Day in the Life

Just another day in the life of a almost 5 month old and a 35 year old mother. ha! We were up by 7 and ate and got ready and went for a one hour walk. I love my morning walks with Harper. I sing to her, talk to her and pray. She fell asleep halfway through so I started making my plans for what I would do when we got home while she napped. But of course the minute we walked in the door, Dawson was so excited he was jumping and making a racket so she woke up. So much for those plans. So I played with her and fed her again and then started trying to work on a nap. Not so much. She will lay in bed and scream like I'm trying to cut her limbs off if I try to make her nap and I just hate it. So when Daddy came home from lunch - I got us both cleaned up and we did the only thing I know she'll enjoy and possibly sleep through - SHOP. And sure enough we had barely gotten out of the neighborhood and she was out. So I took my time browsing T J Maxx before I finally brought her home.
Here she is enjoying her mesh feeder. That ice must really feel good on her gums. Her teeth are really poking through. I can't wait to get a picture of them. (If you are looking for one of these feeders - I got it at TAR-JAY!)
Her new things is sucking in her bottom lip (like this). Maybe she's feeling her teeth??? It's so cute!
I got her to bed tonight and Scott kept her so I could go to the hospital and see this new baby, little James, of one of my friends I worked with for the last 13 years. He was born this afternoon. After all the blog reading I do - it's gotten to the point that when anyone I know has a healthy baby and a safe delivery - I'm almost shocked and think it's a miracle. I guess I took for granted for so long that all babies were born healthy. It's convicted to me to always pray for expecting mothers. (And I seem to know a ton of those these days.) (Hoping to know more soon!)

All day long I have thought about, prayed about and written several drafts in my head of what to say about the "fake blog". I'm not going to mention it by name but if you know what I'm talking about - then you are with me and if you don't know - it's just as well - just skip this part. Obviously it has saddened me deeply. To know so many who have had the loss of a child or like us - went through a traumatic experience and nearly lost a child - it is not "funny" or "cute" to me that someone would fake such a thing for attention or profit. That is not what bothered me though. What bothered me was that this person wrote under the context of a caring Christian - taking prayer requests and giving spiritual advice. I worry about those of you who don't have a firm foundation in the faith who may be disillusioned now.
There are two things I know - God is real. And so is Satan. And the Bible says Satan is roaming to and fro around the earth looking for whom he may devour. So many blogs (hopefully including mine) are such a ministry. I pray every single day that God uses me as a light for Him. I'm not perfect - in fact I'm so far from it sometimes I wonder how Jesus can love me much less forgive me MUCH LESS have died for me. I'm just someone who wants to be His hands and feet to others. And the Devil wants this stopped. But what Satan meant for evil, God meant for good. If you prayed for them or sent that blog a prayer request or sent money or gifts - God knows your heart and just because that person isn't perfect and may have let you down - GOD NEVER HAS AND NEVER WILL. Angie Smith and MckMama addressed the whole thing so I won't and I hope you won't leave comments debating anything about it or even discussing it. I've just been asked so much today and since I asked for prayer and pointed people originally to it (even though I've felt for a long time that something just wasn't right about it) - I needed to say something.
We live in fallen world, ya'll. I'm just thankful that this earth is NOT my home - I'm just passing through. I have an eternal home in heaven with Jesus and because of his merciful grace I am saved and will spend it with Him with no sorrow, no pain, no sadness, no loneliness, no jealousy, no anger and no sin. John 14:6 says "I am the way, the truth and light. NO ONE comes to the father but through me (Jesus). " I pray you have a relationship with Him so you can be in heaven with me - without all this mess. We can feast at God's royal table in our new bodies and sing worship songs with our angelic voices together!!!!

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

So thanks for all of your answers on yesterday's survey. I'm always interested to hear from other moms and what is going on! I was shocked and amazed to realize that almost all of you put your babies in their rooms right away!!!! You might encourage me to do it a little earlier. She really is sleeping good these days and I hate to have her move away from me. I was thinking I would just keep her in there until she is ready for college. ha! But maybe we will go for 5 months??? That's just around the corner.
I've also nixed the idea of the jumperoo. I know most of you like it - but I really don't want another big thing around the house and I know my baby - she just wants her momma or a walk in her stroller. And you know what - I'm okay with that. ha!

I told ya'll I would share my diaper bags with you. I think this is kind of fun. I had looked at and dreamed of all kinds of diaper bags before I got pregnant - not thinking anyone would give me one. I was given several and I love them all - I switch them out all the time. This pink and brown one was made by a lady in my parent's church - I think it's just adorable.
A sweet girl in my church, Sammy, made me this one. She makes diaper bags and sells them - if you are interested you could let me know! (when I put my e-mail back up - ha!) I think it's so cute! She also works in the nursery so I know she will be loving on my Harper!
I got this bag in the hospital along with a whole bunch of monogrammed gifts. I am TOTALLY embarrassed because I have not figured out how to send a thank you for this. I didn't have an address - just a web site and I wasn't sure if the web site made the gifts that these 2 sweet ladies sent me or if it was actually their site. So Aimee Bolton and Stephanie Herman - thank you SOOOOOOO much. I would love to send you an actual thank you (and an apology for the ridiculous lateness of it) if you would like to send me your addresses or leave your e-mails on this post.
(There may be a few more out there who somehow never got my thank yous - if you never heard from me - please let me know. We were SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO blessed by so many of you at the hospital and I don't have to tell you that I was pretty scatterbrained during that time so it would have been easy for me to mess up).
A sweet girl, Andrea, from my parent's church made me this Razorback bag. I don't have to tell you how much I love it. Even though Harper will most likely NOT be making her Razorback debut at the football games this year - I will still carry this bag during football season!
(I don't have to explain why taking an 8 month old baby to a hot, loud, crowded, 4 hour football game is a horrible idea (for us at least)) ha!
And my Aunt Linda gave me this Buddha bag for my birthday and I absolutely LOVE it. It's so big and roomy that on days where I want to be a little more stylish - I just stuff diapers and wipes and bibs and burp cloths in it and it doubles as a diaper bag! ha! I was also given SEVERAL other small bags (mostly monogrammed) that I don't use for diaper bags but I have kinds of other uses for them!
I had to show ya'll this. On the tour of homes - it became very apparent to me how Plain Jane my guest room is so I decided to frame a picture of Harper to hang over the bed. After all - our only guests are her grandparents so they will appreciate it. I love huge chunky gold frames and I thought this picture came out awesome in black and white (I took it!!). We got it done today (while frames were 1/2 off). Now I just have to get Scott to hang it for me. I'll show a picture once it's hung! (It's 16 x 20 - big! I had it printed on-line at www.winkflash.com)
And here is the little monkey girl.......I swear she is about ready to start crawling. She really tries. I also think her hair almost looks blond in this picture - we think all her new hair coming in (what little there is) is blond. She is SO her daddy's daughter.

Who likes Gilmore Girls?? For 2 years I have been DVR'ing that show every day (the re-runs) and I've watched the first 6 seasons twice now. And today they are finally beginning the 7th season and I'm so excited. I've been wondering what happened. (I never watched the show on the original go around).

Sunday Survey

This little boy's name is Preston. His grandparents go to my church and his parents are on vacation this week so his grandparents are sitting. His mom, Caroline, reads my blog and she e-mailed me to let me know that she was excited they would be in the nursery together and wanted her mother to take their picture. So I took one for her! They make a cute couple don't you think? (This is about as good as I could get of them together).

Harper's BFF nearly had a heart attack when she realized they would be in the nursery together!
Sarah Kate and Wells - they are two active cuties - they are both turning one this month and I just can't believe it! Harper did good in the nursery this morning (I think the nursery workers are on to the fact that she is "SLIGHTLY" high maintenance). I don't think anyone will be calling her an "easy" baby. I went to feed her between church and Sunday School and she wasn't too happy so I decided to just stay in the nursery with her while Scott went to Sunday School. It was fun to be in there because there were 8 babies - all of our friends' kids. And there are 4-5 more who will be joining them (or weren't there) soon! I love watching them all grow!

I have two survey questions for all of you moms out there:

1. At what age did you put your baby in their own room? I plan on waiting until Harper is 6 months old (for some reason I've made that the magic age - we are going to wait on solids until she is 6 months, her own bed at 6 months, surgery on her extra toe at 6 months - it's like I think she will turn a big corner at that point?) Her room is just across the house from us and it seems like so far away. I want her to be sleeping through the night a little better also. I don't want to jinx myself but she has had two REALLY WONDERFUL nights of sleep so I'll try to get a 3rd night before I brag on her.
(well - I just messed up - we are going to be back to every 2 hours now). ha!

2. Did you get your baby a jumperoo and would you get one all over again? Did it really work/help?
I've heard a lot of good things and I'm tempted to get one for her but then again - I feel like we have a house full of big baby entertainers and she doesn't like any of them. I don't want to throw money down the tube again. So far the only thing that she really enjoys is me holding her. ha! She is a girl after my own heart though - she LOVES to shop. If I put her in her stroller and take her to stores - any store - she will be as content as can be. She just looks around and is so happy. So we try to go somewhere every day. I rarely buy anything - I just enjoy looking and keeping her happy! :-)

Thanks in advance for all of your tips - I'm going to be back soon with all kinds of surveys and questions!