Fab Friday

Today I am linking up with the fabulous Laura for Fab Friday!

- I am totally on the ball for Jillian's birthday and Christmas gifts! I have at least 80% ordered online and I even received a few of the items the other day. Hurray for fast shipping!

- Even though we didn't do much for it, I feel like I had a really good Halloween. I didn't completely stuff my face with candy, got some great pictures of my Queen Bee, and cuddled with my favorite person during a scary movie, (that didn't keep me up all night).

- An old youth director of mine has moved back to the OKC area after living in Kansas for a few years. I'm excited to finally meet his daughter and catch up!

- Jillian's birthday party is in full swing! I ordered invitations early this morning, and I've priced out the supplies. I can't wait to share!

- Last, but not least, I'm so glad it's Friday! This week has been a little harder returning to normal. I'm on day 2 of trying to pack away Halloween decorations. Having Phil home tomorrow to help with a teething and very active baby is going to be SO helpful!

What is fabulous in your life? Link up!

Happy Halloween 2012

We didn't make big plans for Jillian's first Halloween. We figured trick or treating would be out of the question because she's so young. Also, being in a new home and new neighborhood, we weren't sure how trick or treating would go. I still had bible study this morning, but I had a special candy corn dress for Jillian to wear during the day! I got it from RM Kid's Clothing on Etsy.

 {She is obsessed with the lion my brother gave her for Christmas last year!}

 {When did my baby get so big?!}

{Ain't that the truth ;)}

Jillian is still cutting her two top teeth at the same time. It gets pretty intense around here. She also had a slight runny nose all day, so we opted so hang out at home until daddy came home from work! After he changed out of his work clothes, we finished decorating the outside of the house!

{All of our pumpkins!}

{My pumpkin was supposed to be an emoticon, but I did it the wrong direction! Oh well...}

We grabbed dinner at Sonic because they had $.50 corn dogs! Who could pass that up?

{nom nom nom}

{Please excuse the messy couch!}

Then Phil got the candy ready while Jillian and I had a photo shoot with her Queen Bee costume! She was a Queen Bee because that is her nickname. Being the first grandchild on both sides of the family, and the first born, she will always been the queen no matter how many others come along :)

{All the yummy candy!} 

 {What a cutie}

{Yanking off the crown} 

{This face just cracks me up!! HAHA}

{Love that girl}

Jillian tried helping pass out candy, but she was much more interested in climbing all over us.

{Exhibit A}

We had about 5 or 6 trick or treating groups before we called it a night. After 9 pm, we figured it would mostly be older kids. Since we don't have a storm door and a little one, we figured we should stop early. After a nice warm bath, Jillian was ready for bed.

We are waiting for Jillian to go to sleep so we can watch our scary movie! I have seen it before, but it really scared me. Phil figures it'll be better since we watch The Walking Dead. We'll see... If nothing else, he's willing to cuddle with me until I fall asleep myself :)

Happy Halloween!

My Parents' Visit

Tuesday of last week, I took Phil to the airport. He was going to a conference in Atlanta without me, so my folks offered to come stay with me. They also were coming to the house for the first time! My mom drove all day and got to our house about 8:30 or so. We gave Jillian a bath, then we both went to bed early.

Wednesday was a busy day for me. I had an early appointment with my new OB/GYN. The one I've had for years, and who delivered Jillian, decided to leave the hospital and have her own GYN practice. Well, I like her, but since we're hoping for more children, I wanted a new doctor at that same hospital. My dear friend Ashley, who is mama to Jillian's friend Addi Claire, (who is 13 days older than Jillian), recommended her doctor. I basically went to meet her and ask a few questions I didn't get to before my doctor left. I will say that Dr. P is very sweet, and I really felt comfortable with her. She answered my questions completely and put my mind at ease. After my appointment, and Jillian's nap, my mom and I took Jillian shopping! We got a few new Halloween decorations that won't scare Jillian too badly, then we went to lunch at Olive Garden. Later, I still had youth group and choir practice at church. Mom volunteered to watch Jillian while I did all that.

Thursday we hosted two of mom's friends at the house. They are two sweet ladies from the church I just left to join our current church. I do miss them and I'm glad we can still have a nice time together. The last time they saw Jillian, she was only about 4 months old! We ate a light brunch and mostly watched Jillian play and move from lap to lap :) Then my mom went with them to lunch and Jillian and I went to the mall for a play date with Ashley and Addi Claire! We wanted to go to the zoo, but it was chilly and really windy. We thought being indoors would be best for the girls. After that, I had an appointment with my therapist which went really well. I really like her, and she is so helpful.

Friday my dad got to fly in! He had to be up really early, but he flew first class! We loved teasing him about it.

We spent most of the day hanging out and enjoying each other's company. Plus, Jillian was such a hoot! She really loved having both her Jemma and Gee-Chaz with her. She got really good at pulling up to standing. She did bonk her head pretty good right before bed. This was also the night Jillian's teeth were bothering her. Her top teeth are starting to pull on the gums, but they haven't broken through just yet. I can tell it's pretty uncomfortable.

Saturday we got to pick up Phil from the airport! His plane didn't get in until dinner time so we had a ball with Miss Busybody.

After a quiet day, Jillian and I picked up Phil :) Jillian was so happy to have her daddy back!

Sunday was quite a day. We had church where Phil and I sang two songs with the choir. Then we scrambled to get our trunk ready for the Trunk or Treat later that evening. I also had a youth group girl's only party! I dressed up as a new mom with comfy clothes, different shoes, a robe, a bottle in the pocket, a curler in my hair and "bags" under my eyes ala eye shadow ;) Well, I was mistaken for a woman who overslept, a pajama girl, and Mama June from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Oh well HAHA We got Phil's mad scientist trunk all fixed up and ready to go. My parents dressed up Jillian in her Queen Bee costume and came a little after the event started. We went to most of the trunks, went on the quick hay ride and just had a blast. It seemed to be really successful!

Monday was sad because my parents were heading back. After playing with Jillian a bit, my dad ran a few errands. My mom spent most of the morning holding Jillian as much as she could.

They left around lunch time and I missed them before they even left the driveway. We'll get to see them for Christmas, but time never seems to cooperate. I could spend a month straight with them and feel like it was too short. I'm so blessed to have such great folks that I love being around. Only 52 more days...

Hope y'all had a good week and weekend too :)

Prayers

I feel like I go through this every time, but it always rings true. While a part of me feels a little guilty for neglecting the ol' blog, it was worth it. I had such a great time with my folks :)

I am still editing/watermarking some photos from the week, so expect a recap soon. Also, I want to do a "Day in the Life of Jillian" post this week. Since I will most likely do the photos of Thursday, it will be late Thursday/early Friday before I post that one. However, I have a few things on my heart today.

First and foremost, I have said before that I really hate asking for prayers. Not that I'm trying to prove I can handle life because I most certainly cannot. At least, not without a lot of help from God and the family he has given me, (by blood and by choice). I decided to swallow my pride and publicly ask for prayers for 2 important people in my life.

1. My dear friend, Abbey, found out 3 weeks ago that the ongoing knee pain she has experienced for years was actually a tumor. She did not have insurance until recently and could not look deeper into this issue. Abbey had surgery yesterday and it went very well! The tumor is 99% benign and the doctor said she patched her up good. However, she has plates, cement, and all kinds of other things to help her knee come close to functioning like before. She has a long, and very painful road ahead of her. If you could keep her in your thoughts and prayers, I know she'll appreciate them! I'm hoping to visit her with Jillian sometime soon once she's feeling up to visitors.

2. Phil's grandpa is having surgery today. I didn't mention it before, but he has bladder cancer. Basically, the two outcomes of this will either be: a) reconstruct in such a way that he will have a urine bag attached to him or b) close him back up because the cancer has spread too much. He was already feeling pretty awful and had to cancel this surgery once before. I know that the family is hopeful, but we would appreciate love and prayers as we await the results of this surgery. I will try to update this when I know something new.
UPDATE: They did remove his bladder and prostate. Overall, the doctor is pleased with how things went! They did take out some lymph nodes and will let us know in about a week exactly what they show. However, we are all in good spirits :)

While you're at it, if you don't mind saying a quick prayer that my parents get home today safely, I would appreciate it too. Again, I'm not big on asking for prayers. It's even worse when I have a prayer request for me personally. I guess it just makes me feel selfish. I just have to keep in mind that no one will know I need prayers unless I ask. Maybe it's just the pastor's daughter in me that would rather focus on everyone else's need than my own.

Quick Update

This is just a quick update because I'm still running a little ragged behind schedule! Hello bullet points :)

• First and foremost, one of my closest friends gave birth to her precious baby boy, Elliot, on Saturday! Poor girl was induced due to high blood pressure and was in labor for quite some time. I was really worried for her, but I prayed as often as I could. Luckily, both mama and baby are fine, and they went home today :) I'm so excited for her and I know she and her husband will be amazing parents!
• Jillian is teeth like whoa. I mean, she broke a third bottom tooth, and I can still see the beginnings of a top tooth. Normally, she's a bit fussy. However, this time she means business. I'm talking not-really-eating, not-really-napping, crying-at-the-drop-of-a-hat kind of situation. I wish I could do more, or make the process faster. I know it's a phase, but it's not a fun one for anyone right now :(
• Jillian is also into pulling out every. single. item. in her diaper bag/toy box/purse/anything with stuff in it. I don't mind letting her do this, but it is a little tiring cleaning up after Hurricane Jillian when it's the same toys/areas every time. I'll do it, but I'm ready for another mess to clean. {Laundry anyone?}
• Phil is going to a conference in Atlanta this week. While I'll miss him terribly, it means my folks are coming for a visit! Originally I was going with him, but we couldn't really afford it. Plus, I haven't been away from Jillian for more than a few hours. {I know, I know} There was no way I would last nearly 4 full days away. I am pretty stoked that my parents will be here! After this visit, I won't see them again until Christmas. I'm going to soak up as much of them as I can. I am cleaning like a madwoman for their arrival. I'm just about done and it feels good to have such a clean house!
• Today, Jillian had her normal speech therapy that also included some time with an Occupational Therapist. She was army crawling so long without seeming interested in regular crawling that we thought it would be good to get her checked out. Of course, now she's crawling all over and even pulling up to her knees consistently. The OT gave me some tips for helping her learn to pull to standing on her feet, and we even have an appointment for her to come to the house in a few weeks just to follow up. It was good to hear that she's still on track though. I know babies grow at their own rate, but I've always worried about her after her hearing diagnosis. It's the mama in me. She gives me no reason to worry, but the reassurance really helps me. 
• I finally got caught up on Jillian's baby book and calendar (minus some photos I need to print)! While it's hard to keep up sometimes, I know I'm going to treasure these. I sure hope Jillian does one day too :)
• We went up for TU Homecoming this past weekend. While it was a nice weekend overall, (and I got to spend time with my BFF Annette!), I always get a little down after being on campus. It arouses feelings of failure in me. If only I could have done something different, maybe things would have turned out better. Maybe I could have finished. It's a little depressing for me.
• I did get to go to a movie tonight with two of my old high school friends. It was exactly what I needed and we all had a good time. It made me feel less vulnerable. It also reminded me that, if things had gone differently, my life may have been different. What if I never had Jillian? She has made me feel whole and I can't imagine her not existing. I'm thankful she's here, even if that means I had to go through what I did in college. I would do it all over again, the exact same way, if that meant she would be in my life :)

I think that's it for now. Hope y'all had a great Monday!

Online Shopping Like It's My Job

I'm going to preface this post by saying this is not a thrifty-shopping type of post. Most of the time, I try to be conscientious about how much I spend, especially on clothes for Jillian. However, I was in a shopping mood a few weeks ago and I felt she was worth a little splurging ;)

First are two outfits from Tori Spelling's new line at JCPenny called Little Maven. I think they are just so cute!

I also bought these from JCPenny. I really wanted a back-up/fun Christmas outfit for Jillian and thought this was adorable. Also, I saw a similar sweater dress at Old Navy, but it sold out. However, this was just as cute AND I can't wait for her to wear it :)

I also got lots of pants, and a hooded shirt for Jillian from Old Navy. And those lacy shoes? Who could resist that ;)

And finally, here are two things I got at Carter's on Saturday. Having a store within a mile of my house? Not a good thing for my wallet. HA! I did only spend $19.80 with tax on these items because of their sale AND a woman in the store handing me a 15% off coupon before I checked out. Thanks kind stranger!

{It's hard to tell, but the dress is brown}

I still can't believe Jillian is big enough to wear stuff like this! Maybe a new outfit for her birthday and Christmas, but otherwise she's set for the winter :)

A Glimpse of Jillian

I know I already posted once today, but I really want to record some Jillian stuff. Skip if you'd like :)

First of all, we went to a local church pumpkin patch on Saturday. It was windy and overcast, so no one else was there. It was perfect :) We took a few photos, then picked out our pumpkins.

Both yesterday and today, she has been quite the chatterbox! Not only is she babbling, she is pointing to things so we can tell her what they are. Today at the grocery store, she almost said "apples" fairly audibly! I was so proud :) Most of the time, she just babbles though. When I went to put the groceries in the car, I put her in her seat first. I figured she'd be fine while I loaded the bags in the trunk, and did not buckle her in. Because my Jeep does not have automatic door locks, I locked all the doors, and headed toward the cart on the other side of the car. As I grabbed the first bag, I look in the window and see her leaning over the side. Worried she'd fall out, I rushed to unlock the doors. By the time I got to her, her little butt was in the air as she squealed happily while she grasped her long lost toy. I put her back in her seat, then buckled her up. Clearly she's too squirmy to be left alone like that.

Today, she also stood up in her crib for the first time. She was supposed to be napping, so I called my mom to chat. I heard her start to cry, so I glanced at the video monitor we recently got. I noticed she was on her feet and hanging her head over the railing. Turns out, she dropped her pacifier on the floor. Well, Phil lowered her crib while I went to work out  this evening. Hopefully it'll be awhile before we have to move it again. I'm proud of her for doing it, but it did scare me a bit!

I really thought I saw the beginning of her top middle tooth on her right side, (the central incisor) start to poke out. She got her bottom teeth in mid-May. Now I can't see that tooth as well, but her bottom second tooth on her right side, (the lateral incisor), is coming out! I'm glad she's finally getting some more toofers :)