Tutu Cute!

Dear Audrey:

As you grow older, you have become accustomed to mommy's occasional impromptu photo shoots. This weekend Gammie, Pop, Aunt Robin and I dressed you up in a tutu and threw strands of pearls on you and began taking some shots.



You didn't mind it much at all...in fact, we decided you liked the feel of the pearls between your tiny little toes. You are such a princess! Gram did make you a little angry, so I have posted the outake:



Hannah also wanted to get in on the pictures. She loves to give you kisses.


Pop also thought it would be funny to throw his hunting hat on you. You sorta looked like a trendy superstar.

You had your 6 month appointment last week. You are 27 1/2 inches long and 19 lbs 12 ounces. You are one big LITTLE lady! The Doctor says you are right on track. We are thanking God so much for your good health and good personality! You are laughing so much. Giggles fill the walls of our house. It is hard not to laugh with you. You think Mommy is funny when I dance around the house. You roll around in your walker and like to look out the window or watch Maya at the basement door. You like to watch the fishies in the aquarium that Gram bought you. I like to watch your eyes explore the world around you.

Soon, I will be going back to work. A year ago, I would have never thought that I would want to stay at home with a baby. i thought for sure I would always have that pang to be a corporate woman..that was before I met you. I could spend every hour of the rest of my life just soaking in your face.

I am so grateful that I can work from home and at least enjoy the largest portion of your life.

Now, it comes down to finding the right person or people to care for you.
That is a hard task for my heart. I am placing it all in Gods hands...he will put us in the right spot or put the right people in our path.

Loving you with all of my heart,

Mommy

Snow Day

This has been a very snowy winter; as I write this, there is an expected 18 inches falling outside our door.
I can't remember a winter with this much snow since I was a little girl! I must admit, I love days indoors with the fire place and shoveling for a hot chocolate reward.

My mom and dad were down this past weekend, during which we got 22 inches of snow.
They are my angels...and, as always, they snowblowed and shoveled and just took great care of us.

Audrey had her first outing in the snow. She is mommy's little SNOW angel.



By next year, she'll be pushing her own shovel and sledding down our hill with the other kids.

Welcome Sydney Grace Tosti

My friend's Tammy and Ed were a bit surprised when, just 6 days after their baby shower, and 5 weeks early, their daughter decided to arrive.
I had hosted Tammy's baby shower the Sunday before, and was quite surprised to get a phone call from Tammy the following Saturday, letting me know that Baby Girl Tosti had arrived.



I was so excited to meet this little peach, weighing in at 5 lbs 7 ounces and just 18 1/4 inches long.
I was MORE excited to get to the hospital and have the incredible privilege of being the first person to meet the new baby and hear her given name: Sydney Grace.
Sydney is a cutie, with lots of hair ( Mom had alotta heartburn).

I was blessed to be able to assist Tammy with feeding Syd her formula supplement.
I can't wait for Sydney and Audrey to have their first little tea party together.
Thank Heaven for Little Girls...another player for team Pink!

Welcome Lathan James Natale

God has blessed us with many children. We just only gave birth to one of them.
Since the beginning of the last year, We have seen the birth of Taylor, Raina, Emily, Brayden, Ava, Mohammed, Maddie, Liam, Sydney, etc..... It must truly be in the water.

2 weeks ago, our dearest friends Jim and Val Natale gave birth to a baby boy, Lathan James, weighing in at 10 lbs and 5 oz and measuring 22.5 inches tall. Truly, a BIG BABY, just as the doctors told his mama.

We couldn't wait to meet this little person who was a few days late. Like us, Jim and Val decided to be surprised as to what they were having. I think they would agree with us, that the surprise at that incredible moment was worth the 40 weeks ( er and a few days for the Natales) wait.



We were so excited to share pregnancy and now being new parents with Jim and Val.

They have settled into parenting this little man, like it was the job crafted for them from the beginning of their lives.

We are so fortunate to be able to share a close relationship with the Natales and we are so excited to see the amazing life that God has in store for Lathan.

I was blessed to be able to visit them in the hospital to meet Lathan for the first time, just hours after his birth.


Jimmy got to meet Lathan a few days later at the Natale's house.

The love of friends will be a part of Audrey's life from the very beginning. How Blessed!

My 2 front teeth

2 bottom teeth for our lil girl.

She has held up well, considering she got 2 teeth in 2 weeks!

She has been enjoying chewing......EVERYTHING!

A cold wet washcloth seems to be the best to ease any discomfort....and cold water!

What a big girl!

Sometimes you feel a person's impact in your life....much further

down the road.

When I was a high school student, I became friends with a young lady named Heather Loux.

She and her brothers were a christian band. They were 3 amazingly talented young people that had moved to Wellsboro, lived there for a brief time, but had an impact on me.

Over the holidays, Heather's brother Derek was killed in a car accident.

Derek was leading worship at the international House of Prayer.

He and his wife have 10 children, some birth children, but the majority adopted, many with special needs.

Derek championed the cause of adoption. He was a gifted and published christian musician.

His memorial service was aired via his churches web-telecast.

It was not until this evening that I watched it.

And as I sat there watching this beautiful service, I remembered how much Heather's family had welcomed me into their home. How they had taken me on a scavenger hunt with their church youth group, how I had gone to see the Loux Family Singers play in the basement of a college dorm....how they modeled their love of god in all that they did in their lives....how often I have thought of that kindness as I wondered far away from the god that has always loved me and thankfully RAN, not walked back to him.

Praise God for the people that walk in and out of our lives...even for the briefest moments...for it is true what Francis of Assisi said: Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary...use words.

Thank you Lord for the people that you place on my path. Your plan comes full circle. it is perfect.

If you wish to watch Derek's deeply moving memorial:

http://ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000059490

If nothing more, scroll the video to 1 hr and 44 minutes to listen to Heather and her brother John offer a beautiful memorial to Derek with one of his own songs, Fragrant Burning.

I forgot how amazing this family's voices are.

Baby's first Christmas Vacation

Dear Audrey,

On Christmas day, we packed up the car with Gram and Pop and made the 8 hr trip to Corolla, North Carolina, the OBX. We stayed at a town home in Corolla Light Resort called SeeHorses.

You slept in your own room...with Gram.

We visited the 4X4 beach where we took the Expedition on the beach with other cars.

We saw a 300 year old Oyster boat washed ashore and the engine of an old car.

The most fun day, was when we went to the aquarium on Pine Island.

I was surprised at how you reacted to the

fish that you saw in the tank.

You were mesmerized...so we went through twice. We really enjoyed our time with you at the aquarium.

We played games at night after you had gone to bed.

Our last day, we went to the Currituck Lighthouse and the wildlife center.

Here are some highlights and lovely pictures from our trip.

We decided that you are a great traveler. You never got fussy or anything on our long journey.

But, we certainly got fussy. It was one LONG drive for us.

Next summer, we are driving 3 to 4 hrs only.

Love,

The weary traveling mom