Emma's Donation to Locks of Love

I was waiting to put these pictures up because I was going to do a post on the whole weekend including our little anniversary trip. But, my sister is BUGGING me to put pictures up of Emma's new hairdo. Can someone please tell me how even as a grown adult, my sister can still manipulate me into doing the stuff she wants me to do? I just can't seem to tell her no.

Here you go Denise.. Are you going to let me sleep with you tonight? (That's how she always bribed me when we were kids. There was a neighborhood rumor that the house across the street was haunted. So, I was always scared to sleep by myself. I really should see a therapist).

Taken the day before. I just put this one on here to show how long it had gotten

I think my heart was beating 100 miles a second. I was really scared that she was going to be disappointed.

Sigh of relief, she loves it!

Ten inches to put in the mail. We're so proud of her!

With Nonna and Aunt Nancy! Thank you both for keeping them so we could make our first ever (non work related) overnight trip since we've had children!

I'd Love You All Over Again...

Tomorrow, we celebrate our 10 year anniversary..

I wished I had started planning 10 years ago for the slideshow I was going to make for our ten year anniversary. I would have had things more organized. But, after gathering pictures from here and there, I pulled it together. Seriously, I think I've been through about five computers in the past 10 years. Anyway, I guess I'll just say that there is nothing I would rather do than review the last ten years of my life with Adam with his youngest child tied around my ankles and his oldest sitting beside me chattering up a storm.


Adam Ellis, I'm so glad God made me your wife. Happy Anniversary!

Becoming Such a Little Lady

I heard somewhere that little girls get their first surge of hormones at age 4. Crazy I know but I think I can vouch for it. I started babysitting when I was eleven. I worked at an after school childcare program when I was in high school and as a lifeguard at a daycare when I was in college. I've always loved children. I think they help me keep a fresh perspective on life. But, ages 4 and 5 and then around 5th or 6th grade have always been the hardest ages for me. Probably those hormone surges. This has not been an exception with my own child. Go ahead, chastise me for not saying , "oh, every stage is my favorite" like every good mother is supposed to say. Go ahead and chastise me and we'll keep it between me and you that you're not being honest when you say that every stage is wonderful to you. If you don't have children yet or if you are still in the baby or toddler ages, I know what you're thinking. I thought it too. There once was a day when I thought I could never get frustrated with my child. But, bookmark this post. In a year or two, you might need to read it so that you won't feel alone in your frustration.

Don't get me wrong, we've still had sweet moments that I cherish and even the not so sweet moments mark a place on the path of the beautiful woman that will one day emerge from within her. It didn't help that we had some big life changes in the middle of this age (new baby sister and change in address). I think a daughter asserting her independence is always a hard thing for a mother. I'm sure we'll have these times in the future. But, for now, it seems as if we have made it over some metaphorical hump. And somehow we have ended this stage with her still calling me her best friend. If we can only make it through those teenage hormones with such success, maybe one day she will be a mother herself and she will still call me her best friend as I do my mother. I'm sure it didn't happen over night but somewhere during this first year of Kindergarten, the remainder of the baby that was still hanging on has been washed away. Sometimes when she's sleeping, I look at her in her bed and I think there is a beautiful 18 year old laying there. It won't be too long until there is. It's bittersweet. It's such a joy to watch her grow but sometimes I try to think of her at Chloe's age and it's already hard for me to remember.

Emma Ellis, one day, you'll have a child of your own and only then will you be able to comprehend how much love my heart holds for you.

Quotable: Emma has a small birthmark on her side. The other day, she walked down the hallway toward me and looking down and her birthmark she said, "hey, my birthmark is the shape of the state of Florida".

Blessings,
Dana

Happy Easter!!

A few days ago, Emma looked at me and said, "mom, I don't think the Easter bunny is real". Thinking that she was probably figuring things out, and not wanting to pass up a chance to mess with her, I said, "you don't, well how do you think those baskets get in the house on Easter morning?" Her reply, "oh, I think it's a guy dressed in a bunny costume that brings it".




When I was at the grocery store this morning, it occurred to me that I hadn't had their pictures made with the Easter bunny and if I didn't this year, it would be the first ever since Emma was born. So... after waiting in line over an hour, we were the next in line and the bunny had to take a potty break.. Not too bad for waiting an hour and a half... Chloe went willingly.. I guess all of the amusement park characters have warmed her up nicely.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!

Sleeping Harder, Walking Lighter....

We took Chloe to the pediatric cardiologist yesterday. This is what I gathered from everything he said... She had two different things going on. The irregular heart rate he said was actually a sign that she had a very healthy heart. He said that the fact that it was slowing down and speeding up with her breathing meant that it was doing a better job regulating itself than our hearts are doing. Then he said that it did have a slightly lighter beat on the second beat. He said that he thought it was in the normal realm but they did an EKG and a sonogram to make sure. He came back in after the sonogram and said, "there's nothing wrong with her heart. she's very healthy, ya'll are good to go". I told him that it was very nice to meet him but I hoped that if I ever saw him again, that it was in Walmart. I fought hard to fight the tears as we were leaving the hospital. The hospital parking lot didn't seem like a great place to hit my knees. But, I gave God all the thanks in my heart for protecting the things that are so precious to me and for giving me this situation that put everything thing in the right perspective.. I have become so aware of the friends and family that cared so much about this with us. We thank ya'll for your prayers, love and concern. And we pray that God blesses you all with health and love.

Blessings,
Dana

Worth Quoting...

We decided to take a mini vacation during spring break. Six Flags has an awesome deal on season passes this year. Only 49.99. Since we had two recent vacation catastrophies and since Atlanta is about the mid point between us and my parents, my mom and dad and my sister and her family all got season passes hoping that it will prove to be a way to have a fun summer without costing us a fortune. So, we came down yesterday after church and went into the park for a few hours, spent the night, and went back in for the day today. It was a little cool but we bundled up and the longest wait we had was about 10 minutes. Mom and Dad and Denise and Donald came and we all had a blast. I didn't even bring my camera (purposefully) so we'll have to wait on Aunt Denise for pictures.

It's 11:16 p.m. At the moment, I am sitting in the hotel bed, which isn't all that comfortable but tolerable since I brought my own sheets (my weird thing about sheets has even more behind it when it comes to hotels. Don't want to be scarred for life? Don't watch dateline). When we wake Emma up in the morning, we always go in and say, "wakey wakey, eggs and bakey". Emma is sacked out on the other bed and Chloe is bouncing on the bed beside me saying, "wakey wakey". . I gave into to Chloe's desire to try Yoohoo and apparently, it has the same effect on her that it did on me as a child, something that seems similar to crack.. Note to self: Yoohoo for mom, hide yoohoo from Chloe..

So, while I'm waiting for her to crash from her sugar or chocolate high or whatever (what is in that stuff anyway?), I thought I'd note some things that they've both said lately. I found that when tried to relay them to my mother today I am already forgetting them so I thought I better get them while the getting is good.

Chloe--
She's starting to say things that let me know her wheels are turning..

The other day, I put her in her car seat, and buckled it. I went around and got in my seat and turned off the car and she said, "momma buckle". I would have buckled, I promise. But, she was sure to keep me straight. When Emma was about three, she started asking me if I had my Sam's card every time we got in the car. That should give you a little bit of an idea how many times we got to Sam's without my card.

She has also started frequently saying, "ah cha cha". I think she picked this up on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I need to catch that one on video to do it justice.

The other night, I put her in her bed and she bounced across the bed and gave me several kisses. I then told her I love her (typical bedtime routine). She normally says, "I love you" back. So after about three times, I said, "Chloe can you tell me you love me"? Her reply.. "daddy do it".

Emma--
This one goes back quite a while but since my post on Disney World is still sitting half written in my drafts, I thought I'd go ahead and get this one down. While we were at Disney, some of our friends that live in the area, Tony and Susan and their two little ones came to visit us. By this point, Emma was deliriously tired and I had been thrown up on more times than I could count after rushing to DW after spending a sleepless night with Chloe in the hospital only to make it into the park at 4:00 p.m. on the first day. My tank of patience was empty and Emma was pushing newly discovered buttons. She often gets overly excited and when she does, we tell her to sit back and take five deep breaths. I gave her my normal, "Emma, I want you to sit back and take five deep breaths". It worked for all of two seconds and she was bouncing off the walls once more. So I said, "Emma, I want you to sit back and take five more very deep, very slow breaths". To which Emma said, "I took ten the first time".... Hey, at least she plans ahead.

We get to see them so seldom that we usually get to chatting and I forget to get a picture of us all when we do get together but I did grab my camera just in time to get this picture of Claire and Emma. They became buddies really quickly. They also have an adorable little boy that almost made me want to try for a third one. ALMOST.. I think I decided that we just have to find a way to see Tony and Susan more often.


I have now put Chloe in the pack n play where she is saying, "hop, hop, hop, hop...." While she "hops, hops, hops, hops"... It is now 11:34 p.m.

And this wasn't talking (which is a rarity for Emma) but today, we were very bundled up for our cold day. She was wearing both a jacket and coat. She took the coat off when we went in to eat lunch. Adam had informed her that she had pizza on her face. She started to wipe her face on her jacket sleeve but Adam stopped her just in time by saying, "Emma, don't wipe it on your jacket" in his common, "have you lost your mind" tone. She then picked up her coat and attempted to wipe her mouth on her coat. He handed her a napkin just in time and I was spared the heavy duty stain removal I would have had to do once we got home. And I immediately feared for my grandchildren who will very likely be raised by a politician which is perhaps, more dangerous than being raised by a preacher.

12:01 a.m. Chloe is sleeping soundly. Hopefully, soon, I will be too.

Blessings,
Dana

Update on Chloe.

The irregularity is still there. We have an appointment with a Cardiologist next Wed., the 8th at 2. I'm really kind of glad that the ped. could still hear it because if there isn't anything huge wrong, I think I'd feel more secure hearing it from someone that specializes in that area. And, if there is something more wrong, then we should be at that right place.

The ped did assure me that she wouldn't die immediately from something like what he was hearing. His exact words were, "she is not going to just drop dead, I promise". Doesn't sound like typical words that come from a doctor but that was answering the exact question I had in my mind.

Anyway, thanks for all the prayers. Hopefully we will know something more definite soon!

Blessings,
Dana