2 big girls!

So we had a birthday party for Loraly, turning 7, and Sophie, turning 3. It was easier to have the parties together since their birthdays are only 2 weeks apart. It worked. We had a PINK horse, a petting zoo, hot dogs, cowgirl and cowboy hats, 2 separate cakes, presents, and lots of friends! Turned out great! Both girls were happy!

Loraly: She is learning more and more everyday! She is reading so much better (just clicked). She is growing into a sweet, beautiful, innocent young lady! She is kind hearted, giving, always keeps her room spotless, loves to be fancy, wants everything sparkly, and has a wonderful zest for life!

Sophie: She is as sweet as always! Started Mother's Day Out, learning so much! Didn't like going at first but had a great day once there. She now likes going but still puckers that lip out when she sees me in the hallway. She is a EVERYONE's girl ( one day she is a total Mommy's girl, Daddy's the next, and Ma's after). She plays so well with all her sisters. She too loves to be fancy! Wants to pick out her own clothes, wants to stay in the bath forever, loves to SING and does it all the time, has her own little language at times, loves to talk and see baby Jesus, and still is so much our baby!

Need more TIME!

So I just put the picture of the 2 babies on my blog header for the time being! I haven't had a chance to get one of all the girls together!

In the creative minds of children (at least mine)

The Nativity Scene, made my Madalyn and Loraly

The girls made their own nativity scene. Notice baby Jesus (aka Mickey) lying in the manger of hay (feathers), the pink ballerina nutcracker is Mary, the huge Santa, miniature Santa, and snowman are the 3 wise men, the angel nutcracker is of course the angel of Jesus, and Madalyn is holding the star the wise men followed to get to Jesus! Very creative!!!
This is what being a parent is all about. Knowing that all the reading, teaching, and story telling is making an impact, setting in their sweet, little heads. And they can put a story together in real life using their imaginations!

I LOVE IT!

Also Sophie was singing "Jesus Loves Me" today, every word!

WHAT A SPECIAL DAY!

7 really!

Is she really 7 already?! I remember the day she was born...she wouldn't stop crying, we thought 'goodness, what have we gotten ourselves into?!'. Life has interesting, funny, nothing short of quiet, since the day November 17th, 2003. She is crazy, silly, loving, very affectionate (on her terms), and oh so very special!We are very blessed to have our 2nd born! What an impact she will make on the world someday!

Happy 7th Birthday Loraly Mica!

We love you!

a new change...

So I was pregnant from March 2007-December 2, 2007 with Sophie

nursed her till January 2008

found out 2 days later I was pregnant with Reese

She was born September 10, 2009

And I nursed her till this past Sunday.

So all in all, I have either been pregnant or nursing a baby for the last 3 1/2 years!

What am I going to do with myself?!

It is a little sad ending. The thought of constantly caring for a baby either by carrying it while pregnant, or nursing it, is such a rewarding thing!

Reese's 'R' Party

The Invitation!
The front door!

The candy Bar!

The beautiful cake!

Reese's first ever cake!

Opening presents!

Lovin it!

She was so dirty from head to toe!

This is what she did at the end of the night!

Reese's birthday celebration turned out AmAzInG!

I had such fun making all the decorations, setting them up, and enjoyed everyone Ohhing and Ahhing over my hard work! I had never done so much to prepare for a party but with this being my last baby to turn 1, I wanted it to be the best for her!

We had a lovely group of people here to help her celebrate. We ate some good food, some yummy cake, watched Reese giggle while opening presents, and enjoyed seeing her attack her first ever piece of cake!

God has been to us this last year by blessing us with Reese and for that we are thankful!

On this day one year ago...

My life was blessed...

Happy 1st Birthday Reese Prestyn!

What a Blessing she is!

my sweetie and me!

one of my favorite pictures of Reese


The 1st picture of all the girls!

Reese still in the hospital in her sweet monogrammed beanie

Tomorrow is the day I have anticipated so much for the last 3 months and at the same time dreaded for the last year!

10 months old and oh so sassy!

My baby girl will be turning one at 2:24 pm September 10,2010. I begged, pleaded, tried everything in the book to get this baby born on 9-9-09! How awesome would that be?! But she had her story ready to be written! (and so did my doctor!)

I hope, pray, and plan on doing her 1st birthday party, and my last 1st birthday party up right! I want everything perfect just for her. She has been the greatest blessing to our family! She has completed us in so many ways more than I can explain!

I always knew I wanted another baby, #4, but I thought I wanted it around the time when Sophie went to kindergarten. The moment I found out I was being blessed and entrusted with another child, I was ecstatic! God had other plans for our family and I am so happy he did!

I want my sweet baby girl to know that she is such a doll! She has fulfilled my life! I thank God very often for her. I pray very often for her. I always thought I had my life perfectly laid out just as I wanted it. This baby made me take a step back and smell the roses. Enjoy each moment. Study every detail. Ponder every thought. I NEED my children! I NEED their love, their devotion, their love and lives! They are everything! I don't know if I would have taken it all in like I do since Reese if it wouldn't been because of her.

Thank you Reese for making me slow down! I want to cherish every moment with you, savor every long, sleepless night, and I want to hold you every time you want me to!

Your life makes me complete!

I love you sweet baby!

Happy 1st Birthday tomorrow!!!

Love Mommy

9-10-09

September means a BIRTHDAY is coming up!!!!

2010-2011 school year

So summer came and went. We did Disney, tons of trips to visit my parents in Waco, a trip to Arkansas, and a trip to visit my grandma in Kerrville. So August came and it was time to start school! The girls were beyond excited!

Here are the big girls on the morning of the first day of school:

Madalyn and her 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Harp. She is switching classes this year, my sweet firstborn is growing up :o(
Loraly and her 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Cleveland! Mrs. Cleveland's daughter is in Madalyn's class! They have already become friends! I think this is going to be a great year.

So the 2 little ones and I have cleaned house, done laundry and ironing, organized closets, went grocery shopping, cleaned more...WOW what we can get done with only 2 little ones at home! Poor Sophie began missing her big sisters Thursday. It only took 3 days of them being gone :o)

We also started back to Wednesday night church this week also. They don't have class during the summer for the kids due to vacations, etc.

Well, my little baby Reese will be turning one in 2 weeks exactly! I can't believe it! Life is good, couldn't ask for more...

I know you are all dying to know these things about me :o)

1. I am 32
2. I have 4 daughters
3. Got married at 21
4. had firstborn at 23
5. Everything seems to happen to us on odd years. Got married at 21, had Madalyn at 23, Loraly at 25, Sophie at 29, Reese at 31.
6. I am the youngest in my family, but the first to get married
7. Mark and I have been married now for 11 years
8. I love the color RED
9. I am shy at first but once you get to know, I will tell you just about anything!
10. Mark is my only :o)
11. I have breastfed all 4 of my daughters
12. I went from being preggo with Sophie for 9 months, breastfeeding her for 13 months, to immediately finding out I was preggo with Reese, and am still breastfeeding her.
13. The longest I have been away from Reese was last Saturday when a friend and I took our older daughters to 6 Flags for the day. We were gone for 8 1/2 hrs! The longest away from Reese before that was 2 hours just to see a movie!
14. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say a Mommy!
15. I don't believe in divorce.
16. Am not a pet person.
17. I love a clean house, but am not a clean freak
18. Will rewash something if it gets on the ground after washing.
19. I am superstitious.
20. find it funny that people think just cause we have 4 girls, that we were still trying for that BOY
21. believe strongly in God, love church, read the bible, pray very often, but feel funny when people try to *throw* their faith in your face.
22. when talking to my husband on the phone, we say we love each other probably 5 times before hanging up
23. believe that people need to live for the future, and not live and dwell in their pasts
24. literally thank God every morning for letting me, my husband, and girls wake up to live another day
25. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Even though I have 4 kids, (don't worry it cant happen, literally)I would love to have another baby in a few years :o)

Peace

I am at a time in my life where I feel as if this is just where God wants me to be. Mark and I rely on each other for so much, love, support, parental guidance, house work, making money, friendship, etc. Right now in life we are making it...and by this I mean we are making our children happy, making them healthy, providing them with what they NEED, our bills are paid on time, we have food in our pantry, we don't go hungry. We don't have much, but it doesn't matter because we are happy. I am trying to teach my children (and my husband) the difference between NEED and WANT. There are definitely things we want...beach vacation, new clothes, new shoes, a newer family car, a pedicure :o), to not have to ask for help :o( financially...We laugh together, we live together, and we love together as a family. We have more than some families, but we have a lot less than others...in the terms of tangible items. I feel that we have everything we could ever need, hope for, pray for, and dream of! We are so blessed to have what we do...love, 4 beautiful, healthy daughters, my parents who would drop everything for us, aunts, uncles, siblings, that are all willing to help with the children, friends who are amazing!, but most of all a God that leads us where he wants us to be, shows us how to love, shows us how to parent, and leads us each and everyday in His way.

We don't make a lot of money, but we do with it what we should, our bills get paid, our children have food, and a roof over their heads; its just hard to accept that life isn't about a new car, steak for dinner, name brand clothing, having a perfectly manicured flower bed, etc. but rather life is about the happiness, love, and laughter that you can find in our house (on most days).

Numbers 6:24-26"The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

and He has given me peace.

God's hands

Tomorrow I will be handing my baby Reese over for the 2nd time for surgery...
I don't like doing this. It makes me feel incompetent, useless, and helpless. Reese has been through a lot in her sweet little 10 months of life. Her first 8 weeks she suffered daily with pain from 3 hernias. And since Christmas she has been in horrible pain with ear infections every 2 weeks! I want my baby to feel better! I pray that tomorrow will be a new day for her! She needs and deserves to feel GOOD and NORMAL. She has been the happiest, sweetest, Mommy's girl through it all! I want to give her all that happiness, sweetness, and love back in return that she so deserves!

It has been a rough week. I took Loraly in yesterday to have her 'bump' cut and biopsied. And then Reese's tomorrow. Last but not least, next Tuesday, the 3 older girls have dentist appointments followed by Loraly getting her stitches out. Should be a LONG and interesting day...

I pray for 'those' Mommies that have really sick children that have to do this all the time. I know they don't feel amazing, but let me tell you...THEY ARE God's Angels on earth!

I have 4 healthy, beautiful daughters! Thank God! I am so very blessed! All 4 of my girls have had surgery, and all 4 are very healthy! I thank God for the doctors, nurses, and my support from friends and family! God uses and chooses these special people to fulfill some of his miraculous work here on Earth.

He Is Amazing!

For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:10-12

Sophie after a long day at Disney :o)

Love these!

http://babybeblessed.blogspot.com/2010/05/yayfree-friday_28.html

Dried Baby Food

While sitting in church Sunday morning, I noticed a spot of dried baby food from Reese's breakfast on my arm. Yes, most normal people would have tried to get it off thinking how gross! I, on the other hand, savored in the moment. Reese was not with me...she was in the nursery. But in my heart, all I could think about was this spot of food dried to the hairs on my arm. I gently rubbed it with my hand thinking to myself how I didn't want these precious days to end.

Being a mother is the one and only thing I have ever imagined being. This little spot reminded me that once I wipe it away, these days will end just as soon. Silly to think about dried baby food this way, but for some reason my heart hurt for these days to stay.

I rubbed it gently throughout the service thinking about all these wonderful years I have had so far as a mother, and the years I have to come...

As soon as the service was over, Mark and I immediately went to get Reese. She was so ecstatic to see me! I love that about babies! They are always so happy to see you...even if you only left the room to use the restroom. As soon as you are back, they react to you as if they haven't seen you in forever!

We got the other girls, got in the car to head home. We were all talking about church, what the girls learned, listening to Sophie sing, stopping a couple arguments (like always), and just being together. In all the togetherness, I forgot about the dried baby food. Once we got home, my hand rubbed against that spot, and it was gone. I looked twice...and yes it was gone.

I thought to myself that how weird that I noticed this spot when my children weren't with me, but as soon as we were all back together again, it was gone.

I think God was telling me to enjoy even the smallest of things...like the baby food that Reese spits everywhere while I feed her and she blows raspberries!

Take in the small things in life and especially in motherhood...it goes by too quickly!

Every Texas Mom's Dream *The Perfect BlueBonnet Picture!*

With one child-super easy!
With two children-very do-able!
With three- well, she looks cute even when she doesn't smile!
With four- GOOD LUCK! We will take what we can get...

What you can find Madalyn doing...

Madalyn has really turned into a avid reader this last year. She is always reading, has finished an entire 5 set book series and is starting it over! I love this about her because neither me nor my husband ever really got into reading. I would love to sit down with a book, but I would get about halfway down the first page and I would hear "MOMMY!" Excuses, I know... I am just glad my daughter has found something all on her own that she loves!

Easter 2010 (Reese's first!)

The girls Easter baskets from the Easter Bunny! There was a trail of eggs from Sophie and Reese's rooms, and a trail going down the stairs for Madalyn and Loraly.
Here is Reese with her first Easter basket! (and her infected eye) :o(

Loraly hunting eggs.

Madalyn hunting...

Sophie FINALLY got in the grass to hunt for eggs. She didn't want to get dirty or wet...

All of beautiful girls...I am so blessed!

Reese's Nursery******(for Shannon) :o)

Just wanted to post some pics of Reese's nursery. We really hadn't done a lot with it since she slept in our room for so long. We rarely even went in there except to get clothes. But she is officially sleeping in her own room now, so we moved the cradle out of our room and into her room, cleaned up my scrap booking stuff (yes, I was using her room to scrap book) and now have it pretty for her :o)

SeRiOuSlY!!!

We have been through the ringer!!

So as long as I can remember, we have been going to the doctor for at least one kid every week since right before Christmas! It started the week before Christmas when Loraly has ear infections. We went from that to a month later her and Sophie having the flu! and Reese having ear infections, 2 weeks later Madalyn having strep and ear infections, a month later Madalyn having yet strep again and ear infections!, now we are hear again with Reese having ear infections, strep, and RSV!!! Poor thing, she has lost 9 ounces in the last 2 weeks! Not good for such a tiny body. The doctor said her lungs are having to work so hard that it is causing her to lose the weight.

What is a momma to do!?

We have been on so many medicines lately! My counter looked like a pharmacy SeRiOuSlY! I love and adore my children but have got to get them well! If this weather cooperates we can get outside and hopefully kill some of these germs!

3/4 of my girls are or have been on breathing treatments in the last 2 months!

2/4 of them are currently on allergy meds and will be for the unforeseeable future.

Please say a special prayer for our family (and others who are fighting illnesses) to get well! It is so hard to watch your child suffer! And it is tiresome, miserable, and devastating when you are having to watch/ care for so many of them being sick at the same time.

My oh My where have the days gone...

March 1st, 2001 changed my life in a way I would have never imagined! God chose me to be Madalyn's Mommy. She came into my life so sweet, precious, and absolutely perfect in every way! She turned 9 yesterday and what an amazing 9 years it has been! She is and has always been so beautiful, sweet, caring, respectful, honest, compassionate, and MINE (well, and Mark's)!

We have enjoyed the last 9 years watching her grow, leaving her while I worked the first 5 years, watching her dance in ballet/ tap/ jazz/ hip hop, become best buds with Paul, being by her side as she told him bye, leaving her at kindergarten with Mrs. Humphrey, watching her become such a smart girl, overcoming a speech delay, becoming such an awesome and compassionate reader, watching her become a big sister, bigger sister, and the biggest sister :o)

Madalyn we have loved each and everyday God has given us with you! You are amazing, brilliant, and the most special first born daughter! We fell so deeply in love with you, that we insisted we wanted more daughters! You were and still are wonderful to us and your sisters and we are so proud to call you ours!

I love you and Happy 9th Birthday!

Reeses 4 month stats

Weight: 14 lbs 8 oz

Length: 27 in

Head Circumference: 17 in

And these are the percentages:

Length = above percentile 95

Weight = between percentile 50 and 75

Head Circumference = between percentile 90 and 95

WOW...I had thought she was small for her age...boy was I wrong!

My last but not least

Becoming a mommy was always what I said I was meant to be when "I grew up". I love each and everyone of my girls! They are all so precious in their own unique ways.

*Madalyn taught me how to be a Mommy. To love, care, and want to give my life for her.

*Loraly taught me patience, nurturing, and resiliency. She is so exciting to be around!

*Sophie taught me joy. She is the light of my life, my sunshine on a rainy day. Such a blessing!

*Reese is my angel. I never knew I wanted another baby girl until God placed her in my womb, and then in my arms on September 10, 2009. She is awesome, loving, sweet, perfect in every way!

Thank you God for my girls! Please make me be a better Mommy to them each and everyday. They are precious and wonderfully made. They deserve the best!

me