Gabbin with the Guices

New Year's Eve...Family Style!

2012-01-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

One of Griffin's few weeks off this year was the New Year's week. Luckily, I am off then too! My parents recently got an awesome beach house so we headed there for our time off. We had so much fun! We ate a lot of good food, rested, swam, played, took naps, etc...most of which we do not do at home as often as we'd like! Most of all, we just spent time together, which is nice! Here are a few pictures from the beach...

One morning we ventured out to the beach, but it was very windy. Luckily, it got warmer (and less windy) as the week went on.

This day was fairly warm so Mary Lee went out in her swim suit and was able to swim in the heated pool.

Griffin and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary while at the beach. My parents and Kels kept Mary Lee while we went out...such a treat!

Pier Park had a great family style New Year's Eve celebration! We had a blast!

They had a great band playing in the background.

There were fun rides!

And at 8 pm, they dropped thousands of beachballs in the streets...so fun!

We had a great getaway! One of the best parts is that it's free...thanks mom and dad! It goes without saying, we will be back!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2012-01-14T04:01:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic Happy Birthday Jesus day! Mary Lee is at such a fun age right now. She was anticipating Jesus' birthday. We had talked to her a lot about this day and the significance of it. She knew about the wiseman and the shepherds. She knew about Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus. If you ask her who lives in her heart, she sweetly replies, "Jesus." Oh sweet baby girl just melts my heart. She knows too that we will one day live with Jesus in Heaven. I wonder what her little mind thinks Heaven is like...I'm envisioning she sees visions of candy, toys, etc... But oh our Heaven is so much more. If she only knew...as a matter of fact if WE only knew. Descriptions of it cannot do it justice. If we only really knew, the things of this world would be trivial, meaningless. While I love living life on this earth right now, I cannot wait for the day I am singing and dancing with my Savior. I pray that my sweet baby girl will one day know that longing, the longing to spend eternity with her Maker, with her Savior, with her Jesus. Here are a few pictures from our Happy Birthday Jesus day!

The presents...

Playing with her new toys...

Awesome Daddy bundling up and taking Mary Lee out in the rain to ride her new bike...

After all of the present fun, we baked our annual Happy Birthday Jesus cake...

The finished product...

We are so thankful that Daddy was able to be home Christmas morning. Unfortunately, that will not always be the case. We cherish our time together, especially during this first year of residency...it can be tough at times! We hope you made sweet memories with your family celebrating the birth of our Savior!

Visit with Santa

2011-12-22T16:40:00.000-08:00

Mary Lee likes the jolly guy from a distance, but she is not so excited to see him up close. This momma likes to have a picture with Santa each year, smile or not. So, we always head to Bass Pro (since it is free). Here are some snapshots from our visit...

About to walk up there

Made it up there

Santa is trying to coax her into his lap for a picture

Kind of unsure of this

And she's definitely not sure now

BUT, Momma got the picture she wanted!

Cooking Fun

2011-12-22T15:41:00.001-08:00

Mary Lee has been all about "helping" me lately when I am cooking. Most of the time I let her because it keeps her occupied while I am cooking. She LOVES to "cook for Daddy." Here are some pictures of Mary Lee making Daddy some muffins.

In the spirit of Christmas, we made and decorated some cookies. Mary Lee had fun and loved eating her finished product!

About to get started decorating

Adding some colored icing

And some sprinkles

Who wouldn't want to eat that?!?

This girl sure enjoyed it!

Adoption Journey (Part 1)

2011-11-09T08:06:00.001-08:00

Well, here goes my attempt to recall most of the events leading us to adoption. Since our time of dating, Griffin and I always talked about the fact that we both wanted to adopt internationally one day. If I'm being honest, I don't think either of us really said or wanted to do it for all the reasons we do now. I think in our young, naiveness, we thought it would be "fun," "cute," and that we could rescue an orphan. Thankfully, Christ has done a mighty work in our lives since those naive days of dating. We have been blessed beyond measure to be a part of a church who constantly emphasizes caring for orphans both here and around the world. If you look around our church, no family looks the same. We are a multi-cultural church, and for that, I am grateful! After hearing our pastor preach about caring for the orphan through foster care and adoption many times, Griffin and I started talking about the fact that we felt called to one day take that route to grow our family. Caring for the orphan looks different for everyone, but there is no doubt that we are all called to do it. James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." This is one of many verses that calls you and me to care for the orphan. For some, that might mean adopting, for some it might mean foster care or respite care, for others it might mean giving of your time or finanaces, and for others (and I hope all), it might mean to pray without ceasing. With over 130 million orphans in the world, Griffin and I felt that we could not simply sit and watch others care for the orphan. We knew that we were called to ACT. While we talked about adoption for a while, we knew the timing wasn't right and that the Lord would reveal the right timing. Towards the end of June, we were laying in bed, and Griffin said something like, "So are you ready to adopt?" I'm pretty sure I laughed and then cried. I laughed at the blountness with which he said it, and I cried with joy at the fact that we were going to grow our family through adoption. In the days and weeks following, we prayed and prayed that the Lord would reveal to us the route (foster care, domestic adoption, or international adoption) we would go this time around :-). Through prayer, it became clear that we would domestically adopt. Thus, we began the LONG (to a waiting Mommy, Daddy, and sister) journey to adopt.

Disney on Ice

2011-11-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

We took Mary Lee to Disney on Ice last night. We went back and forth over whether or not it would be worth taking her. We didn't know how long she would last having just turned 2. Last minute, we decided to buy cheap tickets. We bought the cheap ones so we wouldn't feel like we wasted a lot of money if she only lasted a few minutes. Being that it was during the "game of the century," there were not a lot of people there, so we went and sat really close. To say Mary Lee loved it is an understatement! She lasted the whole 2 hours without a fuss or whine. To see her little face light up throughout the whole show was worth every dime. We will definitely go again next year!

Before the show

Fake smiling with Daddy before the show

So excited to see Mickey and Minnie the first time they came out!

Soooooooo excited!

Amazed at the lights, characters, etc...

She loved wearing the fish hat that came with her cotton candy

She intensely clapped at every part she was supposed to :-)

Some of Mary Lee's favorite characters...

Chattanooga "Ba-cation"

2011-10-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Mary Lee was very excited about our overnight "ba-cation" to the Chattanooga Choo Choo! She LOVED it! Griffin was off so we took a quick, inexpensive trip. We had fun just hanging as a family!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-09T06:25:00.001-07:00

Saturday, we headed to Old Baker Farm with friends! If you've never been, this place is great! There is so much to do...hayrides, pumpkin picking, animal petting, swinging, tractor rides, corn maze, etc...It definitely is worth going to. Mary Lee had fun with her friends!

Pondering life's questions

Carefree :-)

Sweet girl

Petting a horse with Daddy

Jumping on hay with some VERY long hair (her bow fell out)

In the pumpkin patch

"I found a good one Mommy!"

Taking a break on Daddy!

Sweet daddies...makes my heart happy!

Mary Lee Turns 2!

2011-10-08T16:47:00.001-07:00

Mary Lee is 2! I cannot believe it! She is a GREAT 2 year old...seriously, she is so sweet, smart, sassy, funny, and beautiful! We are truly blessed! Mary Lee talks in full sentences and can pretty much carry on a conversation like an adult. She talks very clearly and has never really done the jibberish thing. She is very shy and reserved around new people or sometimes even people we know. She often has a serious look on her face. Our chunky little girl is finally slimming up. She weighs 29 pounds at 2 years old and is in the 75th percentile for weight (This is quite a change from our usual 95th or so percentile). Mary Lee is our world, and we are thankful we were chosen to be her parents.

Sweet Birthday Girl - even though she was running a fever during her party :-(

Birthday Party Cake Table

Mickey Mouse Inflatable (which Mary Lee never touched)

The BEST birthday present from all of the grandparents...We have spent at least 2 hours a day out there since she got it :-)

Opening presents

Ready for some cake

Sweet Friends

Mary Lee had a great birthday party despite being a little under the weather. Thank you to all of our friends and family who helped us celebrate! We love you baby girl!

I'm back..with some exciting news!

2011-10-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

I've taken about a year long hiatus from blogging. To be honest, I'm ok with that. Being a full time working mom and wife of a resident, I have to really prioritize my time and activities. My focus has been on Mary Lee, and for that, I have no regrets. I am planning to try to get back to blogging, though I can't promise how often you will see a new blog. This post will be short, but it serves as my re-entry into the blogosphere. Since I don't really have any new pictures on my computer right now (still on my camera), I will leave you with some exciting news for those who don't already know...WE ARE ADOPTING!! I really want to save the details to share in a post when I have time to sit down and re-cap how the Lord has been leading us on this journey. So for now, I'll leave you hanging with that! Check in again soon!

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

2010-11-15T01:03:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE shutterfly! I have used their website numerous times. I have made photo calendars as gifts and printed many pictures from the website. One of the best things I have done is use the website to make Father's Day cards. I used photos of Mary Lee to make cards for Griffin, Steve, and my dad. They loved them and some even got a little teary eyed! This year, I plan to use Shutterfly to make my Christmas cards. We are going to the mountains soon, and I plan to take pictures of Mary Lee for our Chrismtas cards. I will then choose one of Shutterflys wonderful Christmas card designs to make our Chrismtas cards for this year. They have so many great choices with different colors, sizes, styles, and wording. There literally is a card out there for everyone! I'm not sure what card I am going to choose. I like this design because it is simple, but I haven't fully decided on the exact card I will use. Click here to see all of their photo Christmas cards. Click here to see all holiday cards. Just for fun, click here to see the calendars that I will definitely be making again!

Attention: Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly...sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

The Gerogia Aquarium

2010-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took Mary Lee to Atlanta to spend the night and visit the Georgia Aquarium. Griffin had just finished Step 2 of the boards and started a new rotation on Monday, so we decided to get away for a night! We had so much fun! I told Griffin that even though we just went to eat, went to the aquarium, and watched the Auburn game in the hotel, I felt like we spent so much QUALITY time together as a family. Usually if we are at home, I feel like one of us always should be getting stuff done while the other one is playing with Mary Lee. There was no laundry or cleaning to be done in a hotel room, so our full attention was on Mary Lee the whole time...what a blessing! The little stinker even managed to sleep in the bed with Mommy and Daddy! That was a treat for us all since we don't let her do that at home...Don't want to form bad habits! Enjoy some pics from our short little getaway...

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

While we are not big fans of Halloween and all things dark and scary, we are big fans of dressing our cute girl up for some fun pictures!

Headed to church in my cute fall dress!

Mary Lee and Daddy headed to the Fall Festival

Cute little bee looking a little unsure about this whole dressing up thing!

Mary Lee with her best friend Olivia! I say best friend realizing that they rarely notice each other when we all hang out!

Isn't she adorable?!?!

Sweet girl!

We saw Maddox at the Fall Festival. Mary Lee was on edge at this point, but at first, she kind of liked Maddox in his cute costume.

Now she is thinking that she is not so sure about this little guy.

And now she knows she is not sure about him. Poor Maddox was so sweet and just slowly backed away from Mary Lee. I think he could tell she was a little edgy tonight! Thank you Maddox for still being sweet to Mary Lee!

Ending the night cheering on the Saints!

It's Party Time!!

2010-10-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

Mary Lee had a GREAT first birthday party! We celebrated with lots of family and friends! Happy 1st Birthday Mary Lee! We LOVE you!

The birthday girl in her party dress!

The food table

The dessert table...Yummy!

Smash Cake

Presents!

1st Birthday (Actual Day - Not Party)

2010-10-28T19:35:00.001-07:00

Reality has hit...Mary Lee is ONE! I know people say all the time to enjoy them while they are little because time flies and before you know it they are in high school, college, and married with children. I always brushed that statement off until I had my own daughter. This last year truly has seemed to fly by. Griffin and I have truly tried to take in every single moment with Mary Lee, and those first days, weeks, and months are ones that I will cherish forever. Now, don't get me wrong, I am glad to be past sleepless nights, endless fussing, stomach issues, and bottles. That's right, Mary Lee EASILY came off of the bottle! Her last bottle was 6 days after her first birthday, and she has never looked back. Griffin and I were scared that she wouldn't do well because the girl always LOVED her bottle. However, like she always seems to do, she rose to the occasion and has done GREAT without a bottle! Mary Lee's birthday was on a Wednesday. We started off waking her with a lovely rendition of "Happy Birthday," followed by a cinnamon roll with a candle! I went to work while Griffin stayed home with her since he was not on a tough rotation then. He brought her to eat lunch with me, took her to the park and pet store, and played with her all day...what a GREAT daddy! That night, we had our parents over to eat dinner and cupcakes. All in all, Mary Lee had a GREAT day!

Things to remember about sweet Mary Lee at 1 year old:

You are still a crawling machine. I think you think you are a pro crawler so there is no need to walk.
You walk great...if you are holding Mommy or Daddy's hand.
You walk holding on to walls, tables, chairs, or anything else you can reach.
You are very curious and really study new things, places, and people.
You are extremely sensitive. You get your feelings hurt very easily. You cry when someone else cries, at loud noises, when someone touches you wrong, when someone tries to take you from Mommy, etc...We get the point...You are just plain sensitive!
You are an awesome eater. You make Mommy proud because you are a very clean and neat eater...only picking up your food with 2 fingers, opening your mouth wide, and perfectly placing the food in your mouth! That's my non-messy girl!
We are not sure where you get it from, but you LOVE to dance (bounce and rock) any time you hear music.
You love to watch Dora!
You LOVE to talk LOUDLY!
You have the most precious smile and laugh.
You like to repeat Mommy and Daddy. You are now saying hey, bye, jee (Jesus), mama, dada, baby, uh oh, pu (puppy).
You can wave and blow kisses. You also started moving your fingers over your bottom lip to make a funny sound.
When you hear a dog bark, you say "wooo wooo wooo wooo wooo," which is your barking noise.
Your night time routine consists of snack with milk, brushing teeth, reading a Bible story, prayers, singing, and rocking...the sweetest time of the day!

Right when I woke up on my birthday, Mommy and Daddy let me play in the present they got me. They quickly realized I needed more balls for this thing!

That's better!

What a cutie!! My Mommy's best friend Amy (aka my godmother) made me this adorable shirt on very short notice!

Playing with some new toys!

Enjoying my very own cupcake!

Sweet birthday girl being sung to!

11 Months Old

2010-09-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on...less than a month until our "baby" girl is ONE! I have mixed emotions about Mary Lee turning one. I am sad because my little girl is growing up too quickly. However, I am overwhelmed with joy to see this baby girl that we prayed so long for grow into a beautiful little girl and eventually a talented young woman. I am humbled to know that God chose me to be the mommy of this precious miracle, and I am thrilled beyond belief to watch God's blessings in her life come to fruition. I never knew one little girl could bring one proud momma so much happiness! I love you sweet angel Mary Lee!

Things to remember about Mary Lee at 11 months old:

The way you pull up on EVERYTHING
All the new sounds/words you are saying - MaMa (Yea, finally!), DaDa, Paise Ba (Praise Baby), bah (bear), pu (puppy), bye bye
The way you LOVE to feed Mommy and Daddy
How much you love your fruit...especially mandarin oranges
How cute you are when you wave the wrong way
They way you like to get a book, toy, or coaster and put it under your hand to make you slide across the floor faster
They way you love to walk holding somebody's hands but will not do it unless you have BOTH hands
The way you love to push lion (push toy) and walk behind him

Modeling with her lion push toy

"I'm ready for my bath Mommy!"

"Thank goodness Mommy and Daddy finally turned my car seat around! I can see the world around me now! Here I am getting ready for my first ride"

"What's the big deal Mommy? I'm just sittin in my car seat!"

"Yep, I can still sleep facing forward!"

"Mommy, I know I'm cute and all, but please stop taking my picture!"

Fantasy Football Draft

2010-09-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. The time where grown men act like little boys. I never have quite understood the joy Fantasy Football brings my husband and his friends, nonetheless, it brings them great joy. A couple of weeks ago, several of Griffin's high school friends gathered at our house to draft their 2010-2011 Fantasy Football teams. Keep in mind, this can all be done on the computer, but gathering together once a year for the big draft is important to these guys. I made lots of yummy snacks and everyone enjoyed the day.

While I tried to stay out of the way during the draft, Mary Lee was the center of attention! She was even consulted many times for advice on which players to draft!

Schlitz and Lyle focused on the draft

Woo drafted at the desk by himself. He also is wishing I would stop taking pictures!

Dag even joined in from Texas via I Chat

Sparks and Walls "trying" to look candid

Although I might not completely understand the hype over Fantasy Football, I do understand that getting together once a year to draft is a much anticipated event for my husband and that is enough to make me enjoy the day and smile!

Just a little football plug that definitely makes me smile...GO SAINTS!!!

McWane Center Fun Day

2010-08-15T17:38:00.001-07:00

This weekend, we decided to take Mary Lee to the McWane Center. We weren't sure if there would be much for her to enjoy, but she LOVED it! We were there for almost 3 hours, and she never fussed one time. There were lots of things for her to look at, feel, and do! Mommy and Daddy had fun as well!

Welcome to the McWane Center

Playing on the soft stuff

Looking at myself in a cool mirror

Playing in the water

Crawling through the tunnel

Our little astronaut

Weather Girl

Playing with the water and the balls that stay in the water stream

Loving the fish

Snacking as I ride

What a GREAT day!

Our little school girl

2010-08-14T10:43:00.001-07:00

Wednesday was the dreaded day that Mommy went back to work and sweet Mary Lee went back to "school". We sure do miss our summer fun together, but we are slowly getting back into a routine which is kind of nice. Mary Lee moved up to a big girl class this year. In her big girl class, she has to have a lunch box, backback, and nap mat...This momma was certainly not ready for all of that, but we have adjusted quite well! She has an adorable pink monkey nap mat, a cute pink mouse lunch box, and a stylish Vera Bradley backpack! She is one hip little girl! Mary Lee loves her new class and all of her old and new friends and teachers. She looked adorable on her first day back to school, so I had to take some pics. Unfortunately Daddy was on call that day, so it was left up to me to get some good pictures. Being by myself, I could only get her sitting, so here's the darling little school girl...

I guess I'll give you a little grin Mommy

Adorable but still a little sleepy

10 Months Old

2010-07-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on to a year! Mary Lee is 10 months old! Boy, have I enjoyed being home with my sweet girl all summer! We have PLAYED, PLAYED, and PLAYED some more! We have thoroughly enjoyed all of the time we have gotten to spend with Amy and Livi! This summer, we have swam in the pool, strolled in the stroller and wagon, taken a couple of beach trips, gone to the lake, visited friends and family, and enjoyed time together as a family.

Mary Lee is such a blessing. She is such a good baby that often our family tells us that we are in for it with the next one! Mary Lee, here are some things to remember about you, our precious blessing at 10 months old:

You are now a crawling machine! You are literally all over the place.
Since you started crawling, you can now pull up, and you LOVE it!
You don't eat much baby food anymore. You mostly eat big girl food. Some of your favorites are cheese sandwiches, blueberries, strawberries, Nutragrain bars, cheese grits, yogurt, and pudding.
You still LOVE your bottle and take about 3 a day. I'm not quite sure how we will get you off of it by a year!
You take 2 naps a day (about 2 hours in the morning and about 45 minutes in the afternoon).
You wake up so happy from naps and in the morning!
Your preferred method of mobility is walking, but this requires Mommy and Daddy to have sore backs because you still need our help!
You LOVE your grandparents, and they LOVE you!
You have started clapping a lot, but you stop and watch when someone else starts clapping.
You LOVE to read books with Mommy and Daddy!

Beach Baby!

Having fun in the ocean with Daddy! (Mommy was a nervous wreck and kept waving Daddy in because I thought he was going out too far.)

Getting a bath in the BIG sink at the beach!

Pulling up in your crib and waiting for Mommy to get you after your nap!

Pulling up on your toys!

Making Mommy proud...READING!

It's official...

2010-07-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

WE ARE MOBILE!!!!

As posted before, Mary Lee has been close to crawling for a couple of weeks now. Yesterday, she started doing some sort of inchworm/army crawling thing, so we figured she was close to actually crawling. Today, she just took off! So, at 9 1/2 months, we are officially crawling! She loves her new found freedom that comes with being mobile! Time to baby proof the house!

Inchworm/Army Crawling

Yea! I'm crawling! (I will get a better video soon!)

Giggly Girl

2010-07-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight after dinner, Mary Lee and Daddy had some fun! Mary Lee was washing down her spaghetti with water from her sippy cup. She loves to bend the rubbery straw of her sippy cup because it splashes a little water in her face. Well, tonight she had fun splashing Daddy too! Every time she splashed him, he made her laugh. This went on for way longer than the video. She had us rolling!

Road to Mobility

2010-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

If you think you are about to see a video of Mary Lee crawling, you have been mislead! Mary Lee has been up on all fours rocking for a few weeks now. She has just not taken off yet. She moves her legs all over the place but has not quite figured out that her hands and legs must work together to crawl. She is extremely strong and even does push ups when trying to crawl. I think she has a little to much "junk in her trunk" because as soon as she gets in push up position, her cute butt falls to one side along with the rest of her body :-)! When she gets in push up position, I think she is trying to stand up and walk because she walks all over the house with us holding her hands. The girl LOVES to walk! I thought I would post a few pictures/videos of our road to mobility!

Assuming the position

Look at that face of determination

I'm trying Mommy! At least I'm cute!

Video of crawling attempts

Keep scrolling to see another new post (Helping Mommy do Laundry)

Helping Mommy do Laundry

2010-07-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Here I am helping Mommy do laundry! Mary Lee LOVES to get in the laundry basket! I hope she is this excited about one day actually doing laundry since Mommy is a little OCD about organization and cleanliness! Let's just say that I hope she DOES NOT take after her Aunt Kels in that department! We do LOVE many other qualities about you though Aunt Kels!

Weekend Whirlwind!

2010-07-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Thankfully, daddy is on research this summer so he is able to be home with us LOTS more than he usually is! This weekend was GREAT but very busy!

On Friday, we went to the neighborhood pool to swim! We love our neighborhood pool, and it is so refreshing on a hot summer day!

On Saturday, we had the privilege of celebrating the first birthday of our Goddaughter Miss Olivia Love! I cannot believe she is already one! Griffin and I feel very blessed that we are able to watch Olivia grow into the Godly young woman that we pray and know she will be. Amy and JR are incredible parents that are raising an incredible little girl. Olivia is just so sweet and has the most precious smile...Gosh, I LOVE that little girl to death! Happy Birthday Olivia! We love you!

The birthday girl!

Pool Baby

God sisters chillin in the pool

On Sunday, we headed to the lake with the McNeals and Caddells! Well, we discovered that not only is Mary Lee a pool and beach baby, she is also most definitely a lake baby! Mary Lee had so much fun in her baby pool on the deck, BUT, she LOVED riding in the boat! She was worn out and fell asleep quickly, but when she woke up, she was so happy to be on a boat ride!

Splashing herself in the pool

Not sure about this whole boat thing yet (She was actually probably wondering why she was having to wear that large uncomfortable thing!)

It didn't take long for the bounce and noise of the boat to put this tired girl to sleep!

Mary Lee and Mommy on the boat

On Monday, we headed to Griffin's uncle's house to swim and hang out with the fam! It was fun to catch up with everybody, and we enjoyed playing in the pool!

We had a great weekend, and we are completely worn out!

9 Months Old

2010-06-29T05:34:00.001-07:00

3/4 of the way to a year! I can't believe Mary Lee will be one in just 3 short months. What a great 9 months with our baby girl! Mary Lee is still her happy, cute self. She has loved being home with mommy this summer. She has been on a beach trip with all of her cousins from Mississippi, and she had so much fun! One tragic (well, tragic to mommy) thing that happened last week is that sweet Mary Lee got stung by a wasp not once, but TWICE on her HEAD...OUCH! I was holding her, and we were checking the mail. All of a sudden, she let out a horrifying scream. Unfortunately, I didn't realize what was happening until the wasp had already stung her twice. Thankfully, she did not have an allergic reaction to the stings...praise Jesus! Another family event this month was that we put our house on the market. Griffin finds out in March where he matches for residency. We pray we are staying in Birmingham, but we could be matched somewhere else. We are trusting that the Lord will lead us to the right place. We went ahead and put our house up for sale so we are not waiting until the last minute to try to sale it. Mary Lee is along for the ride, and she is such a good "passenger". She just goes with the flow and is happy doing whatever!

Stats from 9 month check up:
Weight - 21 lbs, 12 oz
Height - 28 1/4 inches

Things to remember about Mary Lee at 9 months old:

One major accomplishment...You can now use a sippy cup!
How cute your little teeth are (You now have 2 on the bottom and a new one on the top.
How for the longest time, when attempting to crawl, you would get in full out push up position
The way you almost crawl by getting on your knees and rocking away...I just know you will take off any day now
How cute you are when you shake your head from side to side (I am pretty sure it means yes and no to you.)
The way you still don't have much hair and what little hair you do have sticks up everywhere
How much you love to walk around the house with someone holding your hands (Unfortunately, mommy and daddy might have back problems from this activity.)The way you completely spin your self around on the floor and in your crib
How much you LOVE Praise Baby...when it is on you go into what daddy calls a "Praise Baby Coma"
How at nap time and bed time, you love for mommy and daddy to sing to you when we lay you down

Enjoy some pictures of Mary Lee!

Beautiful Girl!

Daddy's Saint's Girl

Having fun eating out at the beach

With my Nena eating out at the beach

With my Nena in the lazy river at the beach. My Nena played with me LOTS in the lazy river, and I LOVED it!

Another Trip to the Zoo

2010-06-09T04:55:00.000-07:00

With it being summer, I am actually getting to enjoy the life of a stay at home mommy! Now, I am not saying it is all easy...there are days where I am definitely more exhausted than when I was working. However, I am LOVING spending lots of quality time with my baby girl every single day! Being home this summer is also allowing Mary Lee and me to spend some much missed time with Amy and Olivia! We enjoy every second we get to spend with them, and every time we are with them the mommies talk a lot! I ask Amy lots of mommy questions since Olivia is 3 months older than Mary Lee, and I always enjoy watching and learning from Amy. She is such a natural mommy, and I admire the kind of mommy she is to Olivia...Olivia is one blessed little girl, but then again, Amy is one blessed mommy! On to the zoo...We had so much fun! Both girls missed their morning naps, so we weren't sure how the day would go or if we would have 2 fussy girls, but we headed out anyway. And let me say...the girls were AMAZING! We never heard a fuss or whine from either one of them! They were so much fun, and the day was beautiful. Oh yeah, we were there for 4 1/2 hours...that's a long time to occupy two girls less than a year old, but it seemed easy! What a great day!

About to start our zoo adventure

Watching the flamingos. They loved these because they moved around a lot and made lots of funny noises!

Riding the carousel

Mary Lee was exhausted...

...And so was Olivia!

But, it was a great day at the zoo!

Memorial Day - Atlanta Zoo

2010-05-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

Mary Lee was down for a nap yesterday morning. Griff and I were discussing what we wanted to do for Memorial Day since he was off, and I am of course off for summer! Well, the next thing we knew, we had a hotel booked in Atlanta. We headed to Atlanta Sunday afternoon. We got a great deal on the Hilton through Hotwire and were very happy with the hotel. Sunday night, we checked in and headed out to eat at Copeland's. Copeland's is one of my favorite restaurants, but since it left Birmingham, I don't remember the last time I ate there, and the spinach and artichoke dip with bowtie pasta is amazing! After eating, Griff and Mary Lee took a quick swim in the pool, and we went to bed. Monday morning, we headed to the Atlanta Zoo! We all had a great time!

About to start our zoo adventure

My cute little elephant

Enjoying the petting zoo

Riding the train

Looking at the giraffe

8 Months Old

2010-05-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

Another month old...I can't believe it! Mary Lee is doing great! She is just the sweetest baby, and we are in awe of her every single day! Here are some things we want to remember about

our sweet girl at 8 months old:

How much you love your puffs
The way you sleep on your tummy with your cute butt sticking up in the air
The way you have started to take steps with help from Mommy and Daddy
How your feelings get hurt when other babies cry at daycare
The way you say "Da Da Da Da" ALL the time
The way you laugh when Mommy tries to get you to say "Ma Ma", but you won't say it
How unbelievably sweet you are
The way you immediately try to eat your books when we read to you
The way you LOVE to splash in the bathtub or pool

Here is a video of Mary Lee "riding" in the car with Daddy...she LOVES to do this!

Say Cheese!

2010-05-23T19:08:00.001-07:00

Mary Lee's 6 month pictures got posted! I know I am biased, but they are ADORABLE! Ashley Warren is our AMAZING photographer...we love her!! Here are some of the pictures. To see them all, follow these steps:

1. Go to http://www.ashleywarrenstudios.com/RedCart/.

2. Find Mary Lee 5.12.10 and click on the picture.

3. The email address is chan0459@aol.com and the password is guice2.

Beach Baby

2010-05-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Mary Lee went on her first beach trip this past weekend! We went with the Guice crew (G Pop, Lolly, Uncle Tay, and Uncle Ty). We were blessed to be able to stay at the Phoenix West...It was sooooooo nice! We had an amazing condo, lazy river, slide, and pool. Mary Lee was an ANGEL and was so very happy on the trip. She LOVED, LOVED being in her float and going around the lazy river...she would go for an hour or so at a time! I even fed her bottles in the float on the lazy river! We did take some time to get some cute pictures so enjoy...

All Smiles...

2010-05-03T18:18:00.001-07:00

Just a few pictures to make you smile...

7 Months Old

2010-04-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

That's right, my baby girl is over half way to a year! Mary Lee is just the best little girl...goodness we love her so very much! It seems that Mary Lee has grown and changed so much from 6 months to 7 months. We have had some ups and downs during this month of her life. The biggest UP is that Daddy finished his surgery rotation!!!!!! This means that we actually get to see him now, and we are LOVING that! A major DOWN is that Mary Lee has had a very bad ear infection in both ears...YUCK! She is presently on an antibiotic, so hopefully her ears will be cleared up soon. We will go get them checked again in about a week. Here are a few pictures and then below of course will be a list of things we want to remember about Mary Lee at 7 months old!

Beautiful Eyes

Hanging out in my PJs

Attacking my turtle

Strolling with Daddy

Beautiful

Eating at Konomi for Daddy's Birthday

I now want to hold my bottle by myself ALL of the time

Not feeling so great with an ear infection but

hanging out with Squirt from Nemo...Look at those pitiful eyes!

Things we want to remember about Mary Lee at 7 months old:

The way you immediately grab your bottle and put it in your mouth when you see it. You still have not quite figured out that you must tilt it once it gets low, but we are ok with that because it means you still need Mommy and Daddy to give you a bottle.
The way you talk all of the time saying "Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba" and "Da-da-da-da-da"
The way when we try to get you to crawl, you seem dis-interested and get very frustrated that you can't quite do it yet
How many different positions you are in when we get you out of your crib in the morning
The way you pant when we are feeding you and don't put it in your mouth fast enough (Your teachers at daycare even asked us if we had a dog you were imitating, and we said "Nope, the girl just LOVES to eat!")
The way you are becoming so fascinated and curious about the world
The way you immediately stand up when we hold your hands
They way you violently shake your toys and bang on your books when we are reading them to you

Mary Lee, you continue to amaze us! You truly are a beautiful, sweet, smart, talkative, funny, loving little girl, and Mommy and Daddy are blessed to call you our daughter! WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Easter! In all of the busyness of the day, I did take time to think, pray, and talk to Mary Lee about the true reason we celebrate Easter! Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for a sinner like me...The ultimate love story! The good news is that it did not end with His death! He indeed is ALIVE, and as I told Mary Lee this morning...He lives inside of you and me!

Mary Lee in her Easter dress

She loved her Easter basket

A half smile!

Mary Lee and Daddy before church

Just the 3 of us

Uncle Tay, Uncle Ty, and Mary Lee

Aunt Kels and Mary Lee

Pappy, Nena, and Mary Lee

G-Pop, Lolly, and Mary Lee

6 Months Old

2010-03-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

Half way to a year! I cannot believe it! Mary Lee is just growing and changing so fast. She is already half way to a year! What a fast 6 months! We went for Mary Lee's 6 month check up. As always is the case for these doctor's visits, she had to get some shots...NOT FUN!! However, she did GREAT!! She does the same thing every time...she is fine the first second or two and then she realizes what is going on and lets out the saddest cry/yell. After about a minute, she is totally fine! She weighed in at a whopping 18 lbs 12 oz! She is a chunky girl!

This is a picture of Mary Lee on the way home from eating out Easter Sunday. It was sooooooo hot so we stripped her down for the car ride home! Look at those rolls!!

Styling in a new bubble outfit!!

Our happy girl!

Sweet Mary Lee...Mommy and daddy love you so much! We feel so blessed that God chose us to be your parents. We would have never thought that we could or would love you as much as we do! You have stolen our hearts! You bring so much joy to our lives!

Things we want to remember about you at 6 months old:

The way you can sort of sit up. You are fine until you try to look sideways, up, or down, but you are getting there!
The way you LOVE to jump in your new jumperoo (see video below)
Your never-ending smile
They way you love bath time and sticking your hand under the running water
Your new LOVE and fascination with toys (especially if they light up or make noise)
The way you LOVE to eat and fuss if mommy and daddy do not give you the next bite fast enough
We are starting to think you might be left handed...we shall see!
The way you love to be sung to sleep and just stare into our eyes as we sing to you
They way you love to be read to...or maybe you just love eating the books

This video is of the first time Mary Lee played in the jumperoo. She is much better at it now, and she LOVES it!

Eating Like A Big Girl

2010-03-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

Mary Lee now LOVES her big girl food (Gerber Step 1 Foods)! She gets fruit mixed with cereal mid-morning and veggies at night! We have been feeding her in her bouncy seat on top of the table, but today, we upgraded to the high chair! She loved sitting in her high chair, and she did GREAT eating her sweet potatoes in the high chair.

Just Hanging Out

2010-03-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

I decided I would do a quick post entitled "Just Hanging Out" because we do that a lot! Daddy, Mommy, and Mary Lee LOVE hanging out! We especially love hanging out when Daddy is home and not at the hospital (which is a lot right now on his surgery rotation). Here are some recent pictures of us doing what we do best...Just Hanging Out!

Playing in the Bumbo

Looking cute on the changing pad

Strolling on a warm day and watching Daddy and Mommy play basketball

Playing on the play mat

LOL...Laughing out Loud

2010-03-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

Mary Lee will often laugh out loud, and it is just so cute! We rarely ever catch it on video, but today we did! Mommy was being silly and making sweet Mary Lee laugh out loud! Enjoy!

5 Months

2010-02-28T14:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess some time between today and tomorrow would technically be Mary Lee's 5 month birthday since she was born on September 29th and February only has 28 days! Mary Lee is just doing great! She has grown so very much (in length and most definitely in weight)! We took Mary Lee to her new pediatrician (Dr. Byars...whom we absolutely LOVE). Mary Lee had gone through a period of about 3 or 4 days in which she was literally moaning in pain. It was determined that she most likely had acid reflux. We believe that this was definitely the case because she was MUCH better once we gave her the acid reflux medicine. Mary Lee is just absolutely ADORABLE, and we often wonder how we are so blessed to have her! She is such a happy and sweet baby girl...she is our world!

Things I want to remember about you at 5 months old Mary Lee:

The way you will just lay on the floor and talk/yell/sing to whoever will listen (see videos below)
The way you are starting to discover your feet
How you are getting better and better at eating your Gerber Step 1 foods (prunes, peaches, applesauce)
The way you sit in your Bumbo and play for longer periods of time
Your ADORABLE mouth-wide-open laugh and smile
How you LOVE to play with the bigger boys and girls in your class at school
The way you grab mommy and daddy's clothes, hair, face (pretty much anything you can reach)

"Fun" in the Snow

2010-02-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we actually ended up getting a good bit of snow in Alabama February 12, 2010! We measured the snow in our yard, and we had 3 inches! Mary Lee has actually been running a fever the past couple of days, so we decided to only take her out long enough to take a few pictures. As you can tell, she was not impressed, but she did look very cute!

First Bites of Cereal!

2010-02-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

It's official! Mary Lee is now eating some solid foods! Here is a video of her first bites of cereal!

Just as quickly as we began cereal, we had to stop the cereal! Mary Lee got extremely constipated (lovely I know)! Within a few days, we made a switch to prunes (you can guess why)! The prunes have seemed to help her tummy issues. She also LOVES the prunes! We cannot wait to keep adding more solid foods to her diet!

4 Months Old

2010-02-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a month since my last post! I promise that I intend to post more than once a month, but since I started back to work for good, I am having a hard time finding the time and motivation!

Mary Lee is now a whopping 4 months old! I truly cannot believe how fast time is going by! She is simply the love of our lives, and we still cannot believe how blessed we are to have her! It was one year ago that we fasted and prayed for 21 days that God would bless us with a child in His timing. I don't know that at that time I truly understood what was to come! We prayed for a healthy baby and we got all that and more! Mary Lee brings us so much joy and happiness, and we often wonder what we did before we had her...besides sleep :-)! Mary Lee really is a great baby, and she is so incredibly happy!

We went for Mary Lee's 4 month check up today. Dr. Redmond said that she is a textbook baby...she is right on track with everything! She weighed 15 lbs 12 oz and was in the 89th percentile for weight. She was 25.5 inches. She is developing perfectly, and we thank God for that every day!

I cannot believe how much Mary Lee has grown and changed over the past month! Mary Lee, here are some things I want to remember about you at 4 months old:

The way you hold your head up so good and look around in amazement at your surroundings
The way mommy's and daddy's funny noises and faces make you laugh out loud
The way you open your mouth wide open with the sweetest look when you think something is really funny
The way you talk, no, really squeal, as you talk to anyone who will listen
How you lay on your side on the floor and talk to mommy and daddy forever
How absolutely sweet you are
The way you give mommy mouth-wide-open kisses
The way you now grab your toys and bring everything immediately to your mouth
Even though mommy can't stand the germs it probably brings, I love the way you look so cute when you suck on your tiny little hands

Mary Lee, mommy and daddy absolutely ADORE you! You are truly an unbelievable gift from God! We absolutely LOVE every second that we spend with you! You bring us more joy and happiness than we ever imagined you could! Thank you for being who you are! We LOVE, LOVE you baby girl!

3 Months

2009-12-29T23:30:00.000-08:00

Wow! I cannot believe that Mary Lee is 3 months old today! Time sure does fly by! Mary Lee is doing great! I cannot believe how much she has changed over the past few weeks. I remember the first 5 or 6 weeks of Mary Lee's life...Griffin and I told everybody about how fussy she was. I remember thinking to myself, "When does this (having a child) become fun?" I know it sounds horrible to think that, but she was so fussy and we often did not know why. I remember just being completely exhausted and not knowing if I could bounce her, rock her, feed her, or swing her one more time to get her to stop fussing. Well, I am not sure if it was just something she had to grow out of or what, but Mary Lee is now such a happy baby. Don't get me wrong, she still has her fussy moments, but those moments are few and far between. Over the past month, Griffin and I have looked at each other many times and just expressed how blessed we are to have such a wonderful baby girl. She is so happy, and that makes us happy! Mary Lee, here are a few things I want to remember about you at this age:

Your huge, mouth-wide-open smile
The way you love just laying in the floor on a blanket on your back
Our conversations during feedings, floor time, and car rides
The way you open your mouth real wide and stick your tongue out when mommy and daddy kiss you
Our nighttime feedings together when it is just you, me, and Jesus...Oh I how desperately pray for protection over you before I lay you down
The way you suck on your hands constantly even though mommy worries about germs
The way you now roll from your back to your side but when you roll back to your back you get scared
Your ab work out trick (see video at end of post)

Here are a few pictures that Tori took of Mary Lee at 3 months:

Mary Lee, in just three short months, you have brought so much joy to mommy and daddy! You have become our world! We love you more than you will ever know or understand! Thank you for being such a precious, beautiful, smart, loving little girl. We look forward to watching you grow and change in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead. I love you baby girl!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

Mary Lee has had a wonderful Christmas!! We have done lots and lots of family Christmas things! Mary Lee has loved every minute of it! Tomorrow, we are going to Opryland Hotel in Nashville...I will post pictures from the trip!

Visit with Santa

Just hanging out in her car seat about to head out the door

Is that not the cutest face you've ever seen!?!?!?

Santa came to visit Mary Lee. She got a wagon, lots of toys and clothes, and a Vera Bradley backpack!

Back to Work I Go

2009-12-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I have dreaded this day for quite some time. Tomorrow, I go back to work. I am not dreading actually going back to work because I love my job and have missed my students, but I am definitely dreading leaving my baby girl. I would not trade the last several weeks at home with Mary Lee for anything in the entire world. While being a new mommy is sometimes tiring, stressful, and hard work, the joy you get from having a child is undescribable. Mary Lee has become our world in a few short weeks. And now, to know that I will not be with her all of the time devastates me...It is bringing me to tears as I type. I want to spend every moment that I can with her right now as she is growing and changing so much. My only comfort right now is knowing that she will be well taken care of while I am working since my mom and Betsy Millington will be taking care of her...I could not ask for her to be in any better hands. Luckily I will only be at work for 2 weeks, and then it will be Christmas break, and I will be off for 2 weeks! Well, here goes...back to work.

2 Months Old

2009-11-30T04:35:00.000-08:00

Well, Mary Lee is now 2 months old! I cannot believe it! She is growing and changing so much right now. I took her to the doctor today (Monday). She weighs 12 lbs 6 oz and is in the 86th percentile for weight. She is 22.5 inches long and is in the 56th percentile for height. The pediatrician said she is developing perfectly and has great muscle tone! She also had to get some shots, so both Mary Lee and Mommy cried!

Here are some things Mary Lee has started doing over the last few weeks.

She has started smiling a lot. She has a HUGE gummy smile that is adorable!
She is "talking" to us in her own CUTE way!
She has slept through the night once, but she usually sleeps 5 or 6 hours straight and then another 2 to 3 hours. Getting up one time a night seems easy compared to our first few weeks home!
She will fixate on things/people a lot more now.
We can actually put her in her bouncy seat for about 30 minutes, and she will entertain herself by kicking and talking!
She holds her head up GREAT and looks around at everything...She is a very curious baby!

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks!

Baby Dedication

2009-11-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, November 8th, we dedicated our precious daughter to the Lord! We feel so blessed that God has chosen us to be the parents of this amazing little girl! Since before she was born, we prayed that Mary Lee would be an amazing woman of God who would give her whole heart to the Lord and live for Him! We truly feel that she will be a difference maker for the Kingdom! We were blessed to have wonderful family and friends there to support Mary Lee on her dedication day! The gown that Mary Lee is wearing is the gown that I was dedicated in 25 years ago! Thank you Tori for taking all of the pics for us!

Husband and Daddy

2009-11-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

I am not writing this for any special occasion...just because I want to express how wonderful my husband truly is! Griffin and I have been married for almost 3 years (December 30th)! We started dating my senior year and his junior year of high school. He is absolutely the love of my life! God definitely picked him out for me because he truly makes me a better person. He pushes me to a be a better Christian...gaining a deeper knowledge of who Christ really is. He has so much Biblical knowledge that I am often amazed. He is one of the most intelligent people that I know...graduating from Auburn with a 4.0 in Biomedical Sciences and going on to Medical School at UAB. He is probably very uncomfortable reading this right now because he DOES NOT like attention/praise...He is one of the most humble people that I know (a quality I adore about him). We have walked through the past 3 years of life as a newly married couple. Through some of the trials of life that have surfaced over the past few years, Griffin has been my rock...He knows when I need him to pray with me, love me, hold me, or even just sit there quietly with me.

Now, we are walking through life as new parents! God has blessed us with a beautiful baby girl for whom we prayed for many months! I have seen how great of a husband Griffin is, and I am now seeing how great of a daddy he is! The way he looks at Mary Lee each and every moment he is with her simply brings me to tears. It makes me have just a small understanding of the way God looks at us and how much He loves us. When she is fussy, he holds her, plays worship songs on iTunes, and sings to her...She just gazes into her daddy's eyes as he sings...talk about bringing tears to your eyes! Griffin is in his Pediatrics rotation right now...I know he is exhausted, but every day, as soon as he walks in the door, he gets Mary Lee from me and just loves on her! He texts me all day wondering how his girls are...We miss him all day but look forward to the moment he walks through the door from the hospital every night.

I could go on and on, but I will close with this...Griffin, you are truly my best friend. I thank God every single day for your life and for bringing us together! I have so much respect for you, and I admire so many of your attributes. You make me a better person. Thank you for being the best husband and daddy! I love you!

1 Month and GO SAINTS!

2009-11-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

Mary Lee turned 1 month old on Thursday, October 29th! We went for her 1 month check up today. Dr. Redmond said that Mary Lee was very healthy! She got her heel pricked and a Hepatitis B shot :-(. She was pretty upset but quickly got over it! If you will remember, Mary Lee was 7 lbs, 7 oz and 20 inches long at birth. She is now 10 lbs, 5 oz and 21 3/4 inches long! She has gained almost 3 pounds! We thank God every day that we have a healthy, beautiful baby girl! She is such a blessing!

As most of you know, we are HUGE New Orleans Saints fans! I should mention that the Saints are UNDEFEATED so far this season...I am not saying that will last, but we are enjoying it as long as we can! Griffin is on call at Children's Hospital tonight, so Mary Lee and I are going to my parents house to watch Monday Night Football as the Saints take on the Atlanta Falcons! Mary Lee is ready to cheer on the Saints in her new attire!

A SMILE!!

2009-11-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

Mary Lee has smiled some, but it is usually in her sleep or more of an involuntary smile. Occasionally, here lately we have been able to actually get her to smile. Today, we got her to smile on camera! Enjoy the video of Mary Lee smiling!

UNASHAMED

2009-10-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

At the young age of 2 weeks and 2 days old, Mary Lee Guice made her first debut at UnAshamed! For those of you who do not know what UnAshamed is, it is a ministry for college students in Tuscaloosa. Griffin's brothers, Taylor and Tyler, help run UnAshamed. Each week, hundreds of college students gather together to worship, hear the Word, and spread the gospel! Griffin and I are so proud of Tay and Ty and the way God is using them to touch lives in Tuscaloosa and around the world! Tyler spoke this week at UnAshamed, and he used Mary Lee in his message. He talked about the love of the Father and how if we will let God hold us in his arms, he will never leave us, nor forsake us...He will never let go of us...He will never stop loving us. In other words, just like an infant trusts us to take care of them, hold them, love them, etc...we should trust God to do the same! WOW! What a powerful message! Before we took Mary Lee to Tyler on stage, Griffin and I prayed over her...we prayed that God would use her at such a young age to touch lives just like we hope He does as she grows up! We also prayed that she would not wake up screaming on stage :-)! Our prayers were heard and answered because Mary Lee did touch lives and she did not cry or scream on stage! We are so proud of our baby girl!

2009-10-11T18:47:00.001-07:00

Mary Lee gets the hiccups A LOT!! Check out this sweet video of her with the hiccups!

I also posted a new entry below.

Quick Update on Mary Lee

2009-10-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Mary Lee has brought so much joy to our lives in just the almost 2 short weeks she has been with us! Griffin and I just cannot get enough of our baby girl! She is so amazingly beautiful and such a good baby! She would be an even better baby if she slept better at night :-)! Oh well, Amy keeps telling me that the sleep/schedule will come with time. I am holding onto that right now during our sleepless nights!

Speaking of Amy, she brought lunch over Friday...a much needed good lunch! It was kind of strange with us both trying to eat lunch and taking care of our daughters! It is hard to believe we have been best friends for sooooo long and now we both have little girls...such a blessing! I look forward to our little girls growing up together!

Mary Lee loves her swing! She often even sleeps in it at night (Probably not the best habit to form, but some nights we will put her anywhere just to get some SLEEP!)

Mary Lee has arrived!

2009-10-04T10:07:00.001-07:00

I obviously have not had much time to update the Blog since Mary Lee was born. She was born Tuesday, September 29, 2009, at 7:36 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 20 inches long. She is just absolutely beautiful! Griffin and I often just stare at her and say, "Where did she come from?" She is just perfect! I will write more about her later but wanted to at least post a few pictures! Enjoy!

Dear Mary Lee

2009-09-26T04:51:00.001-07:00

A letter to our blessing from above:

Dear Mary Lee,

Mommy and daddy love you so much! We are so blessed to call you our daughter! Back in January, when mommy and daddy found out that God had answered our prayers of wanting a child, we were excited beyond belief. You see, mommy and daddy had fasted and prayed for days, along with our church. We fasted and prayed that God would bless us with a child in His perfect timing. During this time of fasting and prayer, God told us (through Pastor Pat) that our prayers of having a child would be answered. We were in amazement at just how awesome God truly is! When we confirmed that you were in fact on your way, we felt that an overwhelming blessing had just been given to us. You are going to be brought into this world in a few short days, and we cannot wait for your arrival!

Here are a few things mommy and daddy want you to know:

We will tell you about Jesus.

We will always love you beyond belief.

We will take care of you.

We will pray for you.

We will pray with you.

We will protect you.

We will be there for you.

We will read the Bible with you.

We will teach you.

We love you so much! We cannot wait to hold you in our arms. We will welcome you into this world soon, and we cannot wait to bring you home!

We love you,

Mommy and Daddy

She's Coming!

2009-09-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor today for my 38 week appointment. Mary Lee is measuring rather large, so Dr. Heath scheduled an induction for Tuesday! We have to be at the hospital at 8:00 Monday night, so I can be started on medication to soften my cervix. I will start pitocin Tuesday morning at 5:00! What a blessing! Griffin and I are soooooooo excited and ask for your continued prayers in the coming days! We cannot wait to meet our precious daughter!

Hospital Stay

2009-08-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

Tuesday at about 3:00 pm I started feeling some pretty severe upper abdominal pain. I was a little scared about what it was, but pregnancy brings so many aches and pains that I tried to ignore it. Well, the pain lasted throughout the night. I could not sleep at all that night, and about 2:00 am, I started feeling very nauseated along with the abdominal pain. I started throwing up at about 5:oo am. I called my OB office Wednesday morning when they opened. They told me to come in right away. After doing a urine test, Dr. Heath told me that I was very dehydrated. She also did an ultrsound to determine if gallstones were causing the abdominal pain...No gallstones showed up. She then hooked me up to monitors to see if I was contracting. Well, I was definitely having contractions. So...Dr. Heath decided to send me to Labor and Delivery to be put on IV fluids for the dehydration and monitor the contractions. Finally, after 4 bags of fluids, I was no longer dehydrated. My contractions had also stopped. After bloodwork, they also found that my pancreatic enzymes were elevated. At this point, Dr. Heath decides that I need to spend the night in the hospital...ugh! Because of the elevated pancreatic enzymes, Dr. Heath orders that a GI doctor see me. He determines that I have pancreatitis. Common symptoms of this are abdominal pain, nausea, and vomitting (I had all 3). Pretty much the cure is not to eat so that the pancreas can rest and return to normal. I am now on a low fat diet so Mary Lee will get nutrients but my pancreas will not have to work too hard. I am now out of the hospital, but I am still not feeling great. Hopefully, I can recover the next few days and be ready to start school fresh on Monday. I am so ready to meet Mary Lee, but I am glad she did not make her grand entrance into the world this week! Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!

30 weeks and Nursery Pics

2009-07-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I am almost 30 weeks! I cannot believe how fast it is going now! We went in for a 4D ultrasound Thursday, and we got a few good pics. I am going back for another one Tuesday to try to get some better pics. I will upload 4D ultrasound pics after my appointment Tuesday. We saw enough to know that Mary Lee will be adorable!

The nursery is pretty much finished now...just need a few small accessories, so I am uploading pics! Thank you to Callie Ward for the AMAZING cross pictures and Jessica Turner for the BEAUTIFUL name canvas on the door (which will also be on the hospital door)...and thank you mom and dad for buying it! School is about to start back, so I finished the nursery just in time!

Olivia Love Millington is born!!

2009-06-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Our goddaughter, Olivia Love Millington, has arrived! She was born on June 30, 2009 at 2:40 p.m. She weighed 8 lbs, 6oz and was 21 1/2 inches! She is absolutely beautiful! Amy and JR are so blessed and deserve this amazing baby girl!

Nursery Progress

2009-06-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

I still need pictures on the wall and accesories, but here it is so far...

Here is the crib and bedding! I painted the letters above the crib...not perfect, but I like them!

Inside of the crib...Griffin wanted to get in it because it looks and feels so soft!

Close up of the bedding!

Changing Pad on Dresser

Very soft and comfy chair!

Our Life

2009-06-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

I decided to start a blog. I am primarily doing this to keep family and friends updated on our life. I will have a lot more to blog about once Mary Lee arrives. She is due October 6th! She is already such a blessing in our lives. We prayed and prayed for her before she was even formed...God answered our prayers! I am out of school for the summer! Griffin is doing rotations full time in the hospital...He just finished Internal Medicine and is about to start OB/GYN! He will probably know and have seen too much by the time I deliver! Since school has been out, I have been working in Mary Lee's nursery...it is really coming along! I will post pictures of the nursery soon. I look forward to continuing to blog; although, I am still trying to figure it all out!