Little One Turns TWO!!!

Two?!?! Two years old? How can this be Little One?

It seems like only yesterday that I was taking that pregnancy test. Scared to death if it was going to be positive. And when it turned positive, I cried. It was scary to be pregnant again after so many years. 

But after a phone call to Mama Jo--she relieved my stress when she said, "You are a good mother, what are you worried about?". And then I calculated the months and realized you would be due around the one year mark of Papa's death.

I knew at that second, at that very second, you were sent for a purpose (as all babies are) but yours was to heal my heart and I knew that exactly at that moment.

This 24th month finds you entering the terrible two's! But you are not so terrible. Although your favorite word is "NO, I DO IT!"

So stubborn! 

You are little miss independent.

I love that and I dread that!

You make me smile. I loved watching you interact with Nanny and Moma Jo this last trip home. You LOVED Mama Jo. You called her everyday we were there and kept her on the phone! And watching kiss your fingers and touch Nannies made me weep.

They love you so much and despite the terrible distance between us, I hope you will always know how much they love you!

Here are some pictures of you this last month and your birthday party!

dropping off Jonathan to college

 

 

Little One @ 23 Months & other news

Little one keeps me on my toes. So much so, that my poor blog has suffered in my absence. The minute Karsen sees me sit down at my desk, she runs over and jumps into my lap and begins typing. She wins everytime. Hopefully, I will be able to post more once school begins. I miss writing!

It has been a busy, hot summer. Hard to believe we have lived in West Virginia for over a year!

We lost power for a week following the June 29 storm. Luckily, we were in North Carolina at the time but my husband and son, Jonathan had to come back to a darkened house & city.

Our upstairs air unit went out and that was stressful getting it replaced and then this week a man clearing the empty lots in our neighborhood ran under the internet lines and so we were without internet for 3 days....so its been busy.

Little one continues to grow and amaze me each day with her personality and growing vocabulary. She has a good sense of humor and loves to play. It is so much fun just watching her figure out things.

This month some of her big milestones were:

*tinkled in the potty

*says "No"

* Speaking short sentences like "I do it", or "Come here", and "I eat it", my favorite is "Hi, Mom" when she wakes up in the morning!

*Dressing her is becoming a challenge. She wants to pick out the outfit and then wants to dress herself. The outfit she always goes for is her poufy Easter dress from Aunt Barb. She gets so mad when I won't let her wear it to Wal Mart.

*She enjoys the water sprayground near our house and even went to Emeralde Pointe and braved the smaller water slides.

*She really enjoys going places. I love taking her home to North Carolina and letting her spend time with my mom, grandmother and sister. It is always hard to leave. And it hurts she doesn't know them the way my other kids do.

Everyday I look at her and I realize how God sent her to us specifically for healing.
He knew we would need someone very special to help us to move on after losing PawPaw and Papa Bud. She was such a shock and happy surprise. 

I cannot imagine how hard life would have been facing that first year of Papa's death or enduring PawPaws brave fight with cancer that would kill him just 8 weeks before her birth without knowing that inside of me was growing a new life full of promise and wonder....she saved me.


A sad update, baby Patrick lost his battle with cancer 11 days ago. Please keep his family in your prayers. He was only 2 months older than Karsen.
 

Little One at 21 months!

My baby is fast becoming an official little girl! She is so grown up lately and is very much a 
"do it herself" type of gal!

*Her first sentence was spoken on Sunday and it pretty much summed up the last 4 weeks of her life....as I was putting the lid on her lotion, she told me "I DO IT".

*She tries to pee on the potty and even wipe, though she hasn't actually peed yet. When I get ready she always has to have her makeup and deodorant on too.

*She still isn't sleeping alone, still sleeps with me

*She refuses to sit in her high chair, it is a daily fight because she is still too little to sit in a kitchen chair

*She like to boss poor Runt (our dog) around

*Her favorite DVD is "Monsters Inc".....Why did I sell all of Jonathan's Monster Inc toys? 

I really need them now!

*She loves to walk around outside and has little skinned up knees to prove it.

*She loves shoes and picking out what she is going to wear. She goes for her Easter dress every single time and gets mad that she can't wear it everyday

*She is a Momma's baby and I treasure that and the time we get to spend together every day!

*Her favorite word is MAMA!!! Yay!!!! Followed by her 2nd favorite word MORE.

By the way, Baby Patrick is still not doing well. I can't help but look at Karsen and think of him since they are only 2 months apart in age. I am thankful for every moment with Karsen because I know in a second, it can change.

Please keep praying for Baby Patrick as his condition has worsened. Dr's have said there is nothing they can do but we believe in miracles!

Little One at 20 Months

Little one turned 20 months old a few days ago.

She has become the heart of our family.

Two years ago when I found out I was pregnant, I was so scared! How in the world were we going to fit another baby into our household? Would there be enough money, enough time. enough love?

How silly it was for me to worry. Karsen has brought our family so much love and happiness. I cannot imagine my life without her.

This month she FINALLY learned to say MOMMA! It was on Sunday, April 15th and we were in the bathtub and she just said MOMMA. Like she had always known how to say it! I was so happy to hear that one word! 

She also says "ba-ba" for bottle, she can say "runnn runnn" for our dog and she can shake her head yes or no.

She loves to go outside with her big brother Jonathan and collect rocks. She loves being outside.

She also loves to pick out her clothes and shoes. She loves to shop with me & Raini. And she is so smart. You can tell her to do about anything and she knows what you are saying. 

She loves to color and draw. But when you color she turns the page before you can even finish. She loves to watch for the school bus and shrieks with delight when Tate comes home.

She loves chocolate milk in her bottle. She loves to play with her Sesame Street toys the best and her Barney and Baby Bop dolls.

Her favorite TV show is anything on Sprout, especially Noodle and Oodle.

 We love you Karsey Bear!

Little One at 19 months!

Our little one is 19 months old today!

March has been much kinder to her than the last several months. Although March started off with her being sick again, she has been remarkably well since then.

At her checkup she has almost gained back all of the weight she had lost and now weighs 22.3 lbs and is 30.6 inches tall.

This month little one has found new freedoms.

Here are some of her accomplishments:

*She had her toes painted for the first time! The next morning when she woke up she pulled the covers off of her head and looked at her toes and said, "AWWWWWW".

  

*She loves going to MawMaw's house and picking up sticks in the yard. Oh how PawPaw would have loved to see that!

 

*She also loves to cross her arms at you if she is annoyed. And our girl loves climbing. She has gotten a few bumps and bruises this months because of her climbing. I caught her climbing the other day and this is what happened next:

 

And then this: 

What a mean look!

But she has her sweet moments too. 
*She loves watching Barney and Sprout. 
*When she wakes up, she likes to be held. She loves taking a bath still. 
*She loves to go on walks. 
*She loves to spin around like Ashton does. 
*And she loves to play. 
*She loves when Daddy comes home and she runs to him screaming, "DADDDEEEE".

She still hasn't said "Momma" but that's ok. I know I am still her favorite person.

This has been a very good month. I am so grateful for her health being better. Her sweet personality shines best when she is rested and feeling better.

Trying on her Easter Dress

Moments Like This

 

Moments like this, I just want time to stand still and let them always be my little girls.

"All the dreams I prayed you'd be, Are all the things you are. You were once my little girl, And now my shining star."

Red Riding Hood

Little One at 18 Months

 

Dear Little One,

18 months!?

That is a year and a half old! Where has the time gone?

This month finds you still being my best little buddy.

You follow me around the house all day. You help me fold clothes and clean. You especially love cleaning your sisters room as you like to go through her things! She doesn't like it when you are in there so you take full advantage when you get the chance to explore Sissy's things. You are so much like Raini in that aspect.

You have been incredibly sick this past month. Even now as I type this you are dealing with another respiratory infection. I need you to be well again so we can go outside and enjoy the nice spring like weather!


Here are some of my favorite things you have learned in the last month:


*You "fist pump" when your favorite songs play. Cutest thing EVER


*When Raini visited us a few weeks ago you said "Bow"


*You like to dance


*You try to dress yourself


*You LOVE Elmo & Barney. You call Elmo, MO.

*You like to put deodorant on just like mommy when I am getting ready


*You love to color!

*You learned to drink out of a straw while you were in the hospital

 Hospitals are no fun! We had to put the IV in your foot because you would have pulled it out of your arm. Saddest day ever!

You are so loved Karsen! Thank you for being our baby! I pray the next month brings you good health!

 Crazy Bath time hair!

PS YOU STILL WON'T SAY MOMMA!!!!

Karsey's Sick Again

Karsen took another turn for the worse last Sunday. She was doing so well after rebounding from her last bout. But on Sunday, following the Super Bowl she started throwing up pretty badly. She did this all night and by the time she was seen at the Dr.'s office on Monday morning, she was very dehydrated.

She was admitted into the hospital once again and was given IV fluids.

She ended up having Norovirus and by the time she was released from the hospital late Tuesday afternoon, our entire family had contracted it.

It was a rough week and finally we are starting to all feel better!