Right Now

 

I have always been the type of gal that looks ahead to the future. When I was a teenager, I couldn't wait to drive. When I was in High School, I couldn't wait to go to college. When I met Marc, I couldn't wait to marry him. Always looking ahead to the next step- that's me...

Well, I find myself doing that with Ashley all the time... I can't wait until she walks, starts talking, can swim- you name it! I catch myself all the time dreaming of her future! Well, it dawned on me today that if I keep dreaming of what will come in her life, I am going to miss out on all the wonderful things of today... so I thought... What do I love about RIGHT NOW?

So, Right now....
I love that she has finally fallen asleep and is hugging her "sleepy bear" with other various stuffed animals and blankies that she has pulled out of her toy bag.

I love that when I feed her in her high chair, she opens her mouth like a little bird.

I love that she LOVES cheerios, baby goldfish, shredded cheese and her newfound fav.- shaved turkey lunchmeat.

I love that she has figured out how to crawl after me into the bedroom and bathroom. She thinks she is so cool!

I love that she has figured out that Pete likes to sit on the chair in our room and that she can go say hi to him whenever she wants to.

I love that she can't take her eyes off her daddy.

I love that when we are driving around in the car she stares out the window and takes it all in.

I love that when a fun song comes on she starts "dancing" by shaking her head.

I love that her favorite toys are the wipes holder, a bottle filled with macaroni and rice and an empty tube of diaper cream.

I love her little snaggle teeth!

I love that her bow stays in her hair!

I love that she can be totally cranky and I can start singing Old MacDonald and she will instantly start smiling.

I love that she LOVES Wheel of Fortune and the Stanley Steamer commercials

I love that I am getting to plan her first birthday party!

I love that she is a happy kid 99% of the time and that nothing ever seems to get to her too much.

Well, I am sure I could go on-- that's the funny thing, once you start thinking about what is so great about today, you forget about all you have planned for the future! I think I will try to think about "right now" a little more often!

Yucky week...

I think I need a disclaimer on this post... I debated even posting it. It is personal information and sad and not about Ashley ;), but this has been weighing on my mind all week, so I figured I needed to "let go and let God" and the best way I know how to do that is to ask for help...
I have always heard that bad news comes in three's and it sure did this week... please keep these dear friends of ours in your prayers. It is so hard to see people hurting or hear bad news...
First, our dear friend Laura has been put on bedrest for the remaining 11 weeks of her pregnancy due to high blood pressure. She's got a long time to go before we need to meet her sweet baby!
The same day, a senior at FHS was killed in an accident. It is such a tragic loss... his poor family now is going to funeral services instead of graduation parties... how sad. Plus, our neighbor's daughter was good friends with this boy... I can't imagine the questions and heartache she must be feeling.
The very next day we found out that our friend and neighbor, Chris, was diagnosed with colon cancer... I am just still in shock about this. He is so young (32) and healthy. He has a sweet baby boy who is about to turn a year and a loving wife... he has so much to be strong for! He underwent surgery this week to remove an 8" section of his colon. They got it all there, but almost 50% of his liver has already been covered in cancer. So, once he has a chance to recover from his surgery, he will start chemo... This battle will be a long, hard one and he needs all the strength from above he can get...
It is times like these that you become acutely aware of all your own blessings. You also become aware of how fragile life is... Thank goodness God's hands are stronger than mine.

Talent runs in the family

So, my sister Kim and I have always enjoyed (and worked on perfecting) our "fishy faces". Well, look who decided to join in the tradition!! She started this yesterday and was doing it all day long! She would even copy me when I did it. :) Now when we sing "Little Bitty Fishy" at Bible Class she has a "move" for it!!
Now maybe she can start working on the famous "Grouper Fish" face...

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

On Friday, my sweet friends Kellie and Andee came over with their cute girls to play with Ashley (and I!). It was a very fun playdate- although I will say they were all awake at the same time for only about 30 minutes! We managed to get some really cute pics while they were all together though.

Ashley was having a ball- she loves other kids around! I think she is going to be the "ham" of the group- what do you think?? Notice in the third picture how she has "helped" Emily take her sock off!!! Why would you want those silly things on your feet anyway! ;)

I can't wait for these girls to get a little older... I have a funny feeling they are going to be great friends for a long, long time (just like their mommies and me!). Maybe one day they will even go to college together and be ADPi's together! What fun they will have!! Oh wait, I remember all the "fun" Kellie, Andee and I had together.... hmmm, maybe we need to start convincing them now of a nice quiet hometown college!! ;) Seriously though, what a blessing to have these girls and their babies in our lives!

Before I was a Mom...

I got this email from a dear friend and it was just sooooo fitting... Enjoy!

Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put them down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom - I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.
I didn't know that no matter how old or how big they get - they are still my baby.
I never realized how long it takes to get to them, when they call and say they need me now!
I never knew how strong I could be, until my child was depending on me to be that strong!
I never knew how proud of someone I could be, until I was a mom.

9 Months old!!! My, how time flies...

Ashley is now nine months old!! Where does the time go??? I can't get over the fact that it has only been a year and a half since Marc and I found out that our sweet little girl was on her way. It seems like a lifetime ago and just a few weeks all at the same time. I have been taking pictures of her with her bunny since she was 2 weeks old- just look how much she has changed since then! Wow!

She went to the doctor for her heathy kid check up last week. She is now 20.5 lbs and 29.5". That puts her into the 75% for weight and the 99% for height (no surprises there). Looks like she'll be long and lean- and with that beautiful olive skin and big brown eyes... well, let's just say Marc is going to have to work on his "game face" for all those boys that will be knocking down our door... okay, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but I do see a real beauty in the making! :)

In other news, I have to be honest that I have not been the best about blogging... although I really did try to get this particular post up about three times in the last week and things kept going wrong... (dadgum technology... another reason for the love/hate relationship) Speaking of, my mom got an IPod... please pray for her ;), kidding... seriously though, I think she is now cooler than I am.... what is this world coming to?!? Haha... I kid, I kid...
OK, back to the real news... Only one month until the biggest adventure of our parental lives... Marc, Ashley and I will be going to Puerto Vallarta with Marc's family... we need prayers, lots of prayers! Seriously... 6 adults and three kids on one plane... I feel bad for those sitting behind us... unless they love cute kids!! :) Really though, I am SO excited about the vacation- Marc is deseperately in need of some down time (heck, so am I!) and I think Ashley will have a ball with her cousins, aunt, uncle and nana and gran. I am just completely freaked out about all of the logistical pitfalls that lay in our way to a great time... between packing, feeding, safety, sleeping. well, you name it- it is all a lot to plan out and think about... I know it is one of those things that as long as we just "do it" everything will turn out fine. I also am so thankful that we will be surrounded by people who actually know what they are doing! :) Plus, it will prepare us for our next family vacation in July to SPI with my family. Yea!! (How did we get so lucky- two great vacations in one summer!! We are going to get spoiled!)

Well, times up... I need to run. Actually I am going to get my first pedicure since Ashley was born! Yea!!! Thank you Santa Marc for bringing me the gift cert.!!!! More news to come!!

I caught her new "skills" on camera this morning!! What a big girl!!!
What you can't see is that Pete is sitting on the opposite end of the coffee table... he looked scared, very very scared....
His poor little world is about to be turned upside down!!! :)