She..........

pooped
in the potty
for the first time
today!!!!!

And I have never been more proud.

Oh, the things we celebrate in motherhood :)!

Please Pray

Please pray for my dear, sweet sister-in-law who is suffering the loss of her unborn child. She went last week for her first check-up, and they couldn't find the baby's heartbeat. Pray that her body and heart will mend quickly and that God will grant her peace and understanding through this.

We shared our first pregnancies with our daughters together, and I was overjoyed when I heard that she was expecting again, that she and I would get to be pregnant mamas together again - a double blessing! Yet God had other plans and perfect reasons why this tiny child's life would be so short.

It's hard to know how to comfort another when you have not experienced her pain. I have never thought that I was good about finding the right words to say to people who were suffering through something, but I found this little quote, written by a nun, that I hope helped comfort her some. It's supposed to be God comforting a mother who just lost her unborn child:

My dear, you see, the child lives. Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before My throne. Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty—he sees My face. He was created and lived a short time so the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before Me as their personal intercessor. He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth. He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess. My ways are not the ways of man. I create for My Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another. He was created for My joy and his parents’ merits. He has never seen pain or sin. He has never felt hunger or pain. I breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow and called it forth.

We love you and are praying for you both, Laurel and James.

These Are a Few of Her Favorite Things

Playing in the rain.


Eating chocolate pudding.


Playing with her cousins.


Seriously, all my child ever talks about is Wyatt and Garrett and Shep and Eva Rose and Maggie and Ingram and Wendy......it amazes me how she even remembers Wendy since L. and J. live so far away, but she does. Just yesterday she called Wendy on her Elmo cell phone to talk about what she had eaten for dinner.....


Isn't my nephew about as precious as they come?!?! Gotta love his baby blues!


And, yes, she still has quite the devotion to her red shoes; even if she can only find one to wear, that's always her first choice!

Potty Update - take 2

Okay, I promise I won't post potty info for a while after this, but I am on cloud nine because Hattie had NO ACCIDENTS yesterday, and for the second day in a row she woke up dry from her nap.

I wish I could say for the take 2 post that she has used #2 in the potty, but she hasn't done that yet. I am scared to death of attemtping #2, and my little girl almost always does her thing after lunch, so I have just been putting a diaper on her then, right before naptime. She poops, I change her, and then she goes down for her nap. My fear is that if I don't put the diaper on her, she'll hold it until I put the diaper on her and just go when I put her down for her nap. Then she won't be able to fall asleep. I need to try it, though........

It's nice, though, because we only used one diaper yesterday......potty training is hard and messy, but oh, how I love the money it's saving us!!!!!

Potty Update

Day 2 of the potty (I'm sure this is all very thrilling for my readers! Sorry, it's just a REALLY BIG event over here that I want to make sure and document, so I can realize how badly I screwed up the first time when I go to potty train Mary Ellen in a few years :).)

Anyways, Hattie went potty 3 times and also had 3 accidents today; all 3 accidents occurred while I was talking on the phone. I was encouraged by her accidents, though, because she only went a little bit before stopping herself and saying, "Oh no! I got tee-tee on the floor!" So I think she's getting it......

It's hard, though, and I'm exhausted. I already want to take a day off from the potty. By 10 a.m. I am so ready to just put a diaper on her and forget it, but I'm trying to stay patient. My question to the potty training veterans is: Is it okay to take a day off, or will that confuse her and ultimately cause her to back track?

I guess my Hattie Ruth is feeling like a big girl now or something, though, because she has started calling me "Mom" instead of "Mommy" or "Mama" this week. She's started saying things like, "Thanks, Mom!" or "What is this, Mom?" Two going on fifteen....it scares me!!!! I just don't know where she picks it up?!?!

Hallelujah!!!

We're celebrating over here tonight because this little girl went potty 3 times today!!!! With the help of a friend and two accidents later, Hattie atleast has the concept and a new-found favorite pastime - flushing the toilet!

I'm so proud of her, and I really enjoyed watching how proud of herself she was when she went "tee-tee like a big girl!" :)

Hopefully tomorrow there will be more progress........

TGIF

Not much to say. Been a busy week with doctor's appointments and playing with friends. Hattie had her two year check up. She knew we were at the doctor as soon as I pulled into the parking lot. She was okay until we went into the exam room at which point she started to cry until the moment the nurse and doctor left the room. She weighs a whopping 28 lbs. (75th percentile) and is 35 inches long (60th percentile). Only one shot this time, and she doesn't get another shot until she's 4. Good news for all involved!!

I had a doc appt., too, this week. Nothing special. Same stuff - blood pressure, weight (ugh!), baby's heartbeat. Everything looks good. I get one more ultra-sound at the next appointment in about two weeks and start getting checked for dilation - hard to believe it's getting that close! Except for some hand and feet numbness lately, I feel pretty comfortable and don't have much to complain about outside of just feeling really heavy.

I'll leave you with a sweet pic of my two year old giving a smile that mirrors her daddy's at this age. I'll have to dig up a picture of him at this age and show you some time.

Notice her earrings - stick on - her newest obsession courtesy of Tutu :). She won't get the real deal for many many moons!

Hattie's Birthday Pictures - the partee

This year we decided to do a much smaller family party for Hattie's 2nd birthday. Hattie had a BLAST with her cousins. She was so much more outgoing this year compared to her first birthday. I'm happy to announce that there were no tears from the birthday girl for the duration of the party. She was on cloud 9, so excited and giddy, and everything really turned out so nice thanks in large part to my mom who helped me SO MUCH! Thanks, Mama!
The cake table and notice the "Hattie Ruth" bars lovingly made by Mimi. She made these for me to pass out to visitors when Hattie was born.

Hattie and Great Grandmama Ruth, her namesake

Uncle Creighton and cuz, Luke. No, Luke hasn't taken up smoking cigars; he just enjoyed his pretzel sticks this way :).

Hattie and some of her cousins enjoying some grub and light conversation:

It's so hard to get a good family picture with everyone smiling and looking at the camera.....and this was about as good as it got for our family of 3 (soon to be 4!)

Hattie hammin' it up during the "Happy Birthday" song. She danced, smiled, and just glowed the whole time we were singing to her.

Daddy helped Hattie "blow the candles away" as she puts it :).

Then it was present time!!! I was so happy to see that she actually "got it" when it came to opening presents. She wasn't quite there at Christmas, so I really enjoyed seeing her light-up as she opened each birthday present. And thanks to all of our family who gave her such great gifts. She loves all of her new toys, books and shoes, and I love all of her pretty new clothes. I'm gonna have so much fun dressing her up for the rest of the summer :).

Hattie's Birthday Pictures - the parade

Our neighborhood had a parade for July 4th. Hattie had fun seeing all of the kids and the firetrucks, and Sean and I had fun talking to neighbors. My only complaint was that it was SO HOT! But I guess we got to burn some calories before cake and ice cream time!

Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

Oh, the difference a year makes!

Hattie Ruth,

I am so proud of the little girl you are turning into. I am so thankful and blessed by God that you came into this world and made me a mother. Your birth has created such a warmth and depth in my heart. I will never be the same.

I have watched you grow this year into such a bright, beautiful toddler. You string your words together so thoughtfully and pronounce them so well. Your sense of humor is so much like mine, but there’s no question that you have your daddy’s smile. You have really started coming out of your shell in these last few months, and while you are still on the shy side, you enjoy being around other children and playing more than before.

You are full of questions, constantly asking, “What is that?” Every time you wake up from a nap, you ask me for a Tutu treat. Every morning when you get up and I go in to get you, you ask, “What’s Daddies doing?” You constantly wanna “Go see Mimi and Gandaddy” or “Tutu and Popo.” You love your family.

And you love all things girly. You love watching Mommy put makeup on and tell me, “Do it to Hattie!” You usually put a necklace and bracelet on before leaving the house to go anywhere. You love waving your princess wand and saying, “It’s so magical!” You love putting Mommy’s shoes on and hobbling over to the oven door to admire your reflection. Atleast once a week you tell me and your daddy that you want earrings.

I am so thankful for these last two years with you that God has given me and your father. I look forward to our tomorrows together as we so proudly watch you grow and develop. You are my bookie-boo, and even though you will share me with your sister soon, know that my love for you will only continue to grow forever and ever. You are so priceless and precious to me that I will never have the words to explain. I only hope that you will understand when you hold your first born in your arms.

Happy Birthday, baby girl! I can't believe you're TWO!

Love,
Mama

**I'll have pictures to share of the birthday party soon!

2 Years Ago Tonight

2 years ago tonight at 10:45 pm I was suffering with mild contractions after being talked into taking castor oil to induce labor. I was MISERABLE and had been walking around 3 cm dilated for about a week thinking things were going to happen at any moment, so it didn't take much talking into before I agreed to chug my o.j. and castor oil alongside my supportive husband who chugged his very own castor oil cocktail "just to be nice." I don't think many husbands would do that for their wives, and I don't think mine will ever do it again :).

I don't know if the castor oil was the reason or not (the nurse assured me that it wasn't), but my water broke the next morning, July 4th, around 9:30 a.m. I was lying on the couch watching the musical, Oliver - well, not really watching it as much as just sitting there in a sleepy stupor, zoning in and out of dreamland, but it was on in the background. When out of the blue, I heard a "pop," and water began to gush all over the place. I instantly knew what was going on.

Sean and I were so excited. We were in a hurry, a frantic rush to get to the hospital. I didn't even shower because I wasn't sure if I had time. Oh, I had time because it would be about another 13 hours before this beautiful baby would take her first breath:

It would be about 13 hours before my life and heart would never be the same. It would be about half a day before I would begin to understand a love like this.

Happy Birthday Eve, Hattie Ruth!

I'll be back tomorrow in between party planning and festivities to add more.

Just the Two of Us