Settling In

Life with these two precious girls is such a sweet blessing. I'm so thankful that the Lord has allowed me to experience this kind of love for my children and so many precious moments with them. Ivey Kate has such a sweet, content disposition. I had forgotten how sweet the first few weeks "getting to know" the little one I'd been feeling for 7 months or so are. Every new experience is so exciting. I love seeing her studying our faces and then recognizing them with a smile. She LOVES "talking" to her daddy. She lights up when she sees him and "talks" to him all the time.

At Ivey's 7 week checkup she was 24 inches (95%) and 10 lbs 12 oz (75%).

My two loves on Valentine's Day.

Sweet little angel!

One of my favorite pictures.:)

Going for a wagon ride on a beautiful day.

Sweet sisters

Mattilee loves taking pictures with her little sister.

Little Ivey Kate

Sweet, precious blessings.  Children bring so much joy and I'm so thankful God chose me to be the mommy of two precious girls.  As I was rocking my Ivey Kate tonight, holding that precious, cozy body in my arms and listening to her soft breathing, I came to the conclusion that holding a sleeping baby has to be one of the closest things to heaven we get to experience here on earth.  There is something so peaceful about watching them sleep. I'm also flooded with an overwhelming joy that I don't think I could really express in words.  All that to say, Lord, thank you a million times over for my baby girls. I know I don't deserve them, but thank you for allowing me to experience this type of love. I can't even imagine the depth of your love and feelings for us.  

Ivey Kate is now 5 months old.  She smiles and cackles all the time, especially at her big sister.    We've attempted sitting up on our own, but she slowly inches her chest forward until it's practically resting on her legs. She's grabbing EVERY thing in site, and it all goes directly in her mouth.    

My favorite things about my Ivey Kathryn:

Her lips. I love how her bottom lip makes a little heart shape.

Her feet. Her precious, tiny toes curl up just a little. And I love that she gets them from my mother.  

Her face lights us every time she sees me.  I remember when Mattilee would do that. It's so sweet and sure makes a momma feel special.

On her left side, she has one faint dimple when she smiles. Makes me want to eat her up.  

Her soft, sweet voice making all those precious baby sounds. 

How she sucks her two middle fingers when she's sleepy. With those two fingers in her mouth, she makes an I love you sign with the rest of her hand. I like to think it's her way of telling me even though she can't speak yet. ;)

How she responds to her name. She always turns her head when she hears it. 

How she lights us every time she looks in the mirror. It never fails. No matter how many times she has seen herself in the mirror she still loves it and gives the biggest grin.  

When she's really excited about something, like the bath water running, she kicks and wiggles with excitement. 

Couldn't you just eat her up?

Happy girl

                                  

Sisterly love

I can't believe I've let months go by without posting about Ivey Kate's baby dedication.  She was dedicated on February 12. This service was a little different than when we dedicated Mattilee.  Matt and I were asked to think about what we want for our daughter's life and who we hope she is at age 18. We were given a small piece of paper and asked to write it down and read it to our friends and family that came to the dedication.  We could never fit all we pray and hope for our precious daughter on that one slip of paper, but we tried to hit on the most important points. This was a great exercise for us.  Although Matt and I pray specific things for our girls, actually thinking through who we hope she becomes and writing it in a letter to her was a really cool thing.

Here's the letter:

Ivey Kathryn,

We pray you surrender your life to Christ and that you continually pursue a stronger relationship with Him. We hope you put the needs and concerns of others ahead of your own, and that you are compassionate and loving to everyone.  We hope you are a happy person and that you find joy in the blessings of life. We hope others enjoy your company and that you always ignite a greater love for Christ in others. We hope you fully understand what a growing disciple of Christ looks like and that you have a desire to be one.  We hope we exemplify the parents/spouses we want you to be. 

We hope you are obedient to us and know we have your best interests in mind. When you begin to consider a spouse, we hope you look for someone that loves Christ more than he loves you. We hope that you are wise and that you understand and utilize the gifts God has given you. 

We were asked to choose one bible verse that would accompany her picture in the bulletin and slideshow. We chose the same verse we used for Mattilee's dedication because it really describes what we pray and hope for our children.  

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. "  Colossians 1:9-10

Ready for her baby dedication in our family dedication dress.

I never posted pictures of Ivey Kate's room so I thought I would.  I don't know if my girls will care to see how their nurseries and rooms looked when they were little but I put a lot of thought into their rooms so I like to tell myself that they will. :)  

I didn't take the best picture here, but that green canvas has an "i" cut out of Ivey's bedding fabric by my very talented husband.  

My mom painted this for Ivey Kate (she did one for Mattilee too). On the carriage it says "For this child I have prayed" 1 Samuel 1:27  I know these will be so special to the girls one day.  

Sweet Sayings

Our little 2 year old LOVES to talk. I never know what is going to come out of her mouth but today she absolutely melted my heart. Ivey Kate started getting a little fussy in the car and I started talking to calm her down. She quit crying and Mattilee said "Thank you for making my Ivey Kate happy, Momma." What a sweetheart! Don't get me wrong, she is a two-year old and everything that she does and says isn't always "sweet" but more often than not she makes me smile and laugh.

Here are a few of my favorite things she says:

"My booboo is all better now, Momma." -After I kiss a booboo for her. Sure knows how to make Momma feel special.

"Momma, can I hold you?" -Of course you can!:)

"She smiled at me Mommy!" -She gets so excited when she makes Ivey Kate smile.

"I'm happy now!" -this she usually says after I've told her to stop crying or whining about something.:)

"Going to Pop and Gigi's house." -as she walks to the door with her purse. She usually comes back and says "I need Momma's keys."

When she starts to leave a room she almost always turns back around and says "I'll be right back."

"I love you, Momma... and Daddy and Ivey Kate and Jesus..." the list goes on and on.

Easter 2012

This Easter Rick Burgess spoke at our church and he did an incredible job. He definitely didn't hold anything back. He was very straightforward and I think he did a really good job of sharing truth. Here is the link to the podcast:

http://www.ewestwood.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=124673&programId=121593

You may have to copy and paste in your web browser.

I hope you can take the time to watch or listen.

We went to our church's Saturday night service and then went to church with my parents on Easter Sunday. After church we went to my aunt and uncle's house for lunch and an Easter egg hunt.

My little Easter angels

I love both of these smiles so much.

Mattilee loves "holding" Ivey Kate.

Mattilee really is a good big sister. I'm excited about the special relationship they will have.

Mattilee and sweet Addie Brown

Easter hugs

Lyla, Addie Brown, Ivey Kate and Mattilee

It's hard to believe that my parents got four granddaughters within about two years.

Playing with Easter eggs

She opened every one of them to see if there was anything inside.

Looking for eggs with Addie Brown

Checking out her findings

Sweet cousins hunting eggs :)

Ivey Kate and Matti's Easter baskets from Gigi. They are so cute.

Healthy, Happy Babies

Praise God for healthy, happy babies. Our trip to the doctor for Ivey Kate's 4 month checkup and Mattilee's 2 year was a reminder of how blessed we are to have healthy babies. We've had our share of colds and common illnesses, but our children are overall very healthy and generally have a happy disposition. For both, I am very thankful.

At two years old Mattilee is weighing in at 26lbs and 8 ounces. She is 35 1/4 inches tall. These put her in the 50% for weight and 75% for height. Mattilee can say anything and she talks all the time, about anything and everything. She loves to tell stories and we love listening to them. She keeps us laughing and when we laugh, she keeps going.:) She's got such a fun little personality. She is losing her "baby" look and is looking more and more like a little girl. She also looks more like a little girl since she's not wearing a diaper anymore.

Mattilee 2 years old

At 4 months Ivey Kate is 14lbs 11oz and 26 inches. She is in the 75% for weight and 95% for height. This sweet thing loves to give kisses. When you lean in to give her a kiss she opens her mouth.:) So precious. She has been rolling from her tummy to back for a few weeks now but hasn't rolled from back to tummy yet. She loves to look at herself in the mirror (and can you blame her:)). Her little play mat has a mirror that hangs above her head and she just laughs and squeals at herself. She also laughs and squeals at her daddy. She "talks" to him more than she does to anyone else. She started sleeping through the night consistently at about 12 weeks old. It's amazing how much better I feel after a full night's sleep. I told my husband that to me, this age is the "honeymoon" stage of parenting. She's sleeping through the night, she lights up when she sees us, thinks everything we do is funny, and she's not mobile yet. When she's trying to keep up with her sister and into everything I'm really going to have my hands full.:)

Ivey Kate trying food for the first time at 4 months. We started with rice cereal. She liked it, it just took her a little while to figure out how to keep it in her mouth.

Couldn't be more in love with my two precious girls or their amazing daddy. What sweet blessings they all are!!

I am also thankful for God's protection over our family. He continually protects us and keeps us safe. On the way to the doctor today, a deer ran right out in front of us on the interstate. It jumped right out in front of my car...in the middle of the day! I was on 459 and probably going 65 or 70 mph. Thankfully, the girls and I were just fine. The deer, on the other hand, didn't fare so well. By the sound of it, I thought for sure he had left his imprint on the front of my car but there wasn't even a scratch! If it wasn't for the deer hair in my grill, you would have never known I had hit him. Just thinking about how bad it could have been makes me so grateful we are all safe.

Sick Little Sister

The weekend of St. Patrick's Day Ivey Kate had to be admitted to the hospital. She had a cold for a few days (that her big sister shared with her) and on Friday she just wasn't eating well and was much more fussy than usual. She started running a slight fever that evening so we decided we would take her to the after-hours clinic. Poor thing had bronchiolitis and was not getting enough oxygen. They wanted her oxygen levels in the mid-high 90's and hers were in the high 80's. So, they had us stay at Children's two nights to monitor her oxygen levels. At Children's we also found out that she had RSV. She was a sick little girl. It was a little scary and sad. As a parent you feel so helpless when your child is sick. Even though we felt horrible for our sick baby girl, it was very humbling to stay at Children's surrounded by other families of very sick children. We saw so many children with cancer and other very serious illnesses, burns, etc.; children and families who pretty much live at the hospital. My heart just broke for so many children and parents I saw as I walked the halls of the hospital. It made me so grateful to walk out of that hospital with my baby girl who had only suffered from a common virus. We may not always be this healthy but for now I thank God every day (and several times a day) for blessing our family with good health.

Ivey Kate getting a breathing treatment that she did not enjoy.

Because she had to be hooked up to oxygen, she had to ride in an ambulance from the After Hours clinic to Children's Hospital. This of course was her first ambulance ride and I hope it was her last.

Our sweet, sick girl.

In the hospital bed at Children's Hospital

Mattilee is 2!

I cannot believe that the little doll who made me a mommy just turned two. Where did the time go?!? It's been such a WONDERFUL adventure to watch her grow and learn. She amazes me with what she knows and says. I can't really remember when she started forming sentences (it just seems like it happened overnight) but now she is speaking paragraphs and her little emphases and expressions are too cute. There are so many things I love about this little girl. She has the funniest little outgoing personality. She fills our home with so much laughter and joy. I'm so thankful I get to be her mommy.

We originally had her birthday party scheduled for Friday, March 2 which is her birthday. However, the Birmingham area was under severe weather alerts so we decided to postpone until Sunday. Saturday, Mattilee woke up with a really bad cold but since we had already postponed once, and she was so excited about her party we went ahead with it, even though she wasn't feeling great. We had her party at a place called Parties on the Move and all of the kids had a blast, even our sick birthday girl.

Two years old!

Having fun! I still haven't quite figured out how to use my new camera so this action shot is a little blurry.

Sweet cousin Addie Brown sliding

And this precious boy made me an aunt. I cannot believe he will be five soon and starting school!

Mattilee and Addie Brown going up to the big slide.

Such a big girl way up there all by herself!

I love this! Sweet cousins having fun!

Mattilee and Claire Kate. It seems these cars are always a hit with little ones.

Sitting in the big birthday chair getting ready to open presents.

With Treyman

Opening gifts!

Delicious birthday cake

Mmmm

I think it is safe to say that little cousin Ariston enjoyed the cake and ice cream.

In her party hat.

Birthday banner that Mattilee's sweet Aunt Erica helped me make (or really made for me) with her cricut.

The party room Parties on the Move decorated for her.

After the party our sick birthday girl is still smiling.

My favorites at this age:

I love how excited she gets about things. She just enjoys life so much.

I love how animated she is when telling a story.

I love seeing and hearing her just pick up things that we haven't really taught her. Like using the plural form of words, using proper pronouns, associating people and things, etc.

I love that she counts everything and then smiles like she's proud of herself.

I love that I'm only having to change Ivey Kate's diapers. Matti mastered potty training like a pro by about 21 months. Just in time for baby sister's arrival.

I love how she tries to "mother" Ivey Kate. If Ivey Kate cries, Matti runs to her rescue and pats her while saying "It's okay, Ivey Kate" or "What's wrong Ivey Kate?" She loves to give kisses to Ivey Kate and in the car if Ivey falls asleep she'll say "Shhh, be real quiet Momma. Ivey Kate's asleep."

I love how she still asks "Momma, can I hold you?" I know one day she won't want me to hold her so I'll hold her as long as she asks.