Oh Baby Aubrey, we can't get enough of you!

Following our visit with the Boyer Family, we got to spend time with my cousin Amy & her precious little Aubrey Elizabeth.  Amy & her husband Cody were in town staying at a Disney Resort while Cody attended a conference for work.  This left the ladies free during the day on Wednesday so we kidnapped them & spent the morning in Celebration, picked up lunch then headed to our house for the girls to nap. Us mama's actually snoozed for a bit too. We cooked dinner together & ate before dropping of Amy Beth & Aubs at their hotel.  It was a fun filled day!

We got to meet Aubrey last fall when we visited Dallas but she was just a wee little babe at 3 months old so it was beyond fun to see her in action crawling all over, pulling up & playing with Charlotte & Eloise. She turned one in August & is pretty much ADORABLE!!

Not too many words needed as the cuteness is revealed....

Enjoying a picnic snack in Downtown Celebration. I think these two look similar with their expression : ) 

Charlotte loved holding Aubrey, probably a bit more than Aubrey loved to be held!

Our top two photos from our attempt to get three kids to look at the camera at one time.  I can rest assured we will not have any photos of our four under four looking at the camera come 2013 : )

And beautiful Amy & Aubrey....

After a stroll around the lake we stripped the girls down & put them in their swimsuits to enjoy some playtime in the fountain. Aubrey was quite surprised at how it felt!

Eloise was pleased to have a baby smaller than her to love on...and to splash since she is usually the recipient of unwanted water in her face. She would hold her hand up to the water & then turn around & stick her tush against the stream causing a BIG spray in Aubrey's face. Haha!

Char cheered Aubrey on when she would be brave enough to stick her hand in the water.

Charlotte & Eloise got SO brave & ran to the center for an ultimate shower!

We could not stop laughing watching Aubrey get sprayed while she giggled & acted like she wanted to get away but could not move fast enough.

These three played so well together & were precious. It made us think about how much our moms enjoyed us playing together as kids. Me, Amy & Allison (Amy's older sister)  are the first three cousins on the Loftin side of the family. I was born first, then Allison 3 months later & then Amy only 18 months after that. We were quite the trio who had fun playing but fought like crazy. I don't remember a lot of the fighting but there are stories : )

Here we are somewhere around 1986 or 1987 I am guessing. I wonder who was getting our attention to all be looking to the side : ) Allison is expecting her first baby at the end of December or early January. She is having a girl too! Can't wait to get all 4 girls together!

Thanks for visiting with us Amy & Aubrey! We love you! Charlotte asks nearly everyday if we can go back to the fountain & see baby Aubrey, as if she lives there ; )

LOVE the Boyers!

You know how it goes with us & visitors.  One checks out of The Valentine Hotel & another checks in! Sometimes this happens on the same day : ) I took Gaga & G. Gran to the airport around 9am, tidied up the guestroom, put fresh linens in the bathroom & made a quick trip to the grocery store.  Around 3pm, there was a knock on my door & I opened it to find none other than the BOYER FAMILY! They squeezed us in between a cousins wedding in Tampa & a visit with Philip's grandmother in Miami. We had two nights together to catch up & it was wonderful. 

There have been various posts about this family over the course of my blogging days but quick recap... Jocelyn & I lived across the hall from each other freshman year at Texas Tech. We are both Labor & Delivery nurses, have been pregnant together & are married to men that have so many similar interests  it's laughable. Bottom line, I love this woman. She is such a dear friend to me & one that I miss terribly. 48 hours of togetherness was something to be thankful for but definitely not enough to make up for the full year between our last two visits! I sent Jocelyn the email following our ultrasound on September 27th, just a week before their scheduled arrival.  She quickly replied with what felt like a huge hug & a good cry via email. She said to let them know if we needed them to stay somewhere else with all that was going on.  We said The Valentine Hotel was open for business! I was thankful to have close friends in our home to share life with in the midst of some uncertainty. Just another bit of seeing God provide everything that we needed while waiting to hear test results.  Here we are at the park with Philip the photographer making us laugh. 

And onto those adorable kiddos....

Levi & Charlotte are 10 days apart while Joel & Eloise are almost 4 weeks apart. I do find it strange that Charlotte & Levi were born on the 13th & 23rd of July with Joel & Eloise being born on the 3rd & 30th of May : ) My husband thinks I am weird for even noticing things like that or that it just about killed me that Eloise ended up with an even number in her birthday while the rest of us are all odd numbers ; ) Anyway, all that to say, the kids are VERY close in age & after spending a few days with what might as well be two sets of twins, I'm a little nervous about what's ahead! Maybe nervous isn't the right word. I think I experienced a slight reality check & was made aware of how busy (and loud) our home is going to be with 4 kids under 4. It will be crazy & it will be a blast.  I have been around some little boys but we are mainly surrounded by girls in our neighborhood.  I must say I was shocked to see how differently they play.  Philip & Jocelyn do a great job correcting those sweet boys who are mostly obedient but they are BOYS! I was just laughing watching Charlotte quietly set up her tea party & Levi dumping a whole container of play food on the top while Charlotte looked at me sadly & said "Mommy, he is making a mess!" They were so noisy & so fun.  I love their little voices & their obsession with lizards & frogs. Between the four kids it looked like a bomb went off in the playroom after just 15 minutes.  

Eloise & Joel, oh my, these two are so ridiculously cute with their dimples.  I think they might be a perfect match for each other ; )

Charlotte & Levi were quick to buddy up & have a great time. There was a lot of chasing, laughing, yelling & even some tackling.

oh yeah, and lots of silliness...

They watched some frogs on the screen...

and Toy Story....

The Boyer's left the day before Jocelyn's 30th birthday so we HAD to celebrate. We decided on Indian Food which we all love & were not aware of how much the other couple enjoyed it until it was brought up by the hungry husbands. Philip reviewed the menu online about 100 times before making his selection of multiple entree's, multiple side dishes & LOTS of spiciness! We fed the kids while the boys went to pick up our dinner thinking we could have some uninterrupted visiting. Haha....might have been a good reminder as well that I can pretty much count on being interrupted for a long time ; ) Char & Levi watched their movie while Joel & Elo insisted on being held.  They are the babies & were pretty cute. Our feast was amazing & we packed up some leftovers for a repeat lunch the next day.

Once the babes decided they could walk around while we finished up, they did some hugging...

What a cute little pair, they were happy to climb up on the step stool in the bathroom together when it was tooth brushin' time. 

When we had a little bit more room in our bellies, we moved onto dessert to officially celebrate the big 3-0 for Jocelyn.  She & I share a love for the combination of chocolate & peanut butter so it was an easy decision to make these cupcakes with mini Reese's on top.  I had flashbacks to one of her birthdays in college where me & Cheryl made a cake & thought it would be a good idea to dump a bag of Reese's Pieces into the mix.  Who knew they would sink to the bottom & burn? This years dessert was much less of a flop  : )  Once we finished that, we got the kiddos in bed, the boys moved out to the porch for a little cigar smoking & the girls got snuggled up on the couch to watch The Business of Being Born & get into our Labor & Delivery mode of chatter.  It was quite relaxing.

What a sweet family.  We were sad to say farewell as usual but were reminded of the depth of the friendship we share that seems to be unaffected by the miles between us.  The boys are already planning a hunting trip in December & while us girls are thinking about how fun it would be for a weekend away someday when we can time having/nursing babies right. It may be a long time before we can be free at the same time but wow, that will be an amazing trip!

Time Away = Time to Play!

Our only travel plans for the year were for the 16 day adventure from here to Michigan.  In June, Robby surprised me when he asked if I had any interest in spending a weekend away together in Minneapolis to attend the Desiring God National Conference. He was pretty sure he knew what my answer would be & he was right! It took about 15 minutes to confirm that my mom would be willing to come stay with the little ladies for 4 days & with that, we were off & running to make our travel arrangements! 

It turned out that my mom thought it would be fun to bring my Grandma along.  The girls refer to her as "G.Gran" for Great Gran : ) It's catchy, cute & she now has a shirt that says it right across the front!  We only get to visit with her a couple times a year & as much as we wish it were more often, we can be guaranteed that we will have a blast with her each time. She called me a week in advance & asked if I thought Charlotte might like to have an easel.  Once again, a question most know the answer to ; ) She had it shipped to my house & then they put it together during nap time the first afternoon. We did a little shopping to pick up paper, paints, paintbrushes, chalk & various other items we found at the craft store that we felt like we couldn't live without. That is a dangerous place for me....and those related to me. 

Charlotte was SO excited to see her very own easel (that she can share with her sissy) when she awoke from her nap. She & G.Gran got right to work writing her name & drawing a piggy on the chalkboard before we headed outside to break in the paints.

My mom had made a couple smocks that sure came in handy with all the paint! She got Char all ready to create her masterpiece.....

G.Gran & Char 

Elo watching & wishing

She couldn't resist! G.Gran got her all cleaned up

Quick snack break

After an afternoon of painting followed by some dinner & a quick trip to the store for Rob to get a couple pairs of jeans we got to packing. As I mentioned in the previous post, I was SO thankful for my mom & grandma arriving when they did just hours after my ultrasound.  I was a bit emotional those 48 hours & was glad to have those two women in my home to care for our family.  

We slept well that night & had a relaxing morning thanks to the busy evening the night before. I had said that I would be happy to eat a PB&J before going to the airport but once lunchtime rolled around all I could think about was a roast beef sandwich.  We loaded up our bags in the car & were planning for the girls to stay with G.Gran while my mom dropped us at the airport but Charlotte had a meltdown at the front door. I said, "do you want to go with us to the airport?" She excitedly said "Yes!" Once we were in the car I realized that she thought she was going with us....so sad : ( We had to explain that she was dropping us off...even sadder. We stopped by Publix to grab a couple sub sandwiches & then arrived at the airport. I tried to not make a big deal about leaving Char but I was sad & so was she. We hugged & kissed & hugged & kissed again before I closed the door & waved goodbye. It was like she was on mute as I could see her scream-crying as they drove away. A text message from Gaga said it only lasted for less than a minute : ) 

I couldn't believe how easy it was to go through security with another adult as my norm in the last few years has included strollers, baby holders, sippy cups & toddlers! It was quick & painless! We were sitting eating our sandwiches 15 minutes later. I think the only thing we said during lunch was "it is so nice to eat in peace & quiet." Oh wait, there were some comments by me on how delicious my roast beef was.  Little did we know that I was 2 days into my new craving of red meat. 

Our flight there was wonderful, we hopped on the Light Rail & got off in Downtown Minneapolis, one of our very favorite cities. We checked into the hotel & met up with Ben & Angela, our friends from Texas.  First stop was Brit's Pub just down the street from our hotel.  We enjoyed some Shepherd's Pie outside in the cooler (than FL) weather & got to catch up with each other.  

We counted back over the past 7 years & realized that between the two of us this was trip #6 to the Desiring God National Conference.  Rob went a couple times by himself & then we went twice prior to kids, once with Char in tow & this time, all by our lonesome selves.  The themes have changed year to year as have the people we spend the weekend with, the lodging & our energy levels. The things that haven't changed are as follows: Brit's Pub, spending money in the conference bookstore, hot drinks from Starbucks or Caribou, brisk fall weather, laughing, learning, being challenged & encouraged & talking about how we should never skip a year. 

Here we are downtown.... 

I have to include a couple of our favorite stories from our trips to Minneapolis since I didn't blog back then.

• One year we arrived before my brothers did. We had booked one hotel room for all 4 of us crash in. We were out exploring downtown & stopped by Walgreens for some snacks. Since it was nearing Halloween, they had lots of decor out including severed legs.  As Rob said to the lady at the checkout, he had never seen such a great deal on a severed leg.  She stared him straight in the face & never even smirked.  HAHA! Anyway, we carried back to our hotel & put it behind the pillow on one of the beds. Once Scott & Kyle arrived they were goofing off wrestling on the bed when the severed leg caught their eye. It was quite the surprise! We had some good laughs over the weekend like when we had closed the roll away bed with the leg sticking out the top before we ordered room service or when we made plans to travel home with the severed leg in our carry on luggage. It has surprised a lot of people in the past 4 years....and to think, it cost less than $5!
• The same year as the severed leg, we were all in bed for the night.  Rob & I were in one bed, Scott was in the other & Kyle was in a roll away that was blocking the exit from between the beds.  The boys were all awake & I was asleep. There was quite a bit of commotion in the hallway & according to my roommates I jumped out of my bed, ran towards Kyle's & then leaped completely over him. I ran straight for the door & burst out into the hallway.  I stopped & stared at the group of people for what seemed like an uncomfortably long time as Kyle was yelling at me "Lauren! Get back in here!! Lauren!!" I finally followed his orders running back into the room, leaping back over Kyle & then laying down in my bed.  I woke up to the three of them & their uncontrollable laughter. We could hear the people out in the hallway laughing & talking about me saying "I think her name was Lauren." I have never lived this one down (or any of the other stories from my college days/early marriage). At least I am a fun roommate right?
• On our trip in 2010, we got to tell our friends Eric & Gretchen & my brothers that Charlotte was going to be a big sister.  I had just had a positive pregnancy test a couple days before & was SO excited!
• There are so many more but I will focus on the present trip : ) 

Our time in the sessions was challenging & encouraging. We shared meals with various friends from Texas, Florida & Minnesota.  We walked, rested & walked some more. I even took a nap on Saturday afternoon. I was a bit nauseated in the evenings but survived with some small doses of Zofran.  I ate at least 2 servings of red meat every day including Shepherds Pie, Pot Roast (3 times) & roast beef sandwiches. I was wondering if I was iron deficient & just didn't know it ; ) I was sooooo looking forward to sleeping without interruption. The first night, I fell asleep quickly but swore I heard my kids crying all night long & to top it off, I had a dream that I was camping with Charlotte & I had to keep taking her to the potty.  I woke up thinking...seriously? I don't feel like I was in a hotel at all! Haha! The next two nights were not lacking in great hours of interrupted sleep!

We loved hanging out with Ben & Angela.  Rob & Ben worked together for a few years via computer since Ben didn't start with the company until after we moved to Florida.  This lovely couple has five children starting with twins that are 7 followed by a 5, 3 & 1 year old.  Angela worked as an RN in mother-baby & now works as a Nurse Manager at a pregnancy resource center outside of Dallas.  We have lots in common with them and are thankful to have a couple willing to advise us on caring for a brood of kiddos including twins.

Sunday after the final session our friends Eric & Gretchen along with their kids Titus & Mackenzie picked us up. We grabbed some sandwiches (roast beef of course) & headed over to a nearby lake for a couple hours of relaxing & catching up while the kids played.  The only thing that would have made it perfect would have been to have Charlotte & Eloise there to play with their Minnesotan buddies....maybe next time!

After our visit with the Ulferts family, we were dropped off downtown & met back up with Ben & Angela. We had a few hours to kill before we boarded the Light Rail to go back to the airport. It was all over so quickly but was such a wonderful time away. I am so thankful that Rob thought to plan this weekend! It was prior to me getting pregnant & looking ahead now knowing we will have 4 very young children, I am SO glad we got away while we could.

We returned to a quiet home with everyone asleep so we hurried up & got in bed ourselves knowing our little friends would be excited to see us bright & early! We were right! At 6am we had bright eyes & smiles as we pulled our snuggle bugs into our bed.  Charlotte had left us some beautiful welcome home signs on our pillows that she was very proud of. It was such a relief to know that the girls were well loved & cared for while we were away. They were in the hands of two very capable women!

We had one more day all together before Gaga & G.Gran headed back to Texas. We did some relaxing, walking, scooter riding & laundry : ) They even let me take a nap while they swept & mopped the kitchen floor. What wonderful guests! I will close with some pictures of these lovely ladies with Charlotte & Eloise.

Expecting the Unexpected: Trust

 The past two weeks have been some of the most challenging & most heart changing weeks I have experienced in quite sometime.  On Tuesday September 25, we went to Winnie Palmer for an ultrasound & first appointment with someone from the Maternal Fetal Medicine department.  It was a routine visit & we were SO excited to see the babies again.  I think it makes the most sense to include the email that I wrote the following day to our family & close friends that tells the next bit of the story…..

September 26, 2012, 10:00 pm

Hello family & friends,
I wanted to send a little update about the babies following our appointment yesterday.  We saw the maternal fetal medicine(MFM) specialist at Winnie Palmer yesterday morning for the first time & really enjoyed visiting with him.  They performed an ultrasound to assess something called the Nuchal Translucency.  It is the measurement of fluid that is on the back of the babies necks.  Baby A measured within normal range & Baby B was abnormally high.

I am sure this next portion sounds pretty medical...I am a nurse : ) Please let me know if it doesn't make sense or if you have any questions.

Babies with abnormalities usually have a higher accumulation of fluid between weeks 11 & 14.  This assessment is (even in normal range) coupled with some blood work that together predict the risk for baby having a chromosomal abnormality such as Trisomy 13, 18 or 21.  Trisomy 13 & 18 have various anomalies that are usually incompatible with life outside the womb.  Trisomy 21 otherwise known as Downs Syndrome is the most commonly known. Because of the high number found with Baby B, I had a different blood test run that will show with 99% accuracy which Trisomy they likely have (if they have one at all).  If something came back positive I am guessing the next step would be to have an amniocentesis done where fluid is drawn from the amniotic sac. This test would be nearly 100% accurate & would be at our discretion whether we would like to have it done or not.

My MFM doctor said to not get too worked up about it & that he sees abnormal results with the NT scan followed by perfectly normal results from blood work.  He also said to not to go home & cry about it....I find this a funny thing to tell a pregnant woman who is doubly emotional at this point & overly tired : ) He was a very kind man & I did not find his comment rude in any way.  In fact, leaving the appointment yesterday I felt great emotionally.  It takes about 2 weeks to get the results back & we will hear those at our next appointment on Tuesday, October 9th when we meet with someone from the Genetics Department at Winnie.

My OB doctor called me last night to talk me through a few questions I had & was very reassuring reminding me this is just a risk assessment, not a full out diagnosis.  He also reminded me that whatever way this goes, we will make it.  So now, we just wait. I fell asleep yesterday afternoon with my mind racing & woke up thinking of a passage in Isaiah.

Isaiah 43:1-3a
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

There is a song that I remember from when I was in high school that was inspired partially from this passage by Ginny Owens called "If You Want Me To.” It is beautiful & has remained stuck in my head for about 24 hours now....it's a good thing : )   I woke up around 5:30 this morning & could not go back to sleep.  I could tell Rob was awake too so we started talking & I had my first good cry just considering what could lie ahead for our family.  He just held me & prayed for us. It was a sweet time feeling the Lord's presence & asking for help to trust Him.  We heard the girlie pies just as we were finishing praying so we grabbed them & put them in our bed. They were extra giggly & snuggly.  The Lord knew that was exactly what I needed this morning to remind me of his faithfulness.

We picked up my Mom & Grandma yesterday evening which is SUCH a blessing.  My mom spent time this morning praying over me & reading even more of Isaiah 40-43 to me as I laid on her bed with tears streaming down my face.  I had not shared with her about the passage of scripture that came to mind yesterday afternoon so it made me smile when she opened her bible to the same spot and began reading to me.  I feel like I don't know how to feel but I know there is no right way to feel.....does that make sense? I feel very grateful to be carrying these babies. I feel devastated to think of the possibility of one or both babies dying. I feel a little intimidated thinking of the possibility of raising a child with Downs Syndrome. I feel SO much peace in my heart knowing that God is good no matter how I feel, He doesn't change & He is not surprised by any thing that catches us off guard.  Even in that, I feel like I could cry at any second. 

In conclusion, the result from the ultrasound could be absolutely nothing & we could have two healthy babies growing inside my womb but it is hard to ignore the other possibilities.  It's hard to believe that anything could be wrong as we watched them dance around on the ultrasound without me feeling a thing. They were adorable & moving all over the place. We could clearly see their profiles, arms & legs, hands waving.....it was incredible. We still can't believe there are two! Their heartbeats were 158 & 168.  Please join us in pleading with the Lord for Baby B to be healthy & without any anomalies.  Pray for us to be free of fear & anxiety as we wait for October 9th. Pray that our hearts would be prepared for whatever news we would receive on that day.  Thank you for loving us & praying for us & our growing family.  We are thankful for you!

Rob & I are headed to Minneapolis tomorrow for a long weekend while my mom & Grandma love on the girls. We are really excited to be away & attend the Desiring God National Conference & are thankful to have this weekend right now to process what is happening. We are meeting a couple from Dallas there & will get to connect with two other couples that we know from Orlando that have since moved back to the Minneapolis area .  It should be a weekend of hearing much needed truth from God's word, catching up with friends, lots of laughs, good time as a couple & uninterrupted sleep.  I am pretty darn excited about that last one ; )

Thanks for reading my novel! Love you all!

Lauren
 
So, now it is the afternoon of October 9th, the day that seemed light years away when I wrote that email.  We had our appointment first thing this morning & heard some wonderful news.  The results came back negative for Trisomy 13, 18 & 21.  This reduces the possibility of either baby having these to less than 1%.  PRAISE THE LORD! There is still a possibility of a heart defect so we will wait for the anatomy scan around 18-20 weeks to assess that. The percentage chance for a heart defect is barely above what it is for any baby so we are not feeling overly concerned. What a blessing it was to hear those words spoken & read the word “NEGATIVE” on the result page!

Here are some pictures of Baby Valentine #3 & #4 from September 25th…

 

It is seriously a shock every time we see two babies on the screen…we just laugh & say “there is really two!”  TWO precious babies….oh I love them already!

So the story did not end with the culmination of my email….nor does it end today.  We left for our trip & I had this idea in my head that it would have made more sense for the title of the conference to be one from a few years back called “Suffering & the Sovereignty of God” since I was feeling like I was actually experiencing some suffering compared to the usual ease in daily life.  God saw fit to make this conference about sanctification instead. It was called “Act the Miracle: God’s Work & Ours in the Mystery of Sanctification.”  The weekend was full of scripture & songs that encouraged my trust in the Lord to grow deeper in the midst of uncertainty. 

One thing that was SO applicable right now was being reminded of my ability (and responsibility) to fight against sin because of what Jesus has done. John Piper said during the session on Sunday morning: “He works the miracle of sanctification; you act the miracle. He produces it; you perform it. And if you don’t use your will to act the miracle, there is no miracle. God’s sovereign enablement of holiness does not contradict the act of duty, it creates it.”  So, God gives me the responsibility & power to fight against my sin through the holy spirit (Romans 8:13).  I am SO prone to wander from Christ to satisfaction in other things or people. I am prone to feel fearful & anxious when I consider carrying twins that I SO long to hold in my arms as healthy newborn babies that grow into adults I get to spend a lifetime with.  God fuels the fight against my fear, my discouragement, my uncertainty, my anxiety, my lack of trust in Him & my discontent.  He not only fuels the fight but has already conquered my sin through Jesus.

Since John Piper is much more well spoken than me, I will include another quote that explains the order of what is happening…“Let's start with the cross of Christ. God cancels our sins at the cross through faith alone, so that we can then conquer our sins by the Holy Spirit. Or to use doctrinal language, the enjoyment of justification must precede the energy of sanctification. It is crucial that we start with the cross. If we reverse the order of justification by faith alone and sanctification by the Spirit, we have another religion, not Christianity.”  As he said, it is crucial to remember the cross as we move forward in our fight against sin.

I shouldn’t be surprised by how God orchestrated each & every part of the last two weeks to challenge me to trust him & live out a life of faith that I claim to have. At the same time he lavished his love on us through the support & prayers of others. I am so grateful to be challenged, to be reminded that these children in my arms & in my womb belong to God & not me, to be given the honor to suffer, to see the perfect provision of the Lord God, to be led by a husband who loves God, to be encouraged by the words & stories of people who have walked a similar path & to have a deeper faith in the Lord because of this situation.

It makes me smile to think I picked the title “Expecting the Unexpected” as it seems continually fitting.  Only God knows what is next for our little nest.  We are confident that God is going before us & with us whatever the path looks like. Please pray with us that we can be faithful to the Lord & that He will care for the little babes growing inside.  Thank you for your love & prayers. Your prayers are powerful because they are to a God that hears us & can do ALL things.

If you would like to hear any of the sessions from the 2012 Desiring God National Conference, they are all available free of charge HERE. It's worth your time : )

Eloise at 16 months

My little sugar bug is 16 months old & is as delightful as she has ever been.  Our home has been full of much laughter in the last couple months as we have a front row seat to Elo learning to talk & pick on her sister.  She is precious & hilarious. I keep reminding myself of how it felt to have Charlotte at this age & thinking "it just doesn't get any better than this stage" followed by the shock of it getting sweeter & funnier with each passing month. Of course not every moment of every day is filled with utter delight & me sitting with my cup of tea laughing as my girls dance around in tutu's but right now (meaning today) there are more moments like that than me feeling frustrated. So today, I am thankful for that & for this adorable growing girl.....

Eloise went from taking a few steps to running around the cul de sac.  Seriously, it took about 2 days for her to go from walking to full speed running & crashing to the ground or into glass windows ; ) She is speedy & easily worn out if we spend a good thirty minutes before nap outside running laps while sissy rides her scooter. 

What Elo Baby is up to other than running:

• Says- Mama, Dada, Sissy, Doggy, Duck, Bird, Ball, Block, Milk, More, God, Please, All Done, Isaac, Gigi, G.Gran, Gaga, Ga for Grammy, Bus, Yes, No & lots more that I can't think of at the moment : ) 
• cutting teeth like a maniac- 4 molars are coming in as we speak
• follows her sister everywhere and tries to take EVERYTHING she has
• loves to color & stick stickers on herself 
• loves to look at books especially when Charlotte is looking at them
• splashes like she is in the ocean while taking a bath..sometimes it is better to just remove your pants while bathing her to avoid having to put them in the dryer when done
• likes to put things in containers
• is a pro at finding coins to put in her mouth
• swipes silverware from the dishwasher while I am loading it. She tucks it under her arm like a football & runs full speed as far away as she can get
• opens the doors
• loves to go in the bathroom & close herself in & then cry until we let her out
• gets locked in her room or put in the closet by her big sister frequently
• is getting pretty good at hide & seek
• loves when you say "Elo, can you sing The Itsy Bitsy Spider?" She hums some random little tune while trying to do the motions which include a big spreading out of her hand with a "whoosh" sound
• has turned into a SNUGGLER letting you rock her for so long....I am loving this!
• thinks she is such a big girl now that she can climb onto the couch herself & sit by Char eating a snack & watching a show
• spends a bit of time each day walking backwards
• spends a LOT of time each day spinning in circles
• likes to dress up in ballerina clothes
• wants to wear sunglasses any time she sees them...sometimes during meals & while having her teeth brushed : ) 
• patted my belly the other day & said "Bobby" before giving it a kiss
• is compassionate towards me when I am feeling nauseated. She follows closely behind & rubs my back while I am throwing up.....sooooo sweet!
• knows the answer to "Eloise, who made you?" - GOD! or DON as she says...kinda confusing since Don is one of the other husbands in our life group ; )  
• is very affectionate coming up to us frequently to give us some pats on the back (not very gentle) & lots of kisses
• is very motherly making sure her dolls are well fed with their bottles/sippy cups
• attempts to say anything you ask her to- if it is a single word she does pretty well but if it is a phrase it sounds like she translates it to some unknown language

 Her little tongue still spends a lot of time outside her mouth...

Hungry Hippo: Most days this girl puts away more food than her big sister.  She eats her three meals plus a couple snacks.  Her current favorites are: pears, chicken, broccoli, crackers, turkey, cheese, pancakes, blueberries & muffins.  She can down a sippy cup of milk in 2 seconds flat & then holds it out towards you & says "Mah mah!" She also loves orange juice.  Some days she eats a ton & then the next day she just picks at her food.  She is growing like a weed & has plenty of chub on those yummy thighs so I am never concerned.

Sleepiness:  It must be all the growing wearing this little girl out. It seems that since I have been pregnant, she is loving me by taking long naps & sleeping well at night.  She is a 7:30-7 nighttime girl & then LOVES her morning nap. It is usually from 9-10 or 10:30. I usually wake her up so she will sleep well in the afternoon.  We eat our lunch, play outside for a bit & then she crashes without any complaint for anywhere from 2.5- 3.5 hours. I have been napping well too thanks to a quiet house & snuggly dogs. 

Her height & weight aren't the only things changing daily.  Her hair is longer & wavier every time I turn around. She tolerates a clippie pretty well & rocks the pigtails too : ) 

She is very affectionate towards the four legged members of our family making sure they get plenty of hugs and kisses. Not too long ago she fell backwards & somehow ended up straddling Bella who was laying on the ground.  She (Eloise) was quite amused....Bella to say the least was not. She looked like a statue, a terrified statue. It made us laugh. 

I love this picture of Eloise & Ol Benny.  She had just gotten a lick across the face & thought it was pretty funny to keep going back for more.  I think Bennett enjoyed it. 

This is what Eloise usually looks like when I tell her it is time go go inside....

16 months & just getting sweeter with time.  Hard to believe that this girl is going to be a big sis before we know it!