Bummer Weekend

On Saturday morning we left in the terrential downpours to get Grady's three month pictures done. We also had plans to go to the farm straight from there, so we had the car loaded up, Ellie and all. Grady was very uncooperative even though we tried to logically explain to him that he needed to look nice for his three month pictures! We couldn't get him to sit still and look cute! He was squirmy and fussy and just not happy (he really needed a nap). He also refuses to put that little tongue in his mouth! (Hopefully that goes away by the time he enters kindergarten!!!) So we ended up doing 1 1/2 of the three poses and then decided to reschedule for April 8th.

We left from there to head to the farm. We were excited to see Dad and Charlotte and Brian and Robin were there, too. We were about 45 minutes out when we were stopped in traffic and told the road was closed due to flooding. Big sigh, but ok... we turned around and headed another route. We were about an hour the other way when we were stopped again! Another road closure because of flooding. We were told by the police officer there was no way to the farm. All the back roads were washed out. So we turned around and came home. I was really disappointed because I was looking forward to seeing the family. So we spent most of Saturday driving around northwest Florida!!!

Today we are doing the usual... grocery shopping and looking for outdoor furniture. However, our anti-naptaking baby has decided on this particular day to take an extended nap... so we are patiently waiting for him to wake up so we can get our day started!

Milestone

Right now as I type Grady is fast asleep in HIS CRIB in HIS OWN ROOM!!!! This is the fist night we've put him in his crib. We've been saying for about 3 weeks now that we are going to do it and each weekend we think of an excuse. But this week, I am on spring break so there is no better time than now. We need our bedroom back and we need to set up healthy sleep habits now. But it is so tempting to go back in there and snatch him up! If just putting him in his crib is a big deal, you aren't even going to want to see me on his first day of Kindergarten (good thing I'm a teacher!!!) Even though his sleeps in his own bed in our room, it still makes me feel better to have him so close. But I told Mikey, at least now we can watch TV in our room with the volume on instead of on mute trying to read lips (yes, we do that)! Hopefully he'll sleep well. Mikey has the monitor in his hand right now! And we can see his bedroom from the couch! Ha!

This week Grady goes to the doctor for another round of shots (Wednesday), on Tuesday mommy gets so much needed "me" time to get my hair done and relax! Grady is staying with Grandma. And on Saturday, we are going for his three month portraits! He'll be 14 weeks on this Thursday.

Tummy Time

Grady is getting so good at holding his head up and steady, turning it from side to side, and looking around. He's kicking his legs and moving around... still waiting on him to roll over!

12 Weeks Old

Today is Grady's 12 week birthday. :) He is getting so strong! He is trying hard to crawl (of course that won't happen in the near future), and I am working with him to get him to roll over. I just told Mikey tonight I have to watch him much more closely than I used to because now he's a little mover! He used to just lay there, but now he squirms and wiggles out of everything.

Below are some pictures of him in his new Bumbo seat. He can sit up in it and enjoys playing with his hands and watching me hold toys in front of him. He can hold onto things, but hasn't expressed much interest in that yet (except for grabbing ahold of his bibs). He really likes his seat and it gives me a free hand for a while!

The past two nights I have been able to lay him down in his bassinet and he'll fall asleep on his own! No rocking or laying with him! It has taken a few tries- I have to go in the room and put his passy back in, rub his belly, stuff like that, but then he's out! This weekend we are finally going to try putting him down in his crib (yes, he still sleeps in our room!). Hopefully it will go smoothly. We need our room back!

Mama

As I read Katie and Nancy's blog about mama, I feel speechless, but also want to say something at the same time. I won't retell the story about her death, but will come at it from another perspective....

I often wonder the same thing as Katie: What would our relationship be like if she were here today? I know I would talk to her everyday (probably many times!) and I would need lots of advice and wisdom about being Grady's mom and Mikey's wife. But at the same time, if the past hadn't occured, I wouldn't be Grady's mom and Mikey's wife. And Katie wouldn't be Beau's wife and soon-to-be Anna Cross's mom. Our lives would have taken a much different route. We wouldn't have ended up in Pensacola and wouldn't have met the men who we would marry and we wouldn't have the same children we love so dearly. Please don't mistake me by thinking I am glad my mother died. I would never feel that way and don't mean to insinuate that. I am just saying that the Lord does have a plan for our lives and it is true that all things work together for good for those who love Him. It has been a long, hard journey, with more battles than I ever thought I would have to face beginning at such a young age. But I know that God's master plan is more than my small brain can understand. There are still questions on a daily basis, but when it all comes down to it, my family is more blessed than many- we have a lot to be thankful for.

I want to thank Nancy for being such a wonderful influence for us girls. I can honestly say that I would never have made it through such a difficult time without her in my life. The day Mama died, Nancy was in California with her grandbabies. She came home immediately and one of the few things I clearly remember from that time is running to the door when she got back, hugging her neck, and telling her never to leave again. I know Nancy would do anything for us and the relationship I have with her is much like I imagine it would be with my mom.

And there are no words for Katie... I hope she knows how much I love her. She truly was/is the glue that holds us together. She is my mother made over and I am sometimes jealous of how close her and mom were and for the 19 years she spent with her. But, as stated before, I know it was part of God's plan to make Katie as much like Mama as he could, to be there for us and to share her joy just as she would do if she were here.

I strive to be the person my mom and dad taught me to be. I keep my mom's written testimony at work and I often read it when I am having a rough day. It brings encouragement to me. It is so sad to me that Mikey didn't know her and that Grady will never know his Grandmother. She would have LOVED fulfilling that role. But I find peace in knowing that we will be together again one day, spending eternity together and sharing all of the stories we were cut short of sharing.

I Love It!

Grady found his thumb! It is so cute! I'll try to get some more...

A Few Pics....