that tongue...

hi baby=) look at what a precious little goof you are...i can't remember what you were reaching for, but it must've been pretty important!!! it was probably a syringe or something. those are your favorites. no worries-the syringes that live in our house don't have needles on them...


mommy had GW 2009 last weekend. that stands for girls' weekend. i'm a little embarassed to admit what a bunch of geeks your mommy and her friends are, but the weekend was full of shameless merriment. daddy was at a conference in pennsylvania so you stayed with gigi and grandaddy for the first time overnight. mommy was experiencing MUCH anxiety over this when plans were first made...not really because i was worried about you-i knew you'd be fine and my parents would watch you like hawks for the whole day and a half they had you by themselves...i was just anxious because i knew i'd miss you so much. i knew that day had to come, and needed to come for the sanity of us all, but i didn't know if i was quite ready. without sounding too ridiculous, i'll just say that up until last weekend, i had seen you every day of your life. this is only a big deal because you'd been in a hospital an hour and a half away for about 6 months of that life, and for a good portion of those 6 months i was working full time. i guess i should just admit that i was feeling pretty proud of myself that i was able to still see you for at least a few hours on each of those days. all that said, i figured it would need to be a significant event for me to tear myself away from you for a whole 24 hours plus...GW 2009 was indeed a worthy event. i almost cried a few times on friday as the time was approaching for the girls to pick me up, but i managed to hold back any and all tears. the girls were very sweet and understanding (there are 4 new mama's in our bunch) and didn't make fun of me one bit. have i ever told you what great friends mommy has? they're super great. many memories were made that i'll tell you about in 20 years or so...it'll probably take that long for you to think we're funny...anyway. here's a picture of me with some of your goofy aunties=)

again, much fun and merriment. the most important part of the weekend, aside from me meeting bon qui qui, was that you and gigi and grandaddy had such a great time and all went well without mommy around! when i got back sunday afternoon you were napping and i went in there and laid down beside you on the floor and stared at you for a little while. i love you and i couldn't help it.

so guess what. you might walk sooner than i thought. or maybe not, whatever, but you're getting so close!!! lately we've been standing you up and then letting go to see how you'll do. hehe. that sounds kind of mean but you usually stand there for a second and laugh and just plop down when you realize what you're doing all by yourself. well tonight we were playing on the floor and all of a sudden you just stood up by yourself and hung out for several seconds without holding onto anything. you had a most hilarious grin on your face and i could totally tell that you were proud of yourself. like you knew i would be so excited about what you were doing. and then all of a sudden you took a step towards me but i don't think i can count it as your first step because i scooped you up so fast so i could love on you and kiss all over your face and tell you how proud i was of you. so we'll wait on the official "first step", but tonight was a definite move in the right direction! it really does seem like every time we take a trip and let you see more of your world you end up taking a relatively large stride in advancing along your little developmental milestones. keep it up sweet girl. we love how you're reaching them at your own pace and we couldn't be more proud of you=)

love you babe. you're sleeping like a little angel so i will go do the same.

mommy

cupcake catherine!

hi sweet catherine!

you had a very fun first celebrateable (not a word, by the way) halloween. last year, you were in the nicu still, and while it was fun putting the little candy corn hat on you that the volunteers made, this year was much more fun dressing you up and showing you off!!! miss christi (your wardrobe creator...) saw a cupcake costume in pottery barn kids, and of course decided she could, and should, make the same one for hers and all of her friends' daughters. it was perfect!!!

mommy had to work halloween night and would miss the party you and daddy were going to, so we went on a family lunch date to jason's deli and you wore your costume so i could see how cute you were! you didn't seem to mind it at all. it was funny watching how you couldn't quite move around as well, but it didn't hold you back too much! here you are sweet girl!

our sweet cupcake likes salty potato chips

you kinda look like you were trying to say "boo!" and scare somebody, but you were really just laughing your head off!

catherine and veronica

hi baby=)

when i got home today i peeked into the den. this is what i found...




you and veronica were playing in your tunnel. you two love each other very much=) daddy and i had just gone on a lunch date and had been talking about how we were so thankful for veronica...how much our lives had changed since she came into them. i think this came up because we were actually just taking off by ourselves in the middle of the day for a quick date, and 6 months ago there's no way we could've done that...anyway-the davises love veronica. very much. and it's very true that we're not sure what we'll do when we can't keep her anymore!!! i'm in the next room listening to you two read to each other right now. and by "read to each other" i mean she reads a book and you interject a babble here and there while pointing to things on the page, then look up at her to make sure she understand what you're telling her...i love it.

here are two videos of you laughing at daddy. he was spinning around and yelling and then he would fall down beside you. you thought it was just great. you two are funny=)





love you babe!

mommy

fall fun

hi love=)

we have had a great fall so far! a few weeks ago when daddy was in brazil we took a girl trip to the lake. we got to see lots of family and it was so much fun=) then for jessica's birthday we went to ashland berry farm and picked out pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. you had lots of fun and probably the best part was how you rocked your striped sweater with matching mittens and (my favorite) a hat. what a cutie pie you are. on a not so fun note, you got the flu this past week! i kinda figured it was inevitable, and you've done really well with it-not a severe case at all. we started you on tamiflu as soon as your fever started and you're already so much better! you're in there right now with daddy eating bananas and banana puffs (you're doing SO GREAT learning how to eat!!!). i love you sweet angel. you're becoming more and more fun as you go from one phase to the next. you're quite the little light in our lives...here are some photos from our recent festivities!

you and grandmama (and piglet!)

little cuteness on the boat


driving the boat with grandaddy

you really wanted to touch sweet hazel!

playing with aunt nikki

reading with gigi (you LOOOOOOVE books!)

i love this sweet little face. you're concentrating so hard!

laughing with aunt elaine

this face cracks me up.

pretty girl clapping!

beautiful baby hazel! we LOVED seeing how much she's grown!

so cute! you and jackson admiring hazel...

playing "ride a little horsey" with gigi

you love aunt nikki!

it was quite the adventure getting pictures of you and little hazel together!

you developed a deep affection for elmo on this lake trip...

i wish we had a picture of everybody behind the camera trying to make you two laugh...we are acting like complete idiots. you were loving it. hazel was just hungry and would not be entertained by us!

i like sweet hazel's toes in this one.

"what's wrong with little hazel! help her!"

snugglin with scout=)

chewing on the couch cushion

already a diva

you are so beautiful! i love how happy you are here=)

fun with daddy

giving daddy bunny ears. definitely not on purpose.

precious little angel=)

you weren't sure about all this...

mama getting some sweet love

daddy, me, you, daryl, sara, jessica and jeff at the pumpkin patch!

i like this one just because sara and daryl are smooching in the background!

i don't even know what to say about this. you are so precious!

stacey and ronna's wedding=)

hi love=)

the trip to oklahoma was great! we had gorgeous weather and it was a beautiful wedding and so wonderful to spend time with such sweet friends. what an honor to share such a special day with stacey and ronna. they are precious people who are shamelessly devoted to following Jesus and honoring Him with their lives. on somewhat of a side note, here is their favorite charity...

you did really well on the plane. you slept for most of the long flights, and i thought that was very sweet of you to wait until then to take your big naps=) there were a few times it seemed like your ears were hurting (or maybe there was some other reason you were fussy) but of course you won't suck on anything so we didn't know how to help you. daddy would try to let you chew on his hand (you do that sometimes) but it didn't really work. thankfully, nobody on the plane was noticeably irritated and it all went by very fast! you were very well behaved during the wedding and you seemed to like the whole ordeal. you and daddy stood in front of a big wooden cross during the ceremony and halfway through you turned around and started wanting to grab at it and eventually you started talking a little too loud...so he passed you off to me. they were super laid back and couldn't care less if the kids needed to go sit down at any point during the wedding, so it all worked out well=)

you learned how to give us kisses while we were on the trip. i can't tell you how happy this makes me=) after a few times of me saying "can i have a kiss" and making kissy noises you will look at me and lean in with your mouth open wide and tongue poked out a little and lay one on me. i love it so much. and the other newest thing you've done is master your m and b sounds. at first your cry would just basically be you yelling "mmmmba mmmmba" and now when you're playing you'll just say "mmmmba" when you're talking to yourself. it's pretty cute.

here are some pictures from the trip. it really was great. i'm so thankful for the friendships we have with daddy's friends from college-spending time with them reminds me that he is pretty great too. does that make sense? that for him to have such incredible friends, he must be pretty high caliber as well. i obviously can't say enough how much i adore stacey and ronna-and we loved spending time with bryan and alicia too. talking with all of them was really encouraging and we felt very loved just by being with them. and they were so excited to hang out with you=) stacey and ronna are obviously big "kid" people (you'd have to be to have 6 kids in your wedding...) and i really hope in the pictures you can see how bryan's face lit up when he was with you. or watching you. or talking about you. he needs to be a dad soon for sure;) and with alicia as their mama, those children will no doubt be incredibly beautiful! ok. on with the pictures.

a little unsure about the plane ride at first...


starting to come around

you were super cute looking out the window...


wreaking havoc in the newark airport (we had a little "poop incident" so you were no longer wearing any pants...)

i love that little mischievous face

always with the tongue out=)

"look mom! another boy to play with!"

are you head-butting him? i don't even know what to say about this one.

watching the rehearsal

the beautiful bride with her daddy

bryan playing with you during the rehearsal

sweet ronna and stacey=) (see that scar on stacey's hand? he plays semi-pro hockey. he's super intense about it. i couldn't even look at the picture of him getting into a fight during a game. but it happens, apparently...and it doesn't change the fact that he might be the nicest person i've ever met)

oh man i loved stacey's dad so much. he's a super cute man. look at him laughing!

my girl flirting. as usual.

you are the cutest thing i've ever seen. hands down. stacey insisted you keep gilly with you during the actual wedding too.

"who? me?"

flirty mcflirterson

the gorgeous house where they got married!

watching a little football with daddy before the wedding

my sweet girl in her tutu=)

you two looking like a million bucks.

i told him you knew how to give kisses now and this is all he did all day.

lamont hiebert sang in their wedding. he's the lead singer of ten shekel shirt. and their friend from college.

i think they might be the best looking couple i've ever seen.

isn't she the cutest?

the wedding party in their sea of yellow and blue and white

the only family photo we took that weekend...

and this one. which we think is hilarious because your crying face is super funny.

daddy had been slobbering all over your hair which was disgusting. but then we gave you a mohawk and you were cute as ever. minus the stinky hair.

alicia, bryan, stacey, ronna, me, you and daddy

first dance=)

i love this. i probably don't have to explain why.

nosy little thing. pretty happy about getting into mommy's purse.

the happy couple went out to eat with us sunday morning before they headed off to texas for stacey to start playing with his new team...we felt very privileged=)

they look pretty happy to me!

they love you sweet girl. they have been faithful friends in celebrating your life with us!

learning how to clap

hi babe!

you learned how to clap today. we had been holding your hands and clapping for you, but today you did it by yourself. it's pretty cute and we're super proud of you.




stacey and ronna are getting married saturday! they are dear friends. stacey was daddy's roommate all 4 years in college and he's one of the coolest people i know. i wish we lived closer to them because i would beg ronna to be my best friend. i love her story. she's really great. i have probably been a little too excited about them finding each other;) we love them and miss them so much. they came to see us a couple weeks after we found out we were pregnant with a sweet little sick girl in my tummy, and i loved that time with them. they painted our living room and dining room and worked their little tails off so the pregnant lady could "avoid the fumes" or whatever my excuse was;) so anyway we head to oklahoma tomorrow. it's your first plane ride and we're very excited. but a little nervous too since you've recently discovered your voice and have found it very gratifying to hear yourself cry. the people on that plane are in for a treat;)

here are some pictures of some things we've done lately. our favorite is going to the park we discovered down the road. a few weekends ago daddy and i started pushing you in your stroller to the park and we would play and play. there is a real chance we like it more than you do, but i think you'll come around before too long...

i love you. i can't wait to see you in your little yellow tutu standing up there with daddy at the front of the church watching these people we love getting married...what a great day saturday will be=)

mommy

peeking over the side of your pack-n-play...watching mommy on the computer

you love the new jogging stroller!

oh man. what a cutie pie.


you and daddy swinging






you liked playing with this thing the best=)




you tried to scoot one little hip down the slide to daddy but hold on at the same time with your hand. we think you are super cute=)



you love riding on daddy's shoulders!

i love these two=)

my two little goofs

you lean over and rest your head on his when you get tired up there=)

you have discovered the buttons on the television! (this is daddy's favorite outfit on you. he went to your closet and picked it out himself. he also thinks it's hilarious when you start changing the settings on the tv.)

i love your little feet in this picture. you cross your ankles and rub your little feet together all the time, whether you're awake or asleep!

you thought it was very important that you get over to that bubble blower as soon as possible (this is one of mommy's favorite things that you wear: a shirt, a diaper, and your pink converse)

you had fun trying out your new big girl car seat!

sweet girl reading your book=)

the trach is out!

hi babe=)

you did it. your trach came out wednesday. we got to the picu around noon and played with you in there for a few hours. you flirted with everyone who walked by and then dr rodgers got there around 3:00. there were probably just as many people in the room as last time, but you were loving it! you were maybe in the best mood you've ever been in. that worked out nicely. they got all the monitors on you and daddy just took it right out. i didn't even know it had happened until after the fact-you were laying on one side of him and i was standing on the other. i looked over toward you and saw the trach laying on the bed-i jerked my head over to you and realized it was out and you couldn't care less! you were just laying there looking around at everyone. wondering what the big deal was. your sats didn't change at all. i think they actually might have gotten better since you got it out. so everyone watched you for about 15 minutes-daddy played with you and threw you up and down in the air and you laughed at him. all was well and we were pretty giddy. you got a new boyfriend in the midst of all this, by the way. his name is pete. that's not to say that doug has been replaced-you still love him very much and light up when he walks in the room. so the next few days were spent staring at your neck and listening to your sweet voice-we love hearing you laugh, and cry...daddy is a little guilty of actually trying to make you cry just so he could hear that sweet sound=). we were supposed to go home saturday but you had consistently looked so good since the trach came out (and the hospital needed your room) so dr rodgers let us go friday! daddy asked if i wanted to take you to virginia beach to celebrate and i thought that was a great idea. we went home first to get some more food for you, then took off for the beach. all was well until we were about 40 miles out of richmond and we got a flat tire! so change of plans-daddy put on the spare tire while you watched intently, occasionally staring at the cars and trucks whizzing past us...then we drove back to sam's in richmond to get a new tire. it's 7:00 by this time, and since virginia beach was clearly not an option anymore we decided to take you to a japanese steakhouse to celebrate. i thought you'd like watching the guy cook in front of us and i figured it would keep a one year old fairly occupied during dinner. it was very fun=) so there's the story of getting your trach out. pretty non-eventful. but pretty incredible, nonetheless=)

i know without a doubt that i'm not fully comprehending what a big deal this is. we're so thankful, that's for sure, and i kind of realize that we have been blessed beyond our wildest imagination. but i just don't want to miss for a second or ever take for granted the gift God has given us in you. and all these steps toward health that you're taking. i pray that He will show me every day what a treasure you are-that He will remind me of where we started with you and in that help me recognize and remember His hand of healing and provision that He's shown us-and that i will be continually humbled by the fact that He chose daddy and me to be your parents and for us to be a part of this journey with you. we are so thankful. we are full of praise.

"Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits--

who forgives your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things..."

-Psalm 103

you draw our eyes upward, sweet girl. i love you. you are our greatest joy=)

mommy

before...

and after!

talking to pete, your newest boyfriend

you're gonna miss having your suction tube to play with!

daddy and i, on the other hand, will not miss it at all.

wondering how to get out there...

such a happy girl=)

doug heard that he might have been replaced, so he rushed on over to reclaim your heart.

i think it worked=)

silly daddy and daughter

i love my sweet girl=)

you and me with megan and lindsay, the sweet girls who kept mommy fed while you were in the hospital=) (yes-that's a plastic fork in your hand)

at the japanese steakhouse!

you look like such a big girl!

this is how you reacted to the big flame! the cook asked if he should make the flame smaller for you but we said no-that you'd be alright. you just grabbed onto my sleeve for a second and then went back to your business. you big brave girl=)

this is a video we took about 15 minutes after the trach came out-we were goofy over your sweet laugh=)



this one was a couple days later before we came home from the hospital. you love your gilly fish. and your silly daddy=)