I Love Fall

I love fall... it is one of my most favorite times of year :) It could be because I was born in the fall... or because fall leads to Christmas... or that the weather goes from unbearably hot to comfortably warm. I am not sure... but I do know that I love the colors of fall. If I lived in Stars Hallow I would get to see these colors for real however I will just have to settle for the colors of decorations. I love pumpkin pie and candy corn! For about three or four years straight I had a candy corn decorated pumpkin pie as my birthday cake! Total Awesomeness!

However I have a new love for fall... it is the season of my first child's birth. I cannot believe that she will be ONE! It seems like only yesterday we were preparing for her arrival. She is so big. She amazes me everyday. Here lately she has really been mocking everything we say. After sipping some juice I will say "Mmmm" and she will reply "Mmmm". She can sing the EIEI part of "Old McDonald" however she forgets to say the O part. She can say "Quack Quack" and "Pup PuP". She will throw something on the floor and say "Uh oh". She can say "Hey" like the Fonzie did in Happy Days. Luralie probably walks a mile everyday. I call her my Roaming Gnome. All day long she will just walk throughout the house. She will start in the living room and play with her toys, go into the dining room and play on the piano, go into the kitchen and play with her refrigerator magnets or drag some pots or jugs out of the cabinets, go into her room and bring our her bucket of wipes, then end up back in the living room to parooze her toys again. She loves to go outside and visit the Pup Pups. Jubilee and Chance are very good with her. The only worry I have about them is their tails whacking her in the face with how excited they get.

I am in love with that little girl of mine. She is full of smiles and I love making her laugh.

During Nap Time :)

Well today has been good so far.... I am so glad it is my day off. I have missed my little girl!





Last night we worked concessions from 9:30-11:30. Showered and went to bed. Miss Luralie decided to wake up at 3am. It took me an hour to get her back to bed. Thankfully she slept in until 9:00.





Luralie and I got up, had breakfast then we played. At about 11:00 she seemed fussy so I tried to put her down. No luck. When I went in to check on her, the little pumpkin was sitting up! She learned how to go from her tummy to sitting. She smiled at me and didnt seem tired at all. Then I remembered that her Nanaw had been taking her for a walk in the morning before her nap. Didn't want to mess up the routine. I got her up, put her in her stroller and headed out for a walk. We saw Papaw and Dadda and lots of other friends. I took this picture.

You know campers are on camp when Papaw Bruce is wearing his beanie! He told me he was going to order some more and I asked if there were children's sizes. He bought the smallest they had, but Nanaw Katie still had to take it in some.

As soon as we got back home, little pumpkin pie was rubbing her little eyes. SUCCESS! I put her down for a nap, now I am sitting on the couch, watching Ya-Ya Sisterhood, uploading some pics from the last few weeks, and eating some fruit salad.

I wonder what the rest of the day will hold!

Oh PS. Little Pumpkin Juice can now scoot across the floor!

Prayers for Luralie

Hum hum hum... I just reread all of my blogs since September 2008... to say the least I really have not blogged much.

Well, I'm just sitting here... trying to find myself.... haha just kidding. For some reason that song has been stuck in my head this evening. Clay is hanging out with his little brother (tomorrow is his big wedding day) and I am home with Miss Lura-Lura... hold up, she just woke up screaming... need to give her some Tylenol...

I'm back... poor little dear. She has had a rough last couple of days... cutting teeth is no bueno. I love my little girl. I hate it that she is hurting. I wish I could make it so she would never have to feel pain of any kind. But how silly would that be. The book of James says that it is pain and trials that makes us mature and complete, not lacking anything. I don't want to raise, I mean rear (sorry Mr. Leifeste) an incomplete person...

Thank you Jesus for this precious gift you have given Clay and I. I pray that we are godly parents; that we instruct her in the ways of righteousness. I pray that Luralie grows up to be a Christ follower. Passionate and on fire for you. I pray that she has a heart to serve others. I pray that she learns about you by watching us. And right now dear Lord, please help her sleep. Amen.

A pondering mother....

As I bathed my daughter tonight I fondly remembered her first bath nearly 5 months ago... we had been home from the hospital for nearly a week and I had yet to give her a bath. Truth be told I was afraid to. Sure Clay and I had taken the newborn care class... I had soap, towels, baby wash clothes, and a heater... but I didn't feel quite ready to bathe little Luralie.

Well, it was my mother's last day with me and she said "Jackie I'm gonna give your baby a bath" and I was like "Be my guest". So we headed over to the kitchen sink, made a little pad for Luralie, gathered all necessary items mentioned above as well as cotton balls, a clean diaper, and a change of clothes and my mom began as I watched. She filled a bowl full of water, dipped her elbow to test it, then said "First you start with the diaper area" and I was like "NO!, "The lady in the class said to start with the face and do the diaper last." And as I spoke these words I gently moved my mom aside and took over. I took two cotton balls, dipped them in the warm water, cleaned each of her eyes and the rest of her little face. I then took her shirt off, washed it with her wash cloth and a little dab of soap. I patted her dry and put a towel over her to keep her warm. I took her socks off and washed her legs and feet, patted dry and replaced with new socks. I then did her diaper area and replaced with a dry diaper. I cleaned her umbilical cord with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol then I washed her hair and put a hat on her head. Lastly I put her in a clean gown and we were all done...

I think it was then that I really became Luralie's mom. I can't quite explain it but from then on I just sort of knew what to do.

Neuroblastoma

The daughter of formers staff members here at HLC was diagnosed with neuroblastoma this past week. Kodi is almost 5. This is the same cancer that my brother Jason had. Since he was an adult when he was diagnosed his prognosis was never very good. My prayers for this family and this beautiful little baby is that they will fight strong and lean on Christ for support. I am so thankful that the disease was caught early and that there is medicine available.

As I thought about the Tutt family, I could not help but hold my little girl a little longer and a little tighter before laying her down in her crib. I thank the lord for her health and pray that the lord would grant me the same strength as Kodi's parents were I ever faced with a similar situation.

Goodnight Moon

Well, my due date has come and gone with no sign of the little one. Oh well. I can have patience; it is just so hard especially when I feel like everyone is watching me like a hawk. And oh the silly questions… “Where’s that baby,” “When are you going to the hospital?” “You haven’t had her yet?!?” It is hard to be patient when everyone around me acts like it’s a crime to not have had the baby yet. Worse yet they act like I actually have some control in the matter and can make her come at will.

Any way, I am enjoying Clay’s and my last days alone together. Although, I must say, the other night we were sitting on the couch watching football and Clay had his hand on my stomach feeling Luralie move around and I could not help but think (as I eyed her crib which is in a space between our living room and kitchen since we have a one bedroom house) that the only thing that could be more perfect was if we were sitting on the couch together holding a crying little girl (I’m not going to even imagine that we were holding a sleeping angel because I am sure it will be the former more often than the latter) lol. I think it is fun that Luralie’s “room” is where it is because my first “room” was between the living room and kitchen at our house in Houston.

I get a little bit sentimental as I go to bed each nigh, thinking that this could be my last restful night in a long while, because I hear that babies don’t sleep much. But as I think these thoughts, I cannot help but smile because I am ready (well as ready as I will ever be I guess) to meet my little girl and learn how to be a family.

Well, that is all I have to say for now. I won’t say that I will keep you (whoever you are) updated because chances are it will be another four months before I blog again. I read a saying on a friends FB status that said:

BLOGGING: Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few.

It kind of makes me laugh; there is typically 80% truth in most sarcastic remarks. NE ways, even if no one reads this, it is fun for me to go back and read through my old blogs. I know I could just keep a journal, but typing is so much easier.

At any rate…. Goodnight Moon.

The 4th of July!

Clay and I had a wonderful 4th of July! Dad and Mom came over with four of their grandkids and Nic and Jo came with the newest grandbaby. We all had a grand time at the pool, eating hotdogs, hamburgers, & watermelon, and watching the fireworks!
Here is a pic of all the Kiddos watching the Grinch in our bed :)

SPARKLERS!!!

Well you know how your dad always said that if you swallow a watermelon seed a watermelon might grow in your stomach???? Must be true... here is me a few days after I ate some watermelon....

LOL just kidding! This is Luralie Kate at 22 weeks along :)

Now, I know that I am still small.... but this is to be expected as it is only my first child and not my second or third.