Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankfulness

Last year John and I hosted Thanksgiving and Heidi was merely I little bean growing in my belly. I had this tree (which I forgot to get a picture of because I was stressed and keeping guard of being too happy) called the "thankful tree" and I asked everyone to write down what they were thankful for and hang it on the tree. It really looked so cute. I wrote that I was thankful to be given another chance to become a parent. Shortly after Thanksgiving is when we found out about the cystic hygroma and there went my hopes of having a healthy baby - of having a live baby at all. Now, look where we are a year later. Heidi is 5 months old and growing to be such a strong and healthy little girl. Its crazy to think there was ever a thought of something going wrong with her or her not being here because now I cannot imagine her not being here. Amazing how someone could be in your life for a short little while and once they are in it you cannot remember life without them. That's exactly how Heidi is for John and I.

The word "thankful" doesn't even cover how I feel. I don't even think blessed covers it. To say I am beyond thankful and beyond blessed would be an understatement. There is something about when you have lost something or you have to work harder than others for something that makes you more appreciative than others. If it comes easy to you then you miss out on the hunger, the pain, and the everyday struggle of living each day. During your time of "trials and wants" you have to watch as others get what you are so desperately praying and begging for day in and day out. You have to put on your happy face, pull your big girl panties up, and try your best to show that you truly are happy for others.

I can say with confidence that I feel more thankful than I have ever felt before in my life, that I feel more blessed than ever, and that I only have God to thank for everything going on in my life.

Friends

We met up with some friends for a night out! Only the second time mommy has been out since little miss priss was born. Luckily my mom was able to come and stay the night at our house while we went out. Toby and Christine (the first couple we are pictured with) came in town for Toby's brother's wedding. They (T & C) had a baby a month before Heidi was born - Ansley! The other couple we are pictured with are Cindy and Craig. Cindy and I went to Middle/High school together and Craig just got back from his deployment. Yay for him being home!! On Sunday Toby and Christine and their friends Julie and Bart - our friends too :) came over for a little cookout. Christine was able to capture some cute pictures of the girls!

Breastfeeding

I have a very close friend who is very passionate about breastfeeding. Not just about feeding her own child, but how breastfeeding in public should be part of the norm. I completely agree with her that mothers should be able to feed their child by breast just as mothers feed their children by bottle. I know I find it to be a pain to make sure I am covered up, but that is just my modesty. Not all mothers who breastfeed are shy and modest about it. Did you know that some people give breastfeeding mom horrible looks or ask them to stop feeding? I have never experienced this, but its true. Anyways - I am not the best to talk about the subject, but I did want to send you to a blogger who wrote an excellent post on breastfeeding.

Heidi - 5 Months

Heidi - today you are 5 months old! Everyday your little personality grows and its so adorable. You love to talk constantly. In the mornings I will hear you talking in your crib before I get you up for the day. When I peer over the rail to pick you up is when she flash your brightest smiles. I love that time in the morning with you. You are still in a size 2 diapers and you are wearing 3-6 month clothes. There are a few 3 month outfits you can still fit into, but not much longer! You are still breastfeeding and you are such a good little eater! I am so thankful that you are able to bounce back and forth between me and the bottle.

There are not any signs of teeth coming in, but you sure like to stick everything in your mouth! It hurts when you chomp down on our fingers! You love to grab your toes and you love to suck on them! Speaking of sucking....sometimes I catch you sucking on that little thumb when you are in your crib sleeping. Usually its after you are fast asleep and the pacifier has fallen out. Then again, sometimes you throw your pacifier across the crib - maybe its to get that thumb!

Heidi had her 4 month check-up a couple of weeks ago. This little chunk is weighing in at 15lbs 10ozs (82nd percentile) and is 24 inches (42nd percentile) long. I guess she gets the non-height from my side of the family :) The 2nd round of vaccines were given :( She had a fever and was really fussy when we woke up the next morning, so we knew that it would be best for me to stay home with her. I didn't mind, but I did not like that she was not feeling so well. John was off that day as well, but she really just wanted her mommy. By the end of the day the fever finally went away due to some extra TLC and a little childrens tylenol.

We were given the okay to start rice cereal and then in a couple of weeks to begin veggies! A couple of weeks ago was the first cereal experience! I think its going to take a lot of practice for Heidi to learn how to eat from a spoon! She kept trying to suck on it like a bottle :) I spent the past weekend making some baby food and freezing it into cubes. Heidi will soon be enjoying green beans, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes.

Heidi celebrated her first Halloween! It was spent at her boyfriend Dane's house along with a new prospect Jacob. The kids were so cute together! We hung out over there and watched the GA/FL game.

Our little Miss Priss is sitting up and hates to be laying down. She loves to play with our phones and will call me all the time now from daddy's phone. It is not a new thing to catch her rolling in her crib in the morning time - she thinks its just the greatest thing ever! Heidi loves to laugh and smile and pull my hair. Anytime we are holding something she wants to hold it as well - always reaching. Heidi can reach her arms out for us to pick her up and she can reach for things she wants to play with. It is absolutely amazing how much she is doing now and how much personality she has. It is easier for her to be in her own room now and the "checking on her" has gone down to a minimum instead of every 10 minutes :)

Where did it all go?

Time - that is....it has flown! I just looked in my lists of posts and it has been a month since I have actually published a post. How crazy! I have 12 - yes 12 drafts in my little listing section, but it seems as if I start to write and either (a) forget what I sat down to write (b) was too tired to finish or (c) something/someone needed my attention. Everyday I think - "oh, I need to blog about that" or something of that nature. So much has been going on! In my little OCD world I would like for everything to be written in complete order of when each event took place; I will probably still post date a few things in the blog, but I guess I will just kind of write a hodge podge post and publish it so that you all know I am still alive and kickin'!

Let's see...work has been crazy for me. I have sold 11 cars as of today - amazing! I do not even sell cars, well, maybe one a month or something like that. John and I have been praying over a few financial goals and asking God for help in achieving them, as well as being able to glorify Him in a more monetary way. I promised God that if I reached the bonus level in car sales (which is 12 in a month; then another level at 18) that I would give Him my entire bonus check. Already I am 1 car away and I still have half a month to go! It was so surreal watching the entire "event" take place. It just shows how God is in control and He is listening to prayers. Do not get me wrong, I did not just one day pray for this and it happened - this has been a long time prayer. We had to make some changes in our budget first and then this all started happening. John and I went the entire month of October without eating out - no fast food, nothing. Well, there was ONCE we did, but there was no getting around it. That is a savings of about $400 per month. You know what's really cool? Our grocery bill stayed the same! If you are curious to know a few of the goals I will let you in on a couple. One is to be completely debt free - which we would love to include the house and eventually it will, but for right now that one is last on the list. Another is for me to be able to stay at home with Heidi and future little kiddos. That to me is a big one. The past two weeks have been great selling cars and seeing the debt go down and savings go up, but I ended up working a few more hours and it stresses me out not getting to spend enough time with Heidi. Even tonight somehow I ended up staying an extra hour. I almost wanted to cry because I just wanted to get home. Goes to show that when you ask for an answer to prayer it does not always happen in the exact way you are wanting it to happen :)

Hmm...OH a huge event happened. So, I am in no way a speaker or leader. I hate anything where I have to talk in a large group or really more than a one on one conversation...unless its very close friends. Sometimes I stutter because I think my brain goes faster than my mouth can catch up and it all comes out in one big dfrghawrihwi out of my mouth :) Anyways, at work this woman came into the office and she had run out of gas right in front of the dealership. I told her to go ask Mike to help her (thinking that the gas cans were full and I could not carry, lift, and pour). So she did. Mike went to check and came back in and said we were out. She came back in and I told her and then I offered to take her to the gas station. Well, this poor woman started crying and was all upset on the way (we first had to go pick up some money owed to her, which was where she was headed in the first place) and I told her to just let it all out. Donna had lost her brother in January, her house in May, her fiance had cheated on her, etc. She was on her last leg. I knew she was put into my path for a reason - look at all that had happened to her and what I could relate to. I told her about losing Hudson, my job, living with my parents, etc. and that people always say "things will get better" and they really have no experience in having the rough times. I pointed to the carseat in the back and explained to her that I was starting my good times after such a hard time. I spoke more about God and faithfulness and relying on Him and shared some other stories - she cried the whole time. When we finished the trip and we filled her car I asked her if I could pray for her. I actually prayed aloud. I never do that. When I pray to God I'm like a little squirrel that gets sidetracked and I have thoughts going everywhere - so I never offer to pray in groups. I knew from the very beginning of this trip I needed to pray for this woman and let her hear me pray for her. It was such a surreal experience and never have I felt the presence of God touching me more than I did at that moment. This was about 3 weeks ago - right before the car sales started....coincidence maybe?? I was so excited after it happened. I could not wait to share my exciting news to John and our small group. Such a big step for me! Its easy to write about faith and my belief and encourage in a blog...but to talk about it with a total stranger in person is such a leap for me!

Today Heidi is 5 months old. I will write more about her and all that she is doing in a separate post :)

I know there is much more I could write, but its late and I am tired...maybe it won't take me a month to write again :)