NG - 8 weeks old

8 weeks old and you are growing and getting stronger every single day miss Natalie Grace.  We are still breastfeeding.  You and I are getting the hang of it.  Some days are tough on me because you seem to want to eat every hour and Brynn gets frustrated because she needs me too.  I know you are going through a growth spurt during these periods and it will pass.  You are still waking a couple times during the night to feed.  You go back to sleep pretty quickly. I have remained dairy free and we believe it is helping you.  It is a sacrifice, but I am happy to do it because these are precious moments I am getting with you.

We ended up in the hospital again this month. I must say that I knew something wasn't right with my incision a couple weeks ago.  They placed me on oral antibiotics (2 rounds) to do at home and apparently that didn't do the trick.  I woke up one day with my stomach feeling funny and it was red and swollen.  I ended up the doctor's office the next morning and they quickly sent me on my way to the hospital to receive IV antibiotics.  I wasn't going without you though.  The doctors and nurses were really supportive about you staying with me so that we could continue breastfeeding.  We had worked so hard at it, I wasn't going to let anything mess it up.  I was really sick and it was no fun at all being separated from Brynn.  Pop pop,Rae Rae, and Nana all came to help us out during this time. Dada stayed some nights and then others Rae Rae stayed.  I was in there almost a week so it got to be hard especially with dada having to still go into work.  We made it through it and honestly having you there with me is what pulled me through.  You kept me going and kept me busy when I could have easily gotten extremely down.  Don't get me wrong, there were certainly moments of frustration and being upset.  I missed Brynn dearly and just being at home as a family.

While I was in the hospital, Dada received an opportunity to take a promotion in Greenville SC.  I remember a couple days after we came home it officially accepted it. Things started to move quickly and we were set to move up to Greenville, SC October 10th.  He started October 13th.  With the help of family we took what we needed up here and got settled into an apartment provided by the company.  Another adjustment.  It has been pretty stressful, but God has always provided and proven that He's got this! God is faithful and has shown us that time and time again.  We have truly been given a blessing and we are trying to work things out with the sell of our home in Surfside and finding a home here. You and Brynn are troopers! You adjust pretty well to everything thrown at you.

At 11 weeks, you and Brynn stayed a whole weekend at Nana and Papa Lew's.  How about that? Dada and I had to go down to Surfside to take care of a few things.  We were so sad to leave both of you, but you did really well. Nana and Papa Lew surely enjoyed having you both there.  It gave Dada and I a chance to spend some quality time together and get some rest.  After all that we have been dealt the past 2 months, it was much needed.  We couldn't wait to get back to see you guys on Sunday.

Some disappointing news this month - I had to accept that you just were not tolerating my breast milk no matter how I changed my diet.  Nothing was working and you often pulled away from me and cried a lot.  With all the stress going on this month, I just couldn't take one more thing wearing on this mama's heart.  With a lot of prayer and acceptance, we switched you to a hypoallergenic dairy free formula called Similac Alimentum.  Boy is it expensive, but in our eyes it has been worth every penny to watch you be CONTENT and HAPPY.  I hope you know that I tried with all my might to make breastfeeding work. We did it for 12 weeks and it was amazing.  Every precious and close moment with you has been something special and I will never forget breastfeeding with you. It brings tears to my eyes knowing that we had to stop.  The difference it has made in how you act brings me comfort.  


 Things you love::

You love your bouncer seat.  I think the vibrations make your tummy feel better.
You sometimes enjoy your paci
We discovered you did not like your bassinet to sleep in so we quickly switched to the pack in play and that seems to working out great
You love to lay on your play mat - Brynn sits there with you and moves the toys and presses buttons to make music
You enjoy snuggling
You LOVE bath time! You have loved it from the start (another opposite from Brynn).  It is certainly soothing to you.  I give Brynn and you a bath at the same time now to save time on our bedtime routines.  Brynn loves having you in the tub with her.  She loves to pat your tummy, rub your head, and place objects on your head.
You LOVE car rides (unless you are hungry).  Riding in the car makes you fall asleep almost instantly.

You do not like::
to be swaddled at first but then you get used to it
being gassy
sitting in a wet or poopy diaper
being hungry
to be left alone to long in your bouncer  ( you are certainly enjoying more interaction these days)
to be hit in the head (yes this has happened several times by your big sister Brynn. All accidents of course.  She accidentally dropped the ipad on your head this month.  You were totally fine after the initial shock.  She felt bad I promise and gave you a kiss).

You are generally a happy baby. You have even started to smile with your eyes open this month! I've caught a few of them on camera! That is one of my favorites- watching you smile! I think my favorite times are getting in some snuggle time while Brynn naps.  You usually fall asleep in my arms and I love to smell your breath! Weird I know, but there is just something about baby breath.  Don't worry, I used to do the same thing to Brynn.  I could lay there and watch you sleep forever.  Then the best part comes when I know you are in a deep sleep...that beautiful smile or grin.

I love you with all my heart.

Natalie Grace

Your birth story. 

I won't bore you with all details of my pregnancy, but you were supposed to be born August 28th. That day is Papa Lew's birthday.  He was pretty ecstatic to hear you might be coming that day! However, August 7th, I started to feel some pressure in my abdomen.  Not enough to really concern me. I had a doctor's appointment the next day anyway.  The next morning I awoke early to the pain feeling more severe and it felt as if my stomach was going to burst open.  I went to my doctor's appointment in tears and explained all that I was feeling.  Dr. Nelson immediately stated that my uterus could rupture based on my symptoms.  She asked that I head over to the hospital immediately.  Daddy was at home with your big sister Brynn, so instead of going to the hospital I drove back home. I didn't want your daddy to be without the car.  I ran in and grabbed my bag that I had mostly packed thank goodness.  Daddy drove us all to the hospital and dropped me off.  The plan was for me to be watched through the night and placed on a monitor.  Those plans changed quickly when I went into full blown labor with contractions coming quickly.  It was very intense and I was hurting.  Daddy waited for Nana to arrive at the house then he left so he could be with me.  We were both so nervous, but he is the BEST at being there and supporting me.  At 5:03 you were delivered via c-section.  You were perfect in every single way.  We thought everything went very smoothly and they kept telling us everything was fine. They took you away while they stitched me back up then I headed down to recovery where I would have to wait 2 more hours before I could see you.  Oh, that was just terrible.  The waiting is the worst part.  Your pediatrician came in and sat down beside me in recovery and I just burst into tears. I knew something wasn't right.  I was sort of out of it, so all I remember is him telling me that you needed to be monitored because of your oxygen level and your sugar level being too low.  He said I wouldn't be able to hold you yet and that you would have to stay in the nursery.  There are no words to describe what an awful feeling it was to hear all of that.  My heart sank.  You did come early, so I was prepared that there could be some issues, but it was still very scary.  Your dad and I were both very scared and felt helpless.  One of the nurses that I know was kind enough to bring you to me for a brief moment right when I arrived to floor just so I could hold you and kiss you for second.  Then she took you away again.  If we wanted to hold you then we had to go to the nursery.  You had to be hooked up to IV fluids to get your sugar levels back up.  They were pricking your foot every 3 hours to check your level.  It was really low starting in the 20's.  Sometimes it would be getting higher and then it would plummet again.  You were such a fighter through it all.  A couple days in they let you stay in my room during the day, but then at night I'd have to take you back to be monitored.  You had plenty of visitors! Family and friends came to visit you and support us.  Your big sister Brynn met you in the hospital, but she didn't really understand what was going on.  Then finally they let you stay in my room and I would just have to wake up every three hours in the night to pump and then get your sugar checked.  We stayed in the hospital until the following Tuesday. The doctor finally let us go home after you passed three glucose (sugar) checks in a row.  I've never seen your daddy move so quickly in his life to get all of our things down to the car and ready to go.  We were both so ready to get home! Brynn, nana, and nonni were waiting on us there.  

We placed you down on the floor in your car seat so Brynn could see you.   She was fine while you were in the car seat, but the minute I took you out, she got VERY upset.  She was so upset she wouldn't let anyone touch her.  It took daddy and I a little bit to calm her down. It broke my heart, but I knew this would be an adjustment for everyone.  The next day Brynn was fine and we all started to get settled into life as a little family of four.  I want you to know that she needed a few days to get settled to you staying and pulling attention away from her, but after that...she could not love you more.  She pets your head like a dog. She kisses you. She brings you a paci when you cry.  She knows you are something special and it makes our hearts so happy.  Because that you are...so special.  

A couple days after we brought you home we took you to your check up at the pediatricians office.  You seemed to gain a few ounces and everything was looking great. I continued breastfeeding and pumping.  However, over the next two weeks I noticed that you had diarrhea and would pull away from me when I tried to feed you.  You also became very fussy.    It was such a struggle and my heart was breaking. I cannot tell you how hard I was working to get this breastfeeding thing down.  I wanted nothing more than to give you the best.  At your 2 week check up- we were told you had a dairy allergy and you had lost weight.  I was instructed to remove all dairy from my diet.  Wow that was really difficult too.  Your daddy was right there to help me and took me to the grocery store to pick out dairy free foods.  I couldn't really tell a difference for a couple of weeks because it takes that long to get dairy out of my system.  

During this time you slept a couple times all the way through the night. I would think you were on a roll and then the next night you would wake up several times. So way to trick me:) 

This first month was busy and exciting. You started to keep your eyes open a good bit towards the end of the month. You are so tiny in my arms.  You have a soft cry compared to your sisters at this age.  Of course we had many visitors at home to see you.  Just like with Brynn- Nonni stayed for a few days then Nana came. Then we had a week in between and then Rae Rae and pop pop came to stay for a little while. Rae Rae ended up staying for ten days.  Everyone is always there to lend a hand and give us lots of help.  It's hard for me to accept help because I am so used to doing everything on my own.  I'm getting better though.  
Learning to handle two babies has been going well.  Sometimes are hard because you need me at the same time Brynn does.  She is learning to be patient if we are breastfeeding though.  Some days are easier than others, but I certainly would not have it any other way.  This momma is surely blessed beyond measure.  It feels like our family is complete.  

Life Sucks.

I read a blog recently about how we should "lean in" to the seasons of change we go through in life and trust The Lord. It was beautiful. I've actually read it several times. Some things have happened since the first time I read that post. I feel like i've tried to "lean in". However, sometimes it just isn't as easy as "leaning in" to changes that take place. Especially if they are hard or just down right bad circumstances. 

My husband and I knew this month would be hard for both of us. I'm getting towards the end of this pregnancy and it gets harder, but i've handled it really well.  I think he would agree. This month last year we lost my precious grandmother then two weeks later we lost my husband's father. We talked about it and thought we were prepared. It's day 9 and there is nothing that can prepare for you the heartache you feel. Some people have stated, "well now you can move forward" as if the grief process just...ends.  It doesn't. I think it's and ongoing process. You are constantly reminded of that person not being there when they should be. Even for just the littlest things you experience. You want to pick up the phone and call them, but you can't. You want their advice, but you can't get it. 

I've also received some devastating news this month in regards to other people in my life. I won't say their names or what they are going through.  Then I woke up the other morning and could not put any pressure on my left leg.  At first, I laughed because I thought this can't be happening. It didn't go away and I didn't think it was so funny anymore. Luckily, I had a doctor's appointment Monday afternoon.  I had to go for tests of course. It turns out it wasn't a blood clot. After nerve scans, it showed that I had damage and disruption not caused by this pregnancy, but it aggravated the nerves enough to make a statement.  I have to go to the chiropractor three times a week and get treatments for four weeks. Then I will go for another nerve scan and see if there is improvement.  So you if you see me limping around then that is why.  

I'm not prepared to start maternity leave early or be on bedrest.  I don't know what the outcome will be and I go back to my obgyn next friday to see if she'll allow me to work again. 

I left the doctor's office today and cried. Then I stopped to get an ice cream cone from McDonalds.  I never ever go there, but I love their $1 ice cream cones.  My husband was ready to hear the news of what the doctor said.  He listened and said he was so sorry and he knows how upset I must be.  God love him, he knew I did not want to hear anything profound or a bible verse to make me feel better.  Sometime's people just want to have someone listen and say, "I'm so sorry that really sucks".  If we are all honest, we'd agree that life just sucks sometimes.  I don't even think God would get mad at us for feeling that way.  He never promised it would all be rainbows and butterflies.  Honestly, it annoys me so much when people are so positive all the time.  Being "positive patsy" is great. I admire you and dislike you for being that way.  When you, "positive patsy", are always so happy and spit off bible verses like it's your job, it is annoying. Can you say for once that you are having a horrible day or that life just sucks sometimes? Can you stop saying "God will provide" or "There is a reason for everything".  I'm not denying that maybe there is a reason, but not everyone wants to hear or care about that reason during the tough times in their life.  Not only that, but I think we have to come to those terms ourselves.  

Back to my story.  I started feeling sorry for myself. Then I played a song that always brings me comfort.  

All the worries of this world
I will lay them at your feet
Surrender every anxious thought for perfect peace, your perfect peace
....
 I will look up for there is none above you I will bow down to tell you that I need You Jesus Lord of all

Jesus Lord of all
I will look back and see that you are faithful I look ahead believing you are able
Jesus Lord of all
Jesus Lord of all 
-Elevation Worship- I Will Look Up

See, I always come back, "positive patsy".  It has to be in our own time.  I hope that I will remember to teach Brynn and Natalie that it is okay to have bad days. That life sometimes sucks. That God didn't promise rainbows and butterflies.  That we are not alone in our struggles.  That it is okay to sulk for a moment and be upset.  It is healthy to be upset and shed some tears.  Then after that "moment", we are called to "lean in" to the seasons of change whether they be bad or good.  I hope that they will see how important it is to lean on God.  I hope that they will know it is okay to say to Him that they don't understand or that they feel mad about something that they may be going through.  He is our Heavenly Father full of grace and He does not care how we come to Him.  Mad, upset, crying, happy, scared, depressed, lonely...the list goes on.  He just asks that we come.  He will meet us where we are.  

Today, I couldn't lean in.  Tomorrow I hope that I can.  I won't give up on this month.  I know there is something great in store and the pain we may feel over these days is okay.  My hope is that we will lean into the pain, into the changes, and into the grief.  

"Christ came first and holds us together even when change comes rolling through" 

12 Months = A Year Old

We cannot believe this month is finally here!!! When you were born, we thought a year seemed so far away. We thought we had plenty of time to soak up all the moments with you. Your daddy and I honestly thought you would stay so little for a long time. Boy were we wrong! Time has flown by and here it is. You are not so little anymore. We can hold you on our hips now. Your legs fall off our lap when we try and rock you. You prefer to get down and walk whenever you can. You continue to grow more and more independent. You don't like us to feed you. You enjoy using your fingers to feed yourself. You now make laps around the living room clapping your hands and laughing. It truly is the best. You have worked yourself up to quite a fast pace of walking now. You LOVE for daddy to chase you around and tickle you. You love to play peek a boo. You aren't quite sure how to do it with your own hands, but you can do it with a curtain or blanket. It is extremely fun to watch you do it when you are in the bath tub. 

Baby Brynn you are down to two bottles a day. This makes me sad. You barely even finish them. I think you would actually just prefer to eat food all the time. You can hold the bottle yourself too. So you really don't even need us for that. 

In the mornings, you will get in our bed and snuggle while you watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It really is the best because you are so sweet and love on me. My heart can't even take it! When daddy is home too- that is just icing on the cake because you snuggle with us both! 

Baby girl you don't like to be left alone for a second. You have to be wherever we are in the house. After a long hard day of work, you will reach those arms out for daddy and that makes him so happy. You give him a grin that you don't give anyone else. It is really evident that you know who people are and who you are comfortable with. You warm up to others pretty quickly. 

Your first birthday party is in a couple days and we are so excited! Family and friends will be here to celebrate with us. You have no idea how much you are loved and how precious you are to this family. 

The theme of the party is "Welcome to the Zoo" because you LOVE animals! Some of your favorite animals are penquins, dogs, cats, monkeys, and giraffes. Did I mention dogs because you really love dogs. I have a video of you playin with Aunt Kari and Uncle Brandon's dogs Marcy and Maddox and you are in heaven! You do love our cat Nala and we will catch yall playing together or staring out the window together, but you don't have the same excitement as you do for dogs. One day we will get you a puppy. 

Are you ready for the most exciting news....??? For your first birthday party we are revealing that you will be a....BIG SISTER come August 30th this year!!!!!!! We don't know if you are having a baby sister or baby brother yet, but we are sooooooo excited!!! 

From your Mommy:

As I think back on the past year, I feel complete joy. I've never experienced so much joy in my life. I have always known that I was meant to be a mother. There are no words to describe how much joy you have brought to both of our lives or what this year has meant to us. I hope that I have done well as a mother this year. Every time we complete another milestone, we are learning what to do for the next milestone. While this year has been such a joy, it has been hard as well. We have experienced much loss and heartache. In those moments, I want you to know that you still brought joy and happiness. You were the glue that held us together when we felt like falling apart. I think back to the moments when I have been really sick in the past year and all I had to do was look at you and you gave me strength to keep going. Learning to balance marriage, work, and being parents brought many challenges. We feel we are starting to get the hang of it though:) There are many people who look to see how much money they can make, the next ladder they can climb in their career, or the next thing they can accomplish and I don't fall into those categories. I just look at you. You are my greatest accomplishment. You are my heart. You fill me up unlike anything else in the world. Of course I have dreams, but my biggest dream is how I can pour into you to make your life better. To teach you about The Lord, life, hardships, love, caring for others, and that you can be anything you set your mind too.  I want you to know that you can always come to me no matter what. I want you to know that you will never have to worry about being judged by me. My love for you is unconditional and always will be. When you are happy, I am happy. When you are sad, I am sad. I will hold you up when you feel like you can't take anymore. I will be in your corner when you feel like you have no one else on your side. I will do my best to make you smile and laugh always. Even when you are twenty, I will hold you when you need me too. Please know that I will never abandon you. More than that, please know that God will never ever leave or forsake you. We are blessed to have you because of Him. I hope you look to your daddy and I and see a God centered marriage filled with unconditional love, laughter, hope, and stability. I hope you know that you will always have our home to be your safe haven. You are beautiful just the way you are. Real beauty lies within. Never forget that. P.S. Your daddy has called you beautiful from the day you entered this world. You will always be his beautiful baby. As we enter in to the next chapter, I will continue to do all I can to be the best mother to you. So many exciting things lie ahead and I can't wait! 

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey

You'll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away

I love you with all my heart 

Mommy

11 Months

11 Months. Sigh....This means you are almost a year old. Every single month you amaze your daddy and I. You are continuing to learn so much! 

January 13th you took your first steps!!!!! You started walking!!!! Can you tell we are excited??:) I shed a few tears, but I am so proud of you! You fell down, but got right back up and tried again! 

You have started clapping now to music, when you get excited, or just for no reason at all! It is the cutest thing in the world. Did I mention music yet? You LOVE music so much! You love all kinds of music as long as it has a great beat that you can bounce too! You can bounce up and down, clap your hands, and shake your head side to side. Baby girl, there is nothing like it when we all dance together in the living room. Those are absolutely some of my most favorite nights in the world. We also got to experience your first snow day! Well, it was a lot more ice than snow, but it was still a lot of fun. We dressed you up very warm and took you outside. Your eyes were full of wonder as you walked around in the snow. Daddy brought your Minnie Mouse Ride outside and you had a blast with that! We couldn't stay out in the snow very long because it was so cold! 

Mommy got really sick this month with a horrible stomach bug! It put me out for a few days and thankfully Nana came to help us. You stayed healthy and strong. The following week daddy got sick with the horrible stomach virus. I kept you away for a few days and you remained healthy. The worst part, is that I got it AGAIN a couple days later! Through all of this, you remained healthy and happy! 

Usually, you put yourself to sleep with minimal fussing. You fall asleep like a champ! You sleep all through the night until about 830 in the morning now. You are down to one nap a day from about 12-2:30. Sometimes you nap up to three and a half hours when you have played really hard that morning. On occassion, you will let me rock you to sleep like I used to do. It brings me so much joy to hold you and kiss your forehead. You are so big now in my arms. Your legs hang off of me and it makes me so sad to see you growing so fast. Time is flying by and I wish it would slow down. Your daddy and I soak up every moment possible with you. 

You enjoy pulling everything out of the cabinets, dumping out all of your toys, and following me around when I vacuum and sweep. You enjoy us reading to you every night. If we are sitting up on the couch then you want to be up there with us. If we are eating, then you want to be eating our food. We don't mind one bit because it's exciting watching you try so many new foods. 

When you turned 11 months old, we celebrated by going to get you your first Chick Fil A kids meal! Words can't describe how much you loved it. You ate all four chicken nuggets cut up and a few french fries. You also drank your milk out of a straw. Can you say BIG GIRL? Seriously, slow down. :) You have four top teeth and two bottom teeth. Some of your favorite foods are: peas, squash, sweet potatoe, grilled cheese sandwiches, yogurt, broccoli, lima beans, and ham. 

Soon you will be a year old and we cannot wait to see what the next month will bring! We love you to the moon and back baby girl!  

10 Months

10 Months = DECEMBER and Christmas time!!! 

Wow what a month baby girl! This month is Mommy's birthday (December 2). Daddy cooked and amazing meal, but you couldn't eat any of it yet. You say Mama and Dada all the time. You know exactly who we are. We've never doubted that for a second baby girl, but it is so nice to get called by name now. I usually get my name called when you are upset or want something. You know who other family members are as well. When you reach for us, it is the best feeling in the world. 

Your uncle Frank came to visit this month and we had so much fun. We took you Christmas shopping, to lunch, then came home and played with you. The most exciting thing happened....YOU STOOD UP ALL BY YOURSELF! We thought you were going to take your first steps then, but you just kept sitting down and standing up. We caught it on video!! Your uncle Frank was so excited! Dada was so excited too when he got home from work and you did it again! 

You still have about four bottles a day, but you love to snack and eat your three meals for the day! You can be picky with your food. Daddy says that doesn't surpise him, because I am a picky eater too. You take one to two naps during the day now. You will usually put yourself to sleep for nap time. I don't get to actually rock you to sleep very much, because you prefer to just put yourself to sleep and you will kick and scream when we try and hold you the way we used too. This just reminds us of how big you are getting and how independent you are becoming with certain things. 

December 6-10 we spent that time in Asheville, NC with Aunt Sue, Kayla, Courtney, and your great grandparents. They babysat you the 8th-10th while daddy and I were on trip for his company to the Biltmore Estate. We had a very nice time having alone time, but we missed you the entire time we were away. Aunt Sue, Courtney, Kayla, and your great grandparents enjoyed spending time with you and said you did wonderful! 

Unfortunately, you got sick again the week of Christmas with a bad respiratory infection. You were coughing, wheezing, and having a little trouble breathing. I took you to the pediatrician and he also told me you had two ear infections. We had to do breathing treatments every four hours the first couple of days. You did not like those very much. We ended up going to Rock Hill, SC to see nana, papa lew, and grandpa's side of the family. Your first Christmas was perfect. You started feeling so much better and enjoyed spending time with family. We all had a blast watching you play with all of your new toys! That Saturday, we spent all day with Grandpa's side of the family along with Aunt Kari and Uncle Brandon. It turned out to be a great day, even though it was really tough not having your Grandpa Tom there. I know he would have just looked at you and felt so much joy! That's how he was every time he was with you. You brought such a HUGE smile to his face. 

I can't help but reflect on this entire year and what it has brought us. The biggest blessing of all was God giving us you, little angel. You will never know or understand the amount of joy, laughter, and happiness you have brought to our lives. While there has been a lot of heartache this year, my heart is filled with the promises of God and I know that he will never abandon or forsake us. Trials, tribulations, and loss will happen baby girl, but God is the one that will help you through it. We still have many hard days. We miss my granny and your grandpa Tom so very much. They would be so proud of all of us. We've been so blessed this year and I truly cannot wait to see what the furture holds. God has big plans for you baby girl. 

We love you with all our hearts

First Word- 9 Months

How do I even contain my excitement in this post baby girl???

You are 9 months and doing SO MUCH! Your first word was......"MAMA"! Clearly, there was no denying that. I said "Mama" so much you probably thought that was the only thing I knew how to say myself. I was bound and determined to hear that precious sound though. You daddy was quite disappointed. He wanted you to say "Dada" so badly. So, he started saying "Dada" as many times as possible around you. Sure enough, you said "Dada" and "daddy". I have videos of you saying it all. These are proud Mommy/Daddy moments for sure. 

You are pulling up on everything! I keep waiting for you to stand up on your own or take your first step. We aren't in any hurry for these things though because then I fear you wont want me to hold you as much. So, take your time sweet baby girl. If I could hold you forever I would. You've had a couple of accidents pulling up on things, but nothing major. 

You experienced your first Thanksgiving. Everyone came to our house and we had a wonderful day! Wonderful food and great family time! You looked adorable in your outfit. We certainly missed having your Grandpa Tom there with us, but he was certainly there in spirit. 

You are growing so fast. I wish time would slow down. Sometimes I just look at you and all the wonder and joy in your eyes and wonder what you are thinking. I wonder if you know how much we love you. Your daddy and I try hard every day to provide for you and show you how much we love you. We are so blessed to have you and can't wait to see what the next month brings! 

Love you so much Brynn Elizabeth