Birthday Fun

Gabbie had lots of fun on her Birthday!


She thinks the table is for standing on.

Gabbie LOVES cake!! She crammed it in her mouth as fast as her little fingers would go! It was all over her and the floor by the time she was finished.

Gabbie went to her 1 year checkup on Tuesday. She weighs 20 1/2 lbs, and is 29 1/4 inches tall. The Dr said that she looked great except for an ear infection. She has had a runny nose and cough for the past week or so, so I was not very surprised. She has not felt good the past couple of days because of the ear infection, and the 1 year immunizations that she got. Last night she would not eat (If Gabbie won't eat, then we KNOW it is bad!), and she had a fever of 102. She was so sad and wouldn't play or anything. All she wanted to do was just have someone hold her. That is unusual for Gabbie too. She is ALWAYS moving! She seems to feel a little better today, although she is still not 100%.

One Year Ago Today...

This time last year I was in terrible, horrible pain. I was in the hospital. I did not know at the time that I would be there for a total of 5 1/2 days. The year that has passed since that day has gone by so quickly! I can't believe it has been a whole year since that amazing day. That's right, amazing.(Only that day, not the following 4 1/2 days!) As painful as it was, it was good because THIS is why I was in the hospital...






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My little Gabriella Joy was born one year ago today, January 16th, 2008, at 5:40 pm. She weighed 7lbs 12oz, and was 19 3/4" long. She had a LOT of curly black hair. I can't believe how much a little person can change in the first year. Just one year ago this was all she could do...




Now she has been walking for 2 months, and if she is awake, she is MOVING and getting into things!!! There is a little trail all over the house. It is easy to see where she has been and what she has been doing. I am excited to see her personality continue to develop. Each day she does new cute things. She is always trying to copy her big sister. She spins in circles, tries to jump, and now she tries to turn somersaults!! She puts her forehead to the floor and takes off scooting it across the floor until somebody helps her flip over! It's so cute, but I'm afraid that she will get a carpet burn on her face!

As I reflect today on the past year, I can't help but be a little sad. Like I said, I am excited to see how she changes and grows in the next year, but I do so miss the little baby days! There is nothing better than a tiny, sweet-smelling, cuddly, baby and all the little grunts and sounds they make! (Although not having to get up every 2 hours during the night IS pretty good!)
I found out that I was pregnant with Gabbie just a couple of days before Natalie's first birthday, so it made that day a little easier for me. It was easier for me to let her be big, because I had another baby. That is not the case this time.

Now I just have two little girls who think they are so big! It's like I am standing on the sidelines, watching the hands on a clock just spinning and spinning. I am powerless to slow it down, so all I can do is just try to memorize every moment because I know that it will be gone all too soon! Now I know that one year is not that much in the big picture of their childhood, but it is just the beginning of the years that I know will be flying by!

So Happy Birthday my Gabbie! You keep me so busy, but I can't imagine this past year without you! We are so thankful for a happy and healthy first year.

Late Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everybody out there that happens to read this. I
know I am late in saying this, but I have been busy!! I have had family here for 11 days. It is great to have everyone here, but it makes it hard for me to do my regular stuff. Now I am trying to get caught up on all those things that I need to do, and get the house cleaned as well. Having extra people in the house makes it hard to stay on top of the housework.

We had a wonderful Christmas. We celebrated with my family on the day after Christmas after Kaleena and Clint got here. Our family (Me,Tony and the Girls) had our Christmas, and of course Santa came on Christmas Day. Both girls loved tearing into the packages. Natalie still asks to open Christmas presents every now and then! The new toys have been great at giving them something new and exciting to do.

Kaleena and Clint got married on Jan 3rd! Since they live in Houston all the last minute planning and getting decorations ready came from here. It still looks a little like a craft store here!! It was beautiful and everything went very smoothly. Natalie was the flower girl, and she did great!!! I was surprised and amazed at how well she did. She dropped the petals like she was supposed to and stood on the stage with me for a little while. She got tired of standing, so she just quietly walked down the steps and went and sat with Mimi and Pawpaw. We didn't practice that part, but she did it so perfectly. Hopefully I can put a couple of pictures up here soon. They are on a different computer, so I will go ahead and post this first.
We are glad to officially have Clint in the family. Natalie has really taken to him. She absolutely loves him. Every little girls needs an Uncle that they love. The girls have another Uncle, but Natalie has only met him once, and Gabbie has never met him.

So between Christmas and the wedding and two little girls I have been busy! Things have settled down now, so if I can just get caught up on all the house work, I will be good. My parents are still here but they have their "house" that they are staying in so we are able to get back to our routine for the most part.

The next big event for our house is Gabbie's birthday! I cannot believe that she will be one in just 10 days!!! My baby has grown so fast! She has been walking for about 3 weeks or so, and now she is working on running! She is getting pretty good at that too. The other day I heard quick footsteps come up behind me and I thought it was Natalie. I turned and was surprised to see Gabbie! She can dance and spin in circles too. She has suddenly turned into a toddler. Her personality and actions have changed so much. She and Natalie love to play together! They run through the house just being silly and laughing so hard at each other!

Natalie continues to learn new things every day. Tony and I are constantly amazed. We are always looking at each other and saying, "Has she done that before? I didn't know she knew that!" We are going to sign her up for a gymnastics class at AC this semester. She loves to jump and turn somersaults. I think she will really love the class. It starts in a couple of weeks I think, so we will see how it goes.

We look forward to what 2009 holds for our family. We are trying to figure out what God has planned for us and follow His path. Please pray for us as we prepare for the adventure that lies ahead. We know it won't always be easy, but if we hold on to Him and stay strong as a family it will totally be worth it. We'll keep you posted!