old soul...

I took Eve to the potty at the dr office today.  When she finished, I asked her if she could put her panties on by herself (because we STRIP down when we go potty).  "No Ma'am", she VERY politely replied.  Then, she bent over, picked up her panties, and held them out for me saying, "Here you go, dahhh-ling."

Christmas is Here...

...and the Lairsey's are busy, busy, busy (as is everyone else, I know!).  This weekend,  I went to the Christmas Brunch at Grace with my mom, sisters, and Karla.  Tomorrow, we leave to celebrate Christmas with the Lairsey family in Blackshear.  We are also going to have Twin Birthday Party #1 :)  Eve is spending the night with her cousins (at TayTay's house) on Monday night (just for fun) and then going to Aunt Karla's in Gainsville from Tuesday til Friday morning.  Thursday night, Eric and I are celebrating Christmas with our youth leaders at Cadwallader's Restaurant...that will be a blast.  Friday night, we are all spending the night at the Hilley's...Dad rented a 15 passenger van for us to all load up in to look for Christmas lights!!  Yay!!!  We'll do adult Christmas Friday night after kids go to bed, then in the morning, we'll do family Christmas with all the kiddos.  The plan is to have Twin Birthday Party #2 at lunchtime, then head to the NICU to see our favorite nurses and drop off some goodies.  Lauren came up with this idea, and I think it should definitely be a tradition for us.  I always want the girls to remember what Christmas miracles they were!!  After that, we're coming home for a nap, then Mrs. Nadean and Karla are coming in town to have Twin Birthday Party #3.  They are cooking dinner and we'll have cake... then rush off to our Christmas Eve Service at In Focus.  We'll spend Christmas Eve Night at home with our babies, then have a family Christmas with them on Christmas morning.  After that, it is off to Grace for a Christmas Church Service, home for a nap, then back to the Hilley's for a fancy Christmas Dinner.  Finally, on Monday, we head to Anderson to celebrate Milam Family Christmas  :)  I love this time of year!!!  Lord, let us be reminded to stop and be thankful for the REASON we celebrate Christmas.  Our hope, our joy, our peace, and our life is in YOU.  

Merry Christmas, 2011!!!

Sassy Pants

Can you guess who this post is about?  I'll give you ONE guess :)

Eve got up EARLY yesterday and walked in the bathroom while I was getting ready to go to work.  She says (keeping her eyes closed bc the light was too bright), "Momma, we dont say 'dang man'.  It's too dangerous!"  :)

At dinner the other night, she looked at me with a giddy little smile and said, "I cant wait til you marry daddy in three weeks!"

Riding home from school this week, I noticed that TayTay was behind us in traffic.  I told Eve to wave to her.  She said, "Where is TayTay going?"  "She's on her way home too!"  I replied.  "Where is TayTay's house?"  Trying to stay in Eve's language, I said, "Her house is a few paths away from ours."  "FROM MARS??  HaHa!  That's silly!"  When I started laughing, she said, "Oh momma, I was just kiddin!  Haha, just kiddin!"

Just so she and I can spend a little more one-on-one time together, sometimes, I let her take her afternoon nap with me (and my large belly) on the couch.  She LOVES it.  She doesn't talk or giggle, she just curls up and snoozes.  Such sweet time.  I love when she is watching a movie and comes and sits almost on top of me, just to get close.  Sometimes, I get the pleasure of hearing her ask, "can you snuggle me, momma?"  I cannot get enough of her sweetness, when she gives it.  I love hearing her say to Eric, "I love your kisses, daddy!"  or to me, "you're my best girl, momma!"  Eve loves to refer to us doing things "as a family".  For example, if she really wants something, she knows to sweet talk us into it by saying, "why dont we all sit on the couch and watch Belle AS A FAMILY" or "lets eat an icecream sandwich AS A FAMILY" or "lets play ring-around-the-rosy AS A FAMILY".  Eric gives in to her EVERYTIME.  It is precious.

At Walmart tonight, Eve saw a display of sunglasses.  She rushed over to them, put a pair on, then turned to me and Eric and said, "hmmm... these are stylish!"  :)

Last night, right before bed, Eve stopped mid-sentence, looked up at the ceiling and said, "wait, let me hear what the sky is telling me...he is telling me to watch a few more shows before bed."

Nonny's Duck Pond

One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories is going to the duck pond with Nonny after lunch to walk and feed the ducks.  This year, we went up to see Faith, Brian, Stephen, and Suzanne the Saturday before Thanksgiving and we were able to go to the duck pond and get some pics.  I had hoped we could do a family photo-shoot there, but the twins were exhausted and fell asleep... I didn't have the heart to wake them up for a few pictures!  We had a blast.

 Miley (3), Ella Kate (5), Eve (3), Josiah (4)

 about to throw some leaves

BFF :)

    29 weeks pregnant with Coleman :)

Best Friends

I am REALLY enjoying the twins!  They play and talk and stand and smile... they really are easy little girls.  This has proven to be my favorite stage so far with them.  I can put them down in the living room with some toys and cheerios and that will give me time to do the dishes, or laundry, or take a shower.  Ellie has gotten more content over the past few months, and Clara is more vocal.  Clara squeals and giggles CONSTANTLY... it appears I may have another chatty-cathy on my hands... :)

 Ellie's tongue is ALWAYS out!

Clara and Ellie are 11 months old and are both standing, climbing, and moving around where ever they want to.  Clara will eat just about anything I give her, she is not picky.  Ellie does NOT like green veggies, but will scarf down loads of whatever else I'm offering.  Some of their favorites are apple sauce, bananas, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, carrots, pears, squash, crackers, and cheerios.  Since we started table food, they have really taken-off growth-wise.  They flew through 6/9 mth clothes and are now comfortably in 9/12 mth.  Still in size 3 diapers.  Their feet are TINY... I just bought a big package of size 6-12 mth socks, and they are HUGE!  Clara has 4 teeth (two on top and two on bottom).  Ellie's bottom right came through just two weeks ago, and I noticed the bottom left popping up tonight.  They sleep fairly soundly in the DARK from 8:30-8.  Eve is sharing a room with them, but the past few nights, we've put her to bed in the other bedroom so we could close the door for the twins to let all the light out.  They like that better.  They take two naps... one from 9:30-11 and the other from 2:30-4:30.  Neither one of them are stable enough on their feet to take steps YET, but I dont think it will be long.  Clara does NOT like to get in her car seat, but once the car is moving, all three of the girls are excellent riders.  Ellie does NOT like to take a bath, but if she can just sit in the water and play, everyone is happy!  Ellie loves to answer to "How big is Ellie?  Soooo big!"  Both of her arms go straight up in the air.  Clara loves to take her shirt and cover her face (showing her adorable, chubby belly) when you say, "Where's Clara?  There she is!!"  Both girls wave bye-bye (Ellie more consistantly) and say dada, mama, bye bye, and lala.  Ellie has started saying "lalala ooh" when I say, "I la-la-love you!"    Their FIRST BIRTHDAY is just around the corner, and I cannot believe my miracle babies have been here that long!  Another 6 weeks or so, and we'll add Coleman to our crazy, little house.  Eric and I are so excited!!  :)

Both of the girls have fought through their first virus of the season.  Clara was first with a low-grade fever and a little grumpy-ness.  She got through that all on her own (with her STRONG immune system) and passed it on to Ellie a few days later.  Ellie had a little bit of a harder time fighting it off, and ended up with the beginnings of her first ear infection.  We caught it in time that an antibiotic and some ear drops did the trick, and her fever went away and she was back to her normal, smiley self in no-time.  During the sick-days, daddy was a great snuggle buddy!

Christmas and Daddy

Eric and I decided that FOR THIS YEAR ONLY, a Christmas tree was a little too much to handle at our house (for me).  With a large belly and two almost-one-year-olds getting into everything, I want life to be as easy as possible.  So, the week before Thanksgiving, I went up into the attic to scrounge up our stockings, mantle decorations, tiny Christmas trees for the front porch, two wreaths, and our Christmas wrapping paper.  Eve thought she was in HEAVEN.  She loved it!  There was a bit of guilt in me, thinking she was going to miss not having a tree to decorate and put presents under, but God knew... and this little girl's expectations have been met!!  Everytime we see someone else's Christmas tree or decorations or lights around the outside of the house, she says, "Momma, look!  They have Christmas at their house just like we do!!!"  or "That Christmas tree is beautiful, just like ours!"

I bought a kit at Target for making Christmas Tree Cupcakes, and I was REALLY wanting some cake, so Eve and I pulled that out last week and got to baking.  She was SO excited to decorate with the icing and sprinkles, and little candy balls.  One thing I LOVE about Eve (and I hope our others will adopt it) is her desire for Eric's attention.  Everything she draws, wears, does, or says; when she dances, sings, plays, builds...whatever it is, she wants her dad to oooh and aaaahh over her.  He loves it, and so do I.  Well, dad was watching the little girls (and a football game) in the living room while Eve and I were decorating, so I thought it would be easier (clearly, I was NOT thinking) to have Eve bring daddy the tray of cupcakes to show him.  I got a clean pan to put them on so the leftover sprinkles wouldn't dump out on the carpet, I went before her and got every toy and doll out of the way... and SPLAT... Eve, tray, cupcakes, and sprinkles ... EVERYWHERE!  The cupcakes fell icing-side-down on the carpet, and Eve barely dodged the fireplace :(  She was screaming about a hurt finger (dramatically) and mostly from disappointment.  I angrily calmly picked up the cupcakes, put them back on the tray, and gave them to Eve to finish "showing them off".  The now-mangled cupcakes looked so pitiful, but Eric made Eve feel like they were the most beautiful cupcakes he had ever seen.  They both ate one and enjoyed the rest of  the night, while I scrubbed icing out of my carpet.  I'm so thankful for a daddy who sees the importance of making his daughter(s) feel like a princess.  Me and my girls are blessed :)

 

Coleman Jude Lairsey

I am 27 weeks pregnant with Coleman, and the weeks are flying by!  We have two weeks til Thanksgiving, then a month til Christmas, then two weeks til Coleman joins our family in the flesh :)  I can hardly believe it!!!  Dr. Morgan Gibbs is projecting a c-section during the week of January 9... that is NOT far off!!  Here is a picture from today's sonogram of his foot/leg.  It is still AMAZING to me that LIFE is growing in my belly...AMAZING.  

Jesus In Your Heart

After I put the little girls to bed (I like to give them a little bit of a head start :)), Eve and I were up watching The Sing Off.  Out of no where, she looked up at me so sweetly and said, "Mommy, is Jesus in everyone's heart?"  Hmmmm... how deep can I go with a 3-year-old??  "No, baby.  Jesus only comes in people's hearts when they ask him to.  There are some people who haven't asked Jesus to come in their heart."  "Oh, mommy.  You need to ask Jesus to come in your heart right now."  "I already did, Eve."  "You need to again.  Right now.  I'll help you."  I give in.  "Ok.  Jesus, please come into my heart and ..."  Eve interrupts and starts her own beautiful prayer:  "Jesus and God, please come into my mommy's heart and help her and me to be sweet and be on green and on happy frog.  And come in forever.  And bless her to be sweet.  And daddy too.  Thank you for doing that.  Amen."  Then she looks at me, pulls up my shirt, and points to my belly button, "Jesus slid down that hole right there, mommy.  He went straight to your heart.  He just slid down."

I love that girl.  I love thinking about her growing up around the things of God.  Jesus, capture her heart... and I pray she will serve YOU every day that she lives!

Believe It or Not...

The twins are about to start WALKING!  Ten months old!  

They have both totally mastered crawling...and are quite speedy.  They can go anywhere and everywhere they want to.  I wasn't quite ready for that!  It is definitely a rude-awakening to what my life holds over the next 2 years or so :)    Both girls will crawl over to something and pull themselves up to standing!  I cannot believe it!  Eve was not an early walker, and the twins were so preemie, that I just assumed they'd be hitting milestones later than Eve...but not true!  Can I possibly be ready for this??

I just moved Ellie from her crib in the office downstairs to the "Big Girl Room" upstairs with Clara and Eve.  She thinks she is BIG STUFF.  She never cries.  She is as content as she could be!! :)  If I have to go up there to console Clara or get on to Eve, I'll see Ellie's head pop up over the railing with the biggest grin you could imagine!  I think she's saying, "Look, mom!  I'm a big girl!  I'm not crying!!"  Love it!

I put the girls in the same crib and let them play.  It was precious.  I love to watch them interact!!

At their 9 mth check up, Ellie weighed 14lb 2oz, and Clara was 18lb 1oz (I checked Eve's baby book when we got home to find that she weighed 18 lb at her 9 mth check up).  They are doing phenomenal!  I am amazed at what God is continuing to do in their little lives.  We went back to the NICU clinic to be followed up on by the neonatologists.  Dr. Boedy was ASTONISHED at their progress.  Here is how he would approach their developmental milestones, "Now, Mrs. Lairsey...Is Ellie smiling?"  "Yes" "Oh, great!  Now, this is possible, but not probable:  Is Ellie trying to roll from her back to her belly?"  "Yes" "Oh great!  Now, this is not likely, but is she attempting to sit, unsupported?" At this point, I say, "Sir, she is pulling up!"  "Pulling up??  What do you mean?"  "I mean, she will crawl over to the couch or my hands and pull herself up to standing."  "Wow!!  Not only is she beyond her adjusted milestones (meaning 2 mths behind), she has caught up with her actual age milestones!  That is fantastic!  Now, is Clara smiling?"  :)  I just grin and tell him that Clara is doing everything Ellie is and about a week ahead.  He was amazed.  So am I.  But not at Clara and Ellie, at GOD.  He is the reason.

Ellie still has not cut a tooth, and I cant find one close to coming through.  Clara has her two on the bottom :)  When she smiles, she exaggerates her lower teeth as if to show them off so everyone knows they are there!!  Happy girl!  The girls both LOVE Cheerios, Puffs, Teething Biscuits, and baby food (Ellie is a little more picky than Clara, but either of them will pretty much eat anything).

I am IN LOVE with my family.  They are more than I could have ever hoped or asked for!!