Happy Father's Day

Just wanted to write a quick post about Father's Day, or more importantly, the Dad's whom I love and admire.  There are so many in my life to thank: My awesome Dad, my dear Husband, my Father in Law, and my 2 Grandpas who I am blessed to still have in my life.  I am a girl surrounded by a lot of great Men, and I just wanted to publicly thank them all for the influence they've had in my life (I put pictures up of each of them visiting with Lucy in her newborn days :).  

But most importantly, I wanted to let Shawn know how much I love him and respect him, and I want to thank him for being the best Daddy to Lucy.  I knew he'd be a good Dad before I ever got pregnant, but once we actually knew we were expecting, he has been so sweet and kind and excited about our growing family.  I remember having him kiss my belly goodnight and good morning each day when I was pregnant with Lucy.  He'd tell her how much he loved her and how excited he was to hold her and meet her once she came into the world.  He'd talk to her (his mouth right there next to my belly) and tell her stories and he'd always have his hands on my belly, just waiting to feel her kick.  And when she finally came into this world, I know his love for her quadrupled (like mine did) and he really does have that "Daddy-Daughter" bond with her.  

She squeals with excitement when he gets home from work each night and she crawls so fast to greet him at the door.  She cries when he leaves for work in the morning, and she sits by the door waiting for him to walk back in.  She cries when he walks out of a room, even!  She loves her Daddy and he loves her.  It is such a neat thing, being the Mom and watching your baby girl play and hug and grow with your husband.  I can't describe that special feeling I get when I see her kissing him, or see him playing with her.  But it really is special. 

I can't wait to watch him snuggle with our new one in December.  I am so lucky to have a husband who adores his babies.  We were so ecstatic to learn we were pregnant with baby number 2, because the love a parent has for their child is unlike any other feeling in the world, and now we get to experience that love with another baby! 

Shawn, you are a wonderful husband and an even more wonderful Dad.  Thank you for all you do for our family.  Thank you for selflessly going to work every day to provide for us.  I am so appreciative that you let me have my dream of being a stay-at-home-mom, and I am so thankful for all you do for us.  I hope you had a good Father's Day.  Lucy and I love you with all our hearts.  Happy Father's Day, Daddy.

Lucy and her proud Daddy

Lucy and her Daddy

Lucy and Paw Paw

Lucy and her Great Grandpa "Pops"

Lucy and her Papa

Lucy and her Great Grandpa "Pops"

Lucy and Papa

A year later....Lucy and her Da Da

A Week With The Gilleys

We had a lot of company here for the past 9 days!  My Mom (although her visit was too short!), Shawn's parents and his 2 brothers, (one brought  his sweet girlfriend, the other brought his wife and son).  It was an eventful week and Lucy sure got lots of extra attention!  First, we had her 1st birthday party.  That was so much fun for us to have a lot of family here to enjoy us celebrate little Lu.  Then we spent time in Denver shopping, went bowling a couple of times (my sister-in-law, Whitney, and Christa- my FUTURE sister-in-law are dang good- they KILLED me!), did the arcade one night, went swimming, went to the Denver Zoo, and went out to dinner at a lot of yummy restaurants!  It was good to spend time with our family from Louisiana who we don't get to see very often.  Lucy and her cousin Peyton had fun getting to know each other.  In fact, on the first night she met him, she kept giving him BIG hugs.  It was very cute :)  She spent a lot of time in her Paw Paws arms and loved how he can talk like Donald Duck!  He made her laugh every time.  She was a trooper throughout the week, even though she got a stomach bug one day and hardly took any naps all week long.  One thing's for sure, she was extra spoiled and has been acting like she's starving for attention all day long since this is the first day in 9 days that she doesn't have 6 extra family members passing her around!  I guess Shawn and I aren't good enough for her anymore ;) 

She had a lot of fun with the Gilleys!

Lucy and her Uncle Bobby

Going in for a hug

Giving Peyton BIG hugs!

Loved the rides at Boondocks.  In fact, she threw fits when we took her off of them after her time  would run out.

Paw Paw and Grammy bought her and Peyton matching giraffe souvenirs from the Zoo and Lucy LOVED hers.  It is so sweet to see her really play with her toys now and use her imagination.

The Family at the Zoo.  From L-R: Christa, Matthew, Whitney, Peyton, Bobby, Mary, Lucy, Bruce, Me, Shawn.  A big group.  It was a fun day!

 We had a lot of fun and this is where I took most of my pictures.  Lucy would reach out to the animals while we were there and laugh at the monkeys swinging all around.  The closest we got to any animals were the giraffes and she was staring at them in amazement at their HUGE-ness.  We were only a few feet away and they were eating with their long tongues and just being awesome. I LOVE giraffes.  They were my favorite animal to watch that day. 

Peyton and Lucy playing with their new giraffes!

I was a little disappointed when I was looking through all of my pictures from the week.  I can't believe I didn't get any of us bowling, swimming, or "sight seeing!"  I bring my camera everywhere but I guess I didn't take it out of the case enough.  Dang.  But the pictures I DID get were pretty cute :)

Thanks Gilley's! We love you!

Lucy Turns 1!

This is the oldest she's ever been, and the youngest she'll ever be.  As Lucy hit her first birthday, I had mixed emotions about how I was feeling...I was SO excited for this new milestone and exciting part of her life, but I was missing my soft, sweet smelling newborn baby.  

The night before her 1st birthday, I snuck into her room and took her out of bed and held her in my arms for a long time.  I was just feeling her warmth and that total sweet surrender that sleeping babies give, and I just cried and cried.  I was thinking about how it was the last night she'd ever be "months" old.  The next day she'd be a big 1 year old!  I went to bed that night with a heavy heart, just missing the new days when every little squeal and snort and coo was the best thing ever!  But I woke up on the morning of her birthday energetic and excited about the day ahead!  I made her french toast with lots of syrup and fresh blueberries.  She got some awesome presents and a brownie for dessert.  She had balloons to play with, she Face-Timed with Ninny and Papa and talked to Nana and Pops Smidt on the phone.  She had video messages and facebook messages from her Aunts and friends.  She got to spend time with her Grammy and Paw Paw and Aunt and Uncle from Louisiana.  It was a very exciting day! 

And once again, late that night, after her bath, her story, and her night-time milk, I picked my sleeping baby up out of her crib and rocked her and cried....It reminded me of the story "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."  It was truly a scene out of the book.  I even whispered that little phrase to her as I held her warm little body in my arms.  It was my baby girl's birthday and my mind was replaying the 1st year of her life.  She is growing up so fast and I love each and every minute of it, but it is just so crazy how fast the year passed.  I still can't wrap my head around it!  It seems like we brought her home 2 weeks ago, not a whole year ago!  I don't know....I am a total "reminiscer."  (I just made that word up, haha!), but I am.  I am always reminiscing about the past, so of course I couldn't resist.  I re read her baby book on her birthday about the day of her birth and looked at all her newborn photos.  She was, and still is, the most precious part of my world.  I am so thankful for her. 

I hope she had a perfect birthday. 
Welcome to toddler-hood my sweet baby.  I can't wait to watch you grow and hold you every night on your future birthdays until you're too big for me to pick up, and rock you while you sleep, and cry because I love you. 

Lucy loves her new sand/water table.  Pink sand for the birthday girl!

What a stinker face :) Her birthday breakfast :)

Lucy's new red wagon.  All her birthday money was pooled together and she LOVES it!

The BEST present!!! She found out she was going to be a Big Sister!!!

What a sweet moment it was to let the family know we're adding to our "nest" :)

Cookie Monster, Elmo, and her personal birthday cake :)

Sharing cake with Daddy

 =

Dig In Baby!

 Can't believe you're all done with your monthly stickers.  It flew by, Lucy!  Sadly, I know the next 18 years will fly by as well.  I love you more than all the leaves on all the trees. 

Happy Birthday sweet Lu.

 

Lucy's Birthday Party!

Just wanted to post this cute video of Lucy's birthday party.  She got some great presents and this video shows her opening her 1st one (well, with a little help from Ninny) :)

There will be a longer blog post later when I have time to sort through all the cuteness of her party pictures.  For now, please enjoy this short video of our little sweetheart :)

Turn Computer Volume all the way up. Wish I was smarter with the computer so I could post GOOD quality videos!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO!