Life Through Rowe's Colored Glasses

Christmas Cards

2010-09-12T00:10:00.002-05:00

Can You Hear Me Now???

2010-07-26T08:53:00.002-05:00

For some reason, writing on my whiteboard is not working with Rowe. He never follows the directions I put on there. I wonder why!

A Quiet Update from Me

2010-07-23T08:21:00.002-05:00

I am so behind on updating my blog, so I am going to slowly try to get back to updating.

Well, as many of you know I am fighting vocal nodules on my vocal cords and losing. The ENT prescribed medication, speech therapy, and voice rest. Can you guess which is the most difficult for me??? I stink at the voice rest!!! Please pray I close my mouth and quit talking and get well so I don't have to have surgery. Surgery is not even always effective, so I really don't want to do that. Honestly, surgery scares me to death after what I went through when Rowe was born.

Update on Lee:
Lee and I had plans for a fun night out of town with friends on Tuesday night. Lee was really excited about it, and talked about it for days. Tuesday afternoon, Lee called and said he was not feeling well and did not think he could make it to the gathering. I knew something had to really be wrong because he was never sick nor did he want to miss this event. When he walked in the door, I was speechless. His coloring was terrible, his eyes looked sunken in and crossed, and he was hardly able to stand up straight. He was cramping from head to toe, and wincing in pain. His voice was hoarse, and he began throwing up.

I immediately took him to the emergency room. They gave him to liters of fluids, and did blood work. His blood work results were terrible and showed he was suffering from extreme dehydration. After the second bag of fluids, Lee looked much better, and his cramps were gone. We were only there about two hours, and then headed home. Lee was told to rest for 24 to 48 hours, but his stubborn self went back to work 24 hours later. He is feeling much better, and hopefully taking much better care of himself. Please pray he will do better taking care of himself.

Update on Rowe:
He is wonderful, talking up a storm, always giving kisses, and asking for hugs. I am going to cry, cry, cry when school starts back!!!

A Burdened Heart

2010-07-07T09:55:00.003-05:00

As some of you know, Lee and I sponsor a child in Guatemala through World Help. His name is Melvin, and he is about six months older than Rowe. We have been sponsoring Melvin and sending him monthly gifts for almost two years. In fact, many of you made generous clothing donations to him and his family.

Unfortunately, a little over a month ago, tropical storm Agatha devastated Guatemala and some of its surrounding areas. It killed over 150 people, many are missing, and it caused a giant sinkhole in Guatemala City. We have been praying for Melvin, his family, and his community since we heard, but sadly we still have not received any answers about Melvin and his family's safety. We pray they are alive and well, but my heart has been so heavy over this. The last we heard from him, was a homemade Easter card with his hand prints drawn on it from him in April. Of course it hangs on the refrigerator as a constant reminder to pray.

I encourage you to google tropical storm Agatha and Guatemala to learn more. There is so much flooding our media right now such as the terrible oil spill and the ruins and recovery of Haiti. I believe we should also be praying and doing what we can to help with the recovery of these disasters also. Unfortunately there was little coverage of tropical storm Agatha.

I am asking that all of you take the time to pray and consider helping these communities affected by tropical storm Agatha. There are several different ways you can help these families and those who are working to restore Guatemala. You can make a one time donation towards the recovery effort, you can sponsor a child there for about $30 a month, you can pray, and you can spread the word.

Click here to learn more about helping the communities of Guatemala during this great time of need.

If you make a donation or decide to sponsor a child, please leave me a comment. In two weeks I will use a random number generator to randomly select a winner of a $50 gift certificate for any of my personalized Stationery Fairy products. This includes anything from wedding invitations to luggage tags, and more!!! You can visit my site at www.thestationeryfairy.net for ideas on how to spend your gift certificate.

Rowe's Test Results!

2010-06-02T22:01:00.002-05:00

Praise the Lord; we received great news today while we were in Jackson at Rowe's pediatric neurologist appointment. He said that Rowe is having motor tics and night terrors. This what we were praying it would turn out to be if it were something. Thank you God, and thank you to our prayer warriors out there.

Rowe's doctor was fabulous, and super child friendly. Rowe loved playing ball with him in the room. He asked questions and listened very well to our questions and informing him in what has been going on with Rowe. We took with us the c.d of Rowe's CT Scan, EEG, and videos of Rowe's episodes. He was super impressed with our video footage and wants to use our c.d. in teaching med students about tics. He told us that it the night terrors are Lee's fault, since they are in the same family as sleep walking/talking, and Lee has been known to catch a pass, drive a boat, give lessons on Bodock trees, and run from a snake in his sleep. (Side Note: It is not a good idea to wake someone while they are having a conversation in their sleep. It is an even worse idea to laugh at them. They get really angry and fuss at you. Then you will wake up with your feelings hurt while the other person (LEE) has no recollection of why you are upset or the previous night's events. I'm just saying.) The tics were passed down from his ADHD mommy. Rowe does not necessarily have ADHD, but it is in the same family as tics and obsessive compulsive disorder, so he may only experience the tics and nothing else.

I will post lots of pictures from our eventful day tomorrow. Rowe is calling me at the moment. I just love his sweet voice saying, "Coming mama, in here. Come in here mama." Once again, thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. It is unbelievable the peace that we have experienced throughout this whole ordeal thanks to your prayers.

Rowe Bug

2010-05-28T09:49:00.002-05:00

We did not have the strep test run this week, because I decided to wait until we go to Jackson to do it. The tests will be more detailed and accurate there, so I felt this was best. Plus, (big praise here) Rowe has not had any symptoms this week except a few outbursts at night. No blinking episodes in the last few days!!! If strep is the cause of all of this, then he would only experience symptoms when the strep is present. Therefore, the strep test will come back positive only when he is having his blinking episodes. I am praying that everything will show in the tests that needs to in order to get a proper diagnosis. Strep may not be the cause of any of this, but I don't want him checked. There was a condensed version of the article that I previously posted from the Clarion Ledger in the Commercial Dispatch on Wednesday of this week.

Rowe's appointment in Columbus for tests is Tuesday, and in Jackson on Wednesday for our first consultation with the neurologist. We are planning to take Rowe to the zoo after his appointment Wednesday morning. He loves animals and has never been to a zoo before, so I think he will absolutely be in awe of it all!!! The only thing that may disappoint him is that there will not be any dinosaur exhibits. Poor kid doesn't know they are extinct, and I don't have the heart to tell him or the patience to explain the word extinct to a two year old.

Potty Training

2010-05-25T21:33:00.004-05:00

We are about to start the joyous fun of potty training. He likes to sit on his potty, but that is about it thus far. I had planned on waiting until we had moved into our new house to start the training, but I decided to do it now since I finished school today, and he has been asking about the potty a lot lately.

Any and all suggestions are welcome. I know a lot about the potty training in three days strategy, but I'm not sure if that is what we'll try yet or not.

No Diabetes

2010-05-25T21:24:00.003-05:00

Rowe's diabetes test came back negative. Getting him to cooperate with the test was quite the experience. They needed a urine sample, and he was determined not to give one. 12 hours later, success. Praise the Lord the test was negative!!! Thank you again for your prayers.

Please continue to pray that we get some answers very soon. I am going to have him tested for Strep tomorrow. He has had Strep three times in the last year, and after reading a recent article, I think we need to test him again. You should be able to go to http://www.clarionledger.com/ and search for the article "Strep Children" by Shanderia K. Posey to read it. It was very interesting. I'll post Rowe's Strep test results tomorrow.

Latest Update

2010-05-24T17:22:00.002-05:00

I took Rowe today to his pediatrician's office for a Diabetes test, but Rowe didn't cooperate very well with the test, so we won't know the results until tomorrow. On a much more positive note, a different doctor in the same office watched one of Rowe's videos and said that he felt that it was a tic and not seizures. Once again, I know that the more people I show his videos to, the more differing opinions I will receive, but hearing him say it was reassuring. I will update tomorrow with the results of the Diabetes test. The only reason I asked to have this test done is because he is thirsty so often, and is waking up much more wet than ever before. Diabetes can be a cause of seizures, so we wanted to go ahead and rule this out if possible. Check back tomorrow for hopefully good news.

Keep up the praying. It is definitely helping. Rowe was back to normal with his sleeping habits this weekend. Praise the Lord!!! Rowe had a blast at a birthday party and then shoe shopping. When he was trying on a pair of shoes, he looked at me and said "Happy!" Too sweet. He loves to go shopping, just like his mommy and daddy.

God bless all. I'll post pics soon.

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-05-20T15:12:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Mother's Day. Lee and Rowe gave me a homemade card and a stylish apron for when I am baking my breads. I will post pics from Market Street Festival later.

We Now Have an Appointment

2010-05-20T14:48:00.003-05:00

HOORAY!!! We now have an appointment with the pediatric neurologist in less than two weeks. Praise God! He will have his initial tests run here in Columbus, then take the results with us as a starting point for the neurologist.

Here are a few random pics for you to enjoy.

No Appointment Yet

2010-05-17T21:50:00.002-05:00

I have a couple of loaves of bread cooking in the oven, so I have a few minutes to kill before they are ready. I wanted to fill you all in on what has been happening the last couple of days with Rowe.

Rowe went a few days this week without any blinking episodes followed by good nights. Yesterday afternoon around 3:00, he began blinking off and on throughout the night. He started getting really uncomfortable and hard to console around 8:30 last night, so Lee rocked him until about 1:00 a.m. Lee brought him into our room, and put him in the bed with me, then he went and got into the bed in Rowe's room. At 2:15 a.m. it started all over again. Rowe was confused, fussing, and kicking. He would ask for something, and then get mad when I tried to give it to him. I tried rocking him, walking him, singing to him, everything with no luck. Lee woke up and Rowe immediately tried to get to him. Lee began rocking him again for another hour or longer. He brought him back to bed with me, and he slept until about 4:30. I was able to calm him down within 30 minutes this time without waking Lee. Rowe slept then until almost 8:00 this morning. What scares me is that the blinking episodes and his bad nights coexist. They must be related like the doctor believes, but honestly I don't want to believe he is right about these being seizures.

The nurse called me today and said that the specialist in Birmingham can not see him until OCTOBER! Those all caps are me yelling in my head. This is ridiculous. The Jackson specialist can't see him until August. I just hurt for the families who have children waiting to see these doctors with much worse health problems than Rowe. I can't imagine how much harder it is for them. As of right now, we are still keeping our June 1 appointment here in Columbus for his tests to be run. I just hate to have to do them again when we get to the specialist. That means Rowe will have to be sedated twice. Please pray that when the nurse calls me tomorrow about our appointment in Memphis, that it will be very soon. I am learning that the less control I have over all of this, means the more time I will be spending relying on God and prayer.

We both were so tired at work today, but I worry about Lee. He has such a physical job that can be dangerous at times. After work, he went to do a side job. He was running on adrenaline all day. Thankfully, I am giving exams this week and not trying to lecture or teach a new skill. Rowe was napping when I came home from school which meant NAP TIME FOR ME!!! When I woke up, Rowe was with Nana and Pops in the backyard, naked running round and jumping into his little pool. Only Rowe was naked, not Nana or Pops. Our backyard is not fenced in.

Rowe had a good day today, with less blinking. I spent most of the night baking for the week. I baked homemade biscuits, cinnamon rolls, banana nut muffins, and a couple loaves of bread. At this moment, Lee is sound asleep in Rowe's bed while Rowe is lying next to him playing.

The bread is ready now, and it is far past my preferred bed time, so I am about to go to bed relying on the Lord for rest. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement!

Still Waiting

2010-05-15T08:08:00.003-05:00

Rowe had the best night's sleep last night in as long as I can remember. Of course, I am still sleeping with him in case he has anymore episodes. We are all so grateful for the rest. Rowe is doing so much better. He only "blinked" twice last night and it did not last long at all. I still have not given him the medicine his pediatrician prescribed for seizures to take at night. I did not like what all I learned when I researched it. I think we need a diagnosis before I start medicating him. I have spoken with another doctor and nurse about this before making this decision.

The sweet nurse called yesterday to tell us that the specialist in Jackson can not see him until August! Not good news!!!!!!!!!! However, she is trying to get him into Le Bonheur ASAP for his tests. I will post any more updates as they happen.

It was a really stressful day on Thursday while trying to get his appointments set up, and I kept allowing it all overwhelm me. It took me a while that morning to pull myself together and get to work, but I made it through just fine. We have been working everyday, and carrying on with our lives as normal, except depending even more heavily on the Lord and the prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Please continue the prayers! Have a good day! We are about to go eat a huge breakfast and watch Rowe stuff his face! YUMMO. I should post pictures soon. He is as cute as ever!

Rowe Update

2010-05-12T17:04:00.002-05:00

I had just begun typing my post when I received a call that another doctor would take a look at Rowe's videos.

We called and bugged the nurse yesterday until we had an appointment set up for Rowe's CT Scan and EEG tests here in Columbus. Unfortunately, they could not run the tests until June 1st. Three weeks is a long time to wait!!! The doctor also prescribed Rowe a seizure medicine to start tonight, but the more research I have done, I am afraid to give it to him. I am going to wait until we have a diagnosis before I medicate him with anything that strong. I know some may disagree, but this is the decision we believe is best for our Rowe Bug.

I nervously loaded Rowe Bug into the car and headed to the doctor's house who agreed to see him tonight. He thought that Rowe was having tics and a sleep disorder. He also said that he could get us in to see the specialist in Memphis pretty quickly to have Rowe's tests run sooner than June 1st.

Of course, I loved hearing him say it didn't look like Rowe was having seizures, and that it looked like a tic, but I knew that each person I probably saw would have a different opinion. So far Rowe's pediatrician and our favorite, most trusted nurse in the world also feels it is a strong possibility that he is having petit mal seizures, and then there is one doctor who thinks it is a tic. There is no way for us to know for sure until the tests are run. I am so thankful for the possibility of Rowe being tested at a sooner date.

I can not dwell on the "what ifs" or I will go nutso(er). I choose to trust that God knows His plans for Rowe, and I will take this time to pray for Rowe and his doctors. I also choose to be thankful that we caught this very early, our favorite nurse gave us the push we needed to take him to see the doctor in the first place, that all his possible problems are manageable, and that we have such supportive and wonderful family and friends. God has given me a peace that passes all understanding, which is not normal for me. I typically worry and am anxious more than I would like to admit, but I am trusting in His sovereign plan. Don't get me wrong, I am not happy go lucky about this. I had my meltdown today in the arms of a precious hug of a friend that has walked through most all of my struggles with me. I am sure there will be more, especially with very little rest.

Please continue to pray for our baby and our family. Many of you helped pray our little dude here, and I know you will continue to pray for him. Thank you again for your prayers.

Prayers for Rowe Please

2010-05-11T11:19:00.002-05:00

Normally, I would not post what I am about to share until after we had all of our test results in and we knew exactly what we are dealing with, but I am learning that transparency and prayers are better than living a private life.

Quick Synopsis: We took Rowe to the pediatrician yesterday because he has been having blinking episodes very often, and it effects his whole body. We showed the doctor the videos that Lee had taken of him during some of these episodes, and his first response to us was, "He's having seizures." Well, we feared hearing those words, but I didn't realize how it deep it would hurt to hear them. His nurse is setting up a CT Scan and EEG for Rowe this week. We should have the results within a few days if all goes as planned. We will wait until the results come back to know what we will do next. If he is right, and it is seizures, then we will go to a specialist either in Birmingham, Jackson, or Memphis.
We are so grateful that every possible scenario that the doctor gave us is manageable with medication. We are also glad that Rowe is completely oblivious to these episodes when they happen. He does not even notice them, so that is such a relief to us. The only part of all this that has affected him is he no longer sleeps well. He has screaming, jerking, and crying fits every night that are anywhere from off and on all night to hours at a time straight.

We are praying for specifically for three things, and we ask you to do the same:
1. We pray that these are not seizures, and that it is only a tic. Children usually grow out of tics within months. We are praying for clear test results and wisdom for the doctors. Hopefully the nurse will call us today with his appointments.
2. We are also praying that he will be able to sleep comfortably again. It is tough watching him scream and kick while we try to wake and console him.
3. Please also pray for Lee and I plus the rest of our family as we try to climb our way over this hill. Pray we have the strength, grace, and wisdom to give God the glory no matter what we face.

I will continue to update our blog as we learn more. Just keep checking back here instead of calling us right now with questions. We are still trying to process all of this, and really are not quite up to talking yet. We are broken hearted, but hopeful that our Rowe Bug is perfectly healthy. Thank you for your much needed prayers!

Letter to Mrs. Lucy

2010-04-29T15:59:00.002-05:00

Below is a copy of the letter that "Rowe has written" to his Mother's Day Out teacher who he loves and adores. We have not given it to her yet, so don't tell her about it. He will give it to her on the last day of school which is next Thursday. Enjoy.

Dear Mrs. Sucy,

When school initially started, my vocabulary was extremely limited. Your unlimited patience and love has helped me, the baby of the class, grow into the 2 year old I am today. You have guided me so graciously when I would sink my teeth into new things or even my classmates. Your notes each Tuesday and Thursday were the highlight of my mom’s afternoons. She always called before she got home from school just to hear what was written on my note. She has saved every one of them for me to see when I learn to read later this year. I pray for you and my classmates every night with my parents. In my prayer time, God has revealed to me that you should move up to teach the two year old classroom. In fact, my parents are willing to monetarily thank you for your obedience to God. I love you and think you are beautiful, Rowe Bug Gillis

If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Galatians 5:15

A New Taste of Life

2010-04-24T10:42:00.005-05:00

I have a new hobby thanks to the help of our talented and beautiful cousin Rachael. I am now making my own flour, baking our own bread, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, and more! Here is a little taste of what I've been cooking up.

These are my cinnamon rolls rising. Unfortunately, I left them too close to edge of the counter.

It's unbelievable how good this all tastes! I just wish they were zero carbs

I Think I Need a Longer Yardstick

2010-04-14T18:32:00.004-05:00

I have read Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." about 1,524,671 times, give or take a few. But like God does at times, He revealed something new to me this week once hidden in his Word. God gives the only true measuring stick we are suppose to use when comparing ourselves to anyone. God is the only one we should be comparing ourselves to. (Sorry about ending that sentence with a preposition.)

I catch myself comparing myself to the super holy older, wiser woman at church, or the friend that seems to always have it together, or the wife who cooks every night for er family, or the girls on the cover of just about any magazine, except maybe Senior Living. God makes it clear that He is the only one we should compare ourselves to, not these others we seem to think are "perfect."

I had a dream last night that I want to share with you. You know that state of sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night, and slowly drift off to sleep. I dreamed that all of those perfect people I previously mentioned, were standing in a beautiful field, with a blanket of stars overhead in the night sky. One woman was holding her worn Bible filled with verses that she knew by heart. Another person was thumbing through her perfectly organized day planner displaying her perfect time management skills. A smiling woman standing nearby was wearing a SuperMom shirt holding ten reading awards her preschooler had recently won. Next to her was a beautiful wife wearing a perfectly clean apron holding a fresh baked, homemade, organic dessert that left a sweet aroma in the air. Lastly I saw a stunning friend holding a measuring tape that would fit around only the tiniest of wastes in her hand.

Then all of a sudden, the night sky began to make way for a glorious sunrise. As it rose, each of the perfect people in the field began to bring me their "gifts." Soon, I was wearing a SuperMom shirt, holding a yummy dessert dish, reading awards, and all my dreams were finally falling into place. As I was relishing this realization, the beautiful sunrise completely mesmerized me. I was in awe of God's breathtaking display before my eyes. All I wanted to do was praise Him. I began to lift my hands to the sky, but my arms were too full. They were too heavy with what I had acquired on my own to raise. I knew I had a decision to make. I could continue to hold on to "my" new gifts and accomplishments, or I could lay them all down before God and praise Him with all of my heart and all of my imperfections. Just Celeste.

God showed me through this, that He made me the way I am, and to stop the comparisons. His glory is more important!

It Broken Mama! It Broken!

2010-04-02T22:29:00.004-05:00

When Rowe got up this morning, something terrible had happened! All of his pacis were broken. He was very upset about this, repeating loudly, "It broken Mama! Paci broken!" He was confused then mad, then he forgot all about it. Then he found them again and his confusion and anger started all over. This went on throughout the day. Nap time was a challenge, and I am afraid tonight will not be any easier, but hopefully he will do okay. The next time he starts clinging to his daddy and wanting nothing to do with me, I am going to sweetly and softly whisper into his ear, "Rowe, your daddy broke your pacis." Then we'll see who he loves.

Right Now

2010-03-27T20:38:00.006-05:00

Books I am currently reading (not simultaneously):

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks (I recently read "The Last Song" and I think it was my favorite book he has written. Yep, even better than "A Walk to Remember" and "The Notebook" I think. Still debating on that one. I can't want to see the movie! Plus I am a huge Miley Cyrus fan.) I bet you didn't know that last part about me, but it's true. Lee and I both like her acting.

Night Light by Terri Blackstock: This is the second book in her Restoration series. This is my favorite series I have read that she has written. It's no secret that I love this author. I emailed her recently via her website, and actually got a personal response back. Of course it was like one sentence, but I loved it regardless.

Laughing in the Dark by Chonda Pierce

This woman is a hilarious, Christian comedian. This book is about her journey through depression. I actually just finished it, and found it to be very insightful and interesting. All women and husbands should read this book!

Movies I am currently watching (not literally):

New Moon (again) - enough said

The Blind Side - I plan to watch it this weekend. I think I'm going to buy this movie because I know I'm going to love it!

Songs I am currently listening too (not all at the same time):

I am not a big country music fan, but Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean, and Taylor swift plus a few kiddo C.D.s are in my disk changer in my car. I wish a greatest hits c.d. by Toby Keith was in there. I have always wanted to go to one of his cornets.

Everything by Taylor Swift

I am a HUGE Taylor Swift fan. I love everything she writes and sings. Lee and I think she is the cutest, most talented little singer out there (other than Moriah Mozingo). I think we both have a crush on her.

I listen to KLove 104.5 tons. I love the music they play.

Home Sweet Home

2010-03-14T18:30:00.003-05:00

We are homeless no more! I am so excited! We finally bought a house. The best part is, it is directly between my best friend's house and my parents' house. We are about two houses away from both of them. Talk about convenience. We closed on the house Friday, and the gutting and remodeling will begin this week. It will be a long process since we are doing it all ourselves, and we are not going to move in until all of the work is done. Have I mentioned that I am so excited!

Dear Mr. Hershey

2010-03-06T14:03:00.006-06:00

Dear Mr. Hershey,

August 2009

I have been sitting at my desk this morning thinking of you. Even though we have never met, you are my favorite person on the face of the earth, excluding my family of course. (I'm suppose to say that part about my family, but you know you really are my favorite.) You bring joy to my life daily. I enjoy the fruits of your labor every morning! Of course we are not talking fruit here; we are talking chocolate. If chocolate could run through my veins, I would never feel sick again!

Love, your size 6 secret admirer

September 2009

It's about 9:00 p.m. and I can't seem to get you off my mind. Maybe if I would go indulge myself in your chocolate, I would sleep better tonight. I could finally breathe a deep sigh of relief and drift off to sleep as my head gracefully falls to my pillow. Then I would wake feeling very refreshed in the morning. Yep, I think I will go and treat myself to some chocolate.

Love, your size 6 secret admirer

October 2009

It is almost Halloween, and rather than focusing on our costumes, I have been daydreaming about all the generous donations people will so graciously give my son in his Halloween bucket. Some say it is the Devil's holiday, but I know it is really your holiday.

Love, your size 7 secret admirer

November 2009

I love November! Everyone is dashing around the grocery store to buy up the last turkeys, cans of cranberry sauce, and some of those orange potato things. I however am staring at the candy aisle knowing that I have it all to myself. When my family lists what we are thankful for on Thanksgiving, I don't care that my family looks at me like I'm crazy.

Love, your size 8 secret admirer

December 2009

Christmas is approaching I am getting ready for the Christmas Eve service. My husband must have dried my dress because it has shrunk. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that it is almost time for me to set my New Year's Resolutions. I have come to the very hard decision that you and I should spend less time together. Of course when I get those bad headaches, I will still turn to you. All this chocolate has not been good for my complexion or my jeans. I am very sorry, but I will never forget you!

Love, your size 8 1/2 secret admirer

January 2010

I hate you!!! I am supposed to go on vacation soon, and I can't even fit into my clothes. They have all shrunk. Even my bed has shrunk. What did you do to me??? I can't seem to quit obsessing over you, and wanting more chocolate. Why can't you get out of my mind and take these zits with you! I wish you and your chocolate would get out of my life.

Love, your size 12 secret admirer.

Happy 95th Birthday Mamaw Long!

2010-03-03T21:12:00.003-06:00

Today my dad's mom turned 95 years old. She can still tell us a story of something that happened 80 years ago in detail. Lee and I went and bought her a big, yummy cake for her yesterday. We asked the cake lady to draw a huge 95 in a bright color icing on top of the cake so Mamaw would be able to see it. Rowe loves his mamaw and visits her several times a day. She is crazy about him too! She lives in a small apartment built onto the other side of my parents' house, so they get to spend lots of time together.

Rowe was not happy when he saw the cake and we wouldn't let him eat it immediately.

Shoot for Joy!

2010-02-26T16:05:00.000-06:00

If anyone has a family member or a friend that has a chronic illness, than I have a little tidbit of information that will help ease their pain. Well, it may not physically ease their pain but it should mentally give them a break from it.

My dad, being the super romantic that he is bought my mom a Nerf gun for Valentine's Day. Now, I'm not talking about a little gun, this thing is huge. I couldn't even work the thing the first time I tried. My mom, being the optimistic she is, loved it. She had been asking for one since she and dad got back from Atlanta visiting my brother. My brother and his wife have one, and mom couldn't put it down.

I have watched her laugh, smile, sneak up on us, and pick on us more now than she has in a long time. Unfortunately we only have one Nerf gun in the house, and can't defend ourselves. She even shoots Rowe. Yes, he loves it and wants more except when he is sleeping.

This is not only for people who are cooped up in their houses due to illness, it also works for the incurable pessimist. You are bound to catch them smiling at some point when shooting this weapon.

I'm no doctor or therapist, but I can attest that I just feel joyful when aiming those Nerf darts and my husband. It just releases so much stress. Happy shooting.

Rowe Update

2010-02-14T22:55:00.002-06:00

Rowe turned 2 on December 28th, and I can't believe how fast time is flying by! He is growing so fast. At his two year check up, he weight 34 pounds and was 36 inches tall. He is a BIG boy! We can't get enough of him. He makes us laugh everyday. It is his mission in life to make people life. He is rarely a serious kiddo. He is talking so much now. We are finally able to understand his Roweneze language. Others may still have a hard time understanding him though.

He loves being outside, which it has just been too cold lately to enjoy. He still loves his movies - Toy Story, Monsters Inc., The Lion King, The Jungle Book, and more. He is also loving Thomas the Train now plus Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Letter Factory, Your Baby Can Read and more. His favorite foods are grapes, Lima beans, pizza, bread, bananas, french fries, chips, meat, cookies, and lots lots more. It's so funny to hear him ask for "meat please." Grapes are by far his favorite of all foods. We try to make sure he eats healthy and organic when possible, but we like for him to enjoy the goodies too.

His favorite toys are dinosaurs, trains, trucks, buses, cars, tractors, Buzz doll, Woody doll, books, and puzzles. He can count to ten but it is out of order. Well, it is a step. He loves to sing and dance anytime he hears music. He also loves to say the blessing when we eat and says it all throughout the meal. It is so sweet to hear that little voice shout "AMEN."

I guess that is all for now. We are so grateful for our wonderful blessing from God. We do not let a day pass without thoroughly enjoying our time with Rowe Bug. Life is too short to live it any other way.

Rowe's 2nd Birthday Party

2010-02-14T21:39:00.008-06:00

I just realized I have not posted anything from Rowe's 2nd birthday party. First of all, let me say that Addie Talley did an awesome job taking the birthday pictures for me. I didn't want to chase Rowe and his buddies all night with the camera, so I hired Addie to come and do it for me.

Thanks to my family and very special friends the party went off very successfully! Rowe and all 30 of the kids had a big time at his construction themed party. Dena Weaver catered the party with some super yummo food for the parents. If you want her number, just let me know. She is great and affordable. Taylor Massey made the cakes. They turned out perfectly if you ask me. Even the rocks around the cakes were edible.

Rowe loves pointing to our family pictures naming everyone. He really misses his Uncle Day and Aunt Jenny. He loves looking at their pictures and asking about them. We miss them too. This is one of my favorite pictures taken that night! They are too sweet! Rowe loves his Pops.
I have tons more pictures, but I don't think they'll all fit in just one post. Enjoy what I've posted so far!

Family Photos

2010-01-31T09:46:00.008-06:00

These family photos were taken by Addie Talley. She did a fantastic job!

Rowe's 24 Month Photos

2010-01-31T09:29:00.006-06:00

Rowe had his 24 month photos taken recently by Addie Talley. She did an awesome job! She came to our house and took pictures of him and family photos, and then she went to his birthday party and took pics there for us. This way I could play and visit and not have to take pictures the whole time. It was great! I can't believe my baby is growing up!

Contest

2010-01-08T21:41:00.003-06:00

I am having a Stationery Fairy giveaway at The Stationery Fairy's facebook page to win free Valentine's cards. Please go and sign up. If you haven't visited my business website, go to http://www.thestationeryfairy.net/ and become a follower and grab my button. Thanks for your support and God Bless.

Rowe's Birthday Party at School

2010-01-07T15:08:00.003-06:00

Rowe LOVES cookies!!! Therefore, I had the big idea to make him a giant cookie for his birthday party at his Mother's Day Out class. He was so excited when he saw it!

Rowe just dove in wasting no time.

Rowe is trying to teach Bes to share. She doesn't seem to notice.

We love Mrs. Lucy!!!

These are the cutest kids ever! I love his small class full of little angels.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-28T22:56:00.003-06:00

http://www.thestationeryfairy.net

Happy 2nd Birthday Rowe!!!

2009-12-28T16:56:00.003-06:00

Today is Rowe's 2nd birthday! More to post soon. Here is just a small pic of what is to come soon. Check out his perfect little 2 shirt from www.duesouthdesigns.net.

Rowe had 2 much fun!

Christmas Day

2009-12-28T16:43:00.003-06:00

Rowe has been in the Zone since Santa came. He doesn't want to eat, have his diaper changed, sleep, or anything else that requires him to take a break from playing with his toys. He just sits there so quietly playing happily in the floor. It is too sweet to watch!!!! I love this kiddo!

Playing with Granddaddy at Little Mama's

Check out our little football player!

There's no crying in football!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T16:28:00.005-06:00

Mom and I spent Christmas Eve making all of our favorite Christmas candies. It was a blast, yummy, and now my clothes have shrunk!
Rowe was happy as long as he had a cookie in his hands or mouth! Needless to say, he stayed up really late!!!

Santa Claus came to visit!

Just Call Me "Master Gillis"

2009-12-16T20:42:00.002-06:00

Well, I have finally accomplished one of my major life goals. I have now earned my Master of Science Instructional Technology (MSIT) degree this month. I started this journey in June of 2005. I had planned to finish within two years, but life does not always go as planned. I completed one summer of 12 hours of classes, and the following spring, we suffered our first devastating miscarriage. The following summer, I was not up to school fulltime mentally. The following winter, we suffered our second miscarriage, and our money was going towards medical testing, my shots, and doctor visits. I didn't want to go into debt, so I took some more time off. Well, fortunately we found out we were expecting again in May of 2007 and was put on "couch" rest. That eliminated any ideas of going to school that summer, but I was NOT complaining. At this point, I was really questioning whether or not it was God's will in the first place to have even started this degree. Finally, Rowe was nearly six months old when I finally returned to school in the summer of 2008. It was tough going to school 9 hours and having a new baby. Fortunately, my mom was there to make it all possible for me. I could not have done any of this without her! I went back to school the following summer of 2009 with 12 hours of classes. This was a tough summer academically filled with projects, papers, and lots of hard work. I finished the summer, and decided to take my last class during this fall. I didn't want to wait until next summer, and I am so glad I chose this fall to finish. I loved my night class and classmates. I had a great fall semester thanks to my husband helping with Rowe on Monday nights, my parents for helping also, Kay who was my class partner, Jan that helped me get through comps and lots of prayer and studying.

When I say that I am excited to have graduated, I mean it!!! This time in my life was more than just classes, but was a journey for my whole family.

Now if I can only convince my students to call me Master Gillis! :)

Monsters Inc.

2009-12-15T16:21:00.003-06:00

My almost two year old son loves the movie Monsters Inc. I was a little reluctant in letting him watch it. I was afraid some of the scare scenes might frighten him. Well, I was very wrong. The first time we watched it, he laughed at the funny scenes and the scare scenes. It tickled him, instead of scaring him. My little man was fearless!

The more I thought about that, the more I envied his fearlessness. Why do I let the "monsters" in my life frighten or paralyze me? We all have our own monsters in the closet. You know, the ones that you keep hidden away, and hope no one finds out about. Well, I guess you could say "it's closet cleaning time" for me. I face one really ugly monster daily. My monster's name is anxiety. Just typing the word makes me nervous. This monster rears its ugly head in the form of worry, nervousness, doubt, low self esteem, and more. I have battled with this monster for many years, and it seems that it has only gotten stronger in the last few years. I have not been as consistent with my quiet times with God, nor have I spent as much time and energy in prayers as I should. The less time I spend with God and His Word, the stronger this monster gets, and the more my family suffers. It is up to me to care enough about the people in my life and my relationship with the Lord to do something about this. If I continue living the way I always have, it is foolish to think things will get better. Today, I will fight back. I will put on the armor of God, and wage war against this enemy in my life that is not flesh or blood.

What are the monsters in your life? What is hindering you from becoming fearless? Is it depression, gossip, worry, temptation, or something else? I challenge you to give that monster a name, face it, and do something about it.

Isn't it amazing how God can use a wonderful children's movie to convict me in such a strong way. God is good.

Happy 6th Anniversary to Us a Little Late!

2009-12-12T09:10:00.003-06:00

Lee and I celebrated our sixth anniversary on Sunday, December 6th. On Saturday night, December 5th, I reminded him! ha ha.

Notice Rowe's Big Boy Haircut!

New Pics of Our Little Bug

2009-11-14T09:32:00.006-06:00

Rowe gets funnier and funnier everyday. His main goal in life is to entertain as much as possible. He breaks out into song and dance at the oddest times. He loves to play games and laugh really loud. His favorite show is Handy Manny and shouts "Mammy" when he hears the theme song or when he wants to watch it. He can count to five, but not when you ask him to. He can sing his ABC's in Roweneeze, just not in English. He has the tune down pat, but the words are a different story. His favorite songs are Row Row Row Your Boat, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and the ABC's. His favorite toys are balls, trucks (anything with wheels), and books. He loves it when you jump out and scare him. He thinks it is hilarious! He loves to wear his daddy's hats, and spend quality daddy time together. He always says the blessing (in Roweneeze) when he sits at the table to eat. We may only be able to understand him when he says "Amen" but we know God understands him. Here is his I've been busted doing something wrong look below!I went to check on Rowe during his nap time, and this is what I found. He was suppose to be asleep in his bed. This is my new favorite picture of Rowe because it really captures his personality. He loves to wear his daddy's hats. He loves to play ball and loves this shirt. This is the facial expression I see most of all on his precious face.

Happy Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T22:30:00.003-05:00

I'm "WILD" about YOU! Happy Halloween!

Rowe and Brayden loved Trick or Treating at friends' homes. Rowe kept trying to go into everyone's houses. He especially loved the houses with pets.

Trunk or Treat

2009-10-31T21:20:00.004-05:00

We took Rowe to Trunk or Treat at some friends' of ours church this week, and he loved it! Here are the pics. Enjoy!

Does my costume make my mouth look big?

The Two Cutest Lion Cubs Ever

Our boys loved seeing Mickey Mouse in real life!
College Roomies

Rowe enjoyed eating his little pumpkin and wanted nothing to do with his candy!

Does anyone have any idea where Rowe gets his big mouth from?

I love my boys and they are crazy about each other!

Rowe had a blast jumping in the Jumper House!

Happy Halloween All!

Monkey Bubbles Monograms

2009-10-31T09:12:00.004-05:00

If you are wanting some cutesy shirts for Thanksgiving or Christmas or some great baby gifts and diaper bags. There are also some great outfits, monogrammed hand towels, personalized sippy cubs, Bama Baby diaper bags, MSU diaper bags, and so much more. The website is www.monkeybubblesmonograms.blogspot.com/. Enjoy!

Below is the Elf shirt I ordered for Rowe. I'll post a picture of him wearing it and his Turkey shirt for Thanksgiving soon.
Below is a bag I ordered for a friend with her name monogrammed really big across it. The bows are detachable. This is a great overnight bag.
I am going to order this bag as a Christmas present for an Alabama fan with her name monogrammed in the Alabama red.

The diaper bag below is super chic! It comes in other colors and is precious.

This diaper bag is great for the MSU Baby and the AL diaper bags are so cute too!

I love affordable bags, gifts, and clothes! You are going to love this site!

Teaching Rowe to Kiss

2009-10-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I know he is a little young for kissing lessons, but something's gotta give. He is so affectionate and for some reason thinks that the harder he bites you, the more he is showing you love. He associates biting with affection and excitement. He just doesn't understand it hurts. I honestly don't think it was all the second hand Twilight watching, but who knows. If you have ever seen my little vampire, than you have seen the size of his mouth and chompers. He could eat two kiddos before anyone even noticed they were gone. We have tried everything from spanking, talking, reading "Teeth are not for Biting" and more. No, I have not bit him, although many have recommended it in order to stop the biting. I have no intentions of biting him especially since I am trying to teach him it is wrong. Instead, I am hoping and praying he will start kissing without teeth. Lee and I don't use our teeth, so I am not sure where he is getting this from. Someone told me at church the other night that biting is a sign of intelligence, but then she got mad at me when I bit her. Just kidding, I didn't bite her, but she really did tell me that. I though that was quite interesting.
Does anyone out there have the miracle cure for my little cannibal? I think we may have solved the problem last week, which is a whole other story for a whole other post. But just in case, please send me your suggestions.

P.S. If your child was a victim of Rowe's rampid biting spree, I am so very sorry! Take comfort in knowing he has had all his shots, and has no infectious diseases.

Comps are Over!!!

2009-10-24T08:03:00.005-05:00

One of the most precious and beautiful best friends a girl could ever ask for brought the treats below to me the night before comps. She thought the Smarties would help me stay smart and retain all I studied, and the earrings would make sure I looked good taking my comps. We love you and thank you Erika (Teka)!

Below is my before picture before I took my comps. I am biting my nails and fingers in nervousness! No I don't bite my nails or fingers typically. This was a special occasion. Teeth are not for biting! I'll explain that statement soon.

The two cheesy pictures below are my after pics after taking comps. It was such a good feeling of relief! All those prayers and encouragement plus the smarties really helped me remember everything I researched and studied. Thank you all and most of all thank you Lord!

The two cheesiest pics below are of Lee after my comps! I think he was happier that it was over than me, or he was just making fun of my pictures above. I do have to say thank you to my awesome husband. He had daddy dates with Rowe every afternoon last week, so I could study in peace. Thank you Hot Lee, I love you!
Now, I must go get to work on a project that I am presenting in class on Monday night. Have a happy Saturday!

Studying for Comps

2009-10-20T18:56:00.003-05:00

I have been studying my head off lately. This Stationery Fairy needs the Study Fiary to come take over for me. I am taking my comprehensive exam on Friday at 1:00 at MSU. This is my big, final exam before I graduate in December with my Master's degree in Instructional Technology. I will finish my last class on November 30th, and I can not wait!!! I look forward to having my whole summer devoted to my family, and not spending it in class and preparing projects. Below is a picture of some of my study notes on index cards and index card notepads. I also have a picture of my huge 100 pound binder full of my research. I will have to type about twenty pages from memory without any notes on Friday. I am telling you all this so that you will pray for me!!!! Please pray for me. Even if you don't know me, don't like me, or don't even know what my middle name is, please pray for me!!! Thank you so much. Any words of encouragement would be grately appreciated! I love you bloggy friends.

More Pics from Delta Fun

2009-10-16T19:05:00.006-05:00

Rowe was ready for the road trip.

Our boys had a big time together this weekend.

It was a quiet trip on the way back, unless you count snoring.

Ten Year Reunion Weekend

2009-10-13T17:23:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, we celebrated our class of 1999 Ten Year Reunion at Greenville Christian School. We had a wonderful time visiting with old friends. I have not been back to the delta in years, so it was nice to go back for a visit. It was a very busy and quick trip, so I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see. We did miss several of our classmates that couldn't come.

We had a get together Friday night. Saturday we had a picnic in the school gym because the playground was too wet. Saturday night, we had a dinner with great food and d.j. Sunday morning, we went to my home church and headed back to C-town. I will post some other pics from the weekend later. Enjoy the pics.

Mommy & Little Buddy Time

2009-10-07T21:55:00.007-05:00

Rowe's First Hair Cut

2009-09-26T16:01:00.007-05:00

We took Rowe for his first hair cut on September 9th, and he was 20 months old. He is no longer Rowe Dirt. If you don't get it, then you missed a classic movie.

Before

During

He only fussed one time. As long as he had his book, he was happy.

After

Catch up Time

2009-09-26T15:38:00.003-05:00

I took a short sabbatical from blogging the last few weeks, but for some very good reasons. Is a good reason the same thing as an excuse?? I don't think it is. Let me a give you a list of why I haven't been blogging lately:

1. At the end of August we made a game plan to put our house on the market with a realtor and For Sale sign in our yard on Thursday, September 3rd.
2. Wednesday night, September 2nd, our realtor calls and asks if he can show our house the following day (the 3rd). There was not even a sign in our yard yet. We agreed and worked until midnight Wednesday night to get our house ready to show.
3. Our realtor shows our house and calls us that afternoon with an offer from the couple who looked at our house. It was such a good offer we had to accept. We find out we have three weeks to move out and close on our house.
4. We spent two weeks packing and moving in the rain.
5. September 9th - Rowe got his first hair cut. I'll post pics very soon. He did great!
6. September 14th I gave a presentation at MSU in my night class and spent the previous weeks preparing for it.
7. I have spent the last few weeks researching, writing, and studying for my comps that are in October. Please start praying for me now.
8. Rowe tried to eat a couple kids at school, so we spent a lot of time talking with him about biting. I guess the second hand Twilight watching influenced him a little too much.
9. I have been busy, busy filling stationery orders.
10. September 23rd we closed on our house.

I think those are enough good reasons (not excuses). I will be slow blogging between now and October 23rd due to comps preparation. I am a bit of a nerd. I can't believe I'll finally graduate in December. It's not easy being a full time wife, mom, student, fairy, and teacher, but it is all worth it!

Pics of Rowe

2009-09-07T08:35:00.004-05:00

These are for you Jenny. I hope this helps satisfy your Rowe fix. I am long overdue for posting some updated pics. I'll post more later.

I wish I could sleep this sound.

I think it is time to put him into a big boy bed. He is outgrowing his crib each day! He has gotten so TALL.
Rowe still loves bath time!!! He runs and gets into the bath and screams, "Bubbles" even if there is no water in it.

Rowe also loves the spray ground. He is such a fish.

Two Thumbs Up Thursdays

2009-08-27T21:04:00.003-05:00

Do you know any great consumer secrets? Do you know the perfect places to shop or eat? Do you have an eye for buying just the right product? Well, we want to hear about it. Two Thumbs Up Thursdays is the perfect opportunity to share those businesses or items with the rest of the world. I am going to post every Thursday about any businesses, items, or ideas that are worthy of two thumbs up. You do the same on your blog, and post a link to your blog here. Let’s start helping each other out!

The Hannah Montana Movie
Make fun of me if you want, but I loved it. Lee and I watched it tonight in an attempt to try and fit some relaxation in during this jam packed week. It was clean, cute, and funny.

Boz
Boz is the Christian version of shows like Barnie, Dora the Explorer, etc. He is this big, green cartoon bear that teaches about God, manners, and more wonderful lessons in a way that entertains little ones. You can buy these at New Life Supplies in Columbus or any Christian book store.

Cooper's Closet
I know I used this one last week, but Saturday is the last day to shop, so get over there and buy some great second hand items. I bought Rowe's Halloween costume, a couple of shirts and a coat. I went specifically to buy the tool table set, but it was already sold when I got there. If you bought that big tool table set, you just picture my sweet, poor little Rowe playing with a fork and spoon pretending to be using tools. Shame on you!!!! Just kidding. He'll survive.

Etsy.com
This is my favorite place to shop. Just go to http://www.etsy.com/ and start shopping for any handmade and homemade items you can think of! It is great and addicting. Are there any other Etsy lovers out there?

Leave me a comment if you have your own Two Thumbs Up Thursday on your blog. Good night all!

Feeding the Ducks and Rowe

2009-08-20T22:14:00.003-05:00

This is how Landry feeds the ducks.

This is how Isabella Feeds the Ducks.

And this is how Rowe feeds the ducks.

Two Thumbs Up Thursday

2009-08-20T18:36:00.002-05:00

Do you know any great consumer secrets? Do you know the perfect places to shop or eat? Do you have an eye for buying just the right product? Well, we want to hear about it. Two Thumbs Up Thursdays is the perfect opportunity to share those businesses or items with the rest of the world. I am going to post every Thursday about any businesses, items, or ideas that are worthy of two thumbs up. You do the same on your blog, and post a link to your blog here. Let’s start helping each other out!

Cooper's Closet
Cooper's Closet is a huge consignment sale that comes to Columbus each fall and spring. You can find great baby, children and maternity clothes, baby gear, games, etc. If you are expecting, a new mom, or just looking for some good deals, this sale is perfect for you. The website for more information is www.cooperscloset.com.

Below is the schedule.
Thursday August 27th - 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 28th - 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 29th - 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Leap Frog's The Letter Factory
If you have a baby or toddler, this will entertain them you too. It is the best educational video I have seen. We don't watch much t.v. ever, but we all love watching this video. My favorite letters in the video are the A and the E skit. They are really funny!

Southern Family Children's Books
There is a bin in Southern Family Market in Columbus that is filled with books. There are some great children's books that are only $6.00 a piece. Rowe loves the book I got for him called "A Visit to the Farm." It came with small animal magnets that stick to the pages. He tries to read it everyday over and over again.

Well that ends this week's Two Thumbs Up Thursday. Post your comments and links please, and hope you all have a great weekend!

Southern Delights Catering & Bakery Info

2009-08-18T20:52:00.002-05:00

Several of you have asked for the contact information for Ms. Dena Weaver who owns Southern Delights Catering & Bakery. Her phone number is 662-4254270 and her email address is www.denaweaver@cableone.net.

This weeks menu is

Dinner Choice #1: $25
Hopping Johns (a mixture of black-eyed peas, peppers, & onions)
Family Size Fresh Salad
Sweet Corn Bread
Add Country Smoked Sausage ($5.00 extra)

Dinner Choice #2 - $30
Pepperoni Loaf (my homemade yeast dough braided around pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and my homemade sauce)
Family Size Fresh Salad
Great alternative to Pizza!!

Desserts $9
#1 Yellow pound cake with chocolate glaze
#2 Chocolate pound cake with chocolate glaze

How to Order:
1. Make Your Choice.
2. Make your call 662-425-4270 no later than Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
3. Choose to pick up (1429 Lee Stokes Rd) or for delivery to the school when the students are dismissed on Friday.

Two Thumbs Up Thursdays

2009-08-13T21:30:00.001-05:00

Do you know any great consumer secrets? Do you know the perfect places to shop or eat? Do you have an eye for buying just the right product? Well, we want to hear about it. Two Thumbs Up Thursdays is the perfect opportunity to share those businesses or items with the rest of the world. I am going to post every Thursday about any businesses, items, or ideas that are worthy of two thumbs up. You do the same on your blog, and post a link to your blog here. Let’s start helping each other out!

Southern Delights Catering and Bakery
If you are on a budget and time is always flying by, then this is a great solution to supper. There is a lady in our church that caters, and she cooks these wonderful meals for families to purchase each week. You can go to her website and see the weekly menus and deadlines to order. The food is picked up or delivered on Fridays, and it will feed at least a family of four or five. I can’t buy many of the ingredients to a home cooked meal for less than $30, so this is great for us. We eat half, and then freeze half for later. Leave me a comment or email me if you want her name and number.

An Open Door Floral & Gifts
I am a big supporter of local businesses, and there is one in New Hope that I love. An Open Door Floral & Gifts is owned by four precious, talented ladies. They can do anything from paint to make the most beautiful flower arrangements. Their store is decorated so cute, and there are some great gifts to choose from. The jewelry is super cute! I plan to buy most all of my gifts there in the future. There is also some great home décor, t-shirts, cookbooks, crosses, and the list goes on and on. I hope some of you will find this store as delightful as I do.

Hank’s BBQ
I think that is what it is called. There is this hole-in-the-wall restaurant that used to be an old bar. The owner, Hank has won numerous trophies and awards for his famous BBQ. He recently placed third at Memphis in May. I have never been a big ribs eater, until I ate Hank’s ribs. Yummo!!!! We have never gotten anything there that we didn’t like. The children’s menu is very affordable which we like.

Beach Vacation

2009-08-04T19:37:00.007-05:00

We found out last Tuesday that were would be leaving for the beach on Thursday and were so excited. Thanks Pops and Nana. We had a blast including Rowe. His favorite part of the trip was when Lee was holding him in the ocean and the waves would come and splash them. He laughed hysterically every time. He was no too wild about the sand though. He did however like throwing it at us. It rained sporadically while we were there, but it did not put a damper on things. Rowe finally starting calling me Mama on this trip!!! HOORAY!!! He saw me come around the corner one time, and he shouted "Mama, Mama." I bent down and kissed him, and he so sweetly said, "love you." I wanted to melt right there in that store. It was precious!!!

This is the waiter that made Rowe cry. Too Funny!Rowe is giving Pops a fist pound.
We passed this car on the highway. How funny is that!!!

Rowe is running through the sprinklers at the mall.

Rowe was exhausted on the way home.

Gillis Glam Give Away

2009-07-17T22:25:00.002-05:00

It's time for another Gillis Glam Give Away. Go to http://www.gillisglam.blogspot.com to find out how to sign up for my next drawing. The winner will receive a dozen note cards, a dozen matching envelopes with customized return address labels, 10 gift tags, and a God is Good sticker. I will draw a winner Friday, July 24th at midnight. Good Luck!

18 Month Photos

2009-07-17T16:46:00.006-05:00

A friend of our family's boyfriend is a photographer for a newspaper. They were in town last month and took these beautiful pictures of Rowe. We have great friends, and they were so sweet. They would not let us pay them anything. We took them at the W campus which is absolutely beautiful.

Mommy and Rowe are reading Mommy's name in the gazebo.

This one is my absolute favorite!

Rowe's 18 Months Update a Little Late

2009-07-17T07:48:00.004-05:00

Rowe turned 18 months a few weeks ago. I am late on posting anything and everything due to constantly working on my school work. I miss my family and friends!!!! I am very sorry if I have neglected my very important friendships, and you know who you are! I still love you very much.
Back to Rowe Bug. He weighed 30 pounds and was 33 inches long. He is slimming up and getting taller daily. I think I am about to take him off of the 2% milk and put him on whole milk. He is not "fat" anymore, so I think it would be best for him. He loves to eat bread, bananas, grapes, green beans, butter beans, waffles, pancakes, biscuits, and COOKIES! He is not really a fan of meat, so he is definitely not like his mom and dad in that aspect.

He loves to play peek-a-boo, with balls, blocks, his shopping cart, shoes, and his car. He wants to be outside all of the time! He is his daddy's son for sure. He pulls his little chair up to the window and sits and stares outside. He also tries to run out every time I let Missy in or out. He has a blast when we go play at the farm. He enjoys the four-wheeler, the golf cart, and the gator. I like the golf cart the best, and don't like him riding the others. He also loves bath time still. If he hears me say the word bath, he takes off running, off balance of course, and gets into the dry bathtub fully clothed. It is too funny.

He insists that ALL animals are DOGS! We say "Rowe, say horse," but his adamant response is, "DOG." He points to cows, horses, cats, dogs, singing, "Dog, Dog, Dog." He is too funny. He is the same way when it comes to saying "mommy." He always responds with shouting, "DADDY!" He absolutely loves animals. We took him to see the miniature horses, and he tried to get into the stalls with them. He even kissed one of them twice on the face.

He is saying a lot more words now. His newest words are bubbles, night night, and sock. He repeats most of what we say. When he is ready for his nap or to go to sleep at night, he says "Night, Night" and runs to his room. It is so sweet. He is loving his Leap Frog "The Letter Factory" d.v.d. He repeats a lot of it. I love that movie too. It really is entertaining.

His highlight each week is going to Mother's Day Out. He is so happy there, and loves his teacher. I am so glad to know that he is having fun with other children and being outdoors some, since I am usually working on school work and am unable to do those things with him.

I will post 4th of July pictures, random pics, and some 18 month photos that a friend took soon. I have got to get back to work now. We do love our wonderful little blessing so much!!!

What Happened?

2009-07-09T09:35:00.003-05:00

Last night, I gently laid my newborn baby in his crib praying he gets a good night's sleep, and when I woke up this morning, he was shouting for daddy and laughing and jumping in his crib. How did this happen? When did his precious little night gowns turn into big boy pajamas with cartoon characters on them. How did those tiny little shoes get so big? It's like his little bald head was washed with Rogaine; lots of blond hair jumped on his head one day. I used to so carefully feed him trying not to get it all over his face, and now he just shoves it by the handfuls on any surface on that beautiful head (with the hair that jumped on it). When did those barely audible coos turn into the adorable, defiant "NO!"? I don't get it! Someone has been messing with my clocks and calendars, because life is going by entirely too fast. I want just one more yesterday, maybe two todays, six tomorrows, four last weeks. Is any of that on the menu? I guess I better put as much of today in my memory and heart so I can revisit it in the future. Time is a wasting and Rowe isn't getting any younger or balder, so I better go now.

Don't forget to kiss your babies before they're too fast to catch.

Happy Belated Birthday to Me and Father's Day

2009-06-24T13:05:00.007-05:00

This past Saturday was my birthday, and I just wanted to post a pic of Lee and I from that night. We went to Harvey's and then to a movie. We have not been to a movie in so long!!! We missed Rowe Bug not being with us, but we had a great time. Rowe had fun too playing with his Aunt Sharon though.

I also was to wish Lee, Dad, and Lee's Dad a Happy Father's Day. We went to Lee's dad's church Sunday morning and then went out to eat with his parents for lunch. We spent part of the afternoon with my dad, and then went to our church that night. I have to say that I have such a wonderful dad. He has always been so involved in my life, and so loving. He is also a great Pops to Rowe. Rowe lights up every time he sees him. Lee is an exceptional dad. I am confident that if anything were to happen to me, Lee would have no trouble taking care of Rowe on his own. He knows his schedule, helps with taking care of him everyday, and loves him so much! He is so involved in every aspect of Rowe's life. It is so beautiful to watch them together. Lee kisses him, prays for him daily, reads to him, sings to him, tells him how much he missed him while he was at work. and hugs him constantly. I thank God for such a wonderful husband and dad that he has blessed me with. God has given me so much more than I deserve!

Here are a few pics from Father's Day.

Does my mouth make my BUT look too big?

2009-06-19T08:49:00.005-05:00

I have been guilty of saying, "I really like hanging out with (insert name), BUT she complains way too much." or "(Insert Name) is a lot fun, BUT she is such a gossip." God has shown me that I have just as many "BUTs" that could be said about me. For instance, "Celeste is so positive most of the time, BUT can really be moody at other times." or "Celeste makes me laugh, BUT talks too much!" or "Celeste is a good friend when she is around, BUT she is such a hermit." Have you ever been guilty of making these kind of statements before? Please quit looking at my BUT now!

I have learned that all people, even Christians have BUTs, but I am choosing to not even let those BUTs invade my mind, and focus on what it is I love about my friends and family. I have enough BUTs in my own life to work on to be worrying about anyone else's.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

I don't know about you, but I am glad that there are no perfect people in my life. I would definitely struggle with major self esteem issues if there were. Christ is the standard I should use to measure myself, not others.

Matthew 7:1-3 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

I guess what I am trying to say is let's quit checking out everyone else's BUT and worry about our own. What's making your BUT look big?

Rowe's First Day

2009-06-18T10:08:00.008-05:00

Rowe started Mother's Day Out this past Tuesday. He will be going two days a week, so that I can work on my graduate school work and internship. It was a very hard decision for me to follow through with because I felt so guilty for sending him to MDO while I am out of school during the summer. I know this is best for us both while I am still in classes, but I hate not having him with me.

I was extremely anxious Monday night and last night about it. He did great Tuesday and this morning, so I have got to chill. When we arrived at MDO Tuesday morning, he wanted out of my arms immediately so he could play with his best buddy Brayden. I talked with his teacher a few minutes, and then kissed him and told him bye. He looked at me like, "I'm really busy right now. Could you please come back another time?" He even watched me leave out the door, and went about playing without getting upset. So much for me worrying that he would think I was abandoning him. Thankfully, Tori was there to give me some moral support. When I arrived that afternoon, he was sitting in his teacher's lap "watching" a movie. As soon as he saw me, he shouted, "Daddy!" He didn't get up, so I went and sat beside him and his teacher to talk with her. She said he had no problems adjusting at all. He was steadily trying to get out of her lap or mine while we were talking so he could go play. He doesn't like to sit and watch t.v. at all. That is my fault, since he really has never seen us do it much. She said he played really rough and loud, and was a very happy boy. She said he was not mean at all, just full of energy. He had a little trouble staying on his nap mat, but he eventually went to sleep on it. She also told me that Brayden called him "My Rowe" or "My Buddy Rowe" all day. They are not in class together but for a little while in the mornings and a little in the afternoons. When their classes were together, they stuck together like glue. She said they got tickled at each other a lot, and had a great time laughing at each other. Those two boys just love each other so much! It is so sweet watching them look out for each other.

This morning, he was more reluctant to go to his class. When his teacher reached for him, he wrapped his arms around my neck with a death grip. She took him from me and set him down, and he was off in a flash to play. I think he forgot I was there before his feet hit the floor. Today will be harder for me without him here since I am working on school work at home in the silence with no sweet voice to keep me company.

This is Rowe the first day he went to stay with my parents when I went back to work after maternity leave.

This is Rowe on Tuesday morning before we left for his first day at Mother's Day Out.

Time For A Gillis Glam Giveaway!

2009-06-08T21:23:00.004-05:00

I am having another giveaway this week at http://www.gillisglam.blogspot.com/. I am giving away a dozen gift tags customized however you want them. To enter, go to http://www.gillisglam.blogspot.com/ and leave me a comment there and become a follower of the blog. The contest ends Friday at midnight. I will use the online random number generator to pick a winner from the comments and followers. Good Luck!

If you would like to place an order, I will be filling several tomorrow and at the end of the week, so you will get them within a few days. There is never a long wait. The price list is also on my Gillis Glam blog.

Below are a few of my latest creations.

Black, White, & Pink 4.25X5.5 Note Card

Pinks, Green, & White 7X5 Birthday Invitation

Black, White, & Pink 5X7 Birthday Invitation

gillisglam.blogspot.com

2009-05-29T12:40:00.002-05:00

I have created a new blog for my new business. I create stationery of all kinds, and the God is Good stickers are available there too. The fifth person to email me with a God is Good sticker order will get a free one with their order. There will be frequent stationery giveaways there also, so keep checking the blog and become a follower. Winners of the giveaways will be chosen from my list of followers and comments. I hope everyone is have a great start to their summer!!!

Happy Shopping!
http://gillisgang.blogspot.com

Rowe is 17 Months!

2009-05-27T21:51:00.005-05:00

Where does the time go? How is it that I laid Rowe down last night in a size 0-3 months gown after giving him his bottle, and he woke up a size 3T and asking for his daddy? It makes me fear blinking, in fear he will grow even more and more time will have passed.

He is running everywhere and is hard to keep up with. He has thick blond on the back of his head, but the front is still jealous of every thick headed baby that passes by. His eyes are as blue as ever. He is 30 pounds (92nd Percentile) and 33 1/2 inches tall (90th Percentile.) I was proud he was even on the percentile charts this time! Yesterday, was the first time that the nurses measured his height standing up. Normally she lies down, just kidding. Normally he is lying on the little table for his length to be measured. He has chronic allergies, and it has flared up worse than ever. His breathing and coughing is starting to get better today, but now daddy and myself have the allergy crud. We can send men and women into outer space and even bring them back, but we can't even cure the common cold! People are just setting their sights too high, while we still have issues right here on Earth that should really get fixed first. Sorry, I'll quit all that blabbering.

Rowe's favorite foods are bananas, bread of any kind or form, yogurt melts, butter beans, Yo-baby yogurt, cookies (on occasion), and lots more. His favorite toys are his huge panda named Panda Landabell, balls, his big car, and his newest favorites are books, books, and more books. He is constantly bringing books to me to read and reread and reread. I have half of them memorized by now. Sometimes, I just make up new stories to go with the pictures. He doesn't usually notice. He also likes to read to me too. It usually is not in English, but at least he tries. We have started the "Your Baby Can Read" program, and so far he has learned to dance to the songs. He dances a lot throughout the day! His favorite words are daddy, stop, no, yeah, Missy, Wow, Bye Bye, and thank you and I love you are on occasion. I am still daddy instead of mommy. Once he catches on to the "Your Baby Can Read" program, I am going to get a name tag that says Mommy so he will learn my name. He is still a daddy's boy. The past two mornings, I have gone to get him out of his crib, and he kept trying to look around me as if he didn't want me. He kept looking for his daddy. He walks up to family pictures throughout the day and points to Lee saying, "daddy, daddy." It is really sweet, except for the fact that he doesn't even know MY name. I'm the one who carried him for 8 1/2 months. I'm the one who gave myself shots in my stomach for a year for him. I'm the one who nearly died in delivery! You would think he could say my name in return.

He will start Mother's Day out a couple days a week this summer. I am excited about him getting to play with other children his age, even if they aren't quite his size. I am also excited that he'll be in class with Brayden, his very best buddy. I am nervous too, because I have never left him with anyone other than my family and a couple of friends. Church nursery only lasts a couple of hours, but Mother's Day Out is all day. I am also nervous about this messing his schedule up, but I know he will love going any way!

I hope this catches up some on my sweet boy. Life just gets more and more exciting everyday because of Rowe. Lee and I are so grateful for him everyday. God is so Good.

Congratulations to our Giveaway Winner

2009-05-23T08:40:00.002-05:00

Congratulations Lydia!!! Send me an email with your address and which one you want, so I can put it in the mail to you.

I used a random number generator online at www.random.org to choose the winner. Lee says I should just send everyone who left a comment one, but I don't think I could afford to make anymore if I did that. However, I will do more giveaways in the near future, so keep checking back.

I want these stickers to be a witness to others. I really liked the Life is Good stickers, but I couldn't bring myself to put one on my car because life is not always "good" everyday. I still like the stickers, but I feel like the God is Good stickers are better for me. There are days that life seems overwhelming, hectic, or sad, and there are other days when life is wonderful, peaceful, and great. I want the world to know that although life does not always seem "good," God is always good. Everyday, He shows me something new to appreciate and thank Him for. Don't ever stop looking for His blessings or ways to bless others, because He will surely show them to you!

Happy Blessing Hunting!

Time for a Giveaway

2009-05-17T15:41:00.006-05:00

I have been getting my creative juices flowing lately and creating all sorts of fun things. My latest creation which I can't take all the credit for, Rothe Ent. did most of the work, are my God is Good stickers. I am also creating personalized stationery such as note cards, gift tags, invitations, whatever you like. I have not created a separate blog yet with all these new products, that I like to call "Gillis Glam," of my creativity yet. However, I will post the stickers for you. If you see one that you like, but would rather it be a different color or black and white, that can be done. Different sizes can be done too. These stickers are laminated so they will not be affected by rain. If you would like to order one, just email me with your order and mailing address.

Large 6 inch round sticker - $7
Medium 4 inch round sticker - $5
Small 3 inch round sticker - $3

Now for the giveaway. Leave me a comment between now and Friday, and I will randomly choose a winner Saturday morning. The winner will receive a sticker of your choice for FREE!

The white around the outside of the stickers will not be on it when you peel it off of the backing. That is just where I cut around the sticker. Notice on the last picture that the white is not there once it has been peeled off. Happy Commenting.

The cross sticker above is 3 inches in diameter.

This is the one on the back of my car. It's 4 inches in diameter. It is my favorite. I love sunshines!

Sleeping Beauty

2009-05-12T20:14:00.003-05:00

We have got to be the meanest parents every, but this was too funny to resist! Enjoy the video.

Psalm 31 Woman

2009-05-10T16:41:00.002-05:00

I know, I know what you are thinking. Don't you mean Proverbs 31 woman? Well, we're both right but today I want to be a Psalm 31 verse 24 woman too. Psalm 31:24 says, "Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD." This verse tells me to be strong, courageous, and hopeful in the Lord. I want to be that kind of woman. I am not as strong in my faith as I would like to be, nor do I have the courage that prevents me from fearing the unknown. I hope for many things, but do I always put my hope in the Lord? Maybe if I put all my hope in the Lord, I would be a bit stronger and more courageous.

At this very moment I hope for nothing more than I do for my mom's healing. I hope for Rowe to love the Lord from an early age. I hope that I will finish my Master's degree by December. I hope that I will quit obsessing over my weight. I hope that I will show Lee daily how much I love and appreciate him. I hope that I will lead someone to the Lord this month or even week. I hope that my sweet friend finds out she is pregnant this month. I hope that I will spend more time in prayer than on the phone. I hope that I will spend more time making my heart look good before God than I spend trying to make my outward appearance look good before the world. What do you hope for and where is your strength and courage?

Don't lose heart and wait for the Lord. I always try to picture God is filled with joy as He is preparing our future, earthly blessings in which he plans to surprise us with. Are we wasting His joy by complaining and worrying that He has forgotten our hopes and prayers. We should wait as a child waits for Christmas, not as though we expect no answer. What are you waiting for or should I say Who are you waiting for? God will never let us down!

Happy Hoping!

I Will Not Forget You

2009-05-10T16:23:00.002-05:00

I will not forget those who dread Mother’s Day,
But they put on a smile anyway.
Those who go through the everyday motions,
Numb and hoping no one knows they aren’t okay.

I will not forget the empty arms with no one to hold.
Nor those without tiny clothes to fold.
Those lying on tear stained sheets,
Those with sleepless nights and filled with defeat.

I will not forget those who wrestle with God each day
Who feel guilty for doubting, but just can’t find the faith.
I will not forget those whose mustard seeds are few
And wondering if God is even listening to you.

I will not forget those whose lives are consumed
With no escape from the daily desperation that comes to stay.
I will not forget those who just want a moment of rest
To relax and enjoy this day that God has blessed.

I will not forget those who know what they are suppose to feel,
But just can’t seem to find the strength or will.
With my eyes to heaven and my knees to the floor
I will lift you up to my Father day after day and more.

Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.
Psalm 31:24

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T16:04:00.004-05:00

Before the Straw
After the Straw

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially my wonderful mom. Mother's day is such an emotional holiday for me, and has been for the last few years, but for different reasons.

Mother's day 2005 was a celebration for my family. This was the first Mother's Day after my mom survived her brain aneurysms and brain surgeries. It was a day of thanksgiving to God for allowing us to keep our precious mom another year.

Mother's Day 2006 was a very difficult day for me. It was a month after our first miscarriage, and I was heart broken. I was still grateful however, that my mom and I had another year together.

I had my second miscarriage a few months prior to Mother's Day 2007, but at the first of May we found out we were expecting again. Mother's Day 2007 was happy and scary.

Mother's Day 2008 was perfect. It was my very first Mother's Day ever as a mom!!! My mom was doing well, and we spent the whole day with my family.

Mother's Day 2009 has been good. My sweet husband and chunky monkey have made it very special for me, even though my mom is not feeling well and we aren't spending the day with her. (Lee was reading this as I was typing, and said we should take mom icecream in bed and surprise her this afternoon. I can't tell you how thoughtful this man is! That will be a different post sometime.)

16 Months Update

2009-05-06T20:43:00.003-05:00

Rowe is running everywhere now. There is no stopping him when he is on a mission. He is still obsessed with baseballs, footballs, beach balls, you name it. He is also loving the outdoors just like his daddy. When we are inside, he is at the window or door wanting to go outside. He likes to play with his electric four-wheeler and especially loves pushing it around instead of riding it. He likes pushing his lawn mower around too. We have tried sidewalk chalk, but it was hard to get out of his teeth, so we decided to wait until he is a little older. He loves to play chase with Missy. She doesn't call it chase; it's more like run for your life to her. His favorite indoor toys are his shopping cart with play food/boxes in it and his new car. We use it inside at my parents, but we'll take it outside this summer for him. He loves to climb into big chairs. I guess he feels like a big boy when he climbs on my parent's couch, the patio chairs, or our chairs at home. He just climbs up there and looks around like a big boy.

His favorite foods are bananas, butter beans, green beans, yogurt, bread of any kind, yogurt melts, and cookies. He loves to go to bed early. At 7:00 he is trying to leap out of our arms into his crib to play and go to sleep. It is so precious listening to him sing and play over the monitor at night until he falls asleep. He is not biting so much anymore which is a good thing. However, he claps his hands at us and says, "NO" quite stubbornly several times a day. It is the spitting image of my mom telling him no. It is hilarious, but we have to get on to him for it, so it won't become a habit hopefully. His favorite words are Dad, No, Ball, Shoe, Yeah, and Bye Bye. As soon as I get to my parents' house in the afternoons to pick him up, he runs to me and starts waving bye to my mom. Whenever we are at the grocery store, church, or anywhere and he is ready to leave, he starts waving bye bye. He is too cute! He still smiles most all of the time, except when one of us is saying No. He is such a happy boy, and still a daddy's boy.

He is on a great schedule still. He takes a good morning and an afternoon nap. This is great, so mom can get rest during the day too if she is having a bad day. Her health has not been good lately, and Rowe keeps her on her toes. Rowe loves his Nana and Pops! They help us out more than I could ever say.

He wears a size 2T in most clothes and a 3T in t-shirts. He wears a 5 1/2 in shoes. Most of his shoes still have teeth marks in them.

We are having so much fun with our little angel. God is so good! Only a fool can doubt his goodness and perfect timing. I was a fool once, but now I am learning daily that God knows best, not ME!

Rowe's first bloody knee.

At home in the back yard.

Terri Blackstock

2009-05-06T20:22:00.003-05:00

Terri Blackstock is my all time favorite Christian fiction author if not my favorite author period. She writes great love stories, can't put down suspense books, and more. She lives in Mississippi and her father-in-law and mother-in-law are members of our church. I have never met her, but would love to. I would also love to hear her speak if ever I have the opportunity. Her in-laws are precious people that we sit near each Sunday. Last month I mustered up enough nerve to tell Mr. Blackstock how much I loved Terri's books and what a blessing she has been in my life through each of them. He grinned his big, sweet, grandfatherly smile and told me he would have to tell her when he saw her later that week. A couple of weeks later at church, he passed me a book down the aisle and told me to open it. It was her latest book, Double Minds with a note in it for me and her signature. I was speechless. How thoughtful!!! He later told me that it always makes her feel good to know that young people are reading her books. (side note: I like to be called a young people.)

My questions for you all are - Have you read any of her books? Have you ever heard her speak and what did you think? What is your favorite book she has written?

If you have not read any of her books, please do and tell me what you think. She has many stand alone books if you do not want to read an entire series, although all of her series are excellent.

HAPPY READING!!!

Easter Sunday 2009

2009-04-26T11:47:00.007-05:00

Good Morning. Now take me to see my treats from the Easter Bunny!

We may have gone a little overboard. I pick up toys here and there and save them in a box until a holiday. I did not realize how much we had accumulated.

Daddy and Rowe before church

The Easter Bunny visited Nana's and Pop's house too. Talk about overboard!!!

Living Pictures 2009

2009-04-26T11:25:00.008-05:00

We were busy, busy during Easter weekend. Living Pictures was Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Lee did such a good job, and I was so proud of him. He played the role of Jesus, and every year he says he feels so unworthy to play such a humbling role. Due to the size of our church and time between scenes there are actually three men that play Jesus, but you think it is the same person throughout the program. He was nervous about saying his lines correctly, and it was awesome to see God speak through him. He is such a genuinely, humble person.

How beautiful are these pictures of Lee praying in the Garden during dress rehearsal. Lee did not even know he was taking pictures. Thank you Mr. John Lancaster for them. They are breathtaking!

Here are some of the pics that I took. Check out Lee's hair extensions.

(You can save money with Geiko!)

(Who needs their picture made with the Easter Bunny, when they can have it made with Jesus?)

Here is Lee with the four year old Sunday School class. The first grade class was even larger. It is such a blessing to have so many children in our church.

John the Baptist and Me

Rowe's First Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-26T10:59:00.007-05:00

Okay, where have I been? I just looked at my blog and realized I never posted anything about Easter this year. I guess I should have put it on my "blessed to do" list. Well, here goes the first of many long and late Easter blog posts.

The Sunday before Easter, Rowe went on his first Easter Egg Hunt with his best buddy Brayden. We had a great time, and Rowe loved seeing all the eggs (or balls as he called them.) Every time he saw an egg, he would point and say “ball, ball, ball.” He is obsessed. He and Brayden played a bean bag toss game, but Rowe decided it was a take the bean bag to the hole game. He decided throwing it was not nearly as effective as walking it up to the bunny. He found two eggs during the hunt, but of course we had to help him. He found a baseball egg and a football egg. When he was not looking, I dropped the candy out of them into Brayden’s Easter basket. I know, I know, I am so cruel! Don’t worry, I let him eat a cookie or two this weekend. He is not totally deprived of sweets.

Long Family Vacation

2009-04-21T19:13:00.007-05:00

Thank you mom and dad for a wonderful vacation!

We went on a family vacation with my family last weekend in Gutenberg. We had a blast, but it just didn't last long enough. Mom did really well keeping up with us, and is recovering this week from all the fun. Rowe hung in there really well also. He is still sleeping late and taking long naps to catch up on the sleep he missed last weekend. We had a beautiful cabin with a breathtaking view from each balcony/bedroom. I have missed my brother and Jenny so much, so it was great to have them with us. We got home Sunday night a little after 11:00 p.m. and are still sleepy. We bought Rowe some educational, fun movies to watch on the way to and from our vacation. Since he hasn't really watched T.V. before, I expected him to love his movies. He paid no attention to it, but it did lull him to sleep a couple of times. Unfortunately, there was a huge truck show going on in Pigeon Forge, so we sat in traffic at least an hour anytime we went anywhere. I made good use of the dvd player and watched Twilight a million times!

Rowe ate his first dessert Sunday. We ordered him a chocolate chip cookie after his dinner on our way home with my parents. He loved it!!! Speaking of Rowe, he no longer only calls me dad or daddy. My newest name now is Celeste. Yes, you read correctly. The kid can barely say mama, but he can pronounce my name.

Erika and Tori, if you are wondering why I haven't called, it is because I have lost of my voice and am sick. If only I knew sign language then I could call you. The doctor thinks I have mono and I'll know Thursday morning when the test comes back. Pray Lee and I do not have mono!!! He is sick too.

Below is a picture of Rowe in his cute outfit that I ordered from Haley Wood at http://www.monkeybubbles.blogspot.com/. She does an excellent job.

Bye Bye Cranberry Crush

2009-04-10T14:52:00.004-05:00

We traded in our Honda last week for a more suitable mommy mobile SUV. So I feel that a farewell letter to our Cranberry Crush is only befitting.

Cranberry Crush,

I know it has been hard taking separate roads at this time, but you were never willing to give me the space I needed when I needed it. You refused to budge. You were not even willing to grow in the areas I felt were best for us. All that junk in your trunk was just too much for me to handle. You were always so loud when you were on the road, and I need some silence in my life. You have to understand that it is not all your fault, I have to take some of the blame for replacing you so soon. I am sure you will find someone that will make you very happy, so just enjoy the ride.

Goodbye.

This is my dad and Rowe with our new car the day I bought it. Rowe likes it a lot!

Six Years Ago Today...

2009-04-02T19:00:00.003-05:00

Six years ago today, I was sitting at a corner table in Rubens with my best friend, Moriah. We knew we only had a couple of months together before we would permanently go our separate ways. It was really hard for me to think about that at the time, but I knew we needed to have a girls' night out to talk about all things serious in our lives. We hadn't had much time to talk with our busy schedules. She was superinvolved with everything, and I was student teaching that semester. She was grinning the whole night, and I just didn't understand how she could be so happy about leaving so soon. She asked me all kinds of questions, mostly about my relationship with Lee. We had only been dating about five months, and Moriah loved him so much. She thought he was perfect for me and she loved seeing me so happy. She had never been all that excited about anyone else I had dated. I was always a little bit jealous of her. She was a magnet to anyone who was around her. She not only made me a better person from just being around her, but most everyone was changed in some way by knowing her. She's a free spirit that never settles down for long in one place. She also was more talented than anyone I had ever met. I love this girl and miss her terribly. Back to our dinner date.

She asked me if I was really serious about Lee and where I saw our future heading. I told her that we were very serious, and I intended to spend the rest of my life with him whether he knew it or not. She filled me in on some of her future plans, and it broke my heart knowing we wouldn't be roommates much longer. She convinced me to attend one last Lockheart meeting that night before school ended. I reluctantly agreed to go, so after dinner, I drove toward the W. Instead of taking a right, I nearly took a left and went home, but I didn't want to disappoint her. I sat in our social club meeting quite distracted as usual.

At the end of the meeting, Jenny, our president pulled out a beautiful white candle with a red ribbon around it, and told us that we were having a candlelight ceremony. This is a Lockheart tradition. When a Lockheart sister gets engaged, she secretly leaves a candle outside the president's door. The president leads a candlelight ceremony at the following meeting. She lights the candle and announces "friends" and passes the lit candle around the circle of sisters. Next she says "Pinned" and we pass it again. Then she says "Promised" and we pass it again. Finally, the much anticipated "Engaged" is announced. Then the person who got engaged blows the candle out, and everyone is so excited about the surprise engagement. It is really hard to keep your engagement a secret until the following meeting each week.

I was upset because there was going to be a candlelight ceremony with a white candle with red ribbon. I told my freshman roommate and another very close friend, Tori that if I ever get engaged that was the kind of candle I wanted. I grabbed Moriah's hand and joined the circle and began humming the Lockheart traditional song for this occasion. I was still a little upset, and then it hit me. What if Moriah is engaged and she did not tell me; I am going to be furious!!!! No wonder she was smiling so big and so much! "Engaged" is finally announced, and when the candle reached my hands, I passed it to Moriah. She just stopped, and looked at me, and handed right back to me. Then my very precious boyfriend walks into the room full of thirty girls in a circle with their mouths open in shock. He looks directly at me and closes in the space between us and grabs my hands. I am still in shock at this point. His smile was so bright and perfect. He never quit smiling the whole time. Did I mention, I love this guy. He began telling some of the sweetest things with his nervous and shaky voice. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small, velvet, black box and gradually descended onto his knee. He then asked me some of the most beautiful and memorable words I have ever heard, "Will you marry me?" The room was so quiet that I could hear my heart beating, and I think I could have even hear Lee's beating too. I of course said yes and hugged him so tight. There were nearly sixty tear filled eyes on us at this point, but I never even got misty eyed. I was too in shock!!!

Every time I walk into the Educational building at the W, I have to peek into that large meeting room where my life changed forever. It was such a sweet and innocent time in our lives. There were no stresses, no financial worries, my mom was healthy then, and we probably couldn't have told you what infertility meant at the time. I am so thankful that God gave me Lee to go through all the hard times and good times with. He was the one who got me through one of the worst weeks of my entire life only six months after we got married. We left Columbus as a four of us, Lee, myself, my dad, and my mom, but very uncertain if four would return. We were headed to New Orleans for mom's emergency brain surgeries after a large brain aneurysm ruptured. He was there with me as we traveled down the long road to find out what was wrong with me - why couldn't I stay pregnant??? He was there the first time I heard Rowe's heart beat. He is truly my best friend and soul mate.

Jenny our president, Tori my freshman roommate, and Moriah were all in on it. They were the only ones who knew he was going to propose. Of course, my mbbff Erika knew ahead of time. Erika lived in Pell City, AL at the time, so she couldn't be there for the ceremony. I hope no one ever tells me a secret that big and expects me to keep it quiet. I think I would just burst!!! We used my candle from the candlelight ceremony in our wedding as our unity candle.

It is amazing how God can make our lives so much more fulfilled than we ever thought He could. We think we want something so much and that it is best for us, and we look back on those moments and see just how wrong we were. God has given me so many blessings that were a complete surprise. I have learned to never settle in any area of my life. My life is not perfect, and I am far from perfect, but God is so good.

These were my lovely bridesmaids minus one. Jenny, our president is on the bottom left. Moriah (Maid of Honor) is on the bottom right. Erika (Matron of Honor) is the second one at the top. Tori is on the far right on the top row. Cokes were not allowed in the bridal room, so they decided to break the rules and take a picture of it. I do love this picture and these girls. I miss them so much!

Play Date Fun

2009-03-28T13:34:00.005-05:00

(huh????????)

Rowe went on a play date with some of his friends a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to post some pics. We went to the park, and then to Mi Toro's for dinner. Rowe was not wild about the park playground because it had gotten so windy and cool. None of us realized how cool it would by the lake. He stayed cuddled up on Bo for most of the time at the park, and spend most of his time at Mi Toro's enjoying the food and laughing at Brayden. Enjoy the pics.

Beautiful Erika and Sweet Landry

Rowe kept saying "Ball, Ball, Ball."

Rowe and ToTo

Bo & Rowe

15 Month Update

2009-03-28T13:01:00.004-05:00

Rowe's fifteen month checkup went well yesterday. I was really nervous about his shots, but it went well. He woke up this morning just as happy and silly as every morning. He only cried for a couple of minutes after his shots. Lee held him down this time, because I just couldn't do it again. I have done it every time while Lee hid his face in the corner. I rubbed his face while Lee held him down, and we both talked to him the whole time.

His stats are as follows:
Weight: 30 lbs 9 oz (97th %)
Length: 33 1/2 inches (95th %)
Head circumference: I don't remember

Once again the doctor said he was going to be a big boy. I am afraid that I may walk with one hip higher than the other if he keeps growing at this rate. He runs everywhere, but I still carry him a good bit too. He is finally beginning to show some interest in me. Let me explain. He has always been a daddy's boy. He always lights up like a firecracker when he sees Lee. He only lights up like a 25 watt bulb when he sees me. It has been very discouraging to me. I had all week off last week for spring break, and the kid got attached to me finally. He is still a daddy's boy, but he actually looks for me in the house now if I am not in the same room with him and Lee. He latches onto my legs when I pick him up in the afternoons, and he doesn't want me to let go of him for a long time. He still calls me dada, but at least he lights up more like a 60 watt bulb now.

He has all of his teeth except his very last molars. The doctor said that they should come in between 18 and 24 months. He still bites me and anyone else that looks yummy. His favorite thing to chew on is shoes. You can just see his mouth start watering when we open the closet. The poor kid is going to have shoe breath forever if we don't break him from this. He absolutely loves brushing his teeth. He gets very upset when we take the toothbrush away from him. He says mmmmmmmmmmm each time he brushes his teeth.

He is trying to say more words: shoe, juice, dog, nana, mama (only on occasion), daddy, dada, Missy, nana, NO!, and yeah. He babbles almost nonstop in some foreign language. He is no longer eating baby food which is great. He is doing so well with his eating. He drinks a lot of milk (organic 2%), water, and a little organic juice mixed with a lot of water. He ate and wore his first popsicle last weekend and loved it. He tried to take mine from me, but I'm bigger than him, so he didn't get it. We still haven't given him any sweets. Keep your judgments to yourself. ha ha. He will get them soon, just not yet. He doesn't miss what he hasn't had. He is also quite large and doesn't need the extra fat right now. The doctor even commented on his amount of baby fat.

He loves being outdoors so much, just like his daddy (Lee). I just wanted to clarify, because I sometimes get called daddy too. I am the girl dada, I guess. I can't really think of anything else to update you on as far as Rowe goes, except that he is the most fun little person I have ever met! Do you all have any questions? I'll do my best to answer them.

14 1/2 Month Update

2009-03-18T12:49:00.005-05:00

Rowe is growing more and more everyday! He was sick a couple of weeks ago and I took him to the doctor. He had a viral infection with a 103 degree fever, but is much better now!!! We also had a blood drawn to find out which foods he was allergic to so he wouldn't keep having reactions. We should get those results next week. He weighed a little over 29 pounds and was 33 inches long which is the 97th percentile for both weight and length. He is in size 2t and 3t clothes. He has all of his teeth except three. The last eight all came in about the same time, even his molars. I am glad we got that out of the way at one time.

We have been working hard to wean him off of baby food. Basically, I just quit giving it to him, because the doctor said he would not let himself starve. He told me that after a couple of days of being hungry if he didn't eat his table food, that he would start eating it. He was right. He wouldn't eat any of it a week ago, and now he eats all of it. He ate catfish nuggets and a sweet potato last night for supper at Rubens. He really enjoyed himself with our Sunday School class and their babies last night. By the way, we are still trying to wean him off of shoes too - not wearing them, but eating them. I'll post about that later.

I think Rowe looks just like me in the above picture, especially my baby pictures. Rowe is the biggest one and is on the far left in case you were wondering. Luke is sitting next to him, and he is older than Rowe by a couple of months. Charlie is on the other knee and he is exactly one month younger than Rowe. Rowe is jealous of Charlie's hair! Huntley is in the background trying to get to his mama. He was not a big fan of lap time. Robyn is Luke's daddy that is holding the boys. There were about six babies there and all were boys. It was great!!!

I call the above picture - THE BALD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

His favorite thing is being outside like his daddy. His favorite toys are balls, his sunglasses, refrigerator magnets, and water bottles. He loves to play peek-a-boo and chase. He also loves to play with my hair a lot. He doesn't pull it out as much which is good. He is still a big fan of bath time and music.

He can say ball, no, daddy, uh-oh, nana, and encyclopedia. Just kidding about the last one. But wouldn't that be really cool! He still calls me dada, which I guess he could call me worse. I wish he knew my name was mama though. Maybe I should wear a name tag.

This is not a good picture of me, but I just love Rowe's precious expression in this picture!

Coming up for Air

2009-03-18T12:37:00.003-05:00

I have had my nose in a book so much lately, that I figured it was time to come up for air. I realized I had a problem when Lee started asking me to put the books away long enough to spend a little time with him each day. I guess I was being a little negligent of my family. I got one of my best friends hooked on Twilight, and Lee told me I should be ashamed of myself because I was hurting people's marriages with those books. I guess he thinks wives will forget their husbands. I just told him to bite me (You would have to read the book for that to make sense.)

I am thoroughly enjoying my spring break with my sweet boy. He is so precious. I will post an update in a second about him.

Lee has started growing his hair and beard out for Living Pictures, which is our Easter program at church. Lee plays Jesus in it each year. There are about 400 people involved in the drama and music at our church. I love it!!! I am not participating this year because I don't want to take time away from Rowe to go to practices. The program is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights during Easter weekend. It is free, and everyone should come. It is such a blessing and revival to me every time I see it.

Sucked into the Dark Side

2009-03-10T12:52:00.002-05:00

Well, I guess I have been out of the blogging world for a little while, and I want to offer you an explanation. I was temporarily sucked into the dark side, and have yet to return. Can you guess what I am referring to??? I will give you a hint - It is the Cullen's fault and I am halfway out.

Leave me a comment if you too have crossed over or if you know what I am referring to.

Best Buds

2009-02-22T15:18:00.004-06:00

Rowe always has so much fun when he is with Brayden. He loves having his attention and playing with him. They are so fun to watch together! These pictures make me laugh. Especially the one in the middle of them with the same goofy expression with their mouths.

Rowe Update

2009-02-22T13:53:00.006-06:00

Rowe is doing great! He is so big and growing everyday. He is getting taller, but thinning out some since he has started running everywhere. He has one more tooth that has grown in, and the rest of the teeth he did not have are all coming in now. I don't think there is one tooth left that is not in or coming in. He is handling it very well, knock on wood. He just has really yucky diapers.

He is learning something knew constantly. When we ask him if he wants something to eat, he says mmmmmmmmmmmm and walks to his high chair. It is too funny to watch. He tries to put his socks and shoes on himself, but is not successful yet. He would rather snack on them anyway. When I take him with me grocery shopping, he always says "mmmmmmmmm" when we pass food on an aisle. How in the world he knows the difference between food he has never seen before and a regular object is beyond me.

He talks nearly nonstop. I'm not too sure where he gets that from? We are still not fluent in Rowe's language, but we try. He tries to repeat what we say, and mimics what we do quite a bit. When we discipline him, we use the "Sad Stick." If he sees it lying around, he picks it up and shakes it at us saying, "No!" It is really hard not to laugh at him.

I am ashamed to admit this, but he is the church nursery bully. He plays too rough with the other children, and I think he tries to gnaw on them too. I guess it's the whole teething thing. He is not being mean; he just is so much bigger than the other kids and always plays rough with everyone. We are going to have start reading those books about manners like "Hands are Not for Hitting."

He is such a daddy's boy!!!! I thought phases were suppose to change. When Lee takes a picture of Rowe and I, Rowe starts reaching and crying for his daddy. I am not too happy about this!

Rowe Gains Hair!!! Check out the picture below of all of his hair that has grown in. He still doesn't have a lot in the front or on top, but at least there is a little in the back.

Finding Joy and Contentment Today

2009-02-18T17:03:00.000-06:00

My son has taught me one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned. I use to be guilty of trying to rush time, especially when I was looking forward to something. It was like I was always looking ahead rather than stopping where I was in my life and looking around. Other times I would dwell on a beautiful memory of my past as a way to escape the worries of that day.

Since Rowe has been born, I have tried to exist in the present time only. It is hard not to look back and become sad of how fast the past year has gone by or wish for days without teething. I don't want to rush a day by, no matter what we have to look forward to or what we are dealing with at the time. The future is inevitable, why should we attempt to get there any faster.

I don't want to be one of those people that are always hoping for tomorrow, next week, or next year to find joy. I don't want to merely hope for the joy that is out of reach at the time. I also don't want to be an old person one day that only finds joy in my past. The key to contentment is to experience the joy of today and all of the "todays" in our lives. If we are always hoping for joy to come in the future, or only remember our joys as the thing of the past, we will never experience joy at all.

So whether you are racing to the day you are out of debt, the day you'll have a baby, or praying for your child's terrible twos to pass, stop and look around you. If you are someone who believes hope is a thing of the past, and there is no where to go but down from here, choose to be wrong, and find God's joy. God doesn't say he will bless you only when all is right with the world. He wants to bless you today, and already has in many ways, if we just stop long enough to enjoy them. Enjoy today.

Wives For Turkeys' Rights

2009-02-12T19:57:00.001-06:00

I just don't get the whole point of turkey season!!! Thanksgiving isn't even for another eight months. No one is going to invite their families over for a big turkey and dressing dinner in the middle of spring. So what is the point of getting up so stinking early in the morning and waking up the rest of your family while you try your best to quietly get ready for the big turkey hunt? Won't they still be there in November when people actually want to eat turkey??? I plan to become rich making silencers for turkey calls. No one needs to hear that loud, obnoxious call every hour of the day in their own home. Lee blows that thing just about every time I am feeding Rowe. I see Rowe looking out the window just looking for that stupid turkey he can hear calling. I open the back door many mornings just expecting to see a whole flock of turkeys lined up to come in. Sometimes I wish that would happen, so Lee wouldn't feel the need to go looking for them in the woods (after he has woken me up at 4 am). Rowe is going to be the only kid in his preschool class that answers with a turkey call when the rest of the kids gobble when the teacher asks, "What does a turkey say?" But she'll be smart enough to ask that around the time of Thanksgiving, and not in the spring. MEN!

If only I had horns, a white tail, feathers, and spurs then maybe my husband could love me!!!

The End of Deer Season

2009-02-02T20:51:00.000-06:00

Hello All,

The time has come for my broken heart to mend and my mourning to stop. Those God awful woods have spit Lee out in order for a short furlough home. Although he will physically return, his heart, soul, and mind, will remain in those traitorous woods waiting on him until he is swallowed back up in the fall. He grasps his camouflage close to his heart and reminisces until he drifts off to sleep each night. He stares blankly at the numerous bodiless deer hanging on the wall as if they are going to speak to him. I have even heard him talking to those dead animal heads. Each time he calls me dear, I see the deep sadness in his eyes, as if I am not the deer he truly wants. He still drives off of the road looking at the fields, just hoping for a glimpse of the joy he once knew standing out there waiting for him. I know our house will never satisfy him. His dream home is a small shooting house situated just right on the north power line. Oh, if only I had horns and white tail, then my husband could love me. Can anyone else relate?

written by: Celeste Gillis

Updated Photos

2009-02-02T20:37:00.003-06:00

Cousin Alex and Rowe

Can you guess what color Christmas ornament I have been eating?

Rowe with Cousin Bailey

Rowe is giving Brayden a piggy back ride.

Aunt Sharon with Happy Rowe

Rowe with cousin Bailey and Judd

Happy Thirteen Months to All of Us!

2009-01-31T09:55:00.002-06:00

Rowe turned thirteen months old this week. This has been a wonderfully wild thirteen months for us all. Our BIG, little boy has been such a blessing to us each and everyday.

He has changed so much since his first birthday already. He walks or runs most everywhere he goes. He loves his daddy way more than he loves me. I cry sometimes, because it is so obvious. When I rock him, he is looking out the door for his daddy. When he falls and hurts himself he cries and reaches for his daddy. Once Lee holds him, he is fine. When we are at home, and he hears the door open, he takes off to the door, singing "daddy, daddy, daddy." People say it is phase, but it has lasted a while to just be a phase.

His favorite word is still uh-oh. He says every time anyone drops something, when he burps, or sometimes when he sees us pick up the sad stick (wooden spoon). He sometimes picks up the sad spoon and shakes it us saying, "No, No, No." It sounds more like, "Bo, Bo, Bo." He says "Mama" now, but not near as much as "Daddy." He loves sleeping on a pillow and with his lovie. He loves animals, and has gotten really fast when chasing Missy. Needless to say, she has gotten fast too.

His favorite snack is still shoes. We are trying to break him of it, but it's no use. His favorite foods are blueberry waffles, pancakes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, quesadillas, bananas, yogurt, yogurt melts, graham crackers, sweet potatoes, hamburgers (no bun), rolls, baked fries, and any of his baby food. We are trying to wean him off of baby food, but it has been difficult. He still loves it so much! Most of his diet is organic. He loves his milk and water to drink. He still does not eat sweets or junk food yet.

Some of his favorite toys are anything with wheels, his ball popper, balls, mega blocks, walker, shoes of all kinds and flavors, books of all kinds and flavors, play table (set to Spanish only), and any musical instruments. He loves to sing and dance. His favorite thing is to throw balls on our floor and watch them roll and bounce. He laughs so loud every time he throws one. He also likes to throw them back and forth with Lee or me. He thinks it is hilarious. I need to get it on video!

Within seconds of us putting him into his car seat, he has taken off his shoes and socks. He would strip down naked all the time if we let him. He loves his bare feet! He tries to suck on his toes, but his fat belly doesn't always permit it.

He hast he cutest cowlick on the top of his head where it is growing in. I love it! I'll post pictures soon!

He has been sick a lot this month, but I think he is finally starting to feel better. He has slept all night for a few nights in a row and he drank four ounces of milk this yesterday. He hasn't done either of these things in a couple of weeks. Thanks for all the prayers that he would feel better! Now I have got to start feeling better.

Back to the Doctor

2009-01-25T11:53:00.002-06:00

Rowe was running fever again and coughing terribly on Thursday, so I took him back to the doctor. Fortunately his pneumonia was gone, but he has an ear infection, nasty cold, and unending cough. He is sleeping very little due to his coughing, and grabs his ear quite a bit crying. Please pray he feels better soon!

Also pray my mom gets to feeling better soon. She takes care of Rowe when I'm at work, and my dad helps quite a bit when she needs him to. He is going out of town this week for work, so she will be caring for Rowe by herself while they are both sick. Thank you all you blogistas.

Picture Holder

2009-01-19T14:48:00.002-06:00

This is super random, but I have been looking for a picture holder for my wallet forever. Can anyone out there please tell me where I can find one??? Although my purse is quite large enough to carry my child around in it, I think it would be best to just put his pictures in it instead. I just want a plain and simple clear insert, so that when I open my wallet, I can see Lee's face staring at me. That way, I won't spend near as much money! Thanks and forgive my randomness.

Quick Rowe Update

2009-01-18T10:14:00.002-06:00

Rowe has not run a fever in over 24 hours. Thank you Lord. He is feeling better most of the time. He finally got his appetite back yesterday. He finished a sippy cup of milk last night for the first time in nearly a week. He is such a sweet boy, even when he is whining. Of course we did not get him out for church today. We will be keeping him in another week or so in order for him to get completely over this junk. The doctor said he should be well by the end of this week hopefully. Thanks for the prayers, emails, and calls.

Update on Rowe

2009-01-15T20:21:00.003-06:00

Rowe woke up this morning with a 104 degree fever. We finally got his fever down and his medicine changed. The first antibiotic made him really sick, and this one is doing better. He still won't eat or drink much. Keep praying for the little guy. He is being a real trooper.

Rowe has Pneumonia. Yuck!!!

2009-01-14T17:04:00.001-06:00

Last night our little big boy's fever was over 103, and this morning we found out that he has pneumonia. Please be praying for our little trooper to feel better soon. He just isn't himself right now at all. We are also having trouble keeping his fever down. He is home and resting some and playing a little. Hopefully he'll be back to normal soon. Thanks in advance for the prayers.

New Year's Eve Fun

2009-01-11T08:12:00.004-06:00

Lee, Rowe, and I went to our good friend's Tori, Bo's, and Brayden's house to celebrate New Year's Eve. We of course could not hang until midnight, but we had fun anyway. Rowe had a blast with Brayden! Bo and I as kids and teenagers spent New Year's together with our families celebrating together, so it was sweet that our boys got to do the same thing. Rowe enjoyed watching the fireworks that Bo and Lee shot. They put on a great fireworks show. Enjoy the pictures and Happy New Year a little late.

What I've Learned Since I Had a Baby.

2009-01-09T17:15:00.002-06:00

Boobs come and go.
Stretch marks just come.
Sleep is a luxury.
All babies are as different as all adults.
I was a way better parent before I had children. - Don't give parents advice on child rearing if you don't have children.
Perfection is impossible.
A perfectly clean house is a wonderful dream.
Grocery shopping alone is a mini vacation.
A day's worth of stress and worry can be erased with one big smile and two small arms around your neck.
A week's worth of stress and worry can be erased by just watching one small person sleeping peacefully in his crib.
And a lifetime's worth of blessings can fit inside such a small package.

My Top Ten Baby Items for the First Year!

2009-01-06T18:38:00.011-06:00

I wanted to share with you all my top ten favorite baby items that helped me during Rowe's first year. I am sure other mommy's will agree on some and disagree on others. I hope this at least helps all you expecting new babies soon. Now I want to see some posts on the top ten baby items for baby's second year! Leave me a comment with the link to your post or just comment on your favorite items.

1. Sound Machine with battery for travel - This is still our favorite item! We use this every night in Rowe's room and take it with us every time we travel further than a 30 minute drive. The heartbeat sound helped soothe him when he was crying, and the rain sound helps him sleep.

2. vibrating bouncy seat - Rowe slept in this seat until he was four months old. It helped his reflux, and he slept much better in this than his crib. The vibrating motion helped to soothe him too.

3. travel system - This is great because itty bitties fall asleep in their car seat. This way you can easily put sleeping baby in his stroller without ever waking him. Ours was most helpful when we would go to a restaurant and Rowe would sleep the whole time in his carrier.

4. Oopsie - Meet Oopsie. He was Rowe's best friend for the longest time. It was great for travel, play time, and bed time. It lights up and makes cool noises. It is not technically called Oopsie. We just named it that. Bright Start makes it.

5. Nuby - When Rowe was a newborn and had to take medicine, this was the only way we could get him to take it.

6. Jumperoo - Rowe loved spending time jumping in this, although he never slimmed up
jumping in it like I thought he would.

7. exercauser - He also loved this toy. He met the weight limit kind of early, so he didn't get to use it as long as he wanted.

8. Floor Gym - Rowe loved this as an infant.

9. Lovie or Taggie - This was great for nap time or when he was upset.

10. play yard - This was great when Rowe started crawling. We were able to play in the floor without me constantly trying to chase him. We still use it often with him. We ordered the extension kit with it because it was too small without it.