Daylily Lane

Esther's 9 Month Check Up

2011-12-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

Sweet baby Esther is just growing so fast! In the past few weeks she has started using the milk, all done, and more signs to tell us what she wants. She is also clapping her hands, saying amen, mama, and dada. She also does this CUTE little "tshe" sound. It's hard to type the sound correctly but imagine the beginning sound of the word "tsunami" and that's about what she does. She started crawling two weeks ago at Grandma and Granddaddy Reider's house in Leesburg, Virginia and she's only getting better and better at it by the day. Nearly every time we go to get her up from a nap she is sitting in her bed rather than lying down. She's just getting so big. This mama isn't ready for it all yet. I know it just continues to go faster and faster from here on out.

She is also showing interest in certain things. She LOVES balloons (big surprise), Verity's baby Belle that she was given for her birthday, and she still loves her blanket more than anything. She's a pro at pointing to things and holding up things to show us. She loves books and her linking rings. She also makes, quite possibly, the most annoying screeching sound when she wants something. I almost can't stand it after too long. It's like a, "nails on the chalkboard" type sound to me. Good thing she's so darned cute and I love her so much.

I will be taking her 9 month pictures THIS WEEK (self imposed deadline). I must do it before she turns 10 months. Verity's 9 month pictures are my absolute favorites and I would be remiss to not do this for us and for Esther. She is such a joy and such a sweet baby.

Esther's 9 month statistics:
Height: 27 inches --- 50%
Weight: 17.6 pounds --- 50%

She loves books. We have a basket of toys that are just for her and there are several board books in it. She will look through the basket and just pull out all the books.

She's been enjoying the linky bugs that Aunt Marty and Uncle Joe gave her.

That smile!! I love this girl!

Esther and the baby Belle doll.

Esther and baby Jack Macdonald at Rossi's 3rd birthday party

Playing at Chick-fil-a
Gosh, she's so cute!

Verity's 3 Year Check Up

2011-12-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

I think the encouragement to eat a lot of fruits and veggies from her 3 year visit was a very good thing. After gymnastics this morning, Ryan Gray took Verity to the grocery store to pick out some of these foods that she would like to try. They came home with starfruit, a juicy apple, carrots, a green bell pepper, bananas (of course), yellow squash, and a Florida avocado for Esther (her very favorite thing on the planet). Verity's prayer at lunch just now was this:

"Dear God, help me to eat healthy food so I can grow big and strong and Dr. Long will be so proud of me. And thank for all my food. In Jesus' name, Amen."

I love hearing her little prayers. I also love that she specifically prayed that she would do well so that Dr. Long would be proud of her. Encouragement from the doctor was a very good thing.

Verity's 3 year statistics:

Height: 37 1/4 inches --- 50%
Weight: 27 1/2 pounds --- 10%
Eye chart check: 20/40 --- exactly where expected for her age
Hearing check (aka - the "ear game" where she listens for a beep): passed

Both Ryan and I and sweet Esther (9 mos) were at the appointment and I as so proud of how well Verity listened and obeyed the nurse and doctor. She was following all their instructions. Both the nurse and doctor commented that Verity did better with following instructions than most other 3 year olds and that most children will either cooperate for the vision test OR the hearing test, but not usually for both. It made my "mama" heart swell and feel so proud.

Things Verity loves at 3 years old:
Trains!!!
motorized trains
race cars
Bob the Builder
Disney Princesses
Having her hair curled
making cupcakes
making cookies
coloring
painting
play dough
painting her nails
riding her rocking horse
books
lip gloss
Veggie Tales
doll houses
ice cream
stamps
stickers
horses (her newest interest)
bananas
Esther
chick-fil-a
gymnastics

Phrases we hear the most:
"That would be okay."
"That would be kind"
"Ha-gna!" (used in place of "Ta-daa")
"it's my Esther Bunny!"
"I love you so much, my daddy."
"I love you so much"
"Take my life and let it be consecrated lord to thee."
"That doesn't match"
"That matches"

Opening a present from mommy and daddy the morning of her birthday.

Verity was Elizabeth Dew Price's flower girl on her birthday in Wake Forrest, North Carolina. She was so cute and did a perfect job.

Enjoying some wedding cake after a TON of dancing!

Making cupcakes for her "family birthday" celebration in Leesburg, VA, with her cousin Millicent.

Making cupcakes is serious business.

Verity loves her cousins, she kept calling Cabot, Hudson, and Barrett the "silly boys."

I will post pictures from Elizabeth's wedding and our Thanksgiving trip to Virginia as soon as I can.

Their Turn

2011-07-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

It's the old, "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride" sort of thing... but for children. Since nearly right after they were married I know they've wanted a baby. The wanting turned to desiring, the desiring turned to longing, the longing to pleading, then to patience, and finally... to receiving. It would be half wrong of me to say that she alone felt this way. I know that he too, just outwardly manifesting itself differently, desired to be the parent of their very own infant. They would admire others little ones from afar and gladly offer to take them under their wings if a mommy or daddy needed the help. There has been an aching in their hearts that is patiently longing to be filled.

It was bittersweet calling her so soon to share our wonderful news when it was our turn. I knew she'd be thrilled... and heartbroken that her arms would still be empty after so much waiting. She was excited and solemn. But truly excited. She drove three hours the day our first was born.

They were given a precious gift a few years ago. Each of his days was numbered before time ever began, and so today their little one rests safely in our Father's loving arms. "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord," was all he wrote the morning after. He didn't talk much. She talked a lot, sharing every detail with us several times. It's how they processed their heartbreak.

Just one week later he taught from the pulpit of how, "hope does not disappoint," and lost all composure. Before his congregation, he wept. They saw in his face just how deeply disappointment burnt into him, and how true that hope still lived. I will never forget that Sunday.

And we know that God's timing is perfect. Now just hours away from receiving again, they wait. Just a little longer. Just the two of them. One last time. Their bodies braced for more exhaustion and their anxious, racing hearts for more fulfillment than I believe they are prepared to handle. Scheduled to be cautious, he will be small and will be their joy.

"Maybe the Lord is having us wait so that we will all have our children together," she once said to me. Tomorrow we make the drive to them, two families, full in a mini-van.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, is their turn.

Daddy's Day!

2011-06-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to celebrate Father's Day this year. It seems like with a new baby it's all the more exciting. I've been a busy little (secretive) bee working on some special daddy's day cards from "his girls" with the help of shutterfly.com. See some of my creations. They look awesome and I can't wait to get them to him.

5x7 Folded Card