Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

We're home and feeling fuller than ever! Not only our tummys are fuller (that Dot can cook a mean meal), but our hearts are even fuller feeling the love everywhere we turned and watching Lily be loved on so much that I think I saw some love oozing out of her ears when she left.




She was all smiles on the plane!



She even flirted with the captain!!




Flirted so much that she pulled off the picture that they said couldn't be done!! Even thee Kelle Hampton told me it would be the million dollar shot like when she SNUCK INTO THE NICU to take a picture of Lily for me when she was born.

Well, Lily's smile must've done it bc I didn't even ask. Suddenly, I was handing my camera to the co-pilot, handing off my precious daughter, while singing the best version of ABC's that I could belt out from the outside while she was whining her whine that says "mommy, I'm not sure about this" and I'm singing in a higher pitch than Carrie Underwood "A-B-C-D-E, mommy's here, F-G-H-I, yaa, little Lily, J-K-L-yaaa". (licking bills counting out million dollars)






She was giving the pilot the holy stare down and I thought he'd say to her "take a picture, it lasts longer"

Oh wait, I did take a picture.




How can one 16 pounder require so much STUFF!!??





Dot and Lare-Bear were so gracious that they turned their beautiful house into a mini-daycare borrowing baby toys, furniture, gear from the church. I just loved this high chair. Lily looked like she was from another era.



I think Lily was actually caught in a tug-o-war between Allison and Anna who were first to tackle her on the scene with lots of love, kisses, giggles, hugs, and wanted to do everything to make her happy! They were counting the days until they could meet her. It was the sweetest scene!!



We went to the fabric store of all fabric stores to pick out fabric for Dot to make ANOTHER quilt for us!! This was the largest fabric store I've ever seen. I felt like I was in Sam's. Everywhere I turned, there was more fabric. Good ole' "Mary Jo's" delivers some serious fabric!! If you're ever out yonder, must check it out!! Dot's also making another Taggie blanket for Pie as she LOVES the one Wendy Hathaway made for her when she was born.
Lily also LOVED with a capital L her sling we borrowed from Kelle. Thank you K!! We couldn'tve survived the trip without it! Especially on the plane when the overtired back-arching Lily was trying to fall asleep. Once we put her in this jobby, she was off to dreamland!!! I felt pg again and she was curled up like she was still in the womb! (going on EBAY now to order one rush delivered)
Or sometimes, she just like to hang out while mommy shopped.




Lily also went on her first swing! It's amazing we forget what she's capable of because sometimes we still think she's a newborn, but it was all smiles in the swing!! Thanks Janet for reminding us we have a sitting up 8 month old who would LOVE this!!


Lily also went down her first slide! All smiles on the little one, but big tears when we ventured on the tall one with her in my lap.







She was a fan of the tire swing too. We were going to try the teeter-totter, but it didn't seem up to "code".






We also met a turkey farmer. Not everyday you meet one of these special people who actually nuture the birds eaten on Thanksgiving!!



When I say a turkey farmer, I mean, they had a FARM of turkeys! As in turning over 80,000 turkeys every 6 weeks!! My camera couldn't even reach the end of these birds. I've never seen so many in all my life. Nor will I ever.



Great Grandma Thelma was as cute as ever! She did not act like a 96 year old great grandma as she was playing peek a boo, reading books, hugging, kissing, cuddling, and feeding her. Every time I looked up, Thelma had her eyes set on Lily Pie! My camera couldn't stop snapping!!



My heart swells an extra swell seeing them interact. Thelma prayed so hard for Lily to be in her arms one day. Miracles I tell you. Nothing short.




Lily is trying to get the word out about the importance of recycling.




and smiling everyday....





Oh and I think there's something in the turkey or their water in SC because Lily surprised us with her first....


toofer!! Kelle called it weeks ago, but I rolled my eyes thinking Lily would be the first kindergartener to wear dentures to school! Then her 2nd came the next day!!






Tears filled our eyes as we said our good byes knowing the next time we're together Lily will be a different baby, but we share the stories, the pictures, the videos, the love across the miles and know we are better parents because of the way you nurtured your own children and we will try to pay it forward the best we can. We hope we can be half the parents and role models that you are to us. Big shoes to fill I tell you!










Now our family picture is complete....



Life is oh so good!! xoxo

Need Your Vote!!!

I'm on dial up here in SC so if you knew how long it took me to post this, you'd vote for Lily 75 times!! Click here to vote for our sweet Lily Grace - picture #34 :) This computer is so slow, I can't even remember which picture it is and it won't load - I can only see her name listed under picture #34. I know it's one of Kelle's pictures so thanks to Kelle for this wonderful shot of our pie!!!
Here's the direct link: (I think)
http://www.catcountry1071.com/pages/Vote_CuteKids.html

Flying the Friendly Skies...

We're flying to SC today to spend Turkey Day with David's family. I don't even like to call them "David's family" because they feel like mine too. I don't like to compartmentalize the 2 families; especially because they all get along so famously. Here's the rundown of our family in SC and who Lily will be loved on for 6 straight days! Some she'll meeting for the first time. This is my favorite picture of the Hutcheson Herd. It was taken in 2005: we're all huddled up in the cold and you can just feel the love. I think we'll have to have a reshoot and include one more "Little Person".


For the first time, she'll be meeting her cousins, Aunt Sandy and even her great Grandmother Thelma who is the ripe young age of 96. Can't wait to see her on the Smuckers jar with Willard Scott in 4 years!!

These people ooze niceness! They would do anything for anyone at anytime. Truly. They check the blog like stalkers. Nice stalkers tho. Not crazy-drive-by-your-house-at-midnight stalkers. Just crazy in love with their "Little Tater". Lily has more nicknames that a high school football player.

See you guys in a couple of hours!!
x
o
x
o
Happy (early) Thanksgiving to all!!
Life is really Good!

Freaky Genetics

I'm usually clueless when people ask me who their baby looks like (ie mom or dad) and even more clueless when people ask me who I think Lily looks like. 99% of people say they see David which I think is kinda neat. I just wish I could see it too. Nanny K actually says she sees David so much in Lily that she sometimes blushes when she changes her diaper because she feels like she's looking right at David. Ok, now that is some funny stuff!!

Well, my school wanted my baby picture for Thanksgiving slide show they're doing so I went digging and stopped in my tracks when I saw this picure of Lily. Actually, it wasn't a picture of Lily, but it was a picture of ME as a baby! I had to do a double take. Then a triple take. If the picture wasn't so grainy, I would've thought it was Lily. Ready for the reveal? You're going to die at the similarities!! It's uncanny.

For the first time I can actually see it....


Woah! Did your jaw drop like mine did or am I seeing things?
Here's Lily as a comparison doing her famous open mouth smile...



Guess we know there was no mixup at the lab!! lol.



Here are a few more pictures for your viewing enjoyment... we were trying to get a family picture in front of the giant teddy bear at the library, but it looks like I got in the way. Not enough room for all of us. The librarian was trying to get Lily's attention so I told her she could try to sing the ABC's if she wanted to make her smile. I think she was embarrassed to do it. But she did it anyway. What followed was the most fragmented, monotone, uncomfortable version of the ABCs I've ever heard. I think Lily was shocked too.



This girl loves a good book...



She's not even phased by the larger than life size ape peering over her shoulder. (I don't mean me)





This picture at Taste of Bonita makes me laugh looking at David holding the claw of the crab who I think was making a pass at him.



Lily loves a good football game!






I absolutely love this picture of her as she looks so cozy and innocent...




Trying to show off her jeans...think it's her first time in them (jotting in baby book)



This is such a beautiful sight at the end of my day. This wonder woman manages so much everyday with ease, grace, love, and patience. Then she passes the baton of love to me. We love you so much Nanny K.


Life is good!

Patience Pays...(& a giveaway)

Here are some pages that will go into her first year book.... It's hard to be patient for this book to be printed into something like this,(LOVE that cover btw) but I think it'll be worth the wait and a keepsake she can throw in that ever-growing laundry basket on the way to college...































And for the first time I'm doing a blog giveaway! Apparently, it's the cool thing to do in the blogging world and since I won a giveaway on coconut's blog, I decided to pay it forward and have a giveaway of my own.

The lucky winner just has to leave a comment and will win a set of these bags for the grocery store instead of using all those plastic bags that don't ever fully recycle.

Once you comment, your name will be put into a bonnet and Lily will pick the lucky winner. (out of towners eligible too) So I'm looking for all you lurkers to comment as well (hep herm dad, Dottie, Jan, to name a few) for Lily to read one day. We use ours bags religiously and wish everyone else would too. I give them as gifts and would go on the road to campaign that everyone uses them every time they go to the store. They are the best!! You can fit SO much in these bags and it's a great feeling knowing you're taking part in trying to preserve this precious earth for our next generation.

Lucky 7

7 months old already and it just keeps getting better and better when we didn't think it was possible...


Her 7 month coincided with election day so she had to look the part and it seemed everyone wanted to hold her...



We've come a long way...







I met Kelle at MegaKids to tell her the gender of our baby. I told her to find me in the store and I'd be in a pink chair for a girl and blue chair for a boy. She raced in, ignored the friendly clerk, and searched the store like an adult game of hide and go seek! She found me in a pink chair and we celebrated, screaming in the middle of ths store, jumping up and down,hugging...celebrating not because it was a girl, but because the baby in my belly had just become more real than ever. She was so excited that she bought Lily this adorable dress that has hung in her nursery as a decoration ever since. I never thought it would fit her tiny body, but it now fits like a glove.






This picture is harder and harder to get every month because Lily is much more mobile and wants to eat everything in sight...especially paper!! She could eat a whole piece of paper if we let her. Then she'd eat the tree it came from.




so I gave her this boot as a distraction...(love the inquisitive look)




then sang the ABC song for the millionth time which always gets a smile.






Here's what Lily may look like as an adult...







This pic is for Jen because she says she almost likes Lily's serious face because she's always so smiley.





I think this is still might be my favorite...




This is not an optical illusion...no string or fishing line was used to produce this picture. I have to rub my eyes and look again because it doesnt seem real...


She seems to be going through a personality growth spurt where she's showing us more of herself everyday. I went to 2 doctors for "Stretchy Heart Syndrome" because my symptoms are becoming more severe with each day. David is almost bedridden with his case. They said there is no known cure and symptoms will only worsen with time.

Life is good.