Lainey's Baptism

Lainey was baptized today! We were thankful to have such pretty weather. Here are some pictures from this special day, a day we have been looking forward to for quite some time. :) 

before heading out the door

This girl LOVES Crocs sandals. One time she even crawled over to some stranger's feet at a restaurant to touch their Crocs. I know, gross, baby crawling on a restaurant floor. But it was pretty funny. 

sisters

Lainey wouldn't go to Rev. Don. We kind of knew that was going to happen. I watched though as the other sweet babies went to the other ministers, but I had to follow Don around with my little punky. :)

the whole group

Totally fried - no nap, an unwanted nursery stay, and some strangers. 

A new video for you!

Little Punkin is walking. It's definitely not her preferred mode of transport at this time, but she'll do it when she's not thinking about it.

Since she'll be 11 months old tomorrow, I think I'll post a few fun developments that we've noticed this month! 

• Tooth count: 5 with two breaking through as I write (I feel like they've been "breaking through" for weeks now, but I really think that they'll officially appear any day now.
• Sleep patterns: Going down about 8ish, sleeping till 6:30 or 7. She does best when she has one giant nap in the morning, about 2 hours after she awakens for the day. Then she might take a small 30-minute nap in the afternoon (like in the car). She absolutely will fight a nap if given the chance, so either we (1) let her cry and she'll eventually pass out (when we know she's tired) or (2) I will bring her to sit on my lap at the computer and she'll fall asleep staring at the screen. Weird, huh?
• Grinding her teeth is something she loves doing! It is the worst sound. I hope it stops when she gets more teeth.
• She has a great sense of humor, and laughs at so many things. I love that she laughs at us or her cousins and her other family members and friends. 
• She still loves, loves, LOVES to be outside...to where she'll cry and arch her back and scream when we leave the park or come back inside from playing outside. She would crawl around on the grass for hours if we let her. She's thrown fits at the park when I've had to put her back in her stroller or her car seat. 
•  The newest accomplishment is walking. She can almost pull herself to a standing position without using an object to pull up on, but she's not quite there yet. 
• She can find her bink and her duck when we ask her to (for the most part).
• She can wave hi and bye (although not in that video!).
• I absolutely love the way her little cheeks smell. Don't know why...but I do. I sometimes just pick her up to squeeze her and smell her little face. And I also love her chubby, chubby legs and feet. So cute. 

I think back to where I was a year ago today. Back at school after Spring Break, aware that I only had three weeks left until I was on maternity leave. I received so much encouragement from my co-workers and family members to take off after her due date, and I think I finally made the decision to do so. So my last official day of work last year was the 18th of April, and then Lainey arrived on the 24th. I cannot believe it's almost been a year since Lainey was born! We love this little baby to pieces. Enough said. :) 

Some recent pictures and updates

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! This week has been a busy one. Here are some pictures of Lainey around the house. We've been spending a lot of time outside lately, happy to take advantage of this gorgeous weather. Lainey enjoys the park and loves to try to eat the woodchips. Not so enjoyable for Mom. But it just means I have to watch her closely and follow her every move. :) 

Lainey closing the door (which she will then realize leaves her trapped in the room...and then the tears flow).

Hmm, a snail. In a shell.

This is a blurry pic - grabbing for the camera. Check out those toofers! 

More Mac 'n' Cheese, please?

Now for a quick update on our friends:

1. Dustin (Nora's dad): He is recovering in the ICU from a very invasive surgery during which the doctors worked for four hours to repair his damaged pancreas. More details are on their blog (click on the link "Nora" on the right side of the page). His wife, Kate, is amazing. She is so focused on the health of her husband and the needs of their 11-month-old baby. Her world has been turned upside down, yet she remains positive, strong, gracious, and above all, faithful that God will pull her, Dustin, and Nora through this time. Please pray for Dustin's healing and Kate and her family's strength. :) She is with Dustin as much as she can be but is missing her baby like crazy. Thankfully, Nora can make visits to the hospital to see her momma. :)

2. Carmelita (Cameron's mom): She is home from the hospital and recovering well from her surgery. We are grateful for that! Continue to take it easy, C. No over-doing it!! :) 

3. Keegan is in Boston (still) and will most likely be there for another month or so. He's hopefully going to be discharged from the hospital towards the end of next week, but will have to remain in the Boston area for an additional month or so. His problems are not solved, but he's tolerating more formula and doing things that he's never been able to do before, so that's a positive sign. Please keep Keegan and his family in your prayers as they continue to search for answers and treatments for the little guy. :)

Hurting friends

It has been a rough couple of days for two of our friends. My former co-worker Carmelita, Cameron's mom, was diagnosed with pancreatitis (caused by gallstones) on Wednesday and had surgery this morning to remove her gallbladder. I went to visit her yesterday and am thankful that she had a successful surgery this morning and that she's recovering well. She is so strong and has wonderful, supportive family members and friends that have been surrounding her during this time and looking after her 3-year-old son, Cameron. Get well soon, Carmelita!!

Shortly after returning home from my trip to the hospital and running a few errands, I learned that tragedy had struck my good friend Kate's husband, Dustin, who is Nora's dad. He got pinned between the moving truck and their new house (that they closed on Thursday) and was rushed to the ER here in Plano. He was under observation all night and then he, too, had surgery this morning and the doctors discovered that his pancreas was severed in two by the force of the impact. Needless to say, he's in a lot of pain and there will most likely be two more surgeries to help repair his pancreas. His road to recovery will be a long one with the possibility of being on lifelong medication to help his pancreas perform its jobs. Kate and Dustin, too, have many family members and friends supporting them and loving them and taking care of little Nora (one week older than Lainey). Stay strong, Kate and Dustin. We are here if you need anything.

Please keep these families close to your hearts and in your thoughts and prayers.

One year ago today...

this is what we were dealing with! Our poor Reagan dog and her vicious attack. This is the night of the attack after we arrived home from the expensive Emergency Animal Clinic...she's pretty miserable (and a bit loopy). I remember this night so well - it was so awful and I was so pregnant and uncomfortable anyway and Reagan didn't sleep well and it was just stinky.

This is the actual x-ray of her broken bone! Poor Baby.

in her cast that she (thankfully) only wore for one weekend

post-surgery, Tuesday, March 18th

a few weeks after Lainey was born, but before her surgery to remove the pins and scaffolding

And for those who are wondering - nooo, we never got reimbursed for the $2,800 that we spent on vet bills. We received $600...and then we received the notice that the man had filed for bankruptcy. Reagan has a titanium rod in her leg to this day and she has made a full recovery. We still take walks, but I am much more aware of my surroundings and am very wary of other dogs (so not like me in the past).

Seeing Kelsey

Today I got to see a friend that I've known for a long time...about 13 years! I used to babysit for Kelsey and her little sister Shelbi during my senior year of high school and throughout college (holidays, summer, and some weekends). I also coached them on their summer swim team and I became quite close with their family. They moved away about 6 years ago to Kentucky, but Kelsey has been in the Plano area for the past few days and we got to see each other for lunch today. I cannot believe that I used to babysit this beautiful, mature young woman! She's a freshman at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and is loving it and doing really well there. I still have so many memories of her and her sister when they were little bitty kids...can't believe these girls are grown! It was neat to see Kelsey with Lainey - I wish she lived here so she could babysit my baby! :)

Tuesday's pictures

Yesterday evening we went to a campaign kickoff party for our friend, Nathan Barbera, who is running for Plano ISD School Board. We were only able to stay for about an hour, but Lainey was a trooper for the majority of it. She had had a looonggg day. (She would not look at me and smile - she was only looking and smiling for the woman to my left!!)

Having a shoe for a snack... Our friend Patsy tried to explain to her that "you can't chew on your shoes, Lainey, because then they won't be cute anymore".

Before going to the kickoff party, we made a visit to see Emmy and Pops (and Sofi and Lucy). Lainey was fascinated with her old bouncy seat. Sweet, growing baby!! I can't believe she was once so tiny in this thing.

Our little decorator

Apparently, Lainey thought we needed some decorating tips. She thought the chair to the kitchen table would be better placed next to the wine cabinet. She pushed it all the way over to its new home; she's quite a determined little thing. She worked and worked at pushing it until she had it exactly where she wanted it (or the wall and cabinet prevented her from pushing it any further). 

Funny video

So, I am stealing this from my friend Jenny's blog site (Anna Claire's mom). It's hilarious!! And I think most of us can relate! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKvG8wb-Mpw

Cute

Again, I didn't take this great picture! It was graciously sent to us by Mike Newman, photographer for the Plano Profile.

Ben's kickoff party: March 5th, 2009

Last night we "kicked off" Ben's campaign at the Angelika Film Center in Plano. It was a great success!! I will admit, though, that I am perhaps the worst historian of all time. I did not take too many pictures. And the good ones that I did manage to get on my camera - I didn't even take! I need to improve. Anyway, thank you to my amazing and dedicated family members who drove up to celebrate with us (Pam, Mark, Mom, and Dad) and my family members who were there in spirit (my brother and all of my cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents). Thank you to my wonderful in-laws (mother- and father- and sisters- and brothers-) and my little nieces and nephew for being so supportive and behind us 100% (and more!). Thank you to the many Plano residents and voters who attended. Ben, we for are so proud of you and all for which you stand. Go get 'em!

Beth Webb introducing Ben

Ben awaiting his turn to speak

"Can we go in this store? I see a dog that I'd like to play with...and maybe take home with me."

"Still waiting for you guys to let me in..." (Emmy eventually did let her inside to play with the dog!)

with Jessica and tiny 5-week-old Cooper (our regular community and campaign event buddies, along with Nathan and Alisha and baby 11-week-old Palmer)



Ben giving his speech

John Longstreet with his final remarks

cute Ella

Kate, Brooke, and Cally (No Collin! Sorry bud. Can't believe I missed him in a picture!)

family photo

Update on little Keegan

This picture was taken about a week and a half ago when I went to visit Maddie and Keegan at the hospital. He was ALL smiles when I visited him, and he continues to be a total ham. :) He got his first big-boy haircut in the hospital (his hair had been growing in thick and dark due to the immunosuppressant he had been taking!) and he's looking SO grown up and handsome. :) Anyway - onto the update part of this post. Keegan and his mom and dad are now at the Children's Hospital in Boston hoping to get some answers for the little man. They flew out today (Keegan and Dad Gray on a hospital plane and Mom Maddie on a commercial flight) and safely arrived and hope that the doctors get up to speed quickly so they can start (again) searching for answers to Keegan's struggles (to name a few: an enlarged spleen, a fast heart rate, a liver who isn't feeling well, low white blood cell counts, and - of course - the constant GI problems and vomiting). Keegan, Maddie, and Gray - we miss you and are thinking and praying for you guys. We hope you get some answers soon. 

Caroline's baby shower

This weekend seven girls and I threw a baby shower for one of my dearest friends. Caroline was a roommate of mine in college and she is pregnant with her first baby, a girl, due in April. Friends and family showered Caroline with SO many cute things - sweet clothes, useful items, and beautiful decorations for her little room. I cannot wait to meet this little baby. She is so lucky to have Caroline and Jason as parents. :)

Nicole and Caroline opening gifts

Hostess Amy with baby Andres and Hostess April with baby RoryCate

College girls! Kristi, Kourtny, Nicole, Caroline, Emily, and Brandy

Andres (Em's baby), Kourtny, and Emily

Porter Roomies - Nicole, Caroline, Amy, and me

I LOVED seeing you Nicole and Amy - I'm so glad y'all were able to come in town. I miss you two!!!

Lainey vs. Ben

cute baby Ben on his first birthday...

little Lainey at 10 months...

Notice the CRAZY similarities! The hair, for one. The face shape and structure (cheeks!). And even the way their little mouths are shaped! And their eyes. Anyway, had to share. Cute!

10 months old!!

Lainey Cathryn is 10 months old!! I think she is doing a lot of fun things these days and every day she seems to get bigger and more aware of her surroundings. I'm going to note some of the sweet things she does at this age and stage.

L - loves to "play toys" as her Yiyia says. She will play alone or with kids or adults - as long as she can play.

A - always crosses her little feet when she sits on the ground. Sometimes she'll uncross them to clap her feet together but then they'll go right back to being crossed.

I - interested in books, but she's quite particular about which ones. Current favorites are There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and Ten Little Ladybugs (thanks Pam!) and Elmo's Book of Love.

N - never, ever quiet, unless she's sleeping. She constantly makes noise and it's so funny. When I was on the phone once with her Aunt Allyson, she likened Lainey to a canary in the background. So true!

E - everyone is her friend. She'll sometimes cry in the nursery at church and one of the ladies in there says that she "doesn't like short hair". She would go to the long-haired women, but not the ones with short hair. And apparently she can tell the women from the men because she has no problem around men for some reason.

Y - yells, screams, and cries when we take her out of the bathtub. That is her all-time favorite place to be. She loves it. The yelling and screaming isn't sweet, but the fact that she is so blissfully happy in the tub is. :)

In a lot of my pictures, Lainey gives this exact, gummy smile. Her mouth opens really big, and her eyes get crinkly, and she laughs and smiles for the camera. A total ham.

in the cute hat that her Emmy gave her...


Usually Lainey likes the swing, but on this day she seemed a little unsure.

Other fun things to note about our 10-month-old:

1. She pulls up on things, cruises along furniture, and can stand for short periods of time. I still don't think walking is in the near future, but maybe before her first birthday.

2. She tries to climb upon things and crawl between spaces that really aren't meant (or wide enough) for babies.

3. Strawberries are a wonderful food - she looooovveeesss them. But when she gets full she'll just squish them all over the place and make a giant mess.

4. I think she would happily climb up the stairs if we would let her. She's made it to the first landing before we intervene - she's fast. And Reagan's food and water are on the first landing and we've had to clean up several dumped waterbowls and scattered food pieces.

5. She has a lot of teeth! Two for sure on the bottom, and two for sure on the top, with one more on the bottom breaking through and the other two on the top almost-breaking-through.

We love you, Lainey! Thanks for making our hearts smile every single day. :)

Using the lion walker

We managed to capture the little one using her lion walker. She is crazy fast and so loud. And it's funny - whenever we say "Yay, Lainey" she'll stop whatever she's doing and clap her hands and smile. Cracks us up every time. Sometimes she'll even clap when she's proud of herself, like when she's exploring in the entertainment center or the pantry or digging out the moss from the ficus tree! You'll notice that she passes by her clothes on the floor - she had pulled them off the stairs and decided to play with them.