Baby Julien

This was Julien's first Santa picture. We were in Washington, so we had to wait until the next year to get his picture taken with "the" Santa. This Santa was just pitiful and was afraid to hold Julien. I told him he would be just fine for a minute while they took the picture... :)

Meow - still firmly attached this morning

Happy Eleven-Month Birthday Addie!

Here's my sleepy little baby relaxing in the bath tonight. She is absolutely petrified of taking a bath in the bathtub, so I have resorted to bathing her in the kitchen sink. I pray that we move soon, so that we will have a smaller bathtub instead of just a garden tub to bathe her in (Julien wants to share his bathroom, but girls really need their own!). I have tried everything that I can think of, so maybe the market will pick up soon and we can sell this house!













We still haven't finished decorating for Christmas! I'm certain we will find the time before Christmas actually gets here! We decided just to put up a smaller tree this year...the main reason? Thomas, one of our kitties, loves to sleep in the tree each year. He makes a point of climbing up, finding a cozy branch and napping until we spot him! Not only does he bend the branches down, but he also plays with the ornaments. Last year, we spent most of December redecorating the tree - it was like a bad scene out of "50 First Dates". We woke up each morning to do the same thing all over again! This year, we just don't have the time or the sanity. We opted for a "potted" Christmas tree. It actually turned out very pretty although it's not what we are used to.
Notice the yellow cat Addie is holding. This is one of her bath-time toys and she has grown quite fond of him. She got very upset last night when I tried to move him from one hand to the other to wash her and then she demanded he go with her when she was all done with her bath. Since then, he has been attached to her...he was covered in grits this morning because she refused to let go during breakfast, he went along for diaper changes, play-time, work-time and accompanied her shopping today. He even stayed with her while she fell asleep...it is really very sweet.

Love the new bows!

I ordered seven more bows last Sunday and got them on Thursday! Talk about perfect!

Babies first ornaments

Here is Julien and Addie's first Christmas ornaments. I opted for cute instead of pretty.

11-Months

This is it, the count down to Addie's first birthday. These last 11-months have been a very heart-wrenching time for Chris and Me. I look back and see how far we've come and yet when I look forward, I realize that we have so much left ahead to conquer. I thank God everyday for the blessings that He has bestowed upon me. I thank Him for my children and I thank Him for the opportunity to be Addie's Mother. I am a completely different person than I was this time last year and I would have to say it's for the better.

Addie is amazing! She is trying so hard to accomplish each task that is set out before her. Yesterday morning, I put Addie on the floor in my bedroom with a book. I pushed the button for the music and went into the closet to get dressed. I kept hearing her make an "M' sound and I swear it sounded like "more". I walked to the door of the bedroom and Addie was on all fours trying to reach the button for the music. I'm not officially saying that she said another word (yet), but she sure is trying! Also, just seeing her on all fours is huge! We have been working with Addie, trying to get her mobile in some form or fashion. Addie is drinking from a straw, trying desperately to wave "bye-bye", interacting beautifully with other children and is winning the hearts of all who meet her!

I know that every mother is thankful for their children and especially for the child they have who is healthy and will never face any true physical or mental challenges. I am thankful for having the opportunity to see this world in another light. It is an honor to know "the other side" and to appreciate the beauty of each day, each sound that Addie makes, each movement of her body and each time she looks at me with those heart-stopping blue eyes. This is our journey.

The GIO Trio

We visited with Graham, Isabelle and Owen tonight. It was great to spend time with you guys!