Bless This Child

Last week end we welcomed Lily Jean into the Catholic Church and the Christian community, at Saint Patrick's Church i n Havre de Grace Maryland.
It was a fun filled week end full of happiness, family and endless blessings.

Lily's Great Aunt Cookie came up from Ohio for the week end to be Lily's Godmother. She was so taken aback when we asked her that I knew she was perfect to guide and protect Lily in her spiritual journey. It was wonderful to see my Aunt again, though I never feel like I get enough time with her.

Saturday we had a wonderful fall party at a park and pavilion less then a mile from our house. The weather made the day feel more like spring then late fall. We had Maryland crabs, chickens, potato soup and mac and cheese. It was wonderful for our family and friends to get together and swoon over Lily while showing their support for Lily's Christening. Here is a friend from Shawn's office, Vicky, she is a sweet lady who just loves both of the kids.

Natalie showed everyone how to crack open the crabs and what was yummy to eat, though Aunt Cookie decided it was just too much work for such little meat...I agree.

Ella has it easy, her Mommy does the work and she eats the spoils.

Mommy made white cupcakes, in white papers with white icing and white sugar sprinkles, pure like my Lily.

I don't have a lot of pictures from the party since my "photographer" (my good friend Leslie) had a soccer party to go to and my batteries died. But take it from me it was a great party! So much fun! Johnny ran and ran for 3 hours straight and passed out on Daddy around 5:30 that evening, minutes after we got home, that shows you what a great party it was.

Sunday after the noon mass we all gathering in the front of the church for baptism. Aunt Cookie would have held Lily for days! And isn't that dress beautiful? Lily's Godmother picked it out herself, and it was perfect!

That is my happy girl!

There we all are! Sometimes I just can't take my eyes off of her.

And Grams and Pops with the Lily blessing.

Our family, standing where Shawn and I stood 5 years ago promising to spend our lives together and love forever. Lily was baptized in the same church and by the same priest (Father O'Brian) that married Shawn and I.

Something was missing from our week end. Chuckles, Aunt Chel, Wyatt and Piper couldn't make it up from Ohio. We thought about them a lot. Especially during this picture of Grams and Pops with the local grand kids. I feel like this picture shows each grand kid's personality. Can you guess?
Again I just can't take my eyes off of Lily and it is obvious that her Daddy is smitten too.
"From the fullness of grace we have received one blessing after another" - John 1:16

I just love this picture, more often then not I think of Natalie as more of a sister then blood could prove.

I loved standing there with Shawn and Lily's Godmother as we listened to Father O'Brian explain what baptism meant for Lily and her family. We made a commitment for her and a promise in her name.

My pure and sweet Lily being cleansed of anything that could tant her.

I like to think that Aunt Cookie was falling in love with Lily girl.

Listening some more. I adore Father O'Brian, he made this all very relaxed and yet very spiritual.

Blessing for my blessing.

Thank you to everyone to was involved with our week end. Thank you for sharing in our lives and and in the lives of our children. Lily received some beautiful gifts that will always show her how happy her friends and family where to welcome her into this spiritual family. I hope everyone knows how much we appreciate the support and friendship and how blessed we feel everyday.

Sitting all by Herself

Papa stopped by this morning to take Johnny for a walk and we always love it when he visits!

So happy to be playing with Papa

There we are, 5 months and 1 week old and Lily is sitting all by herself.

Hey look, it wasn't a fluke! She really can do it!!! She can only do it for a minute or so, and still a little like a wobble and if she gets to excited she tosses herself backwards.

She is just so precious!

5 Months Old; Happiest Baby Ever

5 full months have come and passed since that wonderful early morning when Lily made her first appearance. I am not sure how she got so big or where the time has gone. Just yesterday she couldn't even hold her head up alone and today she is starting to scoot across the floor!

There is no baby happier then our Lily. Her smile covers her entire face and pops up when ever you look at her or say something to her or for any reason at all! She is always smiling!! Her smile makes the rest of us smile and feel her little light emanating out! She also makes the greatest cooing baby noises! SO cute and sweet like she is really trying to talk to us.

Lily girl is growing steadily and is just perfect! She is still in 3-6 month cloths and size 1 or 2 shoe, though mostly she wears the soft leather shoes that are 0-6 month sized.
Her daily scheduled is still loose but goes something like this
8:30-6 ounce bottle
10-11 am - nap
12:30 - veggie with rice cereal and 4 ounce bottle
2-4 pm - nap
4 pm - 6 ounce bottle
6 pm - veggies with rice cereal
7 pm - bath and bed!
10 pm - 6 ounce bottle
3 am - 6 ounce bottle
7 am - wake up
She usually doesn't finish her bottles, but I always make the full 6 ounces and put the left overs in the fridge for the next feeding. She will drink her bottle no matter what temperature it is, but prefers it to be warm or borderline hot. So far she has had butternut squash and aqorn squash, I have pumpkin in the freezer that she will have soon, I plan to put some nutmeg and vanilla in it.

I am getting impatient for her to stop eating at night but she is quick and goes right back to sleep after each feeding. For every nap or bed she still doesn't need rocked, but will cuddle sweetly if I unswaddle her. She gets stiff when she is swaddled and doesn't really want to be held. I feel so lucky, she feels like a perfect baby! The few times she does cry there is always a reason: a dirty butt, an overdue bottle, hating the car seat, or not tired but laid down to sleep and can very easily be calmed down. She still likes her binky and is sucking on her fingers less. Though the clips I make to keep from losing the binkies she uses to yank the binky out of her mouth because she wants to play with it. She also loves her toys now! There are music makers or plastic rings having off of everything now and she raps her hands around them and shakes them and puts them in her mouth. She is more and more active every day!

She still sleeps so well she just passes out where ever she is whenever she needs to sleep. We also learned this month that she MUST be bucked into everything because she is a wiggle butt and will toss herself out of any seat she is in.

Our cousins Mark and Kara sent this keepsake bonnet that is actually a folded up hankie that she can one day use on her wedding day.

Preparing for Lily's baptism later this month.

This is the sweat suit Ella wore when she was a baby! Look at how big they are!

Look at that face and that smile! So beautiful!

So sweet, just sweet!

You look at her and she smiles!

This month Lily moved from her sweet little round bassinet to her crib.

When Lily started rolling both directions we thought it was nearly time to move her into her crib, then one morning I noticed that she was about one inch away from her head and feet hitting both sides of bassinet. Johnny was so good about giving his crib to Lily! He helped put it back together and calls it "lily's bed."

Starting to scoot herself across the floor! Won't be long until she is full on crawling. Also I recently ordered her a bow to match this outfit since it is one of my favorites.

26 years

In 26 years I have been blessed with

A wonderful husband who wants nothing but for me and our children to be happy
Two healthy, happy, smart and beautiful PERFECT babies
Parents who only want the best for me and my family and will help in any way they can as long as I ask
A brother who I am growing closer to every day who married a wonderful women who has become my best friend
2 nieces who I love more then I ever imagined and whose lives I greatly enjoy being a daily part of
A second brother who welcomes me with open arms and who married a women who has given me a beautiful niece and a giggle filled nephew
Budding new friendships with women who know what I have been through and have been there too.

What have I done in 26 years?

Earned my black belt in USA Go Ju Ryu at 16
Graduated High School and joined the Army
Survived Basic Training at the top of my class and as a leader among my peers
Graduated Advanced Training certified to be a Mental Health Tech
Served 6 years in the US Army Reserves
Earned my AA degree in Psychology and most of my credits to get my BA (which I will be finishing soon)
Learned and mastered knitting
Meet my prince and married him
Supported my solider through 2 long deployments
Given birth naturally to two healthy babies
Learned and grown to become a good mother and wife
Opened my mind and accepted things I never thought I would

I spent the first half of my birthday moping around because we had no extra money for gifts and Shawn had to go to work. My "special day" was just like any other day. But through out the day I received 28 different Happy Birthday comments on Facebook, many phone calls from my Aunt, brothers and parents, and then Shawn brought me home some pink roses! The evening we went over to my parents house for a carb free yummy dinner and some time with family. I felt so special and loved all night! I got a new camera and a great cupcake frame from my mom. My brother wrote in a card "Birthdays don't get less special, they just change and need something different" I had spent the day telling myself that I was an adult now and that meant my birthday didn't matter any more, but it just matters in a different way. Getting a new camera and using the rest of my birthday money to replace the right ball joint in our car may have seemed disappointing 10 years ago, but this year it makes me giddy! As well as just sitting around with my family talking and watching the kids play....it turned out to be a pretty nice birthday!

Here are some pictures from the day

Lily's special "it's mommy's birthday" dress....hehehe

Johnny had a free Mygym class...oh he loved it so much and had NO trouble with anything at all.

But he was pretty warn out by the entire thing.

His favorite part was this ball pit.

Sitting like a good little boy for the puppet show.

Lily is 5 months old now and enjoys the Johnny Jump Up and playing in general! Look at that dress, it just cracks me up, my favorite piece of clothing she owns! There is a big cupcake on the front.

Dinner!



The frame says "My little Cupcake" we are going to get a picture of me, my mom and Lily for it!

Help from Thomas and Natalie for my new camera!

The little cupcake who smiles with her entire face and her sweet Aunt Natalie who can't get enough of her.

It was a great birthday!