A day after 18 weeks!

We are a day late, because when I hopped in bed last night I couldn't bring myself to get out and blog. ;)   Grey spent her 18 week birthday at the city pool with lots of friends (although she slept most of the time) and then watched some more friends at her first theatre production to attend, The Little Mermaid.  It was a great fun-filled day, and we were all exhausted when we finally went to sleep at 11.

I really wish I would've snapped a few photos of Grey in her swimsuit and sunglasses (um way CUTE), but oh well!  :)  I took some photos of her in the afternoon, when she wasn't exactly in a mood for pictures.  We did get a couple though:

 Her daddy's grin...the thing that can melt my heart no matter what.  I keep saying there is NO way she could possibly look more like Chet, and then she does. ;)  Daddy's little girl.

 Laughs.  We were okay for the first part of Momma trying to get our 18 week pics.

This cracked me up.  She was laughing at me.  Then yawning.  And the next moment - we were not a happy camper.  

Gorgeous girl, at 18 weeks, you:

• Are impressing us with how big you are!  You have established a much better [personal] schedule, evening without us forcing it on you. ;)  You are nearly making it 3 hours between meals and going right to bed at night.  It's funny that you established your own routine after all.
• Although you're going to sleep easier, you are waking up a lot lately, and we don't know exactly why.  Your naps are about 5 minutes sleep/fuss/5 minutes sleep/fuss and repeat.  I am hoping this is a passing stage!  You really don't like your paci falling out, so I think that is what's going on.  Even though you can reach for your paci and hold it when you're not sleeping, you haven't mastered that skill yet in your crib.  You have become very picky on which paci you like too, so we can no longer use your "wubanub".  (You prefer the Gummies light pink ones, found at amazon.com.  You won't take Gummies from any other store, and the only tiny difference is their texture and thickness.  You are very particular about what you like.)  The second thing it could be is your reflux.  You prefer sleeping in your crib now, so you are no longer elevated like you have been sleeping since birth.  Sometimes when your fussing turns to screaming, I will pick you up and you spit up all over.  I think it may be aggravating your throat. :(  
• You are squealing and screaming for fun!  This is hilarious and I love it!  You have the cutest voice on the planet.  Really.  You do.
• You love glasses.  When Daddy (or whoever) wears their glasses, you reach up for them and seem to know you shouldn't grab them, because you giggle and turn your head.  :)  
• You are talking, clicking, standing, rocking, scooting, bouncing and laughing all day.  In other words, you are SUPER BUSY!  You can't stand to be in one position or place for more than a few minutes.  I claim I'm burning calories keeping up with you lately!
• You are returning "Eskimo kisses".  Oh my word.  Can I just say I am in love?
• Have the most precious hug/snuggle.  Your whole body "fits" against mine and I wish I could make time slow down.  

I love you sweet girl.  I can't imagine this world without you in it.

I don't have time today to add photos from each day this past week, but here are a few that I should add:

 Baby sunglasses. My new favorite accessory.

 I haven't run this week (my running partner is out of town and my knees need a break...and really I am just being lazy), so I have had a chance to get some fabulous morning snuggles instead.  It's going to be tough to make myself run next week. ;)

 Our second little Red Raider.  We make cute Raiders. ;)

Psalm 18 - one of the Psalms I read over and over after saying goodbye to your brother.  I read it again on your 18 week birthday, and decided to copy and paste it from Bible Gateway.  I hope you read these words when you need to know how POWERFUL the Lord is to rescue you from pain.

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

¹ I love you, Lord, my strength.

² The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

³ I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and I have been saved from my enemies.
⁴ The cords of death entangled me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
⁵ The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

⁶ In my distress I called to the Lord;
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came before him, into his ears.
⁷ The earth trembled and quaked,
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;
    they trembled because he was angry.
⁸ Smoke rose from his nostrils;
    consuming fire came from his mouth,
    burning coals blazed out of it.
⁹ He parted the heavens and came down;
    dark clouds were under his feet.
¹⁰ He mounted the cherubim and flew;
    he soared on the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
¹² Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
    with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
¹³ The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.
¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
¹⁵ The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

¹⁶ He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.
¹⁹ He brought me out into a spacious place;
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
²¹ For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
    I am not guilty of turning from my God.
²² All his laws are before me;
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
²³ I have been blameless before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
²⁴ The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵ To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
²⁶ to the pure you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
²⁷ You save the humble
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
²⁸ You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.
²⁹ With your help I can advance against a troop;
    with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
³¹ For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
³² It is God who arms me with strength
    and keeps my way secure.
³³ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
    he causes me to stand on the heights.
³⁴ He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains me;
    your help has made me great.
³⁶ You provide a broad path for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.

³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
³⁸ I crushed them so that they could not rise;
    they fell beneath my feet.
³⁹ You armed me with strength for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries before me.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
    and I destroyed my foes.
⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.
⁴² I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
    I trampled them like mud in the streets.
⁴³ You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
⁴⁴     foreigners cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
⁴⁵ They all lose heart;
    they come trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
    Exalted be God my Savior!
⁴⁷ He is the God who avenges me,
    who subdues nations under me,
⁴⁸     who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man you rescued me.
⁴⁹ Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing the praises of your name.

⁵⁰ He gives his king great victories;
    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
    to David and to his descendants forever.