9 Months, 9 Days, and Peabody Ducks

9 Months. 9 Days. Today. SHE STARTED CRAWLING!!! Just a few steps. Baby crawl really but it's so cute! I tried to get video for most of the morning but couldn't....if you've been looking for me at work....keep looking cause we are crawling and mama decided she didn't want to miss it!

Since August I've been dying to take Elizabeth Magee back to the Peabody to see the ducks again. We went Saturday. Not once but twice. She loved it both times!

We first went with our ATL friend and niece of one of my best friends, Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Elizabeth Magee were by far the two cutest ones in the Peabody. So we had a fashion show and a photo show.....every girl must put on lipstick...right??

We had so much fun at the 11:00 hour that we went back for the 5:00 hour. Better drinks at 5:00.

We had such a good time with Marthe! I am so sorry she's gone and that I will only have seen her once during her time in the states.....Oliver's going to have to take me to Norway and maybe get to go elk hunting :)

It snowed last night in Memphis! I can't believe it but it feels like Christmas!!! Christmas cards are going out this week -- yeah!!!

Thankful

It's Friday morning and we are unexpectly home....I must say it's kinda nice! EM just went down for a nap and I fixed a second big cup of coffee and thought I'd go ahead and blog about Thanksgiving while we are still enjoying it. Otherwise it will be Monday or Tuesday and I'll be in a huge rush trying to record our memories from my desk.

This working mother thing is tough but luckily its the end of the year and I'm ahead on my hours so it's been easy to slip out early more than usual. On Wednesday I left work at 11 and we picked up Marthe at the airport.

Marthe is a family friend -- who I haven't seen (or probably spoken to) in 11 years! Her grandparents were my grandparents best friends when my grandparents were missionaries in Norway in the 1950s.

In 1998, my parents took us to Norway where we met Marthe. The next summer Marthe came to spend the summer with us in Mississippi. She is in D.C. this semester studying at American University. She is in law school in Norway so it's been interesting to compare her experience with mine and Laura's....she and Laura are both in their last year for law school. We are so THANKFUL that she was able to come to our Thanksgiving and we all got to see her!


On Wednesday afternoon, Laura, Marthe, Elizabeth Magee, and I went to the zoo. This baboon thought EM was pretty interesting. She was a little interested in him too!

We always love when Aunt Reenie joins us....she is Net's sister...seeing how close they are to each other and with their other sister is reason I want three girls! Aunt Reenie's great-grand, Ellie, and Elizabeth Magee must meet really soon. We showed Aunt Reenie how to use the ipad and how she needs one so she can watch Ellie play!

The two newest members of the family....Millie and Elizabeth Magee....they squared off for attention!

When my dad was a little boy one of his friends thought that "Thanksgiving Day" was actually called "Frank Givens Day." hehehe...

I can't help but think about all I have to thankful for today! This time last year I had NO idea what it would be like to have a child and to be a mom. It's honestly been better than I could have ever imagined and I look forward to every day that God blesses us with!

I'm so thankful for so many things.....

-my husband and daughter...I'm thankful that they are both healthy and so loving towards me...Elizabeth Magee still thinks I can do no wrong and Oliver is very forgiving.....

-i'm thankful to get to watch Elizabeth Magee learn knew things every day....she changes every day

-my mom....who has gone above and beyond to serve our little family the last nine months

-my wonderful group of girl friends....from college and Memphis....I know of at least 7 girls who would drop everything and come if I needed them...

-my sister-in-law, Laura, it's amazing to see Thomas so complete and happy.

-my dad....who is going by granddaddy now and who loves EM much

-my sister and the four telephone calls a day we get to have

-our home....we get to live so close to our families and to Ole Miss

-the fact that Oliver's brother lives less than a mile away and we get to see him alot. I love that EM will grow up with an uncle who she sees so much

-Rachael...that I get to go to work and feel that EM is safe and secure and loved

-coffee....it makes the mornings so nice...I treasure my mornings before work with Oliver and Elizabeth Magee....we have a great time....

-the fact that Elizabeth Magee has all but two of her great grandparents and two cousins her age that she will grow up with!

-the fact that both my "in-laws" are wonderful people who I enjoy going to see and spend time with....and that both Biscuit and Pops think Elizabeth Magee hung the moon...even though she is the 3rd granddaughter in 3 years....she's not left out!

-the fact that Oliver has so many aunts, uncles, and cousins who love us!

-the fact that I did not lose Net's gold bracelets last weekend....

-Ally...who even if she's taken a backseat in the last 9 months is still very loved

-Our neighborhood....most of our friends live within walking distance....I am so thankful that I get to walk out the door and meet friends for walks and playdates.

-Cheese and chocolate and blueberry muffins --- and I think Elizabeth Magee already loves all three

-the fact that Oliver's sister has two girls and Oliver's aunt has two girls and we've been given hand-me-down clothes by the bags and bags and bags!

-The Today Show.....I really love that show

-Europe....and the hopes of getting to go soon with the one-I-love-whose-never-been!

-the beach....any and every beach....and the fact that Oliver and I got to go by ourselves in September.

Well EM is going to wake up soon and I need to go move the clothes to the dryer....that's the last thing I'm thankful for --- my favorite washer and dryer and all the laundry we get to do around here!

We are so blessed --- my cup runneth over!

Pure Bliss - 9 months

I hope all of you are this blissful this Thanksgiving - as happy as Elizabeth Magee and not Ally!

Elizabeth Magee was 9 months on Sunday....we took some 9 month pictures but I forgot to download them! The biggest changes between 8 and 9 months:

-The spit up is gone - she might spit up once a day now

-So much more control over her movements, for example, she can pick food up with her forefinger and thumb

-Still on stage 2 baby food - the stage 3 is chuncky and she does not like the chunks - but she loves to eat cherrios and puffs with her hands

-Still not crawling but very close. I've given our nanny the instructions on how to use the video camera and to call me ASAP so that I can come home --- I think it will be any day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not a Complete Loss

As sad as this little face is, we had a great time. ALL WEEKEND. I think this was the only two minutes that Elizabeth Magee cried. Apparently Santa is the Devil. She just doesn't know all the goodies he's going to bring her!

We got a surprise Friday afternoon. My brother called and he had an extra condo open up for the weekend in Oxford and offered it to us for the LSU vs. Ole Miss game. You have never seen two people pack two adults, a dog, and a 9 month in a Honda Accord. We really really need a Suburban or something equally as big and awful. Anyway, we had such a great weekend and are so thankful to Thomas and the Walsh family for letting us borrow a condo!

For some terrible reason, I didn’t get any pictures of Thomas and Elizabeth Magee --- and I did a really good job of taking pictures all weekend. This was the first weekend we have gotten to stay in Oxford since Double Decker back in April --- needless to say I was super excited to get to spend so much time in Oxford with Oliver and Elizabeth Magee.

I have to share this receipe. I made this Friday night. It is so simple and so good. You take a roll of cookie dough and roll balls to fit your mini muffin tin (grease tin first). The bake at 350 for 8 minutes ONLY. Take out of oven and push a reese's peanut butter cup in each cookie.

So yummy...Oliver and I could eat a whole batch of these.....

But I digressed from our weekend. Saturday morning we went to Bottletree....it was amazing. I had enough blueberry muffin and cinnamon roll to feed a small army and EM enjoyed both too!

Elizabeth Magee has grown so much during football season....this dress was a little big in September and a little small in November --she wore it to almost all of the football games --thank you POPPY!

We had a great time in the Grove. We also got to see Elvis in the Grove. But that's going to have to be a separate post all of its own! My parents gave up their tickets to the game to watch EM so we could enjoy the game.....not sure who got the better end of that deal since it was by far the worst Ole Miss game in my memory.....

We got to enjoy some time with our LSU fans -- Amanda, Elizabeth and Rebecca.....we won't hold it against them that we lost so bad. Elizabeth lives in ATL and when she comes to visit we usually try to see her and her sweet momma!

Movin on Up

Melt my heart. Over and over....this week Elizabeth Magee has started holding on and standing up. The first time was playing with Thomas....him in the exersaucer and her standing and playing with the toys.....

She is so proud when she starts doing something new. I am so proud of every little thing and every little smile.

I found out (from facebook) that a girl in the pledge class below me is expecting triplets. Now I love this little girl to PIECES but I cannot imagine her x 3. Unimaginable blessings --- and work

too!

Doesn't EM look scared in this picture? I bought these cute little mittens at Target yesterday from the $1 rack BUT looks like they will have to wait till next year. HUGE! Net spent the night with us last night for Oliver and I to go to Acre with his work crowd. The ambiance was really great....probably one of the best looking restaurants in Memphis. If you want a great place to go have a drink at the bar you should go. The food was so-so....but overall a fun night out and great experience.

Preparing

Oliver and I are in preparing mode. Elizabeth Magee's surgery is ONE month from tomorrow! Yikes! Since August I have thought about this surgery at least 50 times a day. I pray about it with EM every night. SO NERVOUS -- and yet -- it is a very safe, routine surgery. Just hard to think that when it's your little one. In the last week, I've been amazed how God has worked to calm our fears -- in the last week:

I've talked to a friend from college, who I haven't talked to in two years, whose little one just had surgery. She gave me great advice about how to feed her the night before the surgery.

My mom has talked to a friend, who used to work for the plastic surgeon who recommend Dr. Lisa Buckmiller at Little Rock Children’s. This calmed my mom and gave her a piece.

Oliver’s mom made a connection through a friend who knew someone whose child has had this same surgery at the same hospital. This gave her some peace.

Oliver got to talk to the health insurance rep today who said she couldn’t remember our insurance company denying this claim in the past. AND if it isn’t covered the estimate was one we could handle. This gave him a lot of peace.

Our wonderful pediatrician, Blake Bergeron, called me today to sooth some of my fears. This weekend, a random guy stopped us and said his baby had a bump like ours did. He showed it to us – about as big on his son’s chest. He then proceeded to tell us that his pediatrician and told him that his son could die if it started to bleed and that the surgery was risky. FREAK OUT. I think Oliver and I about both threw up – even though we knew he didn’t know what he was talking about….but Dr. Blake soothed our fears today!

I can't imagine how different EM is going to look. The main thing I'm looking forward to is the absence of comments of "what happened" and "what's on her head" by every curious child and adult. I know most of the time they are innocent comments by strangers but they hurt! I'm so glad we are having this surgery before she will know that other children think she's different. It breaks my heart everytime a child says something.....and I know they don't know any better!

In other news, Elizabeth Magee is loving knocking down towers....we do it for hours every day....our most recent:

See the target and aim.

Reach for it.

Let's do it again!

Almost Turkey Time

Only one full week until a short week to celebrate Thanksgiving! Elizabeth Magee really tried to learn to crawl this weekend.....but alas.....not yet! Her onesie says, "My First Thanksgiving." It's actually the first piece of clothing we got after we found out we were pregnant....a gift from my sweet friend, Emily. When she gave it to me, I was just as excited about the baby clothes hanger.....

Weekend in Review

I'm slowly starting to set up our playroom. Right now it just keeps the stroller and some toys. The next addition is going to be a loveseat and tv....but EM really has no interest in the tv and can't sit by herself on a sofa....so right now...just toys, old wicker furniture, and a computer for Baby Mozart dvds...

Oliver got a turkey fryer a few years ago for Christmas. Several times a fall he will fry chickens and turkeys...and they are SO good! This year he used a hot sauce injections....very tasty...if you live in Highpoint and smelled fried food on Sunday--- it was us....you can smell these chickens frying a half mile away!

Helpin fryin the birds.....

Keepin watch while the parents go in to take a nap......just kidding....

I finally got some pictures of EM's new trick. We have learned to clap....it's great fun.....

Newest trick: peek-a-boo. Except we call it: "Where's Elizabeth Magee???" She will make you say it a few times before she:

Pulls the cover down and gives you a big ole grin!

And one last picture because I can't help myself:

:

Sweater Weather

I can't figure out what type of coat Elizabeth Magee needs for the winter. It doesn't seem like she'd need a puff coat or a peacoat since she basically travels in her carrier with a blanket over her. BUT the little sweaters don't quite seem warm enough and if it snows I want to be able to take her outside....so I think we will get a snow suit and stick to cute little sweaters like this one.....my grandmother knitted it for me but by the time she finished it -- it was to small...but 28 years later....it fits someone perfect! Doesn't she look like T-R-O-U-B-L-E in this picture?

I also want to get baby uggs but then I'd be in T-R-O-U-B-L-E....maybe Santa???