Karley is such a goof. I was laying on the couch and Karley was crawling all over the jungle gym, err, me, and I started blowing raspberries on her. She turned around and put her mouth right on mine and blew raspberries right back. A little while later she was playing with a spoon and she came over to me, lifted my shirt and stuck the spoon in my belly button. A few minutes after that she ran over and started dancing in front of the mirror on our closet door and started giggling at her reflection... she was really rockin' out over there!
Karley is the most wonderful, loveable, silliest, greatest, most exhausting, best thing in my life. How did I live all these years without her? I love that little girl to pieces.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
First overnighter
Karley left me this morning for her first overnight stay without mommy. And it's not just down the road. She's 250 miles away. I can't sleep. I know she's fine, but I can't help but worry. I miss her terribly. I keep looking at her baby pictures and torturing myself. All I want to do is talk about her and think about her. She's having a blast and apparently she called my grandfather "gray da" today. I know they are cherishing these moments with their great granddaughter, which is why I let her go cause I don't think I was totally ready yet. I've teared up a few times. It's amazing how attached to these little beings we become. She is my whole world and I hope as she grows up she realizes and remembers how much I love her, although I know she won't truly understand until she's a mommy of her own.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Veggie Tales & Things
Yesterday was Veggie Tales Live! We had so much fun! Little Miss Independent even crawled off my lap and ran to the front to dance with the other kids - no prompting from me at all. A bunch of kids were all running towards the front and she decided she wanted to go to. BABY MOSH PIT! We even got to "meet" Bob and Larry. I'm glad she did freak out like she did with the Easter bunny. She touched Bob. Apparently tomatoes aren't as scary as giant bunny rabbits.
This isn't from this weekend, but it's too funny not to share.
Standing in line to get into Veggie Tales!
Karley going up to dance with the other kids.
Intermission time
We met Bob and Larry!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Ohhhh Toddlers... !
Never a dull moment with a toddler around.... NEVER!
So yesterday I was about ready to walk out the door, but I had to put our dogs upstairs. I locked the baby gate so Karley would have her toys and not follow me up the stairs. I put the dogs away, I start walking down the stairs and see that Karley had grabbed my soda can and was trying to drink from it. Of course, she completely drenched herself.... like she was dripping with liquid. I said "KARLEY!" and she looked at me all innocent with the can still in her hands and turned sideways and said "YUMMMM!" Ugh. It wasn't funny at the moment, but I couldn't quit giggling about it all day yesterday. I wish I could have gotten a picture of her standing there like that. Better yet, a video. It was too funny!
She had her 15 month follow up yesterday. She's 20 lbs, 13 oz (20th percentile for weight) and 32 inches long (90th percentile for height). She's so tall and lanky. She's got the waist of a 12 month old, but she's almost as tall as a 2 year old. Finding pants for this kid is impossible. Usually 18 months will work as long as it has elastic all the way around the waist band. The Children's Place also has pants that work really well for her too. She also apparently has allergies. The last week she has been coughing really bad only at night. Like so bad that no one has gotten any sleep from it. I told her doctor and she told me that even though she doesn't like to give medicine, it sounds like Karley needed it, and recommended Zyrtec. I gave her some last night and like magic, no coughing. She's following my path in the allergy world, unfortunately. I was expecting it but praying she wouldn't have to go through it. They don't do allergy testing until 2 years old usually though, so I have no idea to what she is allergic too. Other than the allergy issue, she said Karley is doing awesome and growing well. No worries - so YAY!
This morning Karley figured out how to open doors with door knobs, which really sucks because we have a little half sized closet in our living room that we use as extra storage, but it's the perfect height for her. Guess we'll be making a trip later to get more baby proofing supplies!
So yesterday I was about ready to walk out the door, but I had to put our dogs upstairs. I locked the baby gate so Karley would have her toys and not follow me up the stairs. I put the dogs away, I start walking down the stairs and see that Karley had grabbed my soda can and was trying to drink from it. Of course, she completely drenched herself.... like she was dripping with liquid. I said "KARLEY!" and she looked at me all innocent with the can still in her hands and turned sideways and said "YUMMMM!" Ugh. It wasn't funny at the moment, but I couldn't quit giggling about it all day yesterday. I wish I could have gotten a picture of her standing there like that. Better yet, a video. It was too funny!
She had her 15 month follow up yesterday. She's 20 lbs, 13 oz (20th percentile for weight) and 32 inches long (90th percentile for height). She's so tall and lanky. She's got the waist of a 12 month old, but she's almost as tall as a 2 year old. Finding pants for this kid is impossible. Usually 18 months will work as long as it has elastic all the way around the waist band. The Children's Place also has pants that work really well for her too. She also apparently has allergies. The last week she has been coughing really bad only at night. Like so bad that no one has gotten any sleep from it. I told her doctor and she told me that even though she doesn't like to give medicine, it sounds like Karley needed it, and recommended Zyrtec. I gave her some last night and like magic, no coughing. She's following my path in the allergy world, unfortunately. I was expecting it but praying she wouldn't have to go through it. They don't do allergy testing until 2 years old usually though, so I have no idea to what she is allergic too. Other than the allergy issue, she said Karley is doing awesome and growing well. No worries - so YAY!
This morning Karley figured out how to open doors with door knobs, which really sucks because we have a little half sized closet in our living room that we use as extra storage, but it's the perfect height for her. Guess we'll be making a trip later to get more baby proofing supplies!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
And then there was THREE!
I really was going to make an effort to keep up with this, but our anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas, school, Karley's first birthday, and family all got in the way. I'm really going to try to keep up with it now.
Karley is a true miracle. After 5 pregnancy losses, I honestly did not think I'd ever be blessed with a child but when we least expected it there she was. Our little blessing. Our perfect angel. My daughter.
I found out I was pregnant May 19, 2011. I really didn't expect a positive result at all, but the signs were all right there in front of me when I had this insane NEED for a banana split from Friendly's, then when we got there to get it I was too sick to eat my meal, let alone the dang ice cream. I decided to take the test and there it was... a blaring positive. I was honestly so freakin' scared. I cried all the way to the doctor's office to get blood levels because I was afraid of losing this one too and I wanted her so bad. I couldn't handle losing another one and I didn't. Pregnancy wasn't the easiest and gradually got worse at the end. I had a terrible delivery, but none of that mattered because I had my beautiful daughter. I won't bore you with the details of my pregnancy and delivery, so I'll just move on to the fun stuff... KARLEY!
She was born January 20, 2012 at 10:35 AM weighing 8 lbs 11 oz and 21.5 inches long. She was the most beautiful thing I ever saw.
It's amazing how quickly these little humans slip into our hearts. I can't imagine my life without her and really don't know what I did in my life before her. It's like I can't remember my life before she was born. Having her was the most incredible experience and she grows so quickly. It seems like every day she does something new. I remember her first smile, her first giggle, her first time crawling, her first steps... even in the struggles of motherhood, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed EVERY moment of her. The late nights, the frustrating moments, the exploding diapers, the chaos... it adds a little spice in my somewhat dull life and I wouldn't change not one crazy moment of it. When you have a child everyone always says "Enjoy every moment, they grow too fast". This is probably the best advice ever. I know Karley is only 14 months, but it is so true. It feels like just yesterday I was cooing over my newborn in the hospital and now she's running around like a crazy baby and getting into everything. We have so much to look forward to with her in the future, but for now I'm going to enjoy every moment of her now. It won't be long before she doesn't want my hugs and kisses and she won't "need" me anymore. I don't want to regret not one thing. I don't want to look back and say "I wish I would have..."
Karley is a true miracle. After 5 pregnancy losses, I honestly did not think I'd ever be blessed with a child but when we least expected it there she was. Our little blessing. Our perfect angel. My daughter.
I found out I was pregnant May 19, 2011. I really didn't expect a positive result at all, but the signs were all right there in front of me when I had this insane NEED for a banana split from Friendly's, then when we got there to get it I was too sick to eat my meal, let alone the dang ice cream. I decided to take the test and there it was... a blaring positive. I was honestly so freakin' scared. I cried all the way to the doctor's office to get blood levels because I was afraid of losing this one too and I wanted her so bad. I couldn't handle losing another one and I didn't. Pregnancy wasn't the easiest and gradually got worse at the end. I had a terrible delivery, but none of that mattered because I had my beautiful daughter. I won't bore you with the details of my pregnancy and delivery, so I'll just move on to the fun stuff... KARLEY!
She was born January 20, 2012 at 10:35 AM weighing 8 lbs 11 oz and 21.5 inches long. She was the most beautiful thing I ever saw.
On our way home from the hospital!
Almost 2 weeks old!
One month old
First smile, caught on camera. 6 weeks old.
3 months old, the day of her baby dedication at church. She fell asleep in the elder's arms during the dedication. :-)
4 months old.
5 months old on the 4th of July.
6 months
7 months
9 months
11 months - Christmas 2012
First birthday!
13.5 months
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Just the beginning....
I should have done this long ago so I could document our wonderful journey of being new parents, but I didn't even think of it. So alas, here I am. I am going to be doing a bit of catch up in the next few posts and sharing some background stories and such, so bare with me!
First I will start off with mine and Adam's background before we get to the good stuff - our baby girl, Karley!
We met at a friend's party when I was 16 and Adam was 18. Well, we didn't officially meet, but I noticed him. Close enough. He was dating another girl that ironically went to the same school that I did. Now, I'm not a believer in love at first sight, but somehow I knew he was special and I was jealous! I never had such strange feelings before and especially over a guy I didn't even know. Shortly after that he signed up to join the military. Flash forward one year - I was with some of my girlfriends at a local rock band concert that the firehouse held every Friday night. He showed up with one of his friends. We ran into each other and hung out for awhile. He was pretty awesome and both of us were single. We exchanged Myspace information and found each other on there, but beyond that there wasn't any communication. I ended up dating a guy from my high school shortly after our meeting. Flash forward yet another year - high school guy I was dating broke up with me. I was devastated and Adam was there to help me pick up the pieces. We were messaging over Myspace and he noticed that I was very sad. He invited me out to a dinner and a movie as just friends to try to cheer me up. He picked me up in his car and we went to Uno's then went to see this incredibly stupid movie (The Hill's Have Eyes). Now, whether I am in a movie theater or just sitting on the couch relaxing, I have a tendency to lean toward my right. He was sitting on my right. When I leaned, he took that as a cue to put his arm around me and he did. And that is when it all began! Seven months later we were married. I was barely 19 and literally just graduated high school five months prior. He was 21 and incredibly handsome in his dress greens. Best day of my life. I truly believe we were meant to be together. He is my best friend and my soul mate. In less than 2 weeks we will be celebrating our 6 year wedding anniversary.
Our life together hasn't always been rainbows and butterflies. We've had our fair share of trials. He almost deployed to Iraq, but he was injured and subsequently medically discharged from the military. I was beyond elated that he wasn't deployed into a war zone, but because of that plus the downward spiraling economy, he has faced multiple job losses. We also went through multiple unexplained pregnancy losses. Five to be exact. That was never easy. We also had to "grow up" together and made for some not so fun times, but everything we've been through has made us STRONGER and our love so much deeper. I will never regret my decision in marrying my best friend, no matter what, and I truly believe that it is our unrelenting faith in God and making God the center of our marriage and lives that make us so compatible and makes everything work for the better. We are NOTHING without Christ!
SOOOO, now more about our family.
Shortly after our first miscarriage, we brought home little Chip, who was a 7 week old yorkie. We didn't know much about buying dogs at the time and were truly duped. We bought him from a broker after he was born and raised in an Amish puppy mill in Lancaster, PA. They lied about his age and told us he was 9 weeks old. Hindsight is 20/20 and it is apparent that he was not once handled (or at least properly) by humans nor that he was properly weaned from his mother. The poor pup didn't even know how to chew his own food. We had to actually teach him. And he was absolutely petrified of any person. I'm talking beyond normal scared puppy on his first day home. I'm talking truly, honestly, petrified. It was really sad. I will spare you the details. He is now almost 6 years old and is an awesome little dog with a BIG attitude. He truly has a napoleon complex. I love that dog!
Next, there is Smokey. He came to us October 30, 2007, just seven months after Chip came to stay with us. Smokey is a yorkie as well. He was a semi-rescue pup. A friend of mine called me saying that she knew of a yorkie that really needed a home and knew I would be a good fit. She gave me the number to a woman that had him. I called her the next day and the next day after that Smokey was being brought into my home. The poor thing has been transferred from home to home to home to home. He was also a puppy mill dog and it showed. He had such terrible separation anxiety - we couldn't even baby gate him in the bathroom or crate him in our bedroom and go to bed without him get seriously ill. He had lost so much weight from getting sick every time he was separated. It took me a good week or two to figure out what was causing him to be sick. Everyone prior thought it was a potty training issue, but I decided to experiment. I left the house and left both the dogs together by themselves and voila! Problem solved (mostly)! He started beginning to relax and he started gaining weight again. He still has some pretty rough anxiety issues, but nothing like before. We've spent a long time working with him and making him feel comfortable. He is the sweetest dog though. He truly is just this big love bug and the complete opposite of Chip. He is my baby and my little shadow. He follows me everywhere he can! It is such a blessing to have two amazing dogs that have both been through so much!
Last but not least is our beautiful daughter, Karley. She was born by c-section January 20, 2012 after five pregnancy losses. She is a true miracle baby and our absolute pride and joy! We thank God everyday for such a wonderful blessing that He has added into our lives. "For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him" 1 Samuel 1:27. I will add MUCH more about her in the subsequent posts. I'm mostly starting this blog for her so you will get to hear a lot about her!
First I will start off with mine and Adam's background before we get to the good stuff - our baby girl, Karley!
We met at a friend's party when I was 16 and Adam was 18. Well, we didn't officially meet, but I noticed him. Close enough. He was dating another girl that ironically went to the same school that I did. Now, I'm not a believer in love at first sight, but somehow I knew he was special and I was jealous! I never had such strange feelings before and especially over a guy I didn't even know. Shortly after that he signed up to join the military. Flash forward one year - I was with some of my girlfriends at a local rock band concert that the firehouse held every Friday night. He showed up with one of his friends. We ran into each other and hung out for awhile. He was pretty awesome and both of us were single. We exchanged Myspace information and found each other on there, but beyond that there wasn't any communication. I ended up dating a guy from my high school shortly after our meeting. Flash forward yet another year - high school guy I was dating broke up with me. I was devastated and Adam was there to help me pick up the pieces. We were messaging over Myspace and he noticed that I was very sad. He invited me out to a dinner and a movie as just friends to try to cheer me up. He picked me up in his car and we went to Uno's then went to see this incredibly stupid movie (The Hill's Have Eyes). Now, whether I am in a movie theater or just sitting on the couch relaxing, I have a tendency to lean toward my right. He was sitting on my right. When I leaned, he took that as a cue to put his arm around me and he did. And that is when it all began! Seven months later we were married. I was barely 19 and literally just graduated high school five months prior. He was 21 and incredibly handsome in his dress greens. Best day of my life. I truly believe we were meant to be together. He is my best friend and my soul mate. In less than 2 weeks we will be celebrating our 6 year wedding anniversary.
Our life together hasn't always been rainbows and butterflies. We've had our fair share of trials. He almost deployed to Iraq, but he was injured and subsequently medically discharged from the military. I was beyond elated that he wasn't deployed into a war zone, but because of that plus the downward spiraling economy, he has faced multiple job losses. We also went through multiple unexplained pregnancy losses. Five to be exact. That was never easy. We also had to "grow up" together and made for some not so fun times, but everything we've been through has made us STRONGER and our love so much deeper. I will never regret my decision in marrying my best friend, no matter what, and I truly believe that it is our unrelenting faith in God and making God the center of our marriage and lives that make us so compatible and makes everything work for the better. We are NOTHING without Christ!
SOOOO, now more about our family.
Shortly after our first miscarriage, we brought home little Chip, who was a 7 week old yorkie. We didn't know much about buying dogs at the time and were truly duped. We bought him from a broker after he was born and raised in an Amish puppy mill in Lancaster, PA. They lied about his age and told us he was 9 weeks old. Hindsight is 20/20 and it is apparent that he was not once handled (or at least properly) by humans nor that he was properly weaned from his mother. The poor pup didn't even know how to chew his own food. We had to actually teach him. And he was absolutely petrified of any person. I'm talking beyond normal scared puppy on his first day home. I'm talking truly, honestly, petrified. It was really sad. I will spare you the details. He is now almost 6 years old and is an awesome little dog with a BIG attitude. He truly has a napoleon complex. I love that dog!
Next, there is Smokey. He came to us October 30, 2007, just seven months after Chip came to stay with us. Smokey is a yorkie as well. He was a semi-rescue pup. A friend of mine called me saying that she knew of a yorkie that really needed a home and knew I would be a good fit. She gave me the number to a woman that had him. I called her the next day and the next day after that Smokey was being brought into my home. The poor thing has been transferred from home to home to home to home. He was also a puppy mill dog and it showed. He had such terrible separation anxiety - we couldn't even baby gate him in the bathroom or crate him in our bedroom and go to bed without him get seriously ill. He had lost so much weight from getting sick every time he was separated. It took me a good week or two to figure out what was causing him to be sick. Everyone prior thought it was a potty training issue, but I decided to experiment. I left the house and left both the dogs together by themselves and voila! Problem solved (mostly)! He started beginning to relax and he started gaining weight again. He still has some pretty rough anxiety issues, but nothing like before. We've spent a long time working with him and making him feel comfortable. He is the sweetest dog though. He truly is just this big love bug and the complete opposite of Chip. He is my baby and my little shadow. He follows me everywhere he can! It is such a blessing to have two amazing dogs that have both been through so much!
(Smokey left and Chip right)
Last but not least is our beautiful daughter, Karley. She was born by c-section January 20, 2012 after five pregnancy losses. She is a true miracle baby and our absolute pride and joy! We thank God everyday for such a wonderful blessing that He has added into our lives. "For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him" 1 Samuel 1:27. I will add MUCH more about her in the subsequent posts. I'm mostly starting this blog for her so you will get to hear a lot about her!
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