A hard day's work:

Here are a few out-takes from our picture taking for our Christmas cards...well mostly of Hadley. She did so well, and then she was out! Precious baby!

"Baby Brain"

When I was working, I remember being on one particular audit where the client I was working with made a remark pertaining to childbirth, and with the loss of the placenta there is also loss of brain cells. I laughed then, thinking it sounded funny, but completely clueless how true that statement could be.

I must confess I'm officially diagnosed with "Baby Brain". I don't know if it has to do with the lack of sleep, too many things to do and keep up with, but I'm there. Perfect example...last week at gymnastics, one mommy wanted to get my cell phone number (easy right!!???......WRONG). It took me three tries before I got it right!! THREE TRIES! I've had the number for about five years!! Seriously.

After talking to one of my friends who just had her second baby, she told me she forgot the year of her oldest daughter's birth date...and she is only four. So I was in good company. Hopefully these brain cells will be replaced soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

She Bangs, She Bangs...

Ok, part two of our cutting bangs incident....yes, I know it could have been much worse...I've heard many of your stories!! Here are the pictures of them today before Sweet and Sassy:

Here are the afters: (yes, Maylee got a haircut too, to even out the bangs, and I let them cut 3 inches...a small compromise of her wanting it only one inch long!! She paid for both of the cuts with her birthday money, and then wanted to go back again once we got back home. We will see if this was a lasting lesson or not!)

See, you can't even see the bangs when they are combed back, and then they look like little wispies when you do see them.

I just thought this was cute pic of Maylee and Hadley today. May loves holding her!

These are some fun pics from Thanksgiving, and proof why grandparents are so much fun.

I just thought this was funny. I was nursing Hadley, and looked across the room to see this. I don't think Matt knew what to do while being in a room with three nursing mamas!!

Here are some pics with Cousins McCade and Dylan. The girls just love their cousins. I thought the ones of Dylan and Hadley were pretty funny.

Bangs, Bangs, Bangs

Well it happened tonight. One of my fears came true. As I was cleaning the playroom, I started to find, chunks of cut hair...first Ella's and then Maylee's!!! Apparently, Maylee got a little happy with her monkey scissors. Ella does have bangs half way across her forehead and random chunks missing....I can tell, but I'm sure can go unnoticed to others. Maylee has a light layer of bangs as well. Maylee got some serious room time, and then really lost it when I told her that she was going to have to use some of her birthday money for a hair cut for Ella (it does need some shaping up). She keeps telling me she wants short hair like her friend J David....yes a boy! What am I going to do with her??!!! So if you see Maylee with short hair sometime soon, you will know what happened! I'll post pics later.

Four years ago....

Around this time of year for the past three years, I get slightly more emotional/sentimental than usual. Four years ago on November 23rd is when Maylee had her open heart surgery. At a glance it seems like it was forever ago, yet if I think about it more than a minute, all the feelings and emotions come rushing back as if it were yesterday.

It was defiantly the hardest day of my life thus far. Maylee honestly wasn't doing well, she needed the surgery, however they discovered the morning of the surgery Maylee had the MRSA staph infection (yes this is the one people die from....thank goodness I didn't know it at the time). So then they were going to post pone the surgery b/c of the infection, but her stats were too low, and they needed to operate. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions. I could hardly hold it together. I will uphold you with my right hand....that is what I was saying over and over. I can still see the top of her little head, as they rolled her little baby bed through the doors back to the operating room. I truly didn't know if I would see my baby again.

The surgery was about 5 hours long. I remember sitting in the waiting room during the surgery, looking out the windows seeing grey clouds all around. I thought to myself how fitting my outside world looked as gray as my inside one. The cardiothoracic surgeon's assistant would call every thirty minutes to an hour to give a report. I was living phone call to phone, update to update, minute by minute.

About 3pm the final update call came, the surgery had been a success, and Maylee was doing well. Oh what great relief and joy had overcome me. I couldn't stop smiling. I just happened to glance outside, and know what caught my eye?....a rainbow. A rainbow..... how fitting once again that God's reassurance that everything was going to be ok was staring back at me. How great is our God. Now I know God will get you through any situation, through any circumstances good or bad, and I was so glad he had pulled our baby through. The only way we got through that whole ordeal is from the strength of God, and so many people praying for us. We still meet people today that tell us they prayed for Maylee. We were so blessed by so many prayer worriers.

Looking at Maylee today, you would never know how much she has already been through in her four little years. She is a joy that is beyond description. She is physical proof of our wonderful God. We are so grateful for the sweet blessing of our first baby girl.

Birthday Girl

This past Tuesday, Maylee turned 4!!!! I can't believe she is four. We had her party last Saturday at our church's Paradise Pond. She had a blast....notice the smile plastered on her face. It was there all week long. She ate up having everyone's attention while they sang her Happy Birthday.

This is Tuesday, after dinner at Chick-fil-a (her choice) she blew out more candles.

Showing off on her new scooter.....notice Ella in the background.....on the too much information side, she is taking care of business....I thought it was funny (I might be the only one)!

Can you say EXCITED!!!!

I had to throw this one in there..Ella was so proud of the dandelion she has in her hand. Notice how Maylee is carrying her scooter up the drive instead of riding it!

Ella of course had to blow candles out too!

New set of wheels

These days, if you drive by our house, it is very likely that you would see this (oh, and yes Maylee does have a black eye, her and Ella had a literal head on collision):

With the girls birthdays being so close together, this was their joint present (I'm sure we can't get away with that for much longer). They love it. They drive all over the yard in their car, listening to the little radio. They think they are something else. They are so cute, b/c many times they load up the car with their baby dolls (they but the doll carrier on the hood of the car), purses, cell phones, and sun glasses of course. I'll have to try and get a picture of the whole get up.

The day we gave them the car, Maylee drove first. It looked like a pretty wild ride. Then it was Ella's turn. And to help your imagination, I have visuals. OK, picture Exhibit A (only with Ella driving)......now picture Exhibit B.....I'm sure you can imagine what happens next. Yep, Ella runs them strait into the tree (note that almost the entire time she is driving, she is looking back at us, and not where she is going....not that looking forward would have improved her driving). Once they were in the tree, one of the still has their foot on the gas, so the wheels are still turning, they both are crying, and we (Matt, GG and me) are laughing too hard to run to their immediate help. They were fine, they both wanted their clothes off, guess it was itchy. Since then I have not seen Ella drive. I'm sure she will come around soon.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

5 weeks

Miss Hadley is now 5 weeks!! Can't believe how fast the time flying!! But then again, I can...it always seems to happen that way. After talking to my sweet friend Lindsay the other day, I realize I hadn't posted many pictures of Hadley. So Linds, you asked for pictures, boy are you getting them! So here is a little update of the past few weeks. (yes, Ella is pinching Hadley's nose, had to throw in the two princess off to a princess birthday party, and I just love the crossed eyes!)