Just another day in Paradise

This is my fambly. Isn't this a good pic! I think so. Originally, it was with a green background, but it definitely looks better now. Shelbi did really good for the entire session, but she didn't like the guys who were taking the pictures. I didn't really either. Kids are ALWAYS good judges of character, and if they don't like someone, there's also typically a reason. Go with your kids gut.

I gave up the fight today. I have been growing my bangs out since around September, but the longer they get, the less I like how they look, so OFF they came today, and I am sooooo happy I did it. I look and feel like me again. Some women look great without bangs, and some just look better with.

Shelbi has been doing good. She is getting better after having 2 ear infections and a sinus infection. Me, I have bronchitis, and mom just had a little sore throat.

Shelbi has started really eating. She has 3-5 poopy diapers a day, as opposed to 1-2 (which is what one could expect for the first year and a half of her life). I think it's because she has started drinking the Pediasure drinks, which provide a LOT of nutrition, and because she's being nourished, she's craving more real food. Yesterday, Mom said that she ate two whole scrambled eggs, 3/4 of a piece of french toast, 2 pieces of bacon, and drank a whole glass of milk.

She must be getting ready to grow! She's in 3T's now, and a size 5 shoe. I can't believe how tall she's getting. She's also slim. She lost from 25 pounds down to 24 1/4 pounds. I'm not sure exactly how tall she is, but she's definitely got her Papa's slender figure, not my......well......anyway.

This baby in my tummy is getting SO BIG. I think he weighs at least 3 1/2 pounds, if not 4. Everyone is astonished by how big my tummy is, but the truth of the matter is that I haven't gained that much weight, only about 10 pounds total, and the other parts of my body really haven't changed that much. I think it's because I've never worked my stomach muscles, so they are really weak, and don't provide much support for my growing uterus. Hence, the stretch marks. I could have prevented it all......

Quite honestly, it's all worth it. Not only is it worth it, but I would have made, and will make however many more sacrifices(if you wanna call them that) just to have my angels in my life. When Shelbi is sick, when she is crying, when she is happy, when she is laughing, when she is quiet, loud, friendly, outgoing, shy, bashful...these art the times when I love her most. These are the times when I want to take care of her every waking second. When she is mis-behaving, this is the time when I love her most. I love her most when I see the spirit in her eyes and the intelligence behind her grin. I love her when she is defiant, compliant, easy and hard to get along with. I love her when she is in the bath, and when she is covered in food in her high chair. I love her when she has a poopy diaper, and I love to change that poopy diaper. I get satisfaction out of scanning her latest bowel movement to make sure that everything is coming out okay, and that her system is working well. I love to investigate smells, sounds, and mysterious pieces of who-knows-what that she brings me. When she hollers "HELP!" from a totally different room, and I have JUST sat down to relax or do homework, I love to go to her to see what kind of crisis she's encountered. These include: she's trying to get her baby, who is in the stroller, into her little play house, but it just won't go! and she's fallen into her toybox and probably could get out if she tried, but it's so much easier to call mom. and, the drawer that she's not supposed to be into has been opened a bit, just not enough for her to pull out her shoes, and if she hollers, one of us will come in to help her get it open that much more. and she can't get the baby's clothes off or on, and she will just DIE if she can't dress or undress that particular baby at that particular moment.

I love her when she's eaten only an hour before, and you know she can't possibly have room for another bite, yet she toddles into the room saying loudly "HUGGY HUGGY HUG, HUG,HUG,HUG,HUG,HUGGY!! Which we now know means "Please, if you don't mind, I'm hungry and would like something to eat." I love her. I just love her. Even when she frowns and has that little crease right above her right eye that is IDENTICAL to the little crease above the right eye of 'someone I know' and when she makes that face she reminds me of him EXACTLY.

She reminds me of what a miracle it was for her to even have been created, and how God just knew I needed her, and decided to loan her to me for a while. She reminds me that life can throw fastballs at you, and it can also throw wonderful, magnificent blessings your way. I love her.

She is my angel. She is my little glimpse into Heaven. She is the light that shines through a world that would know no light without her. She is my air, and the reason I was born. I love her I love her, I love her.