What have we been doing??

Well.. it has been awhile since I have posted anything, thought I'd better get on here and update everyone.

Thanksgiving was awesome. My mom, Jacey and I went to our good friends the Oelkers. It was soo much fun. They have a 2 year old (Eli) and a new baby that is 2 weeks older than Jacey (Noah). Having the kids around is so great. I love the fact that Jacey has friends that she will know for her entire life! Kind of like the friends I have, Becky and Jessica - we met when I was 1 1/2 and are so close... Love that...

Anyway, after Thanksgiving we came home sick :( Jacey and I both had fevers.. ARG it was a rough couple of days. It was the first time Jacey ever had a fever! We survived though...

Speaking of surviving - I survived my 1st term back at school! YAY!! I finished my finals yesterday... I was soo stressed this week, and now that it is over I am completely RELAXED... Interesting thing is that Jacey has not been sleeping very well the past couple days and then once finals were over and my attitude changed now she is sleeping great! I think she must have picked up on my tension. I've been asking the Lord to help me with that. Help me to control my attitude so that it doesn't affect my baby... :( Anyway - 2 of my final grades are posted so far, both A's. Hoping for 2 more!!

It's supposed to snow a lot this weekend. I am actually looking forward to it.. it has hardly snowed at all yet this year... It will be great because next week we are having family visit for a few days and it will be all nice a warm and cozy inside and all freezing and white outside! Nice and Christmasy..

That's all for now - I don't think I am going to get Christmas cards out this year... but... here is our Christmas picture... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

MERRY (early) CHRISTMAS

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Silly Mommy

After church today, Jacey and I went grocery shopping. When we arrived I got Jacey out and secured her into the shopping cart. She waited patiently while I retrieved the rest of my junk from the car (purse, cell phone, keys, etc.). The next thing I know all my coupons go flying out of the car and blow across the parking lot. Naturally I went chasing after them. As I was doing this I heard laughter behind me. I turned around to see who it was.... and it was JACEY!! There she was, with a huge grin on her face, laughing at me chasing after my coupons!! Who knew that the first time Jacey belted out a big laugh that she would be laughing at ME... Oh my goodness :) She's so cute... It tickles me that she found humor in something, even though it was her silly mommy.

Did you vote?

Jacey Love spent the evening reading up on the presidential candidates and state measures.

She worries about how the upcoming election will affect her future.

So, for Jacey Love's sake, please VOTE!

Oh ya, I forgot...

Here are the pumpkins!! Can you guess which one I did? and which one Grammy did?

Halloween

Yesterday was Jacey's first Halloween. It was a quite evening for us. We just sat around eating chocolate and carving pumpkins :) Check out Miss Jacey Kitty. Ain't she cute!? I couldn't decide which picture to put on here, so I just put a bunch on. I don't think anyone will complain!!

Yesterday, Grammy got the high chair out. Jacey isn't sitting up by herself quite yet, but she is almost there. The highchair supports her enough so that she can sit pretty well on her own. The plan is to train her to sit at the table with us while we are eating dinner. That way when she is eating solids she'll be used to the idea of eating as a family, praying before we eat, table manners, and such. :) She's done pretty well in the highchair so far. No big fits yet!

It was really funny yesterday... Grammy was playing with Jacey on the floor and Jacey kept doing this thing where she would be laying on her tummy and then she would lift her legs and arms into the air... Grammy decided to do the same thing. It was SOOO FUNNY!! It may be one of those thing you just have to be there for to find humor in it, but I hope that you get what I am saying by this picture.... Doesn't it look like they are skydiving?? hehe.

It was just a typical day until...

Today was a typical Sunday. Went to church... went to lunch... went to a show that the studio I dance with was putting on (well that's actually not too typical, but anyway)... then came home... took Jacey in the stroller and went for a walk.... then comes the GOOD part... TUMMY TIME!

Jacey rolled over from back to tummy!

That was really cool because she hasn't done it that well before... So then she just stayed on her tummy and was doing push ups like she normally does... but this time she got her hips off the floor... So I called Grammy into the room to watch... And then... she got up on ALL FOURS! It was amazing and I got it on video :) Check it out!

What a great day!

Jacey's Progress

Today Jacey had her 4 month appointment. Even though she had to get her 2nd course of immunization shots (which is sooo sad) it went great! She is 13.2 lbs and 24 inches long. Dr. Z says that puts her in the 50th percentile for weight and height. He says she is the "Poster Child" just perfect!!

I just love my little girl.

Sigh...

Well, everything is complete with time to spare! Thank you, Jesus!

Stressed

Okay - I'm feelin' it and I just needed to take few minutes to vent.

School is stressing me out!! It's not like I have a ton of homework or I can't handle it, it's just that I can't relax unless EVERYTHING is done. Some assignments are just going to take longer than I want them to. And it seems like when I am under this stress that's when I want to procrasinate the most! And now that I have procrastinated I am under even more stress!! Jacey is demanding sometimes - so that's hard when I've got homework. I really just need to chill out, stay on task, and learn how to do my homework and studying in consistent shifts, not all at once like I want to.

Ugh. Okay - I'm off to the library to finish up my presentation that I have to give tomorrow...

Nice Pic

Update

It has been a long time since I have put anything on here! I figure I better get something posted!

Just to get everyone updated - I'm officially an umemployed full-time college student. :) I have been pretty busy with school lately, but I am really enjoying it. It feels kind of funny to not be working, but it also feels right. I am going to the community college here in kfalls, not really sure what career I am working towards yet, but I am interested in the medical field. I hope that in the next few months I will have a better idea of what I will be doing. I am trying soo hard in school - and trying to make new friends also. Maybe, just maybe I'll get at 4.0 this term. haha. Well that's my goal anyway.


Anyway, life is good right now. Jacey is getting bigger by the day as ususal. I go to school in the evenings so I get to spend the whole day with Miss Jacey. She is leading a pretty stable life and I would like to keep it that way!

Jacey's New Play Thing :)

Look at my Jacey!!

End of Leave

Today was my last day home on maternity leave... Tomorrow I go back to work at WAMU!! It has been an awesome 3 months! :) And it has been an awesome year. God is awesome.

Last weekend my friends Mark and Sharlene came to visit from LA area. They stayed one night with us and then the following day we caravaned up to Albany, OR to visit the Oelkers family. We took the scenic route and stopped at a few beautiful places - Crater Lake, Clear Water Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and one other water fall, but I can't remember the name. We wanted soo badly to stop at Toketee Falls, but the trail was blocked off with tape that said 'Police Line - Do Not Cross' so we missed out on that one. :( It was such a beautiful drive. It was along HWY 138 which follows The North Um qua River. Thank you Mark and Sharlene for coming up to visit and thank you for the great gift for Jacey. The 2 of us are truely blessed to have you in our lives. I thank the Father for my friends in Christ! :)

We made it to Albany about 6pm that evening and got to see Jess and Jonny's new place and we got to meet their new son NOAH!!! :) He is such a cutie pa tutie. He is just 2 weeks older than Jacey. And we also got to visit with Eli (their other son) - he is almost 2 years old. I just love that little boy and he loved my Jacey. He kept wanting to hold her and kiss her it was sooo sweet. I really don't blame him though, Jacey is pretty kissable! Thank you to the Oelkers' for having us! I really loved seeing you!! I love all of you sooo much!

Sunday was really great. We went to church at Calvary of Corvallis. At the end of the service I was sitting in the sun with my mom, while Jacey was asleep in my lap and I realized that it had been 1 year since I was there last - 1 year since I became a Christian - 1 year ago my life was such a mess. I am just soo amazed at what God has done in a year. I look at Jacey and I cry, tears of joy. She is just one of the many blessing God has showered me with. It is so wonderful to know that the Father loves me, I am His child. A child of God and He has plans for me!! And all of these plans he has will bring Glory to His name! I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in mind for me, Jacey and my momma. I am reminded of a line in a movie, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." hehe.

Anyway, here are a few pics of the weekend.

Jacey

Crater Lake

Mark and Sharlene

Baby Noah and Baby Jacey

Sleep

Just wanted everyone to know - Jacey slept through the night last night! 9:30pm to 7:30am!! :) It may have just been a miracle, but we'll see how it goes tonight!

Surgery

Well, I had my foot surgery yesterday. The cyst was on the top of my foot and the doc said it was pretty big and deep. He had to cut between the bones on the top of my foot. Ugh. I was feeling pretty good right after surgery. My friend Jessica picked me up and took me home from the hospital, and then my sweet mommy (who had taken care of Jacey all morning) made me lunch when I got home. I took some more pain pills and then me and Jacey took a nap. I woke up at about 3pm - feeling sick. I think I was having a bad reaction to the anesthesia. I could not keep anything down for the rest of the day. Ugh, again.

In terms of my tummy, I am feeling better this morning. I decided not to take any more pain killers as I am afraid they might upset my tummy again - that was not fun (rushing to the bathroom to puke, when your on crutches, it just doesn't work too well). So I am just taking Tylenol and hopefully that will work ok in keeping the pain down to a minimum in my foot. It doesn't hurt too bad as long as I don't move it or touch it.

Anyway, I have to have crutches for 4 days, which makes life a little difficult with Miss Jacey. Thankfully, I have Grammy to take care of us. She's so sweet. :)

Right at this moment, I am watching Jacey sleep next to me on the couch. She is just sooo beautiful when she is sleeping.

Small Discoveries

Jacey has found her thumb.

The past few days she has been sleeping longer than she usually does. It used to be that the longest she would sleep is about 4 hours - which is a long time for some babies, but 2 nights ago she slept from 9pm to 2am, then she was up for a few minutes, then back to sleep til 7am. She even took a nap from 8:30am to 12:30pm. That was very nice for me. hehe. Last night I couldn't get her to go to sleep til about 10pm (she fights it) but she didn't wake until 5am, then she was up for a few minutes, then back to sleep. It's almost 9 now and she is still sleeping.

Anyway, when I went into her room this morning to check on her (make sure she was still alive, babies sleep so soundly sometimes) she was definitely sucking her thumb. :) I wonder if sucking her thumb has anything to do with the fact that she is sleeping so well. She is learning to self soothe (try saying that 5 times fast). ::tear:: My little girl is growing up so fast.

Ben and Ash

Uncle Ben and Aunt Ashley came to visit last weekend. It was so great to see them! They spent their time here working - they put up a gate at the end of the driveway, they planted 2 birch trees on the lawn, they put up a shed for Grandma's tractor and Ben helped Grandma put up a heated wire (to help with the snow and ice -winter is coming!) on the roof. Thank you for all your help!!!

We also had fun while they were here too. We went to Lake of the Woods and to a free concert at the Running Y. I also let Ben win at cribbage. haha.

Jacey loved seeing them. I think that she actually remembered them from the last time that they saw her (at least it seemed like it). She is very calm in Uncle Ben's arms and Aunt Ashley makes her smile. :) It's so cute.


Today, Jacey is 2 months old. I have to take her to the doctor to get her shots. :( I'm not looking forward to this doctors visit. I'm sure it will be brief, but I hate hearing Jacey cry when she is being hurt. It is so much different than her 'I'm hungry' cry or her 'I'm tired' cry or her 'hold me Mommy' cry. It's so pitiful. Anyway, that is at 3:30 today.

Proof :)

Guess What!

Ok, I know that this is going to be very hard to believe but - My little girl rolled over this morning. From her tummy to her back! She first did it when I was getting her out of her crib. She lifted her head really high - higher than I have ever seen her - and then ROLLED OVER! I came in to tell Grammy what she had done and neither of us - even I who witnessed it - could believe it. So I put her on her tummy on the floor in the living room, and she did it AGAIN! Jacey will be only 7 weeks old tomorrow. I can't believe how strong she is. She's amazing.

buh bye...

Great Aunt E left this morning. We sure did enjoy her visit. :) I think she did too.

Happy Birthday Aunt E!

Great AuntE (my Auntie Elizabeth) has come for a visit! Yesterday the four of us - Grammy, AuntE, Jacey and myself - went up to Rocky Point Resort for dinner to celebrate Aunt E's birthday. It was such a pleasant evening. Great view, great food and great company.

Jacey is doing great. Today we got out the play mat that Erich and Lindsey gave to her. (Thank you so much!!) She absolutely loves it. :) The bright colors and music make her smile. Right now all she really can do is look at her toys, and smile and coo at them, but I know she is thinking about reaching out and grabbing them. It will be so neat when she can.

Presently, I am kicking back on the couch with my girl asleep on my chest and Grammy and AuntE are out - Jacey was having some much fun with her play mat they decided they needed to go out and buy her more toys. Spoiled child.

This is a little off the subject - After the swelling went down in my feet from my pregnancy, I noticed that on my left foot I have a rather large bump. My mom said it and the doc confirmed that it is a ganglion cyst, just a pocket of fluid - not sure how or why it's there. I remember my grandma having a bump similar to this one on her foot. Anyway, I am having it removed on August 25th.

Here are some pics of my little one having some fun!

Note to Self...

Don't take Jacey out for a 4 mile stroll in the middle of the day. IT'S WAAY TO HOT!

Fussy

Yesterday Jacey was VERY fussy. Not sure what the problem was, but she just cat napped all day - never took a real nap like she usually does. And she just whined all day long. She did, however, sleep very good last night. :)

Here are a few pics of my love bug.

Happy Baby.

Story time with Gramma.

Look she fell asleep! Yay!

Splish Slap She Was Takin' A Bath

Jacey always likes her baths, but last night she loved it! It was so exciting because for the 1st time she started kicking her legs to splash in the water. It was like she realized that she has legs (2 of them!) and that she could use them to play in the water. It was so neat.

She's smiling all the time now. She likes it when her Gramma reads to her; she actually looks at the pictures and pays attention! Her personal fave right now is 'Lily the Lamb Gets Lost in the Woods.' I think she likes is so much because a big bear named BEN ends up saving the lamb in the end :) Either that or the shiny paper, not sure which. hehe.

It's so wonderful to watch my baby learn. She's learning more and more each day.

Not Much To Do

So here I am sitting at home, taking care of baby for the 12 weeks of my leave. Having a child definitely IS a 24/7 responsibility, but at times I go crazy with boredom! Sad, but true. That said - I think having this blog is a great way to occupy some of my time.

Jacey Love turned 1 month old yesterday. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. These days she spends most of her time in her momma's arms or when her momma's arms get tired, she's in the ergo (baby carrier). She has grown to be quite the little fuss bucket when you put her down, she is always wanting me to look at her but most of all hold her. She loves her momma. :) Gramma or Grandmother (as she likes to be called) is so in love with her she can hardly stand it. I have to say that I feel this same way!

'Behold, children are a gift from the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward.' Psalm 127:3 I feel sooo blessed and privileged to have this little girl in my life.

Nothing on the agenda for me today - other than taking care of Jacey. Jacey has BIG plans though; right now she's going to eat, enjoy a nice poop, and later take a nap. Of course, the true highlight of the day - as it is everyday - is when I give her a bath in the evening. I enjoy it as much as she does, if not more. :)