Weekend with Tauntie

We spent this past weekend in Jackson, MS helping Jeff's sister (Tauntie) with her landscape project. Addy absolutely adores Tauntie AND Tauntie's new baby, Boudreaux!

I love this picture because not only does it show the beautiful work that was done in the yard but it highlights Addy's project she had working inside the house. Notice the large window to the left...we were outside in the yard & she & Luke were inside napping...well Luke was napping while Addy was busy ripping the corners of the curtain off the rings and shoving pillows in the window.

BFF

Luke & Addy were laying on the floor together this morning as I was getting ready for work. I had my back to them getting something out of the drawer when I heard Addy say, "You like me? Let's be best friends." She had no idea I heard her & she went on carrying on the sweetest, little conversation with him.

Double Digits

10 10 10 TEN POUNDS 10 10 10

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;

and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

Luke's developmental follow-up visit at the NICU went well today & he has reached a milestone.....DOUBLE DIGITS in the weight category!!! We are beginning to wean him from the caffeine and his vitamin D is discontinued. He sometimes sleeps 5 straight hours at night. We still do kangaroo care and there is no sweeter smell than the top of his head. He will be 5 months old tomorrow...hard to believe! Those 2 months in the NICU were grueling and the days seemed to crawl along...the 3 months since he's been home have flown by.

Jeff has been very busy working on his business plan for the State Farm Agent application process. He'll go before a panel of interviewers at the end of April to present his business plan and hopefully enter the pool to qualify for an agency of his very own.

Addy-cakes is a growing girl and very busy...she is still very fond of her baby brother and loves covering him with kisses. We were headed out to my grandmother's house for lunch last Sunday and would you believe we passed a turtle crossing the road? Da-Da decided to turn around and go see if it was our friend Egg. When Da-Da picked him up a strange yellow substance dripped from the underside of his shell...we let him ride in the back of the truck the rest of the trip. Addy was convinced it was Egg but Da-Da said we would have to inspect him a little closer to be sure it wasn't Egg's mean brother who has claws and bites. Cousins Gabe and Rachel were at Grandma's and they were an excellent distraction for Addy so that yellow-substance-drippy-turtle could do what turtles do best and that's bury themselves in the grass and get lost.

Monday I started back to work at a brand new job. I am doing home health now with Synergy Home Care. I look forward to holidays and weekends off as well as day to day flexibility for whatever mommyhood throws my way. Boy oh boy do I miss staying in my jammies all day rocking Luke & watching Ellen...HELLO real world! I managed to throw away our tax refund check this week. In the 8 years we have been married we have never received a refund. This year we literally felt like we hit the jackpot...we were GETTING MONEY BACK!!!! Yep...and I accidentally threw the check in the trash can. Threw it away Monday...City trash pick-up was Tuesday.

Happy Birthday Pop-Pop

Luke Patrick with his namesake...his loving Pop-Pop!

We pray baby Luke grows up to be big & strong like you.

We love you.

"Fully Vascularized"

These words were music to my ears this morning during Luke's follow-up eye exam. His little eye development is right where it needs to be. God is sooo good!!

This is my last week home with Luke before I return to work. Yet another one of the countless blessings that we have received...I have been home with Luke for 12 weeks! This time with him was only possible through the very, very generous love offerings of our amazing family...and the Family Medical Leave Act. Thank you, thank you so much...I will forever be grateful for and cherish this special time we spent together...Just me and my boy !

And my God will meet all your needs

according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Baby Luke

You see life is tough…

Luke’s 4 month/well-baby check-up with the pediatrician went well. He is still just over 9 lbs which puts him at the 10th percentile for weight. He is at the 50th percentile for length/height and 25th percentile for head circumference. We are scheduled for a developmental follow-up visit with the NICU in 2 weeks and we are looking forward to seeing everyone and checking up on Luke's developmental milestones. He is smiling and cooing more everyday and sometimes I think he is really trying to tell me something...like here

"Baseball stinks! I would rather sing in a rock band."

Not So Girly-Girl

I’ve about decided to trade in Addy’s cutesy bows & dresses for rubber boots & overalls.
Nothing is sweeter than hearing my baby girl giggle. And no one brings out her giggle better than her Da-Da.







Handy Manny (AKA Addy) & Pop-Pop trying to salvage my bike cart that I managed to squish by accidentally running it over in my 2-ton SUV.


Meet “Egg” the turtle.

My brother found this darling, little turtle on the golf course Saturday afternoon & decided he would make a nice surprise for Addy. It was love at first sight!
Addy & Egg spent a lot of quality time together Sunday . They bonded in her clubhouse, slid down the slide, had lunch together and Addy even introduced him to Baby Luke…please don’t let there be a foreign and contagious turtle disease? Anyway as we sat in the driveway waiting for Da-Da to return from washing his truck we thought it would be a good idea to let Egg out of his Tupperware home so he could stretch his legs and explore a bit. Well, Egg’s turtle brain must have been saying…"FREEEEDOM…I’m outta here!!!” And free he was. Egg wasn’t your average turtle. He was of the speedy line of turtles and in 4 seconds flat he made his way clear across the yard and skillfully buried himself in the grass. Needless to say Addy was heartbroken. “MY TURTLE!” she sobbed “He’s gone!” We immediately got on our hands & knees and began digging around in the grass where we last saw him…no luck. About that time we saw Da-Da’s truck rounding the corner. My thoughts were…thank goodness Da-Da the hunter to the rescue. Addy ran over to his truck in tears to explain what had happened. Da-Da joined the missing turtle search as we all 3 returned to our hands and knees in full-dig-mode but even the keen hunter came up empty handed. The best explanation we could come up with was that Egg missed his family and was off trying to find them. We passed the canal behind our house on our walk this afternoon and Addy peered through the fence to see if she could see Egg. Hopefully at some point this summer we’ll cross paths and reunite with a turtle named “Egg”.