42 Weeks

I had to post this of BOTH girls at 42 weeks.  When I saved this photo to the laptop, I realized there were two "42 weeks" on here.  I blog for Rose on our main computer, and I did all of Grey's weekly blogs on this laptop.  I wish I would've done this comparison more often.  HOW FUN! :)

Our little redheaded sunshine turned 42 weeks on Monday, and of course it is Sunday when I am blogging...and probably blogging for 43 tomorrow.  ;)  That's how I roll lately.

Rose is full of attitude, joy, can wave hi and is literally pulling up on everything.  Because of her curious, vivacious personality, she has sadly experienced some bumps and bruises lately.  She is LOVING "big people" food and wants to feed herself.  She is already getting her sense of independence.  Rose loves to be read to, and can pay attention to stories VERY well for her age.  She is a snuggler and still wakes up several times to eat at night.  (We know this is a mild parent fail, but we are okay with it.) :)  We are so blessed by this little person in our home.

Last weekend we spent time in Brady for Kayson's 8th birthday.  SUCH a blast at the airport for his WWII themed party.  This party will be tough to beat!  How many 8 year olds get to have a party in a hangar?

I made a quick trip to Lubbock this week for a Texas Tech awards luncheon, which was fun.  Tisha and Valerie met me there and we had a wonderful time together.  Such an honor.  Because it was the 15th of October, Tisha surprised me with balloons to send up to Holden and his friends.  We took a couple photos with the girls and me before I left.  Such a sweet way to spend National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

Tomorrow we have family photos.  WISH US LUCK.  ha.

Tuesday and Wednesday Chet will be in Midland, and I fly to Long Beach for a Nerium conference Thursday through Saturday.  Let's just say October is a wee bit crazy.  I am longing for slow days of November and December.

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4

New life in our new town!

I am dreadfully behind on blogging.  I never have thought of throwing in the towel and quitting blogging like I did this past week, because being this far behind overwhelms me.  However, I decided there's no way I can quit now, since Rose isn't even 1.  So bear with me please.

This blog will be a whole lot of randomness: like two weeks of weekly photos, new home info, Rose's 9 month appointment stats at our new pediatrician, and updates on life in our new city!

We officially moved on Saturday the 27th of September to McKinney.  The process leading up to moving day was nothing short of a miraculous insanity.  Let's just say we are happy it actually happened.  We arrived here at 10pm on Saturday evening, and my PRECIOUS, AMAZING sister and nephew Kayson met us here that evening.  It was probably the worst drive to date with the girls (and cat), so by the time we got everyone calmed down and happy, it was 1am.  1am and I didn't know where I stashed diapers and formula.  So off I went searching for a place open at 1am in McKinney.  Bed by 3:30ish.

We all woke up extra early Sunday morning (that two hour nap was great) to start unloading the Penske truck and vehicles while I had my sister's help with the girls.  I really do not know if we would've been able to do it without Charys here.  I collapsed in tears when she had to drive home that afternoon.  By Wednesday that first week though, we had every box unpacked and the house all livable.  Thank goodness...I can't even tell you how much I missed using real dishes and living like a real family in a real home. :)  If I never see another box or paper plate in my life it'll be too soon.  The same goes for paint and paint brushes...

Because we are trying to save money, we "ingeniously"decided to buy used furniture for the girls' rooms, and paint it ourselves.  Ahem...myself.  So amidst a move with Chet back to work, I have been painting furniture, our master bathroom (it was a greenish-yellowish-brown we could not live with) a grey color (same grey we used in the Wolfforth master), Grey's room an icy mint color - and we still have Rose's room left to paint in an icy coral color.  So by the time we are done painting, as much as I love to paint, I can go without ever seeing a paint brush again.

Our home started to feel like home this past weekend.  I looked around and realize we are so blessed and privileged to call this our home on earth.  It is crazy that we are here and it is real.  We have LOVED this area!  Our neighbors are practically out of some Leave it to Beaver set; all so kind and welcoming! There are 5 different grocery stores within walking distance, and we have not had to drive more than 10 minutes to anything.  The air is clean, no dust, and the town is immaculate. 

In the time we have been here, we have been exploring the area a little each day.  Chet turned 32 on Wednesday the 1st (which was a day filled with fun like painting and hanging pictures haha), we visited Hope Fellowship Church on Sunday, and took the girls to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm in Celina this after church, etc.  Today we went on our first playdate at an incredible park in Frisco with new friends.  What a blessing...we miss our friendships in West Texas. :(
I plan to take interior photos of the place soon...just want to have the girls' rooms both completed by the time I do.  I have yet to buy bedding for them as we are trying to save money and not use credit for the home.  So that could be another month or so.
This weekend we head to Brady for Kayson's birthday party.  Then we head to Lubbock for an award I received at Tech next week.  Then the next week I travel to Long Beach for work.  October is certainly a month to keep us going!

This will suffice as her one and only "40 week photo" taken.  Bless.  Good thing she is so darn cute it doesn't matter if I had the prop or not.

This week's attempt wasn't much better.  I need to figure out HOW I am going to be taking these weekly photos with a kiddo who is pulling up and moving at lightning speeds! 

Rose had her 9 month appointment yesterday at Dr. M's office.  We absolutely fell in love with her and loved how thorough she was in listening to us and our daughters' histories.  Chet rushed there from a work meeting downtown so he could meet our new pediatrician, and he felt the same way.  Dr. M truly got to know the girls, didn't make Rose lay on the table (she was in our arms for the WHOLE appointment), and was calm and soothing.  Love. 

Rose's 9 month well check stats:

 18 lbs. 11 oz - 55% weight

28 1/2" - 74% height

17 1/2" head - 62%

Rose is super duper healthy and developing perfectly.  Praises to Jesus.

 

 We bought pumpkins and mums that Monday we moved in, and Grey was so excited! 

Home sweet home! :)

I snapped some photos last week of the girls by the front door.  My camera lens WOULD NOT focus, but a few of them are not terribly blurry.  They are too sweet to not post:

 

Also some snapshots of the pumpkin patch:

There are few things I should close with in regards to us becoming professional movers and the life we are living these past couple weeks:
1.  Get a tranquilizer from your vet for your animal before moving.  They are miraculous.  (Except it wore off around Weatherford.)
2.  Be okay with pizza...and hamburgers.  Life will get healthy again sometime.  Just embrace the burger and donuts.
3.  Meet the neighbors.  We are so grateful for neighbors who went out of their way to make us feel welcome here.  I wish I would've been a better neighbor in all the places we've lived in.  We have already been in some of their homes here.  So sweet.
4.  Let go of perfect.

God has shown me so much lately.  He is good and He is doing abundant things in our lives.  Leaving our lives and home (and Holden's resting place) in West Texas was certainly bittersweet, but God has been so gentle with my heart here.  I am praying for good fellowship and roots established in this area.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10 has been in my heart through this whole process.  I am upheld.

9 Months Old- my favorite age...and our goings on

These last few weeks have been emotionally exhausting on us, but through that I have felt God speaking to me a lot.  Many good lessons come from the hard. 

We are still here in Lubbock.  Our buyer has had many issues with her loan, so we are just praying we will close this weekend and move soon.  (Sunday or Monday?)  Poor Grey is begging to go to the "big house" (why she calls it big is funny since it looks smaller than our current home, and is about the same size).  She and I both have difficulty functioning in chaos, which is exactly what our life has been for over a month now.  Living out of boxes is for the birds.  I know there are real problems in the world, and Christians being beheaded for their faith (among countless other atrocities), so I feel extra selfish in this entire process.  Oi.

This week our oldest princess turned 2 1/2 years old, and our youngest princess turned 39 weeks and 9 months.  9 months is my favorite baby age - Rose has truly been a little light in the storm lately.  Sadly we thought we would be moved already, so we canceled her 9 month well-check.  I can't wait to find a good pediatrician in McKinney and get her appointment as soon as possible.  I think she's pretty okay in the "growth" area though.  lol.  She is also SUPER attentive, smart and mobile, so we don't need a doctor to tell us how perfect she is.  :)

At 9 months, Rose:

• Babbles and talks all the time
• Waves and claps
• Mimics mouth movements and sounds
• Crawls at breakneck speeds
• Is almost always mild-mannered and JOYFUL
• Asserts her temper loudly the few times she does get upset
• Has two bottom teeth and two top teeth - and boy oh boy does teething suck for this princess
• Can manipulate objects and toys
• Can figure many toys out
• LOVES LOVES LOVES books
• LOVES Frozen (and other cartoons) ... much more than sister ever did or does
• Weighs 19 lbs
• Wears size 12-18 month clothes
• Adores puppies in the sweetest way ever
• Adores big sister

At 2 1/2, Grey:

• Can repeat nearly any word.  We are so proud of how far she has come!  She only lacks the "l", "f" and "c/k" sounds, but substitutes for them.
• Loves music and dancing
• Loves Frozen
• Loves to read and read back to us
• Uses and iPad better than her parents
• Has a memory that is seriously out of this world!
• Is completely potty trained
• Loves her baby dolls
• Loves learning
• Knows her alphabet
• Knows how to count to 10 (almost completely by herself)
• Adores little sister

Being a mommy to these two very busy girls is never dull, and always such a gift.

Maybe next time I blog, it will be from McKinney, Texas! :)

      “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?  “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!   “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.   “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

Matthew 6:25-34

Delay in our move

 This cutie has grown significantly this week!  She is calling out to us by using "Daddy" and "Mommy".  She is also pulling up on things and crawling like crazy, instead of resorting to scooting!  It is really amazing how much can change in just one week!

 The weather has been insanely wet and rainy this whole week.  The girls (and I) are experiencing a bit of cabin fever, especially with MOST of our home packed up already.  It just feels like a hotel here, so that has compounded to make for some loooooong days.  Oi.

I am so proud of this little Frozen-loving princess though!  She has been officially potty trained for a month now (included poo - the harder one to grasp), so we rewarded her with a new set of Frozen pajamas.  I am not into character clothing, so this was a biggie for me. ;)  She was STOKED.  She has grown up so much this year.  I feel like she's my little helper, instead of my little baby.  Sigh sigh sigh. 

We were supposed to be signing the contract on this home today, and pulling away in our Penske truck by 9:00am.  Instead, we are in limbo as the girl buying our home has had some loan hiccups (that we should have been notified about 1.5 months ago).  We are praying for a miracle and for a quick sale/move regardless.  Living in limbo definitely isn't a big problem in the scheme of real world problems, however it is certainly not easy or desirable with two little kiddos.  Add rainy weather.  We are all experiencing exhaustion and grumpiness from this transitional stage. :(  Thankful for an end to this move eventually. :)  Keep telling myself that.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100

36 and 37 ;)

Here's my two weeks in one blog. :)

Life has once again gotten ahead of me.  I left for a Nerium Leadership Academy (or Next Level Achievement) on Wednesday last week, so I never blogged for Rose's 36 weeks.  I spent the whole week in Houston since we had a baby shower for Brittney on Saturday.  Didn't arrive home until yesterday, and had an oil party yesterday afternoon.  WHEW.  It's been a little bit busy.

I missed the girls TERRIBLY while gone for four and a half days, so we have been taking it easy and spending lots of good time playing today.  (Amidst packing, cleaning and laundry...and work)

Rose just started teething again last night (of course).  I think she is cutting two top teeth.  Poor girl.  Other than that, she's still the easiest going little joy.  I wish I had the time I did with just one baby to take two hundred photos of her a day (though I certainly still take quite a few, that any follower of my Instagram account would know)...time is so fleeting.  I cannot believe she will be 9 months next week, and even crazier - two weekends from now will be a year since we learned we would be her parents. 

Rose is on the move!  She loves to play with big sister, can get to anything she wants, and is babbling all the time.  This morning I said to myself, "If I had all of eternity to snuggle her, it wouldn't be enough!"  She is simply that squeezable.  

 I have SO many wonderful photos I should be posting of these past two weeks, but I will just post one:  The girls on first game day last weekend!! 

We load up the Penske truck this upcoming Sunday/Monday, and will live at our sweet friends' home until we move to Dallas on the following Friday.   Blogging may be very sporadic for a few weeks as we move from here, stay in another home, and then move to our new home. 

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.  Psalm 143:10