All Because We Fell In Love

No, You are NOT seeing things.......

2010-04-24T20:42:00.003-05:00

I am ACTUALLY blogging!!! FOR REAL!!! I was looking at some blogs the other day and mine just looked SO sad!!!! Anyway-We have had a lot going on lately, and who hasn't!! I have changed jobs. I am working at a local high school in the special education room! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it so much! My kids are just so amazing and I take more away from them than they could ever take from me! I obviously took a rather large pay cut, but I feel beyond blessed to actually be doing something that I love! I have been working both jobs, hospital and school, for the past month and all I have to say about that is, I respect ANYONE that can work 2 jobs! WOW!!!!!
Addyson is growing, growing, growing! She is in school and LOVING it!!! She can't wait to get there and doesn't want to leave! I love hearing about her day in the afternoons. She has a little best friend in class and the teachers talk about how they are inseparable. It is so sweet! Addyson is VERY inquisitive and thinks she is 20! Sometimes I just look at her and think about that little squirt in the NICU and can't believe that she has grown up into such a sweet and loving little girl!
Milton is doing just great! Our anniversary is coming up, 6 years, and I love him more today than I ever have. He is my rock and I SERIOUSLY don't know what in the world I would do without him!
So that is the short version of where we are right now. I'm going to REALLY try and keep this blog updated! I love the thought of being able to look back at these times in our lives so I need to do a better job of updating!!! Hope everyone is doing great and if you haven't updated your blog in a long time, like me, do it now!!!

AWANA Kick-Off

2009-08-31T00:05:00.003-05:00

Tonight was AWANA kick off at Chapel Hill. This was one of the neatest kids events I have ever been to. They had water slides, fire trucks that would spray water with their huge hoses and hot air balloon rides!!! I have never seen a hot air balloon up close so I was pretty excited (yeah, doesn't take much). Addyson, however, was not going to have ANYTHING to do with it. This is as close as she would get!!!

I just can't believe my little baby is old enough to do "big kid" things at church. Her AWANA group is called Puggles. I know she is going to have a blast!!!

Another "big kid" thing Addyson is doing is dance class. She takes ballet and tap every Monday. She loves it. I love watching her do her moves at home. I will have to get a pic of her in her dance outfit up!
We also have a new addition to our family. She is a 2 month old Malti Poo puppy named Chloe. She is the sweetest dog and Addyson loves her. She fits right in with us and we are so happy she is ours. I again will get a pic of her up soon!! (yeah, I'm not doing so hot on pics)

Anyway-Can't believe it is almost September!!! I will have to start Christmas shopping soon!! OH MY!!!!

CRAZY LOVE

2009-08-28T16:48:00.003-05:00

Angie, over at Bring The Rain, is going to start an online bible study using the book CRAZY LOVE. I have heard wonderful things about this book and am so excited to be a part of this study. Go get your book and join us!!!!

Still here

2009-06-22T01:57:00.001-05:00

Ok, Ok...I have been a VERY bad blogger!!! What can I say, not much has been going on! I will post something with some pics soon!

Happy Birthday, Granny!!

2009-03-20T08:04:00.002-05:00

My Granny is 82 today!! Hope this is the best birthday ever!! We love you, Granny!!

We are still here!!!

2009-03-16T23:42:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to update this thing a little! Be praying for Addyson. She goes May 27 for her follow up appointment about her heart murmur. We are praying that the Dr. does not hear it anymore. Please join us in that prayer. If he does hear it, she will have an Echo done and we will go from there.

We have started the ever so fun potty training!! Addyson has done really well. She will tell me when she has to go, but she still goes in her diaper some too. We do a little potty dance after she goes!!

That is really all that is going on in the Parks household. I will post some new pictures very soon! Hope everyone else is doing great!!

Been a while!!

2009-01-20T13:16:00.002-06:00

Sorry it has been so long since I have updated the blog!! Everything is going great around here. Just trying to stay warm!!! My new schedule is WONDERFUL!!! I really am enjoying it. Addyson is getting over an ear infection, but is doing much better. There really isn't anything new going on(which is how I like it). I will try and post some recent pictures soon. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!!!

Good News All Around!!

2008-11-19T09:51:00.002-06:00

Here is all the good news we have going on here at the Parks house:

1.THE JOB: So after a lot of figuring and talking and PRAYING(not really in that order) my current employer has come up with a new schedule!! For those of you that don't know, let me tell you my old schedule. I would take call on Friday night at 1030pm to 7am, I work 7am-1130pm, take call from 1130pm-7am, and work 7am-10pm. WHAT WAS I THINKING WHEN I AGREED TO WORK THAT?!?!?! Basically, I am either on call or working for 48 hours straight. So my NEW schedule is that I will work 3 12 hour shifts Friday, Saturday and Sunday. One weekend I will work 7am-7pm and the next weekend I will work 7pm-7am. I know this may not sound appealing to some, but for me it is great. I will get to go to church 2 Sundays a month and the other 2 weekends I get to have some date nights with my hubby and family time!! I know what time I am going in and what time I am getting off!!! PLUS, I get to still STAY AT HOME WITH ADDYSON!!!! I also get to keep my salary!! Both of those are answered prayers. I have decided though, that I will be taking Addyson to daycare on Mondays and Fridays. This gives me time to sleep when I work nights, time to clean the house and just time to myself. It also gives her some interaction with kiddos!! The downside to this is that it had to change EVERYONE'S schedule at work. Some people were not too pleased with it, but my director feels like it is good for the department. I will start this new schedule December 14 and I can't wait!!!! Thanks for all of your prayers!!!

2.THE DOG: Well, lets just say Mylee is no longer here. I am sad, but I just knew after about 1 week that it was not going to work. I really wanted her to be an inside dog, but when I got her home I started FREAKING OUT about her peeing and pooping on my carpet. I just couldn't handle it. So THANKFULLY my aunt and uncle took her back.

3.Milton, Addyson and I are going to Nashville next month to see my bestie Megan and do some Christmas shopping. I was looking for us a hotel to stay at and realized that(I guess) due to the Christmas season, hotel prices were crazy high. My mom had told me about Priceline.com Name Your Own Price, so I decided to try it. I AM SO GLAD I DID!!! This is where we will be staying The Hyatt Place and below is what our room will look like. NOW THE BEST PART: We will be staying here for $50!!! That's right FIFTY BUCKS!!! A night in this swanky place STARTS at $145! I just couln't believe it. I made Milton call that night and confirm it. SO EXCITING!!

SO sorry for the long post!! I think that pretty much catches everyone up on the stuff going on here. HOPEFULLY I will be able to post pictures of Addyson's big girl room next week. We are still working on it.

Update!!

2008-11-13T17:11:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to give you an update on the work situation. All I can say right now is that your prayers are working!!! (Not that I thought they wouldn't) Just keep praying!!!!!! Hopefully I will know something FOR SURE by next week. Also, be looking for pictures of Addyson's BIG GIRL room. Lots of new things at the Parks household!!!!

Link to the Right

2008-11-08T21:25:00.003-06:00

This blogspot is SO wonderful. It is on my list under Bring the Rain. The author, Angie is a beautiful, Christian woman. Her words are so inspiring and her story is amazing. If you get a chance, go back and read her story. Her husband is one of the singers in the Christian group Selah. Anyway-She has put this cute little link/picture about praying for your children. It is wonderful and something I plan on doing. I just wanted to share it with you!! ENJOY!

Need Prayer

2008-11-08T20:53:00.002-06:00

I am going through a really rough time right now with work. I don't get to spend as much time with my family as I want and I do not get to go to church. I am very grateful for the almost 2 years I have been able to stay at home with Addyson, but working weekends is getting the best of me. Please pray that God will open something up for me, even if it is not in my line of work. I miss the little things about being home on the weekends and having the same schedule as the rest of my family. I feel like Addyson is a good age for daycare and I really believe she would enjoy it. That is another prayer...Be praying that God will open up a spot at a good daycare. I know that sounds like A LOT, but I know My God!!!! I will keep you updated on what happens!!!!

Our New Family Member!

2008-11-05T20:07:00.002-06:00

We got a puppy!! Her name is Mylee and she is an 8 week old boxer. Mylee is the sweetest puppy. She LOVES Addyson and Addyson LOVES her. My aunt and uncle's dog had a litter and me and Tess got the 2 girl puppies. Her puppy's name is Molly. I will post pictures of Mylee, Molly and Addyson next week. We are so excited!!!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-05T19:56:00.002-06:00

We had a great Halloween. We were not going to take Addyson trick-or-treating, but since Reagan and Riley were going we decided to tag along. Addyson was scared to death at first. By about the 4th house, she had the hang of it. We would ask her if she wanted to get more candy and she would say "OK". She thought she was grown!! We took her to FBC Humboldt for their Country Fair on Saturday. She loved playing the games. It was so much fun watching her.

2yr Check-Up and Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-22T23:36:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday, we went for Addyson's 2 year check-up. She weighed 23 lbs and was 33 in tall. That is a gain of 3 lbs and a growth of 2 in since her 18mth check-up. Dr. Amy says she is a very healthy 2 year old. The only bad news we got is that Dr. Amy could still hear her murmur. Not what I wanted to hear. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PRAY!!!!! Pray that it will be completely gone by the time we go see the cardiologist(April or May 2009). I have no doubt that my LORD can heal her and that is what I am praying for.

We went with Genia, Riley and Reagan to the Pumpkin Patch today. Addyson loves these girls and they love her. They are so sweet together. I always get the best pictures of Addyson when they are around because they can make her laugh and smile like no one else!!! Here are some pictures from today.

Reagan, Riley and Addyson at the Pumpkin Patch

And Again

CHEESE!!!

Daddy's Little Pumpkin with a Pumpkin

More Free Layouts!

2008-10-20T12:02:00.001-05:00

Yes I believe this makes my 4th post for the day!! We have just had a lot to blog about! My friend Heather found another website that has free backgrounds. It is not as easy to download(a couple more steps), but the layouts are SOOOO cute and SOOOO free!!! Now if I could just figure out how to get new fonts I would be set!! Here is the address:/www.simplyfabulousbloggertemplates.com/ ENJOY!!!

My Extended Family

2008-10-20T10:47:00.004-05:00

I graduated from x-ray school 2 years ago. It doesn't even seem like it has been 2 months, much less 2 years. It was 24 months of hard work, long hours, and an unexpected bond that I share with those people. We were told at the beginning of the program that we would all be family when it was over, but I really had no idea how true that would be. In our group of 13 we went through marriages, divorces, pregnancies, abnormal pregnancies and death of loved ones. Pretty much, if it can happen it did happen to at least one of us. Now, some of these I wished didn't have to happen, but every event brought us closer and closer to each other. These people are not only my best friends, but my family. We are all scattered out everywhere and don't get to see each other as much as we would like, but when we do talk or see each other it is like starting exactly where we left off. I love these people and am so blessed that I got to go through this crazy journey with them.

I tell you all of this to introduce you to the newest bundle of joy to join our "family". This is Ben!!! He was born last week weighing a WHOPPING 10lbs 1 oz. He is just the sweetest little boy and I can't wait to watch him grow up!!Addyson, Auntie Mae and Ben

Me and Ben

Addyson, Mommy and Ben

Our little Mess...LITERALLY!!

2008-10-20T10:26:00.004-05:00

We went to have breakfast for supper one night. Sassy(that is how she says Addyson, but it is very fitting) LOVES to feed herself with a big fork now. When she was done, I just couldn't believe what a mess she had made!!! It made for some cute pictures though!!!

March for Babies 2008!

2008-10-20T10:01:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful time on Saturday at the March for Babies! There were quite a few walkers. We ended up raising $300!! I thought that was GREAT! Addyson got a cute plaque for being the Ambassador. I just want to say THANKS to everyone that was there on Saturday and everyone who donated money! We are hoping to be able to walk every year!!!

Really Neat!

2008-10-19T20:08:00.002-05:00

I was browsing some other blogs the other day and stumbled upon a website that has FREE BACKGROUNDS!! I am not talking some rinky-dink stuff either. These are very cute and very free!! So if you are in the mood for a blog facelift, check it out!!!! The website is thecutestblogontheblock.com. Just click "backgrounds" and have fun choosing between the 269 options!!! Don't be surprised if I have a new background once a week!
On a side note... I will hopefully have pictures from the March for Babies sometime Monday! Until then...

Party Pictures!!

2008-10-13T15:56:00.001-05:00

Addyson had a great birthday party Friday night! She got more toys than she knows what to do with!!! She is FOR SURE one loved little girl!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ADDYSON!!!

2008-10-07T10:11:00.004-05:00

Well, it is here...My baby girl is 2!! She is so much fun right now. She can talk to you (you just have to understand what she is saying), she is VERY independent, loves EVERYONE(if you ever see us in Wal-Mart you will understand), is ALMOST always in the best mood and has started to call me Mommy instead of Mama. I JUST LOVE HER!!! We went to see my Granny at the Assisted Living Home last night and they have this front room where the residents gather. (Granny says they sleep out there and she doesn't like it one bit) Anyway-There were a few people out there last night and when we walked in no one was talking and there was one that was sleeping. When they saw Addyson, they all just lit up. It was litterally like somone turned on a light in the dark room. They all wanted to talk to her and hug her. She just walked right up to them and said "HI" with a wave. It was so sweet.
The Parks family has been quite busy lately. Addyson has been asked to be the Gibson Co. Ambassador for the March for Babies Walk. We are so excited. The walk is Oct. 18. If you haven't donated to the March of Dimes, I encourage you to check out their website. You will not believe everything that they do. There is a link at the top of this blog that you can donate. It is such a worthy cause. Another humdinger in our house is MOMMY IS BACK IN SCHOOL!!!! Yes, you did read that correctly. I am taking classes(that I have already had but they are only good for 5 years WHO KNEW??) to get ready to apply for the nursing program. I am super excited and super scared. I am taking one class right now. I will apply next year. Plesase pray for me and Milton and Addyson. I NEVER thought I would be going back to school, but I feel like this is something I really want to do. We also just got back from vacation. I will do a separate blog on it.

I will leave you with this story and of course pictures at the bottom!! Ever since Addyson was born I have had this very strong feeling that she was going to do great things for Jesus. Well, we got our first glimpse of it last night. Now, I am not saying that she KNEW what she was doing, but it just reconfirmmed my feeling. We were at a resturant last night and a couple with a little girl about Addyson's age sat in front of us. Addyson kept turing around and talking to the little girl. They would mock what the other was doing. It was really funny. Well, the little girl's daddy had a beer brought to him. It was like clock work...My baby Addyson closed her hands together like she was praying and was trying to get the little girl to do the same. It just about took my breath away. Now, I am not saying that you need prayer if you have a beer with your meal, but Addyson must think you do!! :) It was as if God was giving me a glimpse into our future. It made me think about my daily walk and the kind of Christian woman, wife and mother I want to be. I just love how God gives you these little "wake up calls" at the times when you least expect it. I guess what I am trying to say is that it was a beautiful moment that I know My Lord orchestrated.

Addyson a few days after she was born

3 months

6 months

1 year

AND 2!!!!!!

COMING SOON!!

2008-10-06T16:31:00.001-05:00

I know I promised in my last blog that I would do better and I haven't!! It has been super crazy at the Parks household lately. We just got back from Gatlinburg. It was wonderful. I will post pics soon!!! Just wanted my 2 "fans" to know that I have dropped off the Earth!!!

The Blog You Have Been Waiting For

2008-08-04T20:55:00.004-05:00

Well, maybe not!! :) Anyway-I know it has been about a year since I have posted, but it has just been crazy around here. I promise, I will do better!! Just to kind of get you caught up, we have had vacation bible school, Sam and Noah's 1st birthday and our first merry go round ride that wasn't so merry!!! I am still enjoying being home with Addyson. It seems like she is doing something different every single day and I wouldn't trade anything for the time I get to be with her. She is talking up a storm. Everywhere we go she is talking to people and waving at them. It can be embarrassing at times, but it is really sweet. She can say just about anything you ask her to say. She loves to dance and sing. We are CONSTANTLY entertained. I am going to start potty training very soon. She is telling me when she has poo pooed and peed as well. I just want to make 100% sure she is ready before we start.
We have a few exciting things coming up. We are going on vacation with Mom, Randy, Tess and Hunter the end of September. I am SO excited. Addyson's birthday is the beginning of October. I really can't even believe she is going to be 2. Then, on October 18, we have the March for Babies walk. This is something I feel very strong about. I know without the research and money raised by the March of Dimes, babies like Addyson would not have a chance at life. At first I thought March of Dimes was just for premature babies. After learning more about it, they raise awareness about prematurity, but are also an organization for ALL babies. What is better than that??!!! Tomorrow is the Kick Off Luncheon for the Humboldt walk. They have asked me to share our experience at the luncheon. I am super excited and super nervous!! Be thinking about me!!!
Now onto the pictures!!!

Addyson's 20 Month Pics

2008-06-11T21:51:00.003-05:00

Addyson had so much fun the other night in the sprinkler. I really thought she was going to be afraid of it, but as soon as the water started coming she was running through it!!

We had to go to see a Peds cardiologist for our 1 yr follow up for her heart murmur. We had been told it was gone and there was not going to be anything to worry about. Well, I was very surprised and shocked when the cardiologist told me it was still there. He said that he doesn' t think it is the same type of murmur they thought it was at the beginning because it is still there. We have to go back in 10-11 mths and have another echo to verify that it is there and if it is, Addyson will have to have a procedure to close the hole. PLEASE be in prayer for our family. We are praying that it will just BE GONE when we go back!! Thanks in advance!

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our Fun Weekend!!!

2008-05-20T13:26:00.003-05:00

Mine and Milton's 4 yr Anniversary was last Thursday. We decided to celebrate by taking Addyson to the zoo on Friday and spending the night. Milton's cousin got married on Saturday in Collierville so we spent the night at the Courtyard in C town. It was so nice and swanky!! The mall was right behind us and it is SUPER nice. We had a blast. It was so much fun spending time with Milton and Addyson. Addyson LOVED the zoo and we can't wait to take her back!!

Happy 19 Months, Addyson!!!

2008-05-07T12:10:00.003-05:00

I probably say this EVERY month, but I can't believe Addyson is 19 months. That means ONLY 5 months until I have a 2 year old!!!! Is that even possible?? She is doing anything you can imagine these days. She is putting words together and talking like crazy, running and dancing all over the place. Outside is her favorite place to be. She wants to be on the go at all times. She has 3 teeth coming in so that brings the total to 7!!

This week is the Strawberry Festival. We went to the fireworks on Monday night. Addyson was a little afraid of them. She had fun though. We will NOT be attending the parade this year. I am NOT chasing a 19 mth old down Main Street!!

This Thursday is also Riley's birthday. We will have lots of fun celebrating that!!

Everything else is going alright. We are going to the zoo next weekend so I will post pics when we get back!!!

Clean up, Clean up, Everybody Do Their Share!!!!!

2008-04-22T21:56:00.003-05:00

Addyson decided tonight that the living room was too messy for her. She needed it clean. She picked up ALL of her toys and put them over the gate. She is so funny and is always making us laugh!! That little mess is DEF on her way to 2!!!! Hope you enjoy the pics!!!!

It has been a while!!

2008-04-11T13:38:00.004-05:00

I know it has been A LONG time since I have posted, so let me see if I can catch everyone up. I didn't get to take any GOOD pics of Addyson in her Easter dress since I was at work, but I did get some. I am going to get her back in the dress and take some good pics as soon as the weather decides on what it is going to do. I have started keeping a little girl on Tues and Thurs. Her name is Olivia and she is about 15 mths old. Her and Addyson LOVE each other and they play so well together! Addyson looks for her when she is not here. It is so sweet!!

Addyson turned 18mths on the 7th!!! She is talking ALL THE TIME!!!! She can say so many words. Some new ones are Olivia, cheese, shoes, love you, kitty and we have been working on Jesus. She has said it but only a couple of times. She says cheese when we take her picture now. Her hidden talent is whistling. I don't know if I have ever blogged about that. She started doing it a few months ago. She puckers her lips and whistles. It is SO funny!! We took her to the Dr. Wednesday and she is a WHOPPING 20lbs (less than 5th %tile) and is 31in or 2ft 7in as Poppa says(greater 25th %tile). Her favorite things to do are play outside, carry my make-up bag as a purse and talk on the phone, dance and ride in the car. She loves to be on the go!! She is so much fun right now!!

Today is Daddy's birthday!! He is 31. We had a little family get together last night for him! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!! I am not going to get into how wonderful of a husband and father he is because I will just cry, but believe me, I could not ask for any better!!!

Now onto the pictures!! Enjoy!!!!

Fun Friday!!!

2008-03-18T22:44:00.002-05:00

We were a little adventurous last Friday. We went to the library for the reading program they have every week. Well, of course the ONE week we go, the lady was out of town. We still enjoyed playing with the other kids. Katie, Sam and Noah went too. After the library we met up with Tess and played at the park! Addyson had a ball. I think Tess had just as much fun!! Hope you enjoy the pictures!!

Pray for us.

2008-03-08T06:38:00.003-06:00

Milton's dad passed away last night. Please keep our family in your prayers. Thanks.

Update on the Parks Fam!!

2008-02-28T14:28:00.002-06:00

It has been a couple of weeks since I posted last, so I just decided to update the blog! We have had a very sick family the past couple of weeks. Milton's mom and grandmother have been sick, Tess and Hunter have been sick and Milton and Addyson have been sick. Milton had strep and I believe Addyson had it as well. The ENT Dr. thought the rash she broke out with looked like Scarlett Fever which I believe is strep in kids. She also had AN EAR INFECTION!!!!!! Ok, I could do well with her having one a couple of months after having tubes, but a couple of weeks....COME ON!!!!! My Granny is sick now as well. Mr. Milton is pretty sick too. Please keep our family in your prayers, ESP Mr. Milton.

We have been doing some changing at our house the past couple of weeks. We made the guest bedroom Addyson's playroom and made the bonus room our guest bedroom. I have also been wanting new pillows for the couch, so we found so really cute ones on sale at Kohl's!!! I redid Addyson's bathroom too. That comes with a story. I have been looking on ebay for some new bathroom stuff. I found this auction and it was listed as this...NEW POTTERY BARN BATH SET(The seller had it named something like Penelope Bird) Anyway-It was SO cute and I instantly knew that was what I had been looking for. The set included the shower curtain, rug, soap dish, 2 travel trunks, some towels and an art piece. I was so excited. It was $139.99 + 29.00 shipping which was a little more than I wanted to pay, but it was just too cute. She also had the soap pump I could get for $16.99. Ok-So I emailed her and asked her if it was Pottery Barn because it really didn't look like a line from Pottery Barn. She assured me that pieces were from Pottery Barn and other CHILDREN'S COMPANIES!!! So the more I thought about it I began to notice things. Like the wall art really didn't match the set and I really didn't need the travel trunks. So I decided not to get it. I went to WALMART that night and was just browsing through their bathroom stuff AND THERE IT WAS!!!!! The whole collection on clearance!!!! I was MAD, SHOCKED, HAPPY you name it and I was it! That woman just LIED to me and is advertising her stuff as Pottery Barn!!!!! I didn't care that it came from Walmart because I bought it from there. The fact was that she was trying to rip me off. I got the whole set for $50!!!!! I emailed her and let her have it!!! It makes me so mad that we live in such a dishonest world!!

Moral: NO ONE CAN BE TRUSTED ON EBAY!!!!!!!! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2008-02-14T22:16:00.003-06:00

We had a great V-day and hope everyone did as well!! We had a very low key night. Addyson is not really up to par so we are just trying to keep her in. It was fun none the less!! Addyson is always good for some entertainment!! Enjoy the pics!

TUBES ARE IN!!

2008-02-12T10:18:00.001-06:00

We are back at home and Addyson is SOUND asleep!! She did GREAT! The Dr. said I was probably going to have a hard time taking her home because the nurses were CRAZY about her! HAHA!! I could not even believe how fast it went. I promise it was like 4-5 mins after they took her the Dr. was coming to tell me it was over and that she did fine. I am so glad this is behind us and hopefully it will help Addyson. Thank you for all of your prayers and support!!

Tomorrow is the day!

2008-02-11T16:39:00.000-06:00

Yep, Addyson is getting tubes tomorrow! While some people seem to think I am overreacting, I just feel like I am a worried mother. I want to look at some of these people that say "Oh, they do this everyday" or "My kid did fine" and tell them that they don't do this everyday to my daughter and your kid is not my daughter!!! While both of these statements are true, I still worry and wish she didn't have to go through it. As a mother I believe I have this right!! So, please pray for us tomorrow! I will let you know how everything goes!!

Uncle Hunter's Birthday, Addyson is 16 Months and Lilly is born!!!

2008-02-08T12:33:00.000-06:00

We had a great time celebrating Hunter and Nick's Birthday!!! We went to Sparky's which is a new resturant in Jackson. It was GREAT!! Addyson and Dylan always steal the show when they are together! They are too sweet!!! Dylan had a new baby sister on Wednesday! Welcome to the world Lilly!!! Hunter and Tess are super excited to have another niece to spoil!! I will post pictures as soon as I get a chance to go see the angel!

Addyson was 16 months old yesterday (2-7-08). She is doing so much now it is hard to keep up with. She is saying a new word everyday it seems. She can say Mama, Dada, Poppa, Hey, Bye, Elmo, Thank You, Baby, More and almost book. She can say other words, but not as clear as these. I'm sure I am leaving some out. She ALWAYS seems to say more words around my mom than ANYONE else!!! Funny how that happens!:) I am still loving being at home with her! I am so blessed to be able to hear every new word and see every new thing she does. She keeps us laughing all the time!!

As most of you know, Jackson was hit pretty hard by the tornadoes that came through Tuesday night. Union looks like a bomb went off. If you haven't seen pictures already, make sure and go to the link I have (UU Recovery). They have some of the most amazing pictures. God let us know that he was there with those students that night. It is purely by his grace that not only were there not ANY fatalities, but that there weren't HUNDREDS!!! We are reaching people ALL OVER THE WORLD!!! Some of my church family told me that missionaries from Romania and Guatemala were calling to check on our college students (At FBC almost all of our college students are from Union). ISN'T THAT AMAZING!!!!! Yes it is a tragedy, but it is being used to PRAISE our Heavenly Father!! Only good can come out of this!!

Chuck-E-Cheese!!

2008-01-31T10:29:00.000-06:00

We went to Chuck-E-Cheese last Friday night to celebrate Lydia's(my friend Steven's daughter) birthday. Steven and his sweet wife Katie have twin boys that are 6 months old. They are SO sweet!! We love this sweet family and are so lucky to have them in our lives.

We also went to the ENT Dr. last Friday and the BIG DAY is Feb. 12. I am nervous about her being put to sleep, but the Dr. says she will do fine. It only takes 5-10mins and she will be put to sleep by a mask. Please pray for her and me!!!

Addyson sure does love her Poppa!!!

2008-01-29T15:45:00.000-06:00

Addyson woke up this morning looking for and saying "Poppa". She said it out loud the first couple of times and then she would whisper it. It was so sweet!! Here are 10 reasons why Addyson LOVES her Poppa! 1.Poppa lets me eat ice cream for breakfast. 2.Poppa sings and plays his guitar for me. 3.Poppa lets me walk all over Olive Garden. 4.Poppa talks to me in funny voices. 5.Poppa always wants me to come over. 6.Poppa loves Jesus. 7.Poppa flies me around like a airplane. 8.Poppa puts things together for me. 9.I can do ANYTHING with Poppa. 10.My Poppa is the BEST Poppa in the world!! I love you, Poppa. Love, Addyson

What an AMAZING Blessing!!

2008-01-24T21:37:00.000-06:00

Please go to this site and watch the 3 segments. Together they are only about 25mins long. I promise you will not be the same afterwards. Thank you Jesus for all you have done and continue to do for us.

http://www.rickandbubba.com/

Visit from Texas!

2008-01-17T21:36:00.000-06:00

My Aunt Vickie from Texas came for a quick visit this week. She brought Addyson a sweet pony that makes lots of cute noises. Its head and tail move too. It is just the cutest thing!! Addyson wasn't so sure about it at first, but she is warming up to it. Aunt Vickie took all of us out to eat tonight. It was great to see her!!

WHAT A DAY!!!

2008-01-10T17:00:00.000-06:00

Addyson went to see Dr. Amy today for her 15 mth checkup. It didn't go as well as I was hoping. As soon as Dr. Amy walked in the door, Addyson burst into tears. Dr. Amy did her checkup thing and then it came time for the ears. Addyson produces A LOT of ear wax so Dr. Amy usually has to dig some out before she can see in there. Well, she did that but it wasn't good enough. Addyson had to have her ears cleaned out with the water machine. She has only had to have it done one other time. Of course she is just pitching a fit by this time. So finally Dr. Amy could see in her ear and it is STILL infected!!!!! Our next step is TUBES!!!! We go Jan. 25 for an appointment with the ENT Dr. I am VERY nervous so please pray for Addyson and me!! Also, Dr. Amy wanted Addyson to have some blood drawn to check for anemia and to check her billirubin(sp) levels. EVERYONE that sees Addyson always says she looks jaundice. She has been that way since birth so I haven't really worried about it. Dr. Amy just thinks it is the orange food she is eating. Please pray for that as well. As we are leaving Addyson's ear begins to bleed!!!! It was from the wax coming off her ear. (Gross I know) So off to the Lab we go. She FINALLY calms down and is looking at the fish when our name is called. We go trotting back and I sit her in my lap and she IMMEDIATELY starts throwing a fit. She knows something else is about to happen. They pricked her finger and had to squeeze enough blood to fill two containers. I just feel so sorry for her. HASN'T SHE BEEN POKED AND PRODDED ENOUGH!!! ( Ok, that was my complaining for today.) I just hate it for her, but we need to know what is going on!! Now the good news. She weighs 18.8lbs (up from 17lbs at her 12mth visit) and is 29 1/4 inches long(up from 28 in at her 12 mth visit) They didn't give me the paper with the % on it. I didn't think about it either. Oh well, I do know that she hasn't hit the line on her weight!! She is tiny!!! Addyson's new things are walking EVERYWHERE, saying Elmo, pointing to eyes and saying "eye",and eating more solid foods(with only 2 teeth we have to be careful, but she sure can gum A LOT of things). She is always so happy and loves to cuddle. I can't believe she is 15 mths already!! Time sure does fly by!!!!!

The Joys of Being A Mother!!

2008-01-05T07:06:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to blog about this so I can look back at it one day. Yesterday (1-4-08) Addyson did the sweetest thing. She brought me books from her room and wanted me to read them to her. She walked her little self into her room, got a book off of her bookshelf, brought it to me and raised those little arms for me to pick her up. She sat in my lap, put her head down on my chest and just listened to me read like she knew exactly what I was talking about. Her favorite book was called Guess Who, Abby. It has Elmo in it. I would say "Addyson, where is Elmo?" She would point right to him and say "Elmo". I don't know why, but it just touched my heart so much that I had tears in my eyes.(Not because she said Elmo, by the way!!) She did this all day long. It made me feel so special and so close to her.

New Year, New Resolutions!!!!!

2008-01-03T22:49:00.000-06:00

My #1 New Year's resolution is to be a better Christian, wife and mother. I love being all 3 and I want to be the absolute best I can be. I have created a new blog for my #2 New Year's resolution...LOSE WEIGHT!! It is under My Weight Loss Journey on my blog list to the left. I think it will help me along the way. I have put my first post up. Visit it often and leave me some words of inspiration!! It is going to be a LONG road!!! My #3 resolution is to GET MY HOUSE IN ORDER!!! We STILL have boxes in our closets from moving!!! I need to go through Addyson's clothes and toys and do something with them. My #4 resolution is to spend more time together as a family. Isn't it just the weirdest thing that your family can be at home and yet you still not spend time together. There always seems to be something to do or something going on. That is going to have to calm down!! My #5 resolution is to do better about scrap booking. I really enjoy doing it and I want to get all of Addyson's pictures in some order before it becomes to much to handle. Well, I think 5 is plenty!!!!! Prob too many, but I love a challenge!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

2008-01-02T11:11:00.000-06:00

We had a great Christmas and New Year! Addyson got WAY too much stuff. We had lots of fun singing at The Mosier Christmas and we had a great time playing a gift game at the Crawford/Parks Christmas. Mom, Randy, Tess and Hunter all came over Christmas Eve and we opened lots of gifts and watched Addyson play with all of her new toys. Santa was very good to Addyson. She didn't know what to play with first. Granny spent the night with us Christmas Eve and was able to see Addyson get her Santa gifts. It was very special for her to be able to be here. It really meant a lot to me.

New Year's was great too. Well everything but Addyson's ear infection. That's right. Addyson rang in the New Year with her 7th ear infection. HOW WONDERFUL!!!! Rob and Ashlee came over and we had a great time playing the Wii. They are so much fun and such special friends. They helped make New Year's GREAT!!! Hope every one's holiday was as blessed as ours!! (A blog will soon follow about resolutions. I just wanted to get this one up)

The most wonderful time of the year is almost here!!!!!

2007-12-18T22:18:00.000-06:00

We took Addyson to see Santa last week. Let's just say she is NOT a fan!! I still got the priceless child screaming and crying pic. I figure it will come in handy later on in life!!! This Christmas Milton and I decided that we would start a new tradition. We want Addyson to realize what Christmas is all about so we "adopted" an angel off the Salvation Army tree. We picked a little girl that is the same age as Addyson. We got to buy her clothes, shoes and toys. I also put some books in there telling her how much Jesus loves her. I have prayed for this little girl and her family. I just hope we helped her have a Merry Christmas and have hopefully planted a seed for Jesus!! I know Addyson doesn't understand this now, but when she does understand, I want her to know that she has helped other children since she was a baby. She has had SO much done for her that it only felt right to do something for someone else.

I am putting together a scrapbook for Addyson. As I look at pictures from the last 14 months my heart is so full of joy. I just think about that little fragile baby in the NICU is now walking everywhere. I think about how many people love her and prayed for her during that trying time. I think it means more to me now than ever. I am just so grateful to My Lord for blessing us over and over again. I just think about how unworthy I am yet he continues to love me regardless. How amazing!!!!

I hope that each of you have a great Christmas!!!!

Sweet Sarah Grace

2007-12-15T20:25:00.000-06:00

Today would have been Sarah Grace's first birthday. (Sarah Grace is my friend Michelle's baby girl) It is just still so unbelievable that she is not with us. I think about how hard today must have been for Michelle, Jeff and the family. I know Michelle though. She would not want people to be sad today but happy. To remember Sarah Grace and the impact she had on all of our lives. Michelle, I love you girl!! Sarah Grace will always be here with us!!! HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, SARAH GRACE MEEK!!!!

Addyson is 14 Months Old!!!

2007-12-08T07:17:00.000-06:00

My sweet Addyson turned 14 months old yesterday. She is doing SO much. She has started to let go of things and just take off walking. It shocks me every time she does it. She is trying to say more words. Her new word is YAY! Every time she takes some steps, she will look at you, clap and say YAY! (And you better be clapping and saying yay too or she will not be happy!) We took some pictures for our Christmas card last night. As I said before, it is so hard to get Addyson to smile for a picture now. She is ALWAYS smiling so you wouldn't think this would be a problem, but it is. My family was acting CRAZY to get her to smile and we got NOTHING!! There are a couple of pics where she looks like she could be smiling, but her real smile is SO much better. These will do though!! Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

A Pink Tree for a PRINCESS!!!

2007-12-04T15:56:00.000-06:00

As soon as I saw this, I knew Addyson HAD to have it. Well, she didn't HAVE to have it, but I REEEEEEally wanted her to. It is becoming a lot harder to get a picture of Addyson sitting still and smiling. Guess those days are O-V-E-R!!!!!!!

In this picture, I was trying to get Addyson to stand next to her tree, but she decided she wanted to walk. SILLY GIRL!!!!

SHE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-30T12:04:00.001-06:00

I had Mom, Randy, Tess and Hunter over last night for supper. (Hunter put most of my Christmas lights up on the house so I cooked him dinner!! THANKS HUNTER!! Milton helped some, but he is SO SCARED of heights that he just can't get that high up) ANYWAY- We have really been working with Addyson on walking but she just really could care less about it. Tess and I sat down and tried to get her to go back and forth between us and SHE DID IT!!!! She took about 4 steps the first time!! It was so sweet to see her do it. Then we just kept on. She got tired pretty quickly but she was loving all of the praises she was getting so she kept on!! We really wore her out. I have a video of it, but I am having trouble uploading it. I am so proud of her!!! She really isn't a little baby anymore! :(

Hope this touches your heart the way it did mine!

2007-11-29T10:02:00.000-06:00

My mom sent this to me thru email!

A Baby's Hug:
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a
high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly,
Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on
the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was
bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose
pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of
would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed.
His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so
varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands
waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see
ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.
My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'
Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'
Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The
old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and
the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake?
Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.'
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik,
who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in
turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.
We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to
pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat
poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he
speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned
my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing.
As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's
'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself
from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love
and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his
tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder.The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard
labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have
ever loved so deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his
eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice,
'You take care of this baby.'
Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in
pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've
given me my Christmas gift.'
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for
the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so
tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.'
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny
child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a
mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding
a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share
your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the
Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.'
Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really
important.We must always remember who we are, where we came from and, most
importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car
that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all;
it is how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.
This one is a keeper.
'It is better to be liked for the true you, than to be loved for who people
think you are......

Thanksgiving 2007 and then some...

2007-11-26T11:34:00.000-06:00

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving!! We ate, spent time with family and ate some more!! Addyson had lots of fun!! We have our house all decorated for Christmas and can't wait for it to be here!!! Hope everyone had a great holiday!!!

My Little Comedian!!

2007-11-12T22:46:00.000-06:00

Addyson was 13 months old on the 7th (I know, I'm late!!). Her little personality has really started to show. She is "talking" NON STOP!!!!! She is throwing major fits when we change her diaper, put on or take off clothes and put her in her carseat. Hopefully the last one will change soon when we get her a new one. Addyson is also making the most funny faces I have ever seen. She loves to be laughed at so she just does it over and over. Here are a few pictures I took last week and last night!! ENJOY!!!! (I can't seem to upload my pics to Blogger anymore. That is why I have so many slideshows. Sorry if it is getting old)

Halloween 2007!!!!

2007-11-01T10:57:00.001-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! Addyson had a great Halloween. We were supposed to go to Steven and Katie's house to see the twin boys, but I didn't want to take a chance on Addyson getting them sick since she just got over some kind of virus that made her run fever, break out into a rash and in the end caused a DOUBLE ear infection. For anyone counting that makes 6 since June. I am sure we will have a great discussion on tubes next Monday!! ANYWAY-Back to Halloween. We decided to go ahead and go to the church for a little while. We had lots of fun!!!! Hope you enjoy the pictures!!!!

Life after the BIG 1!!!

2007-10-16T21:31:00.001-05:00

Everyone keeps asking "How did the party go?" My response is ALWAYS the same...It was LOADS of fun, but I am so glad it is over!!!! I never would have imagined that it took so much work for a birthday party. My aunt made the comment that it was like I was planning her wedding!!!! So the anticipation of her turning one has come and gone...NOW WHAT!!! Well, I have been enjoying every minute of her being one. This has been my first week to be at home with her and I am LOVING it. We sleep in, play, nap and spend mommy/Addyson time together. I was nervous about the new job, but I have a very good feeling I made the right choice!
Let me update you on the things Addyson is doing. She is completely off the bottle as of Oct. 7, 2007. (Her birthday) She has had no problems with the sippy cup. I wasn't sure if the Dr. was going to let us start whole milk, but she did. Addyson is loving it!! She has another tooth coming in. That brings the grand total to...2!!!!(both on bottom) She hasn't taken anymore steps, but we are in NO hurry. She is into enough just crawling and cruising!! She can say dada, mama, byebye, Hi and her new word is poppa (which is Randy). She said it for the first time this past weekend. I think Randy has "the big head" now. She can wave byebye but says dada when she waves.(We think it is too cute)We are working on learning sign language right now. I only know a few signs so I have been doing those over and over. I found a book that has lots of signs in it so we are going to get it tomorrow. We taught sign language at the daycare I worked at and the kids picked up on it well. I will let you know how it goes!!!
Here are some pictures we took today in the front yard for our fall card.

Addyson is 1!!!!!

2007-10-14T00:22:00.001-05:00

My sweet Addyson turned 1 yesterday. We had a great time celebrating this weekend. We not only celebrated the fact that she is 1, but also the blessing that she has been to us. As most of you know, Addyson had a really rough start. You would never know it now though! She is everywhere and into everything. We went to the Dr. today for her checkup. She is doing great!! We are so thankful for everything God has blessed us with over the past year!! I found this beautiful quote. "A baby daughter-How precious it is to see that love hasn't quit making miracles happen-That perfection still is being rained down from the window of Heaven" How true!!!!

FIRST STEPS!!!

2007-10-04T21:03:00.000-05:00

Addyson took her first steps yesterday...AT DAYCARE!!!!!!!!!!!! I just knew something like this was going to happen. I wasn't as upset as I thought I was going to be. I was just so proud of her. I also thought about all of those first steps that were taken to me when I taught daycare. It is a very special feeling. Addyson's first steps with me will still be her first steps!!!(to me anyway) We are getting ready for the big 1st birthday party this weekend. We are having a friends and family party on Saturday at the church. Then on Sunday(her birthday) we are having a family party at our house. I am SO excited, but very nervous. I will be posting LOTS of pictures!!

WANTED!!!!!

2007-09-22T10:04:00.001-05:00

Have you seen this cute little girl? She is wanted by the Gibson City Police and the Gibson Co. Sherriff's Dept. for dialing 911!!! That's right!!!! Addyson stayed with my mom and Randy on Wednesday night and was playing with the phone, as usual, and dialed 911!! Well, mom had no idea. So she, Addyson and Randy are outside putting Addyson in the stroller and up the driveway comes 2 cop cars. They had received a 911 call from this address. Mom knew instantly what had happened. One of the cops thought is was pretty funny. The other wasn't too happy. I so wished mom had gotten a picture of Addyson with the police. That would have made a great addition to her scrapbook!!!

New Things!!

2007-09-15T15:32:00.000-05:00

Well, it is finally here!!!! ADDYSON'S FIRST TOOTH!!!!!! We never thought we would see it. I just told her a couple of weeks ago that we were going to have to buy her baby dentures!! Along with the pain of a first tooth, she is just now getting over croup! She woke up Tuesday morning and was almost gasping for air. She also had the signature "barking" cough. When I taught daycare you always knew what was wrong with the kids if they had croup. Dr. Amy said that Addyson was the third child she had seen that morning with croup!! SO GLAD IT IS OVER!!

Another new thing going on is that I HAVE A NEW JOB!!!! I will be working weekends at Humboldt General so I can stay at home with Addyson during the week. I am so excited that I get to be with my baby girl M-F! I will take call Friday night work all day Saturday, take call Saturday night and work Sunday. My boss says that if I am not busy I can come home or go to church on Sunday. Just as long as I have my beeper!!!!! Weekend positions are so hard to come by and I have been wanting one for a while now. The main reason is to be at home with Addyson as much as possible. Some benefits are that we will be saving a lot in daycare and I will be getting paid more. Plus it is only 10 mins from our house!!! This is a great opportunity and a HUGE answered prayer for us. Please keep me in your prayers because I will be learning new equipment, CT and it is going to be an adjustment for me and my family.

Happy11 Months, Addyson!!!

2007-09-08T16:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my sweet little girl was 11 months old. Where has time gone???? It seems like just the other day Milton and I were talking about how much fun it would be when Addyson got here. Now she is almost 1!!!!! She is doing so much these days. Her new favorite thing to do is crawl to the back door and pull up to look outside. She will just stand there and talk for a long time. Of course when I wanted her to do it for a picture she wouldn't. Daddy had to help her out a little. So we have started planning for the big 1st birthday. I finally found some invitations that I LOVE. Those should be coming in any day now. Here are some pictures that didn't make the cut. (Still very cute though!)

Here it is!!! I cannot wait til they get here!!!
I never knew so much went into planning a birthday party. I know it will be so much fun!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

2007-08-26T20:31:00.000-05:00

Well it is my birthday today!! It really has been a GREAT day. Milton and Addyson have made it extra special. Milton got me a Wii!! I have been wanting one for a while!! We stayed up til 2am playing it. This birthday has been the very best one because of Addyson! It is so surreal to think that this time last year she was inside of me!!! It won't be long and we will be planning Addyson's birthday!!! HELP ME!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-08-12T15:40:00.001-05:00

Addyson loves Dee VERY much!!! Dee is always doing something for Addyson. (Buying her clothes and toys, taking her to daycare, feeding her, letting her spend the night, taking her out!!)
We hope Dee had the best birthday ever!!
This is Poppa and Addyson at Dee's birthday party!
Aunt Te Te, Addyson and Uncle Hunter!
Mi Mi and Addyson!

Granny and Addyson! Aunt Te Te and Addyson!
Addyson thought the ball was birthday cake!!

My mom means EVERYTHING to me. She has taught me right from wrong, how to be a Christian woman, how to be a wife and how to be a mother!! I can only hope and pray to be half the mom to Addyson that my mom has been to me! Happy Birthday, Mom. We love you!!!!

Addyson is 10 Months Old!!!!

2007-08-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

Here is Riley, Addyson and Reagan. Addyson LOVES her cousins!!!!!
My sweet baby!!
Daddy, Addyson and Mommy. Look how much darker Addyson is than me!!!
Addyson always has CRAZY hair in the morning!!

Addyson was 10 months old on the 7th. I can't believe that my little Addyson is 10 months old!!!! She is EVERYWHERE and into EVERYTHING!!!!! She is crawling non stop, pulling up on furniture and cruising and saying "da da da da". She will say "ma" only when she is tired. Of course she has no idea what she is saying, but it is still so cute!!! She makes the funniest noises!! She is ALWAYS happy!!! Sometimes I ask Milton what we did to deserve such a WONDERFUL baby!!! :) She really likes daycare. She has one little girl in her class that she likes the best. I think it is because this little girl is walking and Addyson thinks that is really neat!! I am going to try and have a "photo shoot" this afternoon so check back later!!!

First Day of School!!!

2007-07-30T19:15:00.000-05:00

Today was Addyson's first day of school!! I was VERY nervous, but everything went great!! She was SO excited when she saw all of her new friends!! I know she will do great!!! Milton and I picked her up before nap, and she was WORN OUT!!!!!!!! She could not even keep her head up!!! Tomorrow will be her first full day. I will keep you updated!!

Happy 9 Months, Addyson!!!

2007-07-07T09:13:00.000-05:00

My sweet baby is 9 months old today!! It is still hard to believe she is even mine, much less her be 9 months old!! She is so much fun right now. She is into EVERYTHING!!!! Always smiling, talking, playing and giving kisses!! She is trying so hard to crawl. I have a feeling it won't be too much longer and we are going to be VERY busy!!! We went for her check up on Monday. She weighs 16lbs 8ozs and is 25 1/2 in long. That may not sound very big but she has come a long way from 2lbs 6ozs and 14 in long!!! We also found out on Monday that she has a double ear infection. That makes 4 ear infections in a month!!!! Can you guess what she will be winning if this doesn't get better? TUBES!!!!!!!!! Please pray that we don't have to do this! Now onto the pictures! We took these yesterday. I got her a new swimsuit from Target since her top to the other one is so big. This one is cuter anyway!!!! Here she is trying to crawl!!! She can go about 5 ft and then she is give out. Also, she only does it when SHE wants to not when we want her to! (Yes, she is a little bit of a diva. I just can't imagine where she got that from!:)
This is just a picture of me and Addyson. I love her sweet face in it!!!!
Addyson sure does love to look at herself! She could have played in front of this mirror for hours!! (Well, maybe not that long but for sure 30 mins!!!)
Addyson is starting daycare on July 30. I am having a VERY hard time with this. I cried just going to visit her class!!!!!! She is going to LOVE it! She got so excited when she saw all of the children. I know she is going to learn so much. I am going to miss our special time together!! Dr. Amy is not very excited about her going either so that doesn't help any! Just pray that she has a good winter and doesn't STAY sick. I will let you know how the first day goes!!!!

GIRL'S NIGHT!!!!

2007-06-30T22:40:00.000-05:00

Thursday night we had GIRL'S NIGHT! We had so much fun just hanging out!!! Here is Karin and Kelli swinging!! Aren't they cute! These women are some of the very best women I know! LOVE YA BUNCHES!!!
This is everyone that was there!
This is Alicia and Karin looking BEAUTIFUL!!!
Karin and me! I LOVE this girl!! She has made coming back to work so much better!!!

We really didn't do a lot. Just ate pizza and hung out. It was good to just be with friends for a while. Can't wait to do it again!!!

ALL BETTER!!!!!!!

2007-06-27T19:45:00.000-05:00

I took this picture before she got sick, but I haven't taken anymore yet. My sweet baby is SO much better. On Saturday she woke up with a nasty rash all over her legs and some places on her arms. ANOTHER TRIP TO THE DR!!!! She had an allergic reaction to her antibiotic!! It was just something else to add to her list of problems! We go on Monday for her follow up appt for her ear infection. I will let you know how that goes. I am hoping it can count as her 9 month well baby visit so we don't have to go back in a few days!! Thanks to everyone who prayed for her!!!! OH YEAH ABOUT THE PICTURE!! This was the first time Addyson went swimming. She LOVED it. I am so excited about taking her again.

My Poor Baby!!

2007-06-21T21:27:00.000-05:00

My little Addyson is SO sick!! She has an ear infection, a very bad cold, and pink eye in both eyes!!! Plus she has fever, a terrible cough, and hasn't been able to breathe because she is so clogged up! This is the first time she has been sick like this. It is BREAKING my heart. She will hardly smile. I took these pictures this afternoon! I know she is saying "Mommy, please help me!!" Please pray for my little one to get better VERY soon!!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!

2007-06-17T19:25:00.000-05:00

The first couple of pictures are just some random ones!! This is a new outfit that Mi Mi bought Addyson the other day. It is so cute!! I had this made for Addyson's room. It was just finished this past week. Can you believe that is a ceiling tile?!!!! The girl who did this is so talented!!
Here is Addyson doing one of her FAVORITE things to do... take a bath!
This is Addyson on Father's Day!
She is so silly!!
I got her this cute little shirt that says "Apple of my Daddy's eye"!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!
We went to see Mr. Milton today. He is looking good!! This is Riley, Addyson, Pop and Reagan.
The 2 Daddies and Addyson. Addyson really puts a smile on Pop's face! She loves him very much!
She has had a lot of excitement for one day!!
I did not get any pictures with Randy today! I could kick myself. I cooked lunch for Randy and Milton this afternoon. We had lots of fun.

Mr. Milton is a wonderful man. I thank him for raising my Milton to be so loving and caring. His dad has taught him so much, and it shows everyday!!! He loves Addyson very much.

Milton had a really great first Father's Day. Every time I see him with Addyson I fall in love with him all over again. I knew he was going to be a great Daddy, but he has BLOWN me away. Addyson is CRAZY about him!

Randy has been the best father to me and Tess. He has been there for us, encouraged us and most importantly loved us unconditionally! He is one reason I am who I am today. I love him so much and appreciate EVERYTHING he has done for me. He is an AMAZING Pa-Pa too! He plays his guitar and sings to Addyson and you can just tell she LOVES him!

Addyson is so lucky to have so many wonderful men in her life!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!

Addyson is 8 Months Old!!

2007-06-10T20:34:00.000-05:00

Addyson was 8 months on the 7th!! She is sitting alone, holding her bottle, sleeping 10-12 hours a night, grabbing everything in sight. She is not crawling and I don't think she is going to. She wants to be upright ALL OF THE TIME!!!! If she is not sitting up, she wants to be standing up. Her new favorite toy is the Johnny Jumper! It is so funny to see her jumping in it! I will try to upload a video later. She is so much fun right now. She is starting to make new noises and we just crack up at them!! We will be putting her in daycare pretty soon. I am VERY nervous about it. I will miss my special time with her. I know she will do great, but I just wasn't ready to put her in daycare now. THAT'S LIFE!!!!!!! Just pray for us as we go through this transition. I will keep you updated!!

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter Summar

2007-06-05T18:18:00.001-05:00

As most of you know, my little sister got married on Saturday. I have never seen her look more beautiful or happy in our whole lives!!! Here are some pictures from her Bridal Luncheon on Friday and then the wedding on Saturday. This is me and Addyson ready for the luncheon. Addyson got to try new foods at the luncheon. She sucked an orange DRY and ate cool whip and strawberry juice. She would get so mad in between bites! Here she is waiting for her turn. HURRY UP DEE!! This is my mom, Addyson, Tess, my Granny and me.
Me, Tess and Addyson before the wedding.

Tess and Addyson.
Here is the FAM at the wedding!!!
Look how BEAUTIFUL Tess was!!!!
Granny, Tess, Mom and me.

Tess and her Maid of Honor!!

Madelyn and me.
Austin and me.
Mom, Tess and Randy. Randy had a lot of jobs during the wedding. He sang before the wedding, he walked mom down to be seated, he walked Tess down the aisle, and sang during the unity candle. I know he is glad to have us married!!!!!!!
Addyson and Carmen (one of the flower girls).

Tess and Hunter!!!! How sweet!

Tess and Hunter again!!!
Mommy and Addyson waiting for the wedding to start!!
Auntie Mae and Addyson after the wedding!! Addyson is looking at Mae's VERY tall boyfriend!
Hunter, Riley, Reagan and Tess.

Addyson, Tess and Hunter before they left.

Me, Tess and Mom.
Tess and Hunter leaving!
BYE TESS!!!!!

I am so happy for Tess and Hunter. They went to Destin for the Honeymoon. I have talked to her a few times and they are having SO much fun. The wedding was so sweet. It was very weird to watch my little sister get married. I love her so much!! I know she will be the very best wife!

UPDATE!!!!

2007-05-26T14:59:00.001-05:00

First off let me wish my friend Kim a very happy birthday today!! Love ya, Kim!! I had to take Addyson to the Dr. yesterday because she has been pulling on her ear the past few days. She does have an ear infection and a head cold!! She really doesn't act like it bothers her though. I was kind of glad we got to take her so we could see how much she weighs! She is up to 15lbs and 1oz!! I was so excited!! Tess went with me and she was almost yelling she was so excited. I was a little embarrassed! Thanks Tess!!! I bought Addyson a swim suit before she was born. I got it on sale so I couldn't resist!! I decided to get it out today and take some pictures. She was so hungry so we didn't get many. Here is one. The next couple are just random ones of her eating. She has gotten to where she wants to hold the spoon. I usually try to wait until the end of the feeding because she makes such a mess!!
She loves to eat in her green Bumbo seat. We have not bought a highchair because I just can't imagine her little self sitting in one. The Bumbo seat has been a lifesaver. Poppa (Randy) even made up a little song about Addyson sitting in her little green seat!! It is so cute!
The last couple of pictures are of Tess's lingerie shower that I had at my house last week. We had lots of fun. It was SO FUNNY to see Tess open the gifts. I won't put those on here though. She would kill me!! This is Aunt Megan and Addyson at the shower. We call her Auntie Mae Mae!! She loves Addyson so much!!!!! She is an incredible friend to have!! Love ya lots Mae!!!!
Here is Tess and Addyson!! For those of you that don't know, Addyson is the Maid of Honor in Tess's wedding!! I think she has been the BEST Maid of Honor yet!!!!!

Tess is getting married NEXT SATURDAY!!!!!!! I still can't believe that my little sister who told my mom when she was 5 "Mom, when I get married I am going to live with you and my husband and Randy can live next door!" is getting married!!!!! She is so excited!! Pray for her and Hunter!!

Mother's Day (I know, I'm late!!)

2007-05-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

First of all I want to wish all of the mothers a very happy Mother's Day. Esp. the first Mother's Day mothers!! IT WAS AWESOME!! Next I want to say how unbelievably blessed I am. This past week has been so trying. My two friends that I have been asking you to pray for both experienced such tragedy this past week. My friend Kim lost one of her twins. He lived for 13 hours. The other twin (Chandler) is in the NICU. He is doing very well. They found out on Tuesday that he has a hole in his heart. He started meds yesterday and is responding GREAT to them. Please continue to pray for them. My other friend Michelle lost Sarah Grace last week as well. Please pray for Michelle and her husband Jeff and the rest of their family. As humans we want to question God. As Christians we know God has a plan. As Addyson was being dedicated on Sunday, my heart was so broken for Kim and Michelle. As a mother, I could not imagine going through what they are. Milton and I thank God on a daily basis for Addyson. All babies are miracles, but Addyson went through so much after she was born. She has exceeded our expectations by leaps and bounds. All I can say is THANK YOU GOD FOR SUCH A MIRACLE!!!!!!!! Here she is being dedicated on Mother's Day. It will be something I never forget!! As part of the dedication a deacon and his wife from the church comes and gives you a gift and prays for your child. It was so special that mom and Randy got to do that for us.
This is Addyson's new trick. She is sitting alone, kind of. She can sit there for a couple of mins at a time. I just can't believe she is growing up so fast.
I love this picture. This is how happy she is ALL of the time. I love this shirt because she is my treasure!!!
Here she is not so sure!!
Being a mom is more incredible than I could have ever imagined. Addyson brings such a sweet spirit into our lives. This Mother's Day also made me appreciate my mom just that much more. Addyson is so lucky to have such a Godly, caring, loving woman as her grandmother. I am even more lucky because she is my mom!!!

Please keep my friends in your prayers, and Thank you in advance!!

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!!

2007-05-07T22:53:00.000-05:00

It has been so crazy lately!!! Here is a brief summary!! These first few pictures are a little photo shoot Milton and I took. We were trying to get a recent picture of Addyson for her dedication on Mother's Day. This was one of my favorites!!

This is her new favorite thing to do!!!

This is the one we chose. I just loved it!!

May 5 was Tess and Hunter's couples shower. They got LOTS of very nice things. It was Strawberry themed (OF COURSE!!!) Here is Austin and Addyson. He loves her so much!!
Here is Addyson, Madelyn and Austin at the shower!!
The Bride-to-Be and the Maid of Honor!!!!
This is Addyson and Dylan (Tess's almost nephew) Aren't they so cute!!
Dylan was very gentle with Addyson, but DID NOT like it when his mommy held her!!

My mom, Tess, Addyson and me!!
My WONDERFUL husband and me!
Here's the gang!! Hunter, Tess, me and Milton.
THE FAMILY!! Addyson smiled so big for this picture!!

My BEAUTIFUL sister and me~

THE LOVEBIRDS!!!
On May 6, our youngest niece Reagan graduated from preschool. This is Addyson at graduation!!
Here is Reagan getting her diploma!! Way to go Reagan!

Here is Reagan, Riley and Addyson. The 3 Amigos!!

Reagan and Addyson
On May 7, ADDYSON WAS 7 MONTHS OLD!!!! Here she is taking a cat nap.
This is after her cat nap!! Things Addyson is doing: Talking more than ever

Trying so hard to sit alone

In the starting stages of crawling

Eating baby food

Always smiling!!!

As most of you know it is STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL TIME!!!!!!!!!! We took Addyson to the fireworks tonight. I was kind of nervous about what she was going to do. She acted like she had seen them a thousand times!! Here are some pictures from tonight!!

Mommy and Addyson waiting for the fireworks to start!

Addyson after the first BOOM!

Daddy and Addyson!!
Addyson watching the fireworks!!!

She seemed to really enjoy the fireworks!! We are excited about going to the parade on Friday. I hope it is not too hot for her though!!

The past 7 months have been so amazing. Addyson is such a blessing to me and Milton. She has come a long way and we thank God as much as possible. Some of my friends have not been so lucky, and it makes us appreciate things SO much more!! Please continue to pray for my friend Michelle and Sarah Grace. I think the past couple of weeks have really been a roller coaster for them. Also, please pray for my other friend Kim that was put in the hospital because her water broke a couple of weeks ago. They are really going through a hard time right now. I don't want to put their personal life on such a not personal page. JUST PRAY!!!!!!!! Thanks in advance!!

Our trip to Nashville!

2007-04-16T15:54:00.000-05:00

Well as most of you know we took Addyson to Vanderbilt this weekend. Everything was great. The Dr. said that Addyson has a beautiful heart. She does have a VERY small opening, but it will close up in just a couple of months. She wants us to come back in a year! We are so very thankful that our little angel is ok. Thanks to everyone who prayed for her!! Since we were going to Nashville, we decided to make a weekend of it. We had a really good time, and it was a nice little break. We took Addyson to all of the big malls we could get to. She got some new clothes and we got some things for the house. We wanted to take Addyson to the zoo but it was cold and rainy all weekend. We did get to go to Rainforest Cafe. Addyson was not too fond of the place. She did like the fish though. Here a just a couple of pictures from there.
We were pooped from all of the running around that we did. Addyson was so good the whole weekend!!
Please continue to pray for my friend Michelle and little Sarah Grace. Also, please pray for another one of my friends. Her name is Kim. She is pregnant with twins and is 26/27 weeks along. Her water broke this past weekend and she is in the hospital now. Pray that they can hold off labor for as long as possible.

Addyson's 6 month checkup!!!

2007-04-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

Addyson did great today. She weighs 12lbs and 14ozs and is 24 1/2 inches long. She has finally made it to the lines on the growth chart!!! We did have a few problems though. She has thrush again. She also has a little problem with her girl parts. They are kinda fused together. Dr. Amy said this happens sometimes with girls because of the diaper. She prescribed Addyson a cream that we have to put on 3 times a day for 3 weeks. It should do the trick. I just feel so sorry for her because it looks like it hurts so bad!!!!!! She just screamed when Dr. Amy was working on it. The biggest thing is that she still has her heart murmur. We have to go to Vanderbilt on Friday to see a peds cardiologist. (We have to go to Vandy because there are no peds cardio Dr.s around here) Dr. Amy did not think it was serious but wants to be sure. I will let you know how that turns out. Please pray that it will just be something that Addyson will grow out of.

I got to go see my friend Michelle and Sarah Grace on Saturday. I even got to hold little Sarah!!! She is doing very well. They had planned on taking her to church for Easter but it was too cold. Michelle said that the Meek family has never been happier. Continue to pray for them. They are such an inspiration to all of us!!!

This is a long one!!!

2007-04-09T14:48:00.000-05:00

We have been pretty busy lately!! Let me fill you in on a few things. Tess had her first shower on March 31. It was very nice and she got lots of nice things!!! This was the first time people from church got to see Addyson. They were so excited. Here is Dee with Addyson at the shower. I didn't get anymore pictures. It was just crazy!!! Her next shower is May 5. I will do a better job then!!
Our newest news is that we got a new house in Medina!! We are so excited. We moved in last weekend. We still have boxes EVERYWHERE, but we are working on that. Here are a few pictures of it. Once we get everything like we want it I will post more pictures!!

This is the living room
This is part of the kitchen.
This is one of the main reasons we bought the house... THE BONUS ROOM!!! AKA Addyson's future playroom!!!

On Saturday, April 7th, Addyson turned 6 MONTHS OLD!!!!!!! I cannot believe how fast she is growing up. I didn't get any pictures on Saturday because I knew we would be taking pictures on Easter!! Here is Addyson Easter morning with her goodies from the Easter Bunny. Mommy and Daddy got her a PINK (of course) Bible with her name on it. It is so sweet!!!

Addyson looked so pretty in her Easter dress!!!
Daddy and Addyson on Easter morning.
Addyson and Mommy on Easter morning.
THE FAMILY!!!

Aunt Tess, Addyson, and Uncle Hunter on Easter!!

This is Mamaw and Addyson on Easter. Mamaw LOVES Addyson so much!!
My cousins Austin and Madelyn got 2 baby bunnies from the Easter bunny for Easter. Addyson didn't know what to think about them!!

This is Addyson with Oreo and Smokey!!

Things have been so busy but so much fun!! I will give you an update on my friend Michelle tomorrow!!!

UPDATE!!!

2007-04-04T22:22:00.000-05:00

Well first let me give you an update on my friend Michelle and her little girl, Sarah Grace. Sarah came home last Sunday and is doing really great. The Dr.s are even surprised by how well she is doing. Thank you to everyone who prayed. KEEP IT UP!!!! I am going to try and go see them on Saturday. I will let you know how it goes!!

Next is... WE ARE MOVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We really haven't said a whole lot about it because it was so up and down. We closed on our house in Humboldt last week and we are closing on our house in Medina tomorrow!!! We are so excited. I will post pictures of the house soon.

Addyson is going for her 6 month checkup on April 10. I have a couple of concerns this go round. The biggest one is her heart murmur. I haven't said anything about it because I figured it would have been gone by now. Dr. Amy could still hear it when we went for her 4 month check up. Just please pray that it is 100% gone by now. Also, Addyson has had these nasty bumps on her little face. I don't know if it is her slober or what, but something is breaking her out. I just hope we can find out what it is. I am hoping that Dr. Amy is going to let me start Addyson on solids!!! She is SO ready, but I have been good and tried to wait. I have only given her cereal a few times. It has been hard not to give her more. I am just trying to do what the Dr. says though.

Please continue to pray for Michelle and Sarah Grace. Also pray for Addyson's murmur, and all of the changes we are about to experience!!!

YOUR PRAYERS ARE NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-03-25T19:47:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned my friend Michelle in previous blogs. She and her family need your prayers DESPERATELY!!!! They are bringing their 3 month old daughter, Sarah Grace, home from a 3 month hosptial stay back and forth from Jackson NICU to Vandy NICU. The doctors told Michelle and her husband Jeff that there is nothing more they can do for little Sarah Grace. Jeff and Michelle made the decision to bring her home to spend as much time with her as possible. WE ARE PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE!!! Please join me in this prayer. This little miracle from God has come so far!!! I still believe she has a lot of fight left in her; she just needs some encouragement!!! Thank you and I will update as soon as I hear new information!!!

Our busy weekend!!!

2007-03-14T22:12:00.000-05:00

We were very busy last weekend!! We had a wedding and a birthday party!! The birthday party was on Sunday and the wedding Saturday. I posted the pictures backwards!! OH WELL.
This is Megan. Her mommy and daddy are very good friends of ours. It was her very first birthday. We can't believe that she is 1 already. She is walking and saying a few words. She is so sweet. She really liked her birthday cake!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEGAN!!!!
One of my best friends from x-ray school got married!! We were so excited for her. It was a beautiful wedding. I did not think I was going to be able to hold it together when Kelly was walking down the aisle. She was GORGEOUS!!!!! Addyson was so good during the wedding. She sat in my lap and watched like she knew what was going on. She had lots of fun!!

This is Addyson with Aunt Mae and Aunt Jodi!! They love Addyson so much!!
This is Addyson and Aunt Kelly. See how pretty she looked!! Congrats Kelly!! We love you!!
Addyson was worn out. She took a little cat nap!!!
This is Megan, Jodi, Kelly, me and Addyson!! I love these girls so much!! I am so blessed with such wonderful friends!!!

We loved getting out with Addyson this weekend. It is so much fun to FINALLY be able to take her a few places. The Dr. wants us to wait until Easter to take her to church (just to be on the safe side). It seems like forever away, but I know that it is best for Addyson. I think Easter will be a very appropriate first Sunday for Addyson!!

Picture Time!

2007-03-08T14:39:00.000-06:00

Ok so I know that I just blogged like an hour ago, but Addyson woke up from her nap and we took some more pictures. They were just too cute not to share. I got her this dress yesterday for being such a big girl at the Dr. and at the eye Dr.

I also got her some shades!!! I think she likes them!! They are a little big though.

This pic was supposed to be up top with the rest of them. Oh well.

Addyson is 5 Months Old!!

2007-03-08T11:28:00.000-06:00

Addyson turned 5 months old yesterday. We went to the Dr. for our monthly RSV shot (only one more to go) and Addyson weighs 11lbs 7ozs!!!!! I just couldn't believe it. She has gained exactly 9lbs since she was born!!!! We are so grateful!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are some pictures that I have taken over the last week. The ones of her in the white dress were taken this morning. They all got mixed up when I uploaded them to the blog. The first one is my FAVORITE. She ALWAYS has her tongue out. Poppa (Randy) calls her his little lizard!

I have started giving her a blanket when she rides in the car seat. She loves this little bear blanket. She is the absolute happiest when she is in her car seat. That is where she talks the most.

This picture shows how much Addyson has grown. The preemie pj's was the only thing that fit her for a long time. She wore it over and over again. The bigger pj's are 3-6 month. They are a little too long but they fit pretty good. She is wearing 0-3 months in clothes. It is hard to even remember her being that tiny!!

She loves to suck on her hands. She will not take a pacy and she hasn't found her thumb. She just loves her hands. She makes the loudest smacking noise when she sucks on her hands.

She is the happiest baby. She is always smiling and talking to us.

The past 5 months have been so amazing. I have loved watching Addyson grow and learn new things. I will be going back to work March 21. I will only be working 3 days a week. I am going to miss being with Addyson every day. She will be staying with Milton's sister so I know she will be given lots and lots of love. Please pray for me!!!! The closer it gets the more I want to stay home.

Update on Milton's Dad

2007-02-28T13:42:00.000-06:00

Mr. Milton has been taken off the vent and moved into a regular room. He is very confused and does not even know who we are. Now it is kind of just a waiting game. We will see what kind of progress he makes until he gets sick again.(which will for sure happen) It is hard for me to really explain everything that is wrong with him. Just pray for him. Please continue to pray for the family as well.

Addyson has had her first cold this week. It is so sad. The Dr. called her in some meds Monday. Please pray that she gets over this soon. She is so stopped up. It is breaking my heart to see her like this. Other than that she is doing great. Her new thing right now is learning to sit up. She can hold her balance for a few seconds. She is really trying though.

I know this is kind of short but I just wanted to do a quick update. I will put some pics up soon!!!

PRAYER and PRAISE!!!!!

2007-02-17T21:56:00.000-06:00

PRAYER: Milton's dad (Milton Sr) was put in the hospital yesterday. He is on a vent in the ICU in Jackson. He has fluid in one lung and pneumonia in the other. His labs were not good yesterday. The Dr. told us that he could not promise that Mr. Milton would make it through this because he is critically ill. If he does, it will be a very long road for him. This Dr. is upfront and just tells you like it is. They have not said exactly what is wrong yet. They just know that his labs were not good. He was very dehydrated and his kidneys were not working properly yesterday. They have started functioning today though. I don't think they are functioning as much as they should but better than yesterday. His labs came back better today as well. He has a wonderful set of Dr.s on his case. I have faith that he is going to pull through. Mr. Milton will be 77 in April. Please pray for him. Also, please pray for Gale(Milton's mom), Genia (Milton's sister) my sweet husband and the rest of the family. This is extremely hard on them. Mr. Milton has only gotten to see little Addyson 1 time because he is in the nursing home. We hope and pray that he gets to see her many many more times when he goes back!! I thank you for your prayers! I will keep you updated!!

PRAISE: In a previous blog I asked you to pray for my friend Michelle and her baby Sara Grace. I finally got to see them yesterday. They were transferred back to the NICU in Jackson from Vandy. Sara Grace is the most amazing baby. She has really come such a long way. The Dr.s told Michelle that Sara Grace would only have a 20% chance of EVER eating. The Dr. was ready to put a peg tube in. Michelle pleaded with the Dr.s to let her try a bottle. Sara Grace took the bottle. Also, the Dr.s told Michelle that Sara Grace had nerve damage and would not ever walk. They did an ultrasound and found NO nerve damage. AMAZING!!!!!! Sara Grace was supposed to get to go home today. She will go home on 3 monitors, oxygen and more meds than I could name. She will have a VERY hard and long road ahead of her. She has to have another heart surgery in June. This little miracle has proven over and over that she is a fighter!! Please continue to pray for them. I will keep you updated on her progress.

I know that God is and will continue to work in Mr. Milton and little Sara Grace. HE has proven over and over what a wonderful God he is. PRAISE HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!

2007-02-14T21:12:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!! We hope everyone had a great day!! We started the morning with some pictures. Addyson is always in such a good mood when she first wakes up. You can tell by her sleepy eyes that she has not been up very long!!

In this picture she has found her hands. I thought our picture time was over at this point.
I finally got her attention back!!

We wanted this Valentine's Day to be extra special for Daddy since he had 2 Valentines this year!! Addyson wanted to smell good for Daddy so she took a bath. We decided to take some pictures afterwards.

She was being so silly!!
Addyson wanted to look super pretty for Daddy too!! She had a special outfit to wear!!
We couldn't wait for Daddy to get home to open his cards and present!! Addyson was reading the card with Daddy!!

Daddy got a very cute picture frame. I don't know if you can tell what it says so I will tell you. It says "My prince did come, His name is Daddy"!!!! Addyson is such a Daddy's girl that he had to have this!!
Now it was time for Addyson's gift!! As you can see she was very excited!!
She got a tummy time mirror. We played with it tonight. She really likes it!!
Mommy got some cute things too!! Daddy and Addyson did very well!!
We were going to take Addyson out to eat, but it is VERY cold outside. We also didn't want to wait in line forever!! This was the ABSOLUTE best Valentine's Day ever!! We are so blessed!!

Our little girl isn't so little!!!!

2007-02-08T15:26:00.000-06:00

Addyson went to the Dr. yesterday for her 4 month check-up. She is an AMAZING 9lbs 11ozs and over 21 inches long!!!!!!!! We could not believe it. The Dr. was just amazed at how well she is doing. She said that she is right on track with a 4 month old. MUSIC TO OUR EARS!!!!!!!!! Addyson is just a wonderful gift from God. We are so very proud of her!!!!!!! We took some pictures yesterday for our Valentine's Day card. These were too cute but not as cute as the one on the card!!!!

She loves to sit up!! She is also "standing" a lot too!! She is 100% a Daddy's girl!! I will be going back to work pretty soon!! I am ready in some ways(get out of the house, see friends), but DEFINITELY not as ready as I thought I would be. I will miss Addyson so much. She will be staying with Genia (Milton's sister) so that helps SOOO MUCH!!!!! We are so grateful that Addyson has done well this winter. Just a couple more months!!!!!! The Dr. said that Addyson's first day at church could be Easter!!! We are counting the days!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Snow Day!!!

2007-02-02T10:24:00.000-06:00

This is Addyson's first snow day. We tried to do this yesterday but the snow melted before we could get out!! Addyson could not open her eyes because the sun was so bright!!! She loves her little "snow suit"!!!!
These are just some pictures that we took the other night. She is getting so big and strong!! She sat like this for a few mins. Then she got tired!!
Addyson does not like tummy time!!!! She loves to sleep on her tummy but not play. This is a very rare moment for her!!!
After all of this playing she was out!!! She sleeps on her hands just like her mommy!!! We are going to the Dr. next week for her 4 MONTH checkup!! I will let you know how much she has grown then! We can't wait to see!!!!

Just Addyson!!

2007-01-22T14:17:00.000-06:00

I took this sweet picture this morning. She is always in such a good mood when she first wakes up. She is talking and smiling a lot more. I have a "teacher" that comes once a week to work with her and she says that she is doing GREAT!!! She gives me good ideas on what to do with Addyson. Everyone says that preemies are behind how ever early they are. (So Addyson is supposed to be 2 months behind on doing things) I really do not see anything that she is behind on. She is doing some of everything that she is supposed to at her age. Speaking of her age... We can not even believe that she will be 4 months old on the 7th!!!! It just does not seem possible. I know that not everyone has gotten to see Addyson but it really won't be that much longer. We just need to get through the next couple of months. Milton and I can't wait to just be "normal". (What ever that is) Anyway- Addyson goes to the Dr on the 6th for her 4 month check-up. I will let you know how that goes!! Oh yeah... Could you please keep a friend of mine in your prayers. She had her baby in Dec. I do not know all of the details but I know the baby is having lots of problems and is at Vandy. She really needs to be lifted to the Lord. I could not imagine going through what she is right now. Her name is Michelle. Thanks!!

Addyson's trip to David's Bridal!!

2007-01-08T12:37:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I decided that Addyson needed some out of the house time. My mom and sister picked us up and off to David's Bridal we went. Addyson was an angel the whole time. I had to try on bridesmaid dresses and Tess tried on her wedding dress AGAIN!! Addyson loved all of the lights in the store. Here is a picture of her at David's Bridal. We took lots of pictures of Addyson and Tess in her dress, but I can't show you those!! Addyson is going to be the Maid of Honor in Tess's wedding. She will be the prettiest girl there. Well, besides Tess anyway!! Addyson turned 3 months old on Sunday the 7th!! I just can't believe that 3 months have already gone by. She is "talking" and smiling more. This was right after her bath. We are taking her tomorrow to have some pictures made. I hope they turn out well!! And yes her eyes are really that big!!
I know this is just some random stuff but I wanted to update my blog!! Hope everyone has a great week!!!

Update on Addyson

2007-01-05T16:16:00.000-06:00

We went to the Dr. yesterday and Addyson now weighs 7lbs 14ozs!!! I just could not believe it. Since she gained a whole pound in 2 weeks we do not have to go back for a month!!!!! That is so exciting!! She is almost taking 4ozs of milk. Just think 3 months ago she was taking 2ccs of milk! We are so very thankful that she has done so well so far.
Some more big news is that Addyson slept through the night for the very first time 2 nights ago. We are supposed to wake her up every 3 hours to eat but she slept right through. We fed her at about 10pm and then put her down at about 11pm. She slept til 5am!!!!! I woke up in a major panic at about 1am because she had not made a peep!!! I got up and fed her at 5am and put her back down at about 6am and she slept until 9am!!!! She slept pretty good last night as well!! The going to bed stuff has really been hard. She has not been sleeping at all if we were not holding her. We were very thankful for a couple of nights sleep!!!
I am taking Addyson to get her 3 month pictures made next week. I will try to put some up when I get them back!!! Oh yeah, the house is going on the market next week. The realtor came over last night and talked to us. We are sooooo excited!!!! I will keep you updated!!

Riley and Reagan

2007-01-02T23:22:00.000-06:00

Riley and Reagan are our 2 beautiful nieces!! Riley is 6 and Reagan is 4. We love these two girls with all of our hearts!! They were so excited when we told them that they were going to have a new cousin. I will never forget the look on Reagan's face the first time she felt Addyson kick inside of my belly. Riley couldn't wait to tell all of her friends at school. She announced it to her whole class one day!! When I got put in the hospital it was hard on them. We had told them that Addyson would not be here until HO HO got here so they couldn't understand why I was in the hospital waiting to have Addyson in October!! Then after I had her they did not get to see her for a very long time. You have to be 16 to visit in the NICU. While I was in the hospital Riley lost her first tooth and got $5 from the tooth fairy. She spent her money in the gift shop and bought Addyson her first hat and booties!!! The day before Addyson got to come home we took Addyson to the door at the NICU and held her up for the girls to look at her. We put Riley's hat on Addyson!! They did not get to see her until Addyson's due date!! We surprised them one day at MIMI's house. They just couldn't believe she was there. Here is Riley with Addyson for the first time!!

This is Reagan with Addyson!!
We told them that they had to keep their hands washed to be around Addyson. Every time we bring Addyson over they go and wash their hands!! One day I took Addyson to their house and their daddy was touching Addyson and Riley said "Daddy, did you wash your hands?" We let them hold Addyson for the first time at Christmas. They were so excited!! Here is Riley holding Addyson for the very first time!!
This is Reagan with Addyson for the first time!!
This picture cracks me up!! Reagan loves to kiss Addyson on the head. I bet she kisses Addyson about 20 times each time we see her!!
Riley and Reagan were so patient about seeing Addyson. They love her so much!!! Now every time we go to see them they run to wash their hands and want to hold her. They are very gentle and sweet with her. Addyson is so lucky to have 2 cousins that love her so much!!!!

Happy New Year!!

2007-01-02T01:32:00.000-06:00

Addyson's first New Year was great!! We went to a friend's house and hung out with them. They have a nine month old daughterso we understood their need for sleep and we were back home before 12!! This is Addyson bringing in the New Year doing what she does best... EATING!!!

Here she is after her bottle!! FULL AND HAPPY!!
2006 was an amazing year. I found out I was pregnant in April, graduated from college in August, had Addyson in October, Tess got engaged in October, came home with Addyson in November and got to spend Christmas with my family in December. (We weren't sure that was going to happen) I know 2007 will be even better. Watching Addyson grow up will be lots of fun!! I can't wait for every milestone she hits!! We have made some new years resolutions. Of course LOSE WEIGHT!!!! I joined Weight Watchers today so I will keep you posted!! I have a good start though. I have lost 28 lbs since Addyson was born. The most important thing we want to do is be the very best parents to our little angel. We will get to start going back to church hopefully by March. We can't wait for that!! We are also in the process of trying to sell the house and buy in Medina. Hopefully we will have the house up for sale in a month or so. We still have to put a new floor down in the bathroom and it will be ready!! I will keep you posted on that as well. Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year!!!!

ADDYSON'S FIRST CHRISTMAS

2006-12-26T15:59:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Here are lots of pictures from Addyson's first Christmas. It was lots of fun!! This was really the first time she was around everyone so it was very special. This first picture is of cousin Austin and Addyson. He's a pro!! Austin wanted to spend the night with me, Milton and Addyson so he could see Addyson more!! She really loves him!!
This is Addyson on Christmas Day. Her outfit is a litte big but she only has one first Christams!!

Here is Daddy holding Addyson on Christmas Day.
This is Poppa holding Addyson. Poppa played his guitar and sung to Addyson. SHE LOVED IT!!
These are Addyson's cousins from Memphis. Amanda and Leslie. They made a special trip just to see Addyson!!
Here is Daddy and Addyson with Amanda and Leslie.

This is Uncle Eric and Aunt Genia. They love Addyson VERY much!!

Here is Riley, Addyson, Uncle Eric, Aunt Genia and Reagan. Aren't they sweet!!
Pete and Bree came over to Mom and Randy's house and got to see Addyson!! We are hoping Bree is going to make Addyson a CD!!!!!!!
Addyson could not wait to see what Santa brought her!!This is another picture of Addyson on Christmas morning.
Dee and Addyson at Aunt Kristy and Uncle Joey's on Christmas Eve.

Austin, Addyson, and Madelyn on Christmas Eve.
This is cousin Rachel and Phillip on Christmas Eve.
Here is Addyson with her Mimi on Christmas Eve.

Drew, Addyson, Hannah, Riley, Reagan, and Anna Grace

Reagan sure does love kissing Addyson
This is one of Addyson's Great Grandmothers. Granny
This is another Great Grandmother, Mamaw and Granny.
Aunt Tess, Addyson, Uncle Hunter and Dwayne on Christmas Eve.

As you can see Addyson has lots and lots of people that love her. As I watched everyone hold and love on Addyson it made me even more grateful. She is such a little miracle and we love her so much. She is a BEAUTIFUL example of God's love. Afterall, HE is the reason for CHRISTmas.

First Blog

2006-12-26T02:20:00.001-06:00

I have decided to start blogging. I have been having trouble sending all of Addyson's pictures through e-mail. This way everyone can see all of Addyson's pictures!! Hope you enjoy!!