Jessilyn's Coming Home!!

I get to go pick up Jessilyn in just a few hours. Today has been one week since she left! My house has been so quiet! She has been in Amarillo last week, then went to Waco over the weekend. I've talked to her a few times...when she'll grace me the opportunity...and she's having an absolute blast!! She thinks she's so grown up, when she's away from us, it's like we don't even cross her mind. She doesn't ever want to talk to us on the phone, because she has way more important things to do!

I've also found myself kinda bored this week, believe it or not. I felt really on top of things. Which makes me laugh....I remember one week when Jessilyn was a baby. Randon came home from work to find me crying while cooking dinner. I had been trying for THREE days to clean my house, and was so frustrated that it still wasn't done. I had a complete breakdown. (Poor husbands, how do they ever put up with us new Moms-or us as moms in general, because it seems like I've lost my mind at least once every day since Jess was born!!) Anyway, after I shared my breakdown with my mom, she felt sorry for me, and took Jessilyn for the entire next day, and I finally got to clean my house!! Back to this week...one kid seems like a cakewalk!! It's amazing the grace God grants us to get through everyday life!

Reese has taken on a completely different personality without Jessilyn around. She usually is quite content to do things on her own, but she has constantly been at my feet . She has been more playful, more talkative (probably because she acturally has the opportunity to talk), and more cuddly. It's really been fun to watch!

Randon left this morning for Arizona, so for now it's just Reese and I. I better go, so I can enjoy my last few hours alone while Reese is napping, because soon Jessilyn will be back, and well, I better go take a nap...I know what's coming!

Please Pray for Reese

We had a great weekend. Sunday was baby dedication at church, so mine and Randon's parents came in to visit. We had a lot of fun. We didn't do much exciting, but it's always great to be with family!

Then Monday came... Reese went in for her 18 month well check and guess what?!? She STILL has an ear infection!! We're going on 3 1/2 months now...come on! After some debate with the doctor, we decided to try an antibiotic shot...one shot a day for three days. Today was day three...thank God we're through with that! First, we've had to be at the doctor's office for no less than an hour every day this week, just for a shot! Today Reese started screaming the second she saw the nurse walk in...she's no dummy-she knew exactly what was coming. The doctor said that these shots are very painful, and judging by Reese's reaction, she was right. Then after the shot, we had to wait for 15 minutes to make sure she didn't have any reactions. Mind you, Reese also screamed those entire 15 minutes, which makes for some interesting stares from those wondering the halls of the pediatrician 's office! Then in the car, she would continue crying for another twenty minutes or so. We would then come home for a nap, which has been at least 5 hours each day. The poor thing is exhausted!

As a mom, my heart breaks to see my little baby in pain. I want to be able to make it go away. We're really struggling with what to do. We don't want to be "those parents" at the doctor, insisting on other options, arguing that what we've been doing is obviously not working, asking for a second opinion, etc. But, I worry about the effect of all the antibiotics in her system (we've been on 5 different ones back to back since Halloween). They say there is also a danger of hearing loss from the fluid in her ear canals. The next option, as best we can tell, is a referral to an ear/nose/throat doctor to look at inserting tubes in her ears. I know this is medically a minor treatment, but it is still surgery, and that is always scary when it is your child! Please join us in praying for her ears to heal completely!

Meanwhile, Jessilyn is missing out on all the fun here. She is in Amarillo, and will leave tomorrow to go to Waco with Pops and MiMi to see Aunt Jaclyn. What fun they will have! I am so thankful for the gift of grandparents. I still look back with such fondness at the memories I have as a little girl with my grandparents, and I know she is building cherished memories that she will always hold dear. What a blessing we have in our family!

Happy late Birthday Rob! There was a day, not so long ago, we feared you wouldn't be around for another birthday...thank you God for the miracle that is Rob! We love you and are so proud of the strength and courage you have shown over the past year. We're excited to see what God has in store for your little family!

Happy Valentine's Day

My attempt at getting a picture of the girls in their Valentine's outfits for school. No surprise which one wouldn't cooperate!! (Love you, Reese!)

Jessilyn and her friend Karen at her first Valentine's Day party. What fun!

Daddy wearing his special Valentine from Jessilyn.

Mommy's turn. Of course I'll be yours Jessilyn!

On Thursday, Jessilyn and I got busy baking a strawberry cake for Daddy. I love making these memories with Jessilyn-probably even more than she does! Thanks for the cooking sets, MiMi. Enjoy the pics!!

Here are the finished products. Jessilyn might be a little Martha Stewart in the making!

A cake for the babysitter, one for Reese, and one for Jessilyn.

Daddy's special cake from Jessilyn.

Mommy's special cake for Daddy. (We're trying to make him fat!)

Mommy and Daddy got to go out for Valentine's.

Our church had a Valentine's dinner and dance for the married couples. It was a scary flashback of middle school dances-picture station, ackward guy/girl groups, not many people dancing, the ELCECTRIC SLIDE!!! It was so sweet to see the little old couples shaking it out on the dance floor! One couple there had been married for 53 years!! Amazing. We had so much fun! Thanks Mom for encouraging us to go-you were right!

P.S. - The matching outfits were NOT planned!

My First Blog

OK, so I'm going to try this again-I started a website for the girls, with very good intention I must say, when we first moved to Midland. I did well for a while, but then...well, life happened. So as I have enjoyed reading the blogs of our friends, I became envious. I thought, how great it would be to have a place to keep up with our lives, a place where family could visit us, a place where I could ramble endlessly, and a place where you could all see my beautiful girls! So enjoy, and be blessed, because we sure are!

The girls are doing great! Jessilyn just got a haircut, a cute little bob, and she is absolutely precious! I don't like the fact that now she looks like she should be in kindergarten, but she already acted that way, so I guess, in that respect, it fits. (I probably used way too many commas in that sentence, but what do you do?) She is still going to preschool 3 days a week, and is doing really well. She got her first progress report last month, and did great in all areas but one-she wasn't very strong when it came to standing up for herself. This is an issue of mine I really pray I don't pass on to her, so that has become a new prayer request you can join in on with us. One of her favorite activities is to do her "homework". She doesn't actually get assigned homework, but she likes to pretend like she does. Isn't it amazing how soon we become discontent with where we are in life? If she could only realize how much she'll despise homework one day, she wouldn't be in such a hurry. On the same token, I was having a conversation with Mom just yesterday in which I was complaining about how cumbersome it is to try to really clean your house with little ones (and with a husband!). She lovingly and gently reminded me that although her house is always clean now, it is also always empty. Teach me Lord, to be content with this season of my life, to enjoy the blessings of everyday, and to learn from the frustrations. Thank you Jessilyn, for your reminder, and please don't be in such a hurry to grow up! Anyway, (getting back on topic) Jessilyn likes to cut, glue, color, and write at the kitchen table. It is very cute when she asks me to please not interrupt her until she is finished with her homework!

Reese is growing so fast! She is now talking. She says Mommy, Daddy, Pops, MiMi, PaPa, ball, bo-bo (not sure how to spell?), poo-poo, bath, dog, door, please, night night, baby, bye-bye, hi, and she attempts I LOVE YOU. She has been struggling with sickness since Halloween. We have just finished our fourth different antibiotic, and today she's running fever and feeling bad again! It is so frustrating as a parent to have a sick little one...you feel so helpless. I am frustrated myself, because I feel like by now she should really be doing much better. Please pray for healing for her ears. Reese is the child you can never turn your back on. She just has a curiousity that Jessilyn never had. Although she keeps me very busy, she is also so much fun! Her orneriness makes me laugh. She has so much personality already, I can only imagine what she'll be like in a few years! She loves her sister very much, and already tries to imitate her. One of my favorite things is to see the two of them giving each other a hug. There is no friendship like that of sisters! I thank God for giving them that gift!

Hope you enjoy the update and pictures. Love you all!

Remember, I'm new at this...I can't figure out how to put captions under the pics, so here's what the pictures are: Reese singing with Jessilyn, Jessilyn's haircut, the finished product, girls eating lunch outside, and Jessilyn's first attempt at making her bed by herself (pretty good!). Maybe I'll get my stuff together!