to taste their food!  ....And boy, did we taste some food!!
We had baked ziti and garlic rolls from Ippolitos,  We ate chicken nachos from Frontera.  Jeffrey had a slice of pizza from Old Towne Tavern.  I ate a waffle from the Waffle House. And to top it all off, we each had a piece of strawberry cake from Red Sky.  Did I mention that we only spent $8.50??!!  Did I also mention that we spent the remainder of the evening in the bathroom!?  Just Kidding =0)

We had a great time and I think Libbi enjoyed it, too.....although I do think she was a little perturbed that she didn't get to taste anything.....

Wordless Wednesday...

It's Red Ribbon Week at school....today's theme was "Shade Out Drugs"

Happy "Drug-Free" Wednesday! ;0)

Takin' it Easy...

Yesterday consisted of this:

So, in turn....today consisted of a lot of this:

Libbi had her four-month-checkup yesterday afternoon.  All went well (unless of course you count the screaming, crying, dry heaving, three shots, pleading eyes, and crocodile tears) and she had a perfect report!  I was shocked to see that she *only* weighed 15.8lbs....still in the 95th percentile, but for some reason she feels so much heavier....or maybe it's just that I'm "weak like a cloth" (as my MawMaw would say!)

She is hitting all of her developmental milestones and continuing to fill out nicely!  Our wonderful pediatrician that we just love to bits, Dr. Bramwell told us that we could start Libbi on some rice cereal if we're ready, but there's also no harm in waiting another month or so since I am still exclusively nursing her....I think we're going to hold off on the rice cereal for now.  Maybe we'll try it over Thanksgiving Break when Jeffrey and I are both home for the week and we have a little more time during the day with Libbi.  I know some of y'all have already started rice cereal and your babies are around the same age as Libbi....are you glad you did or do you wish you would have waited?

Since she had her second round of shots yesterday, she was feeling a little under the weather today.  Nothing that a little time home with Momma and some extra lovin' can't cure!  We stayed home from school today and just hung out in our PJ's and spent some good quality time together.  It is POURING outside, so we haven't even left the house.  As much as I hate that my sweet girl is not feeling like herself, I have also LOVED just snuggling her up today!!  Man is it going to be hard to go back to work tomorrow!  Have a great night...I'm off to squeeze this precious girl...and try to turn her frown upside down! ;0)

"Not Me!" Monday...

Happy Last Monday in October!  I hope you had a great weekend!  We were busy this past week and as usual I have some not so flattering things to share.  But, if I can laugh at myself....then so can you! ;0)

While having yearbook pictures made at school this week, I did NOT have my picture made three different times. Technically it was the photographer's fault....she should NEVER have offered to let me see the picture.  I did NOT look at it after the first attempt and then have her take it again because I was NOT having a weird hair moment.  I did NOT tell her that the second take was "okay" and then return to class.  When the office made the "last call for pictures" announcement, I did NOT find someone to cover my class because I had NOT decided that I needed my picture made just "one more time."  I did NOT cut in front of a line full of kindergartener's waiting to have their yearbook pictures made only to have mine made again for the THIRD time... ;0)

I did NOT drop an entire chick-fil-a cup full of Dr. Pepper in my lap while driving home.  I did NOT just try to keep it all in my lap until I could stop the car and let it pour out into the driveway.... 

We did NOT go to "A Taste of Suwanee" this weekend (where you can taste foods from restaurants in the community as part of a local school's fundraiser) where we did NOT eat chicken nachos, baked ziti, garlic rolls, pizza, waffles, and strawberry cake. We did NOT eat all of this within the span of an hour.... 

After eating the aforementioned strawberry cake, we did NOT go back for another slice.  They were NOT sold out and I did NOT act so upset that the owner gave me a coupon for a free slice if I came into his shop!

Speaking of food....I did NOT cook a delicious batch of chicken noodle soup on Sunday night.  My hubby did NOT tell me that he was NOT hungry....then leave to go get gas in his car.  He did NOT come home with a full tank of gas and a #4 from Taco Bell....

We NEVER take pictures of our precious girl without her shirt on....just cause we do NOT love to laugh at all of her squishy rolls! ;0)

Finally, we did NOT take our sweet Libbi to a pumpkin patch this weekend.  We did NOT take oodles and oodles of pictures of her.  We did NOT take full advantage of all the festive fall scenery at this pumpkin patch.  They did NOT have every size, shape, and color of pumpkin imaginable. We are NOT so cheap that we walked away with only the pictures on our camera and a miniature $1 pumpkin....  No way....NOT ME! ;0)

Happy Monday!

Opposites Attract...

I saw this cute Q & A post over on Heather's blog, so I decided to try it myself!  I always love reading stuff like this (probably because I am so into knowing everyone else's business - ha!) but I love writing them, too!  So here is our "Opposites Attract Q & A." I hope you enjoy learning more about us!  Let me know if you post your own Opposites Attract Q & A...I would love to read it! ;)  And a small *Disclaimer*....please no comments on how "slim, trim, and young we USED to look"....believe me, we are well aware of how the years have changed us ;0)

1. What are your middle names?
Jeffrey's is Carl and mine was Elizabeth, but I guess it's now been legally changed....I dropped my middle name for my maiden name.

2. How long have you been together?
11 years or so....


3. How long did you know each other before you started dating?
....a while.  He was best friends with my brother =)

4. Who asked who out?
He asked me out....when my brother went out of town ;0)


5. How old are each of you?
He's 29 and I am 27


6. Did you go to the same school?
We did go to the same high school, but graduated at different times.  He graduated from high school in 1998 and I graduated in 2000.....

7. Are you from the same home town?
Basically....we lived in different cities, but they were within 5-10 miles of each other.


8. Who is the smartest?
Jeffrey likes to say that he is way more "street smart" than I am, but I don't like that term, because I think it makes him sound like a gangster or something.  I do have to admit that he is way smarter when it comes to everyday type stuff.....directions, anything technical, paying bills, etc. And he is super smart when it comes to anything dealing with numbers....he can add/subtract/multiply/divide in the blink of an eye....meanwhile I'm still trying to "borrow the 10 and carry the 1" ;-)  I am better when it comes to anything dealing with English/Grammar/Vocabulary, etc.  And, I know it's technically not a measurement of intellectual capabilities, but I must say, I trump him EVERY TIME when it comes to handwriting.  My penmanship is to die for - ha! ;0)


9. Who majored in what?
Jeffrey majored in marketing at Georgia College & State University.  (He likes to say that he majored in "women" but we all know that's not true - ha!) I majored in Early Childhood Education at The University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!)


10. Who is the most sensitive?
This question is a joke....because it is so obviously ME!  I probably cry at least 2-3 times a day....sappy commercials, sweet TV shows, someone's blog, you name it - it brings tears to my eyes. In Jeffrey's defense he has become MUCH more sensitive since we've had Libbi....must be something that little girls do to their daddies =-)


11. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
The Cayman Islands for our honeymoon


12. Who has the worst temper?
Jeffrey....hands down.  I don't think I really have a temper...I can pout with the best of 'em, but I don't usually get mad.


13. How many children do you want?
....not sure.  However many The Good Lord blesses us with (obviously we will stop trying before we end up like the Duggars and have 19...)

14. Who does the cooking?
We both do.  I used to do the majority of the cooking, but since having Libbi and going back to work Jeffrey cooks some, too!  He definitely does more of the cleaning (he says I can't wash dishes the right way...apparently I don't have enough "elbow grease" or something...) He can also make a mean bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich on Saturday mornings!


15. Who is more social?
Me!  I love to talk...probably too much sometimes! ;0) Jeffrey is the typical male that can't stand "small talk" or mindless chit-chat. 


16. Who is the neat freak?
He is!  He can't stand that I just like to make "piles" everywhere.  I will stack the laundry (neatly of course) or the mail, or Libbi's toys into neat little piles and it drives him bananas.  If I'm being honest, then I would have to say that neither one of us is really a "neat freak."


17. Who is the most stubborn?
Oh, Absolutely he is!  But....he would probably say that I am.


18. Who wakes up earlier?
Me...mostly because of Libbi.  But even before we had her, I would wake up for work before him.  If there was an award for the person who "snoozes" the most....that would definitely go to Jeffrey!


19. Where was your first date?

We went to the movies to see "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."  It was the summer before I started 9th grade and Jeffrey had just turned 16.  He picked me up in his Dodge Shadow (while my mom was taking pictures through the window because I forbid her to take any of the two of us together) we went to the movies and I was back home before it was even dark out! ;)  Our second date we also went to the movies and we saw Phenomenon.  I remember I literally bawled my eyes out at that movie.  Jeffrey asked me in the middle of it if I needed him to take me home because I was so upset. - ha!  The old lady sitting beside me let me have a few of her tissues from her purse....how's that for a great second date?! ;0)

20. Who has the bigger family?

I do.  I have an older brother (and sis-in-law) and a younger sister.  Jeffrey has one brother, one step-brother, and two step-sisters.  Most of my extended family (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins) lives within 15-20 miles of each other so we see each other A LOT! ;0)   We used to get together almost every Sunday for lunch at MawMaw's house, but now that we are older and married it is a little harder....so we usually just celebrate all major holidays/birthdays together.  Jeffrey and I both have some extended family that live in Texas that we wish we could see more often!

21. Do you get flowers often?

Not usually, but I do get lots of other things.  Jeffrey knows the way to my heart....fresh baked cookies and People Magazines - ha! =0)

22. How do you spend the holidays?

Honestly, the holidays are sometimes a little stressful for us, because there are so many things to do and so many people to see.  We usually see our parents and grandparents, but since having Libbi we are excited to start our own family traditions.  I have BIG holiday plans for our family of three!! ;)

23. Who is more jealous?
Neither one of us are really the jealous type.


24. How long did it take to get serious?
Oh my word...way too long!  We had our first date the summer before I started 9th grade...once school started things cooled off. (He swears that I told him I couldn't date him because my mom didn't want me to start high school with a boyfriend, but I DO NOT recall that conversation ever taking place...) Then we picked things back up a few years later when we went to Prom and after many years of waiting (11 to be exact) we were finally married!

25. Who eats more?
I guess he does when it comes to actual meals... but I definitely have him beat when it comes to the "snack" department.  I have one serious sweet tooth that he just can't compete with.


26. What do you do for a living?
I am a kindergarten teacher and Jeffrey is an underwriter for an aviation insurance company.


27. Who does the laundry?
We both do...although I have to admit that since Libbi was born, Jeffrey has majorly picked up the slack in this department.


28. Who's better with the computer?
Oh my goodness, he is!! Blogging and checking my email (and the *occasional* online purchase) is about as computer savvy as I get. 


29. Who drives when you are together?
He does, but I make sure to offer out my helpful (and always appreciated) observations and suggestions.


30. What is your song?
We don't really have one. We danced to the song "All My Life" (by K-Ci & JoJo) at his senior Prom, but I don't know if I would call it our song??? ;0)

Hope you enjoyed learning more about us...I had a great time answering these questions - it was fun to reminisce.
Have a great weekend!

Four Months...

Libbi Lou, my sweet, sweet girl....you are FOUR months old today!! I cannot believe how time flies! I love seeing how much you grow and change each and every day, but I am also a little sad that you are not my tiny little baby anymore....well, I guess you were never really all that tiny....but you know what I mean ;)

Here is a little bit about you on your fourth month of life:

You weigh around 16.5 pounds...to the best of my measurements. We go to the doctor on Monday for your 4-month-check-up (and shots!) so I will update with the exact measurements after that....

You wear a size 2 diaper and most of your clothes are 6-9 months.

You are still a really good eater! You nurse anywhere from 6 - 7 times a day. You are pretty set on your every 3 hour schedule and you make sure I stick to it! During the week you take two bottles a day while you are at school with me. Right now our schedules are "in sync" so I am able to go down to your classroom and nurse you during my lunch. You take one bottle before that and one after that. As much as I would prefer to be at home with you and nurse you, I am thankful that I am able to spend my lunch time with you every day.

You have started school this month! You have seven new friends that you get to play with each and every day and two wonderful teachers that love on you while I am away. You were a little uneasy your first week and a half at school....and we only know this because you wouldn't poop! It was really kind of funny. You are usually VERY regular, but once you started school you would not poop while you were there! You would go right before we left the house in the morning and then again as soon as we got back in the car in the afternoon - ha! Needless to say, when I picked you up yesterday, you had on a new outfit...so it's safe to say that your "jitters" are gone!

You are such a good baby! I'm sure everyone says this about their babies, but I really mean it! ;0) You are just little Miss Mellow (unfortunately you do NOT get that from me!) You are happy 90% of the time and the other 10% you are either hungry or have a dirty diaper. You hardly ever fuss and you will throw out a smile to anyone and everyone! You are content to play on the floor, sit in your bumbo, be held, or just watch your mobile in your crib. We are very blessed!

You laughed for the first time when you turned three months old and now you're a little giggle box! You laugh pretty much every day! We have found that you are SUPER ticklish....under your arms, on your neck, under your ribs, and behind your thighs! We can tickle you or blow raspberries on you and you will just squeal with laughter. I think I have chapped lips because I have blown sooooo many raspberries. You also love it when I talk in an accent....a middle eastern accent to be more specific. Do not ask me why, but this just cracks you up every time I say, "Leee-beee" so of course I do it about 50,000 times a day....hopefully you won't start thinking that's how your name is pronounced. =)

You are grabbing at everything now and of course it all goes straight to your mouth! You will grab handfuls of my hair and I have to pry your little fist open to get you to let go. When I am nursing you, you like to put your hand up on my chin...and then you just put your hand all over my face...it's almost like you're studying me. You still have to stop and take breaks to smile and talk, and then you go right back to eating.

It appears that you and the ceiling fan have decided to go your separate ways...you've been giving him the silent treatment for weeks now and you've since moved on to bigger and better things...

You love to take baths. You just squirm and wiggle and swim all around. I always have to change clothes after I give you a bath because I end up soaking wet!

You talk ALL THE TIME! You seriously wake up babbling and go to sleep cooing and "humming" to yourself. You squeal and screech and grunt all day long. It's impossible to concentrate on anything else when you're in the same room, because we just end up listening to you and laughing. We call you "Mariah Carey" because you can really hit some high notes!

Libbi Jane you are the love of our lives and we thank God for blessing us with you each and every day! Your Daddy and I never cease to be amazed at how full our hearts are with love for you! Just as your name means "God's Promise" you remind me every minute of every day that the Lord fulfills His promise to give us the desires of our hearts, because being your momma was truly my heart's desire! My prayer for you in your fourth month of life is from the book of Numbers 6:24 - 26, "The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace."

I love you sweet girl and I am so blessed to be your Momma! Happy Four Months!

Wordless Wednesday ...For Daddy

We'll be looking for you...

And we'll be a little bit sad...

Until we see you again!

Hurry Home Daddy...

We love you!!

Bye-Bye!

Insomnia

So.....let me just start by saying, a 3:30am wake-up call is pretty brutal when you have to go work.  3:30am is not so bad when you can just stay in your pj's and not have to worry about looking (and acting) presentable for the next 15 hours.  But when you have to be at work all day....not so much.

I can't really complain, because Libbi has been sleeping through the night for a while now.  That girl loves her some sleep....at night!  When we were home together during the day, she typically wouldn't nap.  She would take little "power naps" here and there to recharge her batteries, but for the most part, she would stay awake all day.  This made for an exhausting day for me, but the payoff was definitely worth it: uninterrupted sleep at night.  I'm telling you, this girl would go to bed at 7pm and sleep until 8am the next morning!

Well, yesterday she took one 2.5hr nap in the morning and another in the afternoon....so needless to say, I had one well-rested baby on my hands! It was all fun and games when we got home, until it was bedtime....

She stayed up a little later than usual, but I didn't think much of it.  Then, around 3:15...somebody starts a-squirmin' and a-squirmin' and a-squealin'.  I tried letting her just "talk" herself back to sleep. Nope. Not happening.  I tried letting her cry it out.  Not a chance.  I even tried putting the paci in her mouth and quietly begging her to please go back to sleep because momma has to go to work.....three wide-eyed smiles and four squeals later, the two of us had relocated to the couch downstairs.

We caught up on our TiVo, checked some emails, ate a really early breakfast, and just enjoyed each other's company.  Of course, around 6:15 somebody decides that it's time to go back to bed....just as Daddy's alarm is going off.  You'd think with all that extra time I had to get ready this morning I would have been super prepared for the day.....
But, somehow I still managed to leave the house 10 minutes late with no lunch, no purse, no shower, and of course, no sleep - ha!  I did, however, have lots of quality time with my sweet girl....and let's face it....even at 3:00 in the morning....how could I ever get mad at this sweet face???

Since she was already awake, we figured we might as well play for a little while before getting dressed...

Moooooom!  No pictures!  I'm nek-kid! ;)

So....we decided to get dressed and watch a little TV.  Looks like somebody's getting tired...right?!

Nope!  She was just kidding! ;)

Okay...finally she's starting to relax.  Won't be long now....

Nope!  Gotcha Again!! ;)

Now this is the look of a sleepy baby....

Wait a minute. Wait just a minute....

Still ready to play!!!

Oh well....there's always tomorrow night ;)